Staff Writer
PRESQUE ISLE – SAD 1 is doing its part to provide a safe environment for all students including those with a severe allergy to peanuts/peanut products.
Letters went home with elementary school students the first day of school encouraging parents to help keep all children safe by making wise snack choices.
“The SAD 1 school nurses, in conjunction with the Food Services Director and the school principal, are suggesting that you send only those snacks that do not contain any peanut/nut product,” said Loretta Clark, Pine Street Elementary School principal in a letter to parents. “There are many healthy snack alternatives from which to choose.
“Avoidance of the allergies is the key to preventing a life-threatening reaction for these students,” she said. “It takes a whole community to look after all of our children. We appreciate your understanding and assistance in making this a safe school for all.”
According to Health Services Director Deb Raymond, RN, BSN, there are 55 students with EpiPens in the district.
“An EpiPen is an Epinephrine auto injector that’s now used to treat an anaphylactic reaction,” she said. “The EpiPens are used for other allergies like bee stings, but we do have a large portion of peanut allergies in our schools.
“We’re seeing the biggest increase in the pre-kindergarten population,” said Raymond, noting that the allergy issue has been around for several years. “It’s been a growing concern, but an ongoing one, too.”
Raymond said the students are allowed to carry their EpiPens with them.
“The older students would be able to use them if they’re trained,” she said, “and we wouldn’t expect the younger students to know how to use them. We train teachers, bus drivers and others on how to use the EpiPens.
“If we do have to use an EpiPen to treat a peanut allergy,” said Raymond, “we do call the ambulance and make sure the child goes to the hospital. We also notify the parents immediately.”
Kathy Allen, food services director, said peanut butter sandwiches are restricted in the district.
“Zippel and Pine Street served a lot of them because the little kids love those sandwiches,” she said, “but we stopped providing them a couple years ago.
“Peanut butter sandwiches are offered at the middle and high schools,” said Allen. “We buy the ready-made ones and they’re all pre-packaged and labeled. At the middle and high school level, the students are quite aware of their allergies and can take care of themselves.”
Peanut products in the cafeteria are labeled accordingly.
“We put a sticker on the food items that indicate if it contains peanuts,” said Allen. “You have to be careful of hidden peanuts in food. M&Ms, for example, that are used for toppings, come from a factory that has peanuts in it, and occasionally there can be a peanut reject that gets into the container. We’re constantly looking at labels.”
Among the food items that have to be labeled include cookies, ice cream and trail mix.
SAD 1 elementary schools also offer “peanut free” tables in the cafeterias.
“We have tables that are labeled ‘peanut free’ for the children who have the allergies,” Allen said. “They can sit there and be safe.”
Parents are advised to be careful not to “cross contaminate” their children.
“If you’re making a peanut butter sandwich for one child, don’t use that same knife or cutting board,” said Allen. “You can’t cross contaminate.”
“If someone comes from home having had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast or toast with peanut butter and it’s on their hands,” Raymond said, “that can be very dangerous to the children with peanut allergies. We ask that parents make sure their kids clean their faces and hands before coming to school.”
Raymond has books interested parents can borrow to learn more about peanut allergies. For more information, contact Raymond at 764-8105.
Staff photo/Scott Mitchell Johnson
PARENTS OF SAD 1 STUDENTS are being encouraged to help keep all children safe by sending only those snacks that do not contain any peanut/nut product. With a large number of children having peanut allergies, the district is doing its part in providing a safe environment for all students including restricting peanut butter sandwiches, offering “peanut free” tables in the cafeterias, and making books available for parents to read. Health Services Director Deb Raymond, RN, BSN, said there are 55 students with EpiPens in the district. An EpiPen is an Epinephrine auto injector that’s now used to treat an anaphylactic reaction.
