Managing Students with Life Threatening Allergies

In order to minimize the incidence of life threatening allergic reactions, the Belmont Public Schools (BPS) will do the following:

Request information from parents re: life threatening allergy

• Ask parent about history of past reactions, interventions and outcome
• Provide parent with cover letter and Emergency Health Care Plan to be completed with health care provider, preferably an asthma/allergist specialist.

Implement an Individualized Health Care Plan (IHCP) for each student.

• Identify student to his or her teachers and cafeteria staff
• Discuss allergens and possible student specific symptoms.
• Review emergency response in the event of a reaction.

Send letter home to classroom parents, grades K-4, that requests foods sent in for snack or breakfasts avoid containing the stated allergen(s).

• All foods sent in for sharing must be prepackaged and unopened with an intact ingredient label.

Schools will encourage parents and teachers to have “food free” school parties and celebrations. Birthdays will not be celebrated with food.

Provide an allergen free table in the cafeteria when necessary.

Nurses will maintain a red Life Threatening Allergy binder on desk which will contain Emergency Health Care Plans for all identified students for whom parents have provided information.

• Emergency Health Care Plans will be updated annually and as information changes. Copies of this plan may be located in the classroom, in the substitute folder and in the cafeteria (when appropriate).
• The Emergency Health Care Plan, contained in the Substitute Teacher folder, will be identified on the outside of the folder with a special alert.
• Substitute teachers will be asked to check in with the school nurse, prior to the start of the school day, to review this plan.

In September, nurses attend a faculty meeting to provide staff with information including a presentation regarding:

• the most common allergens that cause life threatening allergies such as foods, medications, latex and stinging insects
• how to recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction
• the emergency response in the event of an allergic reaction

Staff training in administration of EpiPen is offered according to Department of Public Health guidelines for all Belmont Public School employees who come in contact with the identified student. Nurses will determine who will be designated to administer EpiPen in his / her absence.

• EpiPens (belonging to the school and those prescribed to the student) will be available in the nurse’s office and other clearly designated locations as specified in the IHP.
• Parents will monitor the expiration date on their child’s EpiPen and replace it as needed.
• Staff will be informed of the location of the EpiPens.

Review / update training for staff in January.

Email reminders to staff re: food allergies and risk for anaphylaxis at high risk times of year. i.e. Halloween, winter holidays; Easter; end of year celebrations

Field Trip procedure (student packet includes EHCP; EPI PEN; laminated card with 911 instructions.)

• Instruct parent to contact school nurse when they sign a permission form for trip/event.
• Identify staff person responsible for administering Epi Pen in the event of an allergic reaction.
• Insure that a communication device is available to the identified staff person.
• Locate nearest emergency response unit to field trip site and provide telephone number to that unit.
• Teachers will discourage students from eating foods on the bus unless medically indicated.

School bus drivers will be notified of the student(s) who have life threatening allergies, by parents, if they wish the driver to be informed.

Telephone procedure - laminated cards in office(s)/nurse’s clinic “Emergency Allergy Procedure”

Assist parents in reading food labels and encourage communication with Belmont food service.

Parents are reminded (in writing) to share information with coaches, KED, before and after school programs.

End of year request for update/ review of EHCP mailed home.

The schools will work with food allergic students and parents to address the student’s social and emotional needs, as well as provide for their health and safety.

Reviewed August 2011