Acorn Alert!

[maeve]

I have seen a handful of reports from this community (all anecdotal, of course) of children with tree nut allergies having problems with acorns over the years.

It seems to be pretty rare, though, even with kids who have pretty high sensitivity.  My own DD has certainly never had any problem being around acorns-- though we certainly have cautioned her about HANDLING acorns and other fallen seed pods or nuts.

It seems to me as though the school is really handling things pretty well by picking them up regularly.  <shrug>

We've had a similar experience to our tree nut allergic DD (allergic to every tree nut tested).  I called/emailed DD's allergist when she was younger because of a planned project at her day care involving acorns.  I was told that if the acorn were intact that it would pose no problems but that it is best not to chance an acorn becoming crushed, exposing the meat of the nut.

BTW, acorns cannot be eaten raw (by humans, anyway).  They must be cooked to be palatable.

http://www.wisegeek.org/can-people-eat-acorns.htm

There's another very serious reason to limit acorns (and you can do that by picking them up in your yard).  They are a prime food source for mice, which are actually the primary carriers of ticks and Lyme disease. So if you live in an area where the rates of Lyme disease are high (such as the one I live in), pick up the acorns in your yard and toss them with your yard waste.  BTW, at least in my area, there's warnings that next spring will see a spike in Lyme.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120316094452.htm

[Ciel]

Oh, and why does her teenaged child go to St. Stephen ELEMENTARY school?

A young teen would still be in elementary school - high school starts at grade 9 (age 14). So 13-14 y/o students in grade 7 & 8 are still in elementary school. It sounds like that is the case for one of her children. The other is probably already in high school, according to the first article.

[Ciel]

For what it's worth, I agree that the burden of proof lies with the family. Harming the natural ecology of the neighbourhood should never be taken lightly. Especially if/when true and realistic risk is negligible.

[rebekahc]

Oh, and why does her teenaged child go to St. Stephen ELEMENTARY school?

A young teen would still be in elementary school - high school starts at grade 9 (age 14). So 13-14 y/o students in grade 7 & 8 are still in elementary school. It sounds like that is the case for one of her children. The other is probably already in high school, according to the first article.

Ah, here elementary school ends by grade 6 (ages 11-12) at the latest.

[candyguru]

Oh, and why does her teenaged child go to St. Stephen ELEMENTARY school?

A young teen would still be in elementary school - high school starts at grade 9 (age 14). So 13-14 y/o students in grade 7 & 8 are still in elementary school. It sounds like that is the case for one of her children. The other is probably already in high school, according to the first article.

Ah, here elementary school ends by grade 6 (ages 11-12) at the latest.

In my neighbourhood in the north end of the city of Toronto, it goes like this:

elementary school (kindergarten to grade 5, age 4 -10)
middle school (grade 6 - 8, age 11 - 13)
high school / secondary school (grade 9 - 12, age 14 - 18)

But I have heard that in some areas, there is no middle school and the elementary school goes from kindergarten to grade 8, which seems like the case with this acorn family, as the article states her one child is in high school (14 years old or more), while the other child is in grade 8 (13 years old?), and the path with the oak trees seems to go from the elementary school to the high school.

[Ciel]

Is that the public board candyguru? I believe we are very close geographically and at least in the Catholic board, there are no middle schools. The elementary school I attended (in this area) goes from JK to grade 8, and I can't think of any schools in the board that are different. I think this is also the case in York Region.

[Janelle205]

Most of you know that I worked in outdoor ed for a good while.  We had lots of oak trees, as well as hickory and black walnut.  We never had a reaction from a nut-allergic child to any of these in all of the times that I worked there.

I would say that an oak tree might not have been the greatest idea, but not because of nut allergies - I think that the woman in this case is being more than a little bit ridiculous.  I wouldn't plant an oak tree in a school yard because those things are just like tiny little balls, and thus, the kids want to pick them up and throw them, and sometimes, throw them at each other.  I was much more worried at camp about a kid getting hurt by catching a black walnut (those things are huge) with their head than someone having a reaction.

[catelyn]

I would think at least by US law that necessary, appropriate and undue burden would come in to play. If it's not one of their allergens, they're of an age and maturity to deal with being around acorns and the cost of removing trees based on the former.

Excpet the tree lady is in Canada where US law doesn't apply.

There is very little rhyme or reason to the ages of the schools here.  Our elementary school is JK to 6 but our "middle school" is JK to 8 and the kids go from our school to the other school for 7 and 8.  If you have one address you switch, in 7 if you have another, your there the whole way through. 

The public school I went to in North York was and still is jk -6 and a Junior high of 7,8,9. I know there are a few still kicking around with that model.  I think all the TCDSB schools are Jk to 8.  I have no idea about the York board. 

[twinturbo]

I would think at least by US law that necessary, appropriate and undue burden would come in to play. If it's not one of their allergens, they're of an age and maturity to deal with being around acorns and the cost of removing trees based on the former.

Excpet the tree lady is in Canada where US law doesn't apply.

I know, that's why I distinguished it from both Canada and from using a more generic (north) America since our discussion is by default international.

[Jessica]

Around here, elementary school is only until grade 5. They go to middle school for 6, 7 and 8, and HS starts at grade 9. So here, the oldest at elementary school might be 11 or possibly 12.

[candyguru]

Is that the public board candyguru? I believe we are very close geographically and at least in the Catholic board, there are no middle schools. The elementary school I attended (in this area) goes from JK to grade 8, and I can't think of any schools in the board that are different. I think this is also the case in York Region.

Hi Ciel,

It is the Toronto public school board.  Yes, we live in the same general area.  All of the schools that I know of in the area (McKee Elementary School, Hollywood Elementary School, Finch Elementary School, Elkhorn Elementary School, Lilian Elementary School, etc) are all kindergarten to grade 5.

Afterwards, it would be middle school (grade 6,7,8) such as Bayview Middle School, Cummer Valley Middle School, etc

So perhaps it is the public elementary schools that go to grade 5, while the Catholic elementary schools go to grade 8?

[Ciel]

Yes, that makes sense.

Edited to remove personal info that is completely irrelevant to the topic. Not sure where my brain was yesterday. 

[twinturbo]

Now I want to do a poll to see how many of us with known nut (peanut, too?) allergies have oak trees in their yard. I do. And I'd love to sling shot those ************** fat, glossy-coated squirrels gorging themselves on my super abundant acorns to the moon. Lazy neighborhood cats only chase them which probably gives them enough exercise to make even stronger squirrels.

[becca]

LOL, TT.  We had them running in our attic just prior to selling our old house!  YUCK!  We have few squirrels in our yard here, and I made the mistake of tossing some old bread or toast our for birds last winter.  OMG.  The squirrels find it.  I was them dealing with about 4 tenacious beasts scaling my slider screen on my back deck, scaling my siding to get to the bird feeder on a window, etc...  They are so aggressive.   I felt like Chevy Chase in the Christmas Vacation movie.  I was chasing them away every day, lol. 

But, I might like having them if I had a few oak trees!

[Janelle205]

I love watching the squirrels in our backyard.  We have black squirrels too, which are my favorite.