Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2014, 10:53 AM
Dear Parents and Guardians,
For student safety, Bellevue
School District has changed its policy regarding food in the
classroom and during instructional times which includes
lunch and recess. This letter outlines the specific
changes along with the rational for the change. Please
take a few minutes to read this letter for the safety of
each and every student.
There have been a number of
emergencies related to food allergies around the district
raising significant concerns about food in the classroom and
at school events. In our district we have students who are
allergic to peanuts, kiwi, celery, watermelon, soy, dairy,
and eggs as well as other foods. To ensure that each
and every student remains safe at school, important changes
have been made to our Anaphylaxis Prevention and Response
procedure (3420P). These changes are effective
immediately.
The items highlighted in this
letter and the attached FAQ are not exhaustive. We
encourage you to read the entire procedure, 3420P Anaphylaxis Prevention
and Response, which can be found on the district
website:
http://www.bsd405.org/about-us/policies-procedures/3000-students.aspx The most significant change
made by this procedure is the prohibition of using
food items (homemade and/or store bought) for rewards,
incentives, cultural events, celebrations and events during
instructional time including lunch and recess.
Teachers may allow mid-morning and/or
mid-afternoon snacks. If your student’s teacher allows
snacks, you may provide your child with an individual snack.
Your teacher or school nurse can provide you with a
list of food items not to send, as an individual snack, due
to food allergies in your child’s classroom or
school.
If
food items are brought to school to share with other
students, please anticipate those items being returned home
with your student.
According to FARE (Food Allergy
Research & Education), one in thirteen students has a
food allergy. This is roughly two students per
classroom. Nearly 40% of these students have already
experienced a severe or life-threatening allergic
reaction. As a school community, we must be diligent
in our attempts to prevent this from happening to any of our
students.
Thank you for your attention
and compliance with the revised procedure and for your
assistance in keeping each and every student safe at
school.
FAQ’s
Can my student
bring a snack from home to eat in class? Please
check with your student’s teacher first to confirm that
snacks are allowed in their classroom. If snacks are
allowed, please be mindful of what you send with your
student as an individual snack item. Your teacher or school nurse
can provide you with a list of foods not to send, due to
food allergies in your student’s classroom or
school.
My student is in a
classroom with classmates that have food allergies.
Can my student bring anything s/he wants to eat for lunch?
Please check with your student’s school nurse or
office to confirm that there is a separate table at lunch
for students with allergies or if there is a specific
school-wide prohibition on specific food
items.
Can I send in cupcakes
or cookies for my child’s birthday?
No, the updated Anaphylaxis Prevention and Response
procedure ‘prohibits the use of food items for rewards and
incentives to students and for celebrations and
events.’ A birthday party is considered a
celebration. Please consider non-food items, such as
stickers or party favors, as a way to celebrate your
student’s birthday with classmates.
The Fall Party is this
week. Can I bring in candy for the Fall Party on
October 31st?
No, the updated Anaphylaxis
Prevention and Response procedure ‘prohibits the use of
food items for rewards and incentives to students and for
celebrations and events.’ This procedure went
into effect immediately and food items are no longer
permitted for celebrations including holiday parties.
Please use non-food items to celebrate.
My student’s class
earned a pizza party. Can I send in pizza to be eaten
during lunch time?
No, the updated Anaphylaxis Prevention and Response
procedure ‘prohibits the use of food items for rewards and
incentives to students and for celebrations and events’
during instructional activities. Food items are not
permitted during instructional activities including lunch
and recess.
Can I bring in treats
and share them with my student’s class during
lunch?
No, food items are not permitted during instructional
activities including lunch and recess.
What will happen if I do send my
student to school with food items as treats to share with
their class or for an event? All
schools have been directed to return any treats that are
food items home with the student.
