New Here And Need Help With School Policy

[IrishHeart]

Exactly, and it is because of moderators response to thit that I have reread the board rules and I am very careful to provide evidence for what I say, or to state it as experience or opinion.

 

Well, if any of the moderators should come by and think StephanieL is violating the rules, I am sure they'll let us know.

 

She was speaking from experience.  She has given the OP her opinion--essentially in support of the OP's stance--and that's the point of the thread.

 

Other posters, like Cara, gave her some very good suggestions.

 

And that's my opinion.

[Gemini]

It should then not be stated as a fact per board rules: "5) Any claims you make here should be based on legitimate sources, or be expressed as opinion, experience, or inquiry."

OMG...this one nearly had me choking on some fruit I was eating!!!! 

 

As there is no legitimate source on the subject of super sensitivity, and we now have a whole section devoted to a subject that is not recognized by any legitimate Celiac organization or doctor, do you want to explain to me why you answered StephanieL in the manner you did, when she actually had some really good suggestions, based on expert experience on the subject, to offer?  This coming from someone who thinks you can be glutened from melons or that there is gluten in soil which can uptake into food that is being grown?    Oh, my....that is priceless...... ...and just my opinion, of course! 

[moosemalibu]

.

 

I saw the conversation as helpful and giving suggestions based on experience, which is written into rule #5. That was, in my opinion, an ambiguous question.

[HappyPlace]

Thank you all for your replies! 

 

@Mizzo: Yes, there is someone in his classroom who has a nut allergy. I don't know her parents yet, so I haven't been able to talk to them about the severity of her (and my son's) allergies. I've already had a discussion with the top 3 people at the school and they are completely uninterested in making alterations to the school policy because "we've never had any problems."

 

@dillettantesteph: I agree, it is crazy. Even more crazy is that parents take turns bringing in "group snack". We received a list of "suggested" snacks that, of course, has nothing on it that is safe for my son. I have been told that as long as the package does not have a  nut statement, it is fine. I don't know if the allergy child eats this or if she brings her own. My son is forbidden from eating anything that 1) doesn't come from our home. 2) has been touched by anyone else. Also, some of the other classrooms allow kids to bring peanuts/tree nuts/sesame. And they share the same playground.

 

I type slow and need to run and pick up my kids from school. I'll be back soon with more...

[BlessedMommy]

I'm guessing that the wording of the policy is mainly trying to prevent parents from being items that are at high risk for nut contamination, like granola bars and such. I could be wrong though.

[dilettantesteph]

 

OMG...this one nearly had me choking on some fruit I was eating!!!! 

 

As there is no legitimate source on the subject of super sensitivity, and we now have a whole section devoted to a subject that is not recognized by any legitimate Celiac organization or doctor, do you want to explain to me why you answered StephanieL in the manner you did, when she actually had some really good suggestions, based on expert experience on the subject, to offer?  This coming from someone who thinks you can be glutened from melons or that there is gluten in soil which can uptake into food that is being grown?    Oh, my....that is priceless...... ...and just my opinion, of course! 

 

I don't know where you get these ideas Gemini.

[IrishHeart]

I don't know where you get these ideas Gemini.

 

 

I will hazard a guess and say...from many years of reading posts on this forum?

 

IMHO of course.

[dilettantesteph]

I would have to ask for evidence, but perhaps that should be done in a different thread.

[IrishHeart]

I would have to ask for evidence, but perhaps that should be done in a different thread.

 

That's probably a good idea since your unsubstantiated comment to StephanieL took this thread way off topic now.

IMHO

[kareng]

Ok, everybody......simmer down....

This whole thread is really just guessing and speculation. And that's obvious and its OK. No one really knows what the school is thinking. Do they even understand the rule they made? The OP has been back and it looks like the school may not understand thier own rule. Or a lawyer told them to make it. Or....... Just more guessing.

I think the general consensus is that the "no food processed in facility rule" in a kids lunch will be impossible to police and may not be necessary. I think we can all agree that it is a new one for us and we would want some clarification from the school.

Personally, I would probably send my kid the food that isn't made with nuts and make sure he/ she never shares or eats food from another child. But Celiac and nut allergy kids probably know that rule.

[IrishHeart]

 The OP has been back and it looks like the school may not understand thier own rule. Or a lawyer told them to make it. Or....... Just more guessing.

I think the general consensus is that the "no food processed in facility rule" in a kids lunch will be impossible to police and may not be necessary.

 

yes,  yes!, and hell yes. because that's a lawyer's job.

 

I have read the 86- page Massachusetts law about food allergens in schools, BTW and it is very complex.

 

I hardly think the "no food processed in a facility rule" is really what the school policy even "intended".

 

That's just not possible, since kiddos bring lunches from home.

 

To the OP: please, I urge you to go back and ask the pertinent question because I wonder: Did you mean to say this?

 

He is not allowed to bring anything that is made in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts or sesame (and technically, that includes my home kitchen). This eliminates almost every packaged food that is safe for him

 

especially since you said:

 

The school kitchen that the teachers use actually has nuts and peanut butter in it.

 

Do you know this for a fact? Because then, the policy makes no sense whatsoever!!. And why would the parents be asked to adhere to the rule if this is the case? This seems contradictory.

 

Go back to the school and get clarification. IN MY OPINION.

[StephanieL]

I will not leave the boards over this but I will not comment further on it was all I was meaning.  Can't chase me away that easily! lol

 

Thanks for the support those of you who know me and my "credentials" as they may be  I do appreciate the support! <3

[GottaSki]

I will not leave the boards over this but I will not comment further on it was all I was meaning.  Can't chase me away that easily! lol

 

Thanks for the support those of you who know me and my "credentials" as they may be  I do appreciate the support! <3

Good news...back to the OP.

[LauraTX]

Okay guys, let's please reign this in here.  Back to the original question.

 

Happyplace, Unless it has been totally shot down, I would open conversation with the school administration back up.  You may be able to ask for your child to be sat away from the peanut allergic child(ren) and while you won't blatantly send nut items there, not worry about shared facilities, etc.  Bottom line is you can't let your kiddo starve and have a non-balanced diet and there has to be a better solution that can be reached with more understanding of everyone's needs.

[GottaSki]

Okay guys, let's please reign this in here. Back to the original question.

Happyplace, Unless it has been totally shot down, I would open conversation with the school administration back up. You may be able to ask for your child to be sat away from the peanut allergic child(ren) and while you won't blatantly send nut items there, not worry about shared facilities, etc. Bottom line is you can't let your kiddo starve and have a non-balanced diet and there has to be a better solution that can be reached with more understanding of everyone's needs.

Laura.

We were bringing the topic back to the original question.

I also think Happyplace can appreciate how tough it is to navigate these problems and likely appreciates the information provided.

Respectfully, Ski

[dilettantesteph]

Are you serious?  I am stating there are people who are sensitive enough that they need certain accommodations to be safe in a school environment.  I have stated SEVERAL times that they are few and far between. I have stated that there are ways to make accommodations so that every student is kept safe. 

 

I am sorry that my years here on this site and my years living with a child with life threatening food allergies doesn't give me any credibility with you however may people here post personal EXPERIENCES.  I do not have a study on how many kids need these kinds of accommodations but that does not mean that it doesn't happen.  Again, as I stated most likely because they are few and far between. 

 

I'm really trying to understand what your issue is.  There is a rule and the OP can fight it or deal with it however they see fit. Why are you questioning what I know and have seen, because there isn't a study on it?  

 

I am done with this thread as I obviously have nothing credible to add.

 

I am very sorry if I caused you any pain.  I honestly was looking for some evidence for food from a nut free facility being necessary for even being the presence of a child with a nut allergy.

 

I guess I am little bothered by this stuff because my son's school won't allow latex balloons in the school at all due to a latex allergy.  At the same time, they will not even provide a crumb free desk for him.  It really doesn't make any sense.

[GottaSki]

So sorry Happy...

Welcome to celiac.com. Feel free to ask more questions...most often folks respond sans-drama.

Love your screen name

[beth01]

I agree with Gemini about the school not really understanding the policy they have written and are trying to enforce.  If they are going to go as far to say that no child can bring anything to school that has ingredients that were processed in a facility that also processes nuts really has to then state that no child can eat anything nut related before school also, if you think about it.  Kid eats peanut butter toast for breakfast, kid sneezes on their hands then touch someone else's things, allergens are then every where. That would be a greater risk than another child eating something processed in a shared facility. Kids that age touch everything and never wash their hands. Why do they not make a safe zone for this child to eat and not have them go near the cafeteria? Some place where no food is normally allowed and then make an exception for this child, let's say the library. No one is inconvenienced, and everyone is safe.

 

While our celiac children might not die from a gluten exposure, those of us that went undiagnosed for so long can tell you just what repeated exposures does to a body.  Like dilettantesteph said, it's frustrating when they make over the top rules for some and then won't follow a simple one for someone else with different food allergies/intolerances, just because it won't result in anaphylaxis and not taking into account how sick our children can become.  I turned in my 504 and then the next day they let my kid eat at a cookout they had for the kids when it clearly states my child is not allowed to eat any food unless it's brought from home.  

 

I would ask for a meeting with the school to get clarification as to what they are trying to accomplish.  If they insist on keeping the policy about the shared facility, ask them for the documentation about EVERY single one of their ingredients that states they aren't processed in a nut free facility.  That also means any ingredient that might be outsourced.    I really don't think they understand just what they are trying to avoid and have no clue that they are in violation of their own policy.  And yes, I am guessing as to that one. In my own opinion, if they can't prove that they are following the policy, why should parents?  That documentation should be public knowledge and they should have to provide it.  Hell, they should have to mail it to every parent to prove that they are following a policy that they expect every parent to also follow, one that limits other children with different intolerances and food limitations.

 

I am sorry about your plight Happyplace and I hope it gets figured out soon.

[dilettantesteph]

StephanieL, let me apologize to you again.  I had my daughter read the thread and she explained how it sounded.  You know how something that you have in your head can sound different when it is written down?  I thought that the OP could approach the school better if she had a good understanding of the reasons for the policy.  I know very well that some children with allergies need food from facilities where the allergen is not processed.  That wasn't the evidence that I was wondering about.  Kids sharing their food hadn't occurred to me as my children's schools have had a no sharing food policy for some time.  I thought that this issue was airborne nut particles coming from food being processed in a shared facility and that sounded far fetched.  I did not mean to question your child's need for food processed in allergen free facilities.  I did not mean to diminish the possible danger to your child that could be caused by eating a small amount of allergen. 

[HappyPlace]

Hi all, 

 

Thank you again for all the replies. I'll try to answer some questions that have come up. Sorry if I repeat myself or miss anything.

 

@StephanieL: I realize that there are people who are severely allergic- my son is one of them. Although the treatment for him is different, it is still a life threatening allergy - one that leaves him with each reaction a damaged intestinal tract that has a decreasing ability to absorb nutrients.

At my son's previous school, there was a girl who has contact anaphylaxis to tree nuts and and also reacts to peanut packages being opened in the same room. I worked closely with her mom and we made sure all of the food events were safe for ALL of the kids. My son's lunch never caused a problem. FWIW, even she thinks this policy is over the top.

 

@Mommyto2kids: I am understanding. Part of my concern with this policy is that in addition to being overly restrictive for my kids ( I have 3 who are affected by this policy), it also doesn't really protect the kids who might have contact anaphylaxis. The policy is implemented on a room by room basis, so kids in other classrooms are spreading PN/TN/Sesame in the bathrooms, hallways and playground. 

If kids at your school are throwing away their lunches, they probably don't taste good. I remember school lunches- yuk! At our school, all of the kids bring their own lunch.

It is a struggle to get enough calories and nutrients into my son- he is very, very thin. his biggest meal of the day tends to be lunch, by the end of the day he is too tired to eat very much. 

 

@bartfull That's what we're sending now, minus the lettuce. I've never been able to get lettuce past his lips!

 

@CarainBoston: I will definitely look up the flax muffins! Fingers crossed he will eat them.

 

@StephanieL: I am trying to decide if I should/can fight the policy. My kids don't need to take nut products, but being able to take "made in a facility that uses nuts" seems much more reasonable to me. Actually, I also would rather have one policy apply school wide as well.

 

@weluvgators: There is no hand washing policy at the school that I am aware of. We are very careful anyway because my son eats chocolate hazelnut butter almost every morning- removes pajamas after eating, then washes hands, face and teeth, then gets dressed.  That is what we worked out at his last school. His last school also had a policy that all kids would wash their hands immediately upon arrival and again before eating snack or lunch - and it had the bonus effect of reducing illness significantly.

 

Whew! I made it to the end of the fist page! Back soon

[HappyPlace]

To the OP: please, I urge you to go back and ask the pertinent question because I wonder: Did you mean to say this?

 

He is not allowed to bring anything that is made 

in a facility that uses peanuts, tree nuts or sesame (and technically, that includes my home kitchen). This eliminates almost every packaged food that is safe for him

 

especially since you said:

 

The school kitchen that the teachers use actually has nuts and peanut butter in it.

 

Do you know this for a fact? Because then, the policy makes no sense whatsoever!!. And why would the parents be asked to adhere to the rule if this is the case? This seems contradictory.

 

Go back to the school and get clarification. 

 

@IrishHeart Yes, I did mean to say that. The policy makes no sense and I did go to the top 3 because I thought that the policy was ridiculous. They are adamant and refused to discuss changes. I was hoping to find out if anyone had even heard of a policy this strict.

 

@LauraTX: The kids eat at tables in their classroom, so the only way for him to eat away from the other kids would be for him to eat by himself on the floor. I don't want him segregated any more than he already is, it increases the risk of bullying.

 

@GottaSki: Thanks for the welcome!

[kareng]

Are they telling you that you can't bring home prepared food for your son's lunch (because you have nuts or peanuts there)?    I would ask them what you are supposed to bring for your child's lunch?  Sounds like they expect you to hit the grocery every morning and get him an apple.

 

Do they enforce this with the other students? And how?

[BlessedMommy]

So they are saying that every family in the school must run a nut free kitchen?

[kareng]

So they are saying that every family in the school must run a nut free kitchen?

 

 

I think that was what I was trying to ask.  lol     And how they make sure they all do?

[BlessedMommy]

I was thinking that the only way around this was to stop by and make your kids' lunch at the tables in the grocery store--except the grocery store probably isn't a nut free facility either.