Safe Snack

FPS has several students in our district who have a life-threatening allergy that can be triggered by touch, contact, consumption, or airborne inhalation.

For students who have airborne, touch, or contact allergies, even the smallest amount can cause a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction. Small traces of oils and dust can cling to and stick on community items such as pencils, door knobs, keyboards, etc, causing reactions for the allergic child.

An allergic reaction to food can affect the skin, the gastrointestinal tract, the respiratory tract, and, in the most serious cases, the cardiovascular system. Reactions can range from mild to severe, including the potentially life-threatening condition known as anaphylaxis. In the U.S., food allergy symptoms send someone to the emergency room every three minutes.

Symptoms typically appear within minutes to several hours after eating the food to which you are allergic. Keep in mind that children may communicate their symptoms in a different manner than adults.

Read more about how a child might describe a reaction.

Severe symptoms may include one or more of the following:

• Obstructive swelling of the lips, tongue, and/or throat
• Trouble swallowing
• Shortness of breath or wheezing
• Turning blue
• Drop in blood pressure (feeling faint, confused, weak, passing out)
• Loss of consciousness
• Chest pain
• A weak or “thread” pulse
• Sense of “impending doom”

Severe symptoms, alone or in combination with milder symptoms, may be signs of anaphylaxis and require immediate treatment.

We have many students who have severe allergies. We have many families who have children in more than one setting. Packing a lunch or snack for each child is easiest if we have one SAFE FOOD LIST to work from. It will support a safer school environment.

Yes, but please be mindful that you and your child wash hands, brush teeth, and are aware of items that go to and from school.

The list is not conclusive and we will add to it throughout the school year. Please check all food labels for potential allergens. If you are interested in sharing other snacks, please check with the front office PRIOR to bringing it into the school building.

Labels that say, “Made in a facility with peanuts/tree nuts OR May Contain peanuts/tree nuts” are to be avoided.

Our hope is that families will work with the classroom teacher/Principal to find a birthday treat that works best for your child and the class family. Although we promote activities that focus on celebrations rather than food, we understand that your family or birthday child may want to bring something to share from the Safe Food List. If the child chooses to bring a snack to share, it will be part of the normal snack routine and he/she will be recognized for bringing a snack to share with the class family to celebrate his/her birthday.

Our goal is not to take away being a kid. Our goal is to make sure all students in the class family can take part in the birthday celebration.

This restriction should be adhered to by any organization, agency, community group who uses the Ferndale Early Childhood Center, Lower Elementary Campus and/or Upper Elementary Campus.

Students and parents participating in a field trip must still adhere to the guidelines.

Sharing is a value we want to instill in our children. We still want our children to share a smile, jokes, and laughter. However, for kids with allergies, sharing food is serious. It is our responsibility to teach our children that even a tiny amount of food can make a friend very, very sick.

There are many reputable websites that can support parents and children in understanding the severity of allergies. A good site to start would be www.foodallergy.org.

Yes. All persons on campus at all times are asked to adhere to these safety precautions.

All Ferndale School employees receive annual training on allergy awareness, signs/symptoms of a life-threatening reaction, how to administer an Epi-Pen, and other medical conditions deemed necessary.

Volunteers who attend overnight camps and other specific field trips will receive allergy awareness training.

Yes, each school building stores Epi-Pens in unlocked yellow boxes in case of emergency.

A family must inform the school district that their child has a severe allergy. The district requires a FARE (Food Allergy Research and Education) plan from a certified doctor with specifics detailing the child’s severity. A 504 plan is then written to support the child in the school setting and staff must abide by the plan.

The safety of ALL of our students is paramount. We understand there are children who have severe allergies to foods when consumed. However due to the increased danger to students who have airborne, touch, and/or contact allergies, we must place a higher standard of safety in these areas.  We will continue to work with families of students with other severe allergies to maintain their safety.

Most likely, yes. We will follow the written documentation by the prescribing doctor, 504 Plan, and work closely with each family to ensure all the necessary precautions are in place while maintaining an environment of inclusion.

Signs will be posted at all entrances reminding everyone they are entering a Safe Zone.

The district will send out regular reminders, updates and information about food allergies through the E-blast, website, and social media.

Each building will send out regular reminders, updates, and information about food allergies through the school newsletter and social media, and at meetings.

Each building will have an area near the front of the school with information for families on how to support students with allergies.

Yes, this is different than what some families are used to. However, the Ferndale Schools community prides itself on inclusion and doing what is best for ALL students. We know that our Ferndale School Family wants to keep every child safe from harm.

Our school social workers, principals, and teaching staff will work with students to bring allergy awareness into our schools. At the beginning of the year, the social worker meets with each classroom to read specific books and have a class discussion.

Acceptance is one of the many things that  makes our community so exceptional.

Acceptance refers to an attitude of openness and respect for the differences that exist amongst people. Although originally used to refer to ethnic and religious differences, the concepts of diversity, tolerance, and acceptance can also be applied to gender, people with physical and intellectual disabilities, and other differences, such as life-threatening allergies.

Acceptance is respecting and learning from others, valuing differences, bridging cultural gaps, rejecting unfair stereotypes, discovering common ground, and creating new bonds. With our focus on social-emotional learning, our students, families, and community will continue to make Ferndale a place for EVERYONE.