District Administration - May 2008 - (Page 33)

Kindergarteners at Appoquinimink (Del.) School District have lunch. Birthdays in the elementary schools are now celebrated without food or candy. imink superintendent Tony Marchio. The district also educates staﬀ members on how to use EpiPens, and children who are old enough and responsible can carry their own, or they are stored in the nurse’s oﬃce. In the Penn-Traﬀord (Pa.) School District, children in the ﬁve elementary schools are not allowed to bring cupcakes or home-baked cookies for birthday parties and other celebrations. Instead, they must order snacks from the school’s cafeteria service from a preapproved list of snacks that do not contain peanuts or tree nuts. Parents of children with serious egg or milk allergies, for example, would receive a list of snacks that do not contain those allergens, explains Peggy DeNinno, assistant to the superintendent. Parents bring orders to the nurse, who double-checks that the snack includes only safe ingredients for the particular class. One student, for example, has a serious allergy to cinnamon, so the snack list for that class has foods that do www.DistrictAdministration.com not contain that spice. In the past, school nurses in Appoquinimink would monitor treats brought in for parties and holidays, which meant going to classrooms and making on-thespot assessments. “They were spending their days sifting through snacks,” DeNinno says. Parents can also buy snacks as long as the principal or school nurse approves the ingredients, she adds. The Appoquinimink policy has angered some in the local Parent-Teacher Organization, who say it is more expensive and that they want the freedom to bake goodies to bring to school. DeNinno says the food service works to provide snacks at cost to parents, and the policies ensure that the 180 allergic students out of 4,500 in the district will be safe. “We certainly don’t frown on fun,” says DeNinno. “But food does not always have to be at the center of that festive atmosphere.” Embracing Guidelines Lechner urges district leaders not to be afraid of establishing food allergy guidelines but instead to “embrace it.” Such guidelines make students, teachers, parents and staﬀ members feel safer and be safer. “It’s part of our routine now,” he says, “and it’s wonderful.” DA Jeanne Jackson DeVoe is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. May 2008 33 RESOURCES Centers for Disease Control and Prevention www.cdc.gov Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) www.foodallergy.org/school.html Food Allergy Initiative www.foodallergyinitiative.org WebMD Allergies Health Center www.webmd.com/allergies http://www.cdc.gov http://www.foodallergy.org/school.html http://www.foodallergyinitiative.org http://www.webmd.com/allergies http://www.DistrictAdministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - May 2008

District Administration - May 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Security Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Book Excerpt
Addressing Food Allergies
Algebra: Changing the Equation
Stopping MRSA
Resources to Support Disabled Learners
Web Tools: The Second Generation
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
New Products
Speaking Out
Supervisor’s Opinion
Professional Opinion
Leadership Books
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - May 2008