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Life Threatening Allergies

REVIEW: June 5, 2001

Date Approved by School Committee: June 6, 2000 Amended 10/23/01

I. Background

II. Purpose and Scope

In order to minimize the incidence of life threatening allergic reactions, the Lexington Public Schools (LPS) will maintain a system-wide emergency plan for addressing life threatening allergic reactions and maintain an Individual Health Care Plan (IHP) for any student(s) whose parents/ guardians, and physicians have informed the principal of the school in writing that the student(s) has a potentially life threatening allergy.

Procedure for Implementing Life-Threatening Allergy Policy

In order to minimize the incidence of life threatening allergic reactions, the Lexington Public Schools (LPS) will:

  1. Provide training and education for all Lexington Public School educational support personnel exclusive of building personnel employees regarding:
    1. The most common allergens that cause life threatening allergies such as foods, medications, latex and stinging insects;
    2. how to recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction;
    3. the steps to take in the event of an allergic reaction.
  2. Create a system-wide emergency plan for addressing life threatening allergic reactions that will be included in all employee/ contractor training and will be posted in easily accessible public places.
  3. Maintain an Individual Healthcare Plan (IHP) for any student identified with a potentially life- threatening allergy in conjunction with the student’s parent( s) and primary care provider and/ or allergist.
  4. The principal and/ or assistant principal will promote a "NO FOOD TRADING " and "no utensil sharing " policy in all schools with particular focus at the elementary school level.
  5. Provide life threatening allergen (LTA) i. e. , tree nut, peanut, etc. , free table( s) in the cafeteria at the elementary level as necessary.
  6. At the elementary level, when the student’s medical need is clearly documented by the primary care physician or a board certified allergist, LTA free classrooms will be created to the best of our ability. When questions arise, the need for this may be determined in consultation with a board certified allergist employed by the school system.
  7. Parents will be encouraged to participate in the support and implementation of this policy.

Employee/ Contractor Training and Education

  1. Will be provided to all teachers, substitutes, aides, tutors, secretaries, student teachers, and to bus drivers and food service staff when deemed necessary. Contractual employees, bus drivers and food service personnel, will be provided informational training in recognizing life threatening allergic reactions and the appropriate response to a reactions. Custodial staff will be provided basic informational sessions on life threatening allergies.
  2. Will include (but not limited to):
  3. The Director of Human Resources and/ or the Principal and/ or their designees will be responsible for scheduling the training and ensuring that all appropriate employees are trained.

School Procedures

  1. At all levels, the school nurse, in conjunction with the student’s parent(s) / guardian(s) and the primary care provider/ allergist will prepare an Individual Health Plan (IHP) for any student with a life threatening allergy. This IHP will be updated annually and reviewed by the school nurse, the student ’s parents(s) and primary care provider and/ or the student ’s allergist. The IHP will include the student’s name, the allergen(s) , the warning signs and symptoms, what to do in case of an emergency, phone numbers of parents, doctors, and allergists. At the elementary levels, the IHP will be available in the nurse’s office and student’s homeroom and will accompany a student on any field trip. At the middle school level, a copy of the IHP will be sent on field trips with the classroom teacher. At the high school level, all students will be responsible for carrying their own EpiPens on field trips.
  2. At the elementary level, photographs of students with LTA may be attached to the IHP with permission of the parents.
  3. All school owned cell phones would be preprogrammed with the phone number for the Lexington Police Department (781-862-1212) and the Lexington Fire Department (781-862-0270) to ensure speedy response. (NOTE: Most cell phones do not have a Lexington prefix, therefore if one calls 911, they will get the state police barracks in Framingham. )
  4. School bus drivers will be notified of the student(s) who have life threatening allergies, by parents, if they wish the driver to be informed.
  5. Contractual food service employees will use only latex free gloves.
  6. EpiPens (belonging to the school and those prescribed to the students) will be available in the nurse’s office and in other clearly designated locations as specified in the IHP. At the beginning of each school year or upon assuming a staff position, all staff (including substitutes) will be informed of the location of the EpiPen. At the secondary level, all students are allowed and encouraged to carry their EpiPen on their person as allowed in the medication policy.
  7. Allergy emergency drills will be conducted in the elementary schools at least once each school year in conjunction with the crisis management team. Procedures will be reviewed at faculty meetings.
  8. LTA free tables will be maintained in the cafeteria at the elementary level as necessary. These tables will be designated by a universal symbol and it will be the responsibility of the principal to ensure that these areas are not contaminated. The principal may designate an adult staff member to carry out this duty.
  9. School will encourage parents and teachers to have food-free school parties, celebrations and school events. Any foods sent into a classroom for sharing/ distribution to the children in the classroom where there is a child who has a life- threatening allergy that could possibly contain LTA products needs to be unopened and prepackaged with an intact ingredient label.
  10. The school principal, in consultation with the school nurse, will be responsible for notifying classroom teachers, classroom aides, specialists and parents of students in the class the nature of life threatening allergies faced by students; this notification will include an explanation of the severity of the health threat, a description of signs and symptoms to be aware of and a concise list of foods and materials to avoid.
  11. Whenever students travel on field trips for school, a clear plan to activate Emergency Medical Services (911) should be reviewed by all teachers and chaperones. Field trips need to be chosen carefully; no child should be excluded from a field trip due to unavoidable allergen exposure. (NOTE: How to activate EMS should be included on the field trip forms. )

Student and Staff Practices

  1. All students and staff will be encouraged to wash their hands after eating and/or handling food.

Curriculum

  1. The education of students and teachers about children with health care issues in the school setting will be the responsibility of the building principal. Determination of the need and content of this education will be made collaboratively by the building principal, school nurse, and health educator.
  2. Our goal with building based education will be to raise the level of awareness about the problem of life threatening allergies, in order that we might create a safe environment for learning for children with serious allergies.
  3. Student education on life threatening allergies will be based on individual need within schools and classrooms. The health educator and school nurse, under the direction of the building principal, will facilitate and conduct programs, as the need is determined.