Need wording help

[littlesista06]

My teacher and I need to draft a letter to our nursery school parents reminding them not to send in any peanut products (or foods processed near peanuts) for the classroom.

I also have to work on a note to send home requesting parents not feed their kids peanut butter or peanut products for breakfast since it will cause our allergy sufferer to 'react'.

Any ideas on how you would write it and/or how you like it read if it were coming home to you??
Any help would be much appreciated! TIA

[Diane]

Thought this was pretty good. I hope it helps...



Dear Parents

Kindergarten students are given an opportunity to eat a snack sent from home each day to provide for their nutritional needs.

As there is a child attending your child's class who suffers from a life threatening allergy to peanut products i.e. peanut butter, peanut oil, etc., we ask your cooperation by not sending any snacks with your child containing peanut products.

Students who have severe allergies to such food substances are exposed to a health risk when peanut products are consumed in their environment or shared with them. Please speak with your child about not sharing their snacks with other children. Alternative snack ideas are available through [your local public health office at xxx-xxxx].

If your child has health problems of any kind, please inform your child's teacher immediately so that the necessary health protection steps may be taken.

Your understanding and cooperation are appreciated so that we might provide for the health needs of students at risk of health trauma.

Yours truly,

........

[Cathy]

Dear Parents,
We are going "peanut-free" at school this year due to a severe allergy. Peanut products are so common that we need your help in making our room a safe environment. We ask that you do not send in any items that have peanuts or peanut oil in their ingredients.

If your child consumes peanuts or peanut products at home, please wash their face and hands thoroughly and help them brush their teeth carefully before coming to school.

The safety of all of our students is our number one priority. Thanks for your assistance. If you have any questions about specific snack ideas, please call Miss sista at xxx-xxxx.

It's going to be a wonderful year.

[littlesista06]

Those are great helps! Thanks ya'll!! :thumb:

Cathy, do you really think the washing hands/faces is enough to keep our little guy safe?
It's got us confused. On the one hand, mom tells us how deadly his allergy is and how they nearly lost him over a cookie that wasn't even peanuty, but was in a container that HAD peanut butter cookies in it beforehand. But then tells us she'll eat a peanut butter sandwich and he'll sit in her lap and is fine. So I'm unsure why we're asking the kids not to even eat any before school.

Get this: her mil gave her son peanut M&M's knowing full well he's allergic. Can you imagine??

[Cathy]

Those are great helps! Thanks ya'll!! :thumb:

Cathy, do you really think the washing hands/faces is enough to keep our little guy safe?
It's got us confused. On the one hand, mom tells us how deadly his allergy is and how they nearly lost him over a cookie that wasn't even peanuty, but was in a container that HAD peanut butter cookies in it beforehand. But then tells us she'll eat a peanut butter sandwich and he'll sit in her lap and is fine. So I'm unsure why we're asking the kids not to even eat any before school.

Get this: her mil gave her son peanut M&M's knowing full well he's allergic. Can you imagine??

We're peanut free this year, and that note is pretty much what our health specialist recommended. She is an RN and consulted with the child's doctor and the program nutritionist. We are taking it very seriously, but kids like peanut butter. (It's cheap and easy for parents too.) So telling them not to eat it at home didn't seem to settle the issue. The doctor said paying attention to hands, faces, and teeth (especially since some of our kids are still kind of 'oral') would protect our allergy sufferer. Good luck. It's going to be all about educating the kids and the parents on keeping him safe.

(I predict the kids'll be more compliant than the parents....once they know what's allowed. There's a huge learning opportunity here about health, differences, nutrition, safety, food manufacture, responsibility, caring, being a community, etc. ad nauseum LOL)

On that mom---how can you need a license to ride a motorcycle, or go fishing, and get to parent without basic common sense???? God bless you--that baby NEEDS you!

[littlesista06]

Thank you SO much! Tell me again your job position just so I can show I have a real leg to stand on when I pass on your letter. :lol: :D

[Cathy]

Thank you SO much! Tell me again your job position just so I can show I have a real leg to stand on when I pass on your letter. :lol: :D

I'm the center director of a Head Start.

[Linda/NE]

I'm the center director of a Head Start.

Okay I suppose this is my "sometimers" kicking in again, but how come I didn't remember that??

[Melody]

Ds1 has been in and out of classes since JK with kids with these allergies. He did eat peanut butter for breakfast but I always made sure that he ate in his pj's (in case it got on his clothes), washed his face really well as well as his hands and I made sure he brushed his teeth well. I was totally paranoid but it was also hard for us sometimes to come up with something else since ds loves his peanut butter so much. As time went on he got pretty good and thinking up new things I could send with him for lunch. I always checked the labels on food I was sending. That said, I think it's a good idea to include in these letters that this includes other nuts as well (I'm just assuming the child is also allergic to other nuts). You wouldn't believe how many people think that coconuts are fine and think it's cute to decorate on cupcakes when it comes to sending things in. I know there are plenty of snacks, even granola bars out there without any nut products so I would have a list of things that is safe to send in if a parent comes to you looking for ideas. One of these kids ds1 goes to school with is a good friend of his and I used to get so paranoid when he would come over for dinner because both ds1 and ds3 (fingerprints child) love the pb. It's amazing how well these kids know what to do and what to look for in labels as they get older. Good luck with it, I'm sure it will all become routine for the kids and the parents in no time.