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Peanut Allergy
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IRT Dr. Woods comment... A 504 won't make them more compliant? Maybe not. More [i]accountable[/i]? Absolutely.
I am in the midst of drafting several letters
Quote:Originally posted by gvmom:
BTW, haven't you ever had to nix something? Do you allow Peanut products in the classroom? If somebody brought peanut butter cookies in, would that be okay with you because your child had a safe treat?
Just to answer your question: All classrooms with allergic children in them at DD's school are peanut and nut free and parents are requested not to bring in items with nuts. I attended all but one class party and spoke often with the class mother and none of the class parties had nut items in them. I happened to be there one day when there was a birthday party and the cupcakes did not have nuts (and were even egg free for religious reasons); however, I was not notified in advance of this birthday but the aide did pull a treat from DD's box for her (without any prompting from me). However, I can't say I knew of every birthday celebration in DD's class. BTW, birthday treats were eaten in the cafeteria not the classroom. So I have not been in a situation to nix a treat. I've actually more often been consulted prior to a party as was the case at DD's kindergarten enrichment/aftercare program last year or with field day this year at school when we were informed that popsicles would be given out; we brought one in for DD which was kept in the classroom freezer, in that situation even if we'd approved a popsicle there's always the possibility that they could run out and a substitution could be made after the fact. We've also been fortunate that since age 2, DD has been in day care and school centers/classrooms that are nut-free.
[This message has been edited by ceross (edited August 23, 2007).]
Quote:Originally posted by gvmom:
[b]Doesn
It is 1:45 am, and I need a manila envelope!
WHERE ARE ALL OF MY MANILA ENVELOPES!!!!!
ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Well, it's 4:46 AM here & I have 4 sizes of manilla envelopes. Just can't change the 3000 miles they'd have to fly to get to you.
~Eliz
Quote:Originally posted by ceross:
[b] Just to answer your question: All classrooms with allergic children in them at DD's school are peanut and nut free and parents are requested not to bring in items with nuts. I attended all but one class party and spoke often with the class mother and none of the class parties had nut items in them. I happened to be there one day when there was a birthday party and the cupcakes did not have nuts (and were even egg free for religious reasons); however, I was not notified in advance of this birthday but the aide did pull a treat from DD's box for her (without any prompting from me). However, I can't say I knew of every birthday celebration in DD's class. BTW, birthday treats were eaten in the cafeteria not the classroom. So I have not been in a situation to nix a treat. I've actually more often been consulted prior to a party as was the case at DD's kindergarten enrichment/aftercare program last year or with field day this year at school when we were informed that popsicles would be given out; we brought one in for DD which was kept in the classroom freezer, in that situation even if we'd approved a popsicle there's always the possibility that they could run out and a substitution could be made after the fact. We've also been fortunate that since age 2, DD has been in day care and school centers/classrooms that are nut-free.
[This message has been edited by ceross (edited August 23, 2007).][/b]
It's not hard to be optimistic when everything is running smoothly. I don't know of to many parents with PA children who have never had to "nix" something in the classroom. Standing there with the teacher staring at you..."sorry this will have to be sent home, it contains peanuts...see the warning label...in bold?" Then leaving the classroom feeling very grateful you were there to catch the mistake. This happened to me several times last year. Yes, indeed, you are lucky.
So seriously, I am about to puke. I literally feel sick to my stomach. Ready to just burst into tears. I can't say everything. But buried in this thread, I will say the following. For those of you, treading along comfortably. And for those of you drowning like me.
In addition to.... all the other loveliness.... we just found out that the new Principal has a child that is PA. The way they found out was through a reaction that landed their kid in the ER. They do not have an Epi-pen. Their doctor has told them that their child might even be able to try peanuts again.
We yell about FAAN. And I agree with it. But I am going to add the AAAAI to it.
What is wrong with doctors out there? Forget about what it does in general to us as a community when doctors and allergists blow off hospital worthy reactions.... but what the &*&k are they doing? That kids life is in jeopardy.
We as a community should be even more angry at the medical community that can't get it's act together.... for the sake of saving children's lives.... and tell parents that their kids could die, understand the seriousness of these allergies, and get people to carry Epi-pens.
What is wrong with these doctors?
I am sick right now. I am angry. Furious really, for a multitude of reasons. But I am also just so worried that there is a child, right now, that doesn't have an Epi-pen that absolutely needs it.
I know eventually, I will get to the part where I start to see how even more screwed we are. It is there in the back of my head.... but at the moment, I am just shocked for that child. And mad at the medical community.
I hope you are counting your lucky stars....
I always remember being a member that wished I could be like other members and NOT have to use the Schools section of the board to get help/advice/support. I know a LOT of our members where they have schools where things run smoothly for their PA children. I always wished I could be one of them. I never was. It wasn't my son's fault. It wasn't my fault. It just was.
The thing I continue to NOT understand is why it would be okay for one part of gvmom's 504 Plan to be violated and not other parts? If it's written down; agreed to; the food in the classroom part (which is very clearly written) is the same as any other segment of the 504 Plan. Again, I continue to NOT understand. Especially when it is a legally binding document. My son's written school plan is only a set of "guidelines" for the school to work from, and yet they do.
gvmom, I do like the homeless analogy (that's a whole other long story about my last field trip with my children's school), but look what happened in my instance even.
Changing schools for Grade 3 and a principal deciding that he could throw the written school plan out the window. The teacher had the same attitude. But I did get those unsafe treats out of the classroom at the Christmas party regardless.
With very clear words - no harsh, not witchy, not horrible - simply clear.
Did I get that jelly bean jar out of the classroom that year? No. But the jelly bean jar was discussed with my son and how he felt about it.
If I had tried to get the jelly bean jar out of the classroom, I do suspect that I would have been asked to take both children out of the school by that idiot of a principal.
But that jelly bean jar was certainly among the many things that was going to be placed in the OHRC complaint (again, didn't file it, very ashamed EVEN TO THIS DAY).
I think some PA parents have been very fortunate - I know I started a thread a few years ago about people who had *good* experiences with their school and again, I always wish I could have been one of them. I wasn't.
When my son started school, I was apparently the parent of the first ever PA parent. So, I did whatever it was to get him into school and all inclusively (without any knowledge whatsoever from PA.com or OHRC or anything - just basic ideas of what life *should* be like).
When I came upon a BENCH situation - yes, it did take a year to get it resolved - again, yes, I dealt with it. Other PA parents/children were okay with it. We weren't.
ceross, I don't think anyone meant for this to be an argument and I apologize if you felt that I was one of the people that centered out that one line of your post. I am really happy for you that things do work at your child's school. I really, truly am.
A Canadian thing perhaps, but do you know how SHOCKED I was when my son couldn't attend the first day of school (in Grade 3) to find out that other people in my Province had experienced the same thing? SHOCKED! I didn't think it happened in Canada. I read about it so often happening in America and what he$$ my American friends went through to get their PA children through the door of the school and yet, yes, here it was happening in my Province as well (and at a school board district not far from mine at the time).
If it was all smooth sailing for all of us - then no, you wouldn't see people "rocking the boat"; being advocates (that sounds like a dirty word here nowadays); speaking about inclusion/exclusion and human rights. If your child was being treated the way he/she *should* be treated.
I believe it was nutternomore, very early on in this thread that mentioned children with visible physical disabilities and how it took a couple of decades to really get things in place for them. I think the majority of us would be SHOCKED (PA parent or not) if we saw a visibly physically disabled child EXCLUDED from some school activity.
Yet, it's okay for our kid?
(Jeez, now I wish I had been in contact with The Cupcake Queens all summer and I could have made the Fun Fair "safe" for this Fall - I am a wimp - this thread, in itself has revitalized my thoughts at least and for that I am thankful; even if what I have to say has nothing to do with the price of tea in China).
To-day's recommendation again, would be to check out [url="http://www.cbc.ca"]www.cbc.ca[/url] and watch Rick Mercer.
Oh, and kinda OT, but not really, I watched the Power of 10 last night and I was shocked by some of the answers. Don't know if Canadians would be collectively shocked, but this Canadian was, so yes, there is a difference between our countries for sure. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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There but for the Grace of God, go I.
I guess the biggest thing, for me, is how many times to I have to apologize to my PA son for wrongs done to him at school? I'm sorry. And hear, it's okay Mama. HOW MANY TIMES?
Whenever he said (or says), it's okay, Mama, I always tell him NO, Jesse it is NOT okay. It is NOT OKAY.
I'll try to edit previous post for spelling errors later.
Best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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There but for the Grace of God, go I.
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