The principal called me after school Wednesday to tell me they are having a Pioneer Living day on Friday but couldn't give me a number to call or even a PTA committee contact name. Just didn't know. He said I could check a video out of the school library from the company. First of all, very short notice!!!! Second, a video? No number, no name? He said I could come to the event and make sure everything is all right or if I couldn't, then "they" "would keep an eye on him." Whatever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't take my toddler to school on Friday as he is very sick and vomitting from coughing. Even if I could, I don't want to be in that situation where I would have to keep telling my child that he could't do this or that activity. I don't know what's involved and I need to know these things ahead of time so I know what to expect. I guess I am frustrated and venting. Anyway, has anyone heard about this?
Pioneer Living day at school- ever had this event come to your school?
Posted on: Thu, 02/22/2007 - 2:18am
More Articles
Peanut Allergy
You already know that if you or your child has a peanut allergy you need to avoid peanut butter. Some...
Food Allergies
There are many reasons why you may want to substitute almond flour for wheat flour in recipes. Of course, if you have a...
Food
Are you looking for peanut-free candies as a special treat for a child with...
Food
Do you have a child with peanut allergies and an upcoming birthday? Perhaps you'd like to bake a...
Food
Most nut butters provide all the same benefits: an easy sandwich spread, a great dip for veggies, a fun addition to a smoothie. But not...
Please let me clarify, my toddler is the younger child. It is my older child I am referring to with the PA/TNA.
I'm going to take a stab at this...
Sounds like it might be something like this:
[url="http://www.pioneerfarmmuseum.org/Non-FramesSite/pioneer%20craft.html"]http://www.pioneerfarmmuseum.org/Non-FramesSite/pioneer%20craft.html[/url]
DD did the same thing in school last year (4th grade). It was AWESOME! They could only take a roll, a cold potato, an apple for lunch (I believe that was it). It needed to be packed in a kerchief or pail - no lunchbox. I made an apron and dust cap out of an old curtain and found an old "colonial" style dress at a local Salvation Army store. All the kids were dressed and remained so for the *entire* day. They did some of the activities described on the link. They took a walking "tour" around town looking at an old cemetary where they looked for "their person". (all kids were given a name of a person who lived in town and who was buried there). They also visited 1 room school house and had a nature walk.
The kids were talking about it for days afterwards. I even remember hearing very positive things about the cold potato for lunch!
It was a very positive experience...one she'll never forget.
I found the website. This is a traveling hands-on Pioneer museum that is coming to the school. It looks like there is a lot of chance for cross-contamination with the food products and the used water. I am pondering keeping him home, which I have never done before. The following link tells about the 6 different stations. What would you do?
[url="http://www.jbit.org/program/index.htm#2"]http://www.jbit.org/program/index.htm#2[/url]
I see there is an 800- number in the contact info on the webpage. I'd call them.
It sounds [i]really, really[/i] neat, and I'd probably be okay with it for pa/tna alone. As long as my child was in the FIRST group or two of the day, to reduce the XC possibilities from other kids. And some things I would probably want to check on and might have DD do only as "observing" not "doing," KWIM? Like the shave brush thing... or pasta beads.
I would try to contact them, though. It sounds like the kind of thing that it would really sting (socially) to miss out on and have to hear about from the other kids.
Is there any chance you can go to be a fly on the wall just during the program?
[This message has been edited by Corvallis Mom (edited February 22, 2007).]
His group will not be the first group. There will have been classes all morning going in. His class won't be doing it until after lunch. There will be used water for the washboard, gold panning, and shaving that the kids will all have put their hands in. As far as me going, I feel I would have to be there. But, as I said, my toddler has been throwing up all week when he coughs.
Quote:
His group will not be the first group. There will have been classes all morning going in. His class won't be doing it until after lunch.
I see why you're concerned.
Is the principal willing to work with you on that?
Maybe your DS' class could swap times with another group that is slated for a "before lunch" slot, at least.... otherwise, I don't see any alternative to having him "only observe" with no hands on, or not attending at all. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/frown.gif[/img]
How old is your DS? Is he super contact sensitive? (Could he be trusted to wash his hands, or use wipes on them after each station, or do you anticipate that he would get splashed or something?)
I am assuming that some of the kids will have been eating pb laden lunches, thus your concern, right?
At the very least, I think you should take up the short notice with the principal/teacher. This is terribly little time to figure anything out.
He is a first-grader and he could have a reaction from skin contact and a severe reaction if he touches his eyes, nose or mouth after coming into contact with it on hands. The principal said he could maybe wear gloves or just stand and watch (his buddies having fun). Lame. I said, "No, I'm not going to have him there if he's just watching." Yeah!
The gloves idea might work.
We did Pioneer Village for a week. It was fabulous. We were the class in the one-room school house that everyone else came to see. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/biggrin.gif[/img]
The Village did not have a peanut-ban (though our school does have a ban so nobody was allowed to bring it into the schoolhouse anyway), however, the notice from the Village advised not to bring pb sandwiches, as pioneers didn't eat them.
***********
Is there more risk to you son with this Pioneer Living then there is usually in gym or computer or whatever? I don't see that water makes the risk of contact any stronger. (just my opinion)
Thank you for your help. I will reiterate the fact that I was given so short of notice. He just seemed to sidestep it in my e-mail. It is true, it is hard to know where to draw the line sometimes. It is so hard to compare to other PA/TNA kids when everyone has a different level of sensitivity, isn't it? I just thought that rubbing soap on your face from a used bowl of water was not a good idea, and then rubbing it around with a shaving/lathering brush. I also thought that putting his hands/arms in a tub of water that everyone all day had been putting their possibly contaminated hands in was not a good idea. True, he is touching drinking fountains, etc., and I'm sure not all kids are washing after eating nut products in the cafeteria, as requested by the principal, but I felt the tub of water for gold panning and the water/wet clothes for the washboard were more of a risk. Water splattering on his face/eyes possibly. With all of this, we are still going to let him do it with gloves on and I will be there. The food products like flour, oil, pasta, etc. are issues but especially the flour dust which gloves cannot protect from breathing in. The guy in charge offered to get safe flour and I checked the oil, which was safe. The pasta is questionable, but he is wearing gloves, so no biggie. He won't be able to wear what he makes though. The corn being ground up is another issue, which I am concerned about because of dust, but we will see how that goes. I know he would like to do that. My concern with the whole corn was that it is from an animal feed supplier and I have no idea what else is processed/packaged in that factory. He doesn't have a brand for me on that one. The allergist told us not to have food with traces in the house. So, why would I let him touch things with traces, especially a tub of water with possibly a lot of nut residue, not just traces. I might as well let him handle a Kit Kat bar. Then again, he is touching things in the environment, maybe even PB. He could even be having mild reactions, itchy nose, sneezing. I don't want him to be in a bubble. Ugghhh. I never thought school would be this much of a challenge.
One note - are the gloves you mention gloves for the cold or gloves (medical) to avoid contact?
Pages