Allergy Aware Classrooms

You might have received a letter this year indicating that your student is in an "Allergy Aware Classroom".  This is a district wide change that was made last year and was very successful! Prior to last year, if a student had allergies, we would make that class 'allergy free' which meant that no snacks or food containing the allergen were allowed at all into the classroom. We felt this created a false sense of security for students with allergies and also doesn't help them or their classmates learn how to manage allergies in a real world setting.

We worked with Dr. Elizabeth Jaffe from Timberlane Pediatrics to create 'Allergy Aware' classrooms which focus on how to properly manage foods around students with allergies without completely banning them from the classroom.

           The 3 primary factors of an Allergy Aware classroom are 

                      1. Handwashing 

                      2. Keeping your snack space clean 

                      3. Not sharing snacks. 

Shared snacks for special celebrations (ie Birthdays) are still ok, as long as they don't contain the allergen so that everyone in the classroom can enjoy the treat!  Please check with me 2-3 days before special treats are brought in so that I can verify their safety. 

I created a video to help teach students what an Allergy Aware classroom is and what they can do to help keep classmates safe which you can see below.

Thanks for your help in keeping all our students at MBS safe!