It is impossible to create a peanut-free or allergen-free environment. To create the illusion that the school environment is free of allergens would be misleading and potentially harmful. Instead, this protocol has been designed to increase awareness and communication, to prevent possible exposure to identified allergens, and to create an emergency procedure for allergic reactions.

Parent/Guardian Responsibilities

1. Notify the school nurse and principal of your child's allergies prior to the opening of school each year (or immediately after enrollment or a diagnosis).
2. Provide the school nurse with medical documentation from your licensed health care provider with medication and dietary orders before your child enters school.
3. Deliver/ provide approved medications in proper containers to the school nurse on the first day your child enters school and maintain a non-expired supply in the nurse's office for the duration of the school year.
4. No later than the first day your child enters school, provide the school nurse with a list of foods and/or ingredients that could cause a life-threatening or other allergic reaction.
5. Educate your child in the self-management of their allergy as age appropriate, including: safe and unsafe foods, strategies for avoiding exposure to unsafe foods, symptoms of an allergic reaction, how and when to tell an adult they are having an allergy-related problem, and how to read food labels.
6. Consider purchasing a medical alert bracelet/necklace and encourage your child to wear it at all times.
7. Provide the school administration and nurse with updated emergency contact information.

Student Responsibilities

1. Do not trade or share food with others.
2. Wash hands before and after eating.
3. Do not eat anything with unknown ingredients or known to contain any allergen.
4. Be proactive In the care and management of your food allergies and reactions based on developmental level.
5. Notify an adult immediately if you eat something that may contain the food to which you are allergic, and/or if you believe you are having any symptoms of an allergic reaction.

School Administrator/Designee Responsibilities

1. Establish a basic Medical Emergency Plan for the building for use in any medical emergency.
2. Ensure that appropriate staff are made aware when they are responsible for a child with a serious allergy.
3. Monitor compliance with cleaning protocols for classrooms, cafeteria, and other areas In the building.
4. Establish a procedure for how and when school staff should communicate with the main office and school nurse in the event of an emergency. This procedure should include guidelines for all school staff, coverage plans for the teacher and the nurse, and specific equipment to facilitate communication.
5. Promote a no sharing/no trading food rule. School will provide a safe food alternative for class events when needed.
6. Promote proper hand washing techniques and encourage students to wash hands before and after eating.
7. Discourage consuming food on routine school bus routes. Food may be allowed on longer trips with appropriate supervision by school personnel and for students with special health needs requiring the consumption of food at non-meal times.
8. Establish designated tables in the cafeteria for the restriction of specific foods, if stipulated by IHP.
9. Schedule opportunities that the school nurse can provide a periodic educational program for building staff on life-threatening allergies in the classroom if there are students with life-threatening allergies in the building that school year. These training sessions for all school staff should be conducted as soon as practical each school year. Training will include a review of the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and the proper use of the epinephrine auto injectors and will emphasize the importance of prevention, risk reduction and early recognition of an allergic reaction and timely use of epinephrine.
10. Classroom teachers will carry Allergy Action Plan and medication, as designated by the school nurse, for field trips.

School Nurse Responsibilities

1. Maintain open and frequent communication between home and school.
2. Communicate these plans to school staff that have a need to know.
3. At the beginning of each school year, provide education and training of all school staff to review the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis and epinephrine auto-injector administration.
4. Maintain a list of students who require epinephrine auto injectors for allergic reactions in the Health Office. IHPs and AAPs for those students shall be readily available to substitutes, and substitutes will be informed whenever they are to be responsible for students on the list.
5. Provide annual age appropriate education training for students regarding allergic reactions and response.
6. Obtain, when appropriate, paperwork from parents and physician regarding permission to carry and self-administer rescue medication.
7. Provide teachers with allergy letters to parents.
8. Provide teachers with signage to be posted at the door to each classroom.

Classroom Teacher Responsibilities

1. Minimize the presence of identified allergens in the classroom.
2. Minimize the use of identified food allergens in classroom projects and activities, as well as, academic rewards and incentives.
3. Send allergy note home to parents in an effort to minimize allergens at class parties, celebrations and special events.
4. Implement good hand washing procedures.
5. Post signage at the classroom door.
6. Notify the nurse of upcoming field trips to allow proper time for packaging of medications and refresher of proper administration. Teacher will carry AAP and medication.
7. Participate in annual allergy awareness education, and medication administration training.
8. In case of surface contamination by an allergen, immediately notify the custodian for clean-up.

Food Service Manager Responsibilities

1. Ensure that all food service staff obtain allergy awareness education annually.
2. Follow safe food handling practices to avoid cross contamination with potential food allergens.
3. Follow cleaning and sanitation protocol and safe food handling practices to avoid cross-contamination.
4. Set up procedures for the cafeteria regarding students with food allergies.
5. After receiving the medical statement for a student requiring special meals, the Food Service Department will make reasonable modifications, as feasible, for meals to be served to students with food allergies.
6. Respond appropriately to all concerns from any student with a life­ threatening allergy, including allowing students to see school nurse if complaining of any potential symptoms.