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Old 08-16-2017, 04:11 PM
 
Location: Mid South Central TX
3,216 posts, read 8,536,697 times
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If your child has serious allergies and/or sensitivities, you need to ask for a 504 plan. It is a legal document that must be followed, and is backed by federal law. While I understand the idea of no "special" treats, this is not that case.

I have had many kids with allergies, asthma, etc., but not all of them had a 504 plan in place. A parent may request one, and a meeting will take place outlining what is covered/needed, etc. A parent may decline, but a school may not.

Ask to speak with the AP or a counselor.

For those advocating threatening lawsuits, etc., it really is more effective to exhaust the channels in place. No decent lawyer would take this kind of case without asking if the parent had pursued 504.
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Old 08-16-2017, 04:38 PM
 
Location: My beloved Bluegrass
20,109 posts, read 16,081,383 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fadeddaisy26 View Post
My son has MANY food related allergies. He starts K next week and has met his teacher [She seems very patient and outgoing]. They have a snack assigned to be brought in daily by a different class member. I kindly explained he is not to eat or drink anything brought in because I'm taking no chances. I also inquired if he could bring in an apple instead [he eats 2 apples almost daily] and she said no special treats. I understand why if it was something chocolate or "truly special" but an apple??? So now each day he will sit and watch the other kids eat when he did nothing wrong. Should this bother me?

Also within his allergies certain cleaners can cause a reaction and those are on the supply list. How can I assume they are not using ANY of those products..they already are 'hasseled' and it's not even day one. Am I mom from hell or do I have a valid point to know, ask, and be concerned!?

Thoughts...Advice...Stories to share?? Thanks in advance, I will try and reply to all.
They should have a school nurse or other assigned person to deal with health issues. Get a letter from your child's doctor specifying his allergies, his physical reactions when exposed to said allergens, and recommended reasonable accommodations. Allow the nurse to fix the issue with the teacher, that is part of her job and it doesn't set you up to start the year clashing with the teacher. The school may suggest your child be placed on a 504 plan, and if your child's allergies are that bad you want him on one anyway.

Your child should be able to eat an apple at snack time, that would definitely be considered a reasonable accomadation.
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Old 08-16-2017, 06:38 PM
 
1 posts, read 818 times
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We just moved here this summer. Before she went to kindergarten, I took her to an allergist and got her peanut/tree nut allergy added to her medical history. The school should have forms for you to fill out and you should meet with the school's nurse to discuss a plan to keep your child safe. We had a great nurse before and the one now seems pretty good too. She even said there is a form I could fill out to have a modified meal available for my child if she chose to buy a lunch.

Her classroom is a tree nut/peanut free zone. For lunch, they have a designated table (at both schools) for those with food allergies. At her last school, everyone who entered the class used sanitizing wipes. Snacks were brought individually. If snacks were brought in for the whole class (i.e. for a birthday), it had to come through the nurse's office and she would confirm if it was okay.

Make sure all is documented as far as your child's allergy and definitely meet with the school nurse and your child's teacher. I did this before school began. There should be a plan to prevent an incident and a plan in case exposure does happen.
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Old 08-16-2017, 07:23 PM
 
Location: Fort Lauderdale, Florida
11,936 posts, read 13,049,427 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fadeddaisy26 View Post
It's everyone eats the snack brought in for the day or they don't get one. I'm not sure on the exposure level. He breaks out in hives at some local spots if they use orange oils in the restroom . But unsure in general.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fadeddaisy26 View Post
Nope, we use chemicals...and I flip every label every time I buy anything. I can't expect that from the school so I understand on their part..just don't say it's special treatment (to not be able to eat the provided snack) and deny him a safe healthy alternative. I'm sure there is another child and parents with the same concerns.
Two things come to mind. If he is that allergic to cleaning supplies, can you home school him the first year or two until he develops more of a resistance to the chemicals? Sometimes kids can outgrow allergies.

Secondly, if this isn't an option, what about just making sure he has a big breakfast to tide him over until lunch? Is missing a snack for a kid that big a deal?
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Old 08-16-2017, 07:51 PM
 
21,382 posts, read 7,898,380 times
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Could you imagine if a babysitter wouldn't let your kid eat an apple? AN APPLE????

Public schools are ridiculous. They do stuff to kids that if parents did it CPS would be called in.
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Old 08-16-2017, 10:11 PM
 
Location: Back in the Mitten. Formerly NC
3,830 posts, read 6,708,547 times
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I hated group snacks in general. When I taught kindergarten, I took over midyear for an early retirement. It happened to line up with me moving back to my home state. It was a weird situation. I was an experienced teacher, but in ways, I felt like a sub. Group snacks was a policy already in place, and one used by all the kindergarten teachers. At least once a week someone forgot to bring it. I spend a fortune on snacks that year. Plus, the teacher I replaced let them eat whatever they wanted, in many ways. Snack could be anything- kids most often brought Little Debbies or something similar. NOT my idea of a school snack! And, if they didn't like what was brought, they could have leftovers from the cupboard. Sometimes each kid wanted something different. I ended that really quickly. I'm not catering to everyone's tastes. I offered an option A and B if I had enough of something left over for a second choice, but the free-for-all ended. (I was so mean ) Luckily, there weren't any food allergies.

I would always choose for everyone to bring their own snack. So much easier!!!!!


Quote:
Originally Posted by DefiantNJ View Post
I agree with this approach. If the principal disagrees you can go to you school board. But IMHO, threatening lawsuits is a horrible approach that right away introduces antagonism and hostility to you and your child's relationship to school.


My son just finished kindergarten. I find the whole snack idea stupid and just an excuse to overeat. My son never had a snack time in the Pre K in private day care. He had lunch at 12:00 pm. His school has lunch at 11:30 am and finishes at 3:00 pm. He can survive without eating for 3.5 hours.


In my son's school, everyone brought their own snack. But that raises other issues as they start envying a few "lucky" kids who get junk food for snack.


Fortunately, there is no longer snack time in first grade...
When I taught 5th, we had parents complain that we didn't have snack time.
Our principal forced us to cut time out of our academic schedule for snack.
Of course, per school rules, it had to be a 'healthy snack' (not the same school I taught kindergarten at). So I got to spend 15-20 minutes a day being the snack police.
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Old 08-17-2017, 03:10 AM
 
2,911 posts, read 2,029,338 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Katarina Witt View Post
Threatening a lawsuit right off the bat is not going to make life easy for the student. No one is telling you not to express an opinion. When you do express and opinion, expect people to disagree with you. Actually, several think bringing in a lawyer or threatening a lawsuit is a great idea.
Exactly...and regardless if it is a 5 year old or a 50 year old, "lawsuit" just screams I AM GOING TO MAKE YOU SUFFER BY PAYING ME A LARGE SUM OF $$...let's be real...that is the true intent of threatening a lawsuit...smh

Focus on helping the situation by providing solutions, not threats.
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Old 08-17-2017, 05:05 AM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
45,102 posts, read 60,184,690 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MissTerri View Post
Talk to the principal. Your request to bringing a healthy, safe alternative for your son is totally reasonable. You can be polite, yet firm. A good mom advocates for her child and that is exactly what you are doing and will continue to need to do. You're definitely not a "mom from hell" for being assertive and making sure your child is safe, fed and not excluded from snack time at school because of his allergies.
Your son should immediately be put on a 504 Plan, which deals with medical issues impacting his education which are not cognitive (that would be an IEP).

Contact the school's Counseling office. Today.
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Old 08-17-2017, 05:09 AM
 
Location: Left coast
2,320 posts, read 1,859,306 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person View Post
Your son should immediately be put on a 504 Plan, which deals with medical issues impacting his education which are not cognitive (that would be an IEP).

Contact the school's Counseling office. Today.
well said. thank you.
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Old 08-17-2017, 05:14 AM
 
Location: Great Lakes Region
108 posts, read 99,506 times
Reputation: 105
Quote:
Originally Posted by DefiantNJ View Post
I agree with this approach. If the principal disagrees you can go to you school board. But IMHO, threatening lawsuits is a horrible approach that right away introduces antagonism and hostility to you and your child's relationship to school.


My son just finished kindergarten. I find the whole snack idea stupid and just an excuse to overeat. My son never had a snack time in the Pre K in private day care. He had lunch at 12:00 pm. His school has lunch at 11:30 am and finishes at 3:00 pm. He can survive without eating for 3.5 hours.


In my son's school, everyone brought their own snack. But that raises other issues as they start envying a few "lucky" kids who get junk food for snack.


Fortunately, there is no longer snack time in first grade...
Very well said. Thankfully we will be packing lunches, and I agree there isn't always a need for snack.. hopefully eventually they will see it. It is one of the reasons I opted for kindergarten vs. Young 5s placement (they still have 'quiet hour').
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