Help, need advice, food allergies and school.

[turkeymama]

Not all kids with milk allergies have reactions to things made with milk.

I am a school lunchroom manager and we have lots of milk allergies and it is just the milk itself that they are allergic to. Only one child about of about 20 or so can not have cheese.

If it is a true allergy, these kids are lucky they aren't having reactions, even mild ones. My daughter's allergic reactions aren't always immediately visible to a casual observer.

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

Not to be a jerk but why does every lesson involve food? Even if my child didn't have allergies I don't want them eating marshmallows, m&ms, goldfish etc. every day. Use counters or some other device. I have never heard of a K class (or even pre-K) constantly using food to do lessons. Sorry but I think the whole thing is over the top. Eliminate all the food period. There is no need for it.

Well this is what I am thinking too but since I am just the student teacher I don't want to over step my boundaries KWIM? I wouldn't do any activities with food if it were my own classroom and I had a child with FA, wouldn't want to take that risk.
She does has TONS of different manipulatives in her room. I went to Wal Mart and found a bucket of those foamy 3-D stickers, but they are sea life, so I picked them up and I am going to use them instead, I am so happy I found them!

 

[WeLoveLilo05]

ITA. You could give the list to the teacher so that she is aware of what is safe and what isn't.
I'm surprised that with a FA child in the class that the teacher would use food in the lessons. Some children only have to touch the oils from a peanut to have a reaction, so using food that may have traces of peanuts could be quite a risk. Whats wrong with those little colored bears and shapes that we use in our K class, why the need for food

BTW I think its wonderful that you are so concerned about this student especially since the teacher doesn't seem to be.

I don't think that she not concerned I just don't think she really maybe understands FAs?
Maybe b/c the mom is pretty relaxed about it, maybe she is too? I'm not sure really, but I just don't want to be responsible if something happens to this little girl. I just want her to have the same experience as everyone else and learn and be safe. And as others have mentioned, food is not even required to do that.

 

[momof1princess]

Well this is what I am thinking too but since I am just the student teacher I don't want to over step my boundaries KWIM? I wouldn't do any activities with food if it were my own classroom and I had a child with FA, wouldn't want to take that risk.
She does has TONS of different manipulatives in her room. I went to Wal Mart and found a bucket of those foamy 3-D stickers, but they are sea life, so I picked them up and I am going to use them instead, I am so happy I found them!

good for you! you're going to make a GREAT teacher from someone with multiple allergies, thank you for going the extra mile to watch over this little girl.

 

[lovetoscrap]

As a student teacher you would be overstepping your bounds to contact parents. Please don't take that suggestion (it sounds like you know this, just want to be sure)

What you need to do is to call your Supervisor. That is what they are there for. You need to let them know that you are being put in a difficult position and that you are not comfortable being told to serve potentially harmful foods to students in your care. That person is the one that is in charge of making sure you are in the proper environment and doing what you are there to do and making sure the situation is right. It sounds like you have found a solution to this current issue but I would make the supervisor aware of the difficutlies and your concerns.

I had a difficult situation when I did one of my practicums and went directly to MY supervising teacher. We worked out the problem together. It actually resulted in my being pulled from that class--thank goodness-- and transfered to another school with a much better situation-- and that teacher was actually fired later that year.

 

[luvmy3]

I don't think that she not concerned I just don't think she really maybe understands FAs?
Maybe b/c the mom is pretty relaxed about it, maybe she is too? I'm not sure really, but I just don't want to be responsible if something happens to this little girl. I just want her to have the same experience as everyone else and learn and be safe. And as others have mentioned, food is not even required to do that.

I didn't mean to imply that she wasn't concerned about the students safety. I meant that she doesn't seem all that concerned with making sure this student can be included in all the lessons regarding food. Like I said previously, I am surprised that this teacher would plan so many lessons using food items, especially ones that this girl can't eat, when there are many alternatives to those foods.
I don't think that this girl deserves special treatment (except the obvious due to her allergy) but she certainly deserves to be a part of the same class lesson as everyone else. I think you are at least looking for alternatives that maybe the whole class can use, and the teacher really doesn't seem to be.