All schools want to provide a safe, healthy environment for their students and increasingly that means being aware and ready to deal with serious food allergy reactions and anaphylaxis at school.
While life-threatening reactions to foods are relatively rare, it's vital that schools, parents, students and medical practitioners all to work together to make sure that effective action plans are in place to deal with reactions for all vulnerable students. Food Allergy Awareness Week runs from 16th to 22nd May 2010 and we hope you take the opportunity to refresh your knowledge about such an important issue. For more information, go to: www.allergyfacts.org.au/
To find out more, we help kids understand What is Food Allergy and examine the issue of food allergy in schools in Getting the edge on food allergies. On a really positive note we look at research showing that, for some children, Peanut allergies are not always permanent.
TEACHERS
The students will be discussing the importance of eating at least one serve of fruit and two serves of vegetables a day. They will be making their own healthy sandwich for lunch and then be drawing a picture to illustrate their sandwich.
Getting the Edge on Food Allergies
Food allergy occurs when the immune system becomes sensitised to substances in foods that in usual circumstances would be harmless. In Australia, nine foods account for 90 per cent of food allergic reactions.
KIDS
Are you allowed to bring peanut butter sandwiches to school? Sometimes teachers need to ban this popular lunchbox food because nuts can make some students very sick.
PARENTS
Trying to serve up a healthy, balanced diet for your family can be a challenge, particularly if you're short of time. Packaged foods are great when it comes to convenience - but how do they fit into a healthy diet?
Peanut Allergies Not Always Permanent
A study of 80 children with peanut allergies - aged four to 14 - revealed that some children completely lost their potentially serious or life-threatening allergy.
PROGRAM NEWS
Sports kit winners
We are pleased to announce that the following schools are the state/territory winners of the sports kit for the month of May. These sports kits comprising of AFL footballs and Netballs will be sent direct to the school.
Congratulations to the following schools:
- VIC Mt Pleasant Road Nunawading Primary School
- NSW Wentworth Public School
- QLD Chinchilla State School
- VIC Girgarre Primary School
- WA Forest Cresent Primary School
- SA Aberfoyle Hub Primary School
- WA West Leeming Primary School
- NT Milingimbi CEC
