Symptoms range from a tingling sensation in the mouth, swelling of the tongue and the throat, difficulty breathing, hives, vomiting, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and even death.  Symptoms typically appear within minutes, but can also occur up to four hours after the person has eaten, or sometimes, touched or breathed the food to which he or she is allergic.  This is called anaphylaxis.  In the U.S., food induced anaphylaxis is believed to cause over 50,000 trips to the emergency room and in some cases be fatal. 

Strict avoidance of the allergy-causing food is the only way to avoid a reaction.

Currently, there are no medications that cure food allergies.  Strict avoidance is the only way to prevent a reaction.  Most people outgrow their food allergies, although peanuts, nuts, fish, and shellfish are often considered life-long allergies.  Some research is being done in this area and it looks promising, but there is no current cure. 

Epinephrine, also called adrenaline, is the medication of choice for controlling a severe reaction.  It is available by prescription as an EpiPen auto injector. 

Many people think the terms food allergy and food intolerance mean the same thing; however they do not.  Food intolerance is an adverse food-induced reaction that does not involve the immune system.  Lactose intolerance is one example of food intolerance.  A person with lactose intolerance lacks an enzyme that is needed to digest milk sugar.  When the person eats milk products, symptoms such as gas, bloating, and abdominal pain may occur. 

            A food allergy occurs when the immune system reacts to a certain food.  The most common form of an immune system reaction occurs when the body creates immunoglobulin (IgE) antibodies to the food.  When these IgE antibodies react with the food, histamine and other chemicals (called mediators) cause hives, asthma, or other symptoms, of an allergic reaction.

To reduce the chance of children with peanut allergies being exposed to these foods, WUSD food service will eliminate the use of peanut/tree nut products in all baked goods.  Peanut products, such as peanut butter, will not be served by WUSD food service in grade levels where allergies to peanut are noted and where parents chose not to have their child exposed.

There will be a designated “peanut-free” table in the cafeteria. No food products contain peanut products will be allowed at the peanut-free table.

No peanut/tree nut products will be used in any classroom projects.

No peanut products will be allowed in the classroom with a child who has a severe peanut allergy.

A “no food trading” rule will be implemented.

If your child has consumed a peanut product for breakfast, please have them wash their hands and face before coming to school.

We are asking parents to strongly consider not sending peanut products with their child for snack or lunch.  This means peanuts, peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter candy (Reese’s), peanut butter granola bars, and so forth. 

No, there is not a “ban.”  Choosing to leave peanut products out of your child’s snack and lunch is voluntary, and entirely up to you.  Helping us keep peanut products out of school is voluntary, but we sincerely hope you will help by not sending such foods to school. 

Getting head lice has absolutely nothing to do with personal hygiene or the cleanliness of a home. And washing your hair will not get rid of lice, which cling to hair follicles, nor nits (lice eggs), which are extremely sticky and cling to hair

Itchy scalp is one of the common symptoms of head lice. But there can be other causes of itchy scalp, such as seborrheic dermatitis (dandruff) or dry skin. Moreover, some children who have head lice may not experience itching.

Lice do not care whether hair is short, long, clean or dirty. Lice thrive in hair, period, specifically
on the blood they get through the scalp.

Lice cannot be transmitted from pets, and pets cannot get them from people

The good news is that lice have not been shown to spread disease. That said, they can be extremely bothersome. Children who have head lice can experience intense itching and develop a rash from the bites, and the skin can become infected from scratching. They can feel irritable and have trouble sleeping because they are itchy. And of course, lice can be emotionally  upsetting for a child and for her family.

This used to be the recommendation years ago, but it is understood today that lice do not survive very long away from a host. The best way to handle a lice infestation in your environment is to simply vacuum any items and areas you think your child may have rested her head on, wash her linens and towels with hot water and put them in a hot dryer to kill any lice or nits.

This is a common misconception, probably stemming from the fact that school-age children are at an increased risk for getting head lice. The fact is, kids tend to get head lice from places and activities where they are more likely to have direct head-to-head contact or share personal items, such as combs, bedding, towels and hair accessories. The most common sources of head lice infestations are, in addition to school, camp, daycare, slumber parties and  sports activities, among others.

The truth is that lice are most frequently spread through head-to-head contact, which allows the lice to travel from one person to another. Since they cannot  jump from one person to another, transmission can be prevented by taking such precautions as not sharing personal items and avoiding close contact.

Isolation of a child who has head lice, or keeping him out of school, as long as he has begun treatment, is not necessary. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Association of School Nurses have recommended that schools revise so-called “no-nit” policies, which require children to be  kept out of school until they are completely free of nits and lice. Doctors today are advising that children be allowed to return to school once they have begun treatment to eradicate lice.

The truth is that parents must be cautious when using products that are touted as being “natural” to treat their child’s head lice. Many products are not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and may contain ingredients such as certain essential oils that are not recommended for use on young children. Always check with your doctor before using any products on your child’s scalp. And keep in mind that no product, natural or not, is 100 percent effective in killing lice and nits.

According to the National Association of School Nurses: “Studies have shown that control measures such as mass screenings for lice/nits have not been shown to have a significant effect on the incidence of head lice in a school community.”

Furthermore, in the management of head lice in schools it goes on to say: “Communication between school personnel and parents/caregivers highlighting cases of head lice (e.g. “head lice outbreak letters”) has been shown to increase community anxiety, increase social stigma causing embarrassment of affected infested student’s, and puts student’ rights to confidentiality at risk.”