The term is flying by!  I have been enjoying spending time in our early childhood classrooms getting to know our lovely new Kindy students and working with our Pre-Primary students.  Each week they amaze me with their learning.

Medical Updates

Mrs McGregor has been busy updating all of our medical information and making sure we have the correct information to ensure we can support our students quickly and appropriately when needed.  We have noticed that a number of our Asthma and Anaphylaxis plans a due to be renewed.  Over the next few weeks we will be contacting you if this applies to your child.  If there are ever any changes to your child’s medical support needs, please notify the school office immediately so we can update our records.

Allergy Awareness

The most common causes of anaphylaxis in schools are allergies to food and insects (bees). Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) can be life threatening. At Alkimos we are an ‘Allergy Aware’ school.  As an ‘allergy aware’ school, our aim is to inform staff, parents and students about the risks of allergies, with a focus on food allergies, and also to provide a supportive environment in which children at risk of anaphylaxis can feel safe.

What is Allergy Aware?

Allergy Aware means having many things in place to reduce the risk of an allergic reaction and to recognise and treat an allergic reaction well when it occurs.

Ways for schools to be Allergy Aware:

• Know who is at risk of anaphylaxis and what they are allergic to
• Train staff
• Have anaphylaxis policies and documentation
• Good communication about allergies
• Have emergency response plans and practise them
• Age-appropriate education about allergies and helping friends
• Reduce risk with measures such as handwashing and not sharing food.

We ask you to support students at risk of anaphylaxis by:

• Teaching your child not to share food with friends that have food allergy.
• Encouraging your child to wash their hands after eating.
• Asking your child to get help immediately if their friend with food allergy gets sick.
• Explaining to your child that teasing a child with an allergy is not acceptable behaviour.

With community support, our school can provide a safe environment that meets the needs of all our students. If you have any queries in relation to this matter, please contact your child’s teacher or the school office.

For more information on how you can support someone with anaphylaxis, you can visit:

Allergyaware.org.au