The 11th Annual Food Allergy Awareness Week (FAAW)
Food allergy management affects almost everyone in the PS8 community, directly or indirectly. Childhood food allergies are increasingly prevalent. Reactions can be mild, but they can also escalate to a life-threatening medical emergency, in minutes.
For these reasons, Principal Phillips and the PTA Executive Board decided that FAAW is a good opportunity to update our community on many steps PS8 has taken this year regarding food allergy management, and provide a forum to discuss the topic with parents.
Join us at a special Food Allergy Management event on Wednesday May 14th, 6pm, at the school.
The event will be informative for all parents and invaluable to parents of food-allergic children. The agenda will cover:
- PS8's new Code Yellow Emergency Response Procedure developed in collaboration with parents, the PTA and healthcare professionals
- Staff training: symptom identification, anaphylaxis and Epipen administration
- The NYC DoE Chancellor's Regulationon Food Allergy Management (A715)
- Tools that parents with food-allergic children should use to help the school help their children.
RSVP (if you can) to ps8pta@gmail.com so we know how many parents will attend and can bring the appropriate number of handouts.
Other things will also be happening during the week. On Friday, for example, we intend to run a "Code Yellow" anaphylaxis emergency drill and simulation at the school. This will be the third we have run at PS8 this year, however this time, to make it even more real, we are hoping to involve first-response emergency services. (So don't be alarmed if you see first responders at the school.) We will likely also circulate some materials via backpacks.
USEFUL LINKS AND DOWNLOADS:
Sign up for FAAN Special Allergy Alert Notices
They provide information about mislabeled or recalled food or pharmaceutical products and notifications of ingredient changes from responsible food companies.
Keep your Epipen up to date. Sign up for Epipen replacement reminders at the Center For Anaphylactic Support.
Kids' allergy website:
FAANKIDS.org.
Handy products.
Posted on: May 12, 2008
