Peanut Allergy

Our school has students with peanut & melon allergies. Let's clarify a few things regarding these allergies.

Having an allergy is not a choice.
This is a life threatening condition.
Exposure to oils from peanut protein, dust from food that contains peanuts, or ingestion of something that contains peanuts can initiate anaphylaxis. Likewise contact with melons, or melon juice can create a reaction.
The type of anaphylaxis this child has experienced has been a drop in blood pressure resulting in losing consciousness. This is a rare and serious reaction because it means that their heart is slowing and will just stop if they aren't treated.
This student is highly aware that they need to be vigilant about the food they handle and eat, and takes every precaution to protect themself from having a reaction.

How can you help?

It is imperative that any foods containing peanuts should stay at home. Please provide snacks & lunches that don't contain peanuts.
If your child had something containing peanuts for breakfast, check their clothing for any smears of the peanut product.
Have your child wash with soap and water (hand sanitizer doesn't remove the protein oils).
Have your child brush their teeth, or rinse their mouth with water.
Remind your child that we do not share food with other students at Cobb School for safety reasons.
If you're looking for a list of alternate snack foods, you can find it here. Sunbutter and some almond butters are alternatives for children who absolutely won't eat anything but peanut butter. We know how finicky children can be about food.

We'll be checking snacks daily in this child's classroom to be sure they are safe. If for some reason a food containing peanuts shows up at school, we'll replace it with an alternate for your child and send it home with a note reminding you about the need to keep foods peanut free. Again, this is a life threatening allergy. Thank you for helping keeping our students safe!