FOOD AND DRINK:

Lunchtime: The preschool proudly limits landfill waste through conscientious recycling and composting efforts (including our phenomenally educational worm-composting program), but asks that parents further reduce our environmental footprint by avoiding packaged items as much as possible.

Other severe allergies in the school may necessitate further bans on a year-by-year basis.

Only nutritious food should be packed: please send foods such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, cheese, crackers, muffins, seeds, and sandwiches. Please do not send treats. A few small items is sufficient for the time allotted. Please have the food prepared for eating – peeled, sliced and ready to nibble. Children may not share their food with other children.

Please send a labelled water bottle to school each day. We have a table to place water bottles for easy access throughout the day. Please do not send other beverages, such as juice or milk.

Birthdays and Celebration days: Bringing food and treats to share with the class is not allowed. This includes birthdays and all celebration days, such as Hallowe’en, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day. Any food that children bring from home to share will be returned. If food is to be shared as part of a celebration it will usually be prepared at school. Parents will be informed of the ingredients beforehand.

ALLERGY POLICY:

Nuts and nut products are allowed in the school unless there is an enrolled child with an allergy to this food. Each year, foods may be added to, or taken off, the list of foods not allowed, depending on specific allergies.

Children are to wash hands with soap and water upon entering the preschool, before snack time, and before taking part in cooking or baking activities in the preschool.

ALTERNATIVE ALLERGY MANAGEMENT POLICY:

This policy is developed for children with life threatening allergies requiring an Epi-pen, and necessitating an exemption to Section 27 of the Child Care Licensing Regulation.

Epi-Pens will be stored on a high shelf in child labelled fanny packs in the educator’s office, readily accessible to staff and Duty Parents. During outdoor playtime and during field trips, the educator will carry the Epi-Pen in a fanny pack.

Staff and parents are to receive annual training at a General Meeting at the beginning of the year from a medical professional regarding the administration of an Epi-Pen.

An emergency care plan is to be developed for each child requiring the use of an Epi-Pen. Child specific prescription labels will be attached to each Epi-pen. Families belonging to the preschool group will be informed of the potential allergens that could affect the health and safety of anaphylactic children attending the preschool.