Anaphylaxis Letter from Jim Cambridge

Dear Parents/Guardians:

Each year we remind parents about the dangers of allergies and anaphylaxis. To ensure the safety of students and staff, all SD62 schools are allergy awareness schools. In accordance with the British Columbia Anaphylaxis Protection Order, parents, students, all school staff and the school community must be made aware of, and comply with, the District’s C-429 Anaphylaxis Policy and Regulations.

If your child has severe allergies and/or anaphylaxis, please contact your child’s principal to fill out an action form.

Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can be caused by a number of different foods, perfumes, medications, insect stings and other environmental substances. An anaphylactic reaction can be rapid and deadly, developing within seconds of exposure.

The safety of anaphylactic children in a school setting depends on the cooperation of the entire school community. As the occurrence of serious allergies continues to increase, it is essential that schools enter into a partnership with parents and medical professionals to protect anaphylactic children from potential tragedy.

We ask that parents respect that various students attending our schools have potentially fatal reactions to numerous foods and other products, and ask that you kindly consider this when sending certain foods to school in your child/children’s lunch. Please contact your child’s teacher if you have any questions related to the type of products to which students in your son/daughter’s class may have an anaphylactic response.

We hope to be able to strike a balance between the right and convenience of all students to eat what they like and the allergic child’s right to relative safety in the school setting. Please join us this Wednesday at an Anaphylaxis Awareness event sponsored by SPEAC.

Date: Wednesday, September 30 Time: 7-8:30 p.m.

Location: Belmont Secondary School, 3041 Langford Lake Rd.

RSVP

Sincerely,

Jim Cambridge