Health & Wellness
Creating a Healthy School Nutrition Environment
Policy 813 - Nutrition - The Nutrition Administrative Procedure supports our Vision of Achieving Excellence in Catholic Education by supporting students, staff, parents/guardians and community organizations/agencies in the creation of healthy nutrition environments that have a positive effect on health, growth and intellectual development. Through critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, our educational communities will foster environments that positively influence student attitudes, preferences and behaviours relating to healthy lifestyle choices. You may review the Policy here
Medication
All medication that is being taken by a child at school MUST be held at the office. This includes Tylenol, puffers, and all prescription and non prescription medications.
Allergy Alert
In keeping with the Board Policy 319 (Anaphylaxis: Reducing the Risks) , the best way to provide a safe environment for all students is to continue to obtain the support of all families as we try to maintain a safe learning environment for all students.
We have students attending our school with a life-threatening allergy to peanut and nut products. Please continue preparing PEANUT/ TREE NUT FREE snacks and lunches
Protecting Anaphylactic Students SABRINA'S LAW - BILL 3
On January 1, 2006, legislation was enacted to protect anaphylactic students in a school setting. Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that can be life-threatening.
Food is the most common cause of anaphylaxis, but insect stings, medicine, latex, immune therapy, or exercise can also cause a reaction. Ninety percent of serious food allergy reactions are caused by peanuts, milk, egg, food additives, shellfish, fish, wheat, tree nuts, soy, and sesame.
It is the duty of each school to develop and implement a School Prevention and Management Anaphylaxis Plan that fulfils the school's obligations through information sharing; creating awareness; reducing risks; and executing emergency procedures.
Parents must inform the school about their child's life threatening allergies; complete an Emergency Response form; and ensure their child carries an EpiPen at all times. In addition, an additional emergency EpiPen must be provided to the school.
All staff receive anaphylaxis training on an annual basis. A brochure on Protecting Anaphylactic Students is available at the school, or on the Board web site: www.pvnccdsb.on.ca under Parents/Publications.
Public Health Departments are required by law to keep immunization records of all school-aged children. The review of immunization records is a routine process mandated by the Immunization of School Pupils Act, 1990. Under the Act, students under the age of 18 must provide proof of up-to-date immunization against: diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, and rubella. The Act also requires Public Health Departments to issue orders to suspend children whose records are incomplete.
The school collects and forwards immunization records to the Public Health Department only at the time of initial registration to school. After registration, you are responsible to update your child's immunization record with the Public Health Department each time your child is vaccinated. As your child gets older, there are additional doses of vaccine required for them to be completely immunized for their age. Also at registration to school, the information you provided may not have included all the infant doses and booster doses, and these are required for your child's immunization record to be complete.
Your doctor does not report your child's immunizations to the Public Health Department. Your child may have received all the routine immunizations; but the Public Health Department may not have all the updated immunization information for your child. It is important that you notify the Public Health Department every time your child is immunized.
If your child has been immunized outside of Ontario or Canada, additional immunizations may be needed to meet the requirements in this Province.
If you do not wish your child to be immunized for medical, or religious, or sincerely held beliefs, you may request an exemption from the Public Health Department. Your physician or registered nurse must complete the medical documents. A lawyer, justice of the peace, or notary public must complete the legal documents (affidavit) as required for your exemption request. To be exempted, you must return all these completed documents to the Public Health Department.
In case of an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease, students who have not been immunized for the above reasons may be excluded from school.
Vaccinations against these diseases are free, and your family doctor should not charge you for providing updated immunization records to avoid suspension from school.
For more information, please contact your family doctor or the Public Health Department in your area. Please see the contact information listed below:
Durham Region Health Department
Health Department
The Regional Municipality of Durham
605 Rossland Road East
Whitby, Ontario L1N 6A3
905-668-7711
Toll-Free 1-800-841-2729
Fax 905-666-6214