Birthdays in Room 22-Please Read

Dear Parents,
For the last few years the 3rd grade at Edna has chosen a different way to celebrate birthdays. On or near your child's birthday the class will create a special MadLib for them. This not only helps with grammar, but also the issues that come up with food in the classroom. Please read the following letter from a family in our class regarding food allergies.

Thank you!


Dear Families,

Our names are Jon and Chelsea de St. Paer, and our son, Chase, is in Mrs. Fisher’s 3nd grade class.  We’re writing to introduce ourselves, let you know that Chase has a severe nut allergy, and to ask for your support in keeping him safe.  If your child was in 1st and 2nd grade at Edna, you may recall that Chase is severely allergic to peanuts and most tree nuts (such as cashews, walnuts, pistachios, etc.).   With allergies like Chase’s, the consequences of eating or being exposed to nuts can be severe – including the possibility that he could go into anaphylactic shock and potentially die.  Contact with another child who eats nut products could trigger a serious reaction – for example, if another child gets peanut butter on their fingers at lunch, doesn’t wash their hands and then gives Chase a “high 5”.

As you’re probably aware, Edna Maguire is a “Nut Aware” school.  As parents, we do our best to be involved and alert about Chase’s food and environment -  but while he is at school, we rely on teachers, staff and other children and parents to keep the environment safe.  We have worked with Edna administration and Mrs. Fisher to take all the reasonable precautions we can – including training staff on how to use Epi-pens, etc. – but no precaution is perfect.  That is why we are asking for your help.  Along with the school administration, we are asking you to please refrain from packing any nuts/nut products (such as peanut butter, bars with nuts, candy or baked goods containing nuts or nut butters, etc.) to school in your child’s snack/lunch.  Sunbutter/sunflower seeds are a great, safe alternative.

If you must send a nut product to school, please be sure your child is aware that it is in their lunchbox and knows to wash their hands thoroughly with soap and water right after eating, as the oil/residue from nuts can be left behind on pencils, scissors, playground equipment and other shared items.

We are so appreciative of your help in keeping Edna safe for Chase and the other students at the school with similar allergies!  If you have any questions about allergies like these, please don’t hesitate to ask us.

Thank you so much,

Jon and Chelsea de St. Paer