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A Sydney primary school has gone to extreme lengths to protect children with severe allergies.

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School, at Campbelltown, has advised parents that birthday cakes, slices, doughnuts, biscuits and similar foods will no longer be permitted to be brought to school and given to children to celebrate birthdays and other events.

The school also has taken steps to ensure any cakes or slices sold in the canteen are not cooked with nuts or eggs, shared Daily Telegraph.

In the school newsletter, parents were told the school had taken the extreme steps to protect children who were severely allergic to such foods, particularly those that contained nuts and eggs.

Instead, it was suggested parents could buy an “ice block” for each child in the class in lieu of celebrating with a cake.

A Wollongong Catholic Education Office spokeswoman said diocese schools were guided by the NSW Education Department’s Anaphylaxis Procedures for Schools guidelines.

“This is managed on a school-by-school basis, where each individual school determines and implements the necessary risk management processes for their school based on the needs and circumstances of their student population – a strategy similarly implemented by a number of schools across the state,” the spokeswoman said.

“St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School, Ruse, has students attending the school who have severe allergic reactions to foods containing nuts and/or eggs.

“The safety of our students is our No.1 priority, and the school has acted accordingly, seeking to minimise the risk to these students by removing egg- and nut-based cakes and slices from the school canteen and asking parents to also not bring such foods in to school.

“Parents were notified of this change in term 4 last year, and the school has provided alternative ways for children’s birthdays to be celebrated at school in their most recent school newsletter.”

Our school has generally done it by a class to class basis, but most teachers do prefer icy poles so it is fair for all students.

How does your school handle food allergies, especially for students birthdays?

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  • I think an Ice Block sounds lovely but as you can see below it doesnt matter what you decide there will always be someone who will find something to be negative in it. The only way is to say No to all celebrations.

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  • An ice block…yeah ok….let’s hope no child is diabetic then and has to sit and watch their friends have something nice while they go without.

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  • My little cousin was 5 yesterday and his mum took a cake to school for the class to celebrate with him. Not sure if she had to provide an ingredients list. I understand the importance of protecting those with severe allergies, but they are in tge minority. If I was going to do this, I would contact the school beforehand and find out if there were any kids with allergies, and go from there.

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  • We’re still allowed to take treats to share for birthdays, but we have to provide ingredient lists.

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  • No birthday cakes that’s no fun…

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  • An icy pole isn’t an appropriate alternative to celebrate a birthday. I wouldn’t want my boys to be the cause of another child having a bad reaction to anything I provided. I believe more discussion is needed on this matter

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  • I always sent a cake or little cakes to school for my kid’s birthday. Why shouldn’t they be able to celebrate with their class mates. Perhaps a note could be sent out that the child is bringing in a little cake for everyone and those who have allergies the parent could supply something else for them. Life is getting so difficult for little ones to enjoy things we did with our kids

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  • I am no glad my boys schools have been quite moderate in managing allergies within the school. People knew who had allergies and they were looked after but its hard to ban everything.

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  • not fair to the majority of kids. I think it’d be easy to inform parents if there was an allergic kid in the class and then maybe they could make alternatives. But there are lots of ways to make allergen free cakes.

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  • In this day and age of allergies, I think it’s fair. My son doesn’t have allergies, but I’d absolutely hate to be the reason another child suffered. This removed the pressure from having to provide something for everyone in the class. That’s a lot of birthdays across the year getting treats. Why do we have to do anything for the classroom really?

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  • An ice block isn’t much of a celebration!

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  • This is great that the school is taking such measures to ensure that all of the students are safe. They are not banning treats all together, just the ones that contain eggs and nuts.

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  • My son can’t have gluten. So I take a bag of wrapped lollies have he can have for someone brings in anything he can’t have

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  • Seriously?? Have they not given a thought to the kids who’s teeth are sensitive to cold things … sigh

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  • Icy-poles??? What about the kids who are Diabetic? Surely there is something out there better than some water mixed with flavouring and sugar???

    Reply

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