Policy

The Board of Education recognizes that it has a duty of care to students who are at risk from life-threatening allergic reactions while under school supervision. The Board of Education also recognizes that this responsibility is shared among the student, parents, the school system and health care providers. The purpose of this policy is to minimize the risk to students with severe allergies to potentially life-threatening allergens without depriving the severely allergic student of normal peer interactions or placing unreasonable restrictions on the activities of other students in the school. This policy is designed to ensure that students at risk are identified, strategies are in place to minimize the potential for accidental exposure, and staff and key volunteers are trained to respond in an emergency situation. While the Board of Education cannot guarantee an allergen-free environment, the Board of Education will take reasonable steps to provide an allergy-aware environment for students with life-threatening allergies. All schools in the North Vancouver School District must implement the steps outlined in the Administrative Procedures, which include:

1. a process for identifying students with anaphylaxis;
2. a process for keeping a record with information relating to the specific allergies for each identified student with anaphylaxis to form part of the student’s file;
3. a process for establishing an emergency procedure plan, to be reviewed annually, for each identified student with anaphylaxis to form part of the student’s file;
4. an education plan for students with anaphylaxis and their parents to encourage the use of Medic-Alert identification;
5. procedures for storing and administering medications, including procedures for obtaining preauthorization¹ for employees to administer medication to a student with anaphylaxis²;
6. and a process for Principals to monitor and report information about anaphylactic incidents to the Board of Education in aggregate form.