Dear Staff, Room Parents, Parents, Guardians, and Students

As the Winter Holiday Season approaches, we are preparing for Winter Concerts and anticipating the joys of the season. This is a fun and enjoyable time for all, however, it can be a time of worry for children with food allergies and their families. In order to provide a safe celebration environment for the students at Irving, ALL classroom celebrations will be NUT FREE with a focus on healthy snacks and treats for the children.

As always, fresh fruits and veggies are welcome and should be promoted. It is recommended that room parents and teachers communicate before their scheduled Winter Holiday Party to identify the foods/treats that will be provided for each classroom celebration. A good ratio of treats to healthy foods should be 1:3:  One treat option for every three healthy food options.

Foods are required to have an ingredients list. Foods that are made in factories that may process nuts should not be served due to the potential for cross contamination. Please consider labeling the food items for easy identification by students. Teachers can confidentially alert room parents of any other dietary restrictions and or food allergies in the classroom so that an alternative treat can be provided for inclusion.  Additionally, non food treats such as stickers, pencils, and activities are always welcomed and enjoyed by all of the children.

 Here is a link to a web site for Peanut/Nut/Egg safe food items http://snacksafely.com/snacklist.pdf.

 Thanks to the entire Irving Community for helping to make this a safe and enjoyable holiday season for all . Please feel free to contact Nurse Jamie for any questions or concerns at jstrokosch@op97.org or 708-524-3089.

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Jamie Peterson-Strokosch,RN, BSN, CSN-IL
School Nurse for Washington Irving Elementary School
Oak Park School District 97