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MEN‘Ss VEsTS) SUEDE _ ALL LEATHER | «e style 2881 VESTS Men‘s and Ladies‘ esd #1 Suede * [4 ‘___ HALF ult Canada 4 a AEB . - T A o ZEd | o ‘ // | NORTH YORK . (416)661â€"7746 SGABBOROUGH (416)296â€"5031 BURLINGTON _ (905)632â€"9944 GUELPH (519)766â€"9805 LONDON (519)657â€"2403 TILLSONBURG (519)688â€"7780 '- Stone Road Mail (435 Stone Road) _ = Westmount Shopping Centre (785 Wonderland Rd.) = Tillsonburg Town Centre (200 Broadway St.) C No snacks allowed at school THE OAKVILLE BEAVER By KATHY YANCHUS Oakville Beaver Staff Although Pam Fretz is pleased with the way the Halton Roman Catholic School Board has welcomed and treated her anaphylactic daughter, the east Oakville mother is well aware that the issue of safe school environâ€" ments for children with life threatenâ€" ing allergies is one which requires more attention, in particular from the Ontario government. "Ontario does not have systemâ€" wide guidelines to educate staff, meaâ€" sures to ensure a safe school environâ€" ment or emergency protocols for proâ€" viding first aid and delivery of the child to the nearest hospital equipped with emergency facilities," wrote Fretz to Dave Cooke, Minister of Education and Training in a September letter. According to Fretz, the education minister‘s response was disappointing. "Each parent of an anaphylactic child must approach their own indiâ€" vidual school and negotiate a safe environment for their child," said Fretz. "In many cases the parent is met by school personnel who are ignorant of the condition or likely to downplay the immediacy and seriousâ€" ness of exposure to the allergen." At St. Vincent‘s Catholic School, where Fretz‘s fiveâ€"yearâ€"old daughter Alyson attends, staff "have bent over backwards" to accommodate the famâ€" ily‘s concerns and decrease the risk to her daughter. Notes were sent home to parents urging them not to send in food conâ€" taining peanuts or nuts for snacks or special occasions. Human Rights ruling expected by Christmas (Continued from page 15) According to Chasse, she was offered all kinds of solutions by the board â€" keep him out of school or become a regular volunteer in the classâ€" room or at recess. "I was told I could volunteer as much as I want. I‘m not going back to kindergarten," replied Chasse. "Why do I have to go to school?" Chasse said she was urged by the board to check out Linbrook School which has smaller classes and is situated close to the hospital, but this school would have provided only a temporary solution, said Chasse, because the school offers a French Immersion proâ€" There have been cases where a child has brought in a snack which could inadvertently harm Alyson and every attempt has been made to have‘ the child eat that snack in a separate‘ location, said Fretz. With one minor exception â€"suckers â€" Alyson is not allowed to partake in any treat at school. ' gram after kindergarten. The response‘ she received from Brantwood School; which also has smaller class sizes, was that the teachers were not obligated to administer the EpiPen she said. When these two alternate school sites didn‘t appeal to the family, she was sent back to Abbey Lane. * "What was the point? What was there to discuss," said Chasse. "My son‘ had to have the EpiPen and we needed to be assured there would be someone who would administer it." Their request to have the EpiPen in a pouch around Adrian‘s waist, was alsd denied, said Chasse. Eight months and no progress later, she took her frustration, her desperation; and her complaint to the Human Rights Commission. "We felt they were really discrimiâ€" nating against us and we didn‘t feel we had done anything wrong," said Chasse: "We had been instructed ever since Adrian was 15 months old to have the EpiPen around. Do you ignore those doctors and listen to the school?" Three weeks into the school year, the principal contacted Chasse to say he would allow the EpiPen in the classâ€" room "for this one child, but he was going against board policy," said Chasse. Adrian‘s teacher, however, would not be the one to administer the EpiPen should the need arise. Chasse was not pleased with the board‘s response this time either and felt further offended they had not attempted this remedy earlier. P After a preliminary investigation, the Human Rights Commission ruled there was a case of discrimination against both the family and Adrian, said Chasse. The complaint has been issued to the board which has 30 days to respond, she added. (See ‘No guidelines . . .‘ page 17) "Depending on their response, 1t goes on to a hearing," said Chasse, adding : she expects a response around Christmas. If indeed there is a complaint â€" the Board has not yet been notified â€" the Halton Board of Education will "deal with it appropriately," commented board administrative assistant, Dane Tutton. "This issue is not new to us," said Tutton, the board‘s chosen spokesperson on the subject of Adrian. "We have many students in our schools who have severe food allergies." Tutton said the board‘s dilemma arose out of Chasse‘s request to have a "100% guarantee that many things could be met," a virtual impossibility for the board. Although Chasse said she never uttered the word "guarantee," she admits the family was seeking assurance that everything possible would be done to give her son "special consideration." One condition Chasse demanded was that nuts and peanuts be banned from her son‘s classroom, a request that the school would coâ€"operate to control "to a certain degree," said Tutton. This attempt was appreciated by the family, said Chasse. As new cases requiring special attenâ€" tion enter the system, they are handled on an individual basis, explained Tutton who said EpiPens are in some classâ€" rooms within the Halton public school system. Tutton said the board was concerned about Adrian and felt a plan could be worked out "if the parent sits down with the school. "That invitation is still there," he said. "If the liability issue is too great and people just refuse to abide by this, then have a designated nut free school," said Chasse. "Give me a classroom, give me a teacher and I‘ll organize it." Until such time as the board develâ€" ops an updated policy on this issue, Chasse believes there should be separate quarters for students with life mreaten-‘ ing allergies in Grades K to Grade 3. Beyond that, said Chasse, the risk is l;sj because kids are not as messy and more aware of their condition. "They‘re not smearing peanut butter all over their face and toys," she said. To have a lifeâ€"saving device avail able but not easily accessible is "asi nine," said Chasse. "I am not a nois} person, but when it comes to m child...there‘s no room for a mistake." People don‘t realize the restrictiv lifestyle a child with a life threatenin allergy is subject to, said Chasse. "He can‘t go to Beavers unless r‘ has a parent with him. He can‘t go t birthday parties unless he has a parer with him," said Chasse. "There has gc to be another place besides home th these kids can go to." f And that place, argués Chass should be the school. December 14, 1994