School Nursing Information

Peanut/Tree Nut Free School Policy

Food allergies are on the rise and can cause a severe, systemic, potentially fatal allergic reaction called anaphylaxis in allergic individuals. Eight of the most common food allergens are milk, soy, wheat, fish, shellfish, egg, peanut, and tree nut.

Peanut and tree nut allergies account for most fatal and near-fatal anaphylactic reactions. Allergic individuals can experience anaphylaxis if they touch, inhale or ingest even the slightest trace or residue of the allergen.

To help make Sketty school a fun and safe place for our increasing number of peanut- and tree nut-allergic students, we’re becoming a peanut- and tree-nut-free school. In addition to cleaning hands and mouths before entering school, here’s how you can help:

Lunches

We ask that parents please help by not sending your child into school, with the following;-

• Packs of nuts
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Fruit and cereal bars that contain nuts
• Chocolate bars or sweets that contain nuts (including Nutella)
• Sesame seed rolls (children allergic to nuts may also have a severe reaction to sesame)
• Cakes made with nuts

Shared Items

• Read labels to ensure shared items, such as snacks and craft materials, contain no peanuts or tree nuts, no traces of peanuts or tree nuts, and are not manufactured in a facility or on equipment that processes peanuts or tree nuts.
• Provide shared items in their original, unopened packages.
• All shared items requiring advance preparation, such as cutting, will be prepared in the school by a school staff member to avoid cross contamination from in-home utensils and surfaces.

Birthdays

Caution must be taken at certain times of year such as Easter and Christmas. If parents distribute confectionary, for birthdays, care must be taken to ensure that no nuts are included in the product. Fruit sweets such as Haribo are a better alternative. Particular products that are a cause for concern are: – Celebrations – Roses – Heroes – Quality Street.

All product packaging must be checked for warnings directed at nut allergy sufferers and if the following or similar are displayed, the product must not be used in school. Packaging must be checked for:

• Not suitable for nut allergy suffers;
• This product contains nuts;
• This product may contain traces nuts;

Indicating this is unsuitable for school consumption.

Parents and Carers

Parents and carers must notify staff of any known or suspected allergy to nuts and provide all medical and necessary information. This will be added to the child’s health care plan and if necessary a meeting organised with the class teacher and ALNCo. Homemade snacks or party food contributions must have a label detailing all ingredients present and the kitchen environment where the food was prepared must be nut free. If you are unsure about a selection please speak to a staff member before bringing the food item into school.

Health Plans and Emergency Response

We have individual Healthcare plans for children with allergies and Allergy Lists are displayed in all classes, highlighting Healthcare plans in place, triggers, medication (Medication will be stored, administered and documented in accordance with our Administering Medicine Policy)

Congratulations to the school chess team of William, Daniel, Freddie and Zac (Year 5).
The first match of the Swansea Schools chess league was played against St Michaels school from Llanelli and it ended in a hard fought and exciting 2-2 draw.

DLD Poster

It’s been wonderful to see the children return re-energised after the summer holidays for a new academic year. Here is just a flavour of how everyone has settled and what we’ve already been up to!!! 

Our Dragonfly Nursery children have settled particularly well. Our morning nursery is currently full and our afternoon rising three’s provision is steadily growing. We only have limited spaces available. 

You would never think the children in the Reception classes were new to full time school. They are all so confident and are having an exciting time. They have enjoyed meeting their year 6 busddies who helped them settle into full day school routine! 

The year one children have returned full of energy, ready to embrace their terms topic “The Same but Different”, which looks at cultural diversity and the rights of the child. They have enjoyed visiting  “The Dough Disco”  and all the active learn challenges! 

Already the year 2 children have been on a school visit to the Fire Station. They had a great time. Everyone was so well behaved and interested in what they saw and of course they thoroughly enjoyed meeting the Fire Fighters! 

The noise from the year three classrooms has been very loud and very musical as they have begun their ukulele lessons and set up their Samba Band!! I am so looking forward to them learning the Samba dance and hopefully putting on a Samba parade. They have been to the Dylan Thomas Theatre and the museum to watch the play The Butterfly Hunter.  

Year 4 have returned to school, according to their teachers, ready to learn!! They too, have been to the Dylan Thomas Theatre and the museum to watch the play The Butterfly Hunter and have begun their topic work. Their ukulele lessons continue too. 

I believe, year 5, have had the busiest start to the new school year ever! They have finished their animation project with Storyopilis, visited the 1940’s museum and watched the production of the Eye of the Storm at the Grand Theatre. And it’s only week four!!! 

During the Summer term you may remember our year 5 children, now year 6, were part of the working party that developed the Theatre Na’Nog App. This week they attended the production of the Eye Of The Storm at the Grand Theatre and will use the App to support their work based around the theme of the play!! Exciting times! Swimming lessons have begun, and the children have been working hard with our sports coach. 

We have a whole school action research project underway this term to improve our handwriting and presentation. All children are taking part in “The Dough Disco” twice a week to strengthen our fingers and help our fine motor skills. As we  become more confident with the skills of letter formation we’ll then apply what we’ve learned to our everyday handwriting! Already we have seen impact of this approach. Well done everybody your hard work is paying off! 

The NSPCC have been in school taking assembly and running workshops teaching us how to keep ourselves safe. PC Craig has also begun his workshops around a variety of issues again all aimed at being safe in and out of school. 

After school clubs have started with a wide variety of things to choose from, see the website for details. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for supporting our Roald Dahl Day this year. Lots and lots of children dressed up as their favourite Roald Dahl character and we all had a great day!! 

We had a great turn out for out “Meet the teacher” meetings last week, again thank you for your support. If you were not able to attend, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher if you would like any information. 

We have lots of other exciting activities and events planned for the rest of the term. In a few weeks’ time, we will have our first parents’ meetings of the year and our legendary Halloween Disco is planned for Thursday 24th October! This, as I’m sure you are aware, is organised by our very active PTA who are always looking for parents to join and help our school continue to be the great place it is. So, if you have some spare time and would like to help, please contact the school office who will put you in touch with the relevant parents!! 

I can’t believe September is almost over, the weeks seem to be flying by! 

Watch this space for school council and committee news in the next week or so. And the arrival of our Reading Dog-Otis!! 

Many thanks again for your continued support. 

Mrs Bev Phillips 

Head Teacher 

£2 entry for a tea/coffee and a cake.  50p per child for squash and a biscuit. Please come and join us to show your support.