Medical Needs
At Mimosa we have policies and procedures in place for students who fall ill or are injured during school hours. We also administer medication during school hours for those students who require it for managing medical conditions. Parents should ensure the school is aware of any medical needs your child may have. It is the responsibility of parents to provide updated action plans and medicine to the school.
If your child requires medication during school time, it is very important that parents or carers complete a medical form in the office and discuss the administration of the medicine with the Admin team and/or the Principal. This must be done prior to the medicine being given to the child.
Medication must be supplied to the office in its original packaging with a pharmacist’s label detailing student name, dose, medication name and expiry date. Students should not be tasked with delivering their own medication to the office or being responsible for taking it themselves. Medications of any kind should not be kept in school bags during the day.
Action Plans for Anaphylaxis and Allergic Reactions need to be in colour, on the most recent form provided by ASCIA, signed and dated by a doctor.
Anaphylaxis at Mimosa
Anaphylaxis is a severe, rapidly progressive allergic reaction that is potentially life threatening. The most common allergens affecting school aged children are peanuts, eggs, tree nuts (e.g. cashews), cow’s milk, fish and shellfish, wheat, soy, sesame and certain insect stings (particularly bee stings). The key to prevention of anaphylaxis in schools is knowledge of those students who have been diagnosed at risk, awareness of triggers (allergens), and prevention of exposure to these triggers. Partnerships between schools and parents are important in ensuring that certain foods or items are kept away from the student while at school. Adrenaline given through an EpiPen auto injector to the muscle of the outer mid thigh is the most effective first aid treatment for anaphylaxis.
We have a number of students at Mimosa who are highly allergic to certain foods and we discourage these foods being brought into the school environment. For a child who suffers from Anaphylaxis related to nut allergies, ingesting these products is potentially life-threatening. We ask all families to please be extra vigilant and very mindful when sending in birthday treats to school like cakes, biscuits, chocolates or lollies. Please don’t send any food to school that contains nuts or nut products (like Nutella or Peanut Butter).
All members of staff are trained to respond to an anaphylactic medical emergency, however it is imperative that to minimise the risk, everyone continues to think carefully about the food that they send to school.
It is also important that you remind your children if they have a classmate with a food allergy, they can help by following the three A's.
Awareness - Know what your classmate is alergic to
Avoidance - Never share food and always wash your hands after eating
Action - Tell a teacher straight away if someone with allergies looks sick, even if they don't want you to!
Too Sick for School?
Generally, if your child feels unwell keep them home from school and consult your Doctor. This chart and the information it contains is general information about child health illnesses and is not intended to take the place of a consultation with your Doctor. All information is provided by NSW Health.