September 4, 2020

Hello SVMS Families,

I hope everyone is well!

It’s the final countdown!  Thank you to those of you who reached out to me to let me know the videos were helpful.  A few questions popped up from a couple of you, so I will address those concerns here in case some of you have similar questions or concerns.

I just want to be sure that it is understood that peanut butter and any other type of nut butter spreads are not permitted in ANY classroom this year whether there is a child with a food allergy in that class or not.  This was also mentioned in the Reopening Plan on pages 26 - 27.  Please re-read those pages.  The safety of all of our students is our utmost concern.  Just as we have set guidelines to protect their health in regards to COVID-19, we are setting these guidelines to protect the health of the children with potentially deadly reactions to food allergens.  I ask you to put your child in the place of the child who has food allergies.  How would you want us to address their health and safety in the classroom.  Please keep in mind that there may be other foods that need to be eliminated in lunches and snacks as well, including sesame.  You will be notified if this is the case.  I had also mentioned that we do have more than usual allergies to shellfish, so please avoid sending in any type of shellfish.  

There was also a question as to how to report your child absent from school.  It remains the same as last year, by either leaving me a voicemail at 973-377-1104 ext. 211 or emailing absence@svmsnj.org.  Sr. Noreen and I discussed whether a parent would need to fill out the Daily Health Screening on a daily basis if a student was absent.  We both decided it would be beneficial to have the parents do so.  I will use it as a tracking tool for absence as well, since oftentimes, parents forget to report their child absent from school.  One last concern about the daily health screening was for the Pre-K students who attend the afternoon session and the timing it would need to be filled out by.  It would be best to fill it out by 11:00 am and not the 8:00 am deadline since they will be coming in later on in the afternoon. 

Please see below for helpful links. 

As always feel free to call me or email me with any questions.

Best regards,

Renee Reilly

Renee Reilly, RN

SVMS School Nurse

973-377-11040ext.211

rreilly@svmsnj.org

In Their Own Words - Kids With Food Allergies

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHrNXmJA_GI

Allergy Friendly Snacks

https://snacksafely.com/

CDC How to Choose/Wear/Clean Face Coverings

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/about-face-coverings.html