Being Prepared in the Classroom: Your Guide to a Worry-free School Year

The first essential component to create a safe academic environment and ensure a worry-free school year is to establish a foundation of preparedness (which can happen before you even step foot on campus!). If you are starting at a new school, aim to communicate with school administration, faculty, school nurses, and teachers ahead of time—in doing so, you can gain a deeper understanding of the policies in place at school regarding allergies, dietary accommodations and medical protocols in the case of an emergency.

Specifically, the school nurse plays a critical role in managing your safety and health during the academic year. Setting up a meeting with them should be a priority in your preparation process. By meeting with the school nurse, you can discuss your allergy action plan, review emergency medical protocols, and ensure that all necessary medications (such as epinephrine auto-injectors or nasal sprays) are properly stored and accessible. This meeting can be used to make sure that they are well-informed about your individual needs and prepared to provide immediate assistance if an allergic reaction occurs.

Moreover, meeting with your teachers before the school year begins or within the first few weeks of school can be incredibly valuable. By introducing yourself and discussing your food allergies with your teachers one-on-one or with your parents, you can help them understand your specific requirements and how they can best support you to keep you safe in the classroom. Also, doing this will give you the chance to share your allergy action plan and any special accommodations you will require for activities/assignments involving food. If your allergy is airborne, you could consider asking your teacher to help minimize the presence of your allergen in the classroom through asking your peers to not consume your allergen while in the classroom. This proactive measure can significantly reduce the risk of accidental exposure. Having an allergy-free classroom is not guaranteed, but it never hurts to ask your teacher if it is possible.  

You can also establish a sound foundation by setting up a meeting with the cafeteria staff and/or dietician at school; these individuals are the most well-equipped with knowledge about the school’s food policies, ingredient lists and kitchen practices. By establishing a relationship with them early on, you can gain in-depth insight on which foods are safe, discuss concerns about cross-contact, and even explore potential options for pre-made allergy-friendly meals. This proactive approach will enable the kitchen and dining staff to get to know you personally, which in turn provides you with more individualized support.

Through building these connections, school staff will become familiar with your specific dietary restrictions, making it more possible to offer tailored assistance when it comes to meal options and safety precautions. By laying this groundwork of communication and preparation, you not only enhance your safety but also set the stage for a more secure and enjoyable school year. Establishing strong relationships with school staff, from the nurse and teachers to the cafeteria team, ensures that everyone is well-informed and ready to support your needs. With these measures in place, you can approach the school year with more confidence and certainty, knowing that you have the support and resources necessary to manage your allergies effectively.

Be sure to make informed choices within a cafeteria setting that satisfy your dietary needs. There are many tips and tricks that you can use to make sure your cafeteria experiences are safe—such as evaluating the menu prior to eating. This will allow you to identify foods that you are able to eat, and request for certain ingredient lists of foods that you may want to try. In order to do this, introducing yourself to the school's nurse/dietician will aid in the process of building a relationship. Forming a relationship is important, as it will be easier to communicate with who you are comfortable with.

If there are not any foods that you are allowed to eat, there are many alternatives to satisfy your health needs. A great way of ensuring your safety is bringing your own food! This will help avoid the possible risk of cross-contact that cannot always be ensured. Bringing your own food allows you to enjoy food that aligns with your health needs.

Even though bringing food can ensure safety of whatever you eat, it is important to look out for exposure to other allergens that you may come across in the cafeteria. Choosing a seating arrangement is very important, as you may be exposed to certain foods that will cause allergic reactions. Some schools provide a top 9 allergen-free seating area or “nut free table.” If this option is not provided, then you should be extra careful with the food that your peers are eating! By carefully checking ingredients, bringing food and asking questions about potential allergens, you can make safer and more confident choices in the cafeteria that protect your health and well-being.

Learning how to successfully navigate social settings and peer interactions is a vital component of creating a safe learning environment where you can flourish. This can be challenging, but with thoughtful preparation it can become more manageable. Start by practicing how to articulate your dietary restrictions clearly and assertively. This involves not only explaining what you can’t eat, but also why that practice is important for your health. By being direct and confident, you empower yourself to decline food that might pose a risk without feeling pressured.

In situations where food is a central part of social interactions, such as group outings or study sessions, develop strategies to manage peer pressure effectively. This might involve politely but firmly reiterating your needs and having a few pre-prepared responses for common scenarios. Additionally, take the initiative to suggest allergy-friendly alternatives or propose non-food-based activities for gatherings. For instance, if a group is planning a meal at a restaurant, you might suggest a place with a clear, allergy-friendly menu or propose an alternative activity that doesn’t revolve around food, such as a movie night or a hike. By actively participating in planning and suggesting solutions, you not only ensure your own safety but also foster a more inclusive environment for everyone.

Finally, when living with food allergies, being prepared for unexpected reactions is crucial. By understanding and recognizing early symptoms of an allergic reaction, you can act quickly and respond effectively to protect your health. Familiarize yourself with all of the early signs of an allergic reaction by referring to trusted medical sources. For example, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) has an article, “Recognizing and Treating Reaction Symptoms,” which details the varying severity and types of allergic reaction symptoms.

In the case of an allergic reaction at school, it is important to remain calm and to clearly communicate the situation and your needs to those around you in order to receive timely assistance. Because of the time-sensitive nature of responding to allergic reactions, it is vital that you regularly review emergency procedures and articulate your needs with your support network, friends, and teachers. Extra precautions that you can take include having emergency contact information readily accessible, carrying a personal allergy kit including your medications, and clearly labeling your medications so they are easily identifiable in your allergy kit. 

When it comes to navigating academic spaces with allergies, it can be helpful to hear what current students have experienced and learned! Here is how a current FARE Teen Corner committee member and writer, Sakura Murase, handled her food allergies at an overnight school retreat:

“Before I participated in my choir’s retreat last year, I had never been to an overnight camp without my parents because of my long list of life-threatening food allergies. Luckily, I had the support of my parents and teachers so that I could join my classmates in the retreat, which I do not regret attending. Many weeks in advance, I spoke to my teacher about my food allergies and how I had to bring all of my own food to the retreat because the chef at the camp could not accommodate my multiple life-threatening food allergies. 

The week of the retreat, my parents cooked all of my food for the three-day (two-night) retreat and packed it in a cooler for the drive from my school to the campsite. Once we got to the campsite, my parents dropped me off along with a bag of food and a cooler. I went straight to the cafeteria and put all of my food inside of the part of the refrigerator the retreat staff reserved for me. I also taped a neon sign with my name on my bag of food so that no one would mistake my bag of food in the refrigerator for anyone else’s. 

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I took a container of food from my bag in the refrigerator and heated it up in the microwave in the cafeteria. I used disposable containers so that I would not have to carry dirty dishes back home. I felt quite safe at the retreat because of all of the precautions my parents took in advance (e.g., packing extra EpiPens, communicating with my teacher), but socially, I felt left out. For example, everyone would talk about how good the food was at the camp, but I could not eat anything, so I did not have anything to say during those conservations. I also felt awkward being the only one not eating the same meal as everyone else at my table. 

That said, my classmates were very understanding and actually wanted to know more about my life with food allergies. To anyone who has never been on a school trip before due to their food allergies, I highly encourage you to go on the next one because you will probably have lots of fun while staying safe. As long as you communicate with your teacher and work with your family to accommodate your food allergies for the school trip or activity beforehand, I think you will be safe and enjoy the experience.”

In this interview with TAG, Aiyah Morsy, an undergraduate student at Franklin University in Switzerland (Class of 2027), describes navigating her campus with multiple food allergies. 

TAG: What are your food allergies?
My allergies are all nuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, shellfish, buckwheat, and coconut.

TAG: What has been your experience with food allergies throughout college?
I would say that navigating my allergies in Europe is definitely different than America because everyone in America speaks English. In Europe, it’s hard because if I don’t speak the language, it’s difficult to translate my allergies to the server if I go out to a restaurant with friends or if I’m traveling. Since I’m in Switzerland, and I travel to Italy and different countries in Europe, it’s just hard. Even though it’s hard, I manage by buying my groceries and telling my roommates about the allergies and the school cafeteria accommodates me very well.

TAG: What does your college do to ensure your safety?
I have an allergy card in different languages, so that has helped very much in Europe. In the campus cafeteria, because most of the staff speaks English and Italian, it’s easy to speak to them in English, but I still give them my Italian allergy card because they will understand it better than the English. In the beginning, when I first started, I struggled with the adaptation of the language with my food allergies and trying to express that I have food allergies.

TAG: Have you found a community with others who also have food allergies?
I haven’t really found a specific community with others but my friends have been very helpful and make sure my environment is healthy and safe.