• Allergy Awareness
• Communicable Diseases
• Extreme Weather
• Headlice
• Healthy Food and Drink
• Sun Awareness

Piara Waters Primary School implements the  ‘Best practice guidelines for anaphylaxis prevention and management in children’s education and care'.

These Guidelines aim to provide best practice guidance to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis in children's education and care services, while supporting children to participate in the full range of activities.

Our key principles are;

• a comprehensive process to have up to date plans and medication for identified students.
• adrenoline injectors available across the whole school site.
• staff training and awareness.
• a peer and student education program.
• strict enforcement of our golden rule "students are not allowed to share food with others". 
• strategies to risk exposure to allergens in identified classrooms.

Individual Anaphylaxis Health Care Plans

The principal will ensure that an Individual Anaphylaxis Health Care Plan (IAHCP) is developed in consultation with the student’s parents/guardians, for any student who has been diagnosed by a medical practitioner as being at risk of anaphylaxis. The IAHCP will be in place as soon as it is provided by the parent.

The student’s IAHCP will be reviewed, in consultation with the student’s parents/guardians:

• Annually, and as applicable.
• If the student’s condition changes.
• Immediately after the student has an anaphylactic reaction.

Parents should be aware that a student’s details, including information about the severe allergy, their photos, and the IAHCP will be recorded as a reference point for staff to ensure they can provide the best possible care in cases of emergency. Medications will be held in the classroom Medical Box (which moves around the school to specialist subjects, when necessary). Student’s IAHCP will be displayed in the Medical Room and classroom

Additional EpiPens are also available in the Medical Room and in different places across the school for students who require them, including those who have an anaphylactic reaction for the very first time, whilst at school.

Parent Responsibilities

Parents/guardians of a child at risk of anaphylaxis shall:

• Inform staff, either on enrolment or on diagnosis, of their child’s allergies.
• Provide staff with the ASCIA Action Plan (signed by a medical practitioner) and written consent to use the EpiPen in line with this plan.
• Provide office staff with an EpiPen for their child and replace when expired.
• Assist staff by offering information and answering questions regarding their child’s allergies.
• Notify the staff of any changes to their child’s allergy status and provide a new ASCIA Action Plan in accordance with these changes.
• Communicate all relevant information and concerns to staff; for example, any matter relating to the health of their child.

Responsibilities and Strategies to Avoid Allergen Exposure

While every effort is made to reduce the risks associated with allergies, it cannot be guaranteed that a school is ‘free’ of any particular product.

It is not possible to achieve a completely allergen-free environment in an environment that is open to the general community. 

We recognise the need to adopt a range of procedures and risk minimisation strategies to reduce the risk of a child having an anaphylactic reaction, including strategies to minimise the presence of the allergen in their immediate environment.

The school will make student medical information and the IAHCP that have been supplied by parents available to supervising staff.

Fellow students will be made aware of students in their class or groups with allergies and Individual Anaphylaxis Health Care Plans. Specific strategies to reduce the risks of exposure for the student will be taught.

If a student or staff member has a communicable disease, the principal will act in accordance with the advice provided by the Department of Health in managing communicable diseases.

Please see the guide for a list of communicable diseases and responses.

Download Communicable Diseases Quick Reference

Occasionally, the staff and students at Piara Waters Primary School encounter ‘Extreme Weather’. 

• Severe Wet Weather – thunder/lightning, storm, heavy rain (please note, intermittent drizzle, sprinkling rain is not considered ‘Severe Wet Weather’).  During severe wet weather, students remain in classrooms at recess and lunch and undertake Physical Education lessons in the undercover area.

• Hot weather - During hot weather, all water bottles and lunchboxes are kept inside the classrooms.  Students are encouraged to play in the shade, and to utilise the sunscreen which is available in every classroom. Physical education lessons are modified. 

• Extreme Heat or Heatwave - During a period of extreme heat, students will remain inside (classrooms or in other internal spaces such as the undercover area/library) during break and eating times.  Physical Education lessons will be modified or cancelled and not taken outside.  Any planned vigorous activity will be postponed.  

From time to time, nits (eggs) or head lice are present in the hair of students. When we are aware of this, we notify all parents in the class, via Connect. Parents are asked to check their child’s hair and if any nits or lice are found, commence treatment as recommended in the Department of Health information sheet titled Head Lice – What parents need to know.

Schools are required to adopt a whole school approach to healthy eating within the school community. Fundamental to this is the implementation of strategies which inform, support and promote healthy eating within the guidelines of the Department of Education's Healthy Food and Drink Policy

Our staff promote healthy eating and teach this in Health Education lessons from Kindergarten to Year 6, as per the WA Curriculum.

Crunch & Sip

Our Pre-primary to year 6 classes all have a Crunch & Sip break between 8:30am and recess. This is a set time in class to eat (crunch) fruit or vegetables and drink (sip) water in the classroom. Please pack a piece of fruit, or provide a separate container with cut-up pieces of fruit or vegetable for your child to snack on during this time.

Our Kindergarten students have shared fruit time between 8:30am and recess. Students are asked to bring a piece of fruit or vegetable to share across the class.

Water bottles

Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school, to use in the classroom, in physical education lessons, and at recess and lunch. Only water (not fruit juice, or cordial) is allowed.

Recess and lunch

Parents are encouraged to pack a healthy lunchbox. Please don’t pack too much food as often young students don’t understand they do not have to eat everything mum or dad pack! Our students have 5 minutes at recess and 10 minutes at lunch to eat, before they go and play. Information and suggestions for parents can be found in the Department of Education's Healthy Food Guide

As students are at school during times when UV radiation levels are highest, schools play a significant role in minimising students’ UV exposure.

At Piara Waters Primary School, we ask that the following Sun Awareness Behaviours are adhered to: 

We ask that parents and carers:

• Ensure their child/children have an appropriate broad-brimmed, legionnaire or bucket style hat.
• Ensure that their child/children have access to SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen before leaving for school.

We ask that students will:

• Take responsibility for their health by being Sun Aware.
• Wear appropriate hats and clothing.
• Apply SPF30+ broad-spectrum, sunscreen when necessary.
• Use shaded or covered areas outdoors.