I know this won't be any kind of surprise to most of us--
http://www.foodallergybuzz.com/2012/02/interesting-article-from-anaphylaxis.html?m=1 (http://www.foodallergybuzz.com/2012/02/interesting-article-from-anaphylaxis.html?m=1)
Breakfast programs are coincident with food proteins on desks in instructional spaces.
When students eat in classrooms, risk rises. Period.
Kudos to this middle schooler for such a terrific science fair project!! (Now-- why did it take a middle schooler to ask this question, hmmmm??)
What an excellent sci fair project! Hat's off to Max.
I'm not sure why the cleaning standards that we had to follow when I did preschool/child care don't apply to k-12 classrooms.
We ate breakfast, lunch, and snack in the classrooms. We had to clean the eating area before and after every meal.
Cleaning before: Wash hands. Spray table down with soap and water, wipe with paper towels. Spray table down with clean water, wipe with fresh paper towels. Spray table down with bleach water, wipe with fresh paper towels. Wash hands again and put on gloves. Have all the kids wash their hands before sitting down.
Cleaning after: All the kids clean up their stuff and wash hands. 3 part spray down again, though at this point you typically have to clean the chairs as well. Sweep the floor. Wash hands again.
I know that this sounds tedious, but it really isn't that bad, and once you get the hang of it, it does not take long. And if I can do it alone in a classroom with toddlers/preschoolers, then it should be doable in a classroom of elementary aged students, who generally don't bite each other or need diaper changing.
I just loved seeing this for some personal reasons. This kid is obviously in the Twin Cities area (well, most likely), and he used a 3M product. Brilliant. 3M is god-like here. There's instant credibility. I would love to show this to all the school districts in the area.
You love it because it's in yer face to the naysayers. Vindication, baby.