Breaking News in Brief
Debate on the future of the Brussels schools
By Francesca Tudini, APEEE Board President
The APEEE would like to inform parents about the recent proposal of the European School Secretary General on the possibility to tackle increasing overcrowding in the European schools by grouping some class levels.
The idea would be to group specific sections. This could be either: S4 to S7 in two of the current schools or S1 to S7 in three of the current schools.
The Brussels schools' managers have been requested to study the feasibility of these two options and to report to the Groupe de Suivi in September for an initial discussion.
The 4 Brussels APEEEs will be taking part in the discussion at the Groupe de Suivi. However, the APEEE regrets having been excluded from participating in the working group preparing the feasibility study.
We have requested that all possible options are considered in a duly prepared impact assessment study, and that the availability of additional space in the new fifth school is taken into account, as to avoid making proposals with unnecessary negative impacts on the current communities. The fifth school is to be created most probably in the new site of Evere, currently the NATO HQ site, as of 2019 – even if it cannot be taken for granted at this stage.
It is to be noted that any final decision will have to be taken by the Board of Governors and that it is unlikely that it could be put in place earlier than 2019. The APEEE will be vigilant and will inform parents of any possible development.
The Board has discussed this issue and agreed that we will stand united against the move of one or few single sections. We will keep an open mind attitude and work together with the school authorities to seek for solutions to overcrowding.
For more information, do not hesitate to contact your Board member.
Groupe de Suivi (also called Groupe d'accompagnement) denotes a preparatory format for
- meetings organised by the European Commission with APEEEs' and trade unions' representatives and local staff to go through the agenda of the next Board of Governors.
- meetings organised by the Sec Gen with schools' management, APEEEs, trade unions, local staff, teacher representatives to discuss general issues, also in view of the next Board of Governors meeting.
Introduction of online marking in BAC exams
By Jan von Pfaler, APEEE Board Vice-President
Online marking will be introduced to the BAC this year. The online marking comprises scanning the papers and the evaluators (teachers and externals) to do the marking then online. Potentially this could mean better control and more uniform assessment. It does not in itself imply any changes in the way how the answers are assessed.
Interparents (IP) has been and is following the process and the implementation closely. It has no taken the concrete steps having been introduced at the schools. The process involves scanning the answers at school for assessment to be done online. Even if the tool is internal to the assessment community, it still is critical part of the BAC and therefore of interest to all parents.
IP has also regularly asked for open and direct communication on the matter directly to the parents. Hence I am glad to be able to refer to you at the first BacUnit newsletter (in English), which has been sent to all S4 to S7 parents last week.
Meet the APEEE board 2017
The APEEE Annual General Meeting on 26 January saw nine members newly elected and six members re-elected, with six continuing their two-year mandate. So, while there are some perhaps familiar faces representing you in 2017, there is also a good batch of new intakes. Here you can meet them all.
Francesca Tudini, President
Francesca has been re-elected for a second term as President of the APEEE Board following its constitutive meeting in February. It is her third year on the Board, representing the Italian section at Primary level. She writes:
Dear parents,
Thank you for having put your trust in our new Board.
Last year, we worked very hard to fill our gaps in terms of knowledge and experience.
In January, we had to say goodbye to some wonderful members again, but our new colleagues have already demonstrated a tremendous degree of commitment and willingness to present fresh ideas.
We might have not achieved all of the objectives set ourselves last year but we have been active in various projects and successful in improving our communication with the school, starting to build a relationship based on trust.
Some of our ideas can probably be realised only in the medium/long term. However, I think that there is no reason for the school not to be more open to parents, right here and right now.
My idea of a real partnership between the school and the families, with the school becoming a real community, has not turned into reality yet. It is still my number one priority.
My main responsibility is managing the Board, while it is the task of my colleagues to propose the priorities for each working group and to manage concrete projects. I strongly encourage you to get in touch with them and make your proposals.
Never hesitate to get in touch with us. We will do our best to fulfil our commitments:
- To take and encourage any initiative making possible a maximum participation by parents in all aspects of school life and in the decisions relating to it.
- To represent the educational and family interests of parents vis-à-vis the school, as well as local, regional, national and European authorities.
- To make known to the school authorities parents’ wishes and suggestions regarding the organization and running of the school.
I am personally very optimistic: we can do great things with your support and direct participation.
Jan von Pfaler Vice-President Pedagogical Affairs, co-ordinator Task Force on Education Support
This is Jan's second year on the Board, as well as his second as VP Pedagogical Affairs. Jan also represents our APEEE at Interparents, the organisation representing the parents' associations of all 14 European schools. He writes:
This year is very likely going to be an eventful one, not least for the European schools. In the near and medium term, Brexit, and the anticipation of it, might take from us some of our best teachers. Overcrowding might well lead to changes in enrolment policies. Our assessment practice is expected to be critically renewed in the coming year or two.
I hope the parent community, me included, can meet those challenges and drive the results to the best possible outcome. I have a child in the Finnish section and I would like to see him, in due course, graduate from a striving European school.
Johan Melander Vice-President Administrative Affairs, co-ordinator IT WG, co-ordinator WG on Health, Safety and Security
Johan has been re-elected to the Board after an initial one year term. With two children in S4 and S6, he represents the Swedish section at Secondary level. Johan writes:
The driver for me to serve on the Board is to do my best to help our organisation to be as good as possible and as a consequence be able to positively influence the whole school experience for all our children.
I have been on the board once already before going to Beijing. There, I was a on the advisory board for the British school.
My working expertise is risk management, from not blocking fire doors to creating worst case scenarios in an organisation where the shareholders have a say to obtain results at an acceptable cost.
The most important thing I learned from the British School in Beijing is how valuable open, daily communication from teachers/school to parents and back, is. The school working together with the parents enhances the environment for our teachers which improves the school experience for our children. My knowledge about importance of planning, pedagogical support, transition to life after school and university preparation has also been enhanced.
Jovita Lazdiene Treasurer, co-ordinator Budget WG
Jovita has been re-elected for another, and final two year term representing the Lithuanian section. She writes:
I have been a member of the APEEE board for four years; and have been a class representative for ten. I am the co-ordinator of the budget group, and I also take part in the secondary and primary/nursery educational working groups.
I am aware of the current problems at school and having been a part of the APEEE board I can continue with my work which I started during the last years. This year I am planning to concentrate on safety and security issues (the most worrying part of which is drugs).
Mario Nava Secretary of the Bureau
Mario joined the Board in January 2013 and the Bureau in 2014. He has three daughters, one graduated in 2015, one is today in S7 and one in S5. He describes himself as a very committed European, and keen to make sure our school stimulates and challenges our kids via different projects, activities and opportunities.
Andreas Rogal Information Secretary, chair of the editorial board, co-ordinator Brexit Task Force
I have two girls in the English section, one in P1 and the other in P5. This is my third year on the board, having been re-elected at this year's AGM for another two year term. From the beginning, I have tried to make my experience as a journalist useful for the Board, the parents and the school as a whole.
Together with my colleague Albert Raedler, I have taken on the role of contact person for the European Schools' student exchange activity, now renamed Mobility Programme. Our school has recently decided to suspend exchanges in S4 and only allow them in S5. Albert and I are not entirely convinced by the reasoning for this and have started to collect parents' feedback about it, with a view to negotiating with school management about an exchange policy that serves the widest range possible of our students.
This year, for the first time, I have also been elected to serve as one of our board's delegates to Interparents (IP).
Bettina Schmidbauer-Mogensen Member of the Bureau, co-ordinator working group (WG) Maternelle and Primary Pedagogical Affairs (CEP/M), co-ordinator Canteen WG
Bettina writes:
I have two children in P5 and S1 in the German section. I work fulltime at the European Commission and I can say, it’s not easy to manage all the info, especially getting to grips with the secondary cycle. It is an enormously complex area, with the BAC reform looming, a new marking system ahead soon, with all the organisation of subjects, and now the streaming of LII in S1 to S3 (with a mother tongue class organised for a certain number of children).
I have been on the Board for 3 years now and I am still learning. At the moment I am coordinating all Primary pedagogical questions and also serving as group leader of the Canteen WG. You will have noticed the APEEE survey on its services, including questions on the canteen and its quality, which has been sent out to all parents this week. We will also strive to be certified with the “good food” label of Bruxelles Environment. A goal that we would like to achieve by spring next year.
With all the challenges and changes that we face in our times, I believe that the European School is a great system, it needs to be sustained and it needs dedicated parents to help achieving our goal: to continue to deliver quality education with lots of multicultural influence from all over Europe for our kids.
Pernilla Sjölin co-ordinator WG Secondary Pedagogical Affairs (CES)
Pernilla is a new member of the Board, representing the Swedish section at Secondary level. She writes:
I'm a Swedish national, having had Belgium as my adopted home country for more than 20 years now. I work in the European Commission, currently in the Protocol Service and previously in different positions in the Interpretation Service. My children are in the Swedish section in S2 and S4, so after many years of experience in and with the European school I would now like to make a contribution to the constant development of the school. I will be heading the working group for secondary pedagogical matters in the APEEE and look forward to working constructively with parents, pupils and school personnel alike!
Albert Raedler co-ordinator Transport WG, co-ordinator Compliance and Risk Assessment WG, APEEE contact Mobility Programme
Albert represents the German section at Maternelle/Primary section. He writes:
Having been re-elected for the next two years, this is my second term on the APEEE board. Originally, I am from Munich in Southern Germany, and I am now working for the Commission. My children are in P2 and Maternelle of the German section. During this term, I will be coordinating the Transport and the Compliance issues working groups, but I will also be involved in pedagogical questions for Primary. Teaming up with Andreas, we will also look into student exchanges of the Mobility Programme within the European School system.
Kasia Horemans co-ordinator Extracurricular Activities (Periscolaire), delegate to Central Enrolment Authority (CEA)
This is Kasia's second term on the Board, representing the Dutch section. She works as a human resources manager at the European Commission. Most recently, she has organised the Run for Life charity event at our school. Kasia writes:
I have been following the issues related to the evolution of the Dutch section for a few years now. Being appointed as a member in the CEA (for 7 years now), first on behalf of the Commission, enabled me to acquire a clear picture of what kind of problems we may or do encounter in our school.
By nature, I am open to smart solutions and finding compromise where it can be reached. Nevertheless, if I feel that my point of view is worth fighting for, I tend to argue my position strongly and debate it until an acceptable solution is found.
Sara Roda co-ordinator Active Community WG, deputy co-ordinator CEP/M WG
Sara represents the Portuguese section at Maternelle/Primary level. She writes:
This is my second year on the Board and it has been a very enriching experience so far. I intend to continue focusing on the project preventing violence in the playground (many measures have been implemented by the school already and a report is expected to bring still more light into this dossier) and, as coordinator of the APEEE working group Active Community, I hope to contribute to creating a greater sense of school community. Our main priorities are:
- update of the volunteers’ database, rendering processing more efficient and increasing its use;
- continue to support preventing violence in the playground project and promote positive behaviour;
- encourage more interaction between sections;
- organise conference on teenagers’ issues and revisit the conference on internet awareness, among others, inviting other APEEEs; support Run for Life and Eurosport 2017 events;
- support the new Welcome Service / induction policy currently being developed ;
- support satellite school groups whenever needed: Imagine Tomorrow, Library, Eureka, etc.
I also hope to gain support for a new project called “Project TV” - creation of a web TV inside the school to be used as an educational tool to complement/support teaching methods. Under this project students would develop reportages, TV journals, educational videos on specific topics. This project would be linked to the promotion of positive behaviour project, creating a greater sense of school community, working together students, teachers and parents.
Vanessa Aulehla
Vanessa is a new Board member. She writes:
I am representing the Italian speaking section at Secondary level, with kids in S6 and S2. As a newcomer to the APEEE board, I would like to help parents better understand the school, help identifying common challenges and problems (in the secondary in particular) through class representatives of all language sections, in order to possibly find constructive solutions together with the school management. It is almost 13 years that I have followed my children's progress and, in the last years, as class representative, also the developments in this school and the activities of the APEEE. It is an overcrowded school with complex decision making processes that my children nevertheless adore... so investing part of my time for making it a better place, seems right for me.
Mounia Benyahia
Mounia joins the Board for the first time this year. She represents the francophone section and has children there in S3, P5 and P1. By profession, she is a civil servant in the Brussels commune of Woluwé-Saint-Lambert.
Anthony Bisch
This is Anthony's first time and first year on the APEEE board, representing the German section at Maternelle/Primary level. He writes:
My then four-year old child has started nursery last September and I have decided to stand for election as a board member of the APEEE in order to be closely involved in the school life.
I joined the Canteen and the Transport WGs to support my Board colleagues and the staff with the aim to provide high-quality services to our kids while reflecting on how to do even better. A lawyer within the EU institutions by profession, I will also handle issues related to data protection. Collaborative work and trustful relationships with the school and the parents will be essential to address horizontal issues as well as individual concerns. My commitment is to the well-being of our kids.
Manuela Caramujo
Manuela is a new Board member. She is the mother of an S3 boy and an S1 girl in the Portuguese section, representing the section at Secondary level.
Manuela describes herself as "a journalist, Portuguese, a world citizen and proudly European.
"'Do not complain, if you do not do it', is one of my life mottos", adding that "with a vast experience in working and collaborating in parents' associations, in different continents and school systems, I have joined the APEEE to contribute to the formation of healthy, happy, respected and respectful European citizens."
Bengt Davidsson
Bengt is a new Board member. He has a child in P2 and represents the Swedish section in Primary. From the next school year another child of his will join in Maternelle. He writes:
I stood for the APEEE board as I wanted to be closely involved in my kids' school and to contribute with experience and positive energy. With a North-South family situation (the kids are also Maltese citizens) we experience positive cultural and language situations as well as challenges. Having an engineering and environmental management background, I naturally put an emphasis on good structure and green credentials. However, most important in being a board member is to represent the parents, and to the extent possible, further bridge the gap between the parents and the school management. The school is naturally relevant to parents - but my own experience is that at least for newcomers it is not so well understood by many parents, and - why not - also by the grandparents! A positive dialogue with the school is fundamental for good educational results.
Ana Dumitrache
Ana is another rookie on the Board. She writes:
Bonjour! I am very glad and honoured to be part of the APEEE Board, elected to represent parents from the French section. New in the school, I want to get involved, be constructive and dedicate time and energy to be a bridge between parents/children and the school and contribute to a high quality education and a nice, friendly environment. Belgian (with various origins!) – lawyer – civil servant, and above all, active mom, I have experience in being a parents' representative.
I am particularly interested by pedagogical matters in both primary and secondary, the transition from primary to secondary, and in issues such as overcrowding, safety, teachers absences, anti-bullying and anti-drug policies, quality extra-curricular activities and improving communication with parents.
In the Board, I am active in several working groups: Primary and Nursery educational group, Extra-curricular activities, Information.
I am at your disposal and will do my very best to help, so please do not hesitate to contact me on ana.dumitrache@eesc.europa.eu. Thank you for your trust! Merci de votre confiance et à bientôt!
Rose Forrest co-ordinator Welcome Service Task Force
Rose, too, is a new Board member. She represents the English section for Maternelle/Primary. She writes:
We are new to Brussels having arrived at the beginning of the year. My specialism over the last 25 years is in child protection, initially as a social worker, then an independent Guardian ad litem in court proceedings, and since 2006 as a Barrister in private practice and on moving to London, as an in-house lawyer for the local authority. We have two children, one in P3 and a young 4year old. I stood spontaneously for selection at the General Assembly for two reasons, firstly,to support the APEEE team, particularly the EN section, given the developing harshness of the Brexit situation and the uncertainty it causes the parents as to how it will impact on the EN section.
Secondly, it has been my observation that the school community would benefit from a co-ordinated, volunteer body of parents to offer personal support to new families when arriving into the school. That this service would be in partnership with the leadership of the school with our service dove-tailing with the information provided by the school. As a parent representative this year I had initiated this project at class level, but now as a member of the Board I have been able to source greater support in grounding a model that we hope will work for the whole school community in EEB2.
I have always enjoyed being an active parent in previous schools in England and Ireland. I strongly believe that it is up to us, as parents, to be generous in sharing our respective skills, training and experience to support the school serve our children. I believe in true partnership with the school, that in facing the challenges together our children learn first-hand how to really work as a team, share knowledge and skills with respect toward a common objective. Finding solutions and developing initiatives together is observed by our own children and assists them in learning how to develop core life-skills in addition to core curriculum learning.
While on the Board, I have volunteered to work with the Communications team and in this regard have enquired amongst parents about possible articles for the newsletter that might be authored, co-authored on areas of child development, such as nutrition and special education. I will also be supporting both the Events team, called Active Community and the Primary CEP team, where APEEE members meet with the school to focus on issues in the Primary section.
Guido Ricci
Guido served on the Board in 2015. After a year's break he has been re-elected to represent the Italian section at Secondary level. He writes:
Membre du Service Juridique du Parlement Européen. Deux enfants dans le cycle primaire et deux dans le secondaire.
Although our statutes provides for a guaranteed representation from each section in the APEEE board, I remain convinced that all members are elected by the General Meeting to represent all parents.
Mi parolas itale, france, esperante, angle kaj hispane.
Johanna Saarentalo-Vuorimäki
This is my second year on the APEEE board, and I am representing the Finnish section for Secondary.
I have two adolescents, in S3 and S5. I am a member of Secondary working group, among other things. I continue to believe that good cooperation between the school and the parents is very important, and that we should try together to ensure as best as we can a motivating and high quality educational environment, despite big challenges such as overcrowding.
Adam Watson-Brown
This is Adam's second year of his first two-year mandate on the Board representing the Anglophone section for Secondary. He joined the board to pursue an interest in SEN as he has a son with ADD in 5th secondary and is working to ensure that APEEE forces come together to produce a guidance document for parents after a false start last year. He also takes an interest in IT and tries had to control his impatience at APEEE board meetings when discussions ramble on in ever decreasing circles. A keen cyclist, air pistol shooter and Art Deco enthusiast, Adam would also like to find more time to listen to his vinyl music collection, but only young people have the time.
APEEE services – please fill in the questionnaire
By Bettina Schmidbauer-Mogensen
The APEEE has put together a survey of its services which has been sent to all parents this week. The last one had been done in 2012 and it needed updating. We want to hear from you how you like the canteen, the extra-curricular activities and the transport service. With your input, we will be able to improve the services. After all, they have been organised by parents for 40 years now and represent a huge task. Did you know that the APEEE is a "AISBL" with a turnover of approx € 6.000.000 a year? And you as parents, represented by us in the Board, are making it happen!! Therefore, we all have an interest to constantly improve the services for the good of all, children, teachers and the school as a whole. And did you know that we use around 65 busses every day to transport our children in the most safe way possible? Every morning and for the primary busses also in the afternoon, there are supervisors on the busses whose job is to make sure that the children get on and off at the right bus stop, as well as guarantee the safety on the bus. The new IT system also makes it possible to track each and every child on the busses in case it’s needed. We are also constantly looking for good extra-curricular activities - not an easy task with the overcrowding - to bring all activities under the roof of the school. Come and discover our extra-curricular activities during our Open Doors Day on Saturday 17 June 2017! More details will follow shortly.
News from the Canteen
By Bettina Schmidbauer-Mogensen
This year, the canteen wants to venture into obtaining a quality label issued by Bruxelles Environnement called “good food”. The certification process takes some time, the achievement of the label is planned for early 2018. Out of 10, the school canteen already meets 8 conditions. The two remaining conditions are to introduce one vegetarian day per week and organise pedagogical actions around what is good and healthy food. At the same time, the Primary school director is looking into possibilities to set up a herbal and vegetable garden, and we also look into ways to increase lessons on cooking, which could be integrated into the European hours. However, the constraint is that the kitchen is for industrial use and not really designed for children and teaching purposes. This is all in an early and brainstorming stage still and the APEEE is working on it. If you have good ideas and resources, please come forward. A group of secondary students are also planning to organise a veggie week and the canteen will of course do its best to help make that happen. Furthermore, the canteen is trying to upgrade its facilities. The aim is to be able to process as many products as possible on site. That means for example, that the potato purée is produced here fresh with the potatoes that we buy instead of having to buy readymade purée. Did you know that you need a gigantic mixer in order to produce puree for 2500 people? That is the number of customers we are serving every day!!
Welcome Service - A New Initiative
By Rose Forrest on behalf of the APEEE board's task force on a Welcome Service.
This Spring term, the APEEE will be consulting with the school, parents and students on the design and creation of a personal welcome and support service for new families. It is intended this service will complement but not replace the core school information given to new families. It is envisaged the personal service will support both parents and students through personal practical assistance, peer contact for the students and social activities for parents and children, to aid them to quickly settle into our school community.
It is proposed, subject to the outcome of our research and consultation with new families, that this service can be run by volunteers, both from the parents communityand from students (mentoring role), and critically, across all language sections from Maternelle through to Secondary.
There are three proposed phases:
- The first phase would involve the partnership with the school. Research into existing welcome service models in European and other schools has begun. The consultation with new parents in the school is drafted and about to commence. On 9th March, APEEE confirmed a task force to organise the service. We hope the outcome of the research will support the development of a unique service reflecting the needs of new families and promote the unique diversity of our school.
- The second phase would consist of the analysis of the data informing the service can go ahead. Only at that stage will APEEE confirm if the service. If the answer is positive, the school community will be invited to come forward to volunteer for their section.
- Phase three would be the training of volunteers to have the information needed by new families and have a reliable system to respond to new arrivals in the school throughout the academic year. Information and social networking opportunities will be announced. APEEE is already working with the parent and youth council sections in formulating literature to support the service response.
If this all follows through we hope to be in a position to provide a service this autumn.
Food for thought
A guest contribution by Gráinne O'Shea-Harbison.
Before delving into allergies and intolerances, there are a few easy steps that all parents can take to improve their child's diet. Meals and snacks should ideally be based on a variety of whole foods with plenty of fresh vegetables (5+ portions), fruit (2 portions), whole grains (brown rice, brown pasta, wholemeal bread etc), protein (non processed meats, fresh fish, eggs, cheese, yoghurt, beans and pulses) and healthy fats sources (olive oil, seeds, oily fish, avocado) to ensure daily nutritional needs are met in term of micro and macronutrients. Refined sugar and salty snacks (crisps, salted nuts, biscuits, confectionary, cakes) can be swapped out for better options like carrot sticks with hummus, an apple/pear/berries, cherry tomatoes and a little hard cheese or a small sandwich on wholemeal bread avoiding mid morning and mid afternoon energy slumps and "hanger" (hungry and angry)!!.
For breakfast during the week, scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast or porridge oats made on whole milk is quickly made and requires no skill. Dinner could be a casserole, soup, lentil dish or fish with wholegrain rice with roasted veg. A tray of roasted veg is a good way to increase vegetable intake and can be disguised by puréeing with a little tomato passata/tinned tomatoes for fussy eaters. It keeps well in the fridge and can be used as a sauce for a variety of dishes during the week. For those who have little time in the evening, a slow cooker is a worthwhile investment or consider batch cooking at the weekends.
It is worth remembering that the eating habits and attitudes about food displayed by parents have tremendous influence on the food choices of children. In fact, the food likes and dislikes that become firmly established during childhood are, to a large extent, shaped by the food likes and dislikes of parents.
Allergy or Intolerance?
Often the terms allergy, intolerance and food sensitivities are used interchangeably.
An allergy is an immune mediated response to an allergen which can be a food or an environmental element. A child comes in contact with or eats a food to which he or she has an allergic response. The immune system produces antibodies or IgEs (immunoglobulin type e) which attach themselves to the presenting allergen. This is a signal to the immune system to produce chemicals such as histamine to deal with the allergen which results in the typical symptoms seen in an allergic response i.e rash, itching, swelling, sneezing, hives etc. These types of reactions are immediate and can be life threatening in the case of anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical attention.
The most common type of food intolerance involves an IgG (immunoglobulin type g) response. It is a non immune mediated response. Because symptoms are less dramatic, random (headaches, cramps, hyperactivity, gas, brain fog etc) and can appear anywhere between one hour to three days after a problem food has been ingested, many children and adults go about their daily lives without connecting their symptoms to the foods they eat and frequently go undiagnosed for many years.
According to the EuroPrevall study, (a multi-disciplinary project funded by the European Union involving partners from Europe and world-wide) the percentage of people reported to have a food allergy of clinical significance ranged from 1 to 5%.
The foods associated with most allergies and intolerances, the so-called big 8, are wheat, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, eggs and soy.
In wheat, the allergy is due to a glue-like protein called gliadin, though it can also be to any one of its’ 12 smaller units. Most people consume gluten through wheat (bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes, crackers) but it is also found in a variety of grains including rye, barley, bulgur, spelt and kamut as well as processed foods and personal care products. Gliadin is a gut irritant and one of a number of things that can contribute to intestinal permeability or ‘leaky gut syndrome’.
The intestinal barrier plays a critical role in health and disease. It is a gatekeeper which allows for the absorption of nutrients from the food we eat, while at the same time, protecting against the entry of allergens, as well as bacteria, fungi, and parasites. When this barrier becomes compromised, undigested food proteins can escape into the blood stream. The spleen, which is a major immune organ, has to work overtime to clear them out of the blood stream because they do not belong there. This puts an inordinate burden on your immune function, and over time can be a leading cause of allergies, intolerances and autoimmune disorders such as coeliac in susceptible people.
Milk is the third most common food, after peanuts and tree nuts, to cause anaphylaxis. An allergy to milk is an immune response to the protein, casein, in milk. Symptoms include wheezing, hives, and vomiting. Lactose intolerance is due to a lack of the enzyme lactase which is needed to break down lactose, a naturally occurring sugar in milk. It affects approximately 20% of caucasians and upwards of 60% of certain ethnic groups (asians, africans, baltic states and mediterraneans). Reflux, abdominal pain, cramping and diarrhoea may result. Some people with milk intolerance can support smaller quantities of sheep and goats yoghurt/milk.
What to do if you suspect your child has a food allergy or intolerance?
If you suspect your child may have an allergy or intolerance speak to your healthcare provider. It is important not to stop a suspect food before you have tested (with the exception of true allergies) as it may interfere with the accuracy of the results. Testing can help determine cause which allows for better treatment interventions and eventual outcomes. With a bit of guidance around foods to avoid and suitable replacements, you can avoid potential nutrient deficiencies of macro and micronutrients.
Safe eating at school
Schools are generally ill equipped to deal with childrens' intolerances and allergies. In order to safely prepare food for these children, a dedicated section of the kitchen needs to be cordoned off to avoid the risk of cross contamination between food groups. For now, at our school there is no alternative solution to packed lunches. While it requires a certain amount of organisation, with a little creative flare and the right tools, packed lunches can be a great opportunity to monitor what your child eats as well as the amount they eat. Invest in a good thermos of an appropriate size for soups, casseroles and pasta, a snack box with a divide for morning and afternoon snacks can make the job a whole lot easier and a lunch box with different sections like a bento box allows for greater variety within food groups.
Remember, you don't need to stick to the ‘free from’ aisle of the supermarket. There are lots of fresh, unprocessed foods, naturally free of the main allergens waiting to be discovered.
Gráinne is a registered nutritional therapist, naturopath and mother to two boys in our primary section. She has a clinic in Brussels. For all further enquiries you can contact her directly:
Phone: +32(0)473378611
Email: help@hardyandhealthy.co.uk.
Website: www.hardyandhealthy.co.uk