Dear Parents:
To our dismay, more head lice has been discovered at the school. As of now, all but just a few classes are affected. We are working hard at school to do what we can but we need to ask all families to please do the following:
1) Most important, CHECK YOUR CHILD(REN)’S HEAD DAILY. You should do this for the next three weeks at least, because of the egg cycle. You are looking for the eggs that the lice lay. They are small, about the size of a knot tied in thread, usually are whitish, yellowish or brownish, are usually laid about 1/4″ to 1/2″ away from the scalp, but can occasionally be found further down. The nits “glue” themselves to the hair shaft. The Lice CAN NOT fly or jump, but can crawl quickly and this is why you sometimes do not see them when checking. They are about the size of a sesame seed, have six legs and are usually light brown but can be darker in darker hair.
WE CANNOT STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR YOUR TO BE CHECKING YOUR CHILD’S HEAD DAILY. We are doing our best, but obviously can only get a limited amount done here. Keep in mind that a child’s head who was clear last week could still get it this week.
2) There are things you can do at home to be proactive. Have children wear clean clothes to school each day, do laundry in hotter temps, change towels and sheets, vacuum frequently including the car, and wash tote bags and backpacks and coats. The students are using trash bags in there classrooms for coats and backpacks. Teachers are also wiping desks, chairs, etc. down each day and for now, couches and pillows are off limits. Carpet and upholstered furniture are being vacuumed daily.
3) Other things you can do are to lightly boil hairbrushes and combs for 15 minutes, put hair scrunchies, headbands, etc. in with laundry and advise children not to share these items. Lice have an aversion to Tea Tree Oil shampoo and conditioner, so having your family use this might help.
4) If any of your children were found to have lice/nits or you find it at home, treat with a lice treatment. Nix is suggested. You may also then cover the head with olive oil, then let set for eight hours and wash out with a clarifying shampoo. After treatments, you must very carefully go through the head and remove each nit. Once all nits are removed, your child is clear to come to school but they must be checked by the school nurse before returning to the classroom.
We appreciate your help and concern in this matter. In order to get a handle on this, we need to work together so we can eliminate this problem quickly. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to call.
Mrs. Gates, Mrs. Pikus and Mrs. Mandl
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