Health Services

To Parents: If your child comes home with head lice, don’t panic. Millions of school children contract head lice each year. Children play in close contact with each other. A simple exchange of hats, clothing, brushes, combs, and other personal articles can result in transmission of head lice from one child to another. Lice can be easily and effectively treated. You should ask your pharmacist for an effective head lice shampoo or ask your doctor for advice.

• Please send the box top from the head lice shampoo back to school with your child as proof of treatment, along with a short note describing the treatment.
• Check all members of the family for lice and their eggs. Lice are small grayish-tan wingless insects. Lice lay eggs called nits.
• Nits are firmly attached to the hair shafts, close to the scalp and are much easier to see than live lice. They are small white specks which are usually found at the nape of the neck and behind the ears.
• Apply the lice treatment to all infested family members, following instructions carefully.
• After shampooing, remove the nits with a fine tooth comb (nit combs come with some head lice shampoos). Application of warm water with vinegar (1:1) or clear warm water may help nit removal. Nits may need to be removed by using your fingernails or tweezers.
• Use hot water and detergent to wash sheets, pillowcases and clothing (at least 20 minutes).
• Hot dry or dry clean blankets, bedspreads, hats, and sleeping bags; or seal in a plastic trash bag for at least two weeks.
• Soak combs and brushes, head bands and barrettes in the treatment shampoo or hot water for at least 10 minutes or wash in dishwasher.
• Thoroughly vacuum carpets, upholstery, pillows, and mattresses and discard vacuum cleaner bag.
• Bike helmets, head phones, stuffed animals should be placed in a plastic bag and tied for 10 days.
• Remember to retreat in 7 days.

Please call the school’s Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.

Many parents ask, "When is my child sick enough to stay home from school?" This is not always an easy question to answer! We hope that these tips can help!

A child who is sick will not be able to perform well in school and is likely to spread the illness to other children and staff. We suggest making a plan for childcare ahead of time so you will not be caught without a comforting place for your child to stay if he/she is ill.

Our school policy states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

• Fever in the past 24 hours

• Vomiting in the past 24 hours

• Diarrhea in the past 24 hours

• Chills

• Sore throat

• Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school)

  • Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night

• Head lice - until your child has been treated according to the nurse or doctor's instructions

If your child becomes ill at school and the school nurse feels your child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to other children, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school. It is essential that the nurse has a phone number where you can be contacted during the day and an emergency number in the event you cannot be reached. Please be sure that arrangements can be made to transport your child home from school and that childcare is available in case of illness. If your daytime or emergency phone number changes during the year, please notify the school immediately.

Please call the school's Health Office if you have any questions or concerns.