Welcome back to school this year!!
It has been a very busy fall in the health office this year. We would like to remind you of few things as we already enter the season of colds, viral illnesses and flu.
The CESU district nurses want to promote healing and wellness in our schools. To that end, we ask that students who have been ill with a fever (100F or over) remain at home until they are feeling better AND have been fever free for 24 hours without the use of any ibuprofen or acetaminophen. Also students who have experienced diarrhea or vomiting should remain at home until the illness has resolved and they have been free of symptoms for at least 24 hours. We assess children all day for illness. Students can have a viral illness without a fever, vomiting or diarrhea. If a student comes to school ill or develops an illness that makes it impossible for the child to attend to school we will notify the parent or guardian. Our goal is to keep kids in school while trying to keep school a healthy place for everyone. If you are not sure whether to send your child to school, give us a “heads-up” call or email so that we know what has happened first thing in the morning.
Also, this is the time of year that we all become aware of the dreaded louse!!! Lice have been around for centuries and this year is no different. Lice only need a warm scalp and food supply--they are indiscriminate in where they take up housing; it is not related to hygiene in any way!
There are several things a parent can do to stay ahead of lice:
- Encourage your child not to share head items such as hats, brushes, ponytail ties, etc.
- Do not comb or brush each other’s hair.
- Encourage kids to bring their own pillows to sleepovers and not sleep head to head.
- Inspect your child’s head on regular basis especially if he complains that his head or neck itch.
- Look for tiny eggs close to the scalp (resemble sesame seeds but much smaller). They are usually tanish, and difficult to dislodge, unlike dandruff.
- Eggs that have hatched are whitish or appear to be light gray (empty cases).
- Live lice are wingless insects about the size of sesame seed and appear reddish brown or grayish brown.
Lice are a nuisance (a big one for families) but they do not present a risk to others. They do not carry disease. We do not exclude kids from school for lice or nits. Many times the lice spread at the sleepovers, or at a camp type environment where kids tend to be head to head.
Please call the nurses if you have concerns about your child and lice. Let us know if your child has lice so we can track where we have lice in the building. It is always kept confidential. We are happy to do a head check on your student before or after treatments if requested. We also have many evidence based articles to help you make decisions on how to treat if needed. Thank-you for your cooperation on this matter.
Also, contact us if you have any concerns about your child’s health.
Tina Gallagher, RN
Ainee Commichau, RN
