Nyssa Public Schools
A Community Committed to Student Success
HEAD LICE INFORMATION LETTER FOR PARENT/GUARDIAN
Dear Parent/Guardian, 11/21/202
We are sending this letter to all parents/guardians to increase head lice awareness so that you may take steps at home to help prevent your child from becoming infested with head lice. Any time children come together, particularly at the beginning of the school year, head lice cases commonly increase.
Direct, physical, head-to-head contact is the usual method of transmission. Lice do NOT jump or fly. Head lice die within two days when not on the head. Eggs not attached to the head will not hatch. Indirect transmission may occur through sharing of bedding and other personal items such as, brushes, hair accessories, or hats of an infested person. Remember, head lice do NOT transmit disease.
Check your child’s head weekly for lice and/or nits (eggs). Mature lice are no bigger than a sesame seed. Lice eggs or “nits” are usually found close to the scalp, within ¼ of an inch, and appear as tiny, ovals. Nits are “glued” to the hair shaft and cannot be “flicked” away like dandruff.
HELP KEEP HEAD LICE OFF YOUR CHILD
• Check your child’s head weekly for signs of head lice
• Teach your child not to share or trade personal items
• Contain long hair in braids or ponytails
• Teach children to avoid head-to-head contact
∙ Even though they do not jump or fly, they can spread from one student to another by sharing combs, brushes, clothing, hats and in bedding. To reduce your child’s risk of getting head lice, make sure that long hair is tied up. Head lice can happen to anyone. It is not a sign of poor health habits or being dirty. Remember - Anyone can get head lice – they have no preferences for cleanliness, hair color, hair type, ethnicity or age.
∙ There are many lice treatment shampoos on the market as well as other mechanical and manual methods of controlling the lice. Your child’s physician or local pharmacist can provide advice regarding head lice treatment options and head lice combs. If you do find head lice, please start treatment immediately and be sure to complete the process of treatment. This will help prevent head lice from spreading. Remember to keep checking your family member’s heads every 2 days until there are no head lice found for 10 consecutive days.
∙ Bedding, clothing, and hats should be laundered in very hot water (120 degrees) on the same day or evening your child is treated. Items that cannot be machine washed, or placed in a hot dryer can be vacuumed, dry cleaned, or stored in a sealed plastic bag for two weeks. Soak hair care tools in hot water (130ºF) for at least 10 minutes. Heat may damage some plastic combs and brushes. Place these items in a sealed bag for two weeks.
∙ Nits (lice eggs) are tiny, pearly eggs that attach themselves to the hair shaft close to the scalp. The nit can be removed manually by pinching between two fingernails and pulling it off the hair shaft, or by using a "nit comb", available in most pharmacies.
∙ All members of the household need to be checked when there is one case of head lice in your immediate family.
∙ Because head lice need close head-to-head contact to spread from one person to another, to reduce the spread of head lice, teachers will discourage students from activities which may involve head to head contact.
Below is an excerpt of ODE Head Lice Guidance.
Guidance provided by the School Health Specialist at the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and the State School Nurse Consultant within the Public Health Division of the Oregon Health Authority.
The management of head lice in the school setting should not disrupt the educational process.
Allowing students to remain in class and participate in school-sponsored activities when live lice or nits (the eggs of head lice) are found on their heads.
Elimination of mass school/classroom screenings for head lice.
Eliminating classroom-wide or school-wide head lice notifications.
Head lice (pediculosis) is not a school-restrictable disease according to Oregon law.
The full pdf document is available on the ODE website or click link below downloadable PDF.
Sincerely,
Nyssa School District