STUDENTS

DATE _____________________

Dear Parent/Guardian:

___________________________________ has been found to have nits (lice eggs) in his/her hair. This student will be excluded from school until treatment has been completed and all nits have been removed from the hair.

A. Professional Treatment Assistance

1. Call your family physician and explain that your child has been excluded from school because he/she has head lice. The doctor may ask you to bring your child to his/her office or a medicated shampoo may be prescribed by phone.

2. Another alternative is to ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter medicated shampoo.

B. Individual Treatment

1. Wash hair with a medicated shampoo to kill lice and nits.

Special Note: It is very important to follow directions carefully.

2. Rinse hair well with water.

3. You may want to apply lemon juice or vinegar to the hair, then wrap the head with a towel for fifteen (15) minutes loosen nits.

4. Rinse hair well with water.

5. Comb hair with a clean fine tooth comb or use a very fine steel wool to remove nits.

6. Remove remaining nits by hand.

C. Personal Articles

1. Using a very hot soapy water, wash all clothing and bed linens used by persons with head lice. Dry at a high heat at least twenty minutes or iron on hot setting.

2. Dry clean all clothing that can't be washed.

3. Vacuum all furniture and carpet thoroughly.

4. Disinfect combs, brushes and similar items by washing with the special medicated shampoo.

We appreciate your immediate cooperation in the above procedure.

D. Absences

1. With prompt and thorough treatment, your child need only to be home from school for one day.

2. If your child is absent for three consecutive school days, the school nurse will call the parents to assess the progress being made and offer further advice on treatment procedures.

3. If your child is absent four consecutive school days, the school nurse will make a home visit to determine why treatment has not been completed and give further advice on treatment procedures. The school nurse will give you a letter signed by the principal indicating that the attendance officer will be notified if your child is not nit free and in school the following day.

4. If your child is absent five consecutive school days, the attendance officer will be notified and appropriate action will be initiated.

STUDENT ______________________ SCHOOL ______________________ DATE __________________

Your child has been found to have nits (lice eggs) in his/her hair. Your child will be excluded from school until treatment has been completed and all nits have been removed from the hair.

A. Professional Treatment Assistance

1. Call your family physician and explain that your child has been excluded from school due to head lice. The doctor may ask you to bring your child to his/her office or a medicated shampoo may be prescribed by phone.

2. Another alternative is to ask your pharmacist to recommend an over-the-counter medicated shampoo.

B. Individual Treatment

1. Wash hair with a medicated shampoo to kill lice and nits. Special Note: It is very important to follow directions carefully.

2. Rinse hair well with water.

3. You may want to apply lemon juice or vinegar to the hair, then wrap the head with a towel for fifteen (15) minutes to loosen nits.

4. Rinse hair well with water.

5. Comb hair with a clean fine tooth comb or use a very fine steel wool to remove nits.

6. Remove remaining nits by hand.

C. Personal Articles

1. Using a very hot soapy water, wash all clothing and bed lines used by persons with head lice. Dry at a high heat at least twenty (20) minutes or iron on hot setting.

2. Dry clean all clothing that can’t be washed.

3. Vacuum all furniture and carpets thoroughly.

4. Disinfect combs, brushes and similar items by washing with the special medicated shampoo.

D. Absences

1. With prompt and thorough treatment, your child need only to be home from school for one day.

2. If a child is absent three (3) consecutive days due to headlice infestation, the school nurse shall notify the attendance officer who will initiate the appropriate action.

3. If a child who has been previously referred to the attendance officer becomes infested with headlice on subsequent occasions, the attendance officer shall be notified on the second consecutive day the child is absent. Children who are absent more than 12 school days due to headlice infestation will be considered chronic truants and the parent(s) of said child may be subject to truancy charges.

Headlice infestations, though not health threatening, cause students to be absent from school. It is the parent’s, guardian’s or actual custodian’s responsibility to treat headlice infestations in an appropriate and timely manner. The Davenport Community School District’s medical consultant, Dr. Marvin F. Ohsann, has determined that two (2) days are the maximum number ever needed to eliminate headlice, including nits, from their children’s head and hair.

1. Parents, guardians or actual custodians of a child found to be infested with headlice shall be notified and the child sent home with instructions on how to treat the problem.

2. With prompt and thorough treatment, children with headlice need only be home from school one day.

3. If a child is absent for three (3) consecutive days, the school nurse will contact the parents, guardians or actual custodians to assess the progress being made and offer further advice on treatment procedures. The nurse will also inform the parent that the attendance officer will be notified if the child is not nit free and in school the next day.

4. If a child is absent four (4) consecutive days due to headlice infestation, the school nurse shall notify the attendance officer who will initiate the appropriate action.

5. If a child, who has been previously referred to the attendance officer, becomes infested with headlice on subsequent occasions, the school nurse shall notify the attendance officer on the second consecutive day the child is absent. Children who are absent more than 12 school days due to headlice infestation will be considered chronic truants and the parents(s) of said children may be subject to truancy charges.

6. The school nurse shall maintain a headlice episode record on this form (provided by the attendance officer) for all children infested with headlice. This form will be kept in the child’s cumulative folder until transfer to high school.

 

STUDENT NAME ___________________________________________ ID# __________

PARENT(S) NAME __________________________________________

A. GENERAL CONDITIONS

1. Any student suspected of having head lice will be examined by the nurse.

2. Any student found to have lice or nits (lice eggs) in his/her hair will be excluded from school until treatment has been completed and all nits have been removed from the student's hair.

3.  The nurse will notify the parent and explain to the parent what lice and nits are and what procedures need to be followed. The nurse will show the parents the nits and how to remove them. The nurse will give the parent a written notification form that the student has lice and a list of treatment procedures to follow.  The nurse will recommend that all family members be checked for nits or lice.

4. If a parent calls to report that a student is home because of head lice, the nurse will explain to the parent the necessary treatment procedures to follow.

5. Students who have had lice, must be examined by the nurse before being readmitted to school to insure that treatment has been successful and all nits have been removed from the hair.

6. In elementary buildings, the nurse will check the heads of classmates, siblings attending school, teachers, and close friends of students who have head lice. She will explain to the students what she is looking for and stress the importance of not using other people's hats, combs, etc.

SPECIAL NOTE: If siblings attend another school(s), the nurse will notify the other nurses of the potential problem.

7. The classroom should be cleaned thoroughly after school. The desks should be washed or wiped off with a cleaning solution and floors should be carefully swept or vacuumed, locker and clothes closets should be cleaned.

8. In intermediate and senior high buildings, the nurse will check the heads of siblings attending school and close friends of students who have lice.

SPECIAL NOTE: If siblings attend another school(s), the nurse will notify the other nurse of the potential problem.

9. If the outbreak of lice involves more than one classroom, the nurse and principal may decide to screen several classrooms or the whole school. The nurse may ask other nurses to help with the screening if it is felt to be necessary.

10. Students who have returned to school after having head lice should be re-screened periodically to make sure they have not been re-infected.

11. With prompt and thorough treatment, the student need only to be home from school for one day.

B. EXTENDED ABSENCE

1. Parents/guardians or actual custodians of a child found to be infested with headlice shall be notified and the child sent home with instructions on how to treat the problem.

2. With prompt and thorough treatment, the child with headlice need only be home from school one day.

3.  If a child is absent for three (3) consecutive days, the school nurse will contact the parents/guardians or actual custodians to assess the progress being made and offer further advice on treatment procedures.

4.  The nurse will also inform the parent that the attendance officer will be notified if the child is not nit free and in school the following day.

5.  If a child is absent four (4) consecutive days due to headlice infestation, the school nurse shall notify the attendance officer who will initiate the appropriate action.

6.  If a child, who has been previously referred to the attendance officer, becomes infested with headlice on subsequent occasions, the school nurse shall notify the attendance officer on the second consecutive day the child is absent. Children who are absent more than 12 school days due to headlice infestation will be considered chronic truants and the parent(s) of said child may be subject to truancy charges.

• Updated 4/91, 12/97, 4/98
• Reviewed 8/99