94 replies to this topic

[supermom]

I see your point.

Since the eggs can take up to 2 weeks to hatch, I wonder why the class mom-or even one mom---did not suggest every parent in the class buy a bottle of rit and use it on the same day--regardless of whether or not all the children were affected?

Maybe a mass proactive stance would have stopped this from continuing to a nuisance?

Just a thought. Surely the parents in the class would have thought this a good idea?

[cw68]

I see your point.

Since the eggs can take up to 2 weeks to hatch, I wonder why the class mom-or even one mom---did not suggest every parent in the class buy a bottle of rit and use it on the same day--regardless of whether or not all the children were affected?

Maybe a mass proactive stance would have stopped this from continuing to a nuisance?

Just a thought. Surely the parents in the class would have thought this a good idea?

Lice shampoo is a poison, I doubt that everyone would have wanted to use it. That said, everyone in my house used it once and then used the prescription stuff too. My son and husband never got infected, so it very well may have worked on them as I hoped.

[tessieca]

Even though it's not on the school board meeting agenda on Thursday, if you want to address the policy at all and don't want to wait until the next meeting and travel to Rancho Cordova, you can stop by the FHS library at 6 p.m., fill out a card, and you can have your 3-minute say during public participation.

[dancinmomof3]

Hi Everyone. It looks like head lice will be addressed at the first meeting in August. I will post more later.

Also, I have learned about more recurring cases where families had the lice come back despite doing all they thought they needed to do to eliminate it. I think this is significant and needs to be taken into consideration when reviewing the policy and regulations. I know of two families who are still dealing with the lice now in the summer when they thought they had taken care of it weeks ago.

[dancinmomof3]

Just another FYI:

Even though head lice policy is not on the agenda, you can still come and say what you have to say about the issue. There is time for public participation for non-agenda items. The meeting is on Thursday June 19 at Mills Middle School at 6pm.

[supermom]

Mills Middle School

uhhh--hhhmmmn--I uh, can't get out of town that day

Anyone up for taking notes?

[cw68]

I wish I could make it, but I work tonight. I hope that there are enough people there to get the policy changed.

[tessieca]

Share your proposed changes, and I'll take them up. Some of my thoughts:

1) Must verify treatment before child is returned to school.
2) Must verify lack of lice (and nits?) upon return to school.
3) Must notify parents of children in classroom.
4) Must notify other teachers at school.
5) Must immediately notify a parent even if child is not removed from the classroom until the end of the day.

[Revolutionist]

Share your proposed changes, and I'll take them up. Some of my thoughts:

1) Must verify treatment before child is returned to school.
2) Must verify lack of lice (and nits?) upon return to school.
3) Must notify parents of children in classroom.
4) Must notify other teachers at school.
5) Must immediately notify a parent even if child is not removed from the classroom until the end of the day.

I think the 2 most important things are:
Child should be removed from classroom if found to be infected (and parent called).
-Child can then be picked up, or remain in the nurses station.
-But removing the point of infection is the best first step.
Child should be checked and found free of nits before returning to class

Followed by Parental Notification. This one is a bit more difficult to pinpoint since it is not just the class that the "infected" child belongs to, but all the children that are on the playground at the same time, since it is the playground where hats are shared, physical contact is made, etc.

The other important thing would be to have accurate information on how to rid a household of lice, and that the office/health staff should stress how important it is to follow each step. I know that some parents were told they didn't have to worry about careful vacuuming and cleaning of sheets (or at least, the parents did not feel it was conveyed as important to follow these steps).

Thanks for taking this up Tessieca.

[cw68]

Share your proposed changes, and I'll take them up. Some of my thoughts:

1) Must verify treatment before child is returned to school.
2) Must verify lack of lice (and nits?) upon return to school.
3) Must notify parents of children in classroom.
4) Must notify other teachers at school.
5) Must immediately notify a parent even if child is not removed from the classroom until the end of the day.

I think that the following should be added:

1. that the school actually follow whatever policy is in place. (My daughter was not rechecked by the nurse every time she returned after an infestation as policy is supposed to require.)
2. parents of all students in that grade should be informed that there is a case in that grade with links to websites that offer advice on how to avoid getting lice. No need to inform which class, who, etc. but this information is very helpful.

[dancinmomof3]

Share your proposed changes, and I'll take them up. Some of my thoughts:

1) Must verify treatment before child is returned to school.
2) Must verify lack of lice (and nits?) upon return to school.
3) Must notify parents of children in classroom.
4) Must notify other teachers at school.
5) Must immediately notify a parent even if child is not removed from the classroom until the end of the day.

I agree with all of the above except for number 1. Absence of eggs, nits and lice should be enough verification.

In addition:

Have a follow up head check again about two weeks later.

Allow for more broad head checks of entire classes and/or grades if there are multiple cases as there were last year.

Children should be removed from the classroom until treated

Nits and eggs must be removed before return to class.

Improve school wide notification. Periodically have education/alert messages about lice in the school newsletters similar to the chicken pox notice.

Improve education materials from the school. It will be helpful if they are more comprehensive and detailed. I heard from parents who said that the school nurse and their pediatrician made it sound like lice was really no big deal and that they just need to do the shampoo and follow the instructions on the box. But then their lice kept coming back or was passed from kid to kid in their family.

The education materials from the school need to include:
1. recommended treatments,
2. recommended environmental controls ie washing bedding and vacuuming couches at least daily
3. the importance of removal of eggs and nits,
4. the importance of continuing to check for new outbreaks or missed bugs and eggs after treatment.
5. Inform parents that the treatments are not 100% effective so this diligence is needed to eradicate teh lice from the home.
6. Give advice about what to do if they do have a recurrence or persistent case. (several families struggled with persistent or recurring cases last year)

[dancinmomof3]

I will be at the meeting tonight. If there is anyone else who is coming and wants to coordinate with me please pm me.

Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and shared their thougthts about this.

sorry I was not better about following through with my plans to organize more earlier. Summer got the best of me.

[Revolutionist]

I will be at the meeting tonight. If there is anyone else who is coming and wants to coordinate with me please pm me.

Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and shared their thougthts about this.

sorry I was not better about following through with my plans to organize more earlier. Summer got the best of me.

Don't get down on yourself.
you did a great job
a) its on the agenda
b) there are people who agree with you, and it looks like a sympathetic ear on the board
c) there's a good chance a change will be made!

[cw68]

I will be at the meeting tonight. If there is anyone else who is coming and wants to coordinate with me please pm me.

Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and shared their thougthts about this.

sorry I was not better about following through with my plans to organize more earlier. Summer got the best of me.

Thanks so much for all the time you've already spent on this. I, for one, really appreciate it! And I'm glad you can make it tonight; tell me tomorrow what the dealy-o is.