94 replies to this topic

[bordercolliefan]

district officials say that there was not a problem at any other school other than NSE, and that there were 4 families who had more than one child who were affected.

What a silly statement. "4 families who had more than one child affected." Well, how many families had one child affected? It could be dozens and dozens. And how many families (like cw's) had the same child affected 3 or 4 times?

So yes, I would say the district is trying to minimize the situation.

[cw68]

It has been minimized. Two people in my family got it, my daughter and me. She had it four times, I had it twice. I spent at $200 treating it (four $25 prescription co-pays and visit co-pay along with OTC treatments). Who care the number of families who had more than one child affected? If that number is low compared to the number of cases in the classroom, to me that just proves the theory that they were getting it at school.

I think counting the number of repeat cases is more important than counting the number of families who had multiple siblings affected. I know of three other families who child had it more than once and that's just off of the top of my head. I know three families (mine included) that battled it for over a month.

Each time she got it, she was out of school for at least one day. THAT'S keeping money out of the district's pockets, which I'm sure is a huge concern.

[dancinmomof3]

Gaelic,

Which classes did you recieve notices from? Isn't your other kid in Kindergarten? I don't currently have any confirmed cases in the K classes so that would add to my count if a notice was sent home saying it was in one of the K classes. Thanks in advance for letting me know.

Jen

[dancinmomof3]

We will never know how many cases there truely have been because not everyone tells the school they had it. Certainly not everyone is going to tell me and I know about more cases than NSE admin said they had record of for the past year. The school is not actively checking for lice anymore these days. I don't know if they have been diligent at keeping track of the cases they were aware of. My info suggests that they have not.

The number of cases is not as relevant as the attitude. Why is it ok for anyone to get lice when it could have been prevented by taking the problem with the seriousness it deserves?

How is it responsible to send a kid back to class who has lice and risk infesting other kids further? Everyone agrees lice is contageous and that it can be spread at school. It was transmitted at NSE this year for sure. It was not only from playdates and slumber parties and I have info to back that up. Only people who have had it in their home can know how truely miserable it can be. If it was merely a small nuisance then why is it included as one of the 10 plagues in the Bible? We are not doing anyone any favors by being lax and pretending it's no big deal to allow kids to stay in school with untreated active lice.

Also, it's not just at school that the district is allowing this to spread. What about kids who don't go directly home after school is over. So they can go to daycare or to a friends house after school without parents being notified about the lice?? Ms. Delleney said that if they go to after care at the school they will go there and the parents won't be notified until their regular pick up time. She wasn't sure what happens if they go somewhere else after school. I find it irresponsible and negligent.

It sounds like the district and admin at NSE is interested in improving notification. I don't know the details of what they are proposing, but I am grateful that they agree that these regulations can also be improved. This alone will make a big difference in my opinion, but the other piece about allowing kids to be in class with lice also needs to be addressed.

[dancinmomof3]

Gaelic, please let me know which k classroom there was a notice sent home. THis brings my count of cases up one more case because I didn't have any for K. I am keeping track by teacher. Thanks!

[bordercolliefan]

Dancinmom,

I just learned there were 2 cases in 4th graders, which were discovered during the field trip to Coloma. (The parents were called to pick up the girls).


I don't know if the other 4th grade parents were notified that their kids had been exposed while on the Coloma trip.

[Bill Z]

I find this thread very disturbing.

While Lice are not exactly a serious threat to life & limb, I find it somewhat apalling to hear that there are so many cases and the public school is being so lax about it.

Glad my son is in Phoenix School. Whenever someone is found sick or something, a note goes up on the door informing everyone that there was possible exposure to whatever.

Also, any injury, no matter how minor, if it requires attention by a teacher or the nurse, the parents get an Owie Report. That way when I find a bruise or a scratch or something on my son, I know where it came from. Two kids accidently bonk heads and are crying, an Owie report is created.

Phoenix School believes in keeping parents well informed.

[dancinmomof3]

I understand that notices were sent to all the 4th grade classrooms. I feel uncomfotable discussing individual cases on the forum unless someone is discussing their own family's situation.

I prefer that the forum be a place to discuss the issue more generally and also a place to post info about where and how people can share their concerns. What do you think?

[tessieca]

Do you affected people believe that if the regulations were changed to require notification to all parents in the classroom, along with instructions on what to check for, how to treat, etc. would have alleviated the problem?

[cw68]

Do you affected people believe that if the regulations were changed to require notification to all parents in the classroom, along with instructions on what to check for, how to treat, etc. would have alleviated the problem?

Yes. As I said, had I known that it was going around 1st grade, I would not have allowed my daughter (or her other classmates) to play a game where everyone wore the same hat. I think it should at least be everyone in the grade, not just the class.

[Bill Z]

Yes. As I said, had I known that it was going around 1st grade, I would not have allowed my daughter (or her other classmates) to play a game where everyone wore the same hat. I think it should at least be everyone in the grade, not just the class.

I would prefer everyone in the school, unless it can be guaranteed that the different class levels don't share any common space. Like maybe Kindergarten that might have it's own playground and the little one's don't use the cafeteria. If they all use a common area, then they all should be notified of potential exposure.

[supermom]

I think this whole policy is a school problem--not FCUSD problem.

Early on in the year--I received two notices of contagious stuff in the school and not only were they not in my sons classroom--but they were not in his grade.

One was for chicken pox--and the other for lice.

Nor were the two incidences involving junior classes that might be buddies to my childs class.

So, I just don't understand why the notices aren't going out to parents in the entire school--Like it does at our school?

Maybe they are trying to cut costs of copied paper? (joking)

Seriously, tho', If my kid was in that class, I would have screamed bloody murder by now, called up a news van ( don't we already have a news reporter who is a member of this forum?) and I would have told the school admin that I can not in good concience continue to allow my child into a classroom that does not keep good hygiene practices up. Maybe threatening to pull my kid ( and all the other parents that are fed up, too ) would have a more resounding bite to the complaints--since the schools want to constantly cite money--on every issue. Let them have a chunk of change taken out of a few of their class rooms, and then see them change their policies.