JLCG
5141.1 L
LEVERETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
HEAD LICE POLICY
1.
The goals of this policy are to ensure that each school
is as free as possible of head lice and to ensure that this effort minimizes
disruption to children’s education.
2.
Efforts will be made to educate children and families
about head lice in a way which ensures that the problem can be approached in a
matter of fact manner, without a sense of shame or embarrassment.
3.
The school will conduct general examinations of
children’s heads to seek out affected children.
4.
When a head lice problem comes to the school’s
attention, the following steps are to be taken:
Examine all children in the child’s classroom, all siblings, and all
very close friends. Follow the same procedure for any other children found with
head lice. Examine children in the entire school if there is reason to believe
that there may be a widespread incidence of head lice. Inform parents of what
has happened and, if a school wide examination was not necessary, encourage
them to examine their own children.
5.
If there is a widespread infestation, the school will
take appropriate steps such as making efforts to keep children’s clothing
separate.
6.
When a child is found to have live lice and nits, he or
she should be sent home with instructions to parents about providing an
anti-lice shampoo. Whenever possible, these communications with parents should
be in person, Children sent home should not ride the school bus.
7.
Instructions to parents should include advice about
treatment of the dwelling, fine combing and cutting gout strands of hair with
any remaining nits.
8.
Parents should be asked to keep their children home the
day following removal from school only if that requirement facilitates parents
completing the procedures described in the instructions to the home.
9.
Any treated child should return to school as soon as
possible, but not on the school bus, and be examined at school by a nurse (or
someone trained by the school to identify live nits) before entering class. It
is reasonable to expect parents to have done a thorough job of combing and
strand cutting. However, the nurse or other school staff member should be
available to help cut out strands missed if it is clear that parents have made
a real effort to do their part well.
10.
Upon return to school, any treated child, if found
still with head lice or infested heavily with nits, should be sent home for
further treatment.
11.
Each school may train people to assist the nurse in
checking for nits when they are initially discovered and to serve in place of
the nurse to check returning students. Checkers will work under the direction
of and report to the school principal and school nurse.
FINAL VOTE: November
6, 1984
Reviewed 2008