Dear Parents:

It is that time of year again when we need to be very aware of the potential for head lice. Please do not be alarmed by this notice. It is by no means a statement regarding the cleanliness of any child, their family or their household. This message serves as a reminder to all for the need to be diligent in checking in order to be preventative.

Please examine the head of your child(ren) for nits on a regular schedule. If nits are found, all other family members should be checked. If a child/ren, has been found to have head lice and/or nits in his/her hair, he/she will be excluded from attendance at school until treatment is completed and all head lice and/or nits have been removed.

Follow the directions below to get rid of the head lice.

What to Look For:

Nits are very tiny eggs, half the size of a pinhead and oval in shape. They may look like dandruff but they are firmly glued to the hair and cannot be flicked off. New eggs, which are close to the scalp, are tan coloured and are difficult to see. Nits that are farther away from the scalp appear white. Nits are most often found above and behind the ears, at the nape of the neck and at the crown of the head.

How to Get Rid of Head Lice:

Treating head lice requires two treatments one week apart. Get a head lice shampoo, cream rinse or lotion from your drugstore. Read the directions carefully and follow them exactly. Remove all of the nits. Head lice products kill many of the nits, but not all of them. Apply a second treatment in one week. Continue to check the head and remove any remaining nits.

To Remove Nits:

Work in a brightly lit area – bright sunlight is best. After treatment, comb and part the hair in small sections. Use your thumbnail against your first finger to strip the nits from the hair starting from the roots right down to the tips. Place the nits in a bag and throw them out. You can also comb out the nits holding a fine-tooth comb on a downward angle. Special combs are available at the drugstore.

Please notify the school if head lice or nits are found.

I hope that by working together, we can avoid or eliminate this nuisance from our school.

Sincerely,

Danielle Becks

Principal

St. Patrick’s School

Caledonia, Ontario