Below is a copy of the head lice information emailed to parents as part of Dr. Forsman’s Friday “Bancroft Bits” update last Friday, October 31st. It is reposted here for easy access.
The PTO has also put together information on how to identify and treat head lice. That can be found: www.BancroftPTO.org/HeadLice
Thank you for your continued diligence in checking your child(ren) for head lice regularly!
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October 31, 2014
RE: Bancroft Head Lice Update
Dear Bancroft Parents,
Today, Sara Wells, Bancroft PTO president, Mal Forsman, Bancroft Principal, Lauren King, Bancroft Assistant Principal, Patricia McDonough, Bancroft School Nurse, and Rita Casper, APS Director of Nursing met to discuss how to manage head lice in the Bancroft community. We recognize that lice is a considerable nuisance, however, it does not pose a health risk.
To get everyone up to date, Bancroft has not identified any new cases of head lice in over a week. It appears that all of your hard work at home and our efforts at school are proving to be effective.
Although we have made much progress, we want to remind you of all the actions the school continues to take to manage the spread of lice:
Sending children with live lice home for treatment and then checking those children upon return to Bancroft;
Removing fabric objects from classroom as necessary;
Educate children about the importance of using their individual cubbies to store their belongings;
Remove the classroom rugs;
Educated our staff members regarding lice management and preventative measures;
Sweep classroom floors; and
Send letters to parents in the affected classroom.
We also ask that Bancroft families continue to do the following:
Check children’s hair at least every 2 weeks throughout the year;
Refrain from any sleepovers if there is a known case of lice;
Educate your children to not borrow hair products/accessories from other children;
Encourage children with long hair to keep it tied/braided while in school;
Notify the school nurse if you detect lice/nits in your child, or their family members; and
Contact the school nurse for any information/guidance.
We recognize that historically random checks of entire classrooms have been performed. However, it has been determined that this practice is not a reliable method of detecting live head lice. The nurse can only perform cursory screenings which can miss early stages and lead to a false sense of security. Thus, the best and most effective prevention strategy is home monitoring and inspection.
The Bancroft staff will continue to monitor the situation and provide support to parents regarding the treatment and management of head lice. Additionally, the next PTO on November 18th will provide an opportunity for open discussion.
Signed
Sara, Rita, Patti, Lauren, and Mal
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