UPPER Principal: Mr. PaulLeRoy Vice-Principal: Ms. rm WUE AN ADA Principal: Mr. Paul LeRoy Vice-Principal: Ms. D. Stroud Be te R. Tait McKenzie Public School 4175 Paterson Street, Amonte, ON KOA 1A0 itpita uodsb.on ca ‘Byowacebook com/aitmckende HEAD LICE NOTIFICATION Head lice are a social nulsance, rather than a health problem. “They do not result from lack of cleanliness Date March 26,2015 To Parents/Guardians From: Paul LeRoy, Principal Ityou are receiving this letter, it is because head lice have been reported in your child's classroom. To maintain dignity and privacy, please carefully check your child's head in the privacy of your own home. if you find nits or lve lice, please treat the hair and pick for nits before sending your child back to school. Swit treatment isthe best defence against is spread. [As you know, head lice are a continuing problem. They ae tiny, wingless, greyish insects that lve and breed in human hair. They lay their eggs (its) on hair shafts behind the ears and on the crown and back ofthe head. You wil notice these as emall greyish white specks close to the scalp. Nits cannot be washed away lke dit or dandruff. Head ice can only survive for about a day off the human host, and cannot live on household pets. Head lice are very contagious, and are spread through head to head contact, and the sharing of personal tems such as combs, brushes, scarves, hats, headphones, hair accessories, sleeping bags and stuffed animals. To minimize the risk of repeated outbreak, remind your children not to borrow these items. Remember, too, to avoid trying on hats, scarves and hair accessories in department stores and boutiques. Parents are an important part of controlling head lice. Its parents who assume the majority ‘of the responsibly for preventing, detecting and treating head ice in thelr children, I you do find head lice on your child, please notify the school so that we may keep other parents informed. Your help and cooperation are appreciated in managing ths nuisance, Pease read and carefully folow the instructions onthe attached information sheet.R. Tait McKenzie Public School Principal: Mr. Paul LeRoy Vice-Principal: Ms. D. Stroud 175 Paterson Street, Amonte, ON KOA 1A0 hitosat uedsb on.ca Bien facebook. com/rtltmckensie ‘The folowing informatio, taken from a Ministry of Health pamphlet, should be of assistance to you and your famiy in treating head lice WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Live lice can't aways be seen by the naked eye, so their presence isnt always obvious. The first and most pronounced sign is persistent itching and scratching. When lice puncture the scalp to obtain food it iitates the skin and makes it itchy. Other suspicious signs include scratch marks, or what appears to be a rash, on the neck and scalp, GETTING RID OF HEAD LICE & NIT ‘Once the presence of head lice has been confirmed, immediate action should be taken. Head lice spread with amazing speed, so the sooner you get rid of them, the less likelihood there is of passing the head lice on to others Nite can be picked from the chiles hair using your fingers and pinching the nit to remove it from the hair follicle, WHAT TO DO: Obtain a head lice shampoo, cream rinse or lotion from a pharmacy. No prescription is necessary. A pharmacist will be able to advise you on the effectiveness of available products, ‘and precautions to take when using them. All head lice products are generally safe and effective fused as directed. Use head lice products only on people infested with lve ice or their eggs (nits). No head lice ‘product will prevent you from getting lice. IFECTING PER: Tem: While lice sometimes craw into hats and other personal items, they dont like to leave the human head because its their only source of feod. Lice can survive for up to 55 hours away from the human head without nourishment. However, nits attached to stray haire can hatch ‘away from their host. This is why itis appropriate to clean personal tems as follows: < Soak combe, brushes and hair accessories in a head lice product for an hour = Vacuum loose hairs from carpets and upholstered furniture. Discard the vacuum bag in 2 sealed bag, = __Allclothes, bed linens and towels used by an infected person within the last two weeks will need to be washed. If you find lve lice or stray hairs that could hold nits, wash the items in very hot water andlor dry for 20 minutes using the hot cycle of the dryer. The heat will destroy the lice and nts‘As a precautionary measure, such items that can't be washed may be dry-cleaned or Sealed in a plastic bag for two weeks. POINTS TO REMEMBER: It you have any futher questions or concems, Lack of cleanliness does not cause head lice. It has been noted that lice prefer clean ‘scalps to dity ones, Examine your chit's head for oe at least weekly. If ice are present, take immediate measures to get rid of them. The longer the delay in taking action, the bigger the ‘problem. Don't forget to notify your chiles school Itis not necessary to shave the head to get rd of head lice. Keeping hair short will not guard against. infestation. Head lice are a nuisance, not a health hazard. They dont carry disease and won't cause less. Children should be discouraged from sharing hats and hair accessories to help prevent the spread of head lice. Head lice do not jump or fy. Yours tru, Paul LeRoy PrincipalThe Facts of Lice Every parent needs to know the facts of lice. Why? Millions of North Americans will get head lice this year. © Will you know what to do? WHAT ARE HEAD LICE? Heal ice are smal grey o reddish brown bugs (Imm to 4mm Long) depending on their age. Baby lice ae called Nynplis. Lice live onde human head. They do not live on pets or on eer parts ofthe body. They feed on blood. and cannot survive off the head for more than 24 1048 hours without «blood meal. They als do not hop. jump o ly. ‘Thatk God! Lice lay eggs. These are tear-drop shaped and are glued tothe har shaft on an angle. They ae also only lel to one side of the air shaft, The viable eggs are eypicallybrownishyellow to caramel in color. Empty eg ‘cases or dead eggs are called nits. These are clear, opague, almost se trough Do not rely on a product tha claims to Kill ce and her nits a itis the eges that need wo be killed or removed. Viable lice eggs afe never white in colour Feu lice lay 10S egas per day and lve for 30 days. They need a mae to mate with. Lice eggs take 7 to 10 days, {o hate and another 7 to 10 days tobe mature enough to mat, WHAT DO I LOOK FOR Loo! for lice and lice eggs in the hot spvs. These are around the ears tte crown ofthe head and at the nape ofthe neck. Its best to use bright Fights and proper magnification when ooking. Sunlight i best, Look for red scabs eased by sertching. lice eggs and lice crawling through the hai or sucking blood from the scalp. Lice lay their exgs ‘lose wo the scalp but look along the whole hat shaft Do not confuse DEC plugs, hair casts or other hai debris with lice eggs. Remember if it is white like paper or snow. It isnot alice ev. HERE IS AN EXAMPLE AAS you can sec, the lice ogg is clearly attached to one side ofthe hair shat. The DEC pug an hair east Surcunds the hair shalt. This dant ike skin Aebeisalso sticks to the hai shaft ik nit but the diferences they are white and they slide easier. You need not concer yourself you find these during a hea check. Before you treat fr lice orf you are uncertain, call for our Tre nit agnosis. 1 you do discover lve lice and exes, dont panic. Before You ’ ‘unto the drug store call our hatine or visit our ‘We can direct towards safer and effective at options, We are also available to asst you aes within home head lice removal. Helps availabe i die A TYPICAL LICE EXPERIENCE Mos head fice sufferers have tried every product on the market, spent countless hour leaning and have wasted both ‘ime and money on treatments and nitpicking. ‘They have torn ou their he with lousy nit combs and red ther hair ith the use of chemical treatments, They have bagged up toys for weeks, missed work and social functions and have felt reat stress and frustration, Especially i weeks and mos go by without relief. You are not alone in your seugzle. Scientific studies have shown that ice are building a resistance to most pesticide head lie products, Over ‘use and abuse of these ean also be potentially dangerous to young children and those ministering eatment othe Nis our opinion that to be successful at eliminating lice one must ake a systematic aproach, ‘This meaning that you ‘must combine an effective topical treatment with thorough manual removal over the course of a two week period It ‘you're a your NETS END with head lice eal our info ine or vist our web site to learn more about how you can ‘imine head lice safely and quickly without the Fustration and the use of potentially harmful pesticides.LIFE CYCLE OF THE HEAD LOUSE ‘ + + imei Freeing yp co de LICE FACTS ee Fem head lice lay lice * One female louse lays 3 to Sexes per day on the air shat + To succeed at eliminating a head lice infestation, one must remove al lice eggs an lice from the air +The lice eg ae tear shaped, usally brown in colour. and ae attached to only one side ofthe har shat. Lice egg lookalikes re white, hey surround the bai shaft and ate oten misdiagnosed a ce eggs. Nits are empty or dad lice eggs. They are see-through and wil stick tothe hai shalt on one side * Most mothers waste both time and energy doing countess washing of hed shoots and clothes: Live re no living in your environment. They ae living on your head. ‘See our 3 easy steps to leaning your environment blow ‘Pesticide sprays & treatments shouldbe used with caution o in ur opinion, not at all + Don’t rely on products tha claim to kill nis. Lie eggs must be removed hy hand We provides Free Nit Diagnosis Service. Callus for details For lice pictures visit hup://www licesquad.com/pictures.him Forlice removal and prevention products visit http://www licesquad,com/products.him 3 EASY STEPS TO CLEANING & ENVIRONMENTAL CARE Head lice are not living in your home, on your furiture or in your bedding. ‘They prefer to be on your head ‘The good news is alouse will die within 24 1048 hours without a blood meal from you. HERE IS HOW TO CLEAN YOUR HOME OR ENVIRONMENT 41 Place items that can safely be dried on high heat in a dryer for 20 to 30 minutes. 42 Vacuum items that eannot be dried 43 IFan item can not be dried or vacuumed. Set it aside for 24 10 48 hours. ‘That sit! Remember, the focus of head lice elimination should be on the manual removal of all ice eges and nit from the head. Remember lice are not living in the environment, they are ving on you. Cleaning should be done initially after your first big nitpick and treatment. Tt can be repeated every 4" to 5" day after follow up nitpicks and treatments, See our web site for effective treatment and prevention products, The LiceSquad® Inc. Parent and Teacher Trusted 866 838-LICE www.licesquad.com or www.nitpickers.ca © LiceSqunds Ie. 2006