Head Lice & Pink Eye
LTISD lice policy states that children may finish the day in class if lice is found, but may not return until treatment has been initiated.
Head lice are not a sign of poor hygiene. On the contrary, they actually like clean hair. Click the links below for helpful information:
Please take time periodically to check your child's head for lice and nits (eggs). They can be very hard to see because they are so small and often look like dandruff. The easiest way to differentiate nits from dandruff is the ease with which you can remove them from the hair shaft. Dandruff can be easily "picked" off while nits are stuck onto the hair shaft and require much more effort to remove. Lice can be hard to see as well because they are small, approximately the size of a sesame seed, and they will move quickly to avoid light. This may take up to 15 minutes to get a thorough assessment.
Classroom or school-wide checks have not been found to be effective in lice management and the practice is not supported by the AAP or the CDC. LTISD policy supports this philosophy. At the elementary school, there will be a classroom notification within five days of a single incidence of lice in the class.
Since many lice cases are discovered and treated at home, please let the school nurse know if you have discovered lice on your child. Your child's privacy will be maintained at all times.
The most important thing to remember is whatever treatment you use, follow the instructions EXACTLY as recommended. It's extremely important that you purchase and use a lice comb that has metal teeth that are very close together. This process is tedious (thus the term "nit-picking") but necessary to get all the nits out. Wash towels and bedding after treatment so that there is less risk of re-infestation. A comb-out or topical treatment alone is not likely to be enough to rid your child of lice; it takes a combination of efforts to get rid of lice. Keep checking your child's head every few days for the next month. If the first treatment didn't get all of the nits, a repeat treatment may be necessary.