Parent Letter about Head Lice (Pediculosis)

Dear Parents,

It is not uncommon during the school year for head lice to be detected among school children. We do not wish to alarm you, but to inform you how to observe your child for head lice.

Head lice should be suspected when there is intense itching and scratching of the scalp and the back of the neck. If you look closely at the scalp and throughout the hair, you may see very small, rapidly crawling insects about 1/8 long, (see picture) and brown to grayish-white eggs (nits) firmly attached anywhere on the hair strand. Although these nits may look like dandruff, dandruff can easily be removed from the hair while nits are not easily removed.

If lice are found in your child’s hair, contact your school nurse for further instructions. If nits are found, it is recommended that they be manually removed to prevent reinfestation. 

Current Administrative policy states that a child found to have lice may not return to school until evidence of treatment is seen. Your child will be rechecked when he/she returns to school before returning to the classroom.

Lice can come from almost anywhere . . . a classmate, an upholstered movie theater seat, a neighborhood child’s hat or coat, a shared comb or brush, and/or any after school extracurricular activities. Lice outbreaks are common among school children and even the cleanest child can easily come in contact with the insect. Head lice is not a serious medical condition, but needs to have diligent parental cooperation to control.

Thank you for your help!