| School can't shake lice |
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| Written by DEBBIE ROGERS Sentinel Staff Writer | ||||
| Wednesday, 01 February 2012 10:39 | ||||
There are 500 students at Conneaut with 10 to 12 reported cases since Thanksgiving, said Principal Lorraine Flick. The number of reported cases is a little higher than usual, but not uncommon, she said. Lice cases, Flick said, pop up every year, and Conneaut isn't the only school dealing with it. "I think every school does. This is my fourth or fifth building as a principal and I can't think of a single school where I haven't had this. "We're trying to keep everyone informed. What's been challenging is one grade seems to be hit a little more this particular year," she said. "We're just really trying to be upfront when cases are reported to us. We're addressing those cases." The Web site sciencedaily.com said a lice infestation is about as "common as a cold." It goes on to explain that lice are small insects about the size of a grain of rice which lay small eggs. These nits are glued to hair shafts and are found within an inch from the scalp. Nits typically hatch in eight days. Baby lice take another eight days to mature. They make their way around when people share hats, backpacks, clothes or a brush. At Conneaut, Flick said the staff is taking extra steps with cleaning and trying to spread the word about what parents can do at home. "We've tried to be more diligent about how we're vacuuming and that kind of thing, just in case there would be anything left in the carpets," she said. "(In) my newsletter for this week, I will have a letter from the school nurse, addressing the fact that parents have been expressing some concern." The school also provided bags to each student in the affected grades to store coats and backpacks. But some parents say the administration isn't being aggressive enough, or communicating effectively. Cari Boersma said her three daughters, a first and third-grader at Conneaut and a 2-year-old, have had lice three times since October. She disputed Flick's report of 10-12 cases, saying there have been dozens. A former teacher, Boersma said the communication from Conneaut has been poor. More information, she said, could ensure parents know how to treat lice at home, which is a key to stopping it from spreading. "Absolutely, lice goes around. I've worked in four different corporations (school districts), and I have never experienced lice at his level," she said. The school, she said, should not allow children who have confirmed cases of lice back into class until they are formally checked by a nurse or school staff member.
Pat Snyder, public health information technology specialist, said the department provides guidance on lice, but school administrators are "the ultimate gatekeepers and determine their policies." She said the health department also refers to the American Academy of Pediatrics for their recommendations. "From our standpoint, lice is a nuisance - it's not something you want to have. But they don't cause any diseases. So it's not a big public health concern," Snyder said. "They're annoying, they're bothersome, they might cause irritations from scratching, but they don't cause any diseases." Conneaut parent Amy Nguyen said more needs to be done at the school. While Conneaut provided bags for coat and backpack storage, the practice was discontinued after two weeks. Nguyen offered to purchase bags for the whole school. Her third-grade twins still use bags. The Boersma girls do, too. Nguyen's family, which includes three other children, hasn't had lice this school year, but she feels like she's on borrowed time. She diligently checks every child's hair, every night. She knows from an experience last year that living with lice is not nice. Nguyen estimated that in the two weeks her then fifth-grader was being treated for lice, she did 100 loads of laundry. "It's a daily thing. It literally consumes your life when you have lice at home," Nguyen said. "But that's the only way I can ensure there's not one single nit in our house." Boersma just went through the entire process for most of the fall. "We would sit down and go through their hair two to three hours a night for two weeks," she said of each infestation. The girls weren't allowed in each other's bedrooms or their parents'. When the older two got home from school, their coats were thrown in the dryer on high for 30 minutes. Boersma washed bedding daily for weeks. The girls still wear their hair, which is treated with tea-tree oil, up in tight buns or braids, on school days to repel lice. "I think it completely impeded our family life when we had it," Boersma said. Nguyen doesn't blame the school for the lice outbreak, but said administrators need to be more proactive. "We know it's not their fault because parents at home absolutely have to take care of it," she said. |
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| Last Updated on Wednesday, 01 February 2012 10:47 |
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Comments
The only way to stop the problem is to not allow those children to return to class until they have been treated and cleared by the school nurse. It may hurt feelings, but it is fundamentally unfair that most parents work so hard to stay on top of the infection and can't because a few parents will not do the right thing.
By the way, the bags won't work. Keeping everything clean helps, but the real problem is active lice jumping from little head to head. The other problem is that families will often treat kids in the school but not themselves or other family members.
"We know it's not their fault because parents at home absolutely have to take care of it," she said.
And in 18 months, my family and I will depart to another part of the world where we will continue to make a difference. I will continue to defend this nation so you can have the right to speak your mind and be disheartened by those around you who are trying to make a difference. Maybe you should be ashame for not getting the full story before passing judgment on someone who truly cares.
Please know that you DO NOT speak for me or my children. I disagree with the majority of your complaints against the school and the administration. Focus on your own kids and please take your own advice and refrain from making comments...they are not showing you in a good light.
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