Unfortunately this occurs from time to time.  We request that parents pay special attention to children’s heads, particularly during the warmer months of the year.

Parents should look for:

• persistent scratching, particularly behind the ears and the nape of the neck accompanied by a red rash
• tiny silver white eggs at the base of the hair shaft
• small pale brown lice.  You may need a magnifying glass and a fine tooth comb under strong light.

Examine your child’s hair for nits (eggs) frequently.  If you see any eggs or live lice your child needs treatment.

• Please note that some parents are having success by applying a cheap conditioner to the hair – leaving it on the hair for at least half an hour during which time it smothers the eggs.
• After rinsing the hair, remove the nits with a fine-toothed comb. Dipping the comb in vinegar may assist.
• It may be necessary to remove stubborn eggs by actually pulling them off with your fingernails

Certain lotions require one application but if lice are still present a further treatment after seven days will be necessary.  If lice are detected:

• check the hair of everyone in the family
• remove lice or nits from combs, bedding, caps, car seat covers etc.
• wash bed linen and soft toys

Children may go back to school when they have been treated with a head lice lotion and ALL eggs have been removed as directed above.  Children should not miss more than one or two days of school each time they have head lice.

We appreciate this can be a very frustrating problem however the CSIRO advises that lice have built up an immunity to many of the standard treatments and the only way to keep the problem under control is constant vigilance and treatment – parental assistance in this regard is sought and appreciated.

Please notify the school if head lice are found and call at the front office after treatment before returning your child to class.