School Nurse Services

Coronavirus Information

Employees, parents and students should take appropriate measures to minimize the likelihood of infection by this and other viruses, such as the seasonal flu. Precautionary measures include the following:

Individuals who show signs of contagious infection, including with the seasonal flu, should stay home and seek medical treatment if conditions warrant. Some symptoms to watch for include fever, cough and fatigue. 

Schools are taking all necessary precautions to ensure that surfaces are wiped regularly and bathrooms are stocked with supplies for handwashing. 

Please watch the handwashing video shared by North Oaks Health System. 

North Oaks Hand Washing Video
https://youtu.be/txaQxQg_EaM

• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol content.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects using household cleaner or spray.
• Do not eat after others, or share cigarettes or e-cigarettes.

Symptoms of the flu may include fever (over 100.4), body aches, cough and cold like symptoms, headache, nasal congestion, and sore throat.

Symptoms of the stomach bug may include a sudden onset of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramping. Some students may/may not have a fever.

Our schools are taking extra precautions in cleaning and disinfecting daily.  We want the best for our students and our community!

Keep your child(ren) home from school for at least 24 hours after fever, vomiting,  or diarrhea symptoms have stopped and without taking any medication to reduce the symptoms.

Be sure to communicate with your child’s school to notify them of the illness.

Health and Wellness Resources

CDC.gov - When and How to Wash Your Hands
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/when-how-handwashing.html

CDC.gov - Handwashing Promotion Materials
https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/materials.html

Information for Parents/Guardians regarding Head Lice

Head lice are a nuisance, but they do not carry any disease and have no reflection on the cleanliness of an individual. Head lice infestation is common with 6,000 to 12,000 cases reported during any given school year in the United States. Head lice do not jump from person to person; they crawl. Therefore, it is advised to avoid hugging friends or any prolonged head-to-head contact. The most common symptom of head lice is an itchy scalp, particularly at the base of the neck and behind the ears.

The school desires to take every precaution to prevent further spread and infestation. We ask that parents partner with us by thoroughly checking your child’s head each night for the next several weeks for the presence of head lice or their eggs, also called nits. If any are found, please notify the school, as well as your family physician. Your physician can advise you on which treatment to use. There are many over-the-counter treatments readily available.

Nits that are greater than 1/4 of an inch away from the scalp are considered old and are not an indication of an active infestation.

One of the most effective ways of eliminating head lice is to use a blow dryer and lice comb to remove the eggs, in addition to using a lice shampoo treatment. Once a child has been treated, it is advised that a repeat treatment occurs in 7-10 days to treat the eggs, which may have hatched. Students may return to school the next day after being treated. It is advisable that they are re-checked regularly for the next several weeks following treatment to make sure it was effective.

If students feel like their heads itch, please take the time to check them for the presence of head lice at home. The students may also inform the teacher if the itching begins at school.  However, there will be NO classroom-wide checks. Please encourage your children to avoid the sharing of hairbrushes, combs, sports helmets, hats, sweaters and jackets, and hair accessories. Girls may want to keep their hair pulled back for the next several weeks.

TPSS HEAD LICE Policy

It is the policy of the School Board to exclude from the Tangipahoa Parish School System any student suspected of having symptoms of head lice until satisfactory treatment has been given. All know siblings living in the same household will be examined. After the student has been treated, a parent or guardian must accompany the student back to school to be inspected by trained school personnel to determine re-admittance. One excused day will be allowed for treatment of lice infestation; subsequent days may be deemed unexcused. If days absent are excessive, the Student Services Department representative will determine if excessive absenteeism is excused or unexcused. If two or more cases are reported by a parent or a teacher in the same classroom in a two week period, a call out will be done to those parents of that class. This is to encourage self-checks at home. If four or more cases are found within a week at a school then a school call will be done to notify parents.