Lice Screening (1 of 3)

Schools regularly have to deal with the issue of what to do about head lice when it flares up. The spread of head lice is most prevalent in schools because students are regularly in close contact with each other. Head lice is passed by direct head to head contact 90% of the time. Screening for head lice at key times during the course of the school year is essential for lessening the chance of it spreading to others. Finding a head lice infestation in the earliest stages makes the removal process a lot less time consuming and less stressful on families.

Our school community is the perfect place to start normalizing the subject of head lice and is the ideal environment to teach preventive measures that everyone can learn and practice together. This also helps in the negative stigma that unfortunately is still associated with head lice. Education is truly our best defense against head lice outbreaks. We will be bringing in the Greater Vancouver Lice Clinic to come and screen our school community three times during the course of our school year. Checks will be done on a classroom by classroom basis. There is a one-time fee of $14.00 per student for the entire school year if you are paying by cheque, or $14.75 online.

The Greater Vancouver Lice Clinic is a professional company that specializes in the screening, removal, and education of Head lice. When a head lice infestation is confirmed it is documented privately to ensure that no other students become aware of the diagnosis. Students should always feel safe and secure in knowing that they won’t be singled out. At the end of this process, if your child is diagnosed with head lice, an information packet will be sent home.

Benefits of regular screening:

• Removing the negative stigmas that surround head lice

• Normalizing the subject of head lice in the school community

• Making removal easier by diagnosing head lice infestations at the earliest stages

• Reducing the amount of unnecessary pesticides used to treat head lice

• Teaching preventative measures to help reduce the chance of spreading

• Reducing the number of missed days from school and work