Pediculosis (Head Lice)

Pediculosis typically affects children who are in direct contact with one another or who share personal items, such as brushes, hats, or scarves. Symptoms include itching of the scalp, visible lice on the scalp, and lice eggs (nits) on the hair shafts.

Londonderry School District has a no nit and pediculosis policy. Student's found to have pediculosis (head lice) by the school nurse will need to be picked up from school, treated with a lice treatment(medicated shampoos specific for lice), thorough nit removal at home by using a metal nit comb or picking nits out by hand which may take several days to remove all nits.

Here at North School, nursing directs you through this process by providing information, showing you what a nits(eggs), possibly a louse(bug) if your child has one looks like, and how to remove nits and louse the hair. After the student is treated for lice at home, and you have completed thorough daily checks with nit removal, we will schedule a time for your child to come in for a check with the school nurse.

The scheduled head check may take up to 45 minutes or more depending on the thickness and length of the hair. The student's hair needs to be clean and completely dry. A parent or guardian must stay with the student until the check is completed. The school nurse has the discretion if further treatment or nit removal at home is warranted in addition to another check prior to clearing the student to return to school. Once the student is cleared to return to school please continue checks daily at home, have your child wear their hair up or braided if their hair is long, nursing will also pull your student for periodic checks for a determined length of time, and if further nits or lice are found the student will be sent home again to restart the process.

With a case of lice and exposure to the classroom, nursing may complete a pediculosis check of the homeroom class and a pediculosis letter will be sent home with the students in the class so families may check their student periodically at home. The infected student's name will be kept confidential, and we ask that parents remind their children not to question peers or try to figure out who contracted lice.