Council of International Schools (CIS) Survey

The CIS (Council of International Schools) Survey is here!

The survey was developed in alignment with the new CIS International Accreditation protocol. admin teams, academic teams, board directors, parents and learners will be invited to take the survey. This is an essential part of our self-study on the CIS journey. The data will be used by the various domain self-study groups as evidence. Please take some time to complete this - your feedback matters!

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey will be available until Monday 31 May.

Here is the link to the CIS Survey

A few things to note:

1. All questions need to be answered

2. The language can be chosen from the top right corner

3. Please pay attention when answering, as answers go from Strongly Disagree to Strongly Agree, being "Not applicable" the last option.

4. The survey can be saved at any time. You just need to press the "save and continue later" on the top right of the screen. For this, you will need to enter your email address, and the survey will send you an email with a link to be able to continue the survey at a later time.

5. To retrieve a saved response, go to your inbox and look for the following email:

6. For the Residential/ Boarding Services, according to CIS, this also includes Learners with Guardians. Please complete if your child or ward is staying with a guardian or use NA if not.

Thank you very much for completing the survey.

Bug Busting Day

Please find below a reminder of our recommended Bug Busting procedure and the important role that all learners and parents can play in the prevention and management of head lice. Today the children learnt about head lice and how they breed. The Bug-Busting Method we use at Nexus is a systematic approach to the eradication of head lice.

All learners, parents and guardians are encouraged to adhere to the guidelines as stated below. We strongly encourage the ‘Bug-Busting’ method to be undertaken on each child every week, and form part of the normal routine. As a minimum, we ask that ALL families do a thorough check at each of our Bug Busting days.

On identification of head lice at home, please give treatment to your child and ensure all live lice are removed. Learners may return to school when free of live lice. Please inform the school of head lice infestation on your child. If a learner is in school at the time of identification of head lice, parents will be contacted to collect the child and administer treatment before returning to school. On returning to school after head lice infestation, please ensure your child is checked by the School Nurse before entering the classroom.

Weekly Bug-Busting Procedure:

1. Wash hair and rinse as normal. Apply a good quantity of hair conditioner to wet hair, ensuring coverage from root to tip.

2. Comb the hair with a normal comb to untangle hair strands.

3. Part hair in small sections to check for live lice and eggs. If head lice are detected proceed to Step 4. If head lice are not detected, rinse hair and dry as normal. Repeat ‘Bug-Busting’ method in 7 days.

4. With conditioner in place, comb through hair methodically with head lice comb, held at approximately 45⁰ angle to head. Ensure the teeth of the comb touch the scalp. Wipe comb after every stroke.

5. Rinse hair and dry as normal.

6. Repeat procedure every fourth day for 2 weeks, to ensure eradication of adult and newly hatched lice. When eradication is complete, return to weekly Bug-Busting method!

What is the difference between head lice and nits?

Head lice are greyish brown insects that cling to the hair, close to the scalp. They feed on human blood and can survive for about 30 days on a human host, but generally cannot survive for longer than 24 hours off the host.

A nit is a louse egg which may be laid up to 1cm away from the scalp and is ‘glued’ to a strand of hair. The colour of the nit may indicate the stage of development of the egg. An un-hatched lice egg may be yellow tinted or light grey in colour when it is first laid, and takes approximately 7 days to mature, turning a darker ‘coffee colour’ before hatching. Once hatched, the egg becomes more pale and often appears white. The distance of the egg from the scalp can indicate the stage of the egg, as the egg moves away due to hair growth.

How can head lice be spread?

Head lice do not discriminate; they will readily infest any person at any time. Head lice can be spread whenever there is direct contact of the head or hair with an infested individual. Lice do not jump or fly as they do not have strong back legs or wings.

Lice can also be spread through the sharing of personal articles like hats, towels, brushes and hair ties. There is also a possibility of spreading head lice via a pillow or head rest. Young children are more likely to spread infestations as they play closely together. This can commonly occur during the school day, at family gatherings and at sleepovers.

As lice feed on human blood, they are not transmitted to pets and hence cannot be caught from pets. Cats and Dogs can be infested with fleas which likewise are not transmitted to humans.

Treatment and Prevention

The current recommendations for treatment of head lice suggest treatment is given for active infestations, whilst all other members of the household are checked thoroughly. Chemical treatments can cause skin irritation and chemical burns, so it is important to consider each treatment on an individual level, based on skin sensitivity, health and age. A variety of treatment options; including the use of essential oils may be considered, though the ‘Bug-Busting Method’ is clinically proven to be more effective than chemical treatments for head lice. The use of hair conditioner which reduces the ability of the louse to cling to the hair whilst combing with a special head lice comb; is safe to use for all members of the household, and avoids resistance to treatment as is currently observed with pesticides.

To check for head lice in children, it is advisable that the checks become part of a weekly routine, ensuring that you have adequate lighting, such as a brightly lit bathroom or flashlight will help you spot any lice or eggs.

Begin at the nape of the neck and work your way up. Lice and eggs could be anywhere on the head, but prefer warmer places to hide, such as nape, hairline and close to the ears.

Using your finger or a comb, slowly part the hair down the middle, from the crown to the nape of the neck. Check the part for eggs on the hair shaft, or live lice. The eggs will be well attached and should only be able to be removed by scraping it off the hair with your finger nail. Once the first section is checked, part the hair either way to the left or right of your original part, in very small sections. Check this part for eggs and live lice. Repeat the process across the whole head, remembering to pay attention to the warmer areas. If live lice are found on your child’s head, treatment should be given immediately.

For the ‘Bug-Busting’ treatment method apply conditioner to wet hair and systematically comb through with a special head lice comb. Comb each section from the base of the hair shaft to the end, wiping the comb on tissue after each stroke to remove live lice. Repeating this process every fourth day for 2 weeks will effectively eradicate live lice and break the life cycle.

To prevent further spread, remove your child’s clothing that they are wearing, and bedding from your child’s bed. Wash in the washing machine on at least 60 degrees Celsius. All materials such as hats, collared shirts, pillows or blankets that your child has come into contact with, and may be infested, should be washed at this temperature.

Further prevention can be achieved by following simple strategies; avoidance of hair to hair contact during activities, individual use of combs, brushes and towels. Hot washing of clothes and linen, plus vacuum cleaning floors and furniture on a regular basis, in order to remove and kill lice and eggs that may have fallen from the host.

As with all conditions prevention is better than cure, but should your family have a case of head lice, you will ‘Be Prepared!’