Head Lice Policy

Lice Checks:

• September
• January
• March/April
• July (summer programs only)

Lice Knowing You:

• Westside: 8225 SW Cirrus Dr, Beaverton, OR, 97008
• Eastside: 1125 SE Madison St. #200, Portland, OR 97214

Over the last few years head lice have become a significantly bigger problem. We are more mobile than ever and many of us travel to parts of the world where lice are more prevalent. Public schools no longer require that children be nit free before returning after head lice have been found. This is due in part to the difficult task faced by inexperienced “nit pickers” in keeping up the demanding daily ritual of checking for lice and removing ALL nits, the single most important factor in getting rid of an infestation. Some of the most effective treatment “shampoos” are toxic and understandably parents want to avoid using them.

That was the bad news. The good news is that some clever, concerned parents have come forward to save the day. One group of mothers from the Seattle, Washington area has started a head lice removal service called Lice Knowing You. We know of several parents and other schools that have had very positive experiences with LKY.  They are wonderful at making children comfortable, not only with the procedure, but with the whole subject of head lice.

We have asked LKY to come to the Sunstone campus and check all of the children three times a year at the times we most often see children coming to school with lice.  In the coming school year they will perform head checks in early September, the beginning of January and Late March/early April. They will also do a check during the summer for our summer programs.

If any nits or lice are found on your child we will notify you to pick up your child immediately and give you information about how to treat for head lice. At that point you may decide to treat your child at home or have your child professionally treated. We will include contact information for Lice Knowing You so that you will have the option to go there for treatment. Either way we will want LKY to check your child before he/she returns to school.

We have two main goals concerning head lice at Sunstone. One is to prevent the spread of head lice at our school while supporting parents and children in addressing this annoying problem. The other is to take the stigma out of discussing and treating head lice when they do occur in our community. We have enlisted Lice Knowing You to help us accomplish these goals.

We are confident that by working together we can quickly halt any potential outbreak of head lice at Sunstone and keep our school lice-free most of the year.