Dear Sprague Community,
Walk to School
Even with this weather, we had 157 students participate in Walk to School Day this week. If you are new to Sprague, you may have some questions about Walk to School Days.
Each month, we schedule Walk to School Days to promote physical activity and reduce traffic in car line. Students sign in at the table and pick up a ‘footie’ charm each month they participate. They are given a chain to keep their charms in September. If they participate in 8 of the 10 Walk to School Days during the year, they earn a VERY LARGE ‘footie’ charm. Thanks to Ms. Flitsch and her team of volunteers for their help and organization!
Safe Drop Off
Some neighbors have reported an increased number of students being dropped off and picked up on Oak St. This is not allowed for safety reasons. Additionally, the school was designed for drop off and pick up to take place in our designated areas on the School St. side of the building. At the time of the school construction back in 2002, neighbors were assured that Oak St. would not be a drop off/pick up location. The crossing guard is on duty to cross walkers and students who are with an adult who has parked in the Italo Club lot. Students should not meet a parent/car in the Italo Club unaccompanied.
Donation
Great news! The Kindness Olympic winning classes (2BH and 1LB) voted to send our donation to the SPIN Animal Shelter. SPIN stands for Stray Pets in Need. It’s mission is to promote the well being of animals and foster responsible human/animal relationships. There is a local SPIN shelter. We will donate $300.
Staff News
Congratulations to Sprague Teaching Assistant Katie Sweeney, on the birth of her daughter, Claire on March 1st. We expected our nurse, Sharon Kahn to return after hand surgery this month. Her recovery has been delayed and we expect her back in April. In the meantime, Nancy Falb and Krisann Miller continue to provide excellent nursing services in conjunction with our school nurse leader, Linda Corridan. As always, if you have any nursing concerns, please contact Linda.
Nurse’s News
On an itchier note, we have had some reports of head lice at Sprague. In most grades, it has only been a few cases reported to us. That said, many parents will do most anything to avoid head lice or to get rid of it. I am attaching advice from our nurse that has been sent home in the past, but includes helpful information. If you know that there have been cases of lice in your child’s grade, our nurse always recommends frequent head checks. She also recommends that students separate their coats from peers when possible. Each student shares a large locker with one other student and has an individual smaller, square shaped locker to him or herself. You may want your child to put his/her coat, hat, and gloves in the small locker when you know of cases of lice in your child’s grade.
From the Nurse’s Office: Head Lice Information
This is the time of year when we see an increased incidence of head lice in school-aged children. Communication and proper management are the key components in dealing with an infestation and minimizing transmission to others. These responsibilities are shared between home and school. I am here to be a resource, provide accurate information, and, in addition, help sift through misinformation.
Pediculosis (head lice) is a prevalent problem in school-aged children. Head lice are one of the most communicable conditions with an estimated 6 to 12 million infestations occurring each year. Head lice are not dangerous, they do not transmit disease and are not a public health issue. They are a nuisance because head lice treatment is tedious, time consuming, and can be expensive.
Head lice should not disrupt the educational process. We do not want to exclude children from school, rather we want to promote rapid resolution of this issue.
Helpful Information…
- Please check your child’s head regularly as part of your routine hygiene – at least once a week.
- Watch for signs of head lice such as head scratching especially behind the ears and at the nape of the neck.
- Remind your children not to share personal items such as hats, helmets, combs, hair accessories, pillows.
- ** Hairstyles that restrain the hair, such as ponytails and braids, prevent spread.
- Head lice are mostly spread by direct head-to head contact. Children this age engage in a lot of this type of play.
- Head lice transmission can occur at home, school or in the community – anywhere
- Head lice only like clean hair, so finding them on your child’s head is a direct result of children having friends, not poor hygiene.
What to look for…
- Find a comfortable area with good light.
- Look carefully throughout the entire scalp. (I use magnifying /reading glasses.)
- Lice are wingless insects about the size of a sesame seed. They are usually reddish brown in color. They move quickly and shy away from light. (This makes them more difficult to see.)
- The determination of head lice is more often made by seeing nits (the eggs) than by finding crawling head lice.
- Nits are tiny, oval-shaped, and are usually beige or grayish white in color.
- Nits are attached to the hair shaft at an angle and do not wash or blow away. They must be manually removed to ensure that they do not hatch a new supply of bugs.
If you find head lice…
- Please call me for advice and support.
- You may contact your pediatrician for treatment recommendations.
- Follow directions very carefully and read all the warning labels if you use products. I personally do not recommend the use of so-called special shampoos that are actually insecticides. I believe the exposure to toxic chemicals is dangerous.
- Be aware that over-the-counter products do not kill 100% of the lice and nits.
- Combing and manual removal of lice are essential components to successfully removing all nits and lice from the head. This may take several days to accomplish.
- Check all other members of the household. Only those with live lice or nits close to the scalp should be treated.
- Do not reapply treatment more frequently than recommended.
- Be aware that there are many websites that offer advice and products regarding head lice management; not all are useful and accurate. (Your child’s pediatrician and school nurse are the best resources for information regarding head lice management.)
- Contact me if any questions during this process.
- According to Wellesley Public Schools protocol, the school nurse must assess your child after treatment prior to returning to school.
Environmental Issues…
- Machine wash using hot water and regular detergent all clothing and bed linens that have been in contact with the infected person or dry on the hot cycle for at least 20 minutes.
- Items not washable such as toys, pillows etc. should be stored in a tightly sealed plastic bag for two weeks.
- Vacuum carpets, floors, upholstered furniture and the car.
- Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 20 minutes or replace them.
- Notify anyone with whom your child has been in close contact with so that they can monitor for evidence of head lice.
Resources: National Association of School Nurses www.nasn.org American Academy of Pediatrics http://pediatrcs.aappublications.org/content/110/3/638.full.pdf
Massachusetts Department of Public Health http://www.state.ma.us/dph/
Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need additional information or support. Your partnership is appreciated as we navigate through this sometimes difficult and emotional issue.
Sharon
Sprague School Nurse
Dates to remember:
March 10: Kindergarten Roundup from 9-12 in the Sprague library
March 15: Grade 5 vs. Faculty basketball game at 4 PM at WMS
March 19: School Council meeting at 2:00
March 21: Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
March 23: Open House from 8:00-9:30 AM
March 30: No school—Good Friday
MCAS Schedule 2018
Sprague School
ELA- 2 sessions
Math- 2 sessions
Science – 2 sessions (grade 5 only)
April 2, 5: Grade 4 ELA
April 9, 10: Grade 5 ELA
April 12, 13: Grade 3 ELA
May 7, 8: Grade 4 Math
May 10, 11: Grade 5 Math
May 14, 15: Grade 3 Math
May 17, 18: Grade 5 Science