Cougar Chronicle
April 17, 2026
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We have had a couple of cases of head lice recently. The information below has been taken from the elementary school’s health website.
Head Lice:
A note about head lice: Head lice are not a major health hazard. It is, however, a nuisance which can often result in hardship for those involved. It is strongly recommended that parents do weekly head checks as part of their child’s hygiene routine. Information will be posted on the website about prevention and the treatment. An informational sheet will be sent home in a newsletter at the beginning of the year. If a child is found to have lice at school, the parents will be notified so that treatment can begin. The school nurse will check students in a classroom where a student with lice has been identified. A letter will be sent home to notify all families in the class. Repeat checks will be performed to individual students and classrooms until no lice or nits have been found for 2 weeks.
Lice do not hop or jump; they can only crawl.8 In most cases, transmission occurs by direct contact with the hair of an infested individual, the most common situation being head-to-head contact.8,11 Indirect spread through contact with personal belongings of an infested individual (combs, brushes, hats, sport helmets) is much less likely to occur.9 Lice found on combs are likely to be injured or dead,12 and a louse is not likely to leave a healthy head unless there is a heavy infestation.13 In one study, live lice were found on only 4% of pillowcases used by infested persons.14 Thus, the major focus of control activities should be to reduce the number of lice on an individual’s head and to lessen the risks of head-to-head contact.
Head lice are specific to humans and cannot be transferred between humans and pets.
For more information on head lice - their life cycle, how to find them on your child’s head, how to treat them, please see the link below from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Lice Information for Parents: Head Lice: What Parents Need to Know - HealthyChildren.org
It's time for our annual Green Up/Clean Up Day! We are so excited to get outside and help beautify our community on Friday, May 1st. Our students will be working hard around the school grounds, on nearby roads, and some of our 3rd-6th graders will be heading over to Dugar Brook Rd.
The Schedule:
9:15 AM: All-school meeting in the gym.
9:30 AM: Teams head out to clean up!
12:00 PM: Work wraps up in time for a normal lunch and recess.
How You Can Help:
Permission Slips: If your 3rd-6th grader is heading to Dugar Brook Rd, you were sent an electronic permission slip on on Wednesday. Please fill that out as soon as possible! (No form is needed for students staying on-site).
Volunteers: We'd love to have you join us! Please fill out this form to let us know if you can volunteer at a specific location or work alongside your child.
Tool Donations/Loans: We are looking to borrow or receive:
2 Adult-sized rakes
4-5 Trowels
2 Watering cans
8-10 Pairs of gardening gloves
2-3 Wheelbarrows
If you can lend us these items for the morning, please email me! We'll ensure everything is treated with care and returned by Friday afternoon.
Thank you for helping us keep our community beautiful!
Friends of Calais is a volunteer-led organization, collaborating to design fun, engaging events and programs intended to foster closer bonds within the Calais community. Click here for more information and to see a list of all of their upcoming events!
