Family Update 12/6/2024

Family Update 12/6/2024
Farid Johnson

Dear Siwanoy Families, 

I do not know about you, but I do not think I was ready for the cold to come in so fast. What ever happened to fall? With that said, please be sure to send your children in with appropriate clothing and outdoor attire. I will continue to remind the students about appropriate attire that covers our midsection, but reminders from home would be helpful as well!

We had our 4th and 5th grade winter concert yesterday and it was amazing! Thank you to Ms. Bean, Mr. Dolgon and Mr. Vamos for preparing our students to put on such a breathtaking performance. 

Lastly, tomorrow is the Grassroots Grocery event. Last year's turnout was amazing. While I cannot be there because I will be in class for 8 hours, I hope you can make it and continue to help those in need!

Looking forward to a great week ahead. Stay warm and keep spreading the love!

Sincerely,
Farid Johnson

#everydayabetteryou

 
 
School News
Winter Concert! Such a great time..
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December word of the month is Ownership
Taking ownership means we take responsibility for our choices, words, and learning. We accept and grow from our mistakes and learning opportunities  when we take ownership of our actions and behaviors.
 
 
 
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Please remember to send in a healthy snack when packing up your child's lunch.  
Many students are still coming in without snacks. Please ensure your child has a snack before coming to school.
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for your support with the Coat Drive! 4th grade in action..
 
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Thank you to everyone for all of their support. A special thank you to Ms. Miro, Ms. Friedberg, and Ms. Maistre for being in the frontlines with our students every step of the way. Our teachers delivered a powerful message to your children about the importance of giving back.
 
 

News from our School Nurses, Christine Keller and Aisling Myers:

Facts about Lice 
Head lice are tiny wingless insects that live close to the human scalp. Head lice are not a health hazard. They do not transmit disease, but they do spread easily. Lice move by crawling and are mostly spread by direct head-to-head contact. They DO NOT jump, hop or fly. It is possible, but not common to spread lice by contact with items such as clothing, hats, combs, brushes. Head lice transmission can occur at home, school or in the community. The lice can attach to the hair of anyone’s head. It doesn’t matter if the hair is clean or dirty. Nits are tiny, teardrop-shaped lice eggs. They vary in color from yellow to tan to grayish-white. The closer the nit is to the scalp the newer the infestation is. They attach to the hair shaft, often found around the nape of the neck or ears. Nits can
look similar to dandruff, but are difficult to remove. Nits hatch in 7-12 days. It takes about 1-2 weeks for a baby lice or nymph to become an adult louse. An adult louse is the size of a sesame seed and can live for about 28 days. All three generations of head lice need to be nonviable, or dead, to get rid of head lice for good.  If your child is experiencing a tickling feeling on the scalp or in the hair, itching which is caused by the bites of the louse,
sores on the head caused by scratching or are having difficulty sleeping as lice are more active in the dark you may want to check for lice. Once confirmed that your child has lice begin treatment right away. All household members and other close contacts should be checked and treated as well if found to have lice.
A combination of approaches is needed to irradicate lice -
Removing nits with a nit comb and by hand is the single most important treatment!
Using over the counter or prescription lice medicine.
Check the hair and scalp of all family members every 2 to 3 days by combing the hair until no live lice are found for 10 days. If after 2 treatments the lice are still alive it is time to call the doctor or someone who specializes in the removal of lice.
Vacuuming and washing household and personal items- 
Washables - Machine-wash in hot, soapy water then dry. Use the hot cycle of a dryer for at least 20 minutes. Wash all washable clothing (including hats, scarves and coats) and all bed linens, towels and washcloths that have had contact with your child in the past 3 days. Soak combs, brushes, hair barrettes, hair bands and sports helmets in hot water (above 130 degree F) for 10 minutes or in rubbing alcohol for one hour, then wash in hot, soapy water.
Non-Washables - Vacuum all carpets and furniture, including beds. This will remove any hairs that might have nits attached that are still alive. Put things that can’t be washed in a plastic bag and seal for 14 days. As per the Pelham School District policy and consistent with accepted medical knowledge, while a nuisance, head lice do not pose a public health risk. No healthy student will be excluded from school due to an active case of head lice or the presence of nits (louse eggs). Students identified by the school nurse as having an active infestation of head lice will be sent home at the end of the day and their parent(s)/guardian will be informed by the school nurse of the student’s condition and advised to begin treatment. According to the CDC these policy changes are designed to help keep children from missing class, shield children with lice from embarrassment, and protect their privacy. Lastly, why are lice checks not done in school? The AAP (American Academy of pediatrics) has found that lice checks in school have proven to be ineffective in reducing cases and unnecessarily take children away from instructional time. Due to the life cycle of head lice one or two checks would not be enough; and continually pulling students from class would lead to loss of instructional time for a process that has not shown to reduce cases. Unfortunately, there is no proven head lice deterrent that will prevent your child from getting head lice. The best you can do is stay alert for suspicious head scratching. Catching this behavior early and treating it will help you stop a head lice problem at its roots.  As usual, please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

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