Wellness and Your Student
City Charter Schools (which includes CLIC and The City School) implemented a Wellness Policy that is committed to the optimal development of every student. Children need access to healthy foods and opportunities to be physically active in order to grow, learn, and thrive. City Charter Schools is committed to providing school environments that promote and protect children’s health, well-being, and ability to learn by supporting healthy eating and physical activity.
Each parent plays a vital role in creating a healthy food environment for all the children at CLIC. We ask that lunches provided be healthy and well-balanced, and not contain foods such as candy/cookies/chips.
Taking care of yourself is the best way to prevent colds and flus. It’s when we are run down and tired that our immune system cannot effectively fight off germs, and we end up getting sick. Here are some tips to get through the cold and flu season feeling your best:
-
Eat fresh whole foods, with plenty of vegetables and fruit as they contain important vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy immune system.
-
Wash hands well and often, as this is how we often pick up germs.
-
Make sure to get plenty of sleep, and rest when tired. Sleep gives your body a chance to repair and restore itself.
-
Make a concerted effort to move your body and exercise – light to moderate exercise helps boost immune function! Even if it means squeezing in 10-15 minutes a day of brisk walking, exercise is a great way to relieve stress, which is another factor that can lower the immune system. Also a bit of outdoor activity and exposure to sunlight boosts vitamin D levels, which are important in supporting a healthy immune system.
-
For an easy herbal immune tonic, grate fresh ginger root and put between 1-3 teaspoons in a mug & steep for 5-10 minutes, then drink the tea. You can also add honey to taste to sweeten if you like, or pour it on ice for a cool drink. Ginger has great antiviral and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps with congestion, and it strengthens digestion. Not bad for a simple herb you might have in your home already!
Lice Facts
-
Lice don’t jump. They aren’t like fleas; they can only crawl.
-
Lice travel from head to head through contact–kids wrestling, putting their heads together to read, sharing hats and scarves.
-
Lice nest in the scalp and lay small white eggs on individual shafts of hair. Live lice and nits cannot survive off the scalp longer than 1-2 days. They need to feed several times a day.
-
Lice cannot live on furniture, clothing etc. beyond 1-2 days
-
Nits (eggs) cannot be brushed out of hair; they need to be gripped with fingernails or a lice comb and pulled completely off the shaft and disposed of.
-
Once a nit is removed from a shaft of hair, it cannot reattach.
-
Once a nit hatches, the louse takes 7-10 days before it lays its own nits. One louse will lay 4-8 eggs per day, and will live for 30 days.
-
Lice like all different types of hair, and lice prefer clean hair.
Lice Treatment
Over-the-counter treatments (Rid, Nix, etc.) contain toxic chemicals. 100% of all lice tested in California are resistant to these over-the-counter treatments. In other words, they DO NOT work. There are natural remedies, like Scottie-Cootie by HappyHeads, and QuitNits. These are non-toxic, and QuitNits professes to kill the eggs too. The treatment takes four hours.
All fabric that has come into contact with the infected person’s head must be washed and dried on HIGH HEAT FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. This includes pillowcases, blankets, hats, and scarves.
Any carpet, rugs, and upholstery that has come into contact with the infected person should be vacuumed.EVERYONE IN THE FAMILY SHOULD BE CHECKED DAILY!
Lice Prevention
Tell your kids NO sharing hats/hairties, and no sitting with their heads together. Many people swear by natural products that include tea tree oil (shampoo, detanglers, sprays). Some of the brands mentioned above (HappyHeads, QuitNits) sell sprays everyone can used daily.
Be careful with tea tree oil – a little goes a long way and you don’t want to burn the scalp. Most important, CHECK YOUR KIDS EVERY MORNING before they go to school. I’ve been checking mine daily since he had it.
Last, but not least, PLEASE ALERT THE SCHOOL AS SOON AS YOU FIND EVEN ONE NIT. Do not be embarrassed. This will help prevent new infestations, and keep it from spreading further.
