Mailing Address
Van Voorhis Elementary
120 Folger St. Bldg. 5550
Fort Knox, KY 40121-6000
Principal: Laura Gibson
Phone: (502) 624-5854
Fax: (502) 624-7267

Healthy Habits from the School Nurse

Health Office Guidelines

A child may return to school when she/he feels well enough to participate in school activities, or the parent/guardian feels the child is well and the conditions below have been met:

Common cold or influenza- when no fever for 24 hours.
Gastroenteritis- when nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea have been absent for 24 hours.
Head Lice- Readmitted after the nurse has checked the child’s head and the child is nit free.
Impetigo- When medical treatment has begun and lesions are no longer weeping.
Conjunctivitis- When medical treatment has begun and there is no longer any discharge from the eyes.
Strep Throat- After a full 24 hours of antibiotic or with a note from the medical provider.

Cold or Flu?

Cold and Flu each are caused by a different virus that affects your upper respiratory tract (nose, sinuses, throat) - so they often produce similar symptoms. Pay attention to your primary symptoms, the symptoms that are bothering you the most. Remember to send with your kids a coat. The weather is changing and we need to protect them from these sudden changes.

Cold - runny nose, stuffy nose/congestion, sneezing, cough

Flu - fever and chills, body aches, fatique or weakness, eye muscle pain, cough (dry)

Handling head lice

If you find head lice on your child, please follow these instructions:

Call your Primary Care Clinic for a walk-in appointment to get a prescription for a special medicated shampoo. Use the medicated shampoo on your child/family according to the directions. Do not use it more frequently than recommended. It is an insecticide and can be toxic if not used properly.

Ft. Knox Community Schools have a NO NIT POLICY: The eggs (nits) must all be removed before the child can return to school. You must remove all the eggs (nits) that are attached to the hair. “The only way to do this is to comb or pick them out of the hair. The best comb that we have found is recommended by the National Pediculosis Association. It is called the "LiceMeister Comb" and can be purchased at Wal-Mart in Radcliff or Walgreens Drugstore in Elizabethtown. Besides being the most effective, it is sturdy and can be sterilized and used over again if needed. If it is not on the shelf, asks the pharmacist, they sometimes keep this comb behind the counter at Wal-Mart. Comb your child's hair in small sections. It will be easier and more effective. Comb your child's hair like this every day for the next two weeks. No head lice treatment will kill the eggs. That is why this is so important. If there are no eggs there to hatch, re-infestation is less likely to occur. An equal part vinegar and water hair rinse helps to loosen the eggs.

Re-shampoo the child’s hair with the medicated shampoo again in 7days (if the manufacturer recommends it). NO MORE THAN THAT.

Wash your child’s clothes that have been worn in the last two weeks. Don’t forget hats and coats. Wash the bed linens and towels. Use very hot water, and then dry on the hot cycle for at least 20 minutes. Lice will not drown, so it is important to use very hot water. The heat is what kills them. If you cannot wash the pillows, put them in a very hot dryer for 20 minutes.

Vacuum everywhere. To make sure the rest of your home is louse-free, you should vacuum the carpets, upholstered furniture, and don’t forget the car seats. We do not recommend using the lice sprays that are on the market. They are very expensive and not that effective.

Soak combs, brushes, etc., in very hot water for at least 10 minutes. The water temperature must be at least 150 degrees F. This is a lot of work, but unless all these steps are carried out, there is a chance that your child or another family member may become infested again. Do not worry about family pets. Human lice will only live on human hosts. Lice are a nuisance. They do not carry any disease in the United States that we know of.

NOTIFY THE SCHOOL NURSE that your child has head lice. She will then check the rest of the children in the class for head lice. Unless we find and treat every child with head lice, the infestation will continue to go around and your child may get the lice again. Your school nurse will also need to check your child before he/she returns to school. Your school nurse's phone number is (502) 624-1484/2937

Home \| Contact Us
Welcome to Van Voorhis Elementary Together: Nothing less than the best Proud member of the Kentucky School District
Food Service (Menus) \| Class Webpages \| Media Center \| Student Resources \| Counselor's Corner \| Nurse's Notes