SHOELACE REQUEST

Hi Cozy Lake Families-

Surprisingly, I have had an increase in head injuries and bitten lips as result of falls/trips due to untied shoelaces.  If your child wears shoes with shoelaces, please encourage them to practice tying each night.  If their shoelaces come untied during the day and they struggle to re-tie them, please encourage them to ask a friend or an adult to assist them to re-tie rather than leaving them untied and risking an injury.  Thank you so much!

Happy Halloween!

Hello Cozy Lake Families!

We are all so excited for Halloween 2019!  We have so many exciting activities planned for the kids.  I just have a few reminders to ensure our students all remain healthy, happy and safe this Halloween!

• Food will be shared at our Halloween classroom parties.  The list is very limited and, as always, the parties will be activity-based rather than food-based.  If you have any concerns related to the following food list, please reach out to me as soon as possible. This year's food list will include;                
•  Sea Salt (only) Pop Chips
• Rold Gold (only) Pretzels (twists, thins or sticks)
• Plain or double stuffed (only) Oreos &
• Capri Sun 100% fruit juice

• If your child's costume contains a face mask or other accessory that covers their face or head, for safety reasons, please remind your child NOT to wear a mask or face covering during bus transportation. 
• If your child's costume is "complicated" and could present a safety concerns to self or others, please have your child wait till they arrive at school to put the costume on. 

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535.  

LICE INFORMATION

It is common for school nurses to find cases of head lice amongst the students this time of the year.  A handful of cases were reported to me this week.  Primarily in the second grade.  It is important for everyone to review the following information about head lice to help us better manage this pesty problem.

Head lice is nothing to be ashamed of.   Cleanliness and personal hygiene have NOT been linked to contracting head lice. If  cases of head lice are reported or found in your child's class, I will check the class for lice.  In addition, the students and I discuss lice and the things we can do to prevent the spread of lice.  I also send a letter home to remind parents to be on alert for signs or symptoms of lice.  I am, of course, sensitive to the students' feelings and treat each case confidentially.     The parents of students with lice are notified and provided with the necessary information to ensure successful treatment.    The students are treated appropriately by their parents and re-checked prior to returning to school.   

The following are important lice facts to keep in mind:

• Lice do NOT jump or fly.  They only crawl.
• Lice spread from DIRECT head to head contact and, therefore, schools are NOT the primary source of transmission.  Camps, daycare, sleepovers, playdates, etc. are the common source.
• Once on a head, lice prefer to stay on the head (close to its food source).  Spreading primarily occurs once a full infestation exists and the lice are looking for a new home. Therefore, catching and treating lice early is important.  Please check your children for lice regularly. 
• It takes weeks for lice infestation to occur, so students can be in school with lice for weeks undetected.  Therefore, please reinforce avoiding direct head to head contact with your children and encourage your child with long hair to keep hair tied up in a ponytail or braid. 

Please watch for the following symptoms in your child:

• Intense itching of the scalp.
• Regularly check the nape of the neck and behind the ears for lice eggs (called nits).  Nits are usually whitish ovals that glue themselves to the hair shafts and cannot be removed easily.
• Adult lice are tiny, grayish-brown, wingless insects and shy away from light.  They are harder to see than the nits. 
• If you find lice or any nits, it means your child has head lice. 
• If your child has head lice, please contact me immediately so other children in the class can be checked. If your child has lice, they will need to be treated before re-entering school. Each case will, of course, be treated confidentially.  

***For more lice information, please refer to the Lice Handbook on the Jefferson Township website (click link for District Offfices, then Health Services, then Forms & Documents)

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate to reach out to me at (973) 697-4777 ext. 5535. 

NEW Option for Students With Food Allergies!

We have an exciting new program being offered by our Food Service Department for students with food allergies.  We are now offering Allergen Pre-Order Menus.  Of course, all our elementary schools are peanut, tree nut & fish free, but we have been seeing an increase in allergies to egg, dairy, and gluten as well.  Therefore, students, who have these additional documented allergies, can now pre-order meals safely with our new Allergen Pre-Order Menus.

What's new:
Specific staff received advanced, on-going special training on food label reading, cross-contact procedures, and food allergies.  A new system has been established utilizing strict protocols to ensure allergy (peanut, tree nut, fish, egg, dairy, gluten)  free meals are prepared and provided safely for the students with these documented allergies.  The Pre-Ordered Allergy Meals are prepared and packaged separately and labeled with your child's name accordingly.


Here's how it works: 
Special menus are posted 2 weeks prior to the month on the district website (see link for district home/district offices/food services/ allergy pre order menus).  If your child has a documented allergy and you would like to have them purchase from the menu, complete the bottom portion and have your child return to cafeteria 1 week prior to the month. The meals will be prepared and packaged and delivered to the appropriate school with your child's name in time for lunch!

Check out the menus and additional information on the website. If you have additional questions or input, please reach out to our Food Service Director, Eric Ventriglia, at eventriglia@jefftwp.org or (973) 697-3106 ext 5878.  We appreciate any and all feedback to help us make this offering a success.

I hope this is helpful to our many families and students who struggle daily with food allergies.