CANCELLATION OF ANNUAL LICE CHECKS: 

As communicated in our September newsletter, this year (2023-24), the SF PAC has decided to cancel the annual lice checks that have traditionally taken place in our school. After careful consideration and review of the information available, we are following the Vancouver Coastal Health advice: “Routine head checks have not been shown to prevent or reduce cases of head lice”.

Here is the basis for our decision:

1. A Common Issue with Low Impact Lice are commonly found in all environments irrespective of age, household income, or region. Lice are an itchy annoyance, but lice do not cause disease of any kind. There is no medical reason to exclude a child from school due to lice.

2. No Impact on Prevention Research has shown that routine lice checks do not have a significant impact on preventing lice infestations in school settings. Instead, education about prevention measures and early detection at home have been found to be more effective.

3. Stigmatization The practice of lice checks can lead to the stigmatization of affected children, causing unnecessary embarrassment and anxiety for both the child and their family. This can have a negative impact on their social and emotional well-being.

4. Resource Allocation The time, money, and volunteer resources dedicated to conducting annual lice checks will be used for other SF PAC initiatives that have a more direct positive impact on our students' school experience.

Please be assured that we remain committed to ensuring a healthy and safe learning environment for all our students. Vancouver Coastal Health and the Vancouver School Board have provided a research-backed summary of the realities of lice in our environment and how to reduce infestations and treat them when they occur. Please check it out here:

We encourage you to continue practicing good lice prevention measures at home and to promptly inform the Simon Fraser Elementary school office if your child is found to have a lice infestation so that the school can take appropriate steps to prevent its spread within the school community. Healthlink BC provides lice management recommendations in 8-languages here:

If you have any questions or concerns regarding this decision, please reach out to us at pac@simonfraserelementary.com

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation through this change as we focus the efforts of SF PAC on impactful programs that improve our students’ school experience.