CCA District-Wide Newsletter
9-08-22
Attention Homecoming Parade Participants
New this year - if you are interested in participating in the homecoming parade, please fill out the form below. The deadline to sign up is September 21, 2022.
Homecoming Dance Tickets
Homecoming Dance Tickets - $10.00 per ticket
Parents/Students you can pay for your 2022 Homecoming Dance Tickets online with a credit card at the following link. https://ccaschools.powerschool.com/
Student/Parent PowerSchool Portal - Look for "purchases and payments" on the left hand side of the page once you are logged in.
We also accept checks made payable to CCA High School, or cash. **Please pick up your Homecoming Dance tickets from Mary Lou Grimm in her office.
Student Meal Accounts
There is not a free meal program for this school year. With the start of the new school year, all students must pay for meals. Free or reduced meals are still available for those who qualify and go through an application process. To start the process, click here and select 'apply for benefits'.
Please remember to check your student(s) meal account balance and add funds when it is low.
General Information About Head Lice
Lice are small insects or bugs that live on the human body. They are a grayish-brown in color and smaller than a sesame seed. The eggs of lice are called nits. Nits attach to hair strands. Nits can remain viable on clothing for about 1 month. Head lice can survive for about a week off of their human host. Lice are transmitted from person to person with close contact or by sharing personal items. Lice may crawl from host to host, but they do not hop, jump, or fly. In order to prevent the spread of lice, children should not share clothing, hats, helmets, combs/brushes, or bedding. Please periodically remind your child of this. Various insecticide sprays are marketed to target head lice on inanimate objects such as helmets, furniture, and flooring, but these are very dangerous to children and are no longer recommended. The district is using an all-natural environmental spray that has promising reviews and seems to be successful at helping us curb “outbreaks”. The success of this product strongly depends on parents letting us know when their child has lice. Once we’re aware, we can treat the classroom environment in the evening. We are also continuously reviewing possible avenues of potential transmission at school and are promptly eliminating or fixing those. We would encourage you to look for transmission sources at home and other activities outside of school, too.
We do not do routine, random screenings for lice at school because “current evidence does not support classroom or school-wide screening as a method to stop head lice transmission “ (IDPH). The Iowa Department of Public Health suggests that weekly screenings at home provide the best opportunity for prompt recognition and treatment of head lice. These screenings take time (most resources say at least 15 minutes per child). It is recommended that you screen your child at least once a week and if you find live lice or nits, follow the health department’s or your child’s healthcare provider’s treatment guidelines. If you need help with treatment or product, please don’t hesitate to contact us. If you’re having trouble with treatment failure, please contact your child’s healthcare provider to discuss other options. There are several causes of treatment failure. The following is taken directly from IDPH guidelines:
What causes treatment failure?
The following are several common reasons why treatment for head lice may fail:
- Misdiagnosis. The symptoms are not caused by an active head lice infestation.
- Applying the treatment to hair that has been washed with conditioning shampoo or rinsed with hair conditioner. Conditioners can act as a barrier that keeps the head lice medicine from adhering to the hair shafts; this can reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
- Not following the treatment instructions carefully. Some examples of this are not applying a second treatment if instructed to do so, or retreating too soon after the first treatment before all the nits are hatched and the newly hatched head lice can be killed, or retreating too late after new eggs have already been deposited.
- Resistance of the head lice to the treatment used. The head lice may have become resistant to the treatment. Many strains of lice have developed resistance to the permethrin and lindane insecticides. Also, all products have minimal ovicidal (nit killing) activity so nits remain viable, resulting in nymphal lice emerging after treatment, thus a second treatment 7-10 days later is recommended.
- Reinfestation. The person was treated successfully and the lice were eliminated, but then the person becomes infested again by lice spread from another infested person. “
Please remember, lice has no social or economical preference….they don’t care how clean a head is or how often someone bathes…..they just want hair and a scalp to call home. If you find lice or nits, PLEASE let the school know. We can’t help reduce the risk of transmission if we don’t know. We will not single your child out or tell other parents about individual students. Per IDPH guidelines, students will not be excluded from school because of lice.
Feel free to contact Kathy Campbell with questions or concerns regarding this matter. You may reach Kathy by email at kathycampbell@ccaschools.org.
Mental Health Matters: Brought to you by the CCA School Therapists
Ms. Bailey and Ms. Myleena are licensed therapists, along with Ms. Lucy, an Advanced Practicum student from the University of Iowa, who will be sending a short mental health message weekly. We are adding a mental health section to the district newsletter to increase the mental health conversation and decrease the stigma!
Let’s talk more about mental health!
"September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month —a time to raise awareness of this stigmatized, and often taboo, topic. We use this month to shift public perception, spread hope and share vital information to people affected by suicide. Our goal is ensuring that individuals, friends and families have access to the resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help." - NAMI
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14 and the 3rd leading cause of death among people aged 15-24 in the United States.
It is important to remember that although thoughts of suicide can be frightening, we can prevent attempts and offer hope. By reaching out for help or checking in on your students, family and friends, we can become a protective factor against suicidal ideation.
There are a few ways to approach a suicide-related crisis:
Talk openly and honestly. Don’t be afraid to ask questions like: “Do you have a plan for how you would kill yourself?”
Remove means such as guns, knives or stockpiled pills
Calmly ask simple and direct questions, like “Can I help you call your psychiatrist?”
If there are multiple people around, have one person speak at a time
Express support and concern
Don’t argue, threaten or raise your voice
Don’t debate whether suicide is right or wrong
If you’re nervous, try not to fidget or pace
Be patient
Like any other health emergency, it’s important to address a mental health crisis like suicide quickly and effectively. Unlike other health emergencies, mental health crises don’t have step by step instructions. This is why the crisis line is there to help.
Reminders
9/21 - School Board Meeting
9/26 - Homecoming week begins
Quick Links Below
Non-Discrimination Statement
It is the policy of the Clear Creek Amana Community School District not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, creed, age (for employment), marital status (for programs), sexual orientation, gender identity and socioeconomic status (for programs) in its educational programs and its employment practices. There is a grievance procedure for processing complaints of discrimination. If you have questions or a grievance related to this policy, please contact Angelica Brothers, Equity Coordinator District Office at 1486 Hwy 6 NW, PO Box 487, Oxford IA 52322, 319-828-4510 or angelicabrothers@ccaschools.org.