As our students are enjoying the sunshine and warmer weather, please keep in mind that this is tick season in New Brunswick. While we may feel a sense of urgency when a child comes to the school office with a tick-like organism protruding from their skin; however, it is not the school’s role to remove the tick.
The parent/guardian is to be notified that their child has a tick embedded in their skin, and needs to have it removed by either the parent or a health professional. In the meantime, discourage the child from touching the site, and use a marker to make a small circle on the child’s skin to indicate the tick’s location. In the event that the tick falls off before the parent gets to the school, they can still have the skin inspected for residual embedded parts, and can monitor the site for rashes.
Unfortunately, in spite of our best efforts, sometimes a school is unable to make contact with the parent or guardian, or the guardian is unable to retrieve the child from school. When situations like this occur, please accompany the child to the nearest health center or hospital to have the tick removed.
Below please find information on Lyme Disease in New Brunswick from Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, and the Canadian Pediatric Society.
These links address general information, as well as prevention strategies like wearing protective clothing, using insect repellant, and checking clothes and skin for ticks.
If questions or concerns arise, please feel free to contact the Healthy Learners in School Program nurse for your education center:
Alberta Stanton, Saint John Education Center
Ann Hogan, Hampton Education Center
Joyce Walker-Haley, St. Stephen Education Center