Yesterday afternoon, there was another update related to spraying for mosquitoes. This one came from the Northborough-Southborough Schools District.
According to the Superintendent’s message, all ten public schools in the district will be sprayed tomorrow evening – Thursday, September 12th.
This isn’t the aerial spraying that the state started last night. This spraying will be conducted on the ground by the regional agency.
Here is the message with more detail:
The Central Massachusetts Mosquito Control Project (CMMCP) will be spraying our school grounds at each of our ten schools. Seven of our schools will be sprayed Thursday, September 12, 2019, after 7:30 PM and the Robert E. Melican Middle School, the P. Brent Trottier Middle School, and Algonquin Regional High School will be sprayed Thursday, September 12, after 9:30 PM.
As a public school system, the Massachusetts Pesticide Control Act requires parents, staff, and children to receive the Massachusetts Pesticide Bureau Consumer Information bulletin whenever pesticide applications are being made on the property of a school. This bulletin is being provided to you along with a Standard Written Notification form, a Pesticide Specific Factsheet, and a Pesticide Label. To access this information, please visit the links below.
Notice: The Act Protecting Children And Families From Harmful Pesticides Of 2000
Standard Written Notification: The Public Schools of Northborough and Southborough
Pesticide Specific Factsheet: Pesticide Specific Factsheet
Pesticide Label: Zenivex_E4_label.pdfAfter consulting with CMMCP, students may return to the playgrounds and athletic fields on Friday, September 13, 2019. Please contact me if you have any questions.
Respectfully,
Gregory L. Martineau
Superintendent of Schools
The schools also sent out a second communication, following up on the previous one giving worried parents options. This communication includes direct links to the request form to keep children indoors and the permission form for mosquito repellent to be applied to children before going outdoors:
Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) Informational Update:
Recently, we provided parent(s)/guardian(s) with the opportunity to request that their child(ren) stay inside during the school day. Here is the request form.
This request will remain active until the EEE risk level is lowered by the Department of Public Health (DPH) or the parent/guardian provides a written note stating they no longer want their child(ren) to remain indoors during the school day.
We have also provided parent(s)/guardian(s) the opportunity to request insect repellent be applied once during the school day prior to outdoor activity. Here is the permission form.
This request for daily application will remain active until the EEE risk level is lowered by the DPH or the parent/guardian provides a written note stating they no longer want their child(ren) to have insect repellent applied at school.
The completed forms should be returned to your child’s school. PLEASE note, if you complete and return both forms, your child will not be going outside, so insect repellent will not be applied.
While taking these precautions at school, it is essential that parents are also taking precautions, as recommended by the DPH, at home. These include the application of insect repellent to clothing before school, wearing long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and socks as well as avoiding outdoor activities from dusk to dawn.
In some instances, if you are applying a product with DEET before school, there may not be a need for reapplication during the school day. Please see the chart below of a study determining the hours of protection of various percentages of DEET.
From this study cited on the MDPH Mosquito Repellent Factsheet, we can assume if you are applying a repellent with 30% DEET before school, protection would last 5-6 hours and there would be minimal need for reapplication during the school day.
At school, repellent is applied once before lunch-time recess. The application takes place outdoors and the repellent is only sprayed on your child’s clothes. It will not be applied directly to your child’s skin.
You can visit the District’s Health and Wellness Webpage for more information and links to resources. Please contact me with any questions, comments or suggestions.
Mary Ellen Duggan MEd, BSN, RN, NCSN
District Wellness Coordinator
mduggan@nsboro.k12.ma.us
508-486-5115 x71254
