Monitoring COVID-19

Dear ESK Families,

With the media’s front and center attention of COVID-19 (aka, coronavirus), I have no doubt that many questions and concerns have reached your household at some level. In times of uncertainty, I will stress the importance of seeking reliable resources for accurate information regarding this global situation. It is also an appropriate time to have conversations about our readiness at school and the measures we can take to limit the spread of a virus or other common germs.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers a wealth of information to communities, households and schools regarding the specifics of COVID-19. Fortunately, we are not at a state of pandemic in the United States, as the number of cases across the US is still small. It is important to remember that handling the spread of a serious contagion like the coronavirus is primarily a task for public health agencies. In the event of elevated concern, ESK will follow the directives from the World Health Organization, CDC, and local government.

Please know that we are monitoring the coronavirus situation very closely. I receive daily updates from the National Association of Independent Schools, as well as conversation threads from other school leaders regarding their local responses, most of which center on foreign travel and exchange students at this time. Both sources help us talk through the immediate practices and the potential “what if” responses we should consider in moving forward.

As far as the immediate practices are concerned, I will invite you to join us in exercising those wonderful hygiene measures we often preach for the prevention of any bad germ:

Covering the cough
Hand washing (+20 sec with soap)
Limited facial contact
Adherence to illness policies
We will also be taking extra steps in keeping classrooms, table surfaces, keyboards, lockers, etc. well sanitized and cleaned during and after the school day. In addition, we will keep a close eye on monitoring and assessing our student illnesses and symptoms and any trends surfacing in the community.

In looking ahead at the “what ifs”, ESK will keep a positive and optimistic attitude in our daily actions, while closely monitoring the best course for the safety of our children. This will include our plans for student travel outside of Knoxville, as well as our daily on-campus instruction. Please know that in the event of an extended closure, we have many resources already in place (and piloted) to bring instructional lessons into the household. From Google Classroom, Renweb, online textbook subscriptions, video conferencing platforms, and virtual classrooms, we will be able to keep learning at ESK alive and on track.

We are grateful for your partnership, and we will continue to provide you with updates in our educational plan at ESK.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jack Talmadge
Head of School