COVID-19

List of 12 frequently asked questions.

• What is CAK's current policy on face coverings? 

  Full-time facial coverings will be optional. However, all employees, visitors, and students should bring protective facial coverings to school daily. Students may occasionally be required to wear facial coverings if the indoor activity requires students to be in close proximity for extended periods of time such as small group activities. CAK will support any student/parent or employee that chooses to wear face coverings at school. 

• How will contact tracing / quarantine work this year? 

  Those who have received a positive test result must quarantine for the full 10 days from onset of symptoms or positive test result, prior to returning to campus. Those who have been instructed to quarantine by their physician or health department need to notify CAK to coordinate return dates. CAK follows the CDC and Knox County Health Department guidelines on quarantine times. 
  
  If someone in your family has COVID-19 please consult your physician or Knox County Health Department to determine the necessity of quarantine for the rest of the family and provide documentation from your physician or KCHD to the school. In the event your student is advised to quarantine, contact your school-level principal to coordinate classwork while not physically on campus.
  
  Due to the possibility of asymptomatic spread and lack of an available vaccine for younger students, CAK will notify parents of  COVID-19 cases in the Elementary and Middle School. Parents are to vigilantly monitor children for symptoms and keep children at home if symptoms present and consult their pediatrician. Additionally, the COVID dashboard data will be accessible on myCAK as a means of making families aware of all known cases on campus. Parents will be notified via email of cluster cases in each school.  

• Are COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory at CAK? 

  CAK does not require COVID-19 vaccinations for employees or students.

• What is CAK's policy on visitors and volunteers this year? 

  Visitors and volunteers are welcome in the school buildings. All visitors will be expected to adhere to specific procedural protocols of each school. Those protocols include mandatory check-in at our front desks and all Covid-19 protocols.

• Will CAK offer field trips in 2021-2022? 

  We plan to resume off-campus activities including retreats, competitions, and educational field trips. If for any reason a parent has concerns about their student participating in field trips or off-campus activities, contact the school-level principal for your child.

• What will happen if my child begins to show symptoms while on campus?

  Please know that our top two priorities are safety and health privacy. We will not share your name or your child’s name or other identifying information with the community at large. 
  
  

  If a student or employee begins to show signs of COVID-19 while at school, we have a separate space for them to wait, away from other students/staff, until they are able to be picked up from school. We ask that you speak to your health care provider, and if your child is COVID-19 positive, we ask that you let us know so that we can begin the process of contact tracing, which keeps everyone safe. 

• Does CAK offer a Distance Learning option for parents?

  At this time, CAK provides on-campus instruction for all students at all grade levels. The American Association of Pediatrics and other children’s health advocate groups believe that on-campus, in-person learning is best for students academically as well as socially. We concur.
  
  There may be times when it is necessary to go to distance learning for safety reasons. We will not be making those decisions lightly. In those times, while we know in-person is the ultimate goal, we also rest easy in the knowledge that we have the technology, experience, and ability to deliver our high-quality CAK education at a safe distance. 

• What makes CAK’s Distance Learning Model unique?

  First and foremost, anytime CAK decides to move to distance learning, our goal is to get back to in-person learning as quickly as is safely possible.
  
  CAK is experienced in moving to distance learning. We were the first school in the area to make the decision to do so in the Spring of 2020, and our students did not miss a single day of learning. As a 1:1 iPad school, our teachers are experienced in balancing hands-on learning with technology, and it is a seamless transition when we move to distance learning. Your child will have his or her own teachers there with them, every step of the way, building relationships and learning new material in a Christ-centered environment.

   

• If the government directs schools to remain closed, will CAK move to distance learning?

  We will continue to consider government and other health agency guidance when making decisions for learning. As good citizens and Christians, we believe that we are to follow Romans 13:1-2 and “Obey the government.” Certainly, we will consider the flexibility of the guidelines and make decisions in the best interests of CAK but we do not intend to act outside of the laws of the land.

• What if I am not comfortable sending my child in person?

  First, we would like the opportunity to speak with you to discuss any concerns you may have. However, if you truly are not comfortable with in-person learning, CAK does offer a homeschool umbrella. CAK’s Homeschool is recognized as one of the best Homeschool programs in East Tennessee.
  
  Keep in mind, this is not the same as distance learning. CAK’s Homeschool is a parent-driven learning experience, and we ask that you commit to this program for the academic year. If you are interested in learning more about CAK’s Homeschool as an alternative for your child, please let us know.

• If CAK moves to distance learning, will my tuition remain the same?

  As we did in the spring of 2020 when we moved to distance learning, we will consider the services that are not provided during distance learning and seek to refund the difference as appropriate.

• How will CAK communicate with parents?

  At CAK, we use several communications channels — social media, website, digital updates, and on-campus signage — to keep you informed throughout the summer and upon returning to school. During the 2021-2022 academic year, you will continue to receive the weekly all-campus e-newsletter, Inside CAK Today, on Thursdays as well as an email from your building principal on Fridays.
  
  In addition, for the very latest information on our response to COVID-19, parents/students/faculty/staff should log into myCAK then click on Resources> Medical Information. If you have questions, you can always reach out to communications@cakmail.org