Report of Activity Around the Summerville Elementary Campus, Monday, September 28 - Working Together for Safety!

Good evening Summerville Elementary Parents, Students, and Staff,

As the school year progresses, things remain very busy on and around our campus. Today we experienced another community alert similar to last week's. We are communicating with parents and staff again to ensure we all have the same information and to express our gratitude for the incredible community we are part of. 

This afternoon at approximately 4:45 PM, a parent reported seeing what looked like a rifle in the possession of a child outside of a home adjacent to the school. The parent immediately called 911, and our administrative team swept the front of the school to investigate.  

Within 10 minutes of the report, a host of Tuolumne County Sheriff's deputies and first responder staff responded to the school and quickly confirmed that an elementary-aged child, who is not a student at Summerville Elementary, had a BB gun in his front yard. The deputies confirmed the child engaged in no malicious activity, and there was no danger to the school, students, parents, or staff at any time. The deputies also advised the parents to ensure the child did not play with the BB gun in the front yard due to the home's proximity to the school. The parents were agreeable, and the report ended without incident. 

Once again, I am incredibly thankful for the swift response of the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Office. In such a large county, the issue was attended to immediately, and the utmost caution was taken because of the report. We are deeply grateful that the report was only a minor incident, and that all reports will be taken seriously and with caution every time. 

I continue to be amazed and so thankful for the supportive and proactive community we live and work in. I can confidently say, truly, "Together, we are making a difference every day!" Thank you for being a part of this with us at Summerville Elementary and in the Tuolumne Community.

Each day, we focus on the safety of our campus for all of our students, staff, and parents. And each report, just like this one, helps us ensure that we know what is going on. We are confident that each report is an opportunity where we can partner with our community agencies to maintain a safe and secure learning environment. This is our goal every day, and we are grateful to keep learning how we can do this better each day. If you have any questions or would like to discuss this situation more, please don't hesitate to reach out. We are more than happy to set up a time to provide additional information.

Together, we can make a difference! Every day! Thank you for being a part of this with us!

~Ben Howell, EdD - Superintendent, Summerville Elementary School