Summit Trail Middle School Goes Into Lockdown
Summit Trail Middle School (STMS) went into a brief lockdown today to deal with a situation involving a potentially violent student. During the lockdown, many unsure parents took to social media to express concern after receiving messages from their children about the situation. Usually lockdowns are reserved for serious and life threatening issues, so it is understandable why many parents were scrambling to figure out what was happening. The lockdown ended up being brief and after the situation was handled, the school district contacted parents to let them know that the event was not life threatening.
Parents of children close to the situation explained that the student in question was pounding on doors attempting to locate and assault other students. School staff responded in kind to ensure the safety of its students and in the end nobody was physically hurt. While the situation was thankfully handled, it is yet another example of potential violence and bullying occurring in the district.
UPDATE: From STMS Principle Sean Cassidy
Dear Summit Trail families,
I want to follow up on today’s lockdown and provide some more information. During the school day, a Summit Trail student was running through the halls and attempting to get into a number of classrooms looking for particular students. Our staff did what they felt was safest for our students and staff and put the building into lockdown. We did not know the student’s intent nor whether they had a weapon. There was no weapon involved. I am extremely grateful for the staff who quickly took the steps that they felt were best for our kids.
Immediately after putting the building into lockdown, we contacted local authorities and the district office. Before the situation escalated further, King Co. Sheriff’s Office had deputies on site. We’re very thankful for their partnership and response.
Shortly after KCSO and additional district security arrived, we assessed that our students and staff were safe, and we lifted the lockdown. We also made an announcement to all students and staff that they were safe and we appreciated them for being responsible and cooperative during the lockdown.
We know that these unexpected lockdowns can be frightening for all involved, including parents/guardians, and we try to avoid putting our students and staff in these situations. That said, our staff responded quickly and to the best of their ability with the information they had, and I am very proud of them for putting student safety first.
If you or your student could benefit from emotional support and resources, we strongly encourage you to connect with one of our school counselors, whose email addresses are listed here:
Branda Almli (last names A-G) - balmli@tahomasd.us
Bri Doherty (H-N) - blaverdi@TahomaSD.US
Naomi Whylie (O-Z) - nwhylie@tahomasd.us
District Wellness Coordinator Liz Thibert can also be reached at LThibert@TahomaSD.US
For additional wellness support, consider these resources, which can be found on the TSD Wellness Supports webpage:
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions. We appreciate your partnership.
Sean Cassidy, Principal
