Suspicious Person Seen at Pine Grove School

Avon Superintendent of Schools Gary Mala wrote a letter to parents to brief them on an unusual event that occured at Pine Grove School Wednesday morning.

The contents of the letter are below:

Dear Parents, Staff and Concerned Citizens:

Let me begin this communication by stating that the information being provided is not intended to cause you

concern or upset, rather, it is being sent to make you aware of an unusual event that was observed at Pine

Grove School this morning.

A staff member arriving to work at Pine Grove School this morning observed a male, who appeared as not

having any connection with the schools, seated in a late model white SUV. The staff person immediately

reported what she observed and the Avon Police were called to the school. The police responded immediately

and arrived after the person had left the premises. The description of the driver, the vehicle and its marker

plate were provided to the responding officer.

In response to this incident, I have consulted with Avon Police Chief, Mark Rinaldo, and he confirmed that

the police are actively investigating this incident. He and I agreed to enhance the security presence at the

school for an undefined period of time.

As you know, the district and each school maintain strict safety and security protocols; in this case those at

Pine Grove School were implemented without fail. Avon Public Schools remain vigilant with maintaining

and implementing comprehensive plans to ensure the safety of all of our students and staff. We will continue

to work collaboratively with the Avon Police to achieve this level of security.

Should additional information becomes available, I will notify you immediately.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Jess Giannini, Principal at Pine Grove School at (860)

404-4790 or me at (860) 404-4700.



Thank you for the continued support of your schools.

Very truly yours,

Gary

Gary S. Mala

Superintendent of Schools

Avon Public Schools

gmala@avon.k12.ct.us