Early this morning, a teacher at Traina Elementary School suffered a medical emergency and was rushed via ambulance to Sutter Tracy Community Hospital.

The teacher’s name and the grade taught were not available, as officials and staff at the school sought to protect the teacher’s privacy as much as possible.

Jefferson School District Superintendent Dana Eaton said it was a tough day for people at the school and at the district office.

“We’ve had a very busy day, and we’ve tried to stay focused on what the needs of the kids are,” he said. “We’ve offered counseling all day for those who need it, and we will do so going forward.”

He added that students' parents were notified about the incident.

At about 10:30 a.m., paramedics were called for a medical emergency at the school off Whispering Winds Drive. According to medical personnel heard over the emergency radio frequency, the patient was in cardiac arrest when medics arrived, but had a pulse while en route to the hospital on North Tracy Boulevard.

The hospital would not release the patient’s name, but said the patient was still in critical condition as of 4:50 p.m. today.

The superintendent hoped for a happy ending.

“Right now, our thoughts are with our staff and (the teacher’s) family,” he said.

“Our school district is very much a family.”