Horowhenua Secondary Schools encourage conversation in wake of shootings

Horowhenua Schools are talking to their students all week about the events that took place in Christchurch last Friday. Photo / NZ Herald / Mark Mitchell

Secondary school principals in Horowhenua are encouraging students to talk about the Christchurch tragedy last week as they rally to support those people directly affected.

Horowhenua College principal Grant Congdon said the school would observe a minute's silence on Friday to mark a week since the shootings that killed 50 people, marked by a bell ring.

Students were given an opportunity to bring koha and identified Burnside High School in Christchurch as the recipient of those donations, as a large number of students there were connected to the tragedy.

He said students wanted to write to Burnside to provide words of affirmation to its students.

"We are enabling and facilitating conversations in class and around the school," he said.

He said students were genuinely interested and concerned. The school was engaging with parents to explain how they were dealing with the issues and, in time, they would also review lock-down procedures, he said.

Waiopehu College principal Mark Robinson said staff at the school had a conversation with head students to discuss ways in which they could best respond.

Mr Robinson said they were listening to ideas coming forward from the students which included how best to convey messages of support and collect and pledge money to those directly affected.

"Every principal in New Zealand would have spent the weekend thinking about how as a school we can work with students to support those people affected," he said.

He said it was a time to be mindful of compassion and kindness and they were values the school would be reinforcing.

One idea to come forward was a memorial service on Friday at the school, which was significant as it would mark one week since the tragedy, and also as it was an important day of Muslim worship.

Manawatū School principal Bruce McIntyre said senior students had organised a number of initiatives after asking what could they do as a College to support those grieving after Friday's attacks.

Students were encouraged to bring a koha which would go to Cashmere High School to support their grieving families. The school was chosen as many students there were affected.

He said they were also encouraging students to stand against "racism, hate and evil" by
challenging any such talk when they were confronted by it.

He said the message was also not to share or promote racism on social media by viewing and sharing it. They were reinforcing the school values of tolerance, compassion and love.