Tauranga colleges hold remembrance events for Christchurch shooting victims

Fifty empty chairs placed on a covered stage at Tauranga Boys' College represent those who lost their lives after the Christchurch shootings. Photo /Supplied

Students at three Tauranga high schools are among those paying tribute to the victims of the Christchurch terror attack.

Tauranga Girls' College fell silent on Monday morning for a remembrance vigil to honour the lives lost in the mosque shootings on Friday.

Principal Tara Kanji said several members of staff and the school's head girl Maioha Haimona-Ngawharau met over the weekend to consider how to support the Muslim community.

They made a plan to acknowledge the tragedy, show support and help staff and students who were particularly impacted.

Kanji said many students brought flowers and messages of hope and support to Monday's vigil. The messages would be sent to Christchurch and the flowers would be taken to the Tauranga Mosque.

The school has also allocated two spaces for students to use to reflect, contemplate and have guidance from counsellors and write messages of support.

Two school spaces have been allocated to allow students to reflect, contemplate and have guidance from counsellors should they need it. Photo / File

Tauranga Boys' College principal Robert Mangan said he addressed the whole student body at a full assembly yesterday. "The assembly was mainly focused on the events in Christchurch and we held a minute's silence to show our respect and support for all those who have lost their lives and for the wider Muslim community," he said.

Mangan said a prefect came up with the idea to pay tribute to the 50 people who died by placing 50 empty chairs on an outdoor stage at the school.

Students were asked to post their messages of support on the chairs, and to stand in solidarity with Christchurch and whole Muslim community," he said.

Otumoetai College principal Russell Gordon said he sent a message around the school that the hate and intolerance shown in Christchurch on Friday was deplorable and "we must all take a stand against it".

"One of the students came up with the idea of cutting up strips of coloured paper on which students can write down their own personal thoughts about what has happened."

Gordon said on Wednesday afternoon all the messages will be turned into a big daisy chain as the whole school comes together to pay tribute to those who lost their lives.