Back to school after Christchurch earthquake

Lachlan Botting (front) and his classmates shelter under tables during an earthquake drill. Photo / Alan Gibson

Lachlan thought it was a dream. Caitlyn thought someone was shaking her bed. Tegan thought it was "two rubbish trucks crashing together".

Whatever they thought of the earthquake that shook their homes early last Saturday and the resulting aftershocks, the pupils of Belfast School were showing no fear yesterday.

The primary school, on the northern edge of Christchurch, is among the first to reopen after the city was paralysed by the quake. The school had chairs and books knocked over, but no real damage.

Only about a quarter of the pupils turned up yesterday, however, because many families are still coping with the disaster at home.

Teacher Abbie Bergman said the returning children had been positive in sharing their stories about the quake.

"I think it's been really good for them to come back to school and get back to some normality.

"We did lots of painting, and that's been really good - just the therapy of being able to draw. Sometimes they can't speak it."

The children were possibly traumatised more by their parents' reaction than their own experiences, Miss Bergman said.

Rachel Ford accompanied her daughter Caitlyn, 6, to school, and stayed for the day to provide some assurance.

She said Caitlyn was coping okay with the experience of the quake - in which their family home escaped damage - but was suffering from a "little bit of anxiety".

Ange Pilkington was very relaxed about her son Conor, 7, returning to school.

"He couldn't wait to get here. He hasn't been fazed by [the quake] at all. I've got two boys and they have both been the same."

Lachlan Botting, 7, was in a top bunk when the "freaky" quake hit.

He and his sister, in the bottom bunk, jumped out of bed and went under the door frame.

"And the next big earthquake, my Dad said the 'sh' word," Lachlan said.

Tegan Johnson, 6, guided her 4-year-old brother to safety under the door frame when he wanted to go straight to their parents' bedroom.

"I said no, because it was an earthquake."

Maddie Stewart, 7, said her father came in and dragged her out of bed, while her mother grabbed her sister, before they also sought shelter under a door frame. "When the electricity went out, my Dad went and got the torch out of the van and went and checked on the animals, and they were all right.

"And a few minutes later, we went to see my nanny, because she had no hot water."

Principal Peter Simpson said it was ironic that Belfast pupils had this term been studying natural disasters.

* At least two Canterbury schools - St Pauls and Halswell - have been so badly damaged by the earthquake that they will probably have to be rebuilt. Two other schools, in inner Christchurch, are cordoned off from the public.