KEY POINTS:
It's back to class as usual this morning for Russell St Primary School, though the circumstances and atmosphere are anything but usual.
The children and staff at the small Palmerston North school are recovering from the shock of the sudden deaths of Callum Langley, 10, and his sister Keryn Langley, 8, two "highly valued and well-rounded members of the school".
The chairwoman of the board of trustees, Carla Na Nagara, said the community's response had been one of "devastation, terrible sadness and disbelief".
The pair were killed on Friday evening when a cliff collapsed while they were playing in a popular swimming hole on the Pohangina River at Totara Reserve, 30km northeast of Palmerston North.
The tragedy also claimed the life of 13-year-old Michael Liengme, from Feilding. Michael's brother, Kevin, 10, escaped with a minor leg injury.
The Langley family spent yesterday grieving. The children's father, Neil Langley, briefly came out of the house and thanked the media for respecting their privacy at a difficult time.
Ms Na Nagara said classes would resume this morning, although there would be extra resources on hand to help children deal with the grieving process.
The school has set up a crisis management team, which has been liaising with trauma advisers from the Ministry of Education.
The team met yesterday afternoon to discuss how to cope with the remaining three days of the school year.
"The advice by the ministry's trauma people is that special forms of assembly aren't recommended in situations like this, and it's better for the children to have some semblance of routine," Ms Na Nagara said.
"They've given us guidance on how to handle the children coming back to school. The tragedy is widely known now, so it's a case of handling the children's grief, and the parents', and the teachers'."
The principal, David Reardon, was expected to call a special staff meeting this morning and speak individually to the teachers of Callum and Keryn.
Ms Na Nagara said the family were so upset that they asked the school not to talk publicly about the children.
"The school extends its heartfelt sympathy to the family. I understand there have been a lot of visits and we're in fairly close contact with the family. I know the community will do anything it can, and is doing what it can, to support them through this."
Callum and Keryn were "highly valued and well-rounded members of the school, and they will be sadly missed".
The Liengmes and the Langleys are old friends from their South African hometown in the province of KwaZulu Natal who decided together to move to New Zealand three years ago.
Mr Langley teaches science at Awatapu College and his wife Vivienne works at Palmerston North Boys High School.
In Feilding, Joanna Turnbull, a friend of Michael Liengme, said a fundraising Christmas Carol concert that Michael was due to MC at St Paul's Presbyterian Church at the weekend was called off.
"It just didn't feel right to go ahead without him and everyone was really shocked by what happened," she said.
St Paul's minister Graeme Turnbull said Michael was well loved by the youth group.
