“It’s a bit stressful knowing what to do. While it’s unlikely to turn into anything, who really knows what the person behind the threat is capable of?
“I don’t really want to overreact and rush down and pick the girls up but I’d also hate to look back and think ‘Why didn’t I just go and get them’.”
Social media posts say three police cars with lights on were outside Waitoki School near Kaukapakapa this morning.
Parents at Huapai District School got a text message at 8.59am to say the school was closing.
“Along with many schools in the area, we have received vicious emails. We are evacuating the school.”
Children were taken to the school’s soccer fields and parents were asked to pick them up from there. The school told parents in an email they had been instructed to evacuate by police.
“We have been in ongoing communication with the police and it appears that every school in the Rodney area received the email.”
Affected schools:
- Snells Beach School
- Browns Bay School
- Taupaki School
- Long Bay College
- Waimauku School
- Wellsford School
- Matakana Primary School
- Tomarata School
- Huapai District School
- Tauhoa School
- Gulf Harbour School
- Wainui School
- Stanmore Bay School
- Waioneke Snells Beach
- Riverhead School
- Huapai District School
- Tauhoa School
- Helensville Primary School
- Stanmore Bay School
- Waioneke School
- Sherwood School
- Dairy Flat School
- Whangaparāoa School
- Waitoki School
- Mairangi Bay School
- Murrays Bay Primary School
- Stella Maris Primary School
- Oteha Valley School
- Orewa Beach Primary School
- Orewa Primary School
- Orewa College
- Matua Ngaru School
- Glamorgan Primary School
- Torbay School
- Woodhill School
- City Impact Church School
- Murrays Bay Intermediate School
- Silverdale School
Another parent told the Herald she suspected the emails were just for attention and not credible threats, but was glad to have her kids home.
“The kids were pretty chill ‘cause it’s Friday, they’re at that stage where they don’t want to go to school.
“It didn’t scare them.”
The parent said she was expecting the school closure because she read the reports of yesterday’s threats in the Herald,
“I feel safe because they’re doing their work and the police are involved.”
Helensville Primary and Gulf Harbour School told parents they received a bomb threat over email.
“Along with other local schools, we have just received a bomb threat,” Gulf Harbour said.
More to come
