Papatoetoe Central School in South Auckland went into lockdown due to an emergency incident nearby on Great South Rd. The lockdown was initiated in response to an assault that took place at a bus stop in the vicinity.
During the lockdown, the school communicated with parents and caregivers through social media, requesting them to stay away from the area and avoid making phone calls to prevent disruption to the management of the incident and to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
It is announced through Papatoetoe Central School’s social media page:
“Dear Parents/CaregiversEMERGENCY LOCKDOWNAs you are aware, Papatoetoe Central School went into lockdown just before 3:00pm today. I would first and foremost like to thank our school community for their patience and understanding. I acknowledge the worry and concern an emergency lockdown causes for parents, whānau and the wider community. The fact that the lockdown occurred just before school pick up time made it particularly difficult for all involved. The community remaining calm while the lockdown was carried out allowed our school leadership team and staff to enact procedures swiftly in order to ensure the safety of our children.To provide some context for the reason behind the lockdown, I can advise that an incident involving members outside of our school community occurred at the school gates at approximately 2:45pm. The school immediately went into lockdown and emergency services were involved. As the situation was continuing to evolve past 3:00pm, we were advised to remain in lockdown until the authorities could deem the surrounding area safe.As the school principal, I am confident that the lockdown was necessary for the safety of our children and would like to thank our staff for their quick response to a difficult situation. As our school community may recall, our staff recently trained with an external company who specialises in helping schools put together emergency responses. Our staff enacted these procedures with confidence, competence and we are proud of our response.Once again, thank you to our community for the positive support.Yours sincerely,Sam HoltTumuaki | Principal”
The school’s principal, Sam Holt, provided updates and context for the lockdown, assuring the community that the safety of the children was their priority. The lockdown was lifted once authorities deemed the surrounding area safe, and all students, staff, and individuals on-site were accounted for and confirmed to be safe.
The school expressed gratitude to the community for their understanding and support during this challenging situation. They also mentioned that further information about the incident would be communicated to parents and caregivers later.
