Hopkinson said the school would close on Monday as per Ministry of Education guidelines “out of respect and for our staff to have time to comprehend this immense loss to our school community”.
A spokesperson for Ponsonby Intermediate School board told the Herald they are “still processing things” and might have more to say in the coming days.
The school will reopen on Tuesday and parents were told further information will be communicated via email tomorrow, including details of support for the students.
“As per Ministry of Education guidelines, we request that families hold off contacting teachers whilst we navigate this challenging time,” Hopkinson wrote in his email to parents.
“We know that Nick was much loved by our school community and this will be hard news to share with your children.
“Our love and thoughts are with Nick’s family at this incredibly difficult time.”
The email included advice to parents on how to discuss the tragedy with children. It was signed off “with great sadness” by Hopkinson and the school’s staff.
“Kua hinga te tōtara i Te Waonui a Tāne,” the email concluded.
“A tōtara has fallen in the great forest of Tāne.”
A statement from the Ministry of Education said they were aware of Wilson’s death and their Traumatic Incident team will be supporting the school for as long as needed.
“Our thoughts are with the family, staff, students and wider community at this very difficult time,” the Ministry spokesperson said.
The Year 7 and 8 school has a roll of about 580 students.
An earlier “principal’s message” on the school’s website from Wilson said the school offered a personalised approach to middle school teaching, designed to give children a wide variety of opportunities across the curriculum using the school’s specialist teaching model.
“The students at Ponsonby Intermediate always come first. You can expect your child to be well taught, well looked after and, in partnership with you, they will receive the best possible education over their two years with us.
“At Ponsonby Intermediate, we ensure our students enter the next stage of their lives with a positive self-image and that they look back on their time with us as an important and engaging one.
“I look forward to getting to know our students as they find their place in ‘The Ponsonby Experience’.”
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