20 May 2026

Kia ora whānau,

Following the lockdown that took place at our school earlier this week, I am writing to share an official update from the New Zealand Police.

We understand that events of this nature can be unsettling for our students and the wider community. Please be assured that our lockdown procedures were followed correctly, and the safety of our tamariki and staff remained our absolute priority throughout.

The statement below provides further context regarding the incident.

Kia Ora,

Police are aware of a report made on the morning of Monday, 18 May 2026, relating to a person sighted on Albertson Avenue, Port Chalmers, in close proximity to the school.

Police received a call from a member of the public advising that a male had been seen with an item that may or may not have been a firearm. Police responded promptly and attended the area; however, no person matching this description was located.

Police maintained a presence in the area for approximately one hour following the report. During this time, no further calls were received, and despite enquiries, Police were unable to identify or locate the individual involved.

At this stage, the person remains unidentified, and Police are unable to confirm whether any offence occurred.

We acknowledge that the reported sighting was in close proximity to the school and understand this may cause concern for students, staff, and parents. Based on the information available and the lack of any further reports or confirmed offending, there is no current indication of an ongoing risk to the public.

Police will continue to assess any new information should it come to hand. We encourage anyone with information relating to this incident to contact Police via 105, quoting the relevant date and location.

Please feel free to share this information with your school community to help provide reassurance.

Ngā mihi,

Jesse THOMSON

Team Leader
Offender Prevention Team

Otago Coastal

 

 

 

18 May 2026

Tēnā koutou katoa,

I am writing to inform you that our school briefly entered a lockdown procedure this morning following a report of a suspicious individual in the immediate vicinity of the school grounds.

Key Information:

Safety First: Police were notified immediately and arrived in the community to investigate.
Resolution: The lockdown has now been lifted. Police have cleared the area and confirmed there is no ongoing threat to the school.
Student Wellbeing: All students and staff followed our emergency procedures perfectly. At no point were any children or staff in direct danger.
We understand that incidents like this can be unsettling. Our staff are focused on maintaining a normal, calm school day for the children. 

Thank you for your cooperation and for trusting our safety protocols.

Ngā mihi nui,

Vicki Nicolson

 Principal