The email asked parents and caregivers to pick up their children.
Christchurch Girls’ High School was placed into a lockdown shortly before 10am after receiving a “threatening email”.
The school said the Ministry of Education had advised the lockdown.
“During this period the police were onsite and have assured us that we are safe to resume normal operations.”
Three police cars were seen at the school.
Christchurch Girls’ High School went into a precautionary lockdown. Photo / Anna Heath
The lockdown was lifted at around 10.30am, with an email being sent to parents and caregivers that everyone on site was “safely accounted for”.
The Ara Institute evacuated its campuses in Timaru and Christchurch after a bomb threat was received.
Concerned parents have taken to social media, saying that Fairburn School and Bairds Mainfreight Primary School had also received threats.
“Absolutely the scariest text/email to see, almost ended up in tears,” one parent wrote.
“Threat or not, can’t take things lightly when it’s our babies involved,” another said.
Another parent said they saw cars “speeding to get their kids” from school.
Police and the Ministry of Education have been approached for comment.
Teenage boy charged after nationwide online bomb threat investigation
In May, police arrested a teenager in Invercargill as part of an investigation into bomb threats sent to educational and public sites across New Zealand.
At the time, public and educational facilities around Auckland, including Unitec and the Auckland Art Gallery, were evacuated after a wave of threatening emails.
Acting on information gathered by Auckland-based detectives, Southland police searched an Invercargill residential address.
Southland area commander Mike Bowman said at the time the teenage boy was taken into custody without incident.
He was charged with two counts of threatening to kill or do grievous bodily harm.
Bowman said at the time it was unlikely the young person could have followed through on the threats.
“Regardless, threats of this nature are taken extremely seriously.”