Separate funerals will be held for the group from Auckland's Elim College who lost their lives at National Park.
Six students and a teacher died while canyoning on the Mangatepopo Stream on Tuesday.
Principal Murray Burton says while there will be individual funerals, they will be dovetailed so parents, students and the public can attend.
Burton says Manukau Mayor Len Brown has also offered the use of the TelstraClear Centre free of charge for a memorial, which will be held in about three or four weeks.
Burton has described the tragedy as a numbing experience but says the college is trying to keep a sense of normality.
The school chapel is to be kept open all of next week from 8am until 10pm for people to pay their respects.
Students at the college say their faith has helped them find a silver lining in the tragedy.
Head girl Jessica Mulder says the disaster will take a long time to work through. But she says they take strength from their Christian faith in knowing these people have gone to be with the Lord.
Mulder says that gives them a sense of joy and celebration.
A former student of Elim College who was good friends with the six who lost their lives says it is a battle to get up in the morning.
Rhys Vanewaardt, who now works as an apprentice chef, was particularly close to Anthony Mulder and he says they shared a love of cooking. He says it is hard to turn up at work and do what he loves when his friend will never get that chance.
Vanewaardt says Anthony Mulder was a top student and well liked.
Counsellors and the community have rallied around the school and many have poured their feelings onto paper, writing goodbye notes to already departed friends. "See you in heaven. You are in a better place now," some wrote.
The Christian community is in shock following the deaths. Allan Lee, news editor of the Christian network Rhema, says the community is trying to make sense of the tragedy.
He says the Christian community is small enough that everybody will know someone almost directly or is friend of a friend who have been involved in the tragedy.
Lee says Natasha Bray was a regular contributor to the network and they recently interviewed the 16-year-old for one of their programmes.
He says she was bright and clever and Rhema feels a sense of loss despite only knowing her as someone they interviewed.
