CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Aiea Elementary students prayed yesterday during a special assembly for missing girl Kahealani Indreginal. A local pastor and police officer also spoke to the students about hope and safety.

Disappearance leaves
school on edge

Hiker discovers girl's body in Aiea
Community shares sympathy and anger
Communication is key to kids' safety

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By Susan Essoyan and Sally Apgar
sessoyan@starbulletin.com | sapgar@starbulletin.com

Students at Aiea Elementary School tied yellow ribbons to the chain-link fence in front of their school yesterday afternoon, filling in several large hearts as symbols of their hope that Kahealani Indreginal would come home safely.

Less than two hours after school let out, teachers and students learned a body had been found and that it was believed to be the missing girl.

"We wanted to leave the children with a sense of hope today when they left school," said Aiea Principal Arthur Kaneshiro, "but this is devastating."

Kaneshiro said they held an assembly at the end of the school day, first to warn children about being careful and then to "give them a message of hope" with yellow ribbons to symbolize Kahealani coming home."

Jocelin Lansangan, 11, tied a ribbon to the fence hoping her friend Kahealani would come home.

"Me and my friends thought everything would be all right," said Jocelin as she cried softly over the telephone last night. "We are sad and shocked that this thing happened.

"It also makes me feel scared. What if this happens again to somebody?"

Jocelin's father, Soliven Lansangan, said: "I feel very sorry for the family, the parents. I was hoping that this would not end this way."

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / CKOJIMA@STARBULLETIN.COM Students tied yellow ribbons to the chain-link fence in front of their school, forming several large hearts. Jeromiah Faatoafe, right, held one of the ribbons.

Like other parents, Lansangan drove home yesterday trying to find the words he would use to talk to Jocelin and her sister. He said he would remind them not to walk alone and to be careful. He said he would pick them up if they stayed late at school.

"Honestly, I am very worried about my children," he said. "I'm not gonna let them walk by themselves."

Kaneshiro said they will start planning this weekend how to counsel students and teachers when school reopens Monday.

"We all feel powerless in a way," said John Erickson, vice principal and counselor at the school.

Erickson said a local pastor and police officer talked to students about hope and safety. In the morning, school staff also visited each class individually to discuss the situation.

Earlier yesterday, several of Kahealani's friends came to the counselor's office in tears.

"A lot of her girlfriends have been coming in crying," Erickson said. "I tell them it's OK to cry. You care and you love her. I couldn't sleep last night myself. It's a close-knit community. Everybody kind of knows everybody because these kids all see each other at school and at home and on the weekends."

Close to 400 students attend the school, and many live in the Puuwai Momi housing complex, he said.

He described Kahealani as a "really sweet girl" and a dedicated student who was involved in the school's performing arts group, Na Mele, which does Hawaiian and Tahitian singing and dancing.

"She is the kind of kid you would want to have as a daughter and as a kid in your school," he said. "She's very responsible, always respectful, never a problem on any level."