CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARBULLETIN.COM Children at Seagull Preschool in Kapolei were kept out of areas yesterday where vandals tore apart the play area and broke windows to a classroom sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning.

Vandalism troubles
Kapolei preschoolers

Seagull Preschool loses a
classroom and playground gear

Some Kapolei preschoolers are questioning why anyone would have wanted to vandalize their classroom and playground this week.

Vandals caused an estimated $2,000 in damage to one of the classrooms at Seagull Preschool, 91-531 Farrington Highway, sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning by breaking six classroom windows and trashing several pieces of playground equipment. School officials kept children out of both areas yesterday while trying to explain what happened.

"They ask, 'Did we do something wrong?' or "Are they mad at us?'" said Seagull Preschool Director Jayne Arasaki. "You know kids -- they take it so personally.

"All they understand is that they cannot play in the play area and that someone broke their toys."

Arasaki said the vandalism must have happened after she left the school about 10 p.m. Monday and before staff arrived on campus about 5:45 a.m. the next day.

She said they had closed the children's classroom and even got rid of the carpet because they were not sure they could remove all the shards of glass from the broken windows.

"They also damaged a wooden playhouse that was an Eagle Scouts' project in the back," she said. "It's so sad."

Arasaki said the community response to the school vandalism thankfully has been tremendous. Campbell Estate officials have donated about $1,000 to make repairs, while parents and alumni have offered to do volunteer work.

"It's amazing how the community has come together over this," she said.