School hit in vandal spree

By Lia Bichel
TEACHERS at Hillsmeade Primary School are overwhelmed with community support after vandals wrecked a new early learning centre days before it was due to open.
Three people have been charged following the incident at the Narre Warren South school on 31 January where $50,000 worth of damage was done to the new building.
Acting Principal Kieren Denver said the teachers were devastated to learn paint was strewn on the walls and televisions in the new building but were pleased that so many people have offered their support.
“We had just received permits to usethe building a couple of days before it was broken into. “We received the news on the last day of school for principal Anne Nichols before she took her long service leave. It was really disappointing,” Mr Denver said.
“But the terrific thing is that we have had phone calls from families and people in the community offering to help and do fundraising activities.”
Mr Denver said all the staff at Hillsmeade Primary School were devastated by “the senseless act”, but everyone has remained professional and supportive of each other.
He said it was fortunate that there were no new teachers or enrolled students set to use the building yet, but hoped the incident would not affect the school in the future.
“We have not been able to set (the centre) up formally yet, but we have had a lot of people inquiring about it,” Mr Denver said.
“This has affected us in the short term because we are only able to use one out of three rooms in the early learning centre but, hopefully, it doesn’t affect us in the future and we can open it all up in the start of term two.”
Mr Denver said the school was in contact with their security company to install more CCTV cameras at the new early learning centre.
Two teenagers are due to appear before the Children’s Court at a later date and an 18-year-old had been bailed to appear before Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 2 March charged with criminal damage.