About 50 6-year-old year 2 pupils would return for the start of the school's third term today to witness the devastation inflicted on their classroom, school books, and art work, Wanaka Primary School principal Dr Wendy Bamford said.
"I'm disgusted that anyone would do this.
"It is like a home invasion and is so much more than just things being destroyed," she told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
Constable Mike Thomas, of Wanaka, said the offenders had broken into the school toilets through a window, climbed into the ceiling, and had then smashed their way through a classroom wall.
They stole a classroom laptop computer, smashed equipment, and had left paint strewn across the children's classroom walls, books, and art.
The offenders had also defecated on school benches outside the classroom, Const Thomas said.
Dr Bamford said she was "gutted" by the sheer mindless and wanton acts of destruction.
The school had "never before" been subjected to such acts of vandalism, she said.
"We've had the occasional broken window or graffiti, but nothing on this scale.
"Certainly not broken entry . . . I just hope it's not someone from the local community," she said.
Class three teacher Claire Kane said the incident was upsetting and she did not know how the children would cope.
"It's all their own art work and school books - personal things - which makes it worse," she said.
Staff spent yesterday afternoon, unsuccessfully trying to find a commercial cleaner.
However, a decision was made to transfer the affected class and pupils to the school library, Dr Bamford said.
School pupils would be taken through the paint-strewn vandalised classrooms and then teachers would sit down with their classes and everyone would talk about the situation.
"Respecting personal property is one of our school's core values.
"We will discuss with the children how it feels when something like this happens.
"They will learn one of life's most important lessons: that people's actions have an impact."
The cost of repairing and cleaning the two classrooms, replacing the stolen computer and the damaged books and equipment would run into thousands of dollars, Dr Bamford said.
A forensic analyst spent time yesterday afternoon combing the damage-strewn scene, with footprint casts and fingerprints being taken away for evidential testing by police.
Police were appealing for any information from the public to assist with inquiries.
"We think the offenders will have ended up with paint on their clothes, so if any parents come across some paint-strewn items, please contact the police," Const Thomas said.
