Blaxland Public School break-in; iPads, notebooks stolen

Kindy pupils at a small Blue Mountains primary school have ended their first year on a sour note.

Kindies at a small Blue Mountains primary school have ended their first year on a sour note. Generic picture by Derek Moore.

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Kindy pupils got a rude shock on Monday, arriving at school to find their classroom window smashed open.

The Blue Mountains News was told cowardly thieves smashed a highway-facing window of Blaxland Public School’s kindergarten block over the weekend and stole 10 iPads and numerous laptops from the five- and six-year-olds.

“This is a low act to perpetrate on a primary school,” the school’s P&C vice-president, Nicholas Noel, said.

Blaxland Public School’s kindergarten block.

“Blaxland Public School is a small school, and it’s hard to replace things of this nature,” Mr Noel said.

“As a parent of a kindy kid, it’s a sour note to end on for these kids in their first year of school.”

The News was told staff at the tight-knit school showed up on their day off on Sunday and pulled up their sleeves to clean up broken glass left lying on the classroom floor.

They wanted to make sure the classroom was “safe” and “well-presented” before students got back to school.

“The worst thing about break-ins in schools is the impact break-ins have on the students — it’s almost like a violation, and it’s their space that’s been broken into,” said a staff member, who did not wish to be named.

A blind has been lowered over the boarded-up window “so students aren’t (made) aware”.

Blaxland Public School opened in the area in 1926.

Police were tipped off about the incident by an anonymous caller who told police she noticed a broken window when driving past.

“We’ve sent crime scene around, to check for fingerprints and see if there’s an offender we know in the system,” a spokesman for Blue Mountains Police Area Command said.

He said police believe the incident occurred between 6pm on December 7 and 6am on December 8.

He urged anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or Springwood Police Station on 4751 0299.