Hollister
– Life is slowly getting back to normal for the students and
teachers at R.O. Hardin and Calaveras schools whose classrooms were
vandalized last week.
Hollister – Life is slowly getting back to normal for the students and teachers at R.O. Hardin and Calaveras schools whose classrooms were vandalized last week.
“The community has been very supportive. We’ve been keeping things positive around here,” said Jean Murray, a second-grade teacher at R.O. Hardin whose classroom was ransacked last week.
Yesterday was the first time since the classrooms were vandalized that Hardin students were able to return – many classes celebrated with small “homecoming” parties and cupcakes. The students from the one classroom at Calaveras that was broken into were able to return the day after the mess was discovered.
“I think the best way to make things go back to normal is just act like nothing ever happened,” said Olivia Huerta, a second-grader in Murray’s class.
Four classrooms were broken into and vandalized at R.O. Hardin and one at Calaveras Oct. 7 and 8. Though the severity of the damage varied, all five were practically unusable Oct. 9 as volunteer clean-up crews and maintenance staff gutted the classrooms. The four R.O. Hardin classrooms were closed all week.
“The students were worried, but you just have to be thankful for the little things you find that weren’t ruined,” Murray said. “Like for instance, the kids were really glad that our puppet, Mrs. Green, survived.”
The vandals – three boys aged 10, 11 and 12 – broke in through the windows, tore student artwork off the walls, broke furniture, sprayed fire extinguishers all over the rooms, destroyed books and materials, smashed up computers, and splattered orange and black paint throughout the rooms. At Calaveras, the vandals even scattered bags of sugar or flour that had been housed in the room for a cooking demonstration, and a few items like CD players and stopwatches were stolen from the classrooms as well, but were returned. Police estimate the financial toll of the damage to be in the “thousands.”
Police confirmed last week that at least one of the boys was a Hollister School District student, and school officials believe at least one attended R.O. Hardin. If this is the case, all three would be recommended for expulsion, HSD Assistant Superintendent Peter Gutierrez said.
While the classrooms were out of commission, students shared rooms with other classes or stayed in the library.
“I kind of liked being with the other classes; I liked playing with the kids,” second-grader Joe Sanchez said. “But I’m happy we’re back.”
School officials were quick to praise the school parents’ club, whose members were pitching in to help with cleanup seemingly within minutes of the mess being discovered. Donations poured in from the community at large, said Vice Principal Lilia Espinoza, regardless of whether or not the donors had children attending the school.
“We’ve had somebody donate a new computer for us; somebody bought all new tubs for the children to put their things in; I found a Staples gift card in my box the other day,” said Murray. “It’s amazing how generous people have been.”
And that’s the lesson that teachers choose to impart upon their students in the wake of a crime that shocked local teachers and students alike.
“I’m telling the students that this isn’t going to hurt us or get us down,” Murray said. “Look at all these great friends who have helped us out.”
For their part, students seem to be looking forward to returning to normal school life.
“I was upset when I found out about what happened, because they could have ruined everybody’s things, even my things,” said second-grader Brandon Griffey. “But now I’m just glad people helped clean the classrooms and I hope nobody like those kids come back to our school.”
Danielle Smith covers education for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or ds****@fr***********.com.
