A blue slide, which was meant to become part of a new playground, was stolen from Glenbervie School, in Whangarei.
"Please give it back, we really need it. All the kids are probably really, really, really sad."
That's the message 8-year-old Asher Dry has for the person, or people, who stole a 1.5m blue slide from Glenbervie School.
The slide was to become part of a new playground to replacethe current one which is more than 20 years old.
Yet to be assembled, it was wrapped in packaging by the front gate - where it had to be stored as the field was too wet.
When teacher Ollie Tattersfield was at the school on Wednesday night there was no obvious sign of any damage, but when he arrived at the school on Thursday morning the package had been cut open.
"I was heartbroken given the amount of work that so many people had put in to the project.
"It was really disappointing to think that all those people have done all those wonderful things and someone's come along and chosen to take what wasn't theirs."
Mr Tattersfield said the slide was exposed in its location but he saw that as a positive thing so at least people would be able to see if anyone was tampering with it.
The slide stolen from Glenbervie School looks similar to this one.
Last year the whole school did an inquiry on active learning and the kids came up with 3D models of the types of things they wanted to see in the playground like slides, swings and flying foxes. There was also a lot of fundraising involved.
The Parent-Teacher Association donated money, there have been hot dog sales, movie nights, discos, bingo nights, grants, and a lot of parents and grandparents have turned up to working bees because the school has chosen to assemble the playground using builders in the community to save money.
"The slide that's gone missing - the intention was to next weekend assemble the whole playground with the view of it being ready for the kids to use from day one of next term.
"This is really important for the kids. This is a project they've been fully involved with," Mr Tattersfield said.
He said the slide cost about $2500 and the school's insurance does not cover it.
Asher, a student at the school, was not happy the slide was gone.
"I think it's really disappointing, all the kids will probably be really sad. We never got the chance to see it, and we never got the chance to play on it or anything.
"We did this big hot dog sale for it and it's just gone to waste. The whole thing was to get something new in to the school," she said.
Mr Tattersfield asked that the thief or thieves do the right thing.
"Hey look, if you've taken our slide - there's been an enormous amount effort put in by the whole Glenbervie School community, the kids included.
"They will be devastated to know they don't have a slide to play on the first day back of term four so please return it. We won't hold any hard feelings against you," he said.
