Education

Two major transitions at the Springs School this year, a return to a nine-period schedule and the implementation of a “restorative justice” discipline policy, have met or exceeded expectations, school officials reported during a school board meeting on Tuesday.

James Farrell of East Hampton and Troy Remkus of Sag Harbor are the latest local teens to achieve the highest honor the Boy Scouts community has to offer — that of the Eagle Scout.

The nonprofit organization East End Arts presented the annual Teeny Awards on Sunday to students named outstanding performers in school plays and musicals, including four from the South Fork.

Andrea Rivera Sagbay and Joey Suter of East Hampton High School have received prestigious scholarships in recognition of their achievements.

Parents and guardians of students who attend the Springs School and John M. Marshall Elementary School can now register their children for Project Most's after-school program for the 2022-23 school year.

When DanceHampton embarks on its annual recital and competition showcase this weekend, Kelly Hren will celebrate two milestones: the 15th anniversary of her East Hampton dance studio and the graduation of her daughter, Emma Hren, the studio’s only senior, who has been dancing there since its inception.

This week's activities for kids and teens include a virtual visit with Carl Hiaasen, an award-winning YA author, as well as dance shows, games, Fathers Day crafts, and a "Big Bubble Bonanza."

This weekend it's house lights down, stage lights up for the students of South Fork Performing Arts, who will present the plays "Shuddersome: Tales of Poe" and "Peter and the Starcatcher" at LTV Studios in Wainscott.

Applications are open for New York State's Excelsior Scholarship, through which students from families that earn up to $125,000 in annual, adjusted gross income can attend two or four-year public colleges in the state tuition-free.

At noon on Thursday, students across the nation, including at East Hampton High School, walked out of their schools to send a message on gun control to elected officials: "Enough is enough."

In the aftermath of the racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo on May 14, the New York State Education Department announced this week that it is canceling this year's Regents exam in United States history because of concerns that some of the test's content "has the potential to compound student trauma caused by the violence in Buffalo, which created an unexpected and unintended context for the planned assessment."

Drip-painting workshops are back in person for kids at the Pollock-Krasner House, plus trivia games, gardening, chess, and more in store for kids and teens.

Another mass shooting has claimed the lives of school children, with at least 19 students and two teachers dead in Uvalde, Tex., after an 18-year-old gunman opened fire at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday. The deadly attack has police and schools on the South Fork on high alert, though no specific threats have been identified.

It’s the time of year when recognition pours in for students, giving standout kids credit where credit is due in the arts, academics, sports, and other areas in which they excel. Here’s the latest round of honors for South Fork kids — and stay tuned, more is sure to come.

Gabe Jaffe has launched Teen Hampton, an online community of young adults who want to work as babysitters and sports coaches this summer on the East End.

Kids will be very busy this week, if the lineup of fun, local activities for teens and younger children is any indication.

The changes have been subtle, but nevertheless troubling, Marrina Jacka and Morgan Johnson Quamina alleged this week, ever since the Ross School brought in Charlie Abelmann as its interim head-of-school. In response to the change in administrators, Marrina and Morgan, co-presidents of the school's student body, led a walkout on Monday, during which 50 or so students streamed out of classroom buildings and walked around the campus, holding signs and chanting: "Hey hey, ho ho, this head of school has got to go!"

Monday's basketball game between East Hampton High School and Patchogue-Medford — the first home contest for Bonac's unified basketball program — had all the thrill of a varsity playoff game and all the heart a community could muster, showcasing the meaningful moments that can happen when players with developmental disabilities are given the same opportunity to do what many of their non-disabled peers do.

Voters across the South Fork approved their districts' 2022-23 budgets in Tuesday's vote. In the only districts with contested school board races, Springs and Sag Harbor, Emma Field and Erik Fredrickson were elected to the Springs board and Grainne Coen and Ronald Reed won seats in Sag Harbor.

The New York State Education Department has deemed the Bridgehampton School District a 21st Century Community Learning Center, awarding it a grant of approximately $2.5 million spanning the next five years.

Through SoFo, kids and teens can take a full-moon hike, help tag horseshoe crabs, learn about snakes, or help with a beach cleanup. Plus, library activities and fun with Project Most.

Monday is the deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot for the annual school budget vote and board member elections. Voters must request them from their respective school district clerks; applications for such ballots are generally available on the schools' websites or in person in the administrative offices.

For the first time, the Wainscott School District and the Bridgehampton School District have come together to put a contract on the ballot that would offer a third choice for Wainscott families with children in fourth grade and up: the option to attend the Bridgehampton School.

Residents of every public school district in New York State will head to the polls on Tuesday to weigh in on budget plans, propositions, and school board candidates. Most South Fork districts are staying within state-mandated limits on tax-levy increases, and only two districts have contested school board races.

In the race for two open seats on the Sag Harbor School Board, four candidates — including three who are running write-in campaigns — have aligned themselves into two slates. Initially there was only one candidate, which surprised many in the village, where school board races usually have multiple people running.

This year's race for two seats on the Springs School Board features four candidates, none of them incumbents, meaning that two newcomers are destined to be elected.

On Wednesday at 7, the Noyac Civic Council will host a virtual Meet the Candidates night to give community members a chance to get to know the four people seeking seats on the Sag Harbor School Board.

Weeks after its request for $250,000 to support day care and prekindergarten for its 100-plus students was rejected by the East Hampton School District, representatives of the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center talked with the East Hampton Town Board about the center's need to expand its funding sources.

Meet the Candidates

On Wednesday at 7:30, the Noyac Civic Council will host a virtual Meet the Candidates night to give community members a chance to get to know the four people seeking seats on the Sag Harbor School Board.

Grainne Coen will be the only candidate officially on the May 17 ballot, as she was the only one to formally file a nominating petition. She will be joined by Ronald Reed, Janice D’Angelo, and Heather Hartstein, who are mounting write-in campaigns. Two board seats are open this year.

Recognizing that a pandemic, remote learning, stay-at-home rules, and an overreliance on technology has taken a toll on schoolchildren, East Hampton High School held its fifth annual forum on addiction last week, at which presenters addressed substance abuse and screen addiction.