Parents and teachers interested in the new Common Core curriculum, assessments, teacher evaluations, and student privacy may want to pull up State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle’s website Tuesday, when a forum with the New York State commissioner of education, John B. King, will be live-streamed from 6 to 8 p.m. from the Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School in Manorville.

Senator LaValle is soliciting questions and comments from people in his district, which includes 30 school districts. These should be no longer than 2 minutes. Those whose questions or comments are chosen will be notified ahead of time and will have the opportunity to speak at the forum.

The auditorium where the forum will be held seats 1,000 people, with seating made available on a first-come, first-served basis. Should it be necessary, an overflow room will be provided, with proceedings broadcast on a closed-circuit television.

      Voters in the Sag Harbor School District on Nov. 13 approved two bonds, totaling $9 million, for renovations to Pierson High School, its athletic fields, and the Sag Harbor Elementary School.

       A $7.4 million bond earmarked for renovating the Pierson auditorium, adding music instruction rooms, refurbishing shop and technology classrooms, and adding storage space to the elementary school gymnasium passed easily by a margin of 740 votes to 369.

       A $1.6 million bond calling for the installation of a turf athletic field and walking track behind the high school faced a tougher test, passing 585 to 507.

       The work, which will include renovations of the Pierson kitchen, plumbing, electrical and heating upgrades, energy conservation measures, and work on the elementary school parking lots and Pierson bus parking lot, will begin next fall and is expected to be wrapped up by fall 2015.

       John O’Keefe, the district’s business official, said this week that “the district is very excited” that both measures passed.

       If they had not, he said, many of the proposed upgrades would have to be handled in a piecemeal basis with money provided out of the district’s annual operating budget, a prospect, he said, that would have delayed the outcome and likely resulted in higher costs.

       A bond calling for similar upgrades was defeated in 2009.

       District officials have estimated that the two bonds will result in a tax hike of approximately $126 a year for a house valued at $1 million on the East Hampton Town side of the district and about $120 a year for a house of that value on the Southampton Town side.

    The Paper Bag Players will present their new show, “Hiccup Help,” on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The show, which is geared toward children 3 to 8, is a mix of funny stories, music, and props and sets made almost entirely of cardboard boxes and paper bags. Tickets cost $16 for adults and $13 for children, $14 and $11 for Guild Hall members.

Bang the Drum

    Kids ages 2 to 10 will have a chance to hear a variety of musical instruments and then try their hands at playing them during a music fair at the Children’s Museum of the East End on Saturday. The free fair, presented with Crossroads Music of Amagansett and Bulldog Studios, will have performers and instruments inside and outside the museum from 10 a.m. to noon. The museum is on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton.

Getting Close to Raptors

    The Amagansett Library and the Wildlife Rescue Center of the Hamptons is offering an up-close view of a variety of rescued birds of prey on Saturday. The program, for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade, will start at 3:30 p.m. Sign-up in advance has been requested.

Found Animal Art

    Cardboard, recycled wires, beads, trinkets, and other found materials will be turned into animal sculptures during an art program at the East Hampton Library on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. Kids 4 and older will look at sculptures by such artists as Picasso and Calder and then build one of their own without using any glue.

    An autumn story and craft time will be offered next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. for kids 4 to 6 with an adult. Reservations have been requested for all library programs.

Playful Puppets

    Puppet play groups and a Tot Art program at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor will resume tomorrow. The play group, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., includes free play, songs, circle time, games, and a short puppet show for kids 3 and older with an adult. The art program from 10:30 to 11 a.m. is for kids 2 to 4, accompanied by an adult.

    There is a $25 drop-in fee for each program. A package of 14 sessions costs $300, or $250 for members of the theater. Those wishing to sign up for 14 sessions of both Tot Art and the play group will pay $375.

Science Goo

    Experimentation is the word of the week at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, where kids can “investigate the ingredients of the universe” during a science program on Saturday, and then concoct their own candied apples on Tuesday. The science program, aimed at children 4 and up, will teach kids about physical and chemical change and even polymers from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. They’ll leave with a “secret formula” for making their own “mad science goo.”

    Kids of all ages can take part in the candied-apple workshop on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Advance registration is required for both programs.

For Teen Scribes

    Teen writers can find instruction, inspiration, and an opportunity to develop a body of writing during the nine-month Jeannette Sarkisian Wagner writing workshop at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. The sessions will meet weekly on Thursdays at 5 p.m. through May 15 and include writing prompts, discussion, and constructive group critiques.

    At the conclusion of the workshop, participants will have select works published in MOSS, the library’s online magazine of teen creative work. The workshop is free and snacks are provided. Advance registration would be appreciated.

All About Snails

    Molly Adams, a nature educator at the South Fork Museum of Natural History in Bridgehampton, will offer kids 4 to 6 a peek into the secret life of snails on Saturday at 1 p.m. Kids will learn about the different types of snails, their unusual bodies, and their role in various ecosystems, and then make their own craft snail to take home. There is a $4 materials fee for the class. Sign-up in advance has been requested.

    Tuesday night’s meeting of the East Hampton School Board was business as usual, as board members listened to a presentation related to state test scores, updated audience members concerning the district’s recent security audit, and reinstated its adult education program for the fall semester, among other highlights.

    In February, in the wake of the school shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the board hired Michael J. Guido Jr., a Rocky Point architect, to perform “security audits” at each of the district’s three schools. The cost was $18,000.

    Patricia Hope, the board’s president, said the district recently received a final report from Mr. Guido and had divided the list into “things that cost money and things that don’t.”

    While she “couldn’t publish a document that highlighted gaps in the district’s security,” she said that the schools are “filling in the gaps as quickly as we can.” Those that do not cost money are being addressed promptly. Such common-sense fixes, she said, were easy to institute, but a time frame for undertaking the changes that cost money has yet to be determined.

    “We want to inform the public of everything possible at every point,” said Ms. Hope.

    In the meantime, Kim Jones, a parent of two at John M. Marshall Elementary School, urged increased security protocols for the Project MOST after-school program there. When she recently picked up her nephew, whose skin color is different from her own, she was not required to show any form of identification. “If I can walk in and take out a Caucasian little boy without anyone asking any questions, that’s scary.”

    Following her remarks, Jackie Lowey, a board member, urged that Project MOST be included in the district’s plans for increased security.

    Also on Tuesday, Robert Tymann, the district’s assistant superintendent, and Elizabeth Doyle, the principal of John  Marshall, jointly led a presentation related to the school’s recent performance on the New York State math and English language arts tests. The scores were released in August.

    “As you saw in the papers, everyone went down,” said Mr. Tymann. Performance at John Marshall varied widely, with some grades performing at the state average, while others scored far below it.

    In past years, any student who scored a 1 or a 2 (with a score of 4 being the highest), received additional support. But this year, following changes to the test, only students who scored a 1 will receive pullout services. Those who scored a 2 will now receive in-class remediation.

    Mr. Tymann assuaged fears from both board members and parents concerning the fairly widespread practice of teaching to the test. Since changes had been made to the yearly exam, with multiple-choice questions apparently made less predictable, he said the district would focus on teaching to state standards, rather than to an exam.

    Ms. Doyle echoed his sentiment. “We’re making sure our kids are being challenged and that they’re getting what they need,” she said, pointing out that last year the elementary school simultaneously switched both its math and English language arts curriculums. “It’s about continuous improvement. This year our goals are about going deeper and refining our instructional practice.”

    In other news, the board quelled rumors that a homework club, which provides after-school tutoring at the elementary school, would be canceled, but did say that modifications are being considered.

    Richard Burns, the superintendent, said the program was not being cut but that going forward, the district would partner with Project MOST, a nonprofit that provides after-school enrichment activities. Organizers hope to make the homework club, which lasts until 4 p.m., more structured. Currently, it offers help to three sections of 18 students apiece on a first-come, first-served basis. The district is also looking to hire additional bilingual teachers for the program. Should more sections be needed, though, additional money would be required.

    Later in the meeting, Bridget LeRoy, the district’s communications consultant, announced that the adult education program, after running a six-week pilot last year, would begin again shortly. Most classes, which range from acting to bridge to computer tutorials, including several others, will run from early October to mid-December on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings.

    Stephanie Whiston, an underwater photographer who conquered her fear of sharks by swimming with and photographing them all over the world, has established the Marine Education Foundation and now has an exhibit on view for schoolchildren and others at Ashawagh Hall in Springs.

    The purpose of the display, which went up last week, is to encourage conservation and preservation of marine life. The first visitors to see “Oceans Matter” will be students from schools in East Hampton Town, including Montauk, Springs, and the Ross School.

    Ms. Whiston has been shooting underwater pictures since 1993 and lives in Montauk. Her work became notable locally when she secured the exhibit space at the Montauk Library through the month of August, a time when Montauk hosts its biggest shark tournaments.

    “I’m not a tree hugger. I just wanted to show people what’s in the ocean,” she said.

    To her, the biggest mystery is why the ocean remains uncharted territory for the world’s scientists and other explorers. “We have explored and mapped the moon, Mars . . . but only 5 percent of the ocean,” she said.

    The colorful pictures depict sharks, turtles, and a wide variety of fish and coral reefs taken from very close range. The photographer said she believes that if people see what they are being asked to protect, they might be more apt to join the conservation movement.

    “I’m using underwater photography and my experiences to create awareness,” she said, explaining that “Oceans Matter” is also a multimedia show with video of marine life in its own habitat.

    Like a lot of people, Ms. Whiston often hears the theme song to Steven Spielberg’s movie “Jaws” in her head when she sees a shark. On one of her first trips, a shark swam past her and then turned around, heading right toward her. She said she almost had a panic attack. She stayed very still, practiced deep breathing, and held on to a piece of coral to steady herself until she realized the shark had no interest in her. “They’re not predators; it’s humans who are the predators,” she said.

    A fund-raising benefit for the Marine Education Foundation was held at Ashawagh Hall on Tuesday evening. The exhibit is open to all ages from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Private sessions with Ms. Whiston are also available, and you can visit her Facebook page for more news about the foundation.

More Myth-o-Mania

    Kate McMullan, a children’s book author, will read from the latest book in her Myth-o-Mania series, “Hit the Road, Helen,” on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor. The series, published by Capstone, offers young readers an introduction to classic myths. This one is based on Helen of Troy.

    Some of the other titles in the series are “Have a Hot Time, Hades,” “Phone Home, Persephone,” “Say Cheese, Medusa,” and “Nice Shot, Cupid.” Ms. McMullan, who lives in Sag Harbor, has also written the books “I Stink,” “I’m Dirty,” and “I’m Bad,” illustrated by her husband, Jim McMullan. Refreshments will be served following the reading.

Maximizing Financial Aid

    The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton will host a financial aid discussion for college-bound high school students and their families on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. A representative from Long Island Funding for Education will talk about how to “maximize your family’s eligibility for financial aid,” according to the library bulletin. Registration has been requested.

    The library is planning a bus trip for teens to the Museum of Natural History on Oct. 12. The trip will cost $20, including the bus ride, museum admission, and a pizza lunch in Central Park. There will be four adult chaperones on the outing, which will set off from the library at 7:30 a.m. and depart from New York at 5 p.m. Advance registration and a signed permission slip are required.

Greenbelt Kids

    There will be fun for kids along with the adult activities planned during a celebration of the Long Pond Greenbelt at the South Fork Natural History Museum on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Animals from the Quogue Wildlife Refuge will be on hand as will puppets from the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre of Sag Harbor. There will also be games, crafts, walks, and other activities, all for free. A light lunch will be served. The museum is on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike in Bridgehampton.

Food and Fun

    Across the street, kids 2 and older can play with their food at the Children’s Museum of the East End on Saturday when they make peach cobbler and corn fritters. The fun begins at 10:30 a.m. and costs $25, including museum admission, or $15 for museum members. Advance sign-up has been suggested.

Help With Math

    Students 13 to 19 years old who need extra help with math, especially Regents-level algebra and trigonometry, can find it for free at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor on Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Help will be provided in English and Spanish, and there will be snacks to keep hunger pangs at bay. A call to the library in advance has been recommended.

After-School Art

    Registration is under way for the Parrish Art Museum’s free after-school art classes for kids and a series of Saturday art workshops in Water Mill. The after-school sessions will start on Monday. Saturday classes are offered through the month of October.

    Wendy Gottlieb will teach classes on Wednesdays from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade this week through Dec. 4, and on Thursdays from 2 to 2:45 p.m. for 4 and 5-year-olds, next week through Dec. 12.

    In the Saturday classes, starting Oct. 5, 7 to 10-year-olds will explore painting, collage, found-object sculpture, and printmaking. Classes run from 2 to 4 p.m. and are limited to 10 students. The cost is $150, or $120 for museum members. Advance registration is a must for all classes.

    The East Hampton School District’s fall adult education courses will begin the week of Oct. 8, with classes in computer literacy, Pilates, drawing, bridge, English as a second language, acting, tai chi, and defensive driving.

    Classes are held at either the East Hampton Middle School or East Hampton High School, and registration is with the instructors.

    Kerry McCarthy (neveractedbefore @gmail.com) will offer a 12-session course in acting in the middle school’s auditorium on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 9 p.m., at a cost of $125. Also on Tuesdays, there will be Pilates with Claudia Matles ([email protected]) from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. The six-week session costs $75, but walk-ins will also be welcomed. George Aman (gaman13927 @aol.com) will teach bridge for beginners on Tuesdays starting Oct. 15 from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. He will also teach an intermediate bridge course on Wednesday evenings from 6:45 to 8 p.m. The cost for each is $100.

    A drawing class for beginners and those who want to refresh their skills will be taught by Karyn Mannix on four Wednesdays from 6 to 8 p.m. starting Oct. 16. The cost is $100, plus a $20 materials fee. Ms Mannix can be reached at [email protected].

    KarenLise Bjerring will offer a series of computer literacy courses. On Tuesday evenings, from 7:15 to 8:15, Ms. Bjerring, who can be e-mailed at [email protected], will teach a course in becoming computer friendly. Also on Tuesdays, she will teach an intermediate course on Microsoft Word from 6 to 7 p.m. Her introduction to Excel will be offered on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m., and from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m., she will teach an introduction to QuickBooks. Finally, on Thursdays from 6 to 8 p.m., Ms. Bjerring will teach a class on Photoshop. Depending on the course, the cost ranges from $75 to $120. All begin the week of Oct. 14.

    Fred Soroka ([email protected]) will teach a tai chi course in the middle school wrestling room on Wednesdays at 5 p.m. for $50. It begins Oct. 9.

    Charla Bikman, an adjunct professor at Suffolk County Community College, will teach a six-session intermediate English as a second language course on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. for $120.

    John Wallace will teach a two-night defensive driving course on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Three sessions are being offered, each at a cost of $55. And Tina Giles, with Hamptons Driving School, is offering five-hour pre-licensing courses that are required to obtain a New York State driver’s license. Three sessions are being offered, each at a cost of $55.

    Admission is granted on a first-come- first-served basis and courses with low registration may be cancelled. Payment will be directly to the instructors.

    A full description of each class can be found online at:

http://www.edline.net/pages/East_Hampton_UFSD/Adult_Education

    New York State testing dominated the discussion when the Montauk School Board met on Sept. 10 and again on Sept. 24. Although Montauk’s seventh and eighth-grade students had high scores in the English and math tests given in April, the conversation focused on other areas where parents had their children opt out of the controversial tests.

     The Montauk School had discussed eliminating the tests, which were shifted this year to the national standards of the Common Core, but the talks started too late to do so this year. When the results were published, 40 percent of Long Island students failed to pass. Montauk, however, was first among neighboring schools in seventh-grade English and first and third in those tests in the eighth grade. As in other districts, the lower grades did not do as well.

    On Tuesday, Brigid Collins, the school’s assistant principal, said she didn’t think the state Education Department should make test results public, and she criticized the media for sensationalizing them. Jack Perna, district superintendent, explained at the Sept. 10 meeting that the state had planned to make academic intervention services mandatory for students who scored at the lowest levels. (A score of 1 is well below average, 2 is below average, 3 is average or passing, and 4 is mastery.) But because, across the state, so many students received 1s or 2s, state officials have changed the passing scores.

    The numbers were overwhelming for many districts, which would not have been able to provide the intervention services, Mr. Perna said. Moreover, he said he thought the state realized that not enough time had been allotted for taking the tests and that many of the questions were poorly constructed.

    Mr. Perna, who attended the fall conference of the New York State Superintendents Council last week, said the majority of superintendents were critical of the tests. “The feeling was that everything was rushed. No one seemed to have a problem with higher standards, but the current testing was changed before there was ample professional development and materials to use in teaching,” Mr. Perna said.

Ladies and Gentlemen

    Mr. Amazing and the Amazing Grace Circus Youth Troupe will walk the tightrope, juggle, unicycle, spin plates, and perform other tricks during the Parrish Art Museum’s Circus Day on Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m.

    The afternoon will include circus skills workshops and art projects with a circus theme. The cost is $10 for adults, but members, children, and students get in free. Reservations are strongly recommended, as space at the Water Mill museum is limited.

Fiesta

    Nearby, at the Rogers Mansion in Southampton, there will be a family fiesta on Saturday afternoon, with Latin-themed games, food, and music.

    The event, which runs from 2 to 4 p.m. is free, and reservations are not required. The mansion is at 17 Meeting House Lane.

Field Day

    There will be races, bouncy houses, face painting, and plenty of fun on  Sunday at the Montauk County Park, when Montauk Youth and Concerned Citizens of Montauk sponsor the annual Field Day from noon to 4 p.m.

    All events are free and there will be hotdogs, snacks, and soup available for purchase.

To the Rescue

    Future firefighters stand by! The East Hampton Fire Department will have an open house on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Kids will be able to check out fire trucks and ambulances, use a fire hose, and get a bird’s-eye view of the firehouse from the bucket of a ladder truck. Refreshments will be served.

In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

    A Star Wars story time on Saturday at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton will be followed by a craft time offering the chance to try origami and make a light saber to take home. The program will start at 10 a.m. and is aimed at kids 4 and older.

    Those in first through third grade can get some help learning the ins and outs of Internet research during a program on Monday at 4 p.m. at the library.

    Reservations are appreciated.

A Distant Planet

    In addition to its weekly story and craft time for families on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., the Amagansett Library has invited anyone 9 and up to an evening program about Saturn on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

    Mike Inglis, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the Suffolk County Community College, will lead the “tour” of this fascinating planet, the most distant that can be seen with the naked eye. Weather permitting, stargazing will follow.