Although a handful of East End schools have experienced various degrees of administrative turmoil in the last academic year, the Springs School community was unprepared for the chaos last week when both its principal and assistant principal went missing.

    Eric Casale, the principal, was whisked away to Southampton Hospital by ambulance last Thursday morning, after reportedly complaining of chest pains. Dominic Mucci, the district superintendent, who serves on a part-time basis, confirmed this week that Mr. Casale is now on sick leave, but said he hoped the principal would be able to return sometime next week. It was “up to his doctor to decide this,” Mr. Mucci said. Attempts to reach Mr. Casale were not returned.

     Adding to the confusion, Mr. Casale’s emergency departure occurred one day after what turned out to be the assistant principal’s, Katherine Byrnes’s, last day at the school. This came as a shock to parents, with many describing her exit as urgent and abrupt.

    At an unannounced special meeting of the Springs School Board yesterday, which convened at 7:30 a.m., the board accepted her resignation unanimously. No members of the public were present.

     Dr. Byrnes, who was hired for a three-year probationary period in August and paid a salary of $120,000, not including benefits, oversaw special education, managed issues related to discipline, evaluated teachers, and was tasked with reporting such data to New York State officials. She had previously been an elementary assistant principal at North Shore Schools in Sea Cliff.

    According to a North Shore human resources official, Dr. Byrnes had been hired on Aug. 16, 2010, and left the district on June 30, 2012. According to school officials, about 28 special education students have been in a self-contained classroom there this year. The 2013-14 budget for special education, for students from kindergarten through high school, is estimated at $2.5 million.

    “I can’t comment at all. I resigned for personal reasons,” said Dr. Byrnes, when reached by telephone earlier this week. She declined to comment further. 

    Mr. Mucci similarly declined to discuss the specifics of Dr. Byrnes’s sudden departure. Her resignation will be effective on May 31, and she will remain on the district’s payroll until then.

    “Oftentimes decisions that are made are not popular decisions. They may cause a lot of speculation and a lot of concern and confusion,” Mr. Mucci said. “What adds to that concern and confusion is that there are privacy issues at hand and that makes it tougher for the community to understand the whole issue.”

    While Mr. Mucci has repeatedly updated parents concerning Mr. Casale’s whereabouts, until yesterday the school had not announced any details concerning Dr. Byrnes’s departure the previous week.

    An e-mail sent to parents last Thursday night apparently added to the confusion. Although it made no mention of Dr. Byrnes, it introduced Louis Aiello to parents, explaining that he would assume many of her  duties. In the e-mail, Mr. Mucci wrote that Mr. Aiello “will be joining me in providing service and support to our staff and student body.” Subsequently, rumors and accusations ran rampant.

    Finally, at 8:53 a.m. yesterday, following the board’s vote, Mr. Mucci announced Dr. Byrnes’s resignation in another e-mail to parents. He also said he had rearranged his schedule “to be in the district daily until Mr. Casale’s return,” further indicating that Mr. Aiello, a part-time hire, would oversee the special education program. 

    Mr. Aiello is known in Springs, having served as interim director of pupil personnel services and special education during the 2001-2002 school year. He also is the chair of the Southampton School District’s interim committee on special education.

    But for some parents, the e-mail was too little, too late.

    “I wish a letter would have gone out sooner,” said Pat Brabant, a father of four children at the school. “Parents are confused, rumors are flying around, and no one knows what’s going on.”

    “As parents, it’s unsettling that we haven’t heard any communication,” said Adam Wilson, a Springs school board candidate whose son is in the eighth grade. Page Stewart, whose son is also in the eighth grade, was similarly confounded.

    “The lights are on, but nobody’s there,” Ms. Stewart said. She added that she had become incensed after calling the school and was unable to reach anyone, instead hearing an outdated message saying the school was closed due to Hurricane Sandy.

    “It represents the school in a nutshell, given all of the misconduct and lack of professionalism,” Ms. Stewart said. “We don’t have an assistant principal. She’s missing in action, and our principal went to the hospital last week, and there’s been no word on him, either.”

    In a prepared statement, Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the board president, offered the following: “We wish Dr. Byrnes much success in her future endeavors. We will be hiring a new assistant principal for the 2013-14 school year. We are confident that we will have the position filled by Aug. 1, 2013.”

    When reached prior to Wednesday morning’s meeting, Ms. Burke-Gonzalez refused to comment further, citing issues related to matters of personnel, and saying that on the advice of the school’s attorney, her lips were sealed.

    Meanwhile, questions remain.

    Two candidates are running for one five-year term on the Montauk School Board. The open seat is being vacated by Therese Watson after 29 years. The candidates, Lee White and Honora Herlihy, both have children in the school.

    Mr. White has served on the East Hampton Town Zoning Board of Appeals for 12 years. He graduated from Gettysburg College with a degree in business management and a concentration in finance and accounting. He manages properties and watches houses for Lycke Home Services. He is an assistant real estate appraiser and also works at the Harvest on Fort Pond restaurant as a food expediter and bartender.

    He has two children with his partner, Mary Jo Walker — Andy, who is 5 and in kindergarten, and Jolee, who is 3.

    Mr. White is running to focus attention on what he calls the unfairness of the state-imposed 2-percent cap on tax levy increases. His plan is to explore reasonable alternatives to program cuts and consolidated classes. He said he would like to be an open and approachable board member.

    His opponent, Ms. Herlihy, owned the Montauk Carriage House for 10 years before selling her lease in January. She said she is running because Ms. Watson’s exit offered her the opportunity. “I have time now and my children are in this school,” she said on Tuesday after attending a school board meeting.

    She is interested in school security and the safety of Montauk students. She is also concentrating on the school’s curriculum because “that’s what a school is about.”

    Ms. Herlihy graduated from the State University at Cobleskill with a degree in business. She also has degrees from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City in fashion merchandising and production management. She served on the Fashion Institute’s board in 1993 and 1994. She has been a member of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors as well as a regular chamber member. For the last three years she has been a Cub Scout leader.

    She is married to Gerald Herlihy and has two children, Aydin, a third grader, and Paige, who is in kindergarten. She said she has a lot to learn and looks forward to the chance to serve.

    “This will consume a substantial amount of time. But right now I have the time,” she said.

    The vote is on Tuesday from 2 to 8 p.m. in the school gym. The district will also be deciding the fate of an $18.7 million budget, which reflects an increase of $180,882 from this year’s, with a spending increase of 0.98 percent and a tax rate increase of 0.87 percent.

    Residents of the Amagansett School District can vote on the proposed school budget for the 2013-14 school year on Tuesday between 2 and 8 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Voter registration begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 5 p.m.

    The school board has proposed a 2013-14 budget of $10.2 million, an increase in expenditures of 5.68 percent and a tax levy increase of 3.33 percent. The tax levy increase would be the second lowest in the past 12 years and is within the allowable tax levy cap threshold of 3.45 percent.

    A simple majority of votes cast is required for approval of the budget.

    Employee benefits, including the teachers’ and employees’ retirement systems, account for the largest increase in the proposed budget, said Eleanor Tritt, the school’s superintendent. Contributions to these benefits are mandated by the state, which sets the rate to be paid into the retirement systems. Salaries and support related to students with special needs are also behind the increase, Ms. Tritt said, as well as health insurance costs.

    Voters will be asked to authorize using the school’s capital reserve fund for new security systems. The fund was established in 2007, Ms. Tritt said, for upgrades to technology, energy efficiency, and security, the latter to be accomplished with this authorization.

    District residents can also vote for members of the school board. There are two seats available for a three-year term. The candidates, John Hossenlopp and Victoria Smudzinski, are currently members of the board and running unopposed. Mr. Hossenlopp, the president, has been on the board since March 2001. He is a member of the Amagansett Fire Department and is retired from practicing law. Ms. Smudzinski, who works in real estate, has been on the board since July 2007.

    A voter must be at least 18 years old, a U.S. citizen, a registered voter, and a district resident for at least 30 days prior to Tuesday. Voters do not have to own property, be a parent, or have children in the school. Absentee ballots are available at the school.   

Paint Like Pollock

    Family tours and drip-painting workshops will return to the Pollock-Krasner House and Study Center in Springs on Saturday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Joyce Raimondo will lead the workshop this weekend and every Saturday starting June 29. The cost is $35 per person. Advance registration has been requested via e-mail at [email protected] or online at imaginearted.com.

Seeds and Stories

    Kids will have two chances to get their hands dirty at the Amagansett Library this weekend. After a family story time on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., Nick Stephens of the Quail Hill Farm in Amagansett will lead a tomato seedling planting session. On Sunday at 1:30 p.m., kids in second grade and above and adults have been invited to make biodegradable origami sunflower planters out of newspaper. Advance registration has been requested for both programs.

Summer Kick-Off

    The Children’s Museum of the East End and Super Soccer Stars will literally kick off the season this weekend with kite-making and soccer skills sessions at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. The fun is free and open to all.

    After months of haggling over budgets and whether to pierce the state-imposed 2-percent cap on tax levy increases, the voters have spoken, approving school budgets from Bridgehampton to Montauk by wide margins and electing new school board members.

    Shortly after the polls closed in East Hampton on Tuesday night, Kerri Clark, the district clerk, announced that voters had approved its $64.2 million budget by a margin of 561 to 122 votes.

    Voters in Springs passed a $25.4 million budget by 383 to 117 votes — or nearly 77 percent. Bridgehampton saw its $11.2 million budget approved by 137 to 50, while in Amagansett, a $10.2 million budget was okayed 127 to 25. And in Montauk the margin for an $18.7 million budget was 218 to 50.

    Out of six candidates competing for three openings on the East Hampton School Board, Wendy Geehreng, J.P. Foster, and Richard Wilson walked away triumphant. Alison Anderson, the lone incumbent, had sought a second three-year term, but she placed second to last. George Aman and Lauren Dempsey, incumbents, had decided not to run again.

    Ms. Geehreng received 450 votes, Mr. Foster 430, and Mr. Wilson 302. The unsuccessful candidates were Nicholas Boland, with 277 votes, Ms. Anderson, with 246, and Mary Ella Moeller with only 183.

    The $64.2 million East Hampton budget includes a 5.53-percent tax rate increase. Despite the board cutting nearly $1 million since first reviewing the budget earlier this year, it represents a 2.21-percent increase over last year. The estimated increase of 5.01 percent in the tax levy meets the state-mandated 2-percent cap once exemptions are taken into account.

    In Springs, Eric Casale, the principal, called to report Tuesday evening’s results, noting that the 383-to-117 positive vote, represented nearly 77 percent.

    The two seats on the Springs School Board went to Jeff Miller, who received 437 votes, and Adam Wilson, with 392. The third candidate, Martin Drew, received 78 votes. Neither Kathee Burke-Gonzalez nor Teresa Schurr, current board members, sought re-election.

    Next year’s $25.4 million budget in Springs includes a tax levy increase of 1.3 percent and a projected tax rate increase of 3.37 percent. By comparison, last year’s $24.6 million budget included a 2.97 percent increase in the tax levy and a 3.19-percent increase in the tax rate.

    Bridgehampton voters not only approved its $11.2 million budget, but went for two propositions, including a $160,000 increase in spending for the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center and an increase in transportation services, which is expected to total $60,525.

    According to Jeannine Stallings, the district clerk, the transportation increase is the result of expanded eligibility criteria for students in grades 9 to 12 — from the current distance of 15 miles to 25 miles. Voters also elected three members to the Bridgehampton School board. The incumbents, Lawrence LaPointe and Gabriella Braia, received 143 and 113 votes, while Jennifer Vinski, a newcomer, received 147 votes. Bridgehampton also had three write-in candidates: Ms. Stallings received 11 votes and Bruce Bombkowski and Philip Cammann each received one vote.

    Cheryl Bloecker, the Amagansett district clerk, reported the 127-to-25 vote approving the budget. Two school board members, John Hossenlopp and Victoria Smudzinski, were re-elected, having run unopposed. Mr. Hossenlopp received 102 votes; Ms. Smudzinski 97.

    Additionally, Amagansett voters approved a proposal to use $225,000 in capital reserve funds to upgrade security.

    As in other districts the $18.7 million budget in Montauk was approved with a comfortable, 218 to 50, margin, according to Jack Perna, the superintendent. The one vacancy on the Montauk School Board went to Lee White, who beat out Honora Herlihy by 160 to 101 votes. The term is five years. After 29 years of service, Therese Watson did not seek re-election.

    Meanwhile, in Sagaponack, 42 voters approved its $1.7 million budget. Two voted no, while one voter abstained. Cathy Hatgistavrou, an incumbent, ran unopposed for an additional three-year term, which begins July 1. She received 44 votes with 1 abstention.

    Wainscott voters approved an approximately $3.5 million budget by 41 to 1, according to Mary McCaffrey, the district clerk. William A. Babinksi Jr., who received 39 votes, was elected to serve on its three-seat board of trustees. Two write-in candidates — Catherine Dickinson and Bill Costello — each received one vote.

    The budgets in other South Fork districts were also approved handily. In Sag Harbor, where the school board has seen considerable dissention this year, a $35,508,622 budget was approved 825 to 377. And, in Southampton, the yes votes for a $61,877,948 budget numbered 402 to 100 opposed.

Movie al Fresco

    It’s that special time of year when it’s finally, hopefully, warm enough to watch a movie outside under the stars. The Springs School PTA has invited kids to do just that with an outdoor movie night tomorrow featuring the animated film “Wreck-It Ralph.” It starts at sundown, not long after 8. Admission is free and drinks and popcorn will be available for purchase.

Dads, Books, and Beaches

    In the lead-up to Father’s Day, summer, and the summer-long Battle of the Books trivia contest, this week will be a busy one at the East Hampton Library. The titles for the countywide Battle of the Books will be revealed to potential trivia team members on Saturday from 1 to 2 p.m. Teams of readers entering sixth through ninth grades meet weekly on Thursdays in preparation for a face-off with other library teams at Stony Brook University on Aug. 10. Kids 4 and older can create their own beach scenes using shells, rocks, and other collage materials on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. Adults must accompany the young artists. On Wednesday, daughters and sons 7 and older will make homemade barbecue sauce for their dads, for which they will create their own labels. Those who take a photo to the session, which is from 4 to 5 p.m., will be able to have it copied at the library for a personalized label. A Father’s Day story and craft time next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. will have 4 to 6-year-olds listening to a story about dads and making something special for the fathers in their lives. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration has been requested for all programs.

“Pump Up the Volume”

    Tickets are on sale now for Dancehampton’s annual recital on June 8 and 9 at East Hampton High School. The East Hampton studio teaches ballet, tap, lyrical, jazz, hip-hop, Irish step, and musical theater classes to dancers from preschool to high school age. “Pump Up the Volume” is its sixth annual show, with performances scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 8 and 3 p.m. on June 9. Tickets cost $15 and can be purchased in advance at the Dancehampton studio at 15 Lumber Lane, across from the Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter.

Zoo-La-La

    Zoo creatures will take over the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Following a zoo story, families can make lion masks to take home. The program is free, but advance registration has been requested.

    For Springs School officials, it has been a difficult month.

    First the assistant principal resigned, then the school reported testing irregularities to New York State, and that led to questions concerning its principal, Eric Casale, who had dealt with a cheating scandal at his prior school, P.S. 91 in the Bronx, before being hired by the Springs School.

    In 2005, the New York Post reported on a cheating incident that occurred while Mr. Casale was principal of P.S. 91. According to the Post, Barbara Lee, a former math coach who had since been promoted assistant principal, was accused of helping students cheat during a 2004 New York State Regents exam. The Post story alleged that Mr. Casale destroyed student and teacher testimonies related to potential wrongdoing. In a 2010 follow-up, the Post reported that the city ultimately terminated Ms. Lee following a protracted legal battle.

    Since the article and the 2005 allegations have surfaced, questions have arisen concerning whether Springs School was aware of such issues when it offered Mr. Casale the job as principal in May of 2005.

    Two weekends ago, board members asked Mr. Casale to present them with a detailed timeline concerning the allegations.

    John Grant, the school board’s vice president, who has served on the board for four years, recently allowed The Star to see a copy of the dozen-page timeline but would not allow for a copy to leave the premises.

    In it, Mr. Casale wrote that during his interview process a Springs teacher placed copies of the 2005 New York Post article in teacher’s mailboxes, ostensibly hoping to jeopardize his candidacy. It also says that he was granted tenure in October 2007 after demonstrating significant academic gains, both instructionally and also in terms of revamping the school’s overall culture. Typically, administrators are given three-years probationary appointments before tenure is granted.

    On May 19, Mr. Casale sent a two-page letter to the Springs community, describing recent coverage as “an extremely upsetting situation.” The letter is posted on the school’s Web site.

    The next day, the Springs School Board leapt to Mr. Casale’s defense, issuing a letter of support emphasizing that it had exercised due diligence and properly vetted his candidacy long before offering him the position.

     “As a board of education, we believe in the integrity of our hiring process,” the board said in the release. “The events associated with his employment with the New York City Board of Education were made known to the board before he began his employment at Springs. The record of his past employment in N.Y.C. — which in our opinion has been reported in an unfair and out-of-context manner — cannot overwhelm or change our appreciation and respect for his leadership.”

    Dominic Mucci, the superintendent, was similarly unequivocal in his praise.

     “We’re going to move forward,” Mr. Mucci said early last week, adding that Mr. Casale has been flooded with letters of support from both faculty and parents in recent days. “We have confidence in Mr. Casale, his leadership, his character, and most importantly, his integrity.”

    “A lot of parents are supportive,” said Pat Brabant, a father of four at the Springs School, who said that test scores had risen significantly since Mr. Casale assumed the post nearly eight years ago. “He’s very dedicated. He’s a good man. It’s easier to pull someone apart than it is to show someone’s positive qualities. Springs has come a long way from where it used to be.”

    Christopher Sarlo, who served as interim principal of Springs School during the 2004-5 academic year, was directly involved in the vetting of Mr. Casale. Mr. Sarlo, who had been a principal of East Hampton High School, said Mr. Casale was one of five candidates who advanced to the final round.

    “We had a very comprehensive committee process. We checked his credentials,” said Mr. Sarlo, adding that he spoke with Ray Rosemberg, a retired superintendent in New York who worked as Mr. Casale’s supervisor. Along with Mr. Sarlo, Edward Swensen also co-chaired the committee reviewing principal candidates. “We felt comfortable that he was not involved in any wrongdoing. There was nothing hidden. The board was aware of it.”

    When reached by telephone Tuesday morning, Mr. Rosemberg, who has since retired from the New York City school system, said he did not recall whether the Springs School search committee had contacted him.

    “Eight years after leaving behind a nightmarish attempt to destroy my career and my personal reputation, the matter has resurfaced in a manner that feels terribly unfair,” Mr. Casale wrote in his May 19 letter to the Springs community. “But I truly have nothing to hide, and that’s why it is important for me to share this detail with you.”

    The letter goes into some detail concerning the allegations made while he ran P.S. 91. During his second year as principal, he said that he began looking for a new position, both on Long Island and also in Westchester County.

    “This weekend, I came to learn that in August of 2005, about two months after I started in Springs, the Office of Special Investigations of the New York City Board of Education issued a final report,” wrote Mr. Casale. “This was never shared with me, presumably because I had resigned my position.”

    Earlier this week, The Star filed a Freedom of Information request with the New York City Department of Education attempting to obtain a copy of the report in question. David Pena, a D.O.E. spokesperson, confirmed that Mr. Casale resigned in July of 2005 pending an investigation. In an e-mail, he also said that “if he were to re-apply to work for the N.Y.C. Department of Education, his file would have a problem code that would flag his applications as needing further investigation.”

    “A single allegation against me was substantiated by the investigator based largely on the testimony of two staff members: that I had failed to report my knowledge of the testing allegation to the director of testing,” wrote Mr. Casale in his letter. “Of course, I did report it — to my superintendent of schools. But no matter; as a result, I was put on a special list regarding any future employment inquiries in N.Y.C. schools. No further action was taken against me, and no charges of ‘cover up’ or ‘destruction of evidence’ were alleged or substantiated against me.”

    “I want to assure you,” he concluded, “that I am in good standing with the New York State Education Department and that both of my licenses are permanent. I hope to be here at Springs for the rest of my career, as I have come to love Springs and its children, who I treat as my own.”

    A call to Mr. Casale went unreturned.

    Some have speculated that recent allegations have put a cloud over the school’s academic gains. During the 2011-12 school year, for instance, Springs was ranked 69th in New York State among middle schools, according to School Digger, a Web site that ranks schools according to state testing data.

    “Eric’s reputation is one of the most respected administrators in terms of testing security and organization. He has an impeccable reputation among the local districts,” said Mr. Grant. “With his career over the past eight years, he’s made transformational change at Springs. You really have to look at his record.”

    As it concerns potential wrongdoing insofar as state exams are concerned, Mr. Grant emphasized that the recent allegation concerned “one student and one staff member.”

    “We don’t believe there’s anything widespread. Still, I’d like the Testing Integrity Unit to take a look at whatever they need to in order to prove that the allegations in fact involve one student and one staff member,” Mr. Grant said.

    “In school, Whalebone Village was always considered the ’hood. Everyone thought we didn’t really have anything and that it was a dangerous place because you could get beat up,” said Evelyn Collado, 23, who moved to the Whalebone Village Apartments in East Hampton when she was 4.

    “Now, it’s different. It feels safer, and like more of a community.”

    Still, in the local schools, Whalebone has a reputation for turning out troubled youth, said Virginia St. John, a social worker, who has been working with parents at the apartment complex. “The kids feel like they’re a target.”

    Nestled in the woods off Middle Highway, the apartments provide one of the few low-income housing options on the South Fork.

    Single mothers occupy 28 of the 46 units in the complex.

    Gerry Mooney, who has managed the Whalebone Apartments since its founding in 1989, considers it an invisible world, or population of working poor that commonly falls outside the purview of many local residents. 

    “These are the waitresses, the landscapers, the nannies, the women cleaning your house,” said Mr. Mooney, a Bronx native who formerly worked as a community organizer. “These aren’t the folks you see walking down Main Street on the weekends. The only time you see them is when they’re walking behind the kids they’re taking care of.”

    Combined with the recent suicides of three Latino high school students and December’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn., Mr. Mooney decided it was time to finally take action. “We’re not going to get rid of the guns. The guns are already here,” said Mr. Mooney. “These kids can either hurt themselves or they can hurt someone else.”

    In January, Whalebone began offering therapeutic and preventative services for parents in the hopes of creating a more supportive and nurturing home environment that would ultimately benefit the youngest residents.

    Of Whalebone’s more than 100 residents, including 40 children, Mr. Mooney focused his attention on the 18 teenage boys and girls, who, by virtue of their economic circumstance, are considered high-risk and likely to experience challenges related to impulsivity, substance abuse, and depression, among other issues.

    On Wednesday evenings, Ms. St. John, who specializes in dialectical behavior therapy, leads a group of residents through various exercises to promote stress management, improve communication, and develop a more hopeful attitude. Dialectical behavior therapy, a derivative of cognitive behavior therapy, helps people learn different ways of thinking about and reacting to situations.

    “These parents are there for each other,” said Ms. St. John. “They really are a village.” Though the weekly meetings are scheduled for an hour, they commonly stretch to two.

    “One of the issues that has arisen is that these are first generation immigrants,” she said. “They’re raising children in a different culture than they were raised in.”

    At a recent Wednesday night meeting, which focused on mindfulness as a way to reduce conflict in families, the more than 20 residents in attendance were all Latino. A few teenagers and younger children dotted the perimeter of the peach-colored room. Ms. St. John uses the help of a Spanish-speaking translator to conduct the sessions.

    Ms. Collado, who was born in the Dominican Republic and graduated from East Hampton High School, has seen the population change considerably as the number of Latino residents has increased, with language barriers among first generation children and their parents a particular challenge. She lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Her parents live nearby in a two-bedroom unit. Of the 46 apartments, Latino residents occupy 32 units.

    Ms. Collado now works as a tenant specialist at Whalebone, helping to deal with the various issues that arise for residents. She keeps a particular eye on the 13 teenage boys. For many of them, summertime spells boredom and a chronic lack of supervision.

    This summer, with many of the parents working two and three jobs, children and teenagers will be the primary focus of the Wednesday night meetings. Though current funding will allow the program to “limp through until December,” its future hinges on raising of additional money. According to organizers, though they have raised $7,000 in recent weeks, $35,000 is still needed to continue the program next year.

    “It’s a small number of high-risk individuals and sometimes it’s easier to get funding for something with a lot of kids and a generalized kind of approach,” Ms. St. John said.

    “Being a single mother is an almost guaranteed path into poverty,” said Mr. Mooney, who sees many of the residents exhausted by their dual struggle to make ends meet while also trying to provide their children with a better life.

    At Whalebone, the waitlist to qualify for an apartment now stretches 163 names long — with many individuals waiting five or more years.

    Besides single mothers, the apartments are also occupied by a handful of senior citizens and disabled individuals whose yearly income averages $18,500. According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, federal poverty guidelines for a family of three is $19,530. At Whalebone single households are capped at a $55,000 annual income. All residents allocate 30 percent of their income toward rent.

    Challenges aside, slowly, a community is developing. For many residents, the hour-long sessions provide their only reprieve from weekly stresses.

    Every Wednesday night, as she is packing up to go home, Ms. St. John is bombarded by the same question: Are you going to keep coming back?

Reptiles on Display

    The South Fork Natural History Museum will open its doors Saturday for a day of free activities in honor of Earth Day. For kids, there will be a live reptile, amphibian, and insect show, Erik’s Reptile Edventure, from 10 to 11 a.m. The show offers a chance to see, touch, and learn about lizards, snakes, turtles, tree frogs, toads, salamanders, and even an alligator. Reservations for this one might be a good idea.

    Families can tour the museum, walk the grounds, and check out a site-specific installation by the museum’s artist in residence, Christine Sciulli, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The museum is in Bridgehampton on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike.

For the Birds

    In Montauk, the Concerned Citizens of Montauk, the Montauk Playhouse, and the Group for the East End are teaming up to bring kids a craft program with a focus on birds. The fun goes down from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Playhouse. Kids who take part in this free program will get their own “birdie bling bag.”

Waddle On

    Swaddle Waddle, a New York City program combining developmental, musical, and educational activities, will head to the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Saturday to offer an introduction in advance of a series of classes to be held at CMEE this summer. The class, at 11 a.m., will have kids 4 months to 4 years old shaking, noise making, stretching, and working with parachutes, flashcards, and more. The cost is $15, $5 for members.

    Sima the storyteller will sail into CMEE on Sunday for a free story time at 11 a.m., sponsored by Cultural Care Au Pair. Advance registration is suggested for museum events.

Ball, Carnival, Ballet

    Tickets are on sale for the Hampton Ballet Theatre School’s spring program, to be presented at Guild Hall on Friday, April 26, April 27, and April 28. The production will feature two new ballets, “The Graduation Ball” and “Carnival of the Animals,” choreographed by Sara Jo Strickland, with costumes by Yuka Silver and lighting design by Sebastian Paczynski.

    Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 26 and 27 and at 2 p.m. on April 28. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 for children under 12 and can be reserved at hamptonballettheatreschool.com or by e-mailing [email protected].

Plein-Air Painting

    What better time than spring to sketch and paint in the great outdoors? If the thought appeals, then a workshop at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill for children 7 and older might be just the thing. Plein-air sketching and painting will be offered on four Saturdays, starting April 27, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $120, or $90 for museum members. Advance registration is required, as space is limited.

Homework Help

    The John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor is offering help with homework on Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

    Chase Mallia, a tutor and teacher, will help students ages 13 to 19 in both Spanish and English. An emphasis will be placed on Regents-level mathematics, and snacks will be provided at the program, which will continue through mid-June.

    Young dancers from the Hampton Ballet Theatre School will take the stage tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday to present two new spring ballets at Guild Hall’s John Drew Theater.

    “The Graduation Ball” and “Carnival of the Animals” were choreographed by the school’s director, Sara Jo Strickland, and feature costumes by Yuka Silver and lighting by Sebastian Paczynski. The first, with a score by Johann Strauss Jr., is about students from a boys military school attending a dance at an all-girls school. Camille Saint-Saens did the score for “Carnival of the Animals,” a whimsical romp of wild, barnyard, and zoo animals.

    Performances will be tomorrow and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $25 in advance for adults, $20 for children under 12, and can be purchased at 888-933-4287 or online at hamptonballettheatreschool.com.

Daddy and Me

    Dads who want to get in the groove with their little ones will have a chance at a special Daddy and Me class offered by Music Together by the Dunes on Sunday at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Fathers and children from newborn to age 5 will sing, dance, do rhythmic chants, play instruments, and move together in the class, which starts at 11 a.m. The cost is $10. Advance registration is at mtbythedunes.com.

Libros y Peliculas

    Tuesday, or Martes, will be el Dia de los Ninos and el Dia de los Libros at the East Hampton Library. The celebration of children, books, and reading from 4 to 5 p.m. will include stories in English and Spanish for kids 4 and older and a craft session. Advance registration has been requested.

    Teenagers who took part in the library’s annual teen film contest, a monthlong filmmaking effort, will show their films on Wednesday from 5 to 6 p.m. Awards will be presented in a range of categories, including a People’s Choice Award. Refreshments will be served.

Terrariums and Sandcasts

    As the larger outside habitats wake from their winter slumber, kids 7 to 15 will have a chance on Saturday to make their own microcosms during a terrarium workshop at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. Crystal Possehl, a nature educator at the museum, will use the terrarium project to teach participants about the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles, and how air, soil, and water work together to “keep life in balance.” The workshop starts at 10 a.m.

    On Sunday at the same time, Lindsey Rohrbach will lead kids 5 and older in a beachcombing and sandcasting workshop, sharing tips about identifying shells and other beach treasures, collecting them, and using plaster of Paris to cast them. There will be a $3 materials fee.

    Advance reservations are required for both programs.

Author, Author!

    The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton is running a bus trip for teens to the Authors Unlimited event at St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue on Saturday, where kids will have a chance to meet young-adult authors, talk about their books, even get autographs. The trip is open to younger children as well, but teens will get preferred seating on the bus, which will leave the library at 8 a.m. and head home from the college at 4 p.m. Those under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.