Having closed its doors in June after the Sag Harbor School District expanded its prekindergarten offerings to a full-day program, the Rainbow School has now donated its furniture, books, arts and crafts supplies, and other learning materials to the school district. The Quogue Wildlife Refuge, Goat on a Boat Puppet Theater, and the Hamptons Art Camp also received a portion of the donations.
"It's bittersweet, but we're really happy that the contents of the school live on and are being used for the children of the community," said Emilie Bennett, who served 14 years on the board of the nonprofit preschool. Three of her four children attended the Rainbow School, which was established in 2004 and was located at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the South Fork in Bridgehampton for most of the last 17 years.
The Sag Harbor School Board formally accepted the donations during its meeting on Monday, after receiving them over the summer. "The Rainbow School served our community with distinction for many years," said Matt Malone, the Sag Harbor Elementary School principal, who also oversees the new prekindergarten program at the Learning Center. "We are happy knowing that these donated items will support our work at the pre-K as we strive to provide a wonderful learning opportunity for the young children of Sag Harbor."