Education

Facing continued criticism from teaching assistants over what they say are unfairly low salaries — wages they also say were lowered without warning this year — the Springs School District has begun negotiating raises with the teaching assistants’ union, a year ahead of the usual schedule, while also performing a full audit of employee payroll.

With interest in baseball here surging “through the roof,” in Tim Garneau’s words, he and other active community members are pushing to have a four-row, three-section, 132-seat grandstand built on leveled ground behind home plate at East Hampton High School’s varsity field in time for the spring season.

At the East Hampton Middle School, the 471 brand-new lockers that were installed in September — replacing ones that were half the size and at least 40 years old — have gotten top grades from the students themselves.

Festivals, book clubs, arts and crafts, movies, and more coming up for kids and teens this week.

Springs School students report the news.

It isn’t quite time for trick-or-treating just yet, but the Halloween fun has already begun with parties, movies, crafts, and other activities for kids of all ages.

The Neo-Political Cowgirls will present student workshops and performances of “The Dreamer,” a version of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” told through the perspective of a young girl, starting Monday and running through Friday, Oct. 27. Plus: dance, crafts, video games, and more coming up for kids and teens.

The Amagansett School has received top marks on its annual financial review, according to EFPR Group, the district’s outside auditing company.

The East Hampton Town Police Department has given the all-clear signal at the Amagansett School after a bomb threat was received by email just before 9 a.m. Wednesday. The school — where the day's classes were just beginning — was immediately evacuated, police said in a release.

Seth Turner, the superintendent of the Amagansett School District for the last five years, has resigned "effective immediately," the district announced Wednesday night.

In the wake of the deadly coach bus crash that killed two Farmingdale School District staff members and wounded many of the students on the bus on Sept. 21, the East Hampton School District on Tuesday said it intends to create a policy to ensure the safety of its own students who board coach buses for school trips. The district's annual financial audit was also discussed, as was an expansion of the free school lunch program.

Epic Martial Arts will hold free self-defense classes for girls on Monday and Oct. 23 and Nov. 6 at its Sag Harbor studio. There's much more in store for kids and teens this week, too.