Education

In partnership with the East Hampton Town Police Department, East Hampton High School will host a workshop for parents next week at the East Hampton Library to address trends in youth drug use. There will be a presentation in English on Wednesday at 6 p.m., with an equivalent Spanish-language program next Thursday at the same time.

Springs School does a lot of things to make learning fun. One thing in particular is Pick a Reading Partner, called PARP, an annual program that makes kids want to read with their friends and family members. The idea is for students to read with people in their lives as a way to celebrate reading and literacy. Having a partner makes reading more fun and intriguing.

“Regionalization,” a New York State Education Department project that asks schools to consider partnering up to achieve savings and efficiencies, has garnered considerable controversy in UpIsland communities that view the initiative as the early stages of forced consolidation. But according to school officials here, the South Fork is ahead of the game. Individual districts are already sharing services extensively, they say, and the regionalization initiative is getting far less pushback locally.

The Amagansett School principal, who has been on paid leave since January after being accused of taking a $25 Amazon gift card meant for another staff member, denied the charges as a disciplinary hearing investigating the matter came to its conclusion last week.

The Sag Harbor School Board on Monday officially approved a Latin honors system to replace the current practice of ranking students, adopting a policy that is to begin next school year with the graduating class of 2026. The vote was 6-0 with one board member, Alex Kriegsman, abstaining.

The Friday Preteen Project returns tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. through Project Most. Plus: a Wiffle ball tournament, Origami Club, kids' movies, board games, and anime.

The Surfrider Club at East Hampton Middle School helped restore eelgrass to waters in Three Mile Harbor last month. “In recent years, our native eelgrass population has been diminished by pollution and non-native invasive species,” said Natalie Petykowski. “Sadly, there is barely any eelgrass left in East Hampton waters.”

Springs School is full of talent, and Lucy Fagerland is one example of that.

This month’s column is all about mysteries, one of my favorite book genres. I love the suspenseful race of trying to figure out whodunit or what happened before the characters do. I love jaw dropping plot twists. 

Part of a Further Lane house that an anonymous donor gifted to Project Most to be used in a hub for its children's programs on Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton has been demolished and discarded, having been exposed to weather conditions that allowed it to deteriorate. 

A course for prospective babysitters, a visit with a fairy tale princess, and another from a Native American storyteller from the Center for Environmental Education and Discovery are just a few of the offerings for kids and teens this week.

The Montauk School Board was presented with a multitude of renovation options at its meeting Tuesday afternoon. After looking at what could be done to improve the school, the board sent Kevin Walsh of BBS Architects back to the drawing board to fine-tune the plans with a preliminary budget of $37 million.

At a Springs School assembly for Veterans Day on Nov. 7, 22 members of different branches of service visited the school to be recognized for their service. Eight were from the Army, three from the Navy, two from the Marine Corps, five from the Coast Guard, and four from the Air Force.

On Saturday at LTV Studios in Wainscott, the 22 students from South Fork Performing Arts who acted and sang their hearts out in “The Prom” got a special treat after the show: The musical’s lyricist and book co-author, Chad Beguelin, was in the audience for that night’s production.

Samone Johnson, Jessica Neal, and Bridget Ehmann served in the military, learning formative lessons in discipline, readiness, and sacrifice that would forever shape their lives outside the service. They’ve also found themselves in the employment of the East Hampton School District, where they each draw meaning in their interactions with students, parents, and colleagues.

The character of Amagansett School's principal, Maria Dorr, was the focus of a disciplinary hearing on Oct. 30, but school attorneys repeatedly steered discussion back to the central issue: a missing red envelope with a $25 Amazon gift card enclosed.

This week's lineup of activities for children and teens includes robotics, taste-test challenges, a Mario Kart tournament, sports activities, and more.

A community vote to raise money for construction is on the horizon for the Montauk School District, which recently released the estimated tax impact for a bond somewhere between $40 and $45 million.

The newest classroom at the John M. Marshall Elementary School lacks windows, walls, and even a door, yet students are enjoying it nonetheless. Sound a bit strange? It's all intentional — it's an outdoor classroom.

Five Pierson High School students who are excelling both inside and outside the classroom have been recognized for their achievements: Two seniors have been named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Competition, and three students have been honored for their exemplary work and outstanding character.

Sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at the Springs School participated in the annual idiom contest on Halloween as an educational way to have fun on an otherwise crazy school day. The contest challenged students to interpret an idiom with a costume and/or props for the judges, who were the school's administrators.

In celebration of its 20th year offering dance and art education for children, teens, and adults, the A&G Dance Company has kicked off a campaign to raise a $20,000 endowment. Two of the goals, the company owners said this week, are to offer more scholarships to families facing financial difficulties and to boost the adaptive dance and art programs for adults and kids with special needs.

Stony Brook Southampton Hospital will host a clinical medical assistant career and technical education program for high school juniors and seniors, the hospital announced this week.

ZTag games, giant building blocks, autumn activities, kids' movies, story and music time, and more South Fork fun for kids and teens.

East Hampton High School and the East Hampton Library have teamed up to present a talk next Thursday called "Keeping Teens Out of Trouble." There will be a presentation by Derek Schuster, author of the book "Youth in Jeopardy" and founder of the nonprofit Family Dynamics.

At first, Davis Tobin was confused last Thursday when his father, Andrew Tobin, picked him up early from the Springs School. Davis, a third grader, East Hampton Little League player, and fervent Yankees fan, soon learned why. Surprise! His family had been gifted two tickets to Game 1 of the Yankees-Dodgers World Series showdown in Los Angeles, and he and his father were getting on a plane that night.

Something special took place last week in the small gym at the Springs School. It had kids eagerly waiting and parents opening their wallets — it was the Scholastic Book Fair.

Halloween is technically still a week away, but the fun for kids and teens has already begun in East Hampton, Sag Harbor, Water Mill, and other nearby places.

At the next Sag Harbor School Board meeting in November, school administrators said this week, they will be bringing a proposed policy change to the board: removing the current class ranking system and replacing it with a Latin honors system beginning with next year’s senior class.

From International Baccalaureate tests to New York State's Regents exams and other standardized assessments, students in the Sag Harbor School District posted excellent scores in the 2023-24 school year.