Education

School spirit will be on display next week at East Hampton High School, where Spirit Week festivities begin on Tuesday. 

When she worked as a secretary at the Springs School, Susan Bennett "always put children first," her family said this week. Among her many contributions to the school was "Susan's Lunch Drawer," where kids could go if they were hungry and didn't have anything to eat.

A celebration of the Long Pond Greenbelt on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. behind the South Fork Natural History Museum means guided walks, birding, games, live animal visits, a reptile search, and even free ice cream.

East Hampton High School's newest classroom isn't the lecturing sort of learning environment. It's a hands-on home for a new culinary arts program: a commercial kitchen lab that will be used to teach and practice cooking, baking, and other aspects of the hospitality industry, readying students for real-world careers in a field high in demand here on the East End.

Dance and theater programming, jazz education day, card making and community service opportunities for teens, and more kid-friendly activities are coming up this week.

The East Hampton School District has a homework assignment for local government leaders and community members: Brainstorm solutions to a teacher-and-staff shortage that's projected only to get worse because of the lack of affordable housing options here.

Bay Street Theater's latest kids' classes are on Shakespeare and musical theater. Children ages 7 to 13 will take on a junior version of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. in Sag Harbor starting this weekend and running through Nov. 13.

The Springs School District has finished the bulk of its $23 million renovation and expansion project — meaning its 707 students have a lot more space to stretch their learning legs.

Students started the academic year in sparkling spaces, many of which were not available to them last year when the nearly $30 million construction project was going on.

From family art workshops to library events and nature activities, kids and teens have lots of fun things they can do.

The coordinator position for the nonprofit organization Safe in Sag Harbor had been open for a few months when Randy Hansen stepped in — and stepped up.

The coordinator position for the nonprofit organization Safe in Sag Harbor had been open for a few months when Randy Hansen stepped in — and stepped up.

Children with special needs and their families got a chance to experience the healing power of the ocean on Saturday at A Walk on Water's surf therapy event at Ditch Plain in Montauk.

During and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, people relied on newspapers, broadcast news, editorials, and documentary films to deepen their understanding of what was happening. Adults were living the reality of what is now a lesson learned by children in schools, where age-appropriate textbooks, worksheets, assignments, and classroom discussions are underscored by the teachers' own experiences and sensitivity.

Our Fabulous Variety Show is partnering with Project Most to offer theater and dance programs for children, teens, and adults at the Neighborhood House in East Hampton, with a couple of three-week series beginning on Sept. 13. An open house on Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. will offer an introduction to the teachers and overview of the programming.

Kids agreed that wearing masks is a small price to pay for what they hope is a normal school year filled with meaningful classroom activities, academics, field trips, and friendships.

Richard Burns, the longtime superintendent of the East Hampton School District who retired in June, is back in action in a different capacity.

The Springs School District is seeking comments from parents, students, staff, and community members on its updated code of conduct and safety plan, both of which have been posted on the district's website, springsschool.org. The deadline for comments is Monday, Sept. 20, when the school board is expected to vote on adopting the two policies.

Jason Hudy will round out Guild Hall's summer-long KidFest series with his "Mesmerizing Magic" show on Wednesday at 3 and 5 p.m. Mr. Hudy promises "cutting-edge magical entertainment that will draw you into the intricate world of illusion."

On her first day in office on Tuesday, New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul directed the state Health Department to institute a universal mask requirement for all children and adults in schools and an expanded testing protocol for all, and said she is also looking into the possibility of mandating vaccines for all school employees with an option to test out weekly.

East Hampton Middle School educators want their students to believe in themselves.

Guild Hall will present Johnny Peers and the Muttville Comix, "a slapstick comedy dog show like no other," on Wednesday at the Children's Museum of the East End. The show features more than a dozen rescue dogs who have also performed their tricks at Disneyland, the Big Apple Circus, and even the White House.

East Hampton High School students, families, and staff members can meet the new principal, Sara Smith, on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the high school auditorium.

When school starts up again in September, Hope Hamilton will have quite the "how I spent my summer vacation" story to tell.

The East Hampton School Board is considering making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for students who play sports on district teams or take part in after-school activities, though some questions remain unanswered at this point.

The Sag Harbor School District and Mashashimuet Park appear to have settled their differences on the use of park facilities for student-athletes, reaching a tentative agreement on Friday that will ultimately have to be approved by both the school board and district voters.

The Montauk School is in the early stages of exploring a dual language program that would level up students' fluency in Spanish.

The Springs School District's construction management firm, Park East, reported Monday that there are still quite a few items left on its to-do list in the ongoing expansion and renovation project, but that it is on schedule and slated to be done before students return on Sept. 9.

Guild Hall's next KidFest offering, Cirquetacular, will take place at the Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Wednesday. Artistic acrobatic and aerial feats are sure to delight children and adults alike. Showtime is 6 p.m., and tickets are $20 for kids and $30 for adults.

The county's guidelines closely mirror those of the federal Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. They include universal mask wearing indoors for all, even those students and staff members who have already received vaccines; masks will not be required outdoors.