Education

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.

A new approach to disciplinary action is on the horizon in the Springs School District, where administrators are looking to adopt "restorative practices" in which students themselves play a role in determining the outcome of incidents.

KidFest at Guild Hall, Shakespeare goes to camp in Amagansett, and more fun activities coming up for kids and teens.

Students and staff in the East Hampton School District — even those who are vaccinated — will begin the new school year with masks on, the school board decided on Tuesday.

When Juliana Lester, a rising East Hampton High School senior, noticed that "a lot of the locals have been moving away and . . . our story is kind of slipping through our fingers," the 16-year-old decided to do her part to teach people about the village's history.

After a child and a counselor tested positive for Covid-19, the Hayground Camp in Bridgehampton closed this week out of an abundance of caution, Doug Weitz, the camp's director, confirmed Tuesday.

Guild Hall will host Pirate School, "a madcap, swashbuckling comedy variety show," in person on Wednesday at 3 and 5 p.m. There will also be pirate-theme workshops before both shows, at 2 and 4 p.m., in partnership with the Golden Eagle art supply store. Tickets to the shows are $15 for children and $30 for adults, and the workshops cost $35 per child (free for member families).

The Sag Harbor School Board and the Mashashimuet Park board continue to hash out their differences with ongoing negotiations about the district's use of park facilities for school sports.

Hampton Ballet Theatre School's performance of "Peter and the Wolf" will return in full force for its 14th year with four new casts at two locations, including, for the first time, Herrick Park in East Hampton.

East Hampton High School will soon have a new principal whose face should be a familiar one around town. The school board is set to appoint Sara Smith, who lives in East Hampton, to the post on Aug. 3.

Rising high school seniors can get help on their college essays at the East Hampton Library on Saturday between 10 a.m. and noon. Those who sign up for the writing sessions, facilitated by experienced writing tutors, will receive raffle tickets for weekly prizes at the library.

The news that a swimming pool has been added to the construction plans of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center's new 7,000-square-foot facility has made quite a splash around town.

Ukulele Lessons and Textiles

Among several activities lined up for Saturday, Project Most is offering a beginner ukulele class for children in fourth through sixth grades at noon. The cost is $20, and the class will be held outdoors if the weather is nice. All Project Most classes meet at the East Hampton Neighborhood House.

"As always, our day will begin with homework assistance, followed by a variety of enrichment activities," such as art, dance, yoga, gardening, cooking, and organized games, as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics projects, said Martha Stotzky, the education director.

Keri DeLalio has resigned from her position as director of human resources and special education in the Springs School District. She was originally appointed in 2014 after several years teaching at the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton. Her last day in Springs will be Aug. 31. The school board accepted her resignation on July 13 and agreed to pay her for 20 unused vacation days.

The population of students learning English as a second language in American public schools is the fastest-growing student demographic in recent history. It is a trend reflected in the East Hampton School District, where the number of students learning English for the first time has grown dramatically, and is expected to continue growing in the coming years.