In a stirring ceremony in the Amagansett School’s gymnasium on Friday, a ribbon was cut to celebrate the arrival on Sept. 19 of the original Amagansett schoolhouse, built in 1802 by Samuel Schellinger and donated to the district by Huntington and Adelaide Sheldon, on whose property it sat for decades.

With students, teachers, members of the East Hampton Town Board, State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr., and the district’s school board on hand, the spirit of community was strong as speakers emphasized the past as a guide to the present and future.

The one-room building was originally on “Amagansett Street,” now Montauk Highway. It was moved to the west side of Atlantic Avenue, at what is now the southern part of the East End Cemetery, in 1864, and moved again in 1881, when it was auctioned to Marcus Hand. Mr. Hand sold it to Capt. Joshua B. Edwards, who moved it across the street to his backyard, which is now part of the Sheldon property. There, the building was filled with fishing nets, a dory, and flensing knives, which were used to cut whale blubber.

Capt. Edwards’s son, Dr. David Edwards, arranged the sale to Mr. Sheldon’s mother, Magda Sheldon, in 1936 or ’37. The building’s last public use was for Girl Scout meetings in the late 1940s, Mr. Sheldon told The Star last year.

“It has traveled around the town over the past two centuries,” Eleanor Tritt, the district superintendent, said, “and has finally landed at the spot where it best belongs.” She told the student body that “under the gifted guidance of your teachers, you will be able to develop understanding about where it all began. . . . You can transport yourselves back to a time when your ancestors learned reading, writing, and arithmetic in a one-room schoolhouse, unheated, un-air-conditioned, with other students of all ages and abilities. And sometimes, they had to leave school to help their parents earn a livelihood, either through harvesting the bounties of land and sea, or from producing oil from captured whales.”

“As you peer through the paneled windows, you can wonder if those students had any idea of what education would be like for you today. As we compare our two schools, representing education in the same place but separated by centuries, we have a wonderful tool for exploration.”

The superintendent invited the community to contribute an item to a “treasure chest” that will be locked for the next 40 years. “Children, will you be here with your children to unlock the treasure chest?” she asked. 

Ms. Tritt introduced East Hampton Town Supervisor Larry Cantwell, a graduate of the Amagansett School, who spoke of the “emotional rush” he experiences each time he returns. “This is about the sense of place,” he said, “and how people care so much about the community, care so much about the history, and are willing to hang on to a sense that this building was important, that it shouldn’t be changed, that someday it might become a gift back to Amagansett and be a public place.”

The schoolhouse, Mr. Thiele said, “is one more gem added to that collection of what makes Amagansett great.”

Hugh King, the East Hampton town crier and another graduate of the Amagansett School, spoke of other historic structures that have been preserved, including the 1902 Life-Saving Station, nearby on Atlantic Avenue. “It’s important to study history,” Mr. King said, “because if you don’t know where you’ve been, you might not know where you’re going. But as Yogi Berra said, ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you may go someplace else.’ ”

“Isn’t it good,” Mr. King asked, “that the Amagansett 1802 schoolhouse has not gone someplace else?”

As the students rang bells to signify that class was once again in session, the ribbon was cut. The ceremony concluded with the students’ singing John Howard Payne’s “Home, Sweet Home.”

“We can best chart our path to tomorrow by having ready access to our past,” Ms. Tritt said. “We are all so fortunate that our community preserves and cherishes its past as a heritage for today’s students, and those yet to come.”

The East End New Leaders, a group of politically active young adults based in Amagansett, continues to push for expanded spaces for youths at the Y.M.C.A.-East Hampton RECenter, even as administrators there have agreed to add more such amenities.

New Leaders has proposed downsizing the gym areas, which the group says dominate the facility. They want to add an “art zone” to the back of the first floor, with chalkboard and whiteboard walls and art supplies, and to make the second floor a youth lounge with sofas, flat-screen TVs, computers, board games, air hockey, and more, with space set aside on the third floor for snacks, drinks, and equipment for music activities. Outside the building, the group envisions a community garden for children.

To push for these changes, the East End New Leaders recently started a petition on the website change.org. It had just over 200 signatures by yesterday morning.

According to Walker Bragman, a member of the group’s executive board, the Y has agreed to add more art supplies and music equipment. A Sept. 22 update to the group’s online petition called it a “partial victory,” but Mr. Bragman said the additions stop short of reconfiguring the gym space.

East Hampton Town provides a portion of the RECenter’s funding, about $590,000 each year. Children under the age of 18 are eligible for free memberships.

“The town shouldn’t be subsidizing a gym,” said Mr. Bragman. “I think it’s a waste of taxpayer money.” He himself, he said, used to hang out at the RECenter before it became affiliated with the Y.M.C.A.

He said the East End New Leaders’ plan is ambitious, but added, “I think the kids deserve it. I think the kids in East Hampton are in crisis, and I think they need the town to be ambitious.”

Asked for a response to the campaign, Glenn Vickers, the RECenter’s executive director, provided a brochure detailing the facility’s youth programs and called the Y.M.C.A. RECenter “an industry leader in youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of the work from our staff, board, and volunteers that continue to tell our story and showcase our impact,” Mr. Vickers said in an email.

According to the brochure, the activities in progress this fall include dance classes, beginner karate, music for toddlers, art sessions, sports, and more. It mentions “learning labs” and video games. Recreational hours for teens and pre-teens are set up between 2:30 and 6 p.m. a few days each week; the brochure describes those sessions as “a safe and structured environment to socialize and explore their interests.”

To some degree, Mr. Bragman took issue with the “structured” component of the RECenter’s programming. Kids need “free play,” he said. “We’ve shown them studies that indicate what we’re asking for is necessary and a part of child development. Without free play, there’s a link to general anxiety and depression.”

Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, the town board member who serves as the board’s liaison to the Y, said yesterday that the new group’s efforts were admirable. However, she said, the “big picture” needs to be considered.

“It’s a balancing act in terms of serving all of the needs of the community at the Y.M.C.A,” she said. “I think that the Y.M.C.A. leadership wants what’s best for our kids. They’re working to develop programming for our preteens and teens, and I have faith in their approach.”

Chess at CMEE

Aspiring chess players 4 to 9 and those already familiar with the game might want to set aside Thursday afternoons for Chess @ CMEE, an eight-week course at the Children’s Museum of the East End offered with Chess NYC. The first session is this afternoon from 4 to 5. The program costs $75 but is free for members of the museum. Advance registration has been requested.

Montauk Field Day

Given the forecast as of press time, Montauk Field Day, scheduled for Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. at Montauk County Park, could well be rescheduled to its rain date, Oct. 18. If it’s not, Sunday will bring an afternoon of free fun and games hosted by Montauk Youth and the Concerned Citizens of Montauk. Among the day’s attractions are a bounce house, an obstacle course, food to purchase, a pie toss, sack races, and a tug-of-war.

To the Rescue

Kids can learn about the marine mammal and sea turtle rescue work of the Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Amagansett Library. The presentation will include pictures and artifacts.

On Sunday at 2 p.m. the library has invited kids to create a quilt square for a collaborative community quilt that is being made to commemorate the Amagansett Library’s 100th anniversary next year.

Two programs for preschoolers ages 3 and 4 resume this week: a story time on Mondays at 2:15 p.m. and Tot Hop, a game, movement, music, and rhyme program on Wednesdays at 2:15 p.m. These are in addition to the library’s ongoing Rhyme Time for toddlers up to 36 months on Mondays at 10:15 a.m., a First Story Time for tots on Tuesdays at the same time, and Shake, Rattle, and Roll on Fridays at 10 a.m.

From Movies to Movement

At the East Hampton Library, this week brings movies for kids and teens, stories and crafts for kids 4 and up, and a music and movement program for ages 1 to 3.

This afternoon’s family movie at 4:30 p.m. will be “Finding Nemo.” Disney’s “Planes” will be shown next Thursday at the same time. On Tuesdays at 5:30 starting this week, the library will resume its weekly Books on Screen program for teens, who will watch films based on young-adult books and then discuss how the movie and film were similar and how they differed.

Music With Miss Lori will have the little ones bopping tomorrow from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. On Tuesday at 4 p.m., kids 4 and up can listen to a story about cupcakes and then do a cupcake craft.

Music Together

The fall semester of Music Together by the Dunes, a family music and movement program for children from birth to age 5, begins this week with classes offered locally in East Hampton and Bridgehampton. Music Together is a “research-based music immersion” program that includes “singing, dancing, instrument play, parent education, rhythm patterns, tonal patterns, and vocal play for children and the adults who love them,” according to Ina Ferrara, the director of Music Together by the Dunes.

The program includes workshop activities and music, a CD, a DVD, and parent materials to continue the fun at home. The East Hampton session, held at Dancehampton on Lumber Lane, began yesterday and will continue on Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. The Bridgehampton session will begin tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the Children’s Museum of the East End. The cost for each is $235 plus a $15 registration fee for new families. Missed classes can be made up at other locations or in a subsequent semester. Parents can register online at mtbythedunes.com or by calling Ms. Ferrara at 631-680-1392.

On Friday morning, nearly 700 students at John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton walked to the grassy field next to the school carrying symbols of peace — pinwheels they had made during classes last week. Class by class, they lined up in the shape of a giant peace sign in recognition of International Peace Day, singing songs and holding their pinwheels high. Friday’s celebration marked the eighth year the school has recognized International Peace Day.

“Every day, we are exposed to either television images or newspaper articles that give importance to conflict,” said Beth Doyle, the school’s principal. “It is our hope that through the Pinwheels for Peace project, we can make a statement about our feelings about peace and tolerance. In today’s world, peace needs to be more than just a word.”

She quoted “The Peace Book” by Todd Parr, who wrote about ways peace can be represented. Just to name a few of Mr. Parr’s examples, Ms. Doyle said peace can be achieved by making new friends, by sharing a meal, by keeping the streets clean, by learning another language, and by “being different, feeling good about yourself, and helping others.”

An event for people from 16 to 32 will be held at the Montauk Salt Cave on Monday at 6:30 p.m. Coordinated by the Family Service League, the idea for a community recreational event of a practical and therapeutic nature came out of a meeting of the East End Peer Network in Montauk over the summer.

Future activities may include music and art sessions, instruction in how to do your own oil change, and more. The Montauk Salt Cave is at 552 West Lake Drive.

The Sag Harbor School Board hired an architectural firm at its meeting Monday night to do a “facility analysis” of the Stella Maris Regional School building. BBS Architects will receive $11,500 for the work, an extension of a contract it had been awarded on Aug. 31 for work on capital projects later this year.

The Stella Maris architectural study was among several noteworthy developments during the meeting, which included a decision to allow “gavel-to-gavel” videotaping of board meetings, an announcement that there would be a bonfire as part of this year’s homecoming, and an announcement of a $625,000 federal grant for efforts to prevent substance abuse among students.

Katy Graves, Sag Harbor’s superintendent, declined to comment before the board went into executive session about Stella Maris, citing only that the matter to be discussed was real estate. It was the third executive session since July 1 on real estate, which can take place legally behind closed doors if it involves specific financial matters. Stella Maris, a closed Catholic School in the village, has been listed for sale at $3.5 million.

By a unanimous vote, the board agreed to reverse last year’s policy against videotaping the public comment portions of the board’s meetings. Some board members previously had been concerned that the district could be held liable for defamatory public comments. However, during the board’s Aug. 31 meeting, Chris Tice, the board’s vice president, reported having received reliable opinion that was not the case.

During his report on Pierson Middle and High School, Jeff Nichols, the principal, announced that a decision to allow a bonfire at homecoming came out of a meeting last Thursday in which the new executive board of the Parent Teacher Student Association sought community opinion about homecoming and recruited volunteers. Pierson’s homecoming is set for Oct. 9 and 10, and will include a typical parade and skits, along with an in-school kickoff on the afternoon of Oct. 9, and several athletic contests.

 Ms. Graves made the announcement of a five-year  $625,000 grant from HUGS, the Help, Understanding, and Group Support agency, to the Sag Harbor Community Coalition. The money will help the coalition unite policymakers and practitioners in health, public safety, and education on the prevention of substance abuse and work with religious and community organizations.

It will “help shore up our children and our families to encourage our children not to use alcohol and other drugs,” Ms. Graves said, calling the grant “really exciting.” She noted that an attempt to win the grant failed last year but was successful this time because of the hard work of everyone involved.

In other business, the board tabled setting up several committees, citing the need for more parents and community members to get involved. The board is hoping to fill committees related to athletics, communications, facilities, and student health and wellness, among others. More information can be found on the school’s website at sagharborschools.org.

Guild Hall’s JDT Lab, which sponsors free theater programs, has invited local students to an interactive theater event next week dealing with issues such as cyber-bullying and the objectification of women.

The show, called “Theater of the Oppressed,” is an introduction to what is known as forum theater. It will take place on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. The East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, and Westhampton Beach School Districts have been asked to send student groups.

The  style of show, created by the Brazilian actor and activist Augusto Boal, is “a way of utilizing theater to change the world,” according to Kasia Klimiuk, an actress and graduate student who is coordinating the event with several of her peers at the City University of New York’s School of Professional Studies.

“It’s often called ‘a rehearsal for revolution,’ because it’s a way to practice changing your reality,” Ms. Klimiuk said. “You can bring that practice into your life. It’s an opportunity for the audience to not just watch a show. . . . They actually stand up and enter the theater piece.”

The Springs School District has received approval from the New York State Education Department to bring on a retired school official as its interim business administrator and treasurer.

Carl O. Fraser, an administrator who recently retired after more than 20 years as an assistant superintendent for finance, transportation, and facilities management in several districts, will be able to work through June, having received a waiver from regulations governing retirees, which will allow him to earn more than $30,000 in a given calendar year. Prior to his appointment, on Aug. 24, Mr. Fraser had been a consultant on special projects for the district.

“He’s going to really do an excellent job for the district,” said John J. Finello, the Springs superintendent, who worked with Mr. Fraser in the East Islip School District. “He brings a different perspective to the job that will benefit the Springs students, parents, and taxpayers.”

Mr. Fraser will earn $750 per day. As of Monday,  Mr. Fraser’s first official day at Springs, there were 175 school days left in the year, meaning he may earn up to $131,250. He also receives pension benefits from the state’s Teachers Retirement System, but will not receive paid vacation or sick days, medical benefits, or retirement contributions from Springs.

Mr. Fraser succeeds Tom Primiano, who left this month to become an assistant superintendent in the Westbury School District. Mr. Primiano, who spent three years with Springs, most recently earned an annual salary of $90,000. According to an announcement from the district, it had received more than 110 applications for the position. Seven applicants were interviewed and “no suitable candidates resulted from these interviews.”

Close-Up on Trucks

Kids and trucks simply go together, and for the kids who love them, Big Truck Day at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton will offer a close-up look. Emergency response vehicles, construction trucks, and farming machines will be on display on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. Admission is $10, free for museum members.

Amagansett School Fair

Children can enjoy crafts, storytelling, and games during the Amagansett School Fair hosted by the PTA from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday on the school lawn. There will be a bake sale, an auction, a raffle, and even a licensed therapy dog, Jazzy, who the adults say loves to hear children read to her. Representatives of the Amagansett Library will be doing library card sign-ups. The rain date for the free event is Sunday.

Nature Data, Memory Jars

Teens today, biologists tomorrow. The South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton needs teens who are interested in biology and the environment to help collect important data about local freshwater and saltwater habitats. Students will visit a North Sea beach on Saturday and learn how to use various scientific tools to take measurements and make observations. Crystal Possehl, a SoFo nature educator, will lead the nature survey, which starts at 10 a.m.

Also at SoFo on Saturday, children of all ages have been invited to make beach memory jars. You can bring your own shells and memories from the summer or take a walk along the beach to collect shells and other souvenirs from the sea. There will also be an educational component to the activity: Nicole Cummings, the workshop leader, will talk about the types of marine life that live in or make the shells. A materials fee of $5 will be collected, and the entire family will be welcomed. The start time is 10 a.m.

Books and Bulbs

For kids who find book clubs appealing but would prefer to choose their own books to read rather than receive an assignment, the East Hampton Library’s Any Book Book Club might be the answer. It meets on Wednesdays from 3 to 4 p.m., when members get together to talk about the books they are reading independently.

Also at the library, a representative of the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons will show children in kindergarten through third grade how to plant and care for amaryllis bulbs. The organization will provide the bulbs, flowerpots, and soil for the activity, which will happen on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m.

Who Doesn’t Love Snoopy?

The Montauk Library will hold a library card sign-up event on Tuesday from 2 to 3 p.m. featuring a beloved cartoon character, Snoopy. Kids can hear Snoopy stories, do take-home crafts, and enter a drawing to win a Snoopy stuffed animal. There will also be a giant library card on hand for kids to pose with for pictures.

SoulGrow Still in Bloom

Camp SoulGrow, a not-for-profit offering free programs for kids 7 and up, will continue the fun into the fall from its base at Third House in Montauk County Park and elsewhere around the hamlet. The camp runs workshops and adventures in arts, dance, cooking, fitness, music, and community service after school and on weekends, with selections changing from week to week.

Camp SoulGrow teams up with local businesses and other organizations for some projects, like a beach cleanup that was held Saturday sponsored by Concerned Citizens of Montauk and East End Cares. Also offered this week was a visit to the Montauk Seafood Festival, a sewing camp, dance lessons, and honey harvesting. Participants must register in advance at campsoulgrow.org, where the list of offerings is updated daily.

For Young Scribes

Kids 10 to 12 who enjoy writing or just long to be better at it can practice the craft during a series of workshops at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor starting on Saturday. Participants will work from writing prompts, discuss technique, and be part of group critiques during weekly sessions from 10 to 11 a.m. through May. Snacks will be provided. Advance registration has been requested.

The library is also offering SAT math prep courses free of charge with a professional tutor and certified teacher on Tuesdays from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Students can get help in English and Spanish. They have been asked to bring two #2 pencils, a notebook, and a calculator.

Kids 7 and up will use autumn leaves to make decoupage-style bowls during a craft workshop on Sunday from 2 to 3 p.m. at the library.

Talk Like a Pirate

The Amagansett and Montauk Libraries will celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day with special programs on Saturday. In Montauk, kids will get pirate bandanas and eye patches, make a telescope, and hunt for hidden treasure in the children’s room from 2 to 3:30 p.m. During a pirate story and craft time at 3:30 p.m. in Amagansett, kids will make pirate hats and eye patches.

Also in Amagansett, Jazzy, a licensed therapy dog, will be on hand to help children practice their reading skills today, next Thursday, and Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. In Montauk, the library will celebrate the first day of fall on Wednesday with apple books, crafts, and snacks from 4 to 5 p.m.

Yoga for Little Ones

Peaceful Planet will bring yoga classes for walkers up to age 5 to the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton on Wednesdays this fall from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. The first session will be this week.

Art workshops at the library will have children 4 and up doing foil embossing tomorrow and shaving-cream marbling on Friday, Sept. 25, both at 4:30 p.m. Advance registration has been requested.

Mysteries of Nature

From air to mudflats, the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will give curious kids something to ponder this weekend. A program for ages 6 to 9 on the gases that make up the air we breathe will be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. According to the museum, kids will “experiment with different gases and learn about these invisible molecules that surround us and our planet.” On Sunday, kids the same age can join in a mudflat mystery adventure at 10 a.m. in East Hampton, where they will search for the many creatures that make the mud their home.

Sign-up in advance is required for both programs.