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Kids Culture 03.19.15

Kids Culture 03.19.15

By
Star Staff

Bambini Ball

Put on your dancing shoes and your party clothes. The Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre’s Bambini Ball is on Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. The fun will include music by D.J. Carlos Lama, snacks, puppet shows, and games.

The ball helps the nonprofit bring puppeteers and performers such as Gustafer Yellowgold, Chinese Theatre Works, and Randy Kaplan to its Sag Harbor space. Tickets cost $30 for adults and $10 for kids. They can be reserved in advance at goatonaboat.org.

 

For Little Foodies

Young foodies of all ages can learn how food is grown in the aquaponic garden at Page at 63 Main in Sag Harbor on March 28 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The free event will also feature a cooking demonstration and tasting as well as a discussion of healthy food choices.

Those who plan to attend have been asked to email [email protected] to reserve a place in advance.

 

It Glows

Kids 3 to 6 will use household ingredients and a few extras to make their own glow-in-the-dark bouncy balls on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. The class costs $24 including museum admission, or $10 for members of the museum.

 

Science and Nature

The South Fork Natural History Museum will offer kids in kindergarten through sixth grade a close-up introduction to reptiles and amphibians of the area on Tuesday at the East Hampton Library. The program runs from 4 to 5 p.m.

Next Thursday at the library, children 5 and older can make their own fossils while learning the basics of paleontology from 4 to 5 p.m. Tonight from 5 to 7, the library will screen “The Lorax” for families.

 

Think Spring

The snow may be hanging around, but now is the time to think spring, especially if you’re planting carrots. On Saturday, the Amagansett Library will help welcome spring with a carrot story and seed-planting time at 3:30 p.m.

On Sunday at 2 p.m. kids in third through sixth grades will make book pillows using recycled fabric. Kids in prekindergarten through third grade can drop by the library for some crafting today at 3 p.m.

The time changed a week and a half ago, spring arrives this weekend, and Easter will be here before you know it. Some major egg decorating will go down at the Montauk Library on Saturday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The library will have dye, stickers, and more on hand, but you may want to take your own smock.

 

Pizza and a Movie

The Hampton Library in Bridgehampton will screen “Guardians of the Galaxy” for ages 12 and up tomorrow at 7 p.m. Pizza will be served.

Surplus Earmarked

Surplus Earmarked

By
Janis Hewitt

After weeks of workshops, the Montauk School Board has come close to approving a final budget of a bit under $18.6 million for the 2015-16 school year. The board learned of a hefty fund balance of $1.2 million that they said Tuesday could be used for a slew of long overdue building improvements.

“It’s a problem, but it’s a good problem. Now we have to decide what to do with it,” Jack Perna, the school superintendent, said of the surplus. If the money were returned to taxpayers and taxes increased in the coming year, the school might have to pierce the state-mandated tax cap the year after, he said. Instead, said Mr. Perna, “We recommend taking part of the fund balance and adding it to the capital fund.”

The school building’s cesspools are acting up; a septic contractor was expected to inspect the system yesterday. A repair or replacement could be a costly project. “This cesspool issue is big in my mind,” said Diane Hausman, the school board president.

The board also discussed the parts of the building that need improvements, including repairing and repainting the stucco on its east and south sides, which was budgeted at $200,000. “But if we’re doing that, then we should also do the north and west sides,” Mr. Perna said. Jason Biondo, a board member and a building contractor, said the stucco repair would cost a lot more than what was budgeted and suggested they raise the amount to $300,000. No decision was made.

The surplus was attributed to several factors, a dearth of new students among them. When the district budgets each year for tuition fees for Montauk students attending other schools, it includes a safety net in case new students move into the district. Those funds were not needed this year. Also, one teacher took early retirement, making her ineligible for lifelong health insurance.

With teachers and parents alike anxiously waiting to hear if their spring vacation plans might need to be changed. the board also discussed making up snow days. Mr. Perna said after the meeting that students would have to attend school on April 3, Good Friday; May 22, and May 26. A fourth snow day will not need to be made up.

The next budget workshop will take place Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the school library.

Kids Culture 03.26.15

Kids Culture 03.26.15

By
Star Staff

Young Playwrights Showcase

Eight short plays by Bridgehampton and Ross School students who participated in the Young American Writers Project Middle School Playwriting program will be presented on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Stony Brook Southampton’s Avram Theater.

The program, which is sponsored by Stony Brook Southampton’s Master of Fine Arts in creative writing, pairs students with professional writers and teaching artists for workshops on playwriting, screenwriting, poetry, the personal essay, and fiction. Professional directors stage the culminating performances. Admission is free, but space may be reserved by emailing william.chandler@s tonybrook. edu.

 

Budding Authors

Susan Verde, the author of “The Museum” and “You and Me,” will be the Hampton Library’s guest at a reception on Tuesday from 7 to 8 p.m. The reception kicks off the library’s monthlong young authors program.

Parents and high school students looking to plan for college may want to stop elsewhere at the library on Tuesday at 7 for a talk with experts from Long Island Funding for Education, who will discuss how to get accepted by, pay for, and graduate from college.

Earlier that afternoon, at 4, kids 7 to 12 will make tiny matchbox books. Reservations are requested for all library programs.

 

Don’t Be Late

The Children’s Museum of the East End’s annual Mad Hatter Tea Party and egg hunt will be held Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to noon. Youngsters can design and decorate their own hats and bags, then join in a hunt for thousands of eggs hidden around the museum. The party is free for members, $10 for others, and reservations are requested, as space is limited.

The East Hampton Kiwanis Club and Cittanuova on East Hampton’s Newtown Lane will host an Easter egg coloring festa on Sunday at 9:30 a.m., giving kids 3 to 8 the chance to dye eggs and meet the Easter Bunny. A suggested donation of $3 will benefit Kiwanis projects.

Easter will come early at the Ladies Village Improvement Society in East Hampton, too. The group’s annual Easter egg hunt for children under 8 will be on Saturday at 11 a.m., and there’s a special prize in store for anyone who finds a golden egg.

Eggs and Easter are also on the agenda at the East Hampton and Amagansett Libraries this week. An Egg-cellent story and craft time will get children thinking about the holiday, and spring, on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Amagansett.

In East Hampton, a springtime story and craft program for ages 4 to 6 is planned Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. Those in sixth through eighth grade can use marshmallow Peeps and other candies to make a spring house on Wednesday at the same time.

 

Dance Into Spring

The spring semester of classes at the Hampton Ballet Theatre School in Bridgehampton will begin on Monday at 213J Butter Lane and at the Bridgehampton Community House.

In addition to the school’s graded-level ballet and contemporary dance classes, the schedule will include classes in hip-hop, contemporary dance, ballet, tap, ballroom, and flamenco. The A&G Dance Company, which is new to the school, will teach hip-hop for 5 to 8-year-olds on Mondays at 5 p.m. and tap for teens at 7:15 p.m. A contemporary dance class for 8 to 12-year-olds will be offered on Fridays at 4 p.m.

On Tuesdays, Ernesto Palma, a professional ballroom dancer, will teach that form of dance at 4 p.m. for younger kids and at 5 for teens. Mr. Palma speaks English and Spanish.

Sara Bedell Spataro will teach ballet on Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. and flamenco on Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. for teens. Information about the full schedule and pricing can be had by emailing [email protected] or calling 237-4810.

 

Budding Scientists

Teen scientists can conduct a scientific survey of Crooked Pond in the Long Pond Greenbelt on Saturday at 10 a.m. with the South Fork Natural History Museum.

Participants will use soil test kits, oxygen meters, pH testers, seine nets, binoculars, and microscopes to learn about the pond, its environment, and its inhabitants. Space is limited, so advance registration is a must. There is a $2 fee for a nature journal, or students can bring their own.

 

Leopard Meets Goat

At the Goat on a Boat puppet show on Saturday, the Magpie Puppets will present “Leopard Learns a Lesson,” at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Tickets are $12, $8 for children under 3 and additional siblings, and $10 for grandparents and theater members.

Schoolhouse Plan Advances

Schoolhouse Plan Advances

By
Christopher Walsh

Plans to move the original Amagansett schoolhouse, built in 1802 by Samuel Schellinger, a millwright, are proceeding. At a meeting on Tuesday, Eleanor Tritt, the district’s superintendent, told the school board that the State Department of Education’s Office of Facilities Planning had approved the installation of a foundation for the schoolhouse, which is believed to be the oldest on eastern Long Island.

“We’re very excited,” Ms. Tritt told the board. “Now we’re just waiting for the last legal paperwork.” Once the ground softens, she said, the foundation will be set. The plan is for the building to be moved to the school grounds from its present site, the Atlantic Avenue property owned by Huntington and Adelaide Sheldon, who announced their intention to donate it in October.

If all proceeds according to schedule, a “grand opening ceremony” will happen in the late spring or early summer, Ms. Tritt said.

The schoolhouse was originally on “Amagansett Street,” now Montauk Highway, about opposite today’s school building. 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.

In addition to a discussion of the 2015-16 budget and tuition rate, covered separately in this issue, the board announced that spring recess will be abbreviated, owing to the number of snow days this winter. Classes will be held on April 9 and 10. Unless families have travel plans that cannot be changed, students are expected to attend school on those days.

Ms. Tritt referred to education topics in the news, citing two recent articles in The New York Times. “If an Algorithm Wrote This, How Would You Even Know?” was, she said, “very sobering.” The article describes a new industry of automated narrative generation, in which algorithms and language generators create written content. This “is really going to be a challenge for all of our educators to help children research and really probe and think carefully about the information they are reading,” and its source, she said. “It gave me great pause to see what’s happening out there.”

Another article described the criticism leveled at Pearson Education, a publisher, for monitoring social media to identify students who might be leaking information about the tests it creates and administers. Administrators and educators, Ms. Tritt said, must “continue to be vigilant about what we allow students to do,” citing Pearson and other companies’ data-mining efforts and the questions of privacy those efforts raise. Parents, she said, must also “be aware of the consequences of what children are putting out there.”

Victoria Handy, the board’s president, opened the meeting by acknowledging the recent death of two former students, Eric Payne and Andrew MacNiven. Both Mr. Payne, who was 25, and Mr. MacNiven, who was 24, died on March 15. “It’s very sad,” Ms. Handy said. “Our hearts go out to their families.”

“I didn’t know Eric,” Ms. Tritt said, “but Andrew stands out in my mind, a wonderful young man who had everything to live for.” The school yearbooks in which the graduates were featured were displayed during the meeting.

Examine $37 Million Budget

Examine $37 Million Budget

By
Christine Sampson

Sag Harbor School District officials on Monday broke down a $37.4 million draft of the proposed 2015-16 district budget, which would keep an increase in spending within the tax levy limitations.

The $37.4 million budget would carry a 1.53-percent year-over-year increase, up nearly $565,000 from the 2014-15 budget. If the voters approve the budget, the tax levy would increase by about 2.65 percent. This year, Sag Harbor’s maximum allowed increase is approximately 2.68 percent.

The largest increase falls under the instruction budget line, which will jump 3.14 percent based largely on increases in employee salaries, the launch of an in-house special education program, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, and more resources for the in-house prekindergarten program. The transportation increase is driven by a 7.38-percent rise in projected costs, which would allow the district to purchase what administrators called a much-needed spare bus for about $102,000. The district also plans to install a ventless cooktop and oven in the kitchen at the high school at a cost of $150,000.

All in all, this draft of the school budget calls for a 2.5-percent increase in the school tax rate. For a home assessed at $500,000, taxes would go up about $65 for the year; for a home valued at $1 million, they would rise by about $130.

The Sag Harbor administration is proposing reductions in its community services budget line, although Jennifer Buscemi, the district’s business administrator, said community programs and services would not change much. The district would also see a small decrease in the amount spent on employee benefits, which is mostly due to a decrease in its mandatory contribution to New York’s statewide teacher retirement system.

Another proposed project is dependent upon voter approval: Replacing what administrators described as the increasingly troublesome boilers at the elementary school, which would cost $513,600. This could be funded through reserves, but to do so would require a separate vote by the school board and then by the community at large. It would not then cost taxpayers more money. The project would appear as a proposition on the ballot in May.

A third proposition under development would ask the voters to approve the creation of a new reserve fund specifically for urgent repairs. Ms. Buscemi said this is partly motivated by the chronic problems the district experienced with the elementary school’s boilers this year, for which repairs have cost at least $10,000.

“You could tap into this reserve without voter approval for any sort of emergency repairs,” Ms. Buscemi said.

Superintendent Katy Graves cautioned against relying on reserve funds — the district has about $8 million in reserves altogether — but said she believes it is acceptable in this case because the district is already paying off a pair of bonds that voters approved in November of 2013.

“We have to proceed cautiously,” Ms. Graves said.

Ms. Buscemi explained that this year’s budget proposal was built from scratch.

“We pretty much built the budget from the bottom up,” she said. “It’s really a zero-base budgeting process where we did start at zero. . . . We reviewed and studied where we could scale back, and where we could compress and where we could make reductions.”

Ms. Buscemi said the draft budget will likely undergo at least one more revision before the board has to vote on its adoption. What complicates the situation is the State Legislature has yet to finalize the amount of money the state will give to school districts. State aid may be tied to what is emerging as a controversial plan by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to couple increased school aid with education reform. Among the proposed changes would be the requirement that schools adopt a system in which teacher evaluations would be based more heavily on student test scores.

“If those reforms are passed, the governor will support a significant funding increase,” Melissa DeRosa, the governor’s communications director, said in a statement on Monday.

The Sag Harbor School Board will next meet on April 14, postponed by one day from its original date due to a regional meeting that will explore shared services between various public entities on the East End.

State Mandates Change

State Mandates Change

By
Amanda M. Fairbanks

Late last week, State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced an agreement with East Hampton and six other school districts in Suffolk and Westchester Counties intended to expand access to educational opportunities for English language learners.

In Suffolk County, the Amityville, East Hampton, Greenport, Hampton Bays, Patchogue-Medford, and Riverhead School Districts have agreed to implement new policies and procedures aimed at increasing communication between parents and school officials. In Westchester County, the Mount Vernon City School District pledged to make similar changes.

Last February, in response to complaints from parents and immigrant-rights advocates in Suffolk County, the attorney general’s civil rights bureau began to examine policies and procedures at several school districts enrolling high percentages of English language learners. Elizabeth DeBold, a spokeswoman for Mr. Schneiderman, declined to discuss specific complaints related to each district, but said that all served significant English language learner populations, from 12 to 16 percent or more of their student bodies.

According to the 2012-13 New York State Report Card (the most recent available), 43 percent of East Hampton’s roughly 1,800 students were Latino. Last week, Richard Burns, the district superintendent, said that more than half of the current East Hampton High School freshman class was Latino.

“Because we’re over a certain threshold, they want to make sure our procedures are in place,” he explained. “It makes it seem like we had a corrective action, but that wasn’t the intent.”

Enrollment at Springs School, meanwhile, is 52 percent Latino, according to 2012-13 data.

Ms. DeBold said other school districts across Suffolk County could face similar scrutiny in the coming months.

This past fall Long Island saw a surge of 2,500 unaccompanied immigrant children enrolling in public schools, with dozens barred from enrolling due to insufficient documentation. According to Mr. Burns, no unaccompanied minors have enrolled here as yet. Still, ensuring equal access has proven an ongoing concern, particularly as the number of Latino children has risen in recent years.

“Our schools must provide students with the tools and resources to succeed regardless of English proficiency or where they came from,” Mr. Schneiderman said in a statement. “My office is proud to work collaboratively with school districts to ensure that language barriers will not stand in the way of students obtaining a quality education, and that students and their families understand the services that are available to them.”

According to recent United States Census data, approximately 2.5 million New Yorkers speak a primary language other than English, and changing demographics of student populations have caused English language learners to face barriers when accessing school services, including the denial of timely screenings and appropriate services.

In the future, such districts will be required to comply with certain procedures. Students must be properly screened for language ability when registering, with parental notifications provided in the family’s native language on issues related to student placement, bilingual programs, and special education services. In addition, parents must be offered the services of interpreters during school functions, with translated materials also available on each district’s website. Finally, beyond those guidelines set by the State Education Department, families cannot face barriers to entry when attempting to enroll their children in school.

Each district must also supply periodic updates to the attorney general’s office regarding the implementation and strengthening of each policy, as well as the training of staff members and district personnel.

Cheryl Keshner, coordinator of the Long Island Language Advocates Coalition, a nonprofit dedicated to combating unequal access, applauded the new state requirements. “When schools fail to meet the language needs of limited English-proficient students and parents who are unable to read documents and important materials regarding their education, students are denied meaningful educational opportunity,” she said.

Ms. Keshner urged parents experiencing any difficulties to contact the attorney general’s complaint line at 212-416-8250. Online complaint forms are also available.

Storm Threatens School Closings

Storm Threatens School Closings

By
Amanda M. Fairbanks

With a blizzard watch underway, and snow forecast in the double-digits, school administrators are on high alert, paying close attention to changing weather patterns and whether Monday’s accumulation will require an early dismissal.

Jack Perna, the Montauk superintendent, said that cancellations had yet to be determined, but that “everyone should be prepared and ready for the next three days."

Eleanor Tritt, the Amagansett superintendent, planned on keeping a close watch from Sunday night into Monday morning. “Unless something changes, we will probably wait until tomorrow morning to determine the schedule,” said Ms. Tritt. “It will depend on when the snow actually begins.”

Elizabeth Mendelman, president of the Springs School Board, said that while only a few inches are expected during the day on Monday, an early dismissal could very well result, particularly if the South Fork gets more accumulation than currently anticipated.

Meanwhile, Richard Burns, the East Hampton superintendent, remains hopeful that Monday will result in a full day of classes. Tuesday, however, is anyone’s guess.

Check back frequently as the snow arrives for updates.

Kids Culture 01.29.15

Kids Culture 01.29.15

By
Star Staff

Student Art at the Parrish

The Parrish Art Museum’s 2015 Student Exhibition in Water Mill will be celebrated during a reception on Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m. While visitors check out work by young artists from all over the East End, there will be roaming performances, refreshments, and a screening of a documentary about Steven and William Ladd’s Scrollathon project. An exhibition of the Ladd brothers’ work was at the Parrish from Oct. 26 through Jan. 19, and the Student Exhibition includes work created with them at the museum. Those planning to attend have been asked to reserve a space online or by calling the museum.

Families can create origami, handmade paper, and beads during a family night focusing on paper arts on Friday, Feb. 6, from 5:30 to 7:30. The fun is free with museum admission.

 

The Secrets of Flubber

What makes some things sink and other things float? Nicole Cummings will help answer this question for kids 3 to 5 years old on Saturday at 2 p.m. at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. Participants should wear clothing that can get wet.

On Sunday at 10 a.m., Melanie Meade will unveil the “secrets of polymer chemistry” while 6 to 12 year olds make flubber, a gooey concoction made from common household ingredients. There is a $3 materials fee for this program. Advance registration has been requested for all SoFo events.

 

Robot Wind Chimes

Children 7 to 10 will make robot wind chimes using everyday objects in a workshop on Saturday from 10 to 11 a.m. at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. The cost, which does not include museum admission, is $20, $15 for members.

 

Crafts for After the Snow

After being snowed in earlier this week, kids might need some time away from home even more than usual, and local libraries are offering a number of reasons to get out.

At the Amagansett Library, kids of all ages can work on disguises on Saturday afternoon at 3:30, and at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton kids 4 and up will turn magazine silhouettes into modern art during a program tomorrow from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Red velvet cupcakes and decorations will be available at the East Hampton Library on Wednesday at a cupcake-decorating session for sixth through eighth graders from 4 to 5 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 6, the library will have a music-and-movement workshop for babies 1 to 3 years old.

 

February Break Theater Camp

Looking ahead to the February break, the Bay Street Theater and Sag Harbor Center for the Arts will offer a school vacation theater camp for kids 8 to 12. The camp, led by Bethany Dellapolla, will include acting, singing, and dance instruction. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Feb. 16 through 20 and culminates in a performance for family and friends. The cost is $385 per child. Advance registration is a must, as camp size is limited.

Kids Culture 02.05.15

Kids Culture 02.05.15

By
Star Staff

Happy Hearts

There will be live music by Jim Turner, Valentine’s Day arts and crafts projects, cookie decorating, games, and more at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center’s Happy Hearts Party on Saturday. The event, geared to ages 2 to 6, is free and open to the community, but reservations have been requested by today if possible at 324-5560 or [email protected]. It will run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

Susan Verde Reads Her Latest

Susan Verde, a local children’s book author and yoga instructor, will read from her new book, “You and Me,” and lead craft activities on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Amagansett Library. Ms. Verde is also the author of “The Museum.” Both books are illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds. Advance registration has been requested.

 

Scent of Scones

The smell of homemade scones will be wafting through the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Saturday as families with children 3 to 6 get a lesson in how to knead, roll, and prepare these delectable baked treats from scratch. The ovens will be ready at 10 a.m. The cost is $22 including museum admission, $10 for members.

 

The Science of Color

Ever wonder how some of those supermarket flowers get so surprisingly blue? Kids 5 and older will find the answer at the East Hampton Library next Thursday as they experiment with plants and colored water to learn the science behind colors. Advance sign-up has been requested for the workshop, which will start at 4 p.m. Participants will leave with a colorful carnation bouquet.

 

Art Classes for the Break

Parents who won’t be leaving town for the February break may want to make note now of Guild Hall’s winter break workshops from Feb. 16 to 20. Art classes for 6 to 9-year-olds will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. each day of the break. The cost is $10 a day or $50 for all five, $8 and $40 for members. Registration in advance can be done by phone or online at guildhall.org or theatermania.com.

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill is also running February vacation art workshops covering landscape painting, collage, printmaking, seascapes, and more. Classes for kids 4 to 6 will run from 10 a.m. to noon; classes for ages 7 and up will be from 1 to 3 p.m. each day. The cost is $40 per day, $30 for members, and advance registration is a must.

 

Special Players’ “Fish Juggler”

The East End Special Players, a theater troupe of learning-disabled adults, will perform “The Fish Juggler” at the Parrish Art Museum on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. The original production was inspired by the artwork of the group’s producer, Gabrielle Raacke. Admission is free.

Also on Saturday, from 3 to 5 p.m., the museum will host a reception for high school artists whose work is included in the Student Exhibition, which is on view through March 1.

Tomorrow at the Parrish, families can enjoy an evening of paper art — doing origami and making handmade paper and paper beads — from 5:30 to 7:30. The event is free with museum admission.

 

Crafts for Valentine’s Day

At the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, kids 5 and older will make rubber band bracelets tomorrow from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 13, children of all ages can make valentines, also from 4:30 to 5:30.

Over at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, a Lego League will get creative on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. On Sunday, children 4 to 10 can make heart-shaped pockets for their valentines from 2 to 3 p.m.

 

Animal Camouflage

Trees and animal camouflage will be explored this weekend at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. On Saturday at 10 a.m., children 3 to 5 will make tree crafts and learn about the four seasons. A materials fee of $4 will be charged to participants.

On Sunday at 10 a.m., a SoFo educator will use some of the museum’s own critters to show how animals hide themselves in the wild. Kids 6 to 9 will learn why some animals blend in and others stand out. Advance registration has been requested for both programs.

 

 

Kids Culture 02.12.15

Kids Culture 02.12.15

Local school notes
By
Star Staff

Busy During the Break

The East Hampton Town Recreation Department will offer free morning programs in East Hampton and Montauk for kids in kindergarten through fifth grade during next week’s school break. Mornings will include arts and crafts, games, and a chance to run and play with other kids. At the Montauk School, the program runs from 9 a.m. to noon, Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20. A program at the John M. Marshall Elementary School will be offered during the same hours, but not next Thursday. Sign-up is at the schools on a day-by-day basis.

Much to Do at CMEE Too

So you’re not in sunny Florida or frolicking on the beach in Jamaica, but there’s a lot going on this week at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton, so don’t feel too bad for yourself.

On Saturday at 10, kids 3 to 6 can make papier-maché vases, which they can take home with flowers. The program costs $22 including museum admission; $10 for members. Also that day, 7 to 10-year-olds will learn the science behind bread-making as they make their own dough that they can bake at home. The class starts at 10 a.m. and costs $15, not including admission, or $12 for members. Sima Freierman will lead a story time for kids of all ages on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. It’s free with the $10 museum admission.

A winter kids club runs Monday through Friday, Feb. 20, from 9:30 a.m. to noon, with daily drop-off activities for ages 4 to 6 focusing on art, science, cooking, and more. The cost is $55 per day, $45 for members.

SoFo All Week Long

This week will also be a busy one at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton.

Teens can get their hands on bendable molecular models in a class with Melanie Meade on proteins and protein folding on Saturday at 2 p.m.

All through the week, the museum will offer programs for kids of all ages. Monday it’s Are You a Reptile? Tuesday brings birding in the field behind the museum. An amphibian program is scheduled for Wednesday. Next Thursday kids can play the Great Migration Challenge, and on Friday, Feb. 20, they’ll take a walk in the field. Those interested in attending have been asked to reserve a space in advance.

Valentines for the Ages

Emily Raabe, a local author who wrote “Lost Children of the Far Islands,” will share Selkie myths next Thursday at the Amagansett Library and help kids in third through sixth grades write their own myths. The workshop begins at 3:30 p.m.

Also on the schedule at the library this week is a Valentines Day story and craft time on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. for all ages and an origami workshop for kids in kindergarten and up on Sunday and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. All week starting Sunday, families can enjoy a life-size version of Candyland. On Friday, Feb. 20, at 3:30 p.m., the library will show “The Boxtrolls,” an animated adventure about a boy adopted by trolls. Snacks will be provided. Looking ahead to Saturday, Feb. 21, Selina Pasca of Theatre and More will lead an improv theater workshop for kindergarten through sixth grade, starting at 3:30 p.m. Advance sign-up is requested for all programs. The library will be closed Monday for Presidents Day. 

Puppets and the Three Bears

A Couple of Puppets will present “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor. Tickets cost $12, $10 for members and grandparents, and $8 for additional children and those under 3.

Playdough, Lego, Barbie

Starting Saturday at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, there’s something on the schedule for kids nearly every morning of the week at 10:30. Saturday and Wednesday, there are Playdough Pals get-togethers for ages 3 to 9. The Lego League, for 5 to 12-year-olds, gathers on Tuesday, and on Friday, Feb. 20, it’s a Barbie Brunch for boys and girls 3 to 9.

The Montauk Library has science projects, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts, and games lined up next week during library hours, and looking ahead to Saturday, Feb. 21, it will offer theater and improv acting games from 2 to 2:45 p.m. for grades 3 to 5 and from 2:45 to 3:30 for grades 6 through 12.

Parrish Offers Family Dancing

Dancers mark your calendars! The Parrish Art Museum will hold a family dance party on Friday, Feb. 20, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The A&G Dance Company will teach hip-hop moves and perform to original music by Adam Baranello, and families can contribute to a collaborative graffiti-style mural and tour the 2015 Student Exhibition while they’re there. The party is free with museum admission. The Parrish is also offering Monday through Friday vacation workshops. Sessions for ages 4 to 6 will be from 10 a.m. to noon. Workshops for ages 7 and older run from 1 to 3 p.m.

Campers Alert: Ross Holding Tours

The Ross School is expanding its Bridgehampton camp this summer and is offering tours to prospective camp families on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to noon. The camp will be held on the Lower School campus on Butter Lane. Tours can be arranged with Chelsea Audibert at [email protected].