Food representing more than 25 countries and performances reflecting a range of cultures are planned for the Sag Harbor Multicultural Festival, which will be held tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. in the Pierson High School gym.

Parents of Sag Harbor students and supporters of the festival from around the area have signed on to prepare recipes representing their heritage, which will be served to guests from 6 to 7:45 p.m., after which the performances will begin. Among the tasting options will be dishes from Japan, El Salvador, Poland, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Russia, Norway, Bali, and Costa Rica. Performances planned include taiko drummers from Stony Brook University, Irish step dancing, Mexican folkloric dancing, and a martial arts demonstration.

The suggested donation is $5 per family. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

All proceeds will be split between the Jacaranda School in Malawi and the Joshua Levine Memorial Foundation. Cheryl Bedini, a co-owner of Java Nation coffee roaster in Bridgehampton and the mother of two Sag Harbor students, is among the event’s main organizers.

Student Arts Festival, Part II

Younger artists had their time in the spotlight and now it’s high school students’ turn. The second part of Guild Hall’s Student Arts Festival will open on Saturday with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. It will remain on view through April 19, with after-school hours on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

As part of the festival, eighth graders from the Montauk School will host a Word Up! celebration of poetry on Wednesday at 7 p.m. The evening will showcase pieces written under the guidance of professional poets who visited the school’s eighth-grade classrooms earlier this school year. Admission is free.

Jingle Jingle

Families have been invited to take part in recording a jingle in celebration of the Amagansett Library’s 100th anniversary. “Drop in anytime during the morning” on Saturday, a library release chirped, from 10:30 to 12:30, that is, and “use your voice or an instrument.” The theme song is “short and snappy and easy to learn. Come solo or as part of a group!”

A chance to get face to face with Long Island’s reptiles and amphibians will present itself on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the library, courtesy of the South Fork Natural History Museum. This program is for kindergartners through fourth graders, and reservations by phone have been requested.

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

Pizza and Pajama Night tomorrow at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton will give a tip of an oversized floppy hat to Dr. Seuss, whose birthday was Monday. (He was born back in 1904, kids, in Springfield, Mass.) A story by the man otherwise known as Theodore Geisel will be read, pizza will then be scarfed, and a Seuss-inspired craft will follow. And there’s always time to play in the museum. The fun starts at 6 p.m., and the cost is $10, free for members.

On Saturday, kids 3 to 6 can put their toques on, figuratively speaking, and make French toast sticks in the museum’s kitchen from 10 to 10:45 a.m. “Kids will crack, whisk, season, dip, and shake as they learn how to make this tasty not-just-for-breakfast snack,” in the words of CMEE’s website. The toast sticks will be served with berries and freshly whipped cream. Space is limited, and reservations have been suggested. The cost is $24, which includes museum admission, or $12 for members.

The WonderSpark Pigs

WonderSpark Puppets will offer its take on the classic “Three Little Pigs” on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor. The show features tabletop puppets made by the husband-and-wife team of Chad Williams and Lindsey (Z) Briggs and is geared to children 2 to 6. Tickets cost $12, $10 for theater members and grandparents, and $8 for additional children and those under 3.

A Writing Challenge

At the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, a teen short-story challenge will begin on Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. The library promises “10 weeks, 10 hours, 10 slices of pizza” as writers ages 14 to 18 get an intensive introduction to short-story writing. Advance registration has been requested.

Earth Models

Kids 8 to 12 years old will make models of the earth at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton on Saturday as they explore what causes seasonal changes, including the longer days and warmer temperatures of summer to the shorter days and biting cold weather we experience in winter. There is a $3 materials fee for the workshop, and registration in advance is required.

With snow continuing to fall across the South Fork on Sunday evening, school administrators have decided to give students a little extra time to get to school safely Monday morning. 

There will be a two-hour delay in the East Hampton, Montauk, Amagansett, Sag Harbor, Springs, and Wainscott School Districts. The Bridgehampton School District, the Southampton School District, and the Ross School, which has campuses in East Hampton and Bridgehampton, will also open two hours later than usual.

The Sag Harbor School Elementary School's morning prekindergarten is canceled. The Montauk School's prekindergarten class will start at 10:30 a.m.

Government offices are also following suit. Southampton Town Hall will open at 10 a.m. There was no word yet Sunday evening about East Hampton Town Hall. 

A winter storm warning is in effect until Monday at 7 a.m., and 4 to 8 inches of snow is expected to fall before it's over.

The East Hampton Town Police Department warned residents about the dangerous driving conditions on its Facebook page Sunday evening. "Monday morning commute will be tough, please continue to use extra caution and drive safe," the department posted.

With scalpels at the ready, the East Hampton School Board met on Tuesday for the second line-by-line budget workshop for the 2015-16 school year, scrutinizing planned expenses of the high and middle schools. But after two-hours of discussion, cuts seemed difficult to find.

“Over the last three years, we’ve cut $5 million plus in the budget,” Richard Burns, the superintendent, said. The district has yet to release final budget figures for the coming year, and will examine budgets for the John M. Marshall Elementary School and transportation at its next workshop, on March 10 at 6:30 p.m.

Mental health funding led the discussion, with Adam Fine, the high school principal, reporting that just this week, he had spent $2,400 on psychiatric evaluations for two students, an expense offset by a private donation from someone who wished to remain anonymous. Mr. Fine hopes the board will allot $10,000 to ensure continued access to a full-time social worker and a child and adolescent psychiatrist, as needed. Last year, the board approved $5,000.

Districtwide consolidation of photocopying charges and the purchase of a wireless sound system were also on the agenda. To produce four plays each year, the district spends around $16,000 on sound equipment — not including the annual expense for graduation ceremonies at each of the three schools.

Mr. Fine proposed a $384,721 discretionary spending plan for the high school in the coming year, which is a nearly $6,500 decrease from this year. He said that following his “zero increase” directive, academic departments revealed little excess.

“Where are the bagels hiding?” Jackie Lowey, a board member, wondered.

Patty Conigliaro, the math department coordinator, explained that while her budget is down by nearly $7,000, it is likely to increase next year because aging calculators will need to be replaced.

Troy Grindle, who coordinates the music department, said some of the district’s instruments are 40 to 50 years old. “At a certain point you can’t fix them and the prices don’t go down,” he explained, noting that a $3,500 purchase of a French horn topped his priorities, in addition to replacing an aging alto sax, clarinet, and flute. 

“Last year, we took instruments out,” J.P. Foster, the board president, said. “Maybe this is a year where you try to balance it out and add a few back in.”

Though $5,000 was again budgeted for the school newspaper, Mr. Fine noted that production costs had dropped because it is published only online. He said the newspaper was still in need of an advisor and noted that Beach Plums, the literary magazine, would not be produced for the second year in a row due to dwindling student interest.

 Charles Soriano, the middle school principal, presented his plan next. For the coming school year, he proposed $121,053 in spending, a decrease of nearly $2,000 from this year.

People have been very responsible about the expectation that we don’t have an increase,” Mr. Soriano said. “Would it be nice to have additional stuff? Sure.”

The science department was the lone outlier — proposing a $6,500 increase for the coming year. However, most of that increase concerns a proposed eighth-grade field trip to the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. Museum admission and four coach buses are projected to cost $7,330.

“Sometimes this is what it takes to inspire a kid,” Mr. Soriano said. “To an adult, you’ve seen a lot of this stuff, but for a middle school child, it could really hook their interest.”

Board members subsequently discussed the trip’s academic value and whether students should be asked to contribute. “It seems like a luxury to me,” Christina DeSanti, a board member, said.

“If it was an hour away, it would be a no-brainer,” said Mr. Burns, who wondered whether the Hampton Jitney might be willing to help offset some of the transportation costs. “Our geographic isolation is sometimes a handicap.”

“When we’re done going through all of this, we’ll sit down with the notes that we’ve made and do a little bit of horse trading between the different accounts,” Ms. Lowey said. “Most of the real fluff is gone and now it’s a matter of prioritizing. Nothing’s approved until we get done with the whole budget.”

Students at the Springs School will have a new option for lunch come Monday, as the Springs General Store launches a school lunch service, with hot, nutritious meals delivered each morning by 11 a.m.

Because the school does not have a cafeteria, students are confined to their classrooms during lunchtime. They are expected to bring their lunches except on Friday when several local businesses deliver pizza. 

Kristi Hood, the owner of the Springs General Store and the mother of two girls who graduated from it, knows firsthand what she called the chaos of the morning rush when lunches are bought.

“They didn’t really like sandwiches and Lunchables aren’t healthy options,” Ms. Hood said, referring to prepackaged lunches made by Oscar Mayer. “This will supply a guaranteed protein source, along with fresh fruit, a vegetable, and something sweet.” Each lunch will cost $7.50.

With menus now being posted on the store’s website, Ms. Hood is hopeful that there will be adequate demand. Meals will be delivered in brown “biodegradable, grease-proof, heat-proof, microwaveable, recyclable” rectangular boxes. Biodegradable utensils, made of beechwood, will also be included.  

Frederic and Catherine Debackere, the parents of 8-year-old triplets who attend the school, have been instrumental in helping the project come to life. “It’s a burden to prepare lunch every night for three kids. I’m sure I’m not the only one — triplets or not,” Mr. Debackere, an architect and  designer, said. Originally from France, he said that nutritious, hot lunches were a foundation of the school day there.

It was “incomprehensible,” he said, that the school had no cafeteria, especially with 1,000 kids. “Something has to be done.” To start, he plans to order lunches for his children twice a week. “Whatever we spend in groceries and snacks, we’re sure to break even.”

“We were looking into it, but with our lease under a cloud, we hesitated to commit to a program that I couldn’t follow through on,” Ms. Hood said, explaining why it had taken till now to get the project undern way. After a buyer interested in retaining the store was announced earlier this month, Ms. Hood said she could finally rest assured that her business would stay put.

Monday’s menu consists of homemade macaroni and cheese, broccoli florets, fresh berries, and a mini carrot cake. Later in the week, students can choose between grilled cheese sandwiches, chicken pot pies, salmon and potato cakes, and turkey and white bean chili. Vegetarian and gluten-free options will also be available and parents can indicate any allergies or special dietary needs.

“Most importantly, we want the kids to actually eat the food,” Ms. Hood said. She plans to track the  popularity of each menu and note which items most appeal to picky palates.

“Since our school community consists of so many working families, this service will be a great help to parents,” Elizabeth Mendelman, the school board president, said.

On Tuesday night, the East Hampton School Board convened the first line-by-line budget workshop for the 2015-16 school year, tackling items related to English as a second language and athletics.

Though the district has yet to release final budget figures, possible cuts were again debated — with administrators and board members attuned, wherever possible, to cost-saving measures.

“It’s time to make your wishes for next year,” said Richard Burns, the superintendent.

Elizabeth Reveiz, who directs the district’s E.S.L. program, led the sparsely attended two-and-a-half-hour meeting. Ms. Reveiz proposed a $39,187 budget for the coming school year, which is a $4.58 decrease from this year’s budget.

Among East Hampton’s 1,800 students, 140 E.S.L. students attend John M. Marshall Elementary School, 24 attend East Hampton Middle School, and 87 attend East Hampton High School — for a total of 251 students district-wide.

Ms. Reveiz explained that the high school has seen a 40-student increase, including a handful of unaccompanied minors who have arrived in recent months.

“We looked at materials, supplies, our needs for next year, our growing population, levels of students, and how we can best accommodate their needs,” said Ms. Reveiz, noting that major changes involved reallocating nearly $5,000 previously earmarked for John Marshall and putting that into the high school’s $15,000 budget. “Resources are limited. It allows for creativity, too.”

Robert Tymann, the assistant superintendent, applauded her presentation. “I hope everyone is as successful.”

Joe Vasile-Cozzo, the district’s athletic director, next led a presentation related to athletics. His proposed budget of $898,620 for the coming school year is up $56,424 from this year.

In football news, Mr. Vasile-Cozzo seemed hopeful that a varsity team might return come September. All told, he said it would cost $38,500 to put football back into the budget — factoring in cheerleading, three coaches’ salaries, and supplies.

“I’m hopeful. There’s been a groundswell of enthusiasm over the last few weeks. I’m taking a leap of faith,” he said, adding that he was going forward with the hiring of new coaches and purchasing necessary helmets and equipment. “If we find that we don’t have the numbers, the money will go to the fund balance. But if I don’t do it now, I can’t do it later.”

As of now, he envisions a football team consisting of 20 junior varsity and 20 varsity players. He also said that the district had recently been placed in conference four, which will combine players from East Hampton and Bridgehampton, though Pierson students can still play on the junior varsity team for the coming year. “I was not this optimistic a month ago,” he said, adding that while 30 players on a varsity team would be ideal, East Hampton has historically gotten by with 20 to 25.

Among other highlights, board members balked at an $850 annual sports recognition dinner at Suffolk Zone for elementary, middle, and high school students — ultimately flagging $400 for elementary and middle school students as a possible consideration for cuts down the line. Several members expressed a preference instead for Common Core-aligned Chromebooks. Currently, the physical education department has budgeted for four devices, each at a cost of $323.

The Mad Heart Ball, a dance competition at the middle school held each February, and its $1,500 for dance instructors, $270 for medals, and $120 for water, also drew scrutiny.

Launching a dance competition team was briefly discussed. Between two coaches’ salaries, uniforms, and entry fees, the total cost would be around $15,000. “It would be a great thing if we can figure out a way to do it,” said Liz Pucci, a board member. All agreed that it merited further discussion.

Before adjourning the meeting, Jackie Lowey, a board member, questioned the $28,207 budgeted for chaperones. She routinely witnesses chaperones providing security for four parents, at $60 an hour, during middle school games. “It’s a big, colossal waste of money for the middle school,” she said, suggesting that additional chaperones might instead be deployed at larger, well-attended playoff games.

The board will convene its next budget workshop on Feb. 24 from 6 to 8 p.m.

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].

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.

Instructors interested in leading continuing education classes for the East Hampton School District starting in early March have been asked to contact Debbie Mansir with descriptions and details this week. Past offerings have ranged from classes in cooking or bridge to Pilates, yoga, singing, and website design. They are primarily offered in the evening hours at East Hampton High School or Middle School. The next session is set to begin the week of March 10.

Schedules and details will be posted on the school district’s website, easthamptonschools. org, starting next week. Instructors can reach Ms. Mansir at 329-6462 or [email protected].

With snow, ice, and freezing temperatures in the forecast, school officials are already predicting a hazardous morning commute and will again institute two-hour delays.

On Monday evening, the Sag Harbor, East Hampton, Springs, Amagansett, Wainscott, Montauk, Bridgehampton, Southampton, and Sagaponack school districts all announced two-hour delays. The Ross School and the Hayground School are also on a two-hour delay.

Conceding defeat after nonstop weather delays, Montauk Public School’s website simply states “Uncle!”

Meanwhile, the Green School in Sagaponack decided to close Tuesday.

Tuesday marks a solid week of weather-imposed school delays and cancellations. During last week’s blizzard, most South Fork schools were closed for three consecutive days. Many also saw delayed openings on Friday and Monday as well.

Keep checking our website for updated information.