For many years, the Montauk Public School has had a lenient attendance policy. School administrators recognized that since the hamlet is a seasonal resort, families often cannot take vacations in summer and do so instead during the winter months. Some vacationing families have used the time before and after school holidays to take extended trips, which adds to the number of school days their children miss.

At a school board meeting in September, however, teachers said that with the inception of New York State standardized testing, otherwise known as Common Core, student attendance has become more important than ever. They pressed the point at a meeting of the board on Tuesday.

The teachers association had written to board members two months ago asking that they review and revise the current attendance policy, which, the letter stated, was instituted before the stakes were made higher and the ramifications were not as widely felt as they are in today’s performance-based model.

“Newly implemented state programs such as Common Core and the Annual Professional Policy Review of teachers established aggregate assessment that are, in our opinion, adversely affected by absenteeism and, to a lesser degree, of tardiness,” the letter states.

Moreover, it says, students who go away for long periods are sometimes tutored by those with little knowledge of New York State curriculum and the Common Core method of teaching. Absentee students miss out on valuable lectures and group work, with a resulting decline in their grades and knowledge of content. The lack of consequences for poor attendance and frequent tardiness produces little motivation to be in school and on time, the letter says.

On Tuesday, Collette Clancy, a teacher, handed out documents with graphs showing the length of time students are absent or away before and  after Christmas, winter break, testing periods, and Easter break. When they return from long absences, she told the board, it changes the whole dynamic of the classroom.

It is a persistent problem, Ms. Clancy said in an email message, and one that has been brought up before. The teachers are marginalized in their call for action, she said, adding that they understand that Montauk is in an unusual situation, but also that things will not change unless the board of education says so.

Jack Perna, the superintendent, seemed a bit miffed that the graphs and other information were not screened by him before the teachers went before the board. He told Ms. Clancy that in the future she should let him know in advance what would be presented to the board.

In other school news, Gregg Chavious, a senior external auditor, said the district received an “unmodified opinion” regarding its audit, which is the highest rating a school can receive. The district invested 80 percent of its budget into instruction, he said, up one point from last year. “This district is in good financial standing,” he said.

Last week at the Watermill Center, just as dusk approached, a dozen dancers clad in black pants, black turtlenecks, and black socks were warming up, effortlessly moving through various ballet positions, from demi-plié to grand plié and back again.

As they moved, 10 families entered the room with young children in tow, all stunned into silence as classical music by Jordi Saval, a Spanish conductor and composer, played in the background.

“They’re warming up their muscles so we can dance together,” explained Alvaro Restrepo, a Colombian dancer and choreographer, who led his company, El Colegio del Cuerpo, based in Cartagena. “Muy bien. Very good,” said Mr. Restrepo, who spoke in both Spanish and English throughout the afternoon. “That’s how a dancer becomes a dancer, by practicing every single day.”

Since March, a group of 3 and 4-year-olds who attend Bridgehampton Head Start, with their parents, have participated in monthly workshops at the Watermill Center. Free of cost, the aim is for families to create art together and in so doing help to expand the center’s reach far beyond its annual summer gala to a local cultural institution whose doors are open year-round, with private tours offered nearly every Saturday.

Currently, Bridgehampton Head Start provides preschool and early-intervention services to 56 of the South Fork’s neediest families, living from Riverhead to Montauk. Each family lives at or below the federal poverty level, which, for a family of four, translates into a 2014 income of $23,850 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Heath and Human Services.

Carol Burnett, Long Island Head Start’s community outreach and recruitment coordinator, said that among the 22 centers scattered across Long Island, the Watermill family art program is the only known partnership between a cultural institution and a local Head Start program.

Founded by the visual artist Robert Wilson, the Watermill Center opened its doors in 2006. It is housed in what was formerly a Western Union research facility. According to William Wagner, its new managing director, the industrial building was also the birthplace of the fax machine.

Each year 15 artists from a variety of disciplines and backgroundswork in residence. Mr. Wagner sees great value in welcoming working families and their young children; a population, he readily admits, that might not otherwise walk through the center’s (somewhat difficult to find) front entrance.

“We are so excited to be working with these kids and getting them to think in a completely different way,” said Mr. Wagner. “Something that happens here could inspire them to be a performer or a creative artist.”

Though Mr. Restrepo led last week’s workshop, as part of his weeklong residency, the monthly Head Start program is typically run by Andrea Cote, who works as a teaching artist. As soon as she guides a group of young people into the performance hall, she said, she sees their energy expand, their minds bursting with possibilities.

Ms. Cote generally leads the group through 90-minute sessions integrating movement and rhythm exercises, typically involving a craft project and also a tour of the 20,000-square-foot building and six-acre grounds.

Besides Head Start, the Watermill Center runs various educational programs with the Hayground School, the Ross School, Southampton Intermediate School, and the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center, among others.

Though adults typically attend his workshops, Mr. Restrepo welcomed the opportunity to work with such young children.

“I am more and more interested in working with younger kids,” he said earlier this week. “That’s when the body is more available and awake and ready to absorb all kids of things. There aren’t fears of being ridiculous. There’s no judgment.”

Last week, he gathered participants in a circle, with everyone first sharing their first names and country of origin. The company’s dancers, mostly in their 20s, are primarily Colombian, with one from Venezuela and another from Texas. Families came from Ecuador, El Salvador, Brazil, Mexico, and Romania.

“The children are getting something out of it, but their parents and families are getting even more. Their creativity is being sparked, too,” said Ms. Burnett. Though each workshop is capped at 10 families, with siblings and extended family members welcome, Ms. Burnett sees the program in particular demand during the winter months, as seasonal work dries up and free time becomes more plentiful.

“It’s magical,” said Ms. Burnett. “It’s the first time many of these parents and their children have ever stepped foot into a museum. It’s exposing them to something that’s so foreign. These are families that are trying to get through the day and get food on the table and make rent. When do our families have time to do art as a family?”

Mr. Restrepo led the group through various exercises, with everyone sliding around on the black lacquered floor in either socks or bare feet. Two dancers stood at the center of the room, one acting as the “sculptor,” the other designated as a piece of clay, being manipulated in various shapes and positions. 

Franco, 3, quickly squashed any feelings of self-consciousness and approached the center of the room, his tiny body, clad in a khaki jacket and blue pants, lithe and malleable.

New to Bridgehampton Head Start this fall, Franco initially didn’t speak and had trouble sitting still. But at last month’s mask-making workshop, teachers and administrators saw a side of the child not evident in the classroom. They saw him come to life.

Wendy Soni, his mother, who is originally from Mexico and now lives in Hampton Bays, works as a personal trainer at Southampton Gym. “He’s come into himself,” she said, proudly watching her son in command of an entire room. “He’s going to be a dancer.”

Daphne Gil, the center manager, watched Franco with tears in her eyes.

Later on, as Ms. Soni worked with a dancer during another partner exercise, Franco approached his mother, again in search of the spotlight.

“You watch, Franco,” said Mr. Restrepo with a laugh. “You cannot always be the star.”

Museum Magic

At the Children’s Museum of the East End, fans of Angelina Ballerina may still have a chance to hear the series’ author, Katharine Holabird, read from and sign copies of books in her new Twinkle series tomorrow at 10 a.m. The reading costs $15 and is free for museum members.

On Saturday, children 6 to 10 can make Model Magic figurines at 10 a.m., while younger ones 2 to 6 work on cinnamon dough ornaments in a separate family workshop at the same time. The Model Magic costs $15, or $10 for members; the ornament workshop is $15 plus museum admission.

Sunday at 10 a.m. marks the return of Waffle Sundays at the museum. Families can make their own waffles and eat them, too, at 10 a.m. The cost is $20, including admission, or $7 for members. Looking ahead, a Pizza and Pajama Night on Friday, Dec. 5, will include a reading of “Maisy Makes Gingerbread” and some gingerbread baking from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for $10, free for members. Reservations are also being taken for gingerbread house workshops on Dec. 6 and Dec. 12 at 10 and 11 a.m. The cost of $30 per house, or $20 for members, includes entrance to the museum.

They’re Brave

Kate McMullan, a children’s book author, will be at Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor tomorrow at 11 a.m. to read from her new one, “I’m Brave,” illustrated by Jim McMullan, her husband. Both will be on hand to sign copies.

Open Studio at the Parrish

The Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill will cater to families tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday with open studio hours from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day. Drawing inspiration from works in the collection or the current exhibitions, “Steven and William Ladd: Mary Queen of the Universe” and “Alan Shields: In Motion,” families can let their own creative juices flow. The open studio is free with museum admission.

For Thanksgiving Week

The post-Thanksgiving week will be busy at the local libraries, with things for kids to do almost every day of the week. Tomorrow, kids 4 and older can explore the “wonders of wood” during an art program from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at the East Hampton Library. On Wednesday, the same ages can make Olaf sock-body snowmen from 4 to 5 p.m.

At the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor, kids who take in a photograph can make a frame for it with the help of Valerie DiLorenzo on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., while holiday music plays in the background. Singing will be welcomed. It will be over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. during a story and craft time for all ages at the Amagansett Library.

At the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, snow globes are in the forecast in a program for 7 to 12-year-olds from 4 to 5 p.m. on Tuesday. All ages have been invited to join in a holiday garland workshop at the library on Friday, Dec. 5, from 4 to 5:30 p.m.

Jungle Bob

Jungle Bob will visit the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton with his collection of snakes, lizards, turtles, tarantulas, and other exotic creatures for a “live animal extravaganza” for all ages on Saturday at 11 a.m. Space is limited and advance reservations are a must.

On Sunday at the museum, kids 6 and older can learn about fossils and how they were made, then make their own versions to take home. There is a $5 materials fee for the program, and advance registration has been suggested.

Gingerbread Story at CMEE

The smell of gingerbread will be in the air at the Children’s Museum of the East End this weekend. Tomorrow, during the museum’s monthly Pizza and Pajama Night, kids will listen to “Maisy Makes Gingerbread” by Lucy Cousins and then learn how to make it themselves. The program is $10, free for members. Reservations are also being taken for gingerbread house decorating workshops on Saturday and Dec. 13 at 10 and 11 a.m. The cost is $30 per house, $20 for members. (Houses are built in advance.)

Global Holidays in Song

Robin Greenstein and Stuart Marcus will sing songs in half a dozen languages to celebrate almost as many winter holidays during a family concert at the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 2 p.m. Audience participation will be encouraged, and percussion instruments will be provided. The library has requested advance registration.

Hands-On at the Library

It will be all holidays all the time at the East Hampton Library this week, with a bookmaking workshop thrown in the mix to give kids a chance to make a gift with their own hands. There’s a story time and craft session on Tuesday at 4 p.m. for ages 4 to 6 and a snowman craft workshop on Wednesday at 4 for kids 4 and up. Miss Lori will sing songs of the season with little ones up to age 3 on Friday, Dec. 12, at 10:30 a.m., and at 3:30 p.m. that day, children 4 and older can try their hands at accordion books, pop-ups, and more from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Advanced registration is requested for all programs.

Fold, Tape, and Paddle at the Y

A cardboard boat regatta for families at the Y.M.C.A.-East Hampton RECenter tomorrow night at 6:30 will have teams of three to six people building and attempting to paddle boats made only from cardboard and duct tape.

Materials, as well as pizza, will be supplied by the Y. Boats, which must have four sides and a bottom, are to be constructed at the event, but can be planned out in advance. And here’s a wrinkle: No cutting tools will be allowed. When the boat-building is done, each team will designate a member to try to paddle it from one end of the pool to the other. Teams can register with Norma Bushman by phone at the RECenter or by emailing [email protected].

On Sunday, the children in the Y.M.C.A.’s cultural arts classes will present “A Trip to the North Pole” in the East Hampton High School auditorium at 2 p.m. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased in advance at the Y or at the door.

Web of Life

“Did you know that there is a chain connecting you to a worm?” the South Fork Natural History Museum asks. Young scientists 6 to 10 years old can explore the surprising connections found in the food web during a program at the museum on Saturday at 10 a.m. with Crystal Possehl. Participants will help lay out a food web connecting the living things on the South Fork and will finish by dissecting an owl pellet to find out what owls eat. The program carries a $6 materials fee; admission to the museum for nonmember children 3 to 12 is $5. Reservations are required.

“Angelina” Readerina

Katharine Holabird, the creator of the “Angelina Ballerina” series about the adventures of a dancing mouse girl and her friends, will read from one of her books on Saturday at 11 a.m. at BookHampton in East Hampton. Tutus are not required, but will be welcomed. Also on Saturday, at 10:30 a.m., Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor will host a holiday story time for kids 4 and older.

Looking ahead, the Family Service League will sponsor a free, all-day workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 4, at Springs Presbyterian Church on Old Stone Highway in East Hampton. Titled Positive Parenting with a Plan, parents and professionals have been  invited to discuss such topics as children’s emotional well-being, strengthening families, and establishing a collaborative environment for addressing children’s issues. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. The workshop, which is funded through a grant from the New York State Office of Mental Health, will take place from 9:30 to 4:30 p.m.

The Family Service League, which operates a clinic East Hampton, is sponsoring the workshop as part of a larger community health project now under way at the Springs School. The project runs in eight-week cycles, which will repeat throughout the school year, and targets potential at-risk students in younger grades, while also involving their families. The aim of the community-based support program is to decrease referrals to its already-crowded clinic, while targeting younger children in need of help — and before such problems can escalate as they grow older.

Matthew Johnson, a mental health practitioner, who has lectured extensively on child and adolescent health issues and improving families, will lead the workshop. Those interested in attending are asked to R.S.V.P. to Donna Altonji by Oct. 29: [email protected].

Backpack Adventure

Most of the fun for kids this week is of the Halloween variety, but those looking for something else may find it at the South Fork Natural History Museum on Saturday, when Crystal Possehl leads kids 8 to 12 on a backpack adventure in the Vineyard Field behind the Bridgehampton museum. Kids will use binoculars, magnifiers, a compass, and other outdoor tools to observe and record their findings starting at 10 a.m. Reservations have been requested.

For Future Baby Sitters

Ask any parent of young children and they’ll tell you there’s always a need for a good baby sitter. Sixth through eighth graders can learn what it takes to become one during a three-hour workshop on Saturday at the East Hampton Library. The class, which starts at 1 p.m., will include hands-on activities, cover skills and responsibilities necessary for the job, and include a course certification. Kids 4 and older can decorate Halloween cupcakes at the library next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. Advance registration is required for both offerings.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, the East Hampton School Board approved environmental assessments for the construction of new security vestibules at the front entrances of each of the district’s three schools.

“We’re upgrading the entrances to all three buildings,” said Jackie Lowey, a board member. “It’s part of the security audit that was discussed during executive session. This is the result of those conversations.”

Unlike the Springs School, which recently completed construction of a new vestibule at its front entrance, the plans for which were openly discussed during several public sessions, East Hampton board members declined to discuss the issue in further detail. It was the first time such vestibules had been mentioned during a board meeting. In addition, no information was provided as to the ultimate cost of each vestibule.

Two months after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut in December 2012, the board hired Michael J. Guido Jr., a Rocky Point architect, to conduct a security audit at each school. The audit’s findings have not been publicly discussed, though $1.43 million was set aside during last year’s budget negotiations to tackle the recommended fixes. In addition, per the audit’s findings, the district made from 7 to 12 procedural changes at each school — often at no cost to the district.

In other news, Elizabeth Reveiz, who directs the district’s English as a second language program, said that the family literacy classes, which are offered during evening hours, had received an “overwhelming enrollment,” with 100 participants now taking classes. Four sections are now being offered, with each class filled to capacity. She also said that an E.S.L. conference, which the district is organizing at Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus on Nov. 4, already has 100 registered teachers from various parts of Long Island.

Earlier in the meeting, the board appointed Barbara Bock and Karen DeFronzo, formerly paraprofessionals, as teacher’s assistants. Both positions pay annual salaries of $41,636. In addition, Jose Tovar and Luke Goodstein were hired as computer technicians. The board also accepted a letter of retirement from Kathy Falkenhan, a senior clerk typist, effective Dec. 31.

The board approved an orchestra and jazz band trip for 19 students to Philadelphia and Dorney Park, an amusement park in Allentown, Pa., from April 24 to 26. The cost of the trip is $11,000, which will be offset by fund-raising. In approving budget transfers, the board tabled a request for an additional $4,000 for an elementary school play, following the urging of Ms. Lowey.

The meeting started out with board and audience members applauding Deme Minskoff, the newly appointed board member, who will serve until the election in May. Fifth graders from the John M. Marshall Elementary School gave a brief presentation in honor of school board recognition week.

No public comments were made.

The board will next meet on Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m., when external auditors will present their findings. Looking ahead, a previously scheduled education forum will now take place on Nov. 19.

Emotions ran high during a two-hour Springs School Board meeting on Monday night, during which time a recent state comptroller’s audit was discussed at length. Auditors concluded that Springs had accumulated an unrestricted fund balance nearly four times the allowable amount.

By 2012-13, the unrestricted fund balance, or rainy day fund, had ballooned to $3.8 million, or nearly 15 percent of the $25 million budget. State law requires that such funds be limited to 4 percent.

The state audit also recommended improved oversight of employees’ sick leave accruals. All told, the audit found that “sick leave balances were overstated by a total of 139.25 days, with a value of $44,430.” It also found that the district had overestimated expenditures by $4.6 million between fiscal years 2011-12 and 2012-13.

A corrective action plan is now under way, with state law requiring a formal response within 90 days of receiving the report. 

Carl Fraser, who was hired by the district as a consultant in September, and who formerly worked as East Islip’s assistant superintendent for business, is tasked with correcting the district’s financial standing. His pay is a per diem rate of $700. As a retiree, he is capped at working 42 days, or earning $30,000 each calendar year.

“We’ve already started to correct financial conditions,” urged Mr. Fraser. “We’re moving in the right direction,” who predicted that the 4-percent unrestricted fund balance could be achieved during the next budget cycle. He is also at work on overhauling its attendance process. “We have a lot of work ahead of us,” he concluded, noting that a corrective action plan would be implemented by year’s end.

In other news, John Finello, the district’s part-time superintendent, has finally secured a necessary waiver from the New York State Education Department. Jonathan Burman, a spokesman, confirmed that the waiver had been approved on Monday for Sept. 1 until Dec. 31. Come 2015, the position will be full time and will no longer require such a waiver, since Mr. Finello, a retiree, will turn 65.

“We’re faced with a situation where we’re trying to watch enrollments that are increasing, with expenditures increasing, but the state limiting levying,” said Mr. Finello, of the district’s financial predicament. “It becomes an increasingly difficult situation for all districts — but especially for districts with small budgets. One step in the wrong direction can create a problem that’s difficult to undo.”

Earlier in the meeting, Kate Rabinowitz, the mother of Anna Lytton, a 14-year-old Springs student who was killed in June of last year, updated community members on the creation of the Anna Lytton M. Foundation for Arts and Wellness. “So much of who she was is because of Springs School,” said Ms. Rabinowitz, adding that the foundation will offer a sample of yoga, nutrition, wellness, and mindfulness classes on Nov. 4 to teachers and staff. The foundation will assist interested teachers in bringing such materials into their classrooms. “I’m excited to see these programs come back. It’s good for me to be here, too.”

Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, also announced that the school had recently received a $554,000 grant from the New York Department of Transportation, as part of the Safe Routes to School Program, to improve the Gardiner’s Avenue, School Street, and Springs Fireplace Road intersection.

And following a similar change of policy in East Hampton, the board said that going forward, both notice of committee meetings and minutes would be posted on the school’s website. Currently, the district only supplies minutes from its monthly school board meetings.

After last week’s report of enterovirus at Southampton Elementary School, and subsequent school closure, Debra Gherardhi, the school nurse, confirmed that students could be admitted to Springs School, so long as they show proof of immunizations or immunizations in progress. She also emphasized that enterovirus is “just like the flu,” urging families to follow basic hygiene, including the frequent washing of hands.

The board will next meet on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.

The East Hampton Town Anti-Bias Task Force is sponsoring a student film contest for 3rd through 12th graders. Films must be between three and five minutes long and should address one of three topics: anti-bullying, diversity, or accepting others. Projects can be done individually or as a group. All who participate will receive a certificate giving them five hours of community service credits.

Films can be animation, live-action, or any combination of techniques, and can be in English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, or another language (with subtitles). Registration forms are due by Nov. 15 and completed films must be emailed to [email protected] by Jan. 31. Jack Perna, the superintendent of the Montauk School, can answer questions by phone at 668-1107.

For Day of the Dead

The Mexican holiday Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos, will be celebrated on Saturday at La Fondita in Amagansett, where kids can decorate paper skulls, play games, and enjoy some traditional Mexican treats from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The rain date is Sunday.

Rain or shine, the restaurant will be serving up specialties like pork and chicken tamales, chicken in red mole, churros with chocolate, and a warm pineapple drink all weekend. The Day of the Dead program, offered with the Golden Eagle art store, costs $10 and will benefit a local family. Reservations can be made by calling the Golden Eagle in East Hampton at 324-0603.

On Whiskey Hill

Get out the refractometer and the pH test kits. Crystal Possehl of the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will lead kids on a scientific exploration of the Whisky Hill nature trail in that hamlet on Sunday at 10 a.m. Participants will gather information about the soil, water quality, elevation, and more using all sorts of scientific tools and will record their observations to discuss later. Advance registration is required with the museum.

Singing, Dancing, Crafts

A music program at the East Hampton Library on Friday, Nov. 7, will have kids 1 to 3 singing and dancing from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. Later that day, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., children 4 and older can make autumn leaves candleholders. Advance registration has been requested for each program.

Spooky Story

Canio’s Books in Sag Harbor will host a spooky story time for critters 4 and older on Saturday at 10:30 a.m. Tricks and treats have been promised, too.