Registration is under way for the East Hampton School District’s adult education classes, which will start the week of Oct. 7 at the high school, middle school, and East Hampton Indoor Tennis.

This fall’s offerings range from songwriting and Pilates to tennis and technology classes, all of which will run only with sufficient enrollment. Registration and payment is directly with the instructors.

A number of classes start on Oct. 7, and all are at the high school, unless otherwise indicated. Among the returnees is a Pilates mat class with Claudia Matles ([email protected], 721-7515) on Tuesdays from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. The class will meet in the middle school wrestling room weekly through Dec. 16, when school is open. Laura Jaspers ([email protected], 335-0758) will lead a songwriting workshop on Tuesdays through Nov. 11 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $100 per student.

On Wednesdays starting that week, Karyn Mannix ([email protected], 329-2811) is to teach a basic drawing class from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. It runs through Nov. 25. The cost is $150, with an additional $20 for materials.

At East Hampton Indoor Tennis (537-8012), beginner and low-intermediate players can play platform tennis under the lights on Wednesdays through Nov. 5 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Beginner tennis will be taught Thursdays at the same hour through Nov. 6. Rackets or paddles will be available to use. The cost for each is $125.

Al Goldberg ([email protected], 668-0385) will be back to teach basic fishing rod building on Thursdays from Oct. 9 through Nov. 6. The class meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The fee is $80, plus $125 for materials and a refundable deposit of $30 for tools.

Andrea Hernandez ([email protected]) will lead a beginning Spanish class on Thursdays from 6 to 7 p.m. through Dec. 18, at $10 per session, with a class size limited to 20.

On the technology front, KarenLise Bjerring ([email protected], 237-4663) will teach an introduction to Excel on Tuesdays from Oct. 14 through Oct. 28 from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and an introduction to Quickbooks on Wednesdays from Oct. 15 through Oct. 29 at the same hour. The cost for each is $90. She will also offer an introduction to Photoshop Elements from Oct. 16 through Nov. 6 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The class fee is $120.

There will be six chances to take a five-hour prelicensing course, which is required to obtain a New York State driver’s license. The class will run from 5 to 10 p.m. on Oct. 15, Nov. 12, Dec. 10, Jan. 14, Feb. 11, or March 18. The fee is $55, and registration is at 907-8001.

There will also be several opportunities to join a defensive-driving course, which qualifies a driver for a 10-percent reduction in liability and collision insurance for three years and takes four points off one’s license, if needed. Classes will be held on Oct. 22, Oct. 23, Nov. 19, or Nov. 20 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The cost is $45; registration is at [email protected] or 804-8988.

People switching from PCs to Macs can learn their way around Apple computers with Valerie diLorenzo ([email protected], 914-325-2642) on Thursdays, 5:30 to 7 p.m., from Oct. 23 through Nov. 13. The fee is $75. Ms. diLorenzo, who is also an actress and award-winning vocalist, will teach an improv workshop for adults and anyone 17 or older on Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. The fee is $40.

Those who have never acted before, but want to, may consider Kerry McCarthy’s ([email protected], 346-8094) theater workshop on Nov. 10, a Monday, and 11 Tuesdays thereafter from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the middle school auditorium. The cost is $140 for the 12 sessions.

All About Mushrooms

Is it a plant, an animal, or something else altogether? Tyler Armstrong of the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton will explore the world of mushrooms, a k a fungi, in a program on Sunday for 8 to 12-year-olds. Starting at 10 a.m., kids will learn about how we use fungi and how they grow and reproduce. Then they’ll take a walk behind the museum to look for “the fungus among us.” Advance registration has been requested.

Red Planet Discoveries

For something totally out of this world, kids 6 and older may want to blast off to the East Hampton Library on Saturday at 1 p.m. William Taylor, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory solar system ambassador, will talk about what Mars rovers have discovered on the red planet.

The titles for the Advanced Battle of the Books competition for well-read teenagers will be revealed at the library on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. The annual countywide competition pits teams of teens against one another in a test of trivia from three novels.

Mixed-Media at the Parrish

Registration is under way for a mixed-media workshop at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill for children 7 and older. The workshop meets on Oct. 18, Oct. 25, and Nov. 1 from 2 to 4 p.m. Parrish offerings usually fill up fast, so early sign-up is a good idea. Lori Colavito will teach the workshop, which costs $150, or $120 for Parrish members.

Cheerleading Class

The Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter is starting a new cheerleading class for boys and girls in kindergarten through fifth grade. Participants will learn jumps, lines, and formations, all with the hip-hop and jazz dance influence seen in professional cheering. The class will meet on Thursdays from 7 to 7:45 p.m.

At a sparsely attended meeting Tuesday night, the East Hampton School Board discussed enrollment, programs for English language learners, and went over plans to fill the open seat on the board and school lunches, as it had at its last meeting, Sept. 2.

Richard Burns, the district superintendent, said enrollment was holding steady. “It’s a fluid time, with lots of movement back and forth,” he said. The John M. Marshall Elementary School has 625 students, with 352 students at East Hampton Middle School, and 856 at the high school. Elizabeth Reveiz, who directs the district’s English as a second language program, noted that those figures do not include 30 English language learners, who are new to the district and still being assessed for placement.

Ms. Reveiz said a family literacy class, geared toward non-English speaking parents, was again planned for the fall, with beginner, intermediate, and advanced classes. Each group will meet twice-weekly for 15 weeks at a cost of $5 per class. A different workshop, devoted to budgeting and accounting, is also planned for district residents. Those interested can register during school hours or between 6 and 7 p.m. next Tuesday in her office at the high school.

The seat on the board vacated by Patricia Hope in the summer drew attention when J.P. Foster, the board president, clarified what he called recent confusion over a stated preference for someone to apply who has a “financial background, including accounting, municipal finance, and budgeting.”

“It’s not a mandate,” Mr. Foster said. “I want to make sure that’s conveyed to the public.” Nomination letters are due to the district office by Oct. 1. As of yesterday morning, no one had applied, according to Kerri Stevens, the district clerk. The board will make an appointment, which will last until June of next year.

As reported on Sept. 2, since implementing a swipe-card system called NutriKids last year for foods served to students, the district had discovered that it was owed nearly $17,000, and that several students had continued to charge lunches and snacks long after prepaid cards had a zero balance. Following numerous phone calls and letters to parents, Mr. Burns said the outstanding balance, which had been $6,300 when school opened this month, is now down to $2,400. He said the program was still being fine-tuned, and that social workers were helping recoup the owed money. However, money is still owed for about 100 students throughout the district, with Mr. Burns estimating that more than $100 is owed for 15 students and $50 or more for another 20 or 30 students.

Until the matter is resolved or a payment plan established, such students are not eligible to receive hot lunches. According to the district website, they have a choice of either a bagel and cream cheese or peanut butter and jelly or cheese sandwiches. They also are barred from charging for snacks, like cookies or muffins. “A partial payment will surely satisfy us,” Mr. Burns said, nothng that some families had opted for a $5-a-month payment plan. As for free or reduced-price lunches, families that qualify are being urged to apply, with forms due back by Oct. 17.

In other news, the board approved a contract with Charles Westergard as a network systems administrator for the coming year at an annual salary of $140,992. It also approved the appointment of Erin Garvey as a secondary math replacement teacher from now until Nov. 7 at a per diem rate of $262. James Bannon was hired as a new middle school technology teacher at an annual salary of $42,028, and Michael Buquicchio as a library media specialist at an annual salary of $52,535. The board also approved a paid leave for Gina Kraus, an elementary teacher, from Sept. 29 until Dec. 19. Lastly, an annual contract for LitLife, a professional development program related to literacy, was also approved, for $30,000.

Before adjourning the meeting, Stephen Grossman, an attorney, emphatically asked that full-day pre-kindergarten be funded. The district now provides a half-day program at the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center. “The best way to improve achievement is to invest in students when they’re young,” Mr. Grossman said.

Sharing his sentiment, Arthur Grossman, a teacher at the high school, similarly urged: “I hope you’ll take a look at it for the next year.”

Yo, Ho, Ho!

Families can spend an hour with Scurvy Stu and the Blood Red Robins on Saturday at the Amagansett Library. Stu and his crew will sing sea chanteys and teach nautical turns of phrase at 3:30 p.m. Advance registration has been requested.

Get Your Card

At the Montauk Library, families who stop by to sign up for a library card on Saturday from 2 to 3:30 p.m. can also partake of games and crafts. Students looking to earn community service credits have been asked to call the library in advance to offer their volunteer services.

Stages Theater Workshops

This week was the first week of rehearsals for the annual Stages production of “Frankenstein Follies,” but it’s not too late for young actors 8 to 18 to sign on for the performance workshop, which meets Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Southampton Town Recreation Center. The workshop culminates in performances at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor on Oct. 24, 25, and 26. The cost is $475 per student.

Children 6 to 9 with their eyes on the stage can join a Stages creative drama workshop on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Bay Street, starting Tuesday. The eight-week class will teach the basics of acting and finish with a short play on Nov. 18. The cost is $285 per child. Helene Leonard, the founder and director of Stages, will direct both programs. For registration, she can be reached at 329-1420 or [email protected].

Squirrels and Chipmunks

The South Fork Natural History Museum will lead 3 to 5-year-olds on a squirrel and chipmunk expedition at the Morton Wildlife Refuge in Noyac on Saturday. Starting at 10 a.m., Nicole Cummings will share facts about these creatures and their habits. Advance registration has been requested.

Woof, Woof, Read

Dog lovers 6 to 10 who are learning to read can practice their skills by reading out loud to Cody the dog on Saturday at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor. Children can reserve five-minute reading slots between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m. Also on Saturday, from 3 to 4 p.m. the library will throw open its Barbie collection for all 3 to 9-year-olds who wish to play. Reservations are not necessary.

On Sunday, 5 to 9-year-olds can make pencil toppers with pipe cleaners, eyes, and other crafty stuff between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. Sign-up has been requested in advance.

Owls and Legos

No-sew sock owls will be the craft of choice for kids 4 and up at the East Hampton Library on Saturday from 4 to 5 p.m. On Monday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., kids in kindergarten through fifth grade can gather for some Lego time at the library. Advance sign-up is required. Next Thursday will bring an autumn story and craft time from 4 to 5 p.m. for kids 4 to 6 with an adult.

During Monday night’s Springs School Board meeting, the board swiftly tackled business related to the start of school.

Eric Casale, the principal, provided updated enrollment numbers. As of last week, 735 students were enrolled in prekindergarten to grade eight, with 26 more currently being registered. At 761 students, such an enrollment would put Springs at 25 more students than at the start of school last year, and 70 more students than two years ago.

The number of students from Springs attending the upper grades at East Hampton High School continues to grow as well. All told, there are 76 more children attending pre-K to 12th grade than at the same time last year.

Mr. Casale also addressed the recent release of statewide English and math scores. “The scores don’t reflect exactly what we want as of yet, but it’s still a transitional period and the test scores will reflect that,” Mr. Casale said early yesterday, citing a similar performance as compared to last year’s scores in English, with a slight increase in math. “They’re still not where we want them to be, but they’re headed in the right direction.”

In staff news, the board hired Carl Fraser to provide services to the district superintendent related to financial operations. Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, explained that Mr. Fraser would work with the district on a temporary assignment from now until June. Mr. Fraser formerly was East Islip’s assistant superintendent for business. 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.

Also, Laura Foti, a math teacher, will help provide additional academic intervention services.

Before adjourning, the board accepted a donation from the Jewish Federations of North America, a philanthropic organization based in New York City, of 60 backpacks filled with grade-specific supplies. All of the backpacks have already been distributed to students in need.

The board will next meet on Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.

The East Hampton Town Recreation Department is offering a number of sports clinics and programs for kids beginning Monday, when a flag football clinic for 6 to 12-year-olds runs from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Sportime Arena on Abraham’s Path in Amagansett. Also at Sportime, inline skating for kids 6 to 9 happens on Tuesdays from 5 to 6 p.m., and for kids 6 to 12 there’s floor hockey from 4 to 5 p.m. that day and roller hockey from 6 to 7 p.m.

Dodgeball for 8 to 13-year-olds begins Friday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 6 p.m. Sept. 20 brings soccer for 5 to 12-year-olds from 9:30 to 11 a.m., basketball for 7 to 13-year-olds from 11 a.m. to noon, and baseball for kids 6 to 12 from noon to 1 p.m. Each clinic runs for eight weeks and costs $125.

The town will offer tennis clinics starting on Friday, Sept. 19, and Sept. 20 across the street at the Youth Park tennis courts. Sessions for fourth through sixth graders will be on Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. On Saturdays there will be sessions for kids in kindergarten and first grade from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and for second and third graders from 3:30 to 4:30. The clinics will run through Oct. 25. The cost is $40 per child.

The town’s youth soccer program will start on Sept. 20 at the Stephen Hand’s Path soccer field in East Hampton. Children in first through sixth grade will be divided by age group. The program costs $40 and continues on Saturdays through Nov. 8, with playoffs on Nov. 15. Registration is at the Recreation Department on Pantigo Road or at the soccer field this Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.

Finally, free basketball clinics for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade will start on Sept. 23 at the Youth Park and continue on Tuesdays through Oct. 21. The K-through-third group will gather from 4 to 5 p.m., and the fourth-through-sixth group follows from 5 to 6 p.m.

Write Your Heart Out

With the start of the school year comes a return to more heady pursuits at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor.  A free teen writing workshop for 12 to 14-year-olds will start on Saturday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and run through May. According to the library’s website, the workshop will include discussion of the writing craft, writing prompts, and constructive group critique.  Writers will develop a number of pieces and hone selected samples for publication in the library’s online magazine of teen creative work. Mireille Sturmann will lead the class. A second teen writing workshop for those 14 and older will begin on Oct. 15 and meet weekly on Thursdays from 4:45 to 6 p.m. Emily Weitz will be the instructor. The library will offer free math tutoring for middle schoolers in either English or Spanish on Mondays from 4:45 to 6 p.m. starting this week.

Sing a Song

Does a beautiful day at the beach ever make you want to sing? Ever feel moved to song by the sunrise over a farm field or a pond full of lily pads? Tyler Armstrong will help kids 8 to 12 channel those musical impulses in a nature songwriting workshop at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton on Saturday.  No prior music experience is required for this class, which begins at 1. A $4 materials fee will cover the cost of a CD recording of the session, which will be mailed to participants. Advance registration with the museum is required.

Calling Cub Scouts

Boys in first through fifth grade interested in joining or continuing with East Hampton Cub Scouts Pack 426 can get information about what scouting entails and sign up on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. and Monday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Amagansett Firehouse.

The East Hampton School Board had a full agenda Tuesday night, one that could be said to have gone from soup to nuts, just hours before the start of the new school year. Of particular interest were announcements that it had decided to appoint someone to fill the vacancy on the board left by Patricia Hope’s surprise resignation in July, that it would be posting a security guard at each of the three district schools, and that it had come up with a way to prompt those parents with outstanding balances for their children’s lunches to pay up.

 Since Ms. Hope’s resignation, the board had weighed whether to hold a special election, which could have cost upward of $10,000, to appoint someone, or keep the seat vacant. In order to make an appointment, the board is soliciting interest among residents of the district. They are being asked to send letters no later than Oct. 1 to Kerri Stevens, the district clerk, explaining their background. Of particular interest, the board said, are candidates who have finance, or even municipal finance, backgrounds. Interviews will be conducted in public, and the board hopes to announce an appointment by Nov. 1. The new member will serve until next May’s annual meeting and election.

Richard Burns, the district superintendent, announced that after reviewing the security audit commissioned in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, a decision had been made to hire a security firm to place one guard in each school during daytime hours.

On the matter of school lunches, the district realized it had a problem in June, when it found that it was owned nearly $17,000 from parents whose children participate in the program using a swipe-card system called NutriKids. NutriKids, which does not distinguish between those paying full or reduced prices, allows parents to prepay. Now, after numerous letters and phone calls, the outstanding balance has been reduced to $6,300.

Nevertheless, J.P. Foster, who became president of the board after Ms. Hope’s resignation, said the children of those with an outstanding balance will not receive hot lunches, but a “basic meal,” such as a bagel and an apple, until payment is received. They also will be prohibited from charging for extra snacks like cookies or muffins.

Also at the meeting, enrollment and class sizes were briefly discussed. Beth Doyle, the principal of the John M. Marshall Elementary School, said that some grades were in the high teens to mid-20s, with the highest section being first grade with 25 students. Charles Soriano, the principal of the East Hampton Middle School, said four to five classes there had hit the 30-student mark because of limited sections

Earlier in the meeting, the board accepted the resignation of Kyle Anello, a technology teacher, and Michael Denslow, a paraprofessional. It reinstated the employment of John Prussack, and appointed Kylie Tekulsky to a part-time, non-tenured English as a second language teaching position at an annual salary of $36,249.

Toward the end of the sparsely attended meeting, Stephen Grossman, an attorney who is a school district parent and the husband of Laura Anker Grossman, a former president of the board, asked about recent performance on annual statewide exams.

“Newsday posted some pretty dismal state scores,” Mr. Grossman said. “Is there a reason, or, if you think those tests are relevant, do you have a plan to improve those scores?”

“Are they relevant? Yes. Do we have a plan? Yes,” said Robert Tymann, the assistant superintendent. “The scores don’t appear the way we would have liked them. But when we look at districts we compare ourselves to, we stayed about the same. But what was disappointing was that we didn’t improve as much as everyone would have hoped. Staying the same isn’t good enough.”

After a robust discussion, Claude Beudert, a middle school teacher, noted that the dismal eighth-grade math scores were related to the fact that 48 students opted out of taking the exam since they were enrolled in upper-level high school math courses.

Before the meeting was adjourned, Mr. Grossman urged that the board reconsider its preference for appointing someone to the board with a financial background. “You’re discouraging people from applying, people who have an interest in education,” he said.

The board will next meet on Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

Just before the start of school, the Springs School Board met briefly last week to finalize the district’s hiring plans for the coming year.

In the spring, partly because of the district’s increasing enrollment, the board decided to hire a full-time superintendent. For the past few years, the position has been part time.

Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, said that John Finello, who has served as superintendent over the past year, would assume full-time duties starting in January. From now until December, he will continue to serve in a part-time capacity, provided he secures a necessary waiver from the state’s commissioner of education since he is technically retired and below the age of 65. Come 2015, when Mr. Finello turns 65, a state waiver will no longer be necessary.

“We fell in love with him and convinced him to stay,” said Ms. Mendelman, adding that the board had opened up the search for about a month, subsequently interviewing a handful of candidates. She described Mr. Finello as “absolutely the most qualified person for the job.”

For the 2014-15 school year, the district budgeted an annual salary of $174,167 and an additional $56,139 in employee benefits. Though the district had previously supplied a monthly housing allowance of $3,600 to help offset the cost of moving, Ms. Mendelman said that as of this month Mr. Finello will pay his housing costs himself. The full-time contract is for three years.

Regarding other appointments, Frank Cole will split his time as a technology and social studies teacher. His full-time annual salary will be $110,994 plus benefits. In addition, Tracy Larkin will work as a part-time family and consumer science teacher at an annual salary of $28,824, and Stephanie Marigliano is now a part-time library media specialist at an annual salary of $28,823. Finally, Diana Russell, Kyle McCann, and Jacklyn Rossi were all appointed teaching assistants at annual salaries of $22,580.

In other news, the Springs PTA will host its annual back-to-school barbecue and family fun night on Sept. 19 starting at 6. The PTA will provide hot dogs and hamburgers, and families have been asked to contribute potluck items, beverages, and desserts. An outdoor movie will be shown.

The board will next meet on Monday at 7 p.m.

It’s back to the books in this first week of school for many students, which might seem a bit humdrum for kids sad to say goodbye to summer. Young adults might change their minds about school after listening to Patricia McCormick talk at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton on Saturday about her collaboration with Malala Yousaf?zai.

Malala, now 17, was the target of a Taliban assassination attempt after she became an advocate for girls’ right to education in Pakistan and around the world. Her book, “I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” became a best seller. Ms. McCormick, an author of young-adult books, worked with Malala on a young-readers edition, titled “I Am Malala: How a Young Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World,” published last year.

The program will start at 2 p.m. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at the library that day.