Calling Kid Book Reviewers

Kids and parents who love to read might find themselves in good company at an Amagansett Library book reviewer program this afternoon at 4. The library and the Bank Street College Children’s Book Awards are looking for kindergartners through sixth graders to review books this year. This afternoon, they will learn about what that entails from Todd Jackson of Bank Street and some young local reviewers who are already participating. Those who take part will get free copies of new books before their publication, not to mention other prizes. Snacks will be provided.

Rain will be the subject of the library’s first spring family story and craft time on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Kids will make their own rain sticks to take home. Reservations have been requested for both programs.

Bambini Ball

The Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre’s 2014 Bambini Ball will take place Saturday from 5 to 7 p.m. in the parish hall of Christ Episcopal Church in Sag Harbor, above the theater. The party will include a light dinner, games, crafts, a puppet show, music by D.J. Carlos Lama, juggling by Jester Jim, and other surprises. Parents and children 7 years and under will be welcomed, and costumes have been encouraged. Tickets cost $30 for adults, $10 for children, and are available at goatonaboat.org.

Egg Drop Challenge

The Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton is challenging children and parents to design containers that can protect raw eggs when dropped from high in the air. The Egg Drop Challenge will put those containers to the test at noon on Saturday, but before that, at 10 a.m., those who don’t do the construction in advance can design and build containers at the museum. All materials, and the eggs, will be provided. The program is free with museum admission.

Scientific Survey for Teens

Teen scientists can help the South Fork Natural History Museum with a habitat survey at a North Sea beach on Saturday at 10 a.m. Using microscopes, soil test kits, refractometers, and pH test kits, participants will collect information on soil, water quality, salinity, and elevation, and how each of these affects the organisms living at the beach and in the water there. They have been advised to take a journal to record their data, but simple ones will be provided. Advanced registration is required with the museum, which is in Bridgehampton.

       A line-by-line dissection of the East Hampton School District’s 2014-15 budget continued on Tuesday night, as school board members pored over items related to technology and special education.

       Chuck Westergard, who manages the district’s information systems, presented a proposed technology budget of $537,015, an $8,000 decrease from last year.

       Unlike prior workshops, when cuts of as much as 15 percent were suggested, technology elicited little in the way of debate. Among the bigger-ticket items, $50,400 will go to replace faculty workstations in each high school classroom. The updates will replace computers last purchased in the 2007-8 school year. The 72 computers, which among other things help teachers take attendance, cost $700 apiece.

       Board members also seemed to support the purchasing of 180 additional Chromebooks, which would allow for 60 devices at each of the district’s three schools. Each Chromebook costs $330, for a total of $59,400. In addition, $2,000 was budgeted for Apple apps and $3,000 for Google apps.

       Cindy Allentuck presented budget items related to special education, a department that she oversees. District-wide, 220 children in grades pre-K to 12 are in special education, with others currently undergoing referrals.

       Special education proposed an annual budget of $1,669,368, which represents a decrease of over $120,000 from last year.

       Board members briefly debated the need for a $471 fax machine for sending and receiving psychiatric evaluations; two electric three-hole punches, each at a cost of $79.68, and two electric pencil sharpeners, $83.97 apiece.

       Cost-cutting proved a consistent theme. Patricia Hope, the board president, urged that before submitting next year’s requests, department heads  first submit lists of existing materials, thus avoiding the added expense of purchasing duplicate materials.

       Psychiatric evaluations also proved costly, with $18,000 budgeted for Lea DiFrancisci Lis, a Southampton-based practitioner, among several others. Though the district is required to pay for initial evaluations — and provide necessary interventions when deemed appropriate — it is not required to pay for ongoing psychiatric care.

       Speaking of special education and appropriate placements, Ms. Allentuck underscored the potential expense of high-needs children unexpectedly relocating to East Hampton. For next year, the district has budgeted $125,000 for a residential placement at Westbrook Preparatory School in Westbury. In past years, residential placements have ranged between $100,000 to $200,000 a year for each child.

       “It is our responsibility, and it should be our responsibility, but one student can make the difference in hiring three more teachers in the classroom,” said Jackie Lowey, a board member.

       Finally, the board discussed hiring an additional speech pathologist at John M. Marshall Elementary School, where the need is particularly great. The district now employs four speech pathologists, who split their time among the various schools. Last year, the district stopped offering speech therapy for elementary students who lacked individualized education plans. Currently, its caseload is overwhelmed with special-ed students and there are too few practitioners to meet the need of others in the schools.

       “There’s not much we can cut,” concluded Christina DeSanti, a board member, shortly before the meeting was adjourned.

       “But it’s important to sit here and do it,” said Ms. Hope. “And for the public to hear.”

       The next budget workshop will be on Monday from 6 to 8 p.m., when transportation and athletics will be covered. A regular school board meeting will take place on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

       On Monday night, for the first time, the Springs School Board pinned a specific number on the budget it is considering for the 2014-15 school year —$26.24 million — and discussed how it would impact taxpayers.

       That number represents a $921,221, or 3.62-percent, increase over this year’s $25.4 million budget. The tax rate would increase by just over 4.4 percent, and the tax levy would increase by 3.18 percent.

       The state cap on tax levy increases for the 2014-15 school year is 1.46 percent, but after exemptions are taken into account, the budget discussed Monday would come in under the tax cap, district officials said.

       To stay under the tax cap, the administration recommended applying $777,000 from its projected 2013-14 fund balance, estimated to be $8 million by the end of the fiscal year.

       “The district’s fund balance strategy should be to set aside sufficient assets to realize our longer-range goals and provide insurance against unanticipated expenditures and revenue shortfalls,” said Thomas Primiano, the district treasurer. “We’re fortunate to be in this position. Other districts are bottoming out.”

       For homeowners whose houses are valued at $400,000, the changes next year would result in an additional $163 in taxes. Properties valued at $600,000 would see an increase of $245, while those valued at $800,000 would see an increase of $326.

       Regular education costs at Springs are proposed at just under $7 million for next year, which represents a nearly $250,000 decrease from this year. Special education costs, proposed at $767,876 next year, would decrease $300,00 from this year.

       Expenses related to Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services will prove costly. For next year, Springs has budgeted $2.15 million, an increase of $856,150 over this year. Though 30 percent of BOCES costs are eligible for state-aid reimbursements, special education students account for 82 percent of the cost.

       Employee benefits, meanwhile, are only projected to increase around $40,000, for a total of just over $4.7 million.

       “We’re growing as a district — increasing our staffing and adding more classes. Where do you put them? We’re tapped out of space. It’s difficult to find space now,” said John Finello, the superintendent. “That’s the reason why we’re trying to be prudent in the planning. We’re doing a lot of guessing — it’s not an exact science — doing it as cost effectively as we can and beyond that, not overspending or under-spending.”

       Earlier in the meeting, talk of increased enrollment and limited space led the agenda, with administrators reporting a district-wide 63-student increase over the past two years.

       According to Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, Springs had 680 students in prekindergarten through eighth grade last June. As of March 6, the enrollment was up to 728 students — or an increase of 48 students in less than a year.

       By 2021, high school enrollment is projected to grow by 117 students, for a total of 378 Springs students. Next year, the projected high school enrollment for Springs is 270 students, and nearly all of them will be at East Hampton High School, with six at Pierson High school and two at the Bridgehampton School. This year, Springs paid tuition for 261 high school students.

       The decrease in projected tuition costs results from negotiating a lowered rate from East Hampton High School. And the special education reduction is because of a decline in high-needs placements. For next year, Springs will pay $24,942 for each student that it sends to East Hampton — an $847 decrease from this year. Overall, the change in tuition rates, plus a slightly lower enrollment number, are projected to save the district $241,000.

       Also at Monday’s meeting, Toby Karoussos, a special education teacher, was granted tenure.

       The next meeting is planned for April 7 at 7 p.m. A budget hearing is planned for May 12, with the final budget vote on May 20.

       The Montauk School Board had its first peek at next year’s proposed budget, but it is far from being stamped with final approval, especially since one item’s fee was deemed “insane” by the school board president, Diane Hausman.

       Looking at preliminary figures, next year’s budget would come in at $18.6 million, which is $85,000 less than this year’s budget. The reduction is due, in part, to the fact that the district will at the end of this fiscal year pay off a loan it had taken out to purchase property, according to Jack Perna, the district’s superintendent.

       What raised the board’s hackles was the cost to transport a student by bus to Mercy High School in Riverhead — $110,713. The amount is billed to Montauk but ultimately shared with other districts, if they send students to the school. By law, the taxpayers must cover transportation costs for students living in the school district, Mr. Perna explained.

       School board members joked that for that cost they would drive the student.

       Other figures that Mr. Perna highlighted were the cost to remove asbestos in the school attic for a fee of just under $25,000, tuition fees to the East Hampton High School, which will be reduced next year from the $4.3 million earmarked for this year to $3.8 million, and an extra $95,000 for special education charter school students, because of rising tuition costs. Tuition payments to the C.D.C.H. Charter School next year are estimated at $475,000. All tuition fees include a “safety net” in case additional students move into the district, Mr. Perna said.

       Decreases in various line items leave the school room to add $250,000 to its capital fund, Mr. Perna said, adding that he would like to use the money to remove and replace some portable classrooms on the east side of the property that were installed 40 years ago and were only supposed to last 10 years. “Every time we have wind I have to move those students,” he told the board.

       The money would be a down payment on a three-year loan that would total an estimated $600,000, and would cover other contingencies and electrical wiring, he said.

       The budget workshops will continue through the rest of the month and into April unless the board settles before then on a final proposal to bring to voters. The district vote is on May 20 from 2 to 8 p.m. at the school.

       At a regular meeting before the workshop, the board devised a plan for making up days missed because of snow in order to meet state requirements. School will be in session the Monday after Easter, April 21, and on May 23 and 27, the Friday before and Tuesday after Memorial Day.

       They also agreed to grant tenure to Christopher Mandato of the music department, who has worked at the school for three years. “I’m very happy with his performance,” said Mr. Perna.

Shiver Me Timbers!

       The Star of the East Masonic Lodge will host a pirate ship-building workshop for dads, grandpas, uncles, and kids on Saturday at the East Hampton Town Marine Museum in Amagansett. Kids 8 to 10 and their adults will make replicas of the Black Diamond pirate ship and also have a chance to tour the museum and learn about East Hampton’s seafaring past. The program runs from 1 to 4 p.m. Reservations have been requested at 907-3500.

Creature Feature

       Dogs with wings? Giraffes with trunks? A monkey with zebra stripes? Using plaster gauze, children 4 and older will create creatures from their own imaginations during an art program at the East Hampton Library on Saturday. Joyce Raimondo will lead the workshop, which runs from 2 to 3 p.m.

       On Wednesday, kids the same age can mold their own birdfeeders during a program from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Reservations are required for both.

Mangia!

       Pasta is on the menu at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton on Saturday, when 2 to 6-year-olds will mix, knead, and shape their own pasta from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. The cost is $23 including museum admission, or $12 for members.

       Ralph Carpentier, a landscape painter, will guide children 6 to 10 in a color-mixing and painting session from 10 a.m. to noon that day. The workshop, which does not include museum admission, costs $14, or $10 for members. Advance registration is required.

Just Right

       A Couple of Puppets will present “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” a show ideal for 2 to 6-year-olds, on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor. Tickets costs $12, $8 for second children or those under 3, and $10 for members or grandparents.

    Organizers of the sixth annual Am O'Gansett Parade, happening on March 15 at 12:02 p.m., may have outdone themselves in the selection of this year's grand marshal.

     The grand marshal of what is said to be the world's shortest parade, a sort of alternate-universe St. Patrick's Day march, cannot be of Irish heritage. In a way, officials of the Amagansett Chamber of Commerce, who oversee the parade's planning, have satisfied that requirement: They have named the Amagansett School this year's grand marshal.

     The parade begins on Main Street outside of Mary's Marvelous and proceeds to the Mobil gas station at the corner of Main Street and Indian Wells Highway.

     "We're delighted," Eleanor Tritt, the school's superintendent, said on Friday. "It's really exciting. We're looking forward to it." Ms. Tritt learned of the honor bestowed on the school on Thursday afternoon. "We're going to be sending information home to parents today," she said. "Some people may have already made plans, but I'm sure that everybody in town will want to participate."

     Students, parents, alumni, faculty, and board members will be invited to march, Ms. Tritt said. "It should be a lot of fun."

            Following the parade, there will be children's activities at Miss Amelia's Cottage. 

       Talk of student enrollment ruled the night last week at the Springs School, as nearly two dozen people turned out for a second budget workshop session for the 2014-15 school year.

       In terms of preliminary budget goals, the district is weighing whether to budget for a bilingual education class — a state mandate once 20 or more students in one grade speak a language other than English. Should the need arise, a teacher would split each day into equal parts Spanish and English, with students ideally becoming fluent in both languages. Administrators also discussed possible ways of redistributing resources to keep class sizes as low as possible.

       Projected enrollment was a frequent topic of conversation. At present, the Springs School enrolls 696 children in kindergarten through the eighth grade. In 2003-04, that number was 551. Based on local birth rates, the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services has projected that enrollment will top 700 by the 2016-17 school year, though that figure is speculative and subject to change.

       “If enrollment is going up and we’re seeing an increase in second-language learners, we need programs to meet their needs, and you need a place to put them,” said John Finello, the district superintendent. “Do we have the classroom space available to house additional sections at each of our grade levels?”

       Eric Casale, the principal, said that class sizes currently averaged around 22 students. “From last year to this year, we are up 30 students. We are growing as a district,” he said.

       Come September, though 70 students are projected for kindergarten, administrators have yet to decide whether an additional section will be added. First grade, which has 75 projected students, has four sections. Kindergarten, meanwhile, has only three. Still, available space is a constant challenge. “There are no empty classrooms,” Mr. Casale said.

       In addition, special education students now make up between 14 and 15 percent of the school’s population. Next year, the school has projected, 33 students will be put into smaller classroom settings as a result. Further, the English as a second language enrollment is expected to rise to 76 students from 69. In total, E.S.L. students will make up 11 percent of the Springs enrollment.

       To meet its changing needs, Springs also plans to add several full-time employees to its payroll. A part-time social worker and part-time psychologist would each be made full-time positions, in addition to a full-time physical education teacher. Sixth grade, E.S.L., reading, and math would see part-time additions. Also being considered is a Latino liaison who would help bridge the gap between the school and its growing number of Spanish-speaking constituents.

       “In a district our size, 4.5 additional staff members is a significant increase,” Mr. Finello said.

       Including instructional programs, special education, library, co-curricular, athletics, and pupil personnel services, the proposed changes amount to $10.3 million — or a $1.3 million increase over last year’s budget.

       Instructional programs will see an increase of more than $200,000, while special education will see an increase of more than $1 million, to $3.6 million.

       “The biggest drivers are expected costs to send students to BOCES and other costs related to the full-time employee additions,” said Thomas Primiano, the district’s treasurer. Next year, the school will send 10 students to BOCES, marking an increase of three students from this year.

       Mr. Primiano also affirmed that Springs would stay under the tax levy cap, explaining that the state-mandated 2-percent cap will actually be 1.46 percent, to match the 2013 consumer price index. (The cap is either 2 percent or tied to the C.P.I., whichever is lower.) Because of certain exemptions, he expects the tax levy to increase by up to 3.29 percent.

       Before adjourning the meeting, Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, updated audience members regarding the allotment of snow days. Though many East End districts will see a truncated spring break, Springs, which has used four snow days so far, had originally allotted 184 school days in its 2013-14 academic calendar. State law requires 180 days of school each year.

       “We won’t have to use our vacation days in April unless we have more snow days,” Ms. Mendelman said. “Hopefully we won’t use any more snow days.”

       A third and likely final budget session is planned for Monday night at 7.

The East Hampton Trails Preservation Society is accepting applications through April 15 for its 2014 summer student internship program.

Interns will learn about and help with trail maintenance, blazing, and clearing, and serve as assistants to hike leaders, with an eye toward developing the knowledge and skills needed to lead hikes themselves. They will also work on an independent project centered on a particular hike of approximately two hours, through which they will create a summary documenting the historical and natural highlights of the trail with photographs, maps, and text, which could be put online or distributed in a printed publication.

       Interns will receive a $1,000 stipend following successful completion of the program.

       The dates of the eight-week internship can be tailored to meet individual schedules, though interns must be available for eight three-hour sessions during June, July, and August.

       Applicants must have turned 16 by December 2013, and be enrolled as a full-time high school or college student or preparing to begin college in the fall.

       Applications and additional information can be obtained by sending an email to [email protected]. Applications may be submitted electronically or by mail to East Hampton Trails Preservation Society, P.O. Box 2144, Amagansett 11930.

Tech Heaven

       Teen Tech Week starts Sunday at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, and among the attractions for techies of all ages is the library’s new MakerBot 3-D printer. On Tuesday the library will introduce kids to the printer and its capabilities. A workshop for 8 to 12-year-olds will run from 5 to 6:30 p.m., and one for kids in seventh grade and above follows from 6:30 to 8. Throughout the week, teens can stop by the library to take part in various techie activities and a chance to win a GameStop gift card. On Monday at 4 p.m., kids 4 and older can make toy racecars that double as musical instruments. Reservations have been requested for all but the drop-in programs.

Salamander Search

       Owls, salamanders, and flowers are on the agenda at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. The fun begins Saturday at 10 a.m. with a reading of Jane Yolen’s “Owl Moon” for kids 3 to 5. Afterward, kids will make a paper owl puppet. Tyler Armstrong will take kids 8 to 12 inside flowers and bulbs during a dissection lab at the museum on Sunday at 10 a.m. Participants will explore plant anatomy, make ink prints, and take bulbs home to plant outside. Parental supervision is a must, and there’s a $4 materials fee.  Advance sign-up is required.

What Makes a Mammal a Mammal?

     Parents who can't always remember the answers to the many questions kids pose, might get some pointers at a program on Saturday at the Amagansett Library. Ranger Eric will tackle the query, "what makes a mammal a mammal?" at 3:30 p.m.

     He'll introduce kids in kindergarten and up to some mammals of his own including a dog, a rabbit, and a chinchilla.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

     The Children's Museum of the East End will celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday at its Pizza and Pajama party tomorrow from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

     After a reading of "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish," kids can make a fish mobile and play in the museum. Pizza will be served, of course, and kids an wear pajamas if they wish. The cost is $10; members get in free.

     On Saturday from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m., kids 2 to 6 can listen to a reading of Kevin Henkes's "Birds" then make bird mobile with feathers and twigs. The program costs $18, $7 for members.

     Sima, a storyteller, will read Eve Bunting's "Frogs and Friends on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. The program is free with museum admission.

     Baby and Me and Music Together programs start this week at the museum. The Baby and Me program for parents and infants 2 to 16 months will run on Tuesdays this month at 11:15 a.m. It is free for members, $10 otherwise.

     The Music Together program meets on Fridays this month at 10:30 a.m. Registration is with Music Together by the Dunes, at mtbythedunes.com.

     Advance registration is required for all CMEE programs.

Wee Folk and Warriors

    Susan Verde, a children's book author and yoga instructor, will return to the East Hampton Library on Saturday for a story time yoga session for kids 5 and older without their adults from 2 to 2:45 p.m.

     Next Thursday, the library will turn its attention to St. Patrick's Day with a story time and craft program for 4 to 6-year-olds at 4 p.m.

     Advance sign-up is required for both.

       On Mondays, the children come hungry.

       Harriet Daniels, a teacher at Bridgehampton Head Start, said it was not uncommon for her students to inhale their breakfasts, particularly at the start of the week.

       Early Monday, more than a dozen 3 to 5-year-olds devoured whole-grain rolls with cream cheese accompanied by slices of apple.

       “It’s typical that they eat more on a Monday. They’re hungrier than, say, on a Wednesday,” said Ms. Daniels. “They always want seconds. If they want more, there’s always more. We never say no.”

       The Head Start program provides preschool and early-intervention services to 52 of the South Fork’s neediest families, with dozens more on a waiting list. Each family lives at or below the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that translates into a 2014 income of $23,850 a year, according to Health and Human Services Department guidelines. 

       Last month’s federal budget allocated Head Start programs nationwide $8.6 billion, but each parent organization must provide a 20-percent cash or in-kind match. Long Island Head Start is the parent organization of Bridgehampton Head Start, which is one of the network’s 22 agencies. Each year, Long Island Head Start, which provides services for 2,000 Suffolk County children, must raise $3.8 million. Its total grant is $19 million.

       The Bridgehampton location has two classes of 18 children each. A third class meets across the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike at the Children’s Museum of the East End. For the two locations, which together serve 52 children, the agency needs to come up with $37,700 annually, or the equivalent in in-kind matches.

       Though they are only minutes away from grand Sagaponack estates, fund-raising has proven a persistent stumbling block. Last year, Bridgehampton Head Start came up more than $10,000 short.

       “If we can’t meet our match, there are direct consequences,” said Carol Burnett, its community outreach and recruitment coordinator, who has worked for  Patchogue-based Long Island Head Start for the past 18 years. “Programs could be cut. Children could be let go. The need is great.”

       She considers Head Start to be a great equalizer, a program that works to even the playing field for poor children before they begin kindergarten with their luckier peers.

       Home visits, which occur periodically through the school year, are a constant reminder of how dire the need is. Ms. Burnett said it was not uncommon to see families of four or five crowded into one bedroom. She and other staff members often come across exposed electrical wires and residences lacking working stoves and refrigerators.

        “All parents want what’s best for their children, whether they have money or don’t have money,” said Ms. Burnett, who is constantly on the lookout for  volunteers willing to donate their time to read a book aloud or help assemble an art project. She sees such contact with the greater community as a vital part of the children’s social development.

       But support has proven elusive.

       “You wouldn’t think this is happening on the East End. I want people to be aware that poverty exists in their own backyard,” said Ms. Burnett. “You don’t have to look outside the Hamptons. It’s right here, and the question is, what are we going to do about it?”

       Head Start began in 1965 as part of Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty. What began as an eight-week summer program to prepare children for kindergarten now serves nearly 1 million toddlers and preschoolers between the ages of 3 and 5. In recent years, while universal pre-K for 4-year-olds has gained in popularity — with mounting evidence that early-intervention programs are of particular benefit to low-income children — Head Start remains the federal government’s only pre-K program.

       Later this year, a 48th-anniversary party will be held in Bay Shore, on May 28. In addition to financial contributions and scholarships, Long Island Head Start is seeking donations that can be raffled off to help meet the 20-percent in-kind match.

       Local families are also said to be in need of basic supplies, everything from diapers to shampoo and laundry detergent to canned goods. Ms. Burnett said she would be happy to supply a detailed list of needed items.

       Maggie Sweeney, a teacher who is in her sixth year at Bridgehampton Head Start, said that despite frequent home visits, poverty can be cleverly disguised. She estimated that about half of her 16 students do not have warm coats. In her class, 15 of the 16 children are Latino. One lives in Southampton and the rest in Springs.

       Since transportation is not provided, parents drop their children off at 9 a.m., Monday through Friday. Pickup is at 3:30 every afternoon. During the day, children are given breakfast, lunch, and a snack.

       On Monday, Juan Viteri dropped off Liam, his 5-year-old son. Mr. Viteri works as a landscaper; his wife cleans houses. The family recently relocated from East Hampton to Springs, where they share a three-bedroom house with two other families, together paying $3,000 a month in rent.

       Come summertime, when Head Start is closed and when Mr. Viteri and his wife each work 13-hour days, they struggle to ensure that Liam gets care and attention. From September to June, when the program kicks in, they can put that worry aside.

       “I love it. I save money, and he looks forward to it,” said Mr. Viteri, a native of Ecuador, with the assistance of a translator. This time of year, before paid work again becomes plentiful, is always hard, he said. “It’s hard to pay rent, pay car insurance, pay for food. But I do the best I can.”

       By lunchtime Friday, with the weekend fast approaching, anxiety starts building in the classrooms, with some children fearful of losing their predictable meals and snacks.

       “Can I save this for my mom?” Ms. Daniels recalled a child asking her  recently as she clutched a package of crackers.

       On Friday afternoons, just before dismissal, the cook will box up perishable items such as containers of milk and bread that would otherwise go bad over the weekend. When parents come to pick up their children, they are encouraged to take the supplies home.

       “I try to calm their anxieties the best I can,” said Ms. Daniels. “At least here, they know there will always be meals.”