Student Art Extravaganza

       The galleries at Guild Hall will be bursting with color starting on Saturday when the first part of the annual Student Art Festival opens to the public with a free reception and performances from 2 to 4 p.m. Artwork by children in kindergarten through eighth grade will be featured through Feb. 23. The second part of the exhibition, featuring art by high school students, will run from March 1 through April 20.

       Students from Bridgehampton to Montauk and even Shelter Island will be represented in the show. Children in kindergarten through eighth grade who are inspired by what they see on the walls can take advantage of the open studio time in Guild Hall’s Boots Lamb Education Center most Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon till 5 through Feb. 23.

       A student film competition will run concurrently with the exhibitions. A screening is planned for April 6, when judges from the East End film and television community will award prizes in three age-group categories.

       The museum also has a Valentine cookie workshop on tap for Feb. 8 and school break workshops on the schedule from Feb. 17 through 21. Admission to the museum is free throughout the Student Art Festival.

Get Moving

       Parents and their young children can move and groove together in two new early childhood music and movement classes starting this week at the Ellen Johansen Music Studio. Dance With Me, a family music class for toddlers 15 months to 3 years old, will be offered on Fridays from 9:30 to 10:05 a.m. A Tuesday session of the class, at the same times, started earlier this week. The cost is $275 for 15 weeks, including family home materials.

       Also starting tomorrow is Suncatchers, a class for 3 and 4-year-olds that emphasizes imaginative stories and the development of listening skills. It runs from 10:30 to 11:15 a.m. and costs $325 for 15 classes, including home materials.

       Registration can be done online at ellenjohansenmusicstudio.com or by calling Ms. Johansen at 418-5497. The studio is on Stratton Square in East Hampton Village. Ms. Johansen has been teaching music to young children there and elsewhere for 25 years.

Pie in the Sky

       Pizza making will be on the menu tomorrow afternoon at Fresh Hamptons in Bridgehampton during a fund-raiser for the Wing It Project, founded by Anastasia Gavalas, a parenting educator. From 4 to 5:30 p.m. children will create their own set of wings they can wear with Ms. Gavalas, and make their own pizza with Todd Jacobs, the restaurant’s chef.

       The event is free, but donations will be taken for Ms. Gavalas’s project, which, according to her website, “promotes a response to the vast disparities of educational opportunities for children throughout the world.” The restaurant is on the Bridgehampton-Sag Harbor Turnpike. Reservations for tomorrow’s program can be made with [email protected] or by calling 516-523-1504.

Flubbermania

       Science can be really fun. Without polymer chemistry, for example, there could be no flubber. What’s flubber, you ask? On Saturday at 10 a.m., kids 6 to 12 can find out at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. Flubbermania, a workshop on the secrets of polymer chemistry, will have kids creating this slimy, gooey mix, which is made from household ingredients.

       Kids will learn about natural polymers found in things like hair, cellulose in trees, and DNA, and synthetic ones like you might find in nylon, plastics, and epoxy. There is a $3 materials fee for the workshop, which is designed to supplement the state’s intermediate-level science curriculum.

       Crystal Possehl will lead a family winter beach walk in Hampton Bays for the museum on Saturday at 1 p.m. Reservations are required for all programs.

Sing a Song

       Christine Cadarette is offering free beginning vocal lessons for teens on Saturday at the Amagansett Library. The sessions are part of a teen music month co-hosted with Crossroads Music and will run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Ms. Cadarette has worked on Broadway shows and with such performers as Roger Daltrey of the Who.

       Earlier in the day, at 3:30 p.m., families can listen to a cow story at the library and then make their own cow and moon crafts. Reservations have been requested for both programs.

Sew Much Fun

       Children 6 to 10 will make animal and monster “softies” during a hand-sewing workshop on Saturday at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Vanessa Geppert will oversee the class, which starts at 10 a.m. and costs $15, or $5 for museum members.

       Painting on frozen paper can yield some unexpected results and kids can see for themselves during a workshop that morning at 10:30. Participants will experiment with different surfaces and paints to see what they come up with. The cost is $18, or $7 for museum members.

       Self-portraits will be the subject of a drop-off workshop on Monday at 10:30 a.m. for kids 6 and older. After listening to Karen Katz’s “The Colors of Us,” kids will make mixed-media self-portraits with the help of Karen Hogan. Parents can stick around or come back at the end of the workshop.

Wee Warriors

       Susan Verde, a children’s book author and yoga instructor, will lead a yoga story time for kids 5 and older at the East Hampton Library on Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. This is a kids-only program, so Mom or Dad will have to busy themselves elsewhere.

       A polar bear story and craft time is scheduled for next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. for children 4 to 6 with an adult.

Tea and Fleece

       There will be tea, treats, and stories for children 4 and older at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. For kids 8 to 12, the library will hold a 3D art workshop Tuesday evening at 7. Kids will use paper, pencils, and markers to make their drawings “jump off the page.” Children in seventh grade and above can drop by Saturday through Jan. 25 to make a no-sew fleece hat.

       Teens learning to drive should mark their calendars for Jan. 25, when the library will host a five-hour prelicensing course, a requirement for those planning to take a driver’s test. Participants must have a valid learner’s permit. The cost is $45. Advance sign-up is required for all programs, which are free unless otherwise noted.

New for Mommies and Kids

       A new Mommy and Me program for mothers with children 4 and younger will start on Wednesday at the Most Holy Trinity school building in East Hampton. The nine-week program will focus on education, nutrition, and parent-child bonding, among other things, and will also include yoga for moms and kids. Child care will be provided.

       The sessions will run weekly from 11 a.m. to noon through March 26, with a break on Feb. 19. The school building is at 44 Meadow Way. More information is available by emailing [email protected] or by phone at 324-0134, extension 732.

      At the monthly meeting of the Springs School Board Monday night, its members unanimously gave their support to using $65,000 from the district’s repair reserve fund to replace an aging boiler and a defunct bridge on the school playground.

       The board also voted to begin a contract with Lime Energy, a national provider of renewable energy solutions and energy efficiency strategies, to upgrade the district’s lighting fixtures — a move that could lower the district’s energy bills in the years to come.

       In other news, the board voted to continue Camp Invention, a science enrichment program that ran as a weeklong pilot with 62 children last August. Though the dates have not been set for the coming summer, early registrants can expect to pay $245 in tuition, with discounts offered to siblings.

       Earlier Monday night, John Grant, who presided over the meeting since Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, was on vacation, called the newly revamped website “a big improvement,” referring to prior complaints that it was woefully out of date. “If you haven’t checked the website, I encourage you to do so. It will stay fresh and current,” he said.

       To ensure that it remains so, the board agreed to pay Kimberly Belkin, an independent consultant, $3,265 to work as a writer and part-time facilitator.

       John Finello, the district superintendent, said the school’s first site-based committee met for the first time on Jan. 7. Increasing parental involvement topped its list of priorities. Timothy Frazier, a board member, asked that minutes from future committee meetings be posted on the website in a timely manner.

       The board approved a maternity leave request by Crystal Reiner, a special education teacher, effective Jan. 28. She is expected to return on March 17. The board appointed Sarah Dunkirk as an English as a second language teacher, effective Jan. 1, at an annual salary of $27,214.

       Board members accepted the resignation of Cheryl Ann George, a school bus driver, effective Dec. 20. They simultaneously approved the hiring of Frances Figueroa as a full-time bus driver at a salary of $31,319 plus benefits.

       Also at the meeting, Lisa Matz, the PTA president, said that a recently planned skate night at the Buckskill Winter Club in East Hampton had been canceled because of rain. The new date is Feb. 8 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Skate rentals will be free, and pizza, popcorn, and beverages will be sold. In addition, the annual Scholastic book fair is planned for Feb. 25 to March 4.

       At every meeting, Eric Casale, the principal, updates the audience concerning any changes in enrollment. Over the past six weeks, the Springs School has seen a slight dip in its enrollment, with 717 students now enrolled in grades pre-K to eight.

       The next meeting is planned for Feb. 10 at 7 p.m.

The Circus Is Coming

      Advance tickets are on sale now for the Yankee Doodle Circus, which will visit Pierson High School in Sag Harbor for three shows on Feb. 1. Tickets for 1, 4, or 7 p.m. performances are $14.75 in advance for adults, and each one comes with two free tickets for kids 14 and under. They can be ordered at getcircustickets.com. At the door they cost $18 for adults and $6 for children.

       The circus shows are presented by the Teachers Association of Sag Harbor and will raise money for the Pierson High School scholarship fund.

Knots and More

       From knots to erosion to seals, young naturalists will find plenty to keep them busy this weekend through the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. On Saturday at 10 a.m., Tyler Armstrong will lead a beach erosion lab for kids 5 to 7. Participants will experiment with magnetic sand and models of glaciers, rain, and windstorms as they learn about how the elements change our landscape. There is a $3 materials fee in addition to museum entry.

       Later that day, at 1 p.m., Capts. Mark Tompkins and Bob Sullivan of Sag Harbor Sailing will head up a knot-tying workshop at 1 p.m. for children 6 and older and adults. A family seal walk in Montauk on Sunday at noon will round out the weekend’s offerings. With luck, walkers will have a chance to see the seals resting on the rocks near Montauk Point on this half-mile walk. Binoculars or a spotting scope have been suggested. Reservations are required for all SoFo events.

Birds and Waffles

       Children will make bird feeder mobiles on Saturday and waffles on Sunday at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. The mobile workshop, on Saturday at 10:30 a.m., will begin with a reading of Keith Baker’s “No Two Alike.” After that, kids will put together a bird feeder that they can hang outside. The cost is $18, or $7 for museum members.

       Waffles are on the menu on Sunday at 10 a.m., and kids will make them themselves. The buy-in: $18, or $5 for members.

Recycled Art

       Stuff found around East Hampton will be the medium for a recycled collage art workshop on Saturday from 2 to 3 p.m. at the East Hampton Library. Joyce Raimondo will lead children 4 and older as they make a collage about East Hampton.

       Kids in the same age group can use cookie sheets, scrap paper, and glue to make a magnetic bulletin board on Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. Those under 7 should be accompanied by an adult. Advance registration has been requested for both programs.

Vacation Theater Camp

       Looking ahead to the February break, the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor will again offer a theater camp for 8 to 12-year-olds each day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Led by Bethany Dellapolla, an actress and singer, it will include acting, singing, dance, and performance instruction and will culminate in a performance for family and friends. The cost is $385 per child.

       Early registration with the theater has been suggested, as camp size is limited and spaces usually fill up early.

    If legislation jointly introduced in Albany this week by Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. and Senator Kenneth P. LaValle passes and becomes part of the state budget on April 1, several local school districts stand to benefit substantially.

    The legislation would put an end to the so-called “gap elimination adjustment,” which was enacted a few years ago at the height of the recession to counteract cuts in state aid to schools, as part of a $10 billion budget deficit.

    With Governor Andrew Cuomo now projecting a $2 billion surplus for New York, Mr. Thiele and Mr. LaValle hope to return some of that money into school coffers.

    “The theory being, that we had to do that adjustment when we had a deficit,” said Mr. Thiele. “But if we don’t have a deficit anymore, why are we still taking this money from schools?”

     “It’s real money,” he continued. “As school districts have to deal with things like the property tax cap and unfunded mandates and the Common Core, if the state has a surplus, tax cuts and freezes are good, but we shouldn’t be paying for them with funding for education.”

    According to estimates provided by Mr. Thiele and Mr. LaValle, if their proposal passes, East Hampton would receive $218,265 this year and $436,531 by 2015. Amagansett would get $17,584 in 2014 and $35,167 in 2015, Springs would get $82,808 in 2014 and $165,616 in 2015, and Sag Harbor would receive $120,698 in 2014 and $241,395 in 2015.

    Bridgehampton would receive $33,852 this year and $67,703 in 2015, and Montauk would receive $45,523 in 2014 and $91,046 in 2015.

    The proposed legislation was welcome news to school administrators, particularly as annual budgets are under review and districts are forced to do more with less.

    “I am supportive of any increases in funding that will help us to improve the quality of education for students,” said Richard J. Burns, the superintendent of the East Hampton School District

Student Art Galore

    Families can tour the Parrish Art Museum’s 2014 Student Exhibition and create their own artwork during a family fun night to celebrate the show tomorrow from 5 to 7 p.m. The celebration is free with museum admission, and reservations are not required. The exhibition includes work by more than 1,000 students from Montauk to Brookhaven. It will be on view in Water Mill through March 2.

Skateboarding Session

    Got a skateboard for Christmas but haven’t had a chance to use it? Dreaming of the days when the skate park will finally be cleared of snow and ice?

    Tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Amagansett Library, Khanh Ngo of Khanh Sports in East Hampton will talk skateboarding with kids in fourth through eighth grades. He’ll cover tricks, safety, maintenance, and trends, while also answering questions from participants. Advance registration has been requested. Questions can be submitted in advance to [email protected].

    Those who stop by the library Sunday and Feb. 16 at 1:30 p.m. can try their hands at origami while getting tips on an easy form and one that’s a little more complicated. The drop-in program is intended for those in first grade and above.

Blue Duck Valentine

    Plain valentine cookies from the Blue Duck Bakery will be on hand during a workshop on Saturday from 11 a.m. to noon at Guild Hall. Your job, should you choose to accept it, will be to decorate them. The cost is $10, or $8 for museum members.

    Also on Saturday, from noon to 5 p.m., families with kids in kindergarten through eighth grade can drop by the museum and get creative during a free open studio. Looking ahead, Guild Hall will offer art classes every weekday during the next school break, from Feb. 17 to 21, for the same age group. Classes will run from 10 to 11:30 a.m. and cost $25 per class, per child, or $23 for members. Advance registration is required.

Happy Hand-Sewing

    Children 6 to 10 will sew valentine sachets and pillows by hand during a workshop on Saturday at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. The session costs $15, or $5 for members.

    Families can make scented valentines using essential oils in a workshop at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday. The cost is $18, $7 for members.

    Tomorrow night, Susan Verde will read from her book “The Museum” during a pizza and pajama party starting at 6 p.m. It’s free for members, $10 for others. Reservations have been suggested; pajamas are optional.

Yoga Storytime

    Susan Verde will be at the East Hampton Library on Saturday for a Storytime Yoga session for kids only, so don’t even think about it, parents. Participants 5 and older will listen to a story while they practice yoga poses and breaths from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m.

    Aspiring filmmakers in 6th through 12th grades will gather at the library on Sunday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and use their talents to earn community service credits by making a public service announcement for an upcoming library program. They’ve been asked to take their smartphones, iPads, or other video cameras.

    A Valentine’s Day story time and craft is on the schedule for Tuesday from 4 to 5 p.m. for kids 4 to 6 with an adult. Reservations have been requested for all library programs.

Chocolatey Library

    In the lead-up to Valentine’s Day, the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton will have two drop-in programs to get kids in the spirit and another having to do with that most beloved valentine sweet, chocolate.

    Kids in seventh grade and above can make duct tape valentine flowers through Saturday, then turn their attention to valentine cards Saturday through Friday, Feb. 14. Those 4 and older can stop by to make their own valentine cards tomorrow through Sunday.

    The library will have a chocolate fondue fountain in operation during a program for teens on Saturday at 1 p.m. On Sunday at 2:30 p.m., it’s teatime, when kids 4 and older can enjoy a story, treats, and tea.

    Children 8 to 12 years old can get tips on making rubber band bracelets on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Advance sign-up has been requested for all programs.

Vacation Camp

       School is out next week, but kids who aren’t headed to warmer places or ski holidays don’t have to stay home. The Y.M.C.A. East Hampton RECenter still has space available in its February vacation camp for kids 5 to 12. Kids will spend their days swimming, doing arts and crafts, working on team-building exercises, and more, with a possible field trip thrown in, too.

       And get this, working parents: The camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, Feb. 21. Campers can sign up for some of the days or all five. The cost is $65 for a day, with a discount for additional days. Those who sign up for the full week will pay $275. Advance registration at the Y is a must, as the camp will run only if enough campers enroll.

For Break Week

       The East Hampton Town Recreation Department is offering another vacation-week option for kids in kindergarten through sixth grade who are town residents, and it’s free. A morning recreation program that will include games, sports, and arts and crafts will be held Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon at either the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton or the Montauk School.

       Parents can register their children at either school on the first day of the program. Children should be sent with a light snack and must be picked up promptly at noon, a program flier says.

On Peaceful Planet

       A Peaceful Planet yoga camp for 5 to 11-year-olds might keep kids of a certain temperament blissfully occupied for three mornings next week. Young yogis will gather at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, Feb. 21, from 9 a.m. to noon, for yoga games and challenges, story time, and crafts that will help teach them “simple meditations, breath work, and self-calming techniques.” Participants should take their own mats or can purchase them from Peaceful Planet at $20 each. The cost per day is $50. Space is limited, and advance registration, at peacefulplanetyoga.com, is a must.

       Looking ahead a few weeks, Peaceful Planet will lead a glow-in-the-dark yoga session on March 1 from 6 to 8:15 p.m., giving parents of kids 3 to 10 a little peace of their own in the evening. The cost is $25 per child, $15 for an additional sibling, and $10 for a second sibling.

Drum Circle

       So tired of winter you could scream? Why not beat a drum instead? The Amagansett Library will host a drum circle for adults and kids 9 and older on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. Attendees can learn some basics of the African djembe with Jerome Liggon, a drummer, or just enjoy the rhythms.

       Then on Sunday, for something a little more subdued, adults and kids in first grade and above can stop by at 1:30 p.m. to do some origami. Reservations have been requested for the drum circle, but not the origami session.

Ye Olde New England

       Brad Shur and Chris Monti will share stories and songs from old New England in a program for all ages at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Their show will introduce kids to “a giant sailor, a fashionable bear, and the world’s largest wheel of cheese,” the theater promises. Tickets cost $12, $10 for grandparents and theater members, and $8 for additional children or those under 3.

Lessons in Pet Care

       Children begging for a dog or cat can learn what it means to take care of a pet during a pet care seminar on Saturday at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Maria Mora of the Southampton Animal Shelter will bring a dog with her for this free 10 a.m. workshop for kids 4 and older.

       At 10:30 that morning, children 3 to 6 can make Chinese dumplings with their parents. The cost is $22, or $10 for members of the museum.

       A weaving workshop on Monday from 10 a.m. to noon will have kids weaving with hand-dyed fabrics and recycled T-shirts — using hula hoops as their looms! Parents can stay to take part but are not required to do so.

       The same goes for a plaster casting and sculpture class led by Roisin Bateman on Friday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. The two drop-off workshops are for 7 to 10-year-olds and cost $20 per session, or $10 for members.

African Art Adventure

       Joyce Raimondo will have kids 4 and older painting like Picasso on Tuesday and heading out on an African art “adventure” on Friday, Feb. 21, at the East Hampton Library. On Tuesday, young artists will look at some of the many faces Picasso painted, and then use oil pastels and paint to make one of their own. On Friday, Feb. 21, they will use African animal masks as inspiration for their own masks made of paper, beads, and feathers.

       Cupcakes will be on the menu at the library on Wednesday, when children 4 and older will have a chance to decorate “Despicable Me” minion cupcakes to take home. All three of the above programs run from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

       Next Thursday from 1:30 to 2:15 p.m., children 5 and older can listen to stories as they learn some yoga moves and poses from Susan Verde, a kids yoga instructor and author. This is a kids-only program, so adults will have to busy themselves elsewhere.

Critters in Winter

       How do animals take care of themselves in the winter? Crystal Possehl will help 3 to 5-year-olds answer that question on Saturday at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton as they listen to a story and then head outside to look for signs of animals that are active even in these coldest months of the year. The program starts at 10 a.m. Advance sign-up is required.

Puppets by Katie

       Also on Saturday, Katie’s Puppets will pay a visit to the Montauk Library from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and after the show, kids can make their own puppets. Older children who need community service credits can earn them by helping younger ones with the craft. Arrangements should be made in advance at the library. The show is free.

       As local school districts begin weighing annual budgets, the Springs School announced on Monday night that it will stay under the 1.46-percent tax-levy cap for the 2014-15 academic year.

       Thomas Primiano, the district’s treasurer, led a presentation to a packed house of teachers and parents, explaining that the state-mandated 2-percent tax 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.

       “We plan on coming in at the cap or under,” Mr. Primiano elaborated yesterday.  “As far as maintaining programs, we don’t plan on making any cuts. When rainy days do come, it won’t be as easy to do, but we’re hoping to stave them off for as long as possible.”

       Speaking of the district’s fund balance, he said that approximately $600,000 would be used to keep the tax levy under the cap. “The not-so-great news is that we are using the fund balance to stay under that cap,” said Mr. Primiano. “Last year we applied $700,000, and this year we will need to continue to apply fund balance.”

       In terms of budget goals, the school hopes to expand its technology inventory, utilizing newly increased broadband capacity, and aims to give all students access to their own Google Chromebook. Springs hopes to invest in 150 additional Chromebooks, each at a cost of around $300.

       In total, the technology budget is expected to go up by more than $65,000. Transportation is projected to rise by more than $30,000, due to additional ridership requirements, with buildings and grounds seeing an increase of more than $12,000. 

       Earlier in Monday’s meeting two teachers, Sue Ellen O’Connor and Margaret Thompson, led a well-received presentation about the school’s annual opera production, complete with a selection sung by cast members.

       In other news, the Greater East Hampton Education Foundation, a local nonprofit, has awarded two grants to Springs teachers following a competitive application process. Ms. O’Connor won a $2,000 grant to help expand the animation program, while Danielle Hamilton received $1,200 to expand a reading program.

       The school board has appointed an architecture firm, Burton, Behrendt and Smith, to devise a master plan around the best use of space. With a growing student population, Roger Smith, an architect, outlined general ways in which the school could be more efficient in terms of its use of resources. A full plan is forthcoming.

       A second budget workshop is planned for Feb. 26 at 7 p.m., when the board will tackle items related to instructional programs, co-curricular activities, interscholastic athletics, and field trips. A third and final session is planned for March 10, when the board will review items related to tuition, the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, employee benefits, administration, and the projected budget and tax rate.

       During Tuesday night’s three-hour budget workshop, the East Hampton School Board announced the appointment of a new assistant principal at the John M. Marshall Elementary School.

       Following a comprehensive search, Dennis Sullivan, who last served as the administrative dean for the South Huntington School District, will assume his new post following next week’s February recess. Keith Malsky, the current assistant principal, announced his unexpected retirement early last month. Tomorrow is his last day.

       “We’re thrilled to have you here,” Richard Burns, the district superintendent, said during the meeting.

       “I’m excited to be here and look forward to being part of a great educational team,” said Mr. Sullivan, who holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Stony Brook University. A resident of Hampton Bays, he is enrolled in a doctoral program at Dowling College.

       Prior to working in South Huntington, Mr. Sullivan spent eight years in the Hampton Bays public schools as both an elementary school math specialist and a middle school social studies teacher. Before becoming an educator, Mr. Sullivan worked as a Suffolk County deputy sheriff.

       Mr. Sullivan joins Beth Doyle, John Marshall’s principal, who will begin a maternity leave in the spring. In an email to parents last month, she assured them that she would be gone for six weeks, “barring any medical complications.”

       Shortly after announcing the hiring, the board began a line-by-line dissection of the budget.

       Patricia Hope, the board president, called it a “painstaking and agonizing process for everyone involved.”

       Though numbers are still being finalized, she estimated that the overall 2014-15 budget would likely involve some $1.2 million in cuts districtwide, given the state-mandated 2-percent tax increase cap.

       “Personally, I would like to see us come in under the cap one more time,” Ms. Hope said yesterday. “But I don’t know if that’s going to be possible.”

       On Tuesday night, the board reviewed budget lines for both the high school principal and assistant superintendent’s offices. The high school principal’s proposed budget is $451,599 — a nearly 5-percent increase over last year’s. The assistant superintendent’s proposed budget is $297,333 — a 4.3-percent increase.

       But with little left to cut and department heads defending the need for textbook purchases, the board spent the bulk of the meeting wrangling over relatively small amounts.

       Among the bigger-ticket items, a $2,699 vertical metal band saw, requested by the technology department, was deemed excessive, as was the $1,200 requested by the English department for 500 packages of short-response Scantron answer sheets. In addition, Ms. Hope called a $5,500 wireless sound system for the annual spring musical “exorbitant.”

       Education conferences were also a main focus of possible cuts, with Ms. Hope explaining a newly instituted policy. “In the current tax-cap landscape, the new approach is turnkey. Instead of four people going, one goes and runs a workshop for other teachers,” she said. “Over the years, teachers take turns going. It’s not the best thing to do, but considering time, space, staff, and money, it’s the best way.”

       One big-ticket proposed addition is $20,000 for increased mental health services. Adam Fine, the high school’s principal, said he was hoping to take the lead in helping ramp up local mental health services — including the creation of a mobile crisis unit and the potential hiring of a part-time psychiatric nurse. Mr. Fine said the need was acute, with three students requiring hospitalization over the past two weeks. He also discussed the possibility of increased state aid, in addition to joining forces with Southampton Hospital, East Hampton Town, and local nonprofits to provide a greater array of resources.

       Regarding languages, the board also weighed whether to reinstitute American Sign Language and whether the money was available for expanding a Chinese program, which is now offered online. But with a 4.9-percent increase in the high school budget, Jackie Lowey, a board member, along with several others, said that something had to give.

       As talk turned to increased cuts, many expressed frustration.

       “I don’t see how we can continue to function as a district and how we can do it and be viable and continue to offer such programs,” Arthur Goldman, a high school teacher, said.

       “This year is the breaking point,” concluded Richard Wilson, a board member.

       The next budget workshop is planned for Feb. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Word Up, Kids!

       “Word Up!” a celebration of poetry by the Montauk School’s eighth grade, will be presented at Guild Hall tonight at 7. The students worked with professional poets to create, revise, and learn to present their own work. They will read their own poems, memorized pieces, and work by other students during the program, which is free and open to all.

Future Meteorologists

       Future meteorologists can learn how scientists predict the weather during a program on Saturday at 10 a.m. at the South Fork Natural History Museum in Bridgehampton. Kids 8 to 12 will study air pressure, temperature, and humidity and how these are used to forecast the weather. They will also make their own sling psychrometers, allowing them to measure the heat index, and can take them home after the workshop. There is a $10 materials fee for those who want to take the psychrometers home, in addition to the cost of museum admission. Reservations are required for all SoFo programs.

Stages, Twice Over

       Stages, a Children’s Theatre Workshop, will offer two workshops for budding actors starting this week. A spring performance workshop for 8 to 18-year-olds will start on Wednesday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Southampton Town Recreation Center and continue on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays through May 11, though participants may not have to attend every class.

       The session will culminate with a musical production at the Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor. Among the productions being considered are “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Bye Bye Birdie,” and “Anything Goes.” The cost is $475 per student. The recreation center is on Majors Path in North Sea.

       A separate creative drama workshop for 6 to 10-year-olds will meet on Tuesdays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. this week through April 8 at Bay Street. This introductory acting class will conclude with a short play at the theater on April 8. The cost is $275. Registration is with the Stages director, Helene Leonard, at 329-1420 or by email at [email protected].

High School Artists Honored

       Seventeen high school seniors, including a number from the Ross School, East Hampton High School, and Pierson High School in Sag Harbor, were honored for their talents at a ceremony for the Parrish Art Museum’s 2014 Student Exhibition. From East Hampton High School, Emely Rodriguez was recognized for her photography, and Jonathan Ryan for printmaking. From Pierson, Nell Dobbs and Leah Alraud-Ben Cnaan were recognized for mixed-media works, Miranda Hirsh was singled out for a 3-D mixed-media piece, and Sara Bucking was recognized for her photography. Lily Kamata of the Ross School was honored for her painting. The exhibition can be seen today, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Water Mill, and tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

       It was death by a thousand cuts during the East Hampton School Board’s Tuesday evening budget workshop, as members of the board pored over items related to English as a second language, East Hampton Middle School, and the John M. Marshall Elementary School during a three-hour dissection of the budget.

       “We can’t say we’re doing line-by-line if we’re not doing line-by-line,” Patricia Hope, the board’s president, said on the phone yesterday morning. Armed with data, she said she spent hours analyzing each of the budget documents in advance of the meeting.

       Though open to the public, only the press was in attendance.

       Although numbers are still being finalized, she estimated that the overall 2014-15 budget would likely involve some $1.2 million in cuts district-wide, given the state-mandated 2-percent cap on property tax increases.

       District-wide, board members looked at consolidating graduation ceremonies as a possible avenue for increased cost-savings.

       Charles Soriano, the principal of East Hampton Middle School, presented his proposed $167,013 department budget, which does not include salaries and benefits. It marks a 25-percent, or $33,489, increase over last year’s budget of $133,523.

       At the middle school, nearly $1,000 was budgeted for a graduation sound system, with another $400 for flowers and $2,150 for white folding chairs. Each of the district’s three schools includes similar line items for individual graduation ceremonies, for kindergarteners, fifth graders, eighth graders, and high school seniors.

       Ms. Hope suggested that future ceremonies be condensed, with everyone using the same tent and resources at East Hampton High School. One proposed solution would be for the John M. Marshall Elementary School’s fifth graders to graduate on Thursday morning, with eighth graders graduating that evening. The high school graduation is now scheduled for Friday, June 27.

       “We’re buying chairs four times, the sound system four times,” said Ms. Hope.

       “It’s costly but there’s something nice about having it on the front lawn,” said Dr. Soriano, who called himself a traditionalist. “It’s important to graduate from the school that you attended. Kids attach memories to those events. Certainly you could go the other route and it would be fine. But there’s something very nice about it.”

       “It is nice,” said Ms. Hope.

       “We want to hear from the public what they think about it,” said J.P. Foster, a board member.

       A $30,707 character-education program in the middle school budget called Why Try, which works to build resiliency, drew criticism from board members.

        “I’m not sold on this,” said Jackie Lowey, a board member.

        “These little tiny chunks add up to a teacher’s salary,” said Robert Tymann, the assistant superintendent. “We have to get down to the tax cap. Nobody wants to cut anything. We want to keep it all. Those are the decisions that we’re making now. By the time we’re done with this packet, we will have a teacher’s salary.”

       During the meeting, requests for materials and supplies were typically cut between 10 and 15 percent. Stickers, bookmarks, and classroom decorations drew the ire of board members. At John Marshall, two requests for Franklin Covey calendar refills (each at a cost of $42.07) and $123.76 for helium and balloons for graduation were summarily axed. Kindergarten class trips to a North Fork pumpkin patch and King Kullen were also questioned, given both the expense and subsequent reduction in instructional time.

       Beth Doyle, John Marshall’s principal, presented a proposed department budget of $200,253 — an increase of nearly 6 percent, or $11,022, over last year’s budget of $189,231.

       This followed a presentation earlier in the meeting on the district’s English as a second language program by Elizabeth Reveiz, its director. The district now has 244 English language learners in kindergarten through 12th grade. More than 58 percent of them are at John Marshall, with the kindergarten boasting the largest E.S.L. population in the school. There are 28 E.S.L. students in the middle school this year and 76 at the high school.

       In total, Ms. Reveiz proposed a budget for the program of $35,216 — an increase of 23.2 percent or $6,630 over last year’s budget of $28,586. Most of the increase is attributable to a $10,000 increase in supplies for a new high school curriculum to meet the growing needs of its diverse learners.

       Half of the E.S.L. students at the high school are between the ages of 17 and 21, with many having experienced interrupted schooling in their home countries and hoping to catch up on credits in order to graduate. “New York State law says you have to educate them until they’re 21 or through 12th grade — whichever comes first,” Ms. Hope explained.

       The next budget workshop will be on March 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the district office on Long Lane. A regular school board meeting will be held there on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.