Increased student access to technology is likely to be weighed during next year’s East Hampton School Board budget debate, given the discussion at the board’s meeting Tuesday night that followed a presentation by Donald Fox and Chris Merkert, East Hampton Middle School science teachers, about Google Chromebooks, laptops that use Chrome operating systems. The East Hampton Middle School has 80 Chromebooks, or three class sets, which rotate among a small cadre of teachers. Each costs about $250. The question is whether to expand the program.

       Around the nation, some districts have successfully experimented with providing a digital device for each student. In East Hampton, middle school students use Chromebooks during class but are not allowed to take them out of the building. This has raised a question about fairness because not every student has Internet access outside of school.

        “We’re weighing a lot of things, and we know the direction that we seem to want to go in — toward technology and embracing the technology that’s available,” Patricia Hope, the board president, said Wednesday morning. “The wise use of technology can engage students in rigorous and meaningful learning.”

        “These types of things are being fleshed out. The statement was made that we could save thousands going paperless,” Richard Burns, the superintendent, said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We still need to have paper. You can’t have it all, but we’re at the point now where these conversations will be part of the budget process.”

       Though the district has come in under the state-imposed 2-percent tax cap in recent years, Jackie Lowey, a board member, said the board faced difficult decisions in weighing priorities for the year ahead.

       “As we all know, there are academic and structural building security issues that over the long haul may mean we need to take a good look at things,” Ms. Lowey said. She spoke about the possibility of investing in additional Chromebooks, increased test preparation, and adding a section of a popular coding class, among other things.

       “Our community of taxpayers is confident we are not wasting their money. We want to do these things and we can’t afford it, and here’s the decision and the fork in the road that we’re at.”

       Later in the meeting, Mr. Burns handed out a fact-sheet about the Common Core, a set of national learning standards. It included a cheat-sheet of Common Core-related acronyms.

       It also was announced that three East Hampton High School students had donated $2,500 to the Ellen Hermanson Breast Center at Southampton Hospital. Shannon Ryan, Trevor Mott, and Thomas Brierley, members of the varsity swim team, had raised the money by selling pink bracelets.

       In addition, Claude Beudert, a middle school teacher, said its student association recently delivered 1,106 cans to the East Hampton Food Pantry. The organization also supplied 15 families with Thanksgiving dinners.

       Finally, board members unanimously approved the administration’s recommendations. Among the highlights was the extension of an external auditor’s contract for two additional years at an annual cost of $22,500, an extended medical leave for Michael Rivas, a custodial worker, and approving Enrique Jarrin and Edwin Rowe as substitute custodians. The board also reinstated Barbara Murray, a paraprofessional, effective Dec. 2, and  approved a shared sports agreement between East Hampton and Springs and a special education contract between East Hampton and Southampton.

       The meeting planned for Tuesday, Dec. 17, has been postponed. The next public meeting will be on Jan. 7, following a two-week holiday recess.

       Starting in January, the Ross School in East Hampton will launch a program devoted to the study of marine science. Run through its Innovation Lab, a special academy for students who are enthusiastic about math, science, engineering, media, and technology, the program will provide students interested in marine biology, oceanography, and environmental science with a hands-on, in-depth experience.

       Two students, Evi Kaasik Saunders and Liam Cummings, both from the Shelter Island High School, started at the Ross School this month with merit scholarships to cover the full cost of tuition. One remaining scholarship has yet to be awarded.

       Evi regularly volunteers to help preserve South Fork waterways. Liam has conducted award-winning research on how bacteria found in the mud of creeks and marshes here might be harnessed as an alternative energy source.

       “The marine science program was designed to allow students who are passionate about studying the ocean and biodiversity a chance to acquire valuable expertise in these subjects, apply their skills and knowledge in a real-world context, and cultivate relationships with professionals in the field,” David Morgan, who directs the Innovation Lab, said in a release.

       Working to address issues related to global sustainability, students will collect, analyze, and share scientific data. In addition, participants will spend three weeks during the school’s midwinter term at the University of California at Berkeley’s Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station and take part in summer marine science programs both locally and abroad. Students will also use drones and robotic submarines and conduct independent research projects.

       “For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be a marine biologist,” Evi said. “Living on an island my whole life has accentuated the importance of our bays and the organisms within. I worry for the future of our local bays and the organisms that live and depend upon these waters. Being an inquisitive person I want to investigate causes and contribute to solutions.”

       Liam is known for thinking creatively. He said he believes the ocean is similar to outer space in terms of the opportunities for exploration. He has a particular interest in learning how to apply engineering principles to concepts that will help expand our understanding of ocean life.

       Though the program begins next month, Ross is still accepting applications. They can be accessed on the school’s website.

Caring for Small Animals

       Thinking of getting a hamster or gerbil? Maybe a rabbit or a guinea pig? If so, you may want to stop in at the Amagansett Library on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., when Cornell Cooperative Extension educators visit with a variety of small animals kids might want as pets. The animals, what they need, and where they like to live will be discussed in this program for kids in kindergarten and above.

       Families have been invited to the library for a reading of Truman Capote’s “A Christmas Memory” on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.

       The library has a number of new weekly programs for children. Kids in kindergarten and above can play with Legos and other fun toys and games on Thursdays at 4 p.m. Sixth graders will be on hand as “play partners.” For preschoolers, there is Flash Story Time, with books and a quick craft, on Mondays at 2:15 p.m. Tot Hop, also for preschoolers, will get little ones moving with songs and rhyming games on Wednesdays at 2:15 p.m.

       Shake, Rattle, and Roll and First Story Time, both for toddlers up to age 3, will continue on Fridays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays at 10:15, respectively.

       The library’s programs are free, but advance sign-up has been requested.

Tasty Houses, Snowy Globes

       Gingerbread and snow globes? It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas at the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton. Kids can listen to a reading of Janet Squires’s “The Gingerbread Cowboy” during a pizza and pajama night tomorrow at 6. Afterward, they will help decorate a gingerbread model of the museum. The program costs $10 including museum admission and is free for members.

       Kids 2 to 6 years old will make snow globes to take home on Saturday following a 10:30 a.m. reading of David Soman and Jacky Davis’s “Ladybug Girl and the Big Snow.” Adult assistance will be required at this program, which costs $24, or $12 for members. Advance registration is required for both.

       Looking ahead, the museum will have gingerbread-decorating workshops for families on Dec. 14 at 10 and 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m. The cost is $30 per house, $20 for members, and reservations are a must.

Penguins and P.S.A.s

       The holidays are a source of inspiration for programs at the East Hampton Library this week. This afternoon from 4 to 5 there will be a penguin story and craft time for kids 4 to 6 with an adult.

       Young filmmakers in 6th through 12th grades have been invited to take their video cameras, smartphones, iPads, or Flip cameras to the library on Sunday at 1 p.m. to work independently or with others on a public service announcement promoting an upcoming library program. They can earn community service credits in the process.

       The library will smell particularly festive next Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. when kids 7 and older make orange pomanders using citrus and cloves. The library has requested advance sign-up for all its programs.

Ornaments With Sprinkle

       Over at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton, young adults can stop by anytime through Saturday during library hours to make their own sprinkle-filled ornaments.

       A holiday tree lighting and open house, with a visit from St. Nick, hot cider, and festive music by Bridgehampton students, is on the calendar for Saturday from 3 to 5 p.m. On Monday at 4 p.m., folks from the Horticultural Alliance of the Hamptons will help kids ages 5 to 9 plant amaryllis bulbs and offer some tips for taking care of the plants at home.

       Eight to 12-year-olds can make rubber-band bracelets at the library on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Reservations are required for all but the open house and drop-in programs.

The Goat’s Holiday Fair

       A St. Nicholas Holiday Faire at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor on Saturday will offer crafts and gift ideas for the holidays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. And, oh yeah, Santa will be there!

       Last Thursday night, the Springs School Board convened a special meeting during which its five members unanimously approved the hiring of three new employees. The board appointed Marion Flaherty as head bus driver, Kimberly Belkin as sixth-grade integrated co-teacher, and Diana Zuchelli as acting chairwoman of both the committee on special education and the committee on preschool special education.

       Ms. Zuchelli will replace Louis Aiello, a part-time employee who formerly led the special education committee. Mr. Aiello, who is set to begin an extended medical leave, is retiring after a 45-year career in education. He was appointed in May to assume many of the duties previously assigned to Katherine Byrnes, the former assistant principal. Ms. Byrnes abruptly resigned in early May amid testing irregularities related to a state exam.

       At present, about 13 percent of Springs students receive special education services.

       With more than 40 years of experience in the field, Ms. Zuchelli formerly worked as the divisional administrator for special education at the Eastern Suffolk Board of Cooperative Educational Services and previously held positions with school districts in Riverhead, Sachem, and Rocky Point. As a part-time employee, Ms. Zuchelli’s contract extends until August 2014.

       As for Ms. Flaherty, she started out driving a school bus for what was then the Coram Bus Company. That job led to a full-time career in transportation, managing contracts for a number of school districts. She has experience in dispatching, operations management, training, and safety.

       Ms. Belkin, meanwhile, has worked for the Springs School District for two summers as a special education teacher. She has served as a replacement for teachers on leave since 2011. She has a master’s degree in childhood education, with a particular specialization in math, science, and technology, in addition to a special education teaching certificate.

Getting the Word Out

       As at several other meetings, some confusion again arose concerning the district’s method of communication — or what several parents lamented during a recent meeting as the lack of a consistent notification policy.

       According to Elizabeth Mendelman, the board president, no members of the public were present at last Thursday night’s meeting. On Monday morning, no mention of the meeting could be found on the school’s website, though Ms. Mendelman said a notice had been posted online beforehand. Nonetheless, it failed to appear on the main calendar. In addition, the most updated board agenda and minutes are from June of this year.

       Despite some obstacles, Ms. Mendelman remained optimistic. “The good news is that we have all of our key staff on board and we’re looking forward to a strong academic year,” she said Monday.

Turkeys and Other Birds

       Tomorrow, after the excitement of Thanksgiving, the family fun begins at the South Fork Museum of Natural History in Bridgehampton.

       With help from her story-time puppet, Lodo the River Otter, Crystal Possehl will read Cathryn Falwell’s “Gobble Gobble” at 10 a.m. and teach 3 to 5-year-olds more about the bird that could have been America’s national symbol. Then they’ll head into the field behind the museum to search for wild turkeys or signs of them before making their own turkey craft.

       There is a $3 materials fee for this program.

       Live birds of prey will be the draw at the museum on Saturday, when Lorrie Schumacher and Talon Skye offer programs at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., with outdoor controlled-flight demonstrations at 11 and 2.

       The mother-daughter team will have European, barred, and barn owls; a Lanner falcon, a red-necked raven, and a Harris’s hawk with them.

       On Sunday at 10 a.m., families can help feed some of the museum’s many creatures while also learning about the animals, the food chain, and how habitat and food are connected.

       Reservations are requested for tomorrow’s and Sunday’s programs.

Hanukkah Fun

       It’s being called “Thanksgivukkah,” the merging of Thanksgiving Day and weekend with the early days of Hanukkah, but tomorrow morning at the Jewish Center of the Hamptons, it will be all about Hanukkah fun.

       There will be family programs starting at 10:30 a.m., including a visit from Jonathan Geffner, a ventriloquist, craft programs, games, and a latke lunch at noon.

       There is no charge for admission; the center has asked visitors to donate a new, unwrapped toy instead. The day’s fun is open to all, but reservations are requested by phone or through the center’s website, jcoh.org.

Angelina and a Ballerina

       Angelina Ballerina will visit the Children’s Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton tomorrow . . . well, sort of.

       Katharine Holabird will offer a special reading of her popular children’s book “Angelina Ballerina” at 10:30 a.m., accompanied by Devon Friedman, a ballerina from the Hampton Ballet Theatre School. Quite a treat for little Angelina fans.

       The cost is $10, which includes admission to the museum. Members get in free.

Al E. Gator in Sag Harbor

       Puppet shows at the Goat on a Boat Puppet Theatre in Sag Harbor will resume on Saturday, when the Puppet Company presents “Al E. Gator and Friends” at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

       The marionette variety show includes a number of different acts performed by the sibling team of Steven Widerman and Susan Widerman Blog, master puppeteers and the company’s artistic and executive directors.

       Tickets to Saturday’s shows cost $12, $10 for members and grandparents, and $8 for second siblings and kids under 3.

Family Program at Parrish

       The day after Thanksgiving may be Black Friday to some, but at the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, it’s a family day.

       The museum will have special family tours and art projects tomorrow afternoon from noon to 3 p.m., and as a bonus for adults, its holiday pop-up market will be open at the same time.

       Family programs are free with museum admission. Advance registration is not required.

Action Figures, Monster Masks

       Local libraries also have some fun in store for kids over the Thanksgiving weekend.

       At the East Hampton Library tomorrow afternoon, Joyce Raimondo will talk with children 4 and older about how famous artists captured emotions and action in their work. Then she’ll help them create their own “action figures,” using plaster gauze. The workshop runs from 1:30 to 2:30. Reservations are requested.

       Scary monsters are the theme of a story and craft time on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at the Amagansett Library. After listening to a monster story, kids will make their own monster masks. Advance sign-up is requested.

       The forecast is for snow at the John Jermain Memorial Library in Sag Harbor on Sunday, when kids of all ages are invited to create snowflake ornaments from pasta from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Advance registration is a must.

Retreat Program for Teens

       The Retreat will hold a leadership program for teenagers focusing on how to prevent violence in teen relationships on Wednesday evening at the Hampton Library in Bridgehampton.

       Called “In Their Shoes,” the program will have teens role-playing as they learn about real-life situations involving abuse. The Retreat operates a shelter in East Hampton for victims of domestic abuse and also runs abuse prevention programs for young people.

       The program starts at 6 p.m.

       On a lighter note, the library is starting a Minecraft Club for 8 to 12-year-olds. Kids will gather at the library Wednesday at 7 p.m. to build, snack, and play.

       At Tuesday night’s meeting of the East Hampton School Board, Richard Burns, the district superintendent, updated the few audience members in attendance concerning the district’s ongoing lawsuit with Sandpebble Builders — a legal dispute now lasting more than six years.

       At issue is a multimillion-dollar contract for a school construction project dating back to 2002. When Sandpebble Builders, a Southampton building company, initially began negotiations with the district, the project was slated to cost $18 million. It eventually ballooned upward of $80 million. The two sides have remained deadlocked ever since, as legal fees continue to rise.

       “There hasn’t been much change,” said Mr. Burns, noting that a meeting with a judge had been postponed from Nov. 15 to Dec. 5, with depositions likely to continue well into February. “Hopefully the trial will start soon after,” he said. “It’s in the hands of the lawyers.”

       Also at the unusually short, 45-minute meeting, Joe Vas, the district’s athletic director, said that some East Hampton sports teams now will have shorter distances to travel to compete with schools up the Island, trips that have been known to take an hour and a half. The new arrangement, which will begin in the spring, will cut down travel time considerably by making Rocky Point the farthest western district teams will visit.

       Varsity and junior varsity teams in soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball, track, and basketball will be affected. More on this change can be found in today’s sports section.

       In addition, Mr. Vas announced that every one of the district’s fall teams received a scholar-athlete award, meaning that each team had a collective grade-point average of 90 or better.

       Also on the athletics front, the board voted to accept the resignation of Louis Russo, a junior varsity wrestling coach, effective Nov. 12. It also approved an extended medical leave for Mr. Russo, from Nov. 7 to Dec. 4.

       The board unanimously voted to accept an amended school facilities policy, following weeks of intense debate. The major changes involve establishing a more consistent policy for facilities’ use. There is now a fee schedule for not-for-profit and for-profit organizations that serve adults, and district-owned facilities will be closed to the public on Sundays.

       The amended policy prohibits adult use of athletic fields during weekends, which includes group sports. This prohibition does not apply to the track or tennis courts.

       In terms of future field trips, board members approved a trip for the high school’s jazz band to attend a workshop and recording session in Orlando, Fla., from April 3 to April 6. The estimated cost is $1,000 per student, with those costs offset by fund-raising. The district is likely to cover $500 in transportation costs.

       The board also approved a seventh-grade trip to the Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut on June 5. The cost is $74 per student, which includes a water taxi from Montauk and bus transportation in Connecticut. The district will pay $485 for bus transportation to and from Montauk.

    The Paper Bag Players will present their new show, “Hiccup Help,” on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Guild Hall in East Hampton. The show, which is geared toward children 3 to 8, is a mix of funny stories, music, and props and sets made almost entirely of cardboard boxes and paper bags. Tickets cost $16 for adults and $13 for children, $14 and $11 for Guild Hall members.

      Voters in the Sag Harbor School District on Nov. 13 approved two bonds, totaling $9 million, for renovations to Pierson High School, its athletic fields, and the Sag Harbor Elementary School.

       A $7.4 million bond earmarked for renovating the Pierson auditorium, adding music instruction rooms, refurbishing shop and technology classrooms, and adding storage space to the elementary school gymnasium passed easily by a margin of 740 votes to 369.

       A $1.6 million bond calling for the installation of a turf athletic field and walking track behind the high school faced a tougher test, passing 585 to 507.

       The work, which will include renovations of the Pierson kitchen, plumbing, electrical and heating upgrades, energy conservation measures, and work on the elementary school parking lots and Pierson bus parking lot, will begin next fall and is expected to be wrapped up by fall 2015.

       John O’Keefe, the district’s business official, said this week that “the district is very excited” that both measures passed.

       If they had not, he said, many of the proposed upgrades would have to be handled in a piecemeal basis with money provided out of the district’s annual operating budget, a prospect, he said, that would have delayed the outcome and likely resulted in higher costs.

       A bond calling for similar upgrades was defeated in 2009.

       District officials have estimated that the two bonds will result in a tax hike of approximately $126 a year for a house valued at $1 million on the East Hampton Town side of the district and about $120 a year for a house of that value on the Southampton Town side.

Parents and teachers interested in the new Common Core curriculum, assessments, teacher evaluations, and student privacy may want to pull up State Senator Kenneth P. LaValle’s website Tuesday, when a forum with the New York State commissioner of education, John B. King, will be live-streamed from 6 to 8 p.m. from the Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School in Manorville.

Senator LaValle is soliciting questions and comments from people in his district, which includes 30 school districts. These should be no longer than 2 minutes. Those whose questions or comments are chosen will be notified ahead of time and will have the opportunity to speak at the forum.

The auditorium where the forum will be held seats 1,000 people, with seating made available on a first-come, first-served basis. Should it be necessary, an overflow room will be provided, with proceedings broadcast on a closed-circuit television.

       “Over-testing” in general, and including what are called field tests — trial questions that may be used on future exams but on which students are nopt graded — continue to concern educators, Eleanor Tritt, the Amagansett School superintendent, told the school board at its meeting Tuesday morning.

       Mentioning a letter from John B. King Jr., the state commissioner of education, and a document from an organization called EngageNY, which helps the state assess reforms, Ms. Tritt said she had significant concern about the state wanting “to eliminate stand-alone field testing” and to further incorporate field-test material in regular tests. “They give the same field-test questions to children at different grades,” she said. “For kids in lower grades, it’s too hard for them, it’s frustrating, it takes time away. They spend an inordinate amount of time, and skip through questions that count.” Furthermore, she said there was no way to determine which field-test questions a child was exposed to.

       “The school is required to adhere to state mandates, and children are required to take state tests,” Ms. Tritt said after the meeting. But the state had adopted the Common Core for standardized tests without involving educators, she said. “Superintendents are asking the state to actually have a plan to implement the process in a way that would be more effective for the children. We all agree that raising standards is always a good thing and are always trying to improve.”

       “The curriculum modules are being released by the state this year, yet they’re not being organized and giving teachers lead time to implement and be trained on modules before they teach it,” she said. “It’s not an educationally  sound way to implement new programs.”

       Ms. Tritt referred to an article in Education Week titled “Demand for Testing Products, Services on the Rise.” Like all school districts, Amagansett is “bombarded with people trying to sell products to prepare children for tests,” she told the board. The commercial aspect of test preparation “is really pushing and lobbying for more of the testing. . . . There’s a tremendous market.”

       The superintendent also referred to another article in Education Week, which emphasized the importance of teaching social problem-solving skills, self-regulation, and honesty. “We should be proud of the character-development program we have, which is infused throughout our program,” she said. Children “are reminded in every way, every day, how important it is to have self-confidence but to be respectful of others.”

       As if to illustrate her point, the meeting had begun with a video presentation featuring students praising the board in song. In recognition of School Board Appreciation Week, members of the board were also treated to gifts presented by Jason Hancock, president of the Amagansett Teachers Association, and Kathy Solomon, the association’s vice president.

       “Everyone really appreciates you being the unsung heroes who devote so much of your time and energy,” Ms. Tritt told the board members. “At the same time, you balance our need to be mindful of the impact on the community. . . . You have to make some really hard decisions, and we appreciate the time and effort you put in. We want to thank you very much.”