Education

Kids will be very busy this week, if the lineup of fun, local activities for teens and younger children is any indication.

Gabe Jaffe has launched Teen Hampton, an online community of young adults who want to work as babysitters and sports coaches this summer on the East End.

Monday's basketball game between East Hampton High School and Patchogue-Medford — the first home contest for Bonac's unified basketball program — had all the thrill of a varsity playoff game and all the heart a community could muster, showcasing the meaningful moments that can happen when players with developmental disabilities are given the same opportunity to do what many of their non-disabled peers do.

The changes have been subtle, but nevertheless troubling, Marrina Jacka and Morgan Johnson Quamina alleged this week, ever since the Ross School brought in Charlie Abelmann as its interim head-of-school. In response to the change in administrators, Marrina and Morgan, co-presidents of the school's student body, led a walkout on Monday, during which 50 or so students streamed out of classroom buildings and walked around the campus, holding signs and chanting: "Hey hey, ho ho, this head of school has got to go!"

Voters across the South Fork approved their districts' 2022-23 budgets in Tuesday's vote. In the only districts with contested school board races, Springs and Sag Harbor, Emma Field and Erik Fredrickson were elected to the Springs board and Grainne Coen and Ronald Reed won seats in Sag Harbor.

Monday is the deadline for voters to request an absentee ballot for the annual school budget vote and board member elections. Voters must request them from their respective school district clerks; applications for such ballots are generally available on the schools' websites or in person in the administrative offices.

Through SoFo, kids and teens can take a full-moon hike, help tag horseshoe crabs, learn about snakes, or help with a beach cleanup. Plus, library activities and fun with Project Most.

For the first time, the Wainscott School District and the Bridgehampton School District have come together to put a contract on the ballot that would offer a third choice for Wainscott families with children in fourth grade and up: the option to attend the Bridgehampton School.

The New York State Education Department has deemed the Bridgehampton School District a 21st Century Community Learning Center, awarding it a grant of approximately $2.5 million spanning the next five years.

Residents of every public school district in New York State will head to the polls on Tuesday to weigh in on budget plans, propositions, and school board candidates. Most South Fork districts are staying within state-mandated limits on tax-levy increases, and only two districts have contested school board races.

This year's race for two seats on the Springs School Board features four candidates, none of them incumbents, meaning that two newcomers are destined to be elected.

In the race for two open seats on the Sag Harbor School Board, four candidates — including three who are running write-in campaigns — have aligned themselves into two slates. Initially there was only one candidate, which surprised many in the village, where school board races usually have multiple people running.