Education

When you know his background, it's easy to understand why Michael Donovan came to the aid of thousands of schoolchildren by donating Chromebook computers for them to do remote schooling during the pandemic.

John Daniels, the head custodian at the Bridgehampton School, is no stranger to the concept of clean. Forty years in the job not only means he knows how to take care of maintenance, but he also knows for whom he is doing it.

"I call them my babies. I get to see them all the way from pre-K to graduation," he said the other day.

Few groups had their worlds upended during the pandemic as much as students and teachers. Put to the test, many teachers became students of new technologies and rose to meet the challenges that distance learning presented.

When the Eleanor Whitmore Early Childhood Center got a call from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office asking if it could open its doors to provide free care to the children of essential workers, the staff made it happen.

For Carolyn Fitzgerald, a lifelong resident of East Hampton and a 30-year employee of the East Hampton School District, working in the school cafeteria every weekday from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. was a way to take her mind off the harsh realities of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Being a school nurse has always been a mixture of care, compassion, and common sense. Now, you can add "contact tracing" to that list.

A leaky roof over the junior high wing at the Springs School was an unforeseen addition to the construction projects ahead, brought to the attention of Michael Henery, the school business administrator, by recent weather, and discussed at Monday's school board work session.

As a substitute teacher shortage continues to plague school districts on Long Island, the Sag Harbor School District on Monday hired five more substitutes, and continues to seek more candidates.

Family art activities, children's museum hours, wildlife walks, and more options for kids this week.

Four out of five East Hampton Middle School students agree: Going to school during the Covid-19 pandemic is tougher than it was before. Also, a disclaimer: In no way is that a scientific statistic, as the sample size was pretty limited, but the point is still accurate, according to the students themselves.

"There were more things to do that we can't do now," Emma Hand, a sixth grader, recalled during a Google Meet interview last week. "It's a little bit harder, but at least we get to go to school."

The East Hampton School District on Tuesday awarded contracts to construction companies for the new bus depot the district is going to build at the former scavenger waste property on Springs-Fireplace Road.

The New York State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance has honored four South Fork high school seniors for their athletic prowess and leadership in physical education and health classes, as well as their academic achievements and outstanding character.