Education

Students and staff in the East Hampton School District — even those who are vaccinated — will begin the new school year with masks on, the school board decided on Tuesday.

After a child and a counselor tested positive for Covid-19, the Hayground Camp in Bridgehampton closed this week out of an abundance of caution, Doug Weitz, the camp's director, confirmed Tuesday.

Guild Hall will host Pirate School, "a madcap, swashbuckling comedy variety show," in person on Wednesday at 3 and 5 p.m. There will also be pirate-theme workshops before both shows, at 2 and 4 p.m., in partnership with the Golden Eagle art supply store. Tickets to the shows are $15 for children and $30 for adults, and the workshops cost $35 per child (free for member families).

The Sag Harbor School Board and the Mashashimuet Park board continue to hash out their differences with ongoing negotiations about the district's use of park facilities for school sports.

East Hampton High School will soon have a new principal whose face should be a familiar one around town. The school board is set to appoint Sara Smith, who lives in East Hampton, to the post on Aug. 3.

Ukulele Lessons and Textiles

Among several activities lined up for Saturday, Project Most is offering a beginner ukulele class for children in fourth through sixth grades at noon. The cost is $20, and the class will be held outdoors if the weather is nice. All Project Most classes meet at the East Hampton Neighborhood House.

The news that a swimming pool has been added to the construction plans of the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreation Center's new 7,000-square-foot facility has made quite a splash around town.

Rising high school seniors can get help on their college essays at the East Hampton Library on Saturday between 10 a.m. and noon. Those who sign up for the writing sessions, facilitated by experienced writing tutors, will receive raffle tickets for weekly prizes at the library.

Keri DeLalio has resigned from her position as director of human resources and special education in the Springs School District. She was originally appointed in 2014 after several years teaching at the John M. Marshall Elementary School in East Hampton. Her last day in Springs will be Aug. 31. The school board accepted her resignation on July 13 and agreed to pay her for 20 unused vacation days.

"As always, our day will begin with homework assistance, followed by a variety of enrichment activities," such as art, dance, yoga, gardening, cooking, and organized games, as well as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics projects, said Martha Stotzky, the education director.

Hampton Ballet Theatre School's performance of "Peter and the Wolf" will return in full force for its 14th year with four new casts at two locations, including, for the first time, Herrick Park in East Hampton.

The population of students learning English as a second language in American public schools is the fastest-growing student demographic in recent history. It is a trend reflected in the East Hampton School District, where the number of students learning English for the first time has grown dramatically, and is expected to continue growing in the coming years.