Education

After Sunday's ceremony for the 2021 Teeny Awards, given by East End Arts to artistically talented high schoolers, two South Fork students walked out of the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center with awards for dramatic performances of note. 

Adam Fine, the East Hampton School District superintendent, announced that the district plans to return to pre-Covid norms when school reopens in September. Though New York State has not released new guidance, Mr. Fine said the Plexiglas barriers have been placed into storage at all three school buildings.

Amber Waves Farm and the Amagansett Library are joining up for story time at the farm on Saturdays at 10 a.m. this month.

James Crenshaw, who spent one school year as principal of East Hampton High School, resigned from his post Tuesday to take an assistant superintendent's position in another district.

During a June 23 meeting of the Bridgehampton School Board, Lawrence Street, president of the N.A.A.C.P.'s Eastern Long Island branch, and Denise Merchant, who is the chapter's third vice president and education committee chairwoman, demanded that the school board reverse its decision to hire Dr. Kelly, who was to officially start in the new job today.

For many of East Hampton High School's 231 graduates, one obstacle that defined the last two years of school was merely a postscript to the graduation festivities. Instead of the masks, social distancing, and other limitations that were for many months necessary because of Covid-19, there were high-fives, hugs, and smiles in abundance.

Pierson High School's senior class graduated on Saturday in a ceremony that recognized their intellect, accomplishments, and resilience in the face of adversity over the past year-plus, and that celebrated Sag Harbor's history and place in their lives.

The Long Island Community Foundation's Long Island Racial Equity Donor Collaborative has awarded a $100,000 grant to the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center. The center plans to use the grant to support the Teach Me How to Fish program, an initiative that aims to tackle the wealth equity gap by supporting Black communities on the East End.

East Hampton, Bridgehampton, and Pierson High School were all well represented among the nominees for 2021's Teeny Awards, given by East End Arts to high schoolers who have distinguished themselves in the performing arts. The awards ceremony, on July 11, will be held at the Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center and streamed on Facebook. Nominees will be there in person, not only for the celebrations, but also for live performances.

Jester Jim will return to Guild Hall on Wednesday afternoon to kick off KidFest with juggling, comedy, and music. Two shows, one at 3 and one at 5, will be preceded by fun workshops for kids. Tickets are $15 for children, $30 for adults; masks are mandatory for all attendees over the age of 2. Guild Hall has suggested taking beach chairs or blankets to the outdoor performance.

In a year where nothing was for sure, Bridgehampton High School's 110th graduation on Saturday celebrated the big and small, from the class of 2021's achievements to the very fact that the graduates and their families could gather together under the same tent.

Activities at SoFo 

The Friends of the Long Pond Greenbelt and the South Fork Natural History Museum and Nature Center will lead a full-moon hike tonight at 8:30 p.m. to observe the Strawberry Moon, the nickname given to the full lunar phase in June. Free and open to all ages, but registration is required at [email protected].

Following a robust discussion during a June 15 meeting of the East Hampton School Board, the decision was made not to change a policy barring seventh-grade athletes from moving up to varsity-level teams in most sports.

Not long after receiving favorable construction proposals for a new playground for children in prekindergarten through the second grade, the Springs School District has found itself unable to complete the project in time for the start of school in the fall.

John J. Finello has been hired as superintendent and principal of the Sagaponack School, and Christine Schnell has been named its district treasurer. The school board unanimously voted on Tuesday to appoint them.

The Bridgehampton School's Future Farmers of America Club and its adviser, Judiann Carmack-Fayyaz, have designed a memorial dedicated to transportation workers who died during the pandemic.

"Please help save our beautiful Mashashimuet Park!" said Diane Schiavoni, who is leading a fund-raiser to restore the park's grandstand. She announced on Facebook that she will kick off the initiative by offering a donation for a bundle of shingles worth $150; she hopes community members will do the same. Any amount is appreciated, she wrote, with hope for "many more years of watching our great school teams compete at our local park!"

Open Mike and More

Burn the Stage is a monthly open mike night at Guild Hall for kids ages 13 and up in which they can perform music, comedy, dance, poetry, and other forms of live art. The in-person event, to be held tomorrow at 8 p.m., will be hosted by Naomi, a drag queen whose nickname is "Crown Jewel of the Hamptons."

After falling just two votes shy of passing its over-the-tax-cap $20.66 million budget plan in May, the Bridgehampton School District found itself with a margin of just one vote that tipped the scale in its favor on Tuesday.

After writing earlier this year to President Joseph R. Biden expressing their concerns and hopes for the future of the country, David Cataletto and his sixth-grade students at the East Hampton Middle School were pleasantly surprised when the children got a letter back from the president on June 9.

The Bridgehampton School District’s 2021-2022 budget goes to a revote Tuesday, June 15, after its original 8.93-percent tax-levy increase was knocked down to 6.49 percent — still piercing the tax cap — when $400,000 of unanticipated income was discovered during a re-examination of the original spending plan.

Collages, Crafts, and Music

In sync with Guild Hall's newest exhibit, "Shipwrecks" by Alexis Rockman, there will be a family art workshop on Saturday from noon to 1:30 p.m. The theme is micro-plastic collages and the workshop is appropriate for children ages 4 and up. There will be similar events each Saturday through July 10. The registration fee is $50 for a family of four; $35 for families who are members of Guild Hall.

Despite criticism from several teachers last month, Springs School administrators are moving ahead with a plan to move from eight to nine class periods per day, starting in September.

Registration for summer academics in the East Hampton School District is coming up for high school students seeking to improve their grades and complete graduation requirements and for elementary and middle school students who need extra help in reading, math, or writing. All classes are held at the high school, running from July 5 through Aug. 5.

Bridgehampton School's fifth-grade book club battled a dragon over the past year and three months, though this particular creature wasn't the scaly, fire-breathing type from fantasy lore. It was worse. Their dragon went by the name Covid-19, and the battles played out in letters the students wrote that are on display at the Hampton Library.

Graduation season is upon us, which means not only lots of pomp and circumstance but also a chance to formally congratulate high school seniors on their accomplishments in a special issue of The Star on June 17.

Following new recommendations and a clarification from the Centers for Disease Control, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that New York would modify its mask guidance to allow schools to opt out of requiring masks outside. And in general, virtually all Covid-19 restrictions can be lifted once 70 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the vaccine

"In true Covid fashion," reported Adam Fine, the East Hampton School District assistant superintendent, there was a Dumpster fire adjacent to the middle school at about 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, "which kind of puts in perspective the entire year."

LTV has announced a new annual program to celebrate young people's creative and capable use of smartphones. From now through Nov. 1, for its "Fone Film Festival," LTV will accept submissions of short movies created via smartphone by those 18 years or younger.

In December, a film festival marathon on LTV's channel 20 will feature the films, which will continue to be broadcast throughout 2022.

Fabulous Tapping

"Tap: The Rhythm Awakens" on Friday, June 11, and June 12 is the latest production from Our Fabulous Variety Show, its first stage show since December of 2019. To be held at the Children's Museum of the East End in Bridgehampton at 6:30 p.m. both days, student and adult dancers will pay tribute to the art and history of tap dance while celebrating each performer's own dance journey. 

Tickets are $15 and can be bought at the door, in advance by phone at 631-507-4603, or online at ourfabulousvarietyshow.org.