School News for May 20. 2021

Bridgehampton School fourth grader Felipa Garcia.

Bridgehampton School fourth grader Alysson Pichon Photo courtesy of the Bridgehampton School District

With the warmer weather, Hampton Bays Elementary School kindergartners have been busy learning about what plants need to grow by participating in various planting projects. The students in Morgan Tiska’s, Kathleen Palmieri’s and Megan Kappers’ classes, for example, planted flowers, while those in June Eaton’s class sowed grass seeds. Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays Union Free School District

Krista Savino’s fourth grade class at Hampton Bays Elementary School recently explored various types of extreme weather. Following their research, they designed posters showcasing what they had learned and presented them to their peers. Photo courtesy of the Hampton Bays Union Free School District

Kindergarten student, Xavier Viera, joins his friends and classmates as they honor his dad and fellow service members during Raynor Country Day School's Armed Forces Ceremony.

Caption: Southampton Town and the Eastern Suffolk chapter of the wetlands conservation organization Ducks Unlimited teamed up for a beach clean-up at Sebonack Inlet and Cold Spring over the weekend. Photo courtesy of Thea Frey. Caption: Members of the Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, the Bridgehampton Child Care and Recreational Center and Phoenix House in Wainscott in participating in the Great East End Clean Up last Saturday in Bridgehampton. East End The Re-Wilding of Long Island The Peconic Land Trust, 296 Hampton Road in Southampton, will host the virtual lecture, “The Re-Wilding of Long Island,” on Thursday, May 20, from 6 to 7 p.m. An amazing variety of wildlife not seen for years are slowly returning to Long Island. Species like coyote, bald eagle, river otter and river herring are making a comeback and have been spotted by scientists and residents alike. Join the Peconic Land Trust and Seatuck Environmental Association for a fascinating conversation to learn more. Panelists are Wildlife Biologist Mike Bottini, Conservation Policy Advocate Emily Hall of Seatuck, Wildlife Biologist Kelly Hamilton of NYS DEC, and Enrico Nardone, Executive Director of Seatuck. The moderator is Wildlife Conservation Policy Program Coordinator Arielle Santos of Seatuck. To register for this free lecture, or for more information, visit PeconicLandTrust.org. Montauk Friends Celebration Brick Program The Montauk Library has launched a Celebration Brick Program, giving residents the opportunity to set their name or the name of a loved one in a stone that will be displayed at the library and will support its renovation. For more information, visit montauklibrary.org.bricks. Seed Exchange The Montauk Library's new seed exchange program has launched. To participate, visit the library and pick up some free seeds. As you harvest, save some seeds to donate back to the library for others to cultivate. See donations should be made in well-marked envelopes. For more information, call 631-668-3377 or visit montauklibrary.org. Amagansett Volunteers Wanted The Morgan Duke Conservation Society is looking for volunteers who would like to sign up to help pick up litter at Amagansett National Wildlife Refuge. Volunteers can sign up at morganduke.ngo/volunteer. East Hampton Public Safety Signs Installed By i-tri CAPTION: (Left to right) East Hampton Town Councilwoman Kathee Burke-Gonzalez and i-tri founder Theresa Roden with one of the newly installed safety signs in East Hampton. Just in time for Road Safety Week, i-tri girls, an empowerment program for middle-school girls based on Eastern Long Island, has partnered with both East Hampton Village and East Hampton Town to install public safety signs. The signs, which remind bikers to ride with traffic, and walkers/runners to walk/run against traffic, will be placed throughout the Town and Village beginning this week. Last week, i-tri’s Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, Theresa Roden, met with Kathee Burke-Gonzalez, East Hampton Town’s Assistant Supervisor to install the first sign in East Hampton Town. On Monday, East Hampton Village Superintendent of Public Works David Collins, along with Village worker Jeff Miller, installed the first sign in East Hampton Village. This is the second season that the signs will be installed. In 2020, during the COVID-19 quarantine, Ms. Roden noticed the surge in bikers, runners, and walkers in the area. She came up with the idea of placing signs out to remind those using the roads to exercise caution and stay safe. “With so many people out here using the roads,” Ms. Roden said, “i-tri wanted to make sure everyone understands the rules and makes safety a priority.” Ladles of Love The nonprofit Ladles of Love will host a telethon on Thursday, May 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at LTV Studios on Industrial Road in Wainscott, to support local food pantries. The telethon will showcase interviews with musicians, sponsors, radio and surprise guests. Interested viewers can tune into LTV Southampton cable or stream the telethon online. Show segments will include a recording from The Stephen Talkhouse, featuring Nancy Atlas, Johnny Blood, Bret King, Rich Rosch, PJ Delia, Inda Eaton, Gene Casey, Joe Delia, Arno Hect and Mamma Lee and Rose; an LTV Studio Recording with Taylor Barton, G.E. Smith and Simon Kirke; a Bay Street Theater recording with Joe Lauro and the Hoodoo Loungers; and an LTV Studio recording of “The One Special Song” session, with the Lynn Blue Band, Jake Lear, Julia King, Sarah Greene and Cynthia Daniels, Klyph Black and Joe Delia, Luismi and Mamma Lee Rose and Friends. Donations can also be made at easthamptonfoodpantry.org. “Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution” The East Hampton Library’s Long Island Collection will present a live Zoom discussion with author Claire Bellerjeau about her book “Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: The True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth,” on Thursday, May 20, at 7 p.m. The book tells the story of Robert Townsend, a key member of the Culper Spy Ring, and his extraordinary efforts to rescue Elizabeth, an enslaved woman who had run away from his family and was re-enslaved. Documents from the Long Island Collection played a key role in telling this story. Ms. Bellerjeau currently serves as historian and director of education at Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, and has been researching the Townsend family and their slaves for over 16 years, including curating a yearlong exhibit on the Townsend "Slave Bible" in 2005. She has spoken internationally and published several articles in scholarly journals about life and artifacts of colonial New York. For more information, or to register, call 631-324-0222 or visit easthamptonlibrary.org. Organic Plant Sale An organic plant sale, to support the Project MOST Community Learning Center, will be held on Saturday, May 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Neighborhood House, 92 Three Mile Harbor Road in East Hampton. The sale will include organic vegetables, herbs and flowers. For more information, visit projectmost.org. Sagaponack CTREE Spring Turn Out The Center for Therapeutic Riding on the East End, 93 Merchants Path in Sagaponack, will host a Spring Open House, on Friday, May 21, from 5 to 6:45 p.m. Guests can watch therapeutic riding lessons, meet CTREE horses and instructors and ask questions about the programming. The day will also offer opportunities to learn about CTREE’s scholarship and volunteer programs. The event will be outside, socially distanced and face masks will be required. For more information, call 631-375-3941 or visit ctreeny.org. Sag Harbor Tomatomania! The John Jermain Memorial Library, 201 Main Street in Sag Harbor, will host the virtual lecture, Tomatomania! on Thursday, May 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Garden writer Jessica Damiano, creator and 13-year host of The Great Long Island Tomato Challenge, will give participants a primer on growing great tomatoes. Advanced registration is requested. To register please visit our calendar of events or email programs@johnjermain.org. The Church Officially Opens The Church, a new creativity center, artist residency and exhibition space on Madison Street, will host its official ribbon-cutting on Saturday, May 22, at 3 p.m. The event marks the inauguration of The Church. Housed in a deconsecrated 19th century Methodist church, The Church's aspiration is to be a place where local and national artists and creatives can work, meet and inspire each other. Artists Eric Fischl and April Gornik bought the building as a shell three years ago and have led its redesign with Skolnick Architecture + Design Partnership. The modern interior complements its historic frame and is emblematic of the contemporary program of events that will animate the structure. The Church will increase access to the arts for our diverse audiences, foster creativity on the East End, and honor Sag Harbor's long tradition as a maker's village, according to a press release issued in advance of Saturday’s opening. "Opening The Church is a dream come true for us,and we have been thrilled at the public response to The Church since we opened our tours, the ‘In Dialogue’ show and opened the ‘Sag Harbor in Focus’ — the Pierson High School photography exhibition,” said Ms. Gornik and Mr. Fischl in a joint statement. “We look forward to expanding events and programs as Covid restrictions hopefully ease. We are also excited about an exciting upcoming show for the summer, “Road Rage,” involving cars and contemporary art." For more information, visit sagharborchurch.org. Boaters Against Cancer Launch Fundraiser on May 22 On May 22, at 5 p.m., 12 luxury motor yachts will launch from Sag Harbor, assembly as a fleet and cruise to Shelter Island and back as a part of a charity fundraiser, “Boaters Against Cancer.” A $ 250 donation will reserve a space on one of the yachts, and proceeds will benefit Fighting Chance, a nonprofit that provides resources and support for those fighting cancer, as well as their families. For 19 years, Fighting Chance has had an office in Sag Harbor, providing free emotional support counseling to East End cancer patients. In 2019, the charity opened up a second office, provided rent-free, at the Phillips Family Cancer Center in Southampton. Most of the yachts in the fleet will take on four guests and some will accommodate six — plenty of room for social distancing. All the yachts have spacious cockpits and foredecks so that “Boaters Against Cancer “will be an outdoor event. Guests will enjoy a steady, gentle breeze, as yachts cruise along at six knots or more. Refreshments will be served. Event leadership include Jim Larocca, Joe Ialacci, Bruce Tait, Tim Davis, Stu Schoener, Charlie Canavan, Brian Brady, Roman Roth and Ray Smith. For more information, visit fightingchance.org. Water Mill Community Day @ Watermill Center On Saturday, May 22, from noon to 2 p.m., the Watermill Center, 39 Water Mill Towd Road, will host its annual Community Day. Community Day at The Watermill Center invites the public to experience its 10-acre property as a space to explore, relax, and get inspired. Community Day features a theatre workshop with Rachel Dickstein, live music by Molly Joyce, an interactive installation by Laurie Lambrecht, and Art Quest: a self-guided tour and scavenger hunt of The Center's outdoor art collection. Masks are mandatory, and all guests are required to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines. Space is limited, so it is requested that guests spend no more than 45 minutes on-site after check-in. Advanced registration is required. Please note that the workshop with Rachel Dickstein takes place on Community Day at 10:30 a.m. The workshop requires separate reservations as space is limited. For tickets, reservations and more information, visit watermillcenter.org. Southampton “The Story of Plastic” The Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton, will host a screening of “The Story of Plastic,” including a panel discussion, on Friday, May 21, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Depicting a world rapidly becoming overrun with toxic material, “The Story of Plastic” brings into focus this alarming, man-made crisis with striking footage, original animations, and archival material. The evening’s panel will feature Erica Cirino, Cindy Pease-Roe, Kara Hahn, Beth Fiteni, and George Povall. For more information, visit southamptonartscenter.org. Environmental Policy Forum The Southampton Arts Center, 25 Jobs Lane in Southampton, will host an Environmental Policy Forum on Saturday, May 22, at 2 p.m. The discussion, “Issues Facing the East End and How You Can Help,” will feature Dr. Christopher Gobler, Dieter Von Lehsten, Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren and Ann Welker. It will be moderated by Joseph Shaw, the Executive Editor of The Express News Group. For more information, visit southamptonartscenter.org. 18th Battle of the Bands Band applications are now available for the Southampton Youth Bureau’s 18th Battle of the Bands. This year’s competition will be held on Friday, June 11, from 8 to 11 p.m., with a rain date of Friday, June 18 at Ponquogue Beach in Hampton Bays. All applications and demo music must be received by 4 p.m. on Friday, May 14 and can be sent or dropped off at the Southampton Youth Bureau, 655 Flanders Road in Flanders. Please label submissions: “Battle of the Bands — Youth Bureau” Band applications and demo music may also be emailed to Peter Strecker at pstrecker@southamptontownny.gov. Qualifying bands must have at least one high school student who resides in the Town of Southampton, and a band must consist of a minimum of three performing musicians. To download an application, visit southamptontownny.gov/youthbureau and click on the Southampton Youth Bureau’s online calendar. For more information, call 631-702-2425. Hampton Bays “Turning 65” The Hampton Bays Public Library, 52 Ponquogue Avenue, will host “Turning 65,” a Zoom seminar, on Thursday, May 20, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. In this seminar, guests will be able to speak with a trained Senior Health Insurance Coordinator, who represents all of the major carriers. She will simplify this complex process all at no cost. For more information, call 631-728-6241 or visit hamptonbayslibrary.org. State of the Bays 2021 The Hampton Bays Civic Association will host its monthly meeting on Tuesday, May 25, at 7 p.m. The virtual meeting is open to the public and will feature Dr. Christopher Gobler discussing, “State of the Bays 2021.” To register or for more information, visit hbcivic.org. Manorville Sixth Annual Golf Outing Manorville Troop 221 will host its 6th Annual Golf Outing on May 24 at The Woods at Cherry Creek in Riverhead. The proceeds will support a group of Scouts who will be attending Northern Tier High Adventure Scout Camp in northern Minnesota. For more information, email event organizers Donna Robano and Kathy Wehrs at photonnut246@msn.com and kwehrs@optonline.net. Southampton Intermediate School students recently participated in a bike safety discussion during their physical education classes. The sessions were held in partnership with the Southampton Village Police Department, and safety and rules of the road were reviewed. Photo courtesy of the Southampton Union Free School District

Southampton High School shop students will get hands-on experience by shadowing construction workers at their school this fall. Photo courtesy of the Southampton Union Free School District

As part of a science unit on erosion, Westhampton Beach Elementary School second graders created their own “beach” to simulate the erosion process. For the experiment, the students placed sand and small rocks in a plastic container and then slowly poured water over them to see what happens to the sand. Photo courtesy of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District

Westhampton Beach Elementary School students participated in a number of STEM challenges during the month of May. Photos courtesy of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District

In celebration of National Poetry Month, Westhampton Beach Middle School students participated in a blackout poetry contest, spearheaded by librarian Yvonne Perez. Entrants created poems by circling specific words and redacting others from pages taken out of torn or damaged library books. The middle school congratulates all six of the winners. From left are Lilah Caputo, Michelle Castro, Isabelle Schneider and Leyla Preito. Not pictured are Nimah Keating and Tessa Mongulluzzo. Photo courtesy of the Westhampton Beach Union Free School District