Challenging the Mind and Body in Bridgehampton’s Summer Programs

By Kathryn G. Menu

This summer, students in the Bridgehampton School District will be invited to flex their creative, physical and intellectual muscles in the district’s summer school, which will feature creative writing, tennis, a focus on critical thinking and academic skills and, of course, music.

During a Bridgehampton School Board work session on Wednesday, May 26 Principal Jack Pryor and Dr. Lois Favre, who will take over superintendent duties in the district this August, presented the board with their proposal for the summer school program at the Bridgehampton School.

The summer school program has five components, explained Dr. Favre – a writing program through Stony Brook Southampton, the school’s popular summer music program, a centers based summer school that would focus on both academics and physical education, a jump start program for those interested in getting ahead prior to the start of the school year and a tennis program.

“We talked about a recreation program but there were some concerns by board members about the importance to put some academics in there,” said Favre, noting the centers-based program will offer recreation, but not at the cost of academics.

The Young American Writers Project (YAWP), created by Stony Brook Southampton’s MFA in Writing and Literature program will be offered to students in grades eight through 12. It aims to mentor youth in the development of creative expression and critical thinking by pairing high school students with professional writers for four day retreats in playwriting and creative writing July 13 through 16, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The offspring of the Southampton Writers Conference, YAWP brings students into the world of professional writers, and at the end of the week students will not only have a body of work to submit or publish, but also will participate in a public reading of their writing.

According to Pryor, through scholarships and funding, the district has the ability to send eight students to YAWP.

Bridgehampton will also host Summer Centers – Challenging Mind and Body, an eight-day program held August 2 through August 5 and August 9 through August 12, for kindergarten through 12^th grade students. 

According to Dr. Favre, Summer Centers will see students move through four, 45-minute classes focused on enhancing the body/mind connection through physical education skills, engage the students social, encourage reading and writing for pleasure and build numeracy skills.

August 9 through 12, and August 16 through 19, the district also will host a Jump Start program, for all grade levels, for students who want to get organized for the coming school year and get a jump start on their reading, writing and mathematic skills.

A tennis clinic, designed for all grade levels, will also be taught, with the help of school board member Doug DeGroot, who owns Buckskill Tennis Club in East Hampton. The clinic will be held August 16 through 19, for three-hour sessions.

Lastly, the district’s most popular summer program – the summer music program led by music teacher Dave Elliott – will begin its second summer session, July 13 and 14, July 20 and 21 and August 10 for students in grades four through 12.

Dr. Favre said transportation remained the one cost not accounted for, and suggested the board establish a fee for out of district students who wish to participate in any of the programs, including families hosting summer guests and children from neighboring school districts.

Outside of YAWP, Pryor said it is the school’s goal to have a 15-to-1 teacher-student ratio, which he doubted would be a problem particularly for the summer music program. 

Board president Elizabeth Kotz noted the program has been so well received in the community that the Hayground School has approached Elliott about training their staff in order to bring his music class, which has resulted in the celebrated Marimba Band of the Bridgehampton School, to their school.

 “We are not in a position to do that,” said Pryor, adding students from the Hayground School will be invited to attend the program at The Bridgehampton School, perhaps in a second session.

“We have some pretty advanced marimba players,” said board member Nicki Hemby.

Kotz said while all district residents, even those in private school, are invited to participate in summer programs at Bridgehampton, she agreed with Dr. Favre that a non-resident tuition rate should be established.