Suffolk: Opera ready in East Hampton

East Hampton fourth-graders aren't just performing an original opera this week, they're handling everything from makeup to marketing.

It's all part of a unique program launched 15 years ago by Springs Public School that gives children the opportunity to write, prepare and perform their own original opera piece and take on the dozens of other tasks that come with it.

This year, 61 students collaborated on "The Tale of Sea Womp," a 50-minute opera that tells the story of a sea creature blown into nearby Accabonac Creek by a hurricane and how its arrival affects the lives of surrounding sea life. The concept was inspired by Tropical Storm Irene, which struck just before the pupils' writing sessions began in September.

"It generally has some local setting or twist to it," Springs' opera program coordinator Sue Ellen O'Connor said of the annual opera. "The students love it. They are committed to it. They work like dogs and take a huge amount of pride in this."

The idea for the program stemmed from an opera writing class at the Metropolitan Opera Guild in Manhattan that inspired O'Connor as a good way to spark creativity among her students.

To participate, students are invited to submit applications that then are reviewed by teachers to determine the appropriate roles for each person. The children then collectively brainstorm ideas for the opera's plot based on what is happening in their local community. This year's script was revised a dozen times.

"Every year I'm more and more amazed," said principal Eric Casale, who called the opera a "cornerstone production" of the school. "It involves kids in an activity they need to be successful in the 21st century. They truly learn all aspects of putting this thing together."

Performances are slated for Wednesday through Friday at Guild Hall in East Hampton.

OAKDALE

Jumping for heart funds

Idle Hour Elementary School in Oakdale raised more than $11,500 this fall for the American Heart Association through a Jump Rope for Heart fundraiser in which 150 students solicited sponsorships from family and friends that were based on their participation in a jump rope party. The amount surpassed the school's 2010 total by $4,000.

All children who raised $50 or more have the opportunity to wrap physical education teachers Cheryl Lowery and Paul Rondinella in toilet paper at the school's next assembly.

ST. JAMES

New headmaster due

The Knox School, a co-ed boarding and day school for students in grades 6-12, reports Thad Andrew Gaebelein will take over as headmaster on July 1, replacing George K. Allison, who has held the post since 2008 and is retiring.

Gaebelein currently teaches history at Elmira College. He also has taught history at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. He previously served as headmaster at the Stony Brook School, director of ethics and character development at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, and was an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army for 14 years.

COUNTYWIDE

Good hair day

Eastern Suffolk BOCES' Edward J. Milliken Technical Center in Oakdale recently hosted a Barber Expo that included master classes with professional barbers, exhibits and a student hair-cutting contest. Representatives from Major League Barbers in Bay Shore put on a demonstration, titled "The Greatest Show on Earth," that featured freestyle sculpting and artistry design.

Marino Curra of Connetquot High School in Bohemia won the student contest, and Kevin Silanowski and Kurtis Seaton of Patchogue-Medford High School were second and third, respectively. They will appear this spring at the International Beauty Show in Manhattan.

"This competition was a life-changing event," Curra said.

ISLANDWIDE

Green nominations

New York is among 33 states planning to nominate schools for participation in the U.S. Department of Education's new Green Ribbon Schools Program, the state Education Department said recently.

Under the program, which was launched in September, states nominate schools in their jurisdiction that save energy, reduce costs and feature environmentally sustainable learning spaces, among other things. The state is accepting nominations through Feb. 24. It will review the applications and submit up to four state nominees to the U.S. Department of Education in March.

Submission details will be available on the state Education Department website at www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/ GreenRibbonSchools.html. National winners are scheduled to be announced April 22.