Dear Friends,

I hope you're enjoying a great start to the summer. CMEE kicked off the season with our "Welcome Summer Day" last month featuring a cultural fair presented by Au Pair in America. We also completed our spring clean up in May and I hope you'll have the chance to visit CMEE soon and see the updates to the exhibits in the Museum. The most popular change has been the addition of a 1935 John Deere tractor on loan from Dean Foster. According to Dean, the tractor doesn't currently have a name so we are interested in hearing your suggestions for what to call her or him. You can post a name on CMEE's Facebook page or submit your suggestion in person when you visit CMEE. We'll announce the tractor's new name later this summer.

We're very excited to be partnering on our classes this summer with so many great children's programmers such as dribbl, Gymboree, Kids in Sports, Moon Soup, Sandpiper Music Together, Socialsklz, and Tumblebus. And for the first time, participants in CMEE's "Roots and Shoots" class will visit the Madoo Conservancy in Sagaponack as part of their gardening program. We're also thrilled to have Cara Conklin-Wingate from the Parrish Art Museum introduce portraiture at one of our "My Buddy and Me" art classes in July. The Parrish will be presenting an exhibit of American Portraits this fall. 

CMEE is also collaborating with Big Apple Circus on our summer fundraiser, the CMEE Family Fair on July 23. Like CMEE, Big Apple Circus is a non-profit organization so we're delighted to feature two of their performance troupes along with face painters, bounce houses, arts & crafts, carnival games, and great food at the Fair. See below for information on signing up for tickets and sponsorships.

Speaking of fairs, CMEE will be at the Hampton Kids Family Fair this Saturday. Come out and see us at 175 Daniel's Hole Road in East Hampton between 9:30 am and 2 pm.

Because of your interest and support, CMEE can enrich the lives of families and serve as a resource for the community. Thank you!

Sincerely,

Stephen Long

Executive Director

Starting on June 28, CMEE will be open on Tuesdays and every day through Labor Day.

We hope to see you here! Visit www.cmee.org for a calendar of everything that's happening at CMEE this summer!

To bridge the gap right after school closes and before summer camp begins, CMEE is hosting "Kids in Sports," a week-long sports camp designed to  'kick off' (literally) summer vacation!

Heaven for little athletes ages 3-5, this popular drop-off sports program will run from 9 am-12 noon and offer everything from baseball, football, and soccer to capture the flag, relay races and obstacle courses. 

Come see why this program and coaches are so widely respected by parents and loved by kids!

For fee information or to register, visit www.kisnyc.com or call 212-744-4900.

CMEE is very grateful to Dana Golding, Colette Lettieri, and Candice Postel for hosting a Ladies Night to benefit CMEE on June 28 from 7-9pm at the Beachhouse in East Hampton.  

Please come out and join us!   

103 Montauk Highway in East Hampton

Includes Cocktails and Hors d'oeuvres

$50 Supporting Star/$100 Shooting Star

$250 Rock Star/$500 Super Star 

To reserve your ticket, For ticket information, visit www.cmee.org or call (631) 537-8250. 

The roads are bumper-to-bumper, the stores and restaurants are jammed, you don't want to bowl on a sunny day, the beach is, well...'too big'!  Let CMEE travel off-site to help you customize a fantastic, unique birthday party, special event/play date, or ongoing classes at your home! 

In partnership with the Hamptons Tumblebus, "CMEE-To-You" can deliver classes, parties, and fun straight to your driveway, complete with instructors, and all of the ingredients to make a memorable event. Imagine: bouncy castles, tumbling, art projects, gymnastics, face painting, bubbles, and cooking classes! We can provide pizza and a customized birthday cake, and bring along Henry the Rabbit, CMEE's mascot as a special guest.

Call Amy Slack, CMEE Program Manager at (631) 537-8250 for help designing a play group or weekly class at your home!

Our Amphitheater stage is set once again this summer for performances by some of the top names in children's entertainment. It's a great weekly night out for families and friends to enjoy together!

Bring your own picnic or keep it simple (and delicious!) and buy a slice of fresh, hot pizza at the Museum from Vincenzo's Pizza just before performance time.

Community Calendar 

CMEE's annual Summer Family Fair is 'going to the circus' this year! In fact, the circus is coming to CMEE.

On July, 23, you can step right up to CMEE's Family Fair, the Greatest Show on the East End this summer! Featuring performers from the famed Big Apple Circus, this day of family fun is CMEE's annual summer fundraiser!

Juggling, bounce houses, slapstick, face painters, pony rides, magic, music, games, arts & crafts, great food, and more. It will be big-time big-top fun!

For ticket information, visit CMEE's website or call (631) 537-8250.

It's not everyday that you see 300 kites mingling (and some tangling) in the skies above Sag Harbor. 

This past week, 3rd Grade students and their teachers from a dozen local classrooms from Southampton to Montauk met at Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor for a 'Kite Fly", the culminating event of the Classroom Connection Program. This community building program, now in its 6th year, was conceived and coordinated by Eva Petersen, and was sponsored by CMEE with Paul Brennan of Prudential Douglas Elliman. Designed to foster friendships, tolerance and understanding between children of different communities and backgrounds, the program brings students together by enabling them to exchange written personal profiles, as well as kites they have illustrated. Earlier this week, almost 300 children met and flew their kites together.

Schools participating this year included Springs, Montauk, Amagansett, CDCH, Ross School, Stella Maris, Sag Harbor, Our Lady of the Hamptons and Bridgehampton.

Reflecting on the program, Eva Petersen said "it's wonderful to witness the coming together of new friendships that straddle community boundaries and backgrounds." 

(Above): Head Start at CMEE Preschool students explored "Henry's Garden" last week. They marveled at everything that the students in the "Roots & Shoots" Class have grown. Henry, hiding among flowers, received a lot of attention...and a carrot!

(Below): Children enjoying the festivities at Peconic Family Fun Day at CMEE last month!