The high school committee has approved a plan for a new $3.9 million schools administration building, which will be up for town meeting approval this spring.

The Tisbury selectmen are pursuing an effort to bring the town department of public works under their control, saying they believe it will better streamline management.

Frigid temperatures and snow cover have put Island birds to the test this winter. Many species are getting by with the help of bird feeders. The barn owl population has been especially hard-hit.

Three Vineyard teams qualified for the postseason, which began Wednesday as girls’ basketball and girls’ hockey played their first-round games. The basketball advanced in the tournament after picking up a decisive win, while hockey lost 3-1 to end their season.

A 16-foot sail is last thing you might expect to see on an Island pond in the depths of a frozen February. Across the Vineyard, boats have been hauled, waiting for spring. Ice has taken over. But when the ponds freeze, a different kind of boat comes out of garages and sheds.

The Vineyard Montessori School is expanding its curriculum, with plans in place to add a fifth grade next year. And administrators and teachers say that based on continued parent and student interest, sixth grade is likely to follow.