💙💛 HMF THURSDAY UPDATE: ONE WEEK UNTIL FALL FESTIVAL! 🎃🍂
Happy Thursday, Hammer families!
We are heading into one of the busiest and most exciting stretches of the school year! Fall Festival is just around the corner, our Read-a-Thon is almost at its final goal, and we have some wonderful school traditions coming up.
This week, we have a particularly important request: WE NEED YOUR HELP WITH FALL FESTIVAL!
If you've been looking for a way to get more involved at Hammer, this is a fantastic opportunity — especially for families who haven't completed the district volunteer approval process.
Let's make the next few weeks something special for our kids! 💙💛
————————————————————
🎃🍂 FALL FESTIVAL IS ALMOST HERE — AND WE NEED YOU!
Saturday, October 24 | 1:00–3:00 PM
Our Hammer Fall Festival is just over a week away, and we're getting ready for an afternoon filled with:
🎪 Carnival Games
🍬 Trunk-or-Treat
🎃 Pumpkin Patch
🏆 Prizes and Contests
📸 Photo Booth
🎨 Crafts and Fall Fun!
But here's the thing: Events like this don't happen without our parent community stepping up to help.
We still have volunteer spots to fill, activities to organize, and equipment to gather. We would LOVE to see more families get involved!
🙌 NO SJUSD VOLUNTEER APPROVAL REQUIRED FOR THIS EVENT!
This is a particularly exciting opportunity because Fall Festival takes place outside of regular school hours, so volunteers do not need to be SJUSD-approved to help with this event!
If you've wanted to volunteer at your child's school but haven't had a chance to complete the district approval process, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE!
You can be part of creating a wonderful school experience for your child without needing to complete the usual on-campus volunteer approval process.
Whether you have 30 minutes, an hour, or the whole afternoon, there is something you can do to help.
🎃 HERE'S WHERE WE NEED HELP:
Pumpkin Patch: Help us secure pumpkin donations from local businesses. Do you have a connection to a grocery store, garden center, or other business that might be willing to contribute?
Photo Booth: We need someone willing to take the lead on creating a fun fall-themed photo spot for our families!
Carnival Games: Sign up for a shift to help run games, hand out prize tickets, and keep the fun going!
Trunk-or-Treat: Decorate your trunk and help make this one of the highlights of the afternoon!
🛠️ WE ALSO NEED TO BORROW SOME EQUIPMENT:
• 10 six-foot folding tables
• 5 portable pop-up tents/canopies (soccer-style tents are perfect!)
If you have equipment we can borrow, that is just as valuable as volunteering your time!
👉 SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER OR HELP WITH EQUIPMENT HERE:
https://www.konstella.com/app/school/5b1dbd84e4b05d0edb704d6d/signups/6ac553c0321a35eecace5df5
We don't need a handful of parents doing everything. We need lots of families doing a little something!
Even one short volunteer shift makes a difference. Please take a moment to look at the sign-up and see where you can help.
Let's make this Fall Festival an unforgettable afternoon for our kids! 🎃💙💛
————————————————————
📚🚀 READ-A-THON: FINAL 24 HOURS — JUST $1,200 FROM AN ORANGE BEARD!
Hammer families, you have been AMAZING!
We have officially entered the FINAL 24 HOURS of our Read-a-Thon, and our students have accomplished so much!
🎉 Every student has unlocked their Hammer sticker, bookmark, and dog tag!
🍦 We crossed the $25,000 milestone, which means the ENTIRE SCHOOL has earned an ICE CREAM PARTY!
And now we're within reach of our ultimate goal:
🧡 JUST $1,200 MORE TO REACH $30,000 AND TURN MR. BINGHAM'S BEARD BRIGHT ORANGE! 🧡
We have until Friday, October 16, to make it happen!
This is our final push, and every family can help us get there.
Remember, funds raised through the Read-a-Thon accumulate toward your child's 5th-grade Camp Campbell Science Camp experience. Every contribution helps make that experience more accessible for our students.
Here's what you can do TODAY:
💙 Make one final donation — $5, $10, $20, or whatever works for your family.
📱 Share your reader's fundraising page with grandparents, relatives, friends, and neighbors.
📚 Make sure your student's reading minutes are logged!
👉 DONATE NOW — LET'S GET THAT ORANGE BEARD!
https://app.99pledges.com/fund/launchinto26
We are SO close. Imagine the excitement of our students seeing Mr. Bingham walk onto campus with a bright orange beard!
Let's finish strong, Hammer! 🧡🚀
————————————————————
🎤✨ HAMMER'S GOT TALENT — CALLING ALL PERFORMERS!
Does your child have a special talent they'd love to share with the Hammer community?
Hammer's Got Talent is coming Friday, November 13, from 6:00–8:00 PM in the Hammer Cafeteria!
Whether your student loves singing, dancing, playing an instrument, comedy, magic, or has another talent to showcase, we'd love to see them participate!
🎤 All acts are welcome
⏰ Each performance has a 2-minute limit
📅 Sign-up deadline: Monday, October 26
👉 SIGN UP FOR HAMMER'S GOT TALENT:
https://forms.gle/PYQCDTUUFKCpDzgy5
👉 MORE INFORMATION:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1XsOoU8kc25mIda6ZkCPApJ1OpGw6CNEFLJeARVVc-eo/edit?usp=sharing
Let's celebrate the creativity, courage, and incredible talents of our Hammer students! 🌟
————————————————————
📚🎃 BOOK-O-WEEN & COSTUME PARADE — OCTOBER 30!
One of our favorite Hammer traditions is coming up!
On Friday, October 30, students are invited to dress up as their favorite BOOK CHARACTER for our annual Book-O-Ween celebration and parade!
📅 Friday, October 30
⏰ Parade begins at 9:05 AM
COSTUME REMINDERS:
Please keep costumes school-appropriate.
• No masks
• No blood
• No weapons
• No violent themes
👨👩👧 FAMILIES ARE INVITED TO WATCH!
Parents and family members are welcome to enjoy the parade from designated spectator areas on the blacktop and along the dirt path surrounding the field.
Students will sit with their classes on the field, and the parade route will run between the student seating and spectator areas.
Please review the parade map ahead of time so you know where to go!
👉 BOOK-O-WEEN DETAILS & PARADE MAP:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1E71WCpR_QMa61b8jLTNyXo57ZfTr19kY/edit?usp=sharing
We can't wait to see all the wonderful literary characters our students bring to life! 📖✨
————————————————————
📅 IMPORTANT DATES
👉 SAVE THE DATE FLYER:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m9HbNQYz-nKDRUEHtsydQVM_4_mlz8u7/view?usp=sharing
• October 16 — Read-a-Thon Final Day!
• October 22 — Picture Day (UNIFORM REQUIRED)
• October 24 — Fall Festival, 1:00–3:00 PM
• October 26–30 — Conference Week (School dismissed at 1:00 PM)
• October 26 — Hammer's Got Talent Sign-Up Deadline
• October 30 — Book-O-Ween & Costume Parade, 9:05 AM
• November 6 — School Site Council Meeting, 8:00 AM (All are invited!)
• November 13 — Hammer's Got Talent, 6:00–8:00 PM
• November 18 — Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day
• November 24 — Spirit Day: Silly Hair Day
————————————————————
💙💛 IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO MAKE HAMMER SPECIAL!
As we prepare for Fall Festival, I want to remind everyone that the events and experiences we create for our students are made possible by families who are willing to give a little of their time, energy, and creativity.
You don't have to serve on a committee, attend every meeting, or commit hours every week to make a difference.
Sometimes it's running a carnival game for 30 minutes. Sometimes it's lending a folding table. Sometimes it's making a phone call to ask a business for a donation.
Every contribution matters, and every family has something to offer.
Thank you for helping us build the kind of school community our children will remember long after they leave Hammer.
HAMMER STRONG — WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER! 💙💛