Hello Hammer Families,

We have lots of exciting updates this week, but first — mark your calendars and get those storybook costumes ready!

📚 Book-O-Ween Parade – Friday, October 31 @ 9:05am

Join us tomorrow morning on the blacktop for our annual Book-O-Ween Parade! Students from both Hammer and Galarza will show off their creative, literary-inspired costumes as they parade in front of friends, family, and classmates. The event kicks off promptly at 9:05am, and you can find the full parade map on ParentSquare. Come early to grab a good spot and cheer on our little book characters!

🎃 Thank You for an Incredible Trunk or Treat!

We want to give a huge thank you to all the families, teachers, and staff who made our Fall Festival & Trunk or Treatsuch a smashing success. From spooky science to creative crafts and over-the-top trunk decorations, the event was filled with joy, laughter, and community spirit. We are so grateful to our incredible volunteers who brought this event to life.

Special shoutout to all of you who participated — it was one of our biggest community events yet!

👉 If you’d like to help with our next event, the Winter Bazaar, please email events@hammerfoundation.org and let Tatyana know you’re interested.

🎁 Trunk or Treat contest winners will be receiving their prize sweatshirts next week — congrats!

💛 Annual Appeal – Help Us Reach Our Goal

We are making steady progress toward our Annual Appeal goal, but we still need your help! This is our largest fundraiser of the year, and your donations directly support:

• Classroom supplies & Montessori materials

• Starting Arts music, drama, and dance

• School-wide assemblies & field trips

• Teacher development

• School celebrations like Trunk or Treat, Walkathon, and more

We're currently approaching 10% of our fundraising goal, and we’re so thankful to every family who has already contributed.

💡 Don’t forget — many companies offer donation matching! Ask your employer about corporate match opportunities and double your impact.

📸 And don’t miss the beautiful new mural in the hallway — a recent HMF-funded project that celebrates the creativity of our students and community!

🔗 Donate here: https://www.konstella.com/donations/68e323c3f6baafc92cef9d72

👋 A Note for Alumni & Promoted Families

We recently had a graduated family reach out requesting to be removed from Konstella. As a reminder, HMF does not remove users unless there is cause (e.g., platform abuse). If you are no longer a Hammer family and would like to delete your own Konstella account or update notifications, we’ve attached a helpful PDF guide showing how to manage or delete your profile.

🧡 To all our Hammer graduates — we wish you the best and hope you stay connected to this amazing community!

📋 Climate Survey – We Want Your Voice!

The annual SJUSD Climate Survey has been sent out this week via ParentSquare. This is your opportunity to share feedback about your family’s experience at Hammer Montessori. Only one survey is sent per household, and it will be tied to your youngest child’s school. Thank you for making your voice heard — your input shapes our school!

📅 Upcoming HMF Meeting – November 4 @ 6:30pm

Curious about how the Hammer Montessori Foundation supports our school? Come to our next meeting Tuesday, November 4 at 6:30pm in Room 120 or join us virtually.

Zoom link: http://tinyurl.com/hmf-meeting

📅 Important Dates

• Book-o-Ween Parade – October 31 @ 9:05am

• End of Daylight Savings – November 2 (Set clocks back one hour!)

• HMF Meeting – November 4 @ 6:30pm

• SSC Meeting – November 7 @ 8:00am

• Happy Birds Assembly – November 10

• Veteran’s Day – November 11 (No School)

• Ruby Bridges Walk to School – November 14 @ 8:40am

As always, if you have any questions, ideas, or want to get involved, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at contact@hammerfoundation.org. You can also visit www.hammerfoundation.org to learn more.

With gratitude,
Hammer Montessori Foundation