💙 HMF Thursday Update | Hammer Strong & Building Our Community!
Hello Hammer Families!
We officially have our first full week at our new campus almost in the books! 🎉 As everyone continues settling into new routines, learning the campus, and getting to know new faces, we are so excited about the energy we're already seeing throughout Hammer.
This week's update is all about Hammer spirit, getting involved, and building the kind of school community we want for our kids. There are lots of opportunities below, so please take a few minutes to read through!
👕 TOMORROW IS HAMMER STRONG T-SHIRT DAY! 💙
Tomorrow, Friday, August 14, is Hammer Strong T-Shirt Day! If your student already has their Hammer Strong shirt, please make sure they WEAR IT TO SCHOOL TOMORROW!
We do have one little T-shirt hiccup to sort out. 😊
Our wonderful teachers were apparently just a little too enthusiastic about getting Hammer Strong shirts into the hands of students and distributed some of the extras after school today rather than holding onto them until tomorrow morning.
We started with 365 shirts for approximately 320 students, so there should be enough for every Hammer student to receive one, with some extras available for size exchanges.
If your child came home with a SECOND Hammer Strong T-shirt today, please send the extra shirt back to school tomorrow. 💙
We want to make absolutely certain that every Hammer student receives their free shirt before extras are distributed.
Once every student has a shirt and we know what sizes remain, HMF will place another order and make Hammer Strong shirts available for families to purchase.
Thank you for helping us make sure every Hammer kid gets to be HAMMER STRONG! 💪💙
🙋♀️ VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES!
One of our biggest goals for HMF this year is to continue investing in community.
We have a beautiful new campus and an exciting year ahead of us—but the events, enrichment, celebrations, and little moments that make school memorable don't happen by themselves.
They happen because Hammer families show up.
We have several new opportunities to get involved this year, including two that we're especially excited about:
🎉 FUN FRIDAYS!
New this year, HMF will be hosting Fun Fridays in conjunction with our monthly Spirit Days!
Fun Fridays will be a monthly dose of extra Hammer spirit held during second recess. Students will participate in a fun themed activity designed to build community, encourage school spirit, and make an ordinary school day just a little more memorable.
And we need parents to help us make them FUN!
We are looking for approved volunteers who would like to help plan and host these activities throughout the year. You don't have to take on every Friday—come lend your creativity, ideas, and time when you can!
👉 Learn more and sign up HERE
📚🔬➗🌎 EDUCATIONAL FAMILY NIGHTS
We're also excited to bring Hammer families together for four Educational Family Nights throughout the school year!
Each evening will focus on a different area:
📚 Literacy
🔬 Science
➗ Math
🌎 Multicultural Learning
These nights are about much more than academics. They're an opportunity for our students to learn alongside their families, for parents to meet one another, and for us to continue creating connections across our entire Hammer community.
We are looking for two approved parent volunteers who are willing to really wrap their arms around these events and help bring them to life.
You won't be doing it alone! HMF will be there to support you, but we need enthusiastic parents willing to help organize, coordinate, and make these evenings something our kids will remember.
👉 Interested? Learn more HERE
❤️ YOUR INVOLVEMENT MATTERS
If you've been thinking about becoming a school volunteer, this is your sign to do it!
Parent involvement isn't just about filling volunteer slots. When families are present and engaged at school, our children see that their education matters to us. We get to know their teachers, their friends, other parents, and the community surrounding them.
There are so many different ways to contribute.
Maybe you have an hour to help at recess. Maybe you're fantastic at organizing events. Maybe science is your thing. Maybe you can chaperone a field trip, help at a family night, stuff envelopes, set up tables, or simply show up when an extra pair of hands is needed.
You don't have to do everything. We just need lots of people willing to do something.
SJUSD volunteer approval does take a little time to process, so don't wait until an event comes along that you want to attend! Get your application started now so you're ready when opportunities arise throughout the year.
👉 Become an SJUSD Approved Volunteer HERE
Our families are what make this community extraordinary. We would LOVE to have you involved! 💙
📝 OUR FIRST HMF MEETING IS IN THE BOOKS!
We also held our first official HMF meeting of the 2026–2027 school year this week! 🎉
It was exciting to sit down together and start talking about the year ahead, especially as we begin our first full year on our new campus.
HMF meetings are open to all Hammer parents and guardians, and we would love to see more families join us throughout the year. You don't need to hold a board position or make a major commitment—come listen, share ideas, ask questions, and learn more about what we're working on for our students.
📋 Missed the meeting? Read the meeting minutes HERE
💰 Where Does HMF's Money Go?
Our 2026–2027 Approved HMF Budget is also available for every Hammer family to review:
We believe strongly in keeping our Hammer families informed about what HMF is doing and how the money our community raises is being invested back into our school and students.
HMF belongs to our Hammer community—and we'd love for you to be part of it! 💙💛
👕 SHOP HAMMER SPIRIT WEAR!
Show your Hammer pride every day! 💙💛
The Hammer Montessori Foundation is proud to offer official Hammer Montessori School short-sleeve and long-sleeve spirit shirts in both youth and adult sizes.
And even better—these shirts are approved school uniforms! 🎉
📦 Ordering & Delivery
• Orders are processed weekly.
• Orders placed Monday through Friday will be delivered directly to your student's classroom the following week.
Whether you're stocking up on school uniforms, buying for siblings or parents, or simply want to show your Hammer pride around town, we've got you covered!
Every purchase also supports the Hammer Montessori Foundation and helps us continue investing in our students and school community.
👉 Purchase Hammer Spirit Wear HERE
📅 IMPORTANT DATES
🎒 Kinder Early Release – August 6–14
Kindergarten students released at 1:01 PM
💙 Hammer Strong T-Shirt Day – Friday, August 14
Wear those Hammer Strong shirts!
🎒 Spirit Day: Anything But a Backpack – August 21
📚 Scholastic Book Fair – August 31–September 4
🏫 Back to School Night – September 1, 5:00–6:00 PM
We're only one week into the school year, and already there is so much happening! Thank you to everyone who has shown patience, offered help, introduced themselves to another family, volunteered, or simply brought positive energy into our new home.
This campus is new, but the thing that makes Hammer special came with us:
Our people. Our families. Our community. 💙
Let's make this an incredible year together!
With gratitude,
Hammer Montessori Foundation