💙💛 HMF Thursday Update: Meet the People Behind the HMF!
As we settle into our new campus and the school year gets into full swing, we thought this was the perfect time to introduce you to the 2026–2027 Hammer Montessori Foundation Board!
You’ll see a few familiar faces and some new ones as well. Every person on this board is a volunteer Hammer parent giving their time, energy, and individual talents to help make our students’ experience at Hammer the best it can be.
This year, we are especially excited to welcome two people into new HMF leadership roles!
🎉 Meet Kay Gonzalez — Events
Kay Gonzalez is back and already going full steam ahead! Kay stepped up last year to take over for Tatyana Mogannam on Events, and if the first few weeks of school are any indication, we are in for a FUN year.
Kay was behind our incredible Family Festival before school started, helped bring all of those welcoming Back-to-School decorations to our new campus, and has spearheaded the revival of Fun Fridays.
She has jumped into this year with so much enthusiasm and has already helped make our brand-new campus feel more like our Hammer home.
If you see Kay around campus, please take a minute to thank her! She is a huge asset to HMF and to our entire Hammer community. 💙
🚌🎭 Welcome Diana Valencia — Field Trips & Assemblies
We are also thrilled to welcome Diana Valencia to the HMF Board as our new Field Trips & Assemblies Coordinator!
Diana is certainly no stranger to Hammer. She has served on our School Site Council and has been an active and involved HMS volunteer.
This is such an important HMF role. Field trips and assemblies are some of the experiences our kids remember long after the school year ends, and we are so fortunate to have Diana stepping in with the enthusiasm to help make those experiences happen.
We can't wait to see what she helps bring to our students this year. Welcome, Diana!
❤️ YOUR Involvement Matters
Our board may help organize the work, but HMF is all of us.
Our school is made better by every parent and guardian who chooses to get involved. Parent involvement isn't just about filling volunteer slots. When our children see their families present and engaged at school, they see that their education and their community matter to us.
There are so many 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, 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 takes a little time to process, so don't wait until an opportunity comes along that you want to participate in. Get approved now and you'll be ready all year long!
👉 Become an SJUSD Approved Volunteer HERE
We would LOVE to have you involved! 💙💛
🍎 Back to School Night — Tuesday, September 1
We are excited to welcome our Hammer families back to campus for our first Back to School Night in our new home!
This is your opportunity to spend time in your child's classroom, connect with their teacher, learn about the year ahead, and find out how you can support your student at home.
This event is intended for parents and guardians, so we encourage you to leave children at home if possible.
Session One
- 5:00–5:10 PM: Parent presentation in the cafeteria
- 5:10–5:40 PM: Classroom presentations
Session Two
- 5:30–5:40 PM: Parent presentation in the cafeteria
- 5:40–6:10 PM: Classroom presentations
You only need to attend one session.
📚 BONUS: The Scholastic Book Fair will be open from 3:30–7:00 PM, so make sure to stop by while you're on campus!
⚽♟️🛹 Explore Hammer's After-School Enrichment
Looking for something fun for your student after school? Hammer has a great lineup of enrichment opportunities available this year, including soccer, chess, science, skateboarding and more.
👉 Explore Hammer Enrichment Programs
These programs are a great way for students to try something new, build skills, and connect with other Hammer kids outside the classroom.
👕 Hammer Spirit Wear Is Available!
Want a little more Hammer in your wardrobe?
A limited supply of Hammer Strong shirts is now available in children's and adult sizes — so grab yours while we have them!
HMF also offers official Hammer Montessori short- and long-sleeve shirts in youth and adult sizes. Even better, these shirts are approved as part of the school uniform.
Orders are processed weekly and delivered directly to your student's classroom.
Show your Hammer pride and support HMF at the same time! 💙💛
📅 Important Dates
- 📚 Scholastic Book Fair — August 31–September 4
- 🍎 Back to School Night — September 1, 5:00–6:10 PM
- 🇺🇸 Labor Day — September 7 — NO SCHOOL
- 🎭 Mark Griffiths Assembly — September 18
- 🎉 Spirit Day: Dress Like a Staff Member — September 18
- 🍂 Fall Recess — September 28–October 2 — NO SCHOOL
There are countless ways to make a difference at Hammer, and our HMF Board is just one small piece of a much bigger community. Every family brings something valuable to our school.
Whether you lead an event, chaperone one field trip, help at recess, attend a meeting, or volunteer an hour when you can — it all matters.
Thank you to our returning HMF leaders, welcome to our new ones, and thank you to all of the Hammer families who continue to show up for our kids.
Here's to another great week at Hammer! 💙💛