{"id":1655,"date":"2021-06-11T08:03:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-11T15:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/?p=1655"},"modified":"2022-10-27T13:52:54","modified_gmt":"2022-10-27T20:52:54","slug":"the-many-magical-roles-of-mary-babbitt-hammers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/2021\/06\/the-many-magical-roles-of-mary-babbitt-hammers\/","title":{"rendered":"The Many Magical Roles of Mary Babbitt Hammers"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>If changing times are marked by turns of phrase, there\u2019s one in particular we\u2019re well-acquainted with by now: <em>the challenges of the year<\/em>. For our staff, faculty, and students, showing up in the classroom each and every day with uncertainty and fear perched on our shoulders drew on reserves of bravery and grit most of us didn\u2019t even know we had. At the best of times (and the hardest times, too), teaching and learning are made possible with help, support, warmth, and humor, and a helping hand when needed. And when it comes to helping hands, a line from a song by The Association comes to mind:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>And then along comes Mary.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><\/em>Mary<em> <\/em>Babbitt<em> <\/em>Hammers, that is\u2014Ms. Mary to our students\u2014held so many roles during this past year many of our staff began calling her <em>Magical Mary.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Need a substitute for Junior Kindergarten? Check the mud kitchen\u2014Ms. Mary is already there.<\/li><li>Need someone to get a Hillbrook PE class on its feet? Ms. Mary will lace up her sneakers.<\/li><li>Need an engaging article for Hillbrook Voices or the website? You can probably guess the <em>nom de plume.<\/em><\/li><li>Need someone with years of TV hosting experience to emcee an entire virtual fundraiser? Just turn on the microphone\u2014Emcee Hammers, like she has been for more than a decade, is always camera-ready.<\/li><li><em>\u00bfNecesitas una profesora sustituta para la clase de espa\u00f1ol? Ms. Mary est\u00e1 ah\u00ed.<\/em><\/li><li>Need a presentation coach to guide eighth-graders through their virtual keynotes at the first-ever Impact Summit? There\u2019s way more to it than PowerPoint &#8211; just ask Ms. Mary.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>It sounds like a lot\u2014and that only covers a few of the Many Magical Roles that Mary Hammers has had at Hillbrook, spanning nearly two decades\u2014so many, in fact, that even Mary can\u2019t count them all. \u201cI\u2019m not exactly sure!\u201d she said. \u201cDirector of Communications, Hillbrook Quarterly writer, community outreach assistant, cross-country coach, Benefit emcee, Hillbrook documentary narrator, plus various parent volunteer roles from parent tour guide, 8th grade play volunteer coordinator, room mom, various HSPC stuff.\u201d And the list is <em>still<\/em> growing: this past year, she also stepped in as a teacher\u2019s aide and substitute teacher. When she\u2019s not on campus, Mary hosts a wine podcast called Sip, Sip Hooray, with freelance voiceover work for NBC Bay Area and beyond.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A California native, Mary grew up in Torrance as the second-youngest of five. \u201cBeing part of a big family was formative for me,\u201d Mary said. \u201cIt was never just about me, which made me more self-sufficient and resilient. I remember when we were little and fell or got hurt my mom (who is incredibly kind and loving) would greet our tears with a breezy <em>go sit on the wall <\/em>[a small backyard planter] <em>and I\u2019ll check on you in a minute<\/em>. More often than not, after just a few minutes of sitting on that wall we\u2019d get tired or bored and go back to playing. It taught us to get up and keep going instead of fussing over every little thing.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to news anchor, longtime Bay Area residents might remember Mary as the host of Emmy-award winning \u201cIn Wine Country\u201d on NBC Bay Area. As production came to a close, she sought out a role that would allow her to spend more time with her four children\u2014the Director of Communications position at Hillbrook was a natural transition, especially given her singular talent for words. \u201cBefore the wine show, I\u2019d been a news anchor and had always done a lot of writing in my work, so writing for Hillbrook seemed like the perfect fit.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mary has been a warm, steady presence on the Hillbrook campus since 2004, when her oldest son, Cole, enrolled in junior kindergarten. Cole was the first of four Hammers graduates, including Luke \u201915, Gracie \u201917, and Jude \u201920. Like many parents, Mary found the campus somewhat serendipitously: \u201cI was touring the school with my friend Sally, who was considering it for kindergarten for her daughter\u2026I wasn\u2019t necessarily looking for a school, but when I stepped on the Hillbrook campus, I changed my mind. I saw all these happy faces and beautiful green spaces, and I loved it immediately.\u201d Hillbrook seemed like a perfect fit for the Hammers children, filled with outdoor spaces \u201cwhere students can play, explore, dream, and relax. The campus is full of magical spaces where students create their own fun, and I love that.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Though the last of the Hammers clan graduated in 2020, Mary has remained an integral part of Hillbrook life as her roles have continued to evolve. When the campus reopened in-person in the fall of 2020, she stepped in as a substitute teacher, taking on every grade and subject imaginable: kindergarten, Spanish, PE, and more. \u201cBecause of COVID restrictions, Hillbrook needed to create cohorts for students [to keep] kids safely separated,\u201d Mary said. \u201cI believed in the goal of getting the school open for in-person learning, and I felt that I could be a helper. I also knew that I would enjoy being around the kids, even with Covid-19.\u201d As many found last year, constant mask-wearing took some getting used to, but, \u201cthe fun of being with students and the incredible teachers more than made up for it. No matter what, I can find a million reasons to smile at Hillbrook. I adore the children and get such joy from watching them, working with them and sharing a small part of their journey with them. The teachers and staff are also a joy to work with, and everyone is always ready to lend a hand, share a good story or collaborate on a project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While her roles took her all over campus, Mary was most often found in the junior kindergarten classroom, leading the students in a few rounds of \u201cMiss Mary Mac.\u201d \u201cThe connection she has with that group is magical,\u201d said JK teacher Dorian Okano. \u201cWhenever we saw her on campus the kids would yell out <em>Misssss Maaaaary! <\/em>and she would jump up and down and send us air kisses and hugs. We love her so much!\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/Ky4GxiFPYwxSjKHjPVJ2TsCGEH2srORzE8YQdBcJx8VVGBiL38WyxukOQOM-ZIgCfysC2zdgpKWA4kiwRp4_hWbWC8thwcM-83bCE9QpCfe1UcafnrCZmtqAp4t4E2NAUoJ7IK_q\" alt=\"\" width=\"861\" height=\"382\"\/><figcaption><em>(Left to right: a drawing by JK student Hadley about her favorite song she learned from Ms. Mary; a quote by JK student Nahla)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt seems, at Hillbrook, that when you have a Hammers, everything looks like a nail,\u201d joked Amy Hand, Hillbrook\u2019s Head of Middle School. \u201cWhile Mary lived primarily in our Lower School this year, she was also a key support with our 5th through 8th graders. Whether she was teaching PE for a week, supporting recess supervision, or serving as a middle school sub for just a day, Mary showed up with a smile on her face and with abundant care for our students. She\u2019s a jack of all trades, <em>and<\/em> a master of them all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As an independent school, Hillbrook\u2019s work doesn\u2019t end with the school day; the annual Benefit fundraiser draws on community donations to build out key programs. For over a decade, Mary has played a vital role in making that happen as our Benefit emcee, keeping the event fun, flowing, and warm, as the contributions roll in throughout the evening. Hosting is a tough gig for many, but the secret (if there is one) is in the approach: \u201cI try to make it about the cause, not me,\u201d Mary said. \u201cTry to relax and have fun\u2014generally speaking, the audience is there to have a good time. It helps emceeing for Hillbrook, because I care deeply about the school and its community.\u201d Mary also lent her presentation expertise to several eighth-graders this past spring, as they prepared to present their Impact Projects to a virtual audience of over one hundred community and family members\u2014a yearlong exercise in bringing a passion project to life in tangible form.&nbsp;&#8220;I met Mary Hammers many times at Hillbrook, but the first time I really got to know her was when she helped me with my Social Impact and Leadership keynote speech,&#8221; said Kelsey, a graduating Hillbrook eighth-grader. &#8220;I had so much fun talking with her and editing my presentation. In that short meeting, I learned of her love for writing, speaking and how kind and curious she is when it comes to helping people. Not only did she make me more excited to give my speech, but she also gave me confidence to present it.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As those same eighth-graders leave our campus to head to high school, Mary has this wonderful advice to share: \u201cBe yourself and believe in yourself\u2014you are enough and you can do hard things if you only try! Enjoy the space you are in instead of always worrying about getting to the next thing. Find friends who lift you up and make you laugh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To say that Mary Hammers has meant a lot to Hillbrook campus and community really only describes the first five minutes of her day. In happy times and challenging ones, just knowing someone is willing to help can make all the difference. When it comes to Magical Mary, she\u2019s not only willing\u2014she\u2019s already there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If changing times are marked by turns of phrase, there\u2019s one in particular we\u2019re well-acquainted with by now: the challenges of the year. For our &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1656,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","content-type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[197,76,22,203],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1655","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-faculty-and-staff","category-inspiring-education","category-joyful-community","category-our-teachers"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/mary-babbitt-hammers-banner.png?fit=1712%2C1058","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1655"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1655\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1996,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1655\/revisions\/1996"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1656"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.hillbrook.us\/voices\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}