Welcome from Our Principal

Dear St. Mary’s Families,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year! I’m honored to introduce myself as the new Principal of St. Mary of the Angels Catholic School. I stepped into this role on July 1st and have spent the past few weeks getting to know the incredible faculty and staff who make this school so special. I’m truly excited to meet each of you and begin what promises to be a wonderful year ahead.

A little about me — I was raised in a military family and grew up across multiple states.  My father retired as a full-bird Colonel in the Marine Corps and was the last Commanding Officer of the Tustin Marine Base in Orange County. A product of Catholic education myself, I attended St. Cecilia’s K–8 and later Servite High School in Anaheim. I continued my education and collegiate athletics at Sonoma State University and hold a Master’s in Education from the University of San Francisco. My career has taken me through classrooms, athletic fields, and administrative offices, and I’ve always felt that working with students is where God calls me to be.

What to expect from me as the Principal of St. Mary’s —

My philosophy is pretty simple. I believe that children of all ages learn best through osmosis in a fun, engaging, and supportive environment. Our job as educators is to help our students build a solid academic, emotional, faithful and social foundation that leaves them walking away from St. Mary’s confident, well-rounded, happy young men and women. My demeanor is laid back and calm, but my standards are high.  Sending your children to St. Mary’s means that they will be held to a fair but high standard of behavior, effort and appearance. Note that I said effort. Academic excellence looks different from student to student. I believe in developing a love of learning and embracing the challenges as opportunities to develop grit and scar tissue to build resilience in each child.  As I am sure most of you would agree, consistency is one of the most important keys to being successful in life.  I strive to model consistency in all my interactions, decisions, and work ethic to be a positive role model for your children.  

As we begin this new chapter, I’m developing both short and long term goals to support progressive and meaningful growth for our students, our staff and our greater community. My family and I are proud to be joining the St. Mary’s community, and I look forward to all we will accomplish together.

Best, 

Stephen Hammerle
Principal, St. Mary of the Angels Catholic School

Link to Ukiah Daily Journal Hiring Press Release: St. Mary’s Catholic School Welcomes New Principal