Hammond’s Head of School Chris Angel is finishing up his last couple of months at the school. Contributed by Cissy Pope
“I want my legacy to be about enhancing the culture of the Hammond experience where we are maximizing the potential for each student.”
For nearly two decades Chris Angel has done exactly that as head of Hammond. Angel’s tenure will end at the conclusion of the 2020-2021 school year as he moves on to be the headmaster at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
“It was a really hard decision to make, to accept the position with Baylor and leave Hammond,” Angel said. “Baylor is where I went to school, and I have a lot of connections there. But it was so hard to leave here where I have lived for 19 years and been a part of this community.”
Angel first became interested in Hammond when he visited the campus in the spring of 2002. Prior to that, his former and future headmaster, Dr. Herb Barks, had been telling him about Hammond. It took Angel some time before he finally visited Hammond, but when he did, the school left an impression on him.
Angel and his wife, Peggy, were honored during Hammond’s football game against Cardinal Newman in October 2020. Photo by Mike Maddock
“I saw so much headmaster student interaction and as a very student centered educator I felt drawn to this place,” Angel said.
Angel first came aboard as the head of Hammond’s upper school in the fall of 2002. At the time, Hammond was a very different campus than what it is today. Since his arrival, the main classroom building, chapel, innovation center, fitness center, theater, art building, second gym at the lower school, and dance studio have been added. The main gym has been renovated, along with its locker rooms and weight room. The biggest addition has been the South Campus, the 76-acre portion of campus that includes tennis courts, lacrosse and soccer fields, a cross-country course, and a wetland area where students study freshwater ecology.
All the construction and enhancement of the student experience was completed with Angel’s goal to help students push their limits.
The efforts have worked in various platforms, whether through the arts with student concerts and plays, or on the athletic fields. Since Angel’s arrival, Hammond has won 68 state championships in 18 different sporting events, including four President’s Cups, SCISA’s annual award for the most outstanding program in the state. Since he became head of school in 2009, the athletic department has won 45 state titles.
“I’m very competitive by nature,” Angel said. “I think if you are going to do something you do it as well as you can. I want to be state champion in every sport, every year. That should be our goal. We should have an expectation of excellence and compete to the best of our ability.”
According to Angel, 93 percent of the student body participates in athletics. However, most students don’t limit their Hammond experience to just one area. The current student body president was the lead in the school’s recent production of Les Miserables. He also pitches for the baseball team and is the No. 1 golfer on the boys’ golf team.
“Balance is very important,” Angel said. “I’ll say in any format that academics at Hammond comes first. All our coaches hear me say that. However, I know the value of arts and athletics and what that does.
“One of the things I’m most proud of at Hammond is it’s cool to be smart. It’s cool to be an athlete. It’s cool to be an artist. It’s cool to give back to your community, and it’s really cool to do all those and at the same time. It is possible.”
It is all part of the culture Angel has worked hard to enhance during his time at Hammond.
One of Angel’s favorite parts of being the head of school is the relationship he has with the students. He is able to sit in classrooms and watch them participate in class or he talks with students outside the classroom.
That interaction extends through their senior years when he participates in the senior trip to the mountains where he mountain bikes or goes rafting with the students. He also speaks about each senior during the senior breakfast.
Angel is also proud of the teachers at Hammond. He has hired most of the 103 teachers that work there. Angel says their dedication to the job was no more apparent than prior to the pandemic.
On Friday, March 13, 2020 Angel spoke at a school assembly in which he told those in attendance he wasn’t sure if they would be back on campus the following week. However, if they weren’t, they were prepared.
Shortly after that assembly, it was announced schools would cease in person learning. The following Monday, all Hammond students were learning virtually. The teachers had been preparing for such a situation, staying late after school each day for two weeks. Angel said the students never missed a day of school.
In May 2020, Angel announced he was taking the Head of School position at Baylor School. His tenure at Baylor doesn’t begin until July 2021, which allowed him an opportunity to groom his successor; Andy North, head of the middle school.
“The beauty of knowing he would take over a year ago has allowed him to sit in and be a part of a lot of decisions and conversations,” Angel said. “He’s been a part of every major thing that has happened. The transition is going to be as smooth as possible for him.”
Angel said knowing North was going to be his successor was a big plus for him moving on. He felt
North would keep moving Hammond in the right direction.
Helping North get acclimated to his new role added to what was already a different school year for Angel. After spending most of the 2020 spring semester learning virtually, Angel knew he wanted the students to be back on campus learning. For him it wasn’t a question if Hammond would be back to in person learning, it was a matter of how they could do it as safe as possible.
Through it all, Angel feels this has been his most rewarding year of his career.
“There have been a lot of challenges,” Angel said. “But I’ve never been prouder of the Hammond community as I have been during the pandemic. Every teacher is on campus, in person. Almost all students are here. Our teachers have been willing to risk being here for the good of each of our students. We haven’t shut down a single day. We have been able to provide an experience for our students that I would put up against any school in the world.”
Angel doesn’t like to focus on his accomplishments. However, over the course of the year he has been in the spotlight many times as students and teachers show their appreciation for the Hammond head of school. The production of Les Miserables was dedicated in his honor. The football team presented him a framed jersey.
“It’s been awesome to feel the love, and while I think everyone is sad to see me go, I think they are excited for my future,” Angel said.
With only a couple of months left in the 2020-2021 school year, the end of Angel’s time at Hammond draws nearer. However, with the time he has left with the Skyhawk community, he is looking forward to spring sports playoffs, and hoping to add to the school’s collection of state championship trophies. He is also looking forward to the ceremonies where fourth graders move to fifth grade; and eighth graders move to the high school. A choral concert is also upcoming and then there’s the senior trip.
The school year will culminate in graduation ceremonies, where Angel has been asked to give the commencement speech.
Angel has had a deep and immense impact on Hammond. His longevity at Hammond has embodied the passion he has for the school.
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