Weeping Water's Kim Hammer is Battey Distinguished Educator

Kim Hammer, music teacher for Weeping Water Public Schools, is the 2006 winner of the Freda Drath Battey Distinguished Educator Award, presented by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Education and Human Sciences.

Hammer received the award at a luncheon on the UNL campus April 13. The award included an engraved school bell, a stipend of $6,000 for Hammer and an award of $3,000 for her school.

Hammer has taught the last eight years at Weeping Water, where she handles all vocal and instrumental music programs from kindergarten through 12th grade. Her skill as a music teacher is reflected in the fact that the school's band has earned the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association's Excellence in Academic Achievement award three out of the four years that the award has been granted. But colleagues say the excellence of her teaching carries beyond the walls of the music room.

"With her encouragement, students that are reluctant to take risks actually present vocal and instrumental solos at contest and play parts the musicals (some of which have been lead roles)," one wrote in support of Hammer's nomination. "It is amazing to see some of these students come out of their shells and blossom in other areas because they successfully participated in some of these events."

A native of Coleridge, Hammer earned a bachelor's degree in sacred music from North Central University in Minneapolis (1982) and a bachelor of music education degree from Evangel College in Springfield, Mo. (1984).

The Battey Distinguished Educator Award is presented each year to an exemplary Nebraska secondary school teacher and only students in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences may make nominations. Criteria for selection are excellence in teaching and excellence in support of students in extracurricular activities such as advising of students or initiation of student oriented programs.

The award was established in 1986 by Joan and Charles W. Battey of Shawnee Mission, Kan., and Marian (Battey) and Harold W. Andersen of Omaha to commemorate the life and career of their mother and mother-in-law, Freda Drath Battey, a 1923 graduate of the former University of Nebraska Teachers College who was a public school teacher in Ashland.

CONTACTS: Jenny Patrick, Event Coordinator, Education & Human Sciences, (402) 472-5400; and
Kim Hammer, Weeping Water High School, (402) 267-4265