We are delighted to invite you to a special community evening on Thursday, November 20, featuring our Open House, Holiday Gift Fair, and Book Fair. This event is a wonderful opportunity to connect with your child’s teacher, explore the beautiful work happening across our campus, and enjoy an early start to your holiday shopping with thoughtful gifts and great books.
To make your visit as smooth as possible, please take advantage of the free parking in Lot 1 at the Escondido Center of Palomar College. Our campus is just a short and easy walk from the designated lot.
After a later than usual night on campus, students and staff will enjoy a Pajama Spirit Day on Friday, November 21.
Gratitude and Intentness
As Thanksgiving approaches, we find ourselves reflecting on the virtue of gratitude. This season provides opportunities for students to recognize the good, delight in it, and respond with thankful hearts. We are deeply grateful for our Heritage families and your steadfast partnership. Your support, encouragement, and trust allow us to cultivate an environment where students grow not only academically but also in character and wisdom. We are equally thankful for our dedicated teachers, instructional aides, and support staff, who pour so much into forming students with care, patience, and purpose.
This month, we will continue to highlight the Pyramid of Success trait of Intentness, Coach John Wooden’s reminder to be “thorough in all things.” Intentness captures the classical idea of perseverance: holding fast to what is good and pursuing excellence with steady determination. As we move through the final stretch of the semester, may this virtue guide our efforts both in the classroom and at home.
Finishing Strong
We have just completed the Third Grading Period and encourage parents of students in grades 4–6 to monitor their student’s grades. With just under four weeks left in the fall semester, we want to see all students finish strong, stay attentive, put forth consistent effort, and approach each task with purpose. When students commit to doing their best, they not only strengthen their academic habits but also cultivate the virtues that shape lifelong learners.
Thank you for partnering with us in this important work. Together, we are helping our students grow in knowledge, character, and joy.
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
Breakfast and Lunch Update: Parents, please remember that students still need to bring a healthy snack for recess and water-bottle to school each day. Breakfast is served only between 7:35-7:50 a.m. and snacks will not be provided by the school during recess. The weekly menu will always be available in the links above. Bon appetite!
Minimum Day this Thursday: Please be reminded all students will be dismissed at 12:00 noon this Thursday, November 20, as we prepare for the Open House and Holiday Gift Fair. There will be no after ELO-P or tutorials on Thursday to allow our team to prepare for the big event.
Heritage Elementary Open House and Holiday Gift Fair: We are looking forward to our upcoming fall event–the annual Holiday Gift Fair, Open House, and Book Fair this Thursday. We hope each family will join us for a night that is sure to be a memorable one. There will be opportunities to visit classrooms, purchase gifts from vendors, listen to our student Chime Choir, explore our book fair, bid on silent auction baskets, enjoy food from a variety of vendors, and participate in fun activities. Looking ahead, students in grades K-3 will perform in two separate Christmas Holiday Concerts scheduled for the mornings of December 16 and 17. Stay tuned for more information!
Fall Book Fair Presented by Literati: The in-person book fair is now open in the library! Use this link
to get a head start on finding new favorite books, games, and more. Don't forget to check out your teacher's wishlist while you're there! Remember that the book fair is cashless, but parents are invited to purchase book fair credit for their children using this link. Students and families may visit the book fair at the following times:
Monday: 7:35-7:50 a.m. and 2:00-4:00 p.m.
Tuesday: 7:35-7:50 a.m. and 2:45-4:30 p.m.
Wednesday: 7:35-7:50 a.m. and 2:45-4:30 p.m.
Thursday (Final Day!): 7:35-7:50 a.m. and 5:00-7:30 p.m.
Turkey Trot Tickets!:We will have the popular Turkey Trot on Thursday for the Open House on Thursday! Similar to musical chairs or a cakewalk, this game is a fun way for students to win a small prize, sweet treat, or a turkey! Tickets are $1 or four for $5. Parents can purchase tickets from the main office or through this link.
End of the Grading Period: Last Friday, November 14 marked the end of the third grading period. For 4-6 grade students, we encourage you to check the Grades Portal
regularly to view your child’s current progress in each subject area. With less than four school weeks left in the semester, it’s important for students to finish strong.
Pajama Spirit Day: We will be having a pajama spirit day this Friday, November 21 (please note the date correction!) to make rolling out bed and coming to school a little easier after all the excitement from the Open House, Holiday Gift Fair, and Book Fair the night before. Please keep in mind the importance of sturdy footwear for recess and outdoor activities (no slippers, please!), and we ask that parents help students in choosing pajamas that are modest and appropriate for school.
Dancing with the Teachers: Please join us for an unforgettable night of dancing, on Tuesday, November 18, at 7:00 p.m. in the theater! Some of the very best of ECHS will be performing with the White Tiger Cheer leaders in “Dancing with the Teachers.” You will not want to miss this super fun evening. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students. You can purchase your tickets here. Watch the ECHS Cheer Instagram in the coming weeks for teacher reveals. Here is a flyer with additional information.
ECHS Program Information Night: On Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the American Spirit Theater, ECHS Administration and Student Services will be hosting an informational meeting to share the programs and pathways at Escondido Charter High School. If you are interested in learning more about TCP, CLP, PLP, or what those initials even mean, please join us. This evening is open to currently enrolled families, families in the community, and at Heritage Junior High and Heritage Flex Academy, who may want to learn more about Escondido Charter High School.
Walk-off Authorization Forms: If your child will be walking home after school, a Walk-off Authorization Form will need to be completed and kept on file in the front office. All authorization forms must be approved by the Principal before students will be permitted to walk off campus, so please submit this form to the front office as soon as possible.
AMERICAN HERITAGE CHARTER SCHOOLS 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR LOTTERY INFORMATION: Lotteries for the 2026-2027 school year are NOW OPEN for all programs. Applications are not required for currently enrolled students, but new siblings must submit a lottery application.
Escondido Charter High School: Lottery applications for enrollment in the high school programs are available online athttps://amhcs.org/echs/echs-admissions/. The Escondido Charter High school lottery closes on January 9, 2026. Please contact the main office at 760-737-3154 if you have any questions.
Heritage Elementary School: Lottery applications are available online athttps://amhcs.org/heritage-elementary-school/hes-admissions/. The lottery closes on February 6, 2026. Please contact the Heritage Elementary office at 760-737-3111 if you have any questions.
Heritage Junior High: Lottery applications are available online at https://amhcs.org/heritage-junior-high-school/hjhs-admissions/. The lottery closes on February 6, 2026. Please contact the Heritage Junior High office at 760-294-5599 if you have any questions.
Heritage Flex Academy: Lottery applications are available online athttps://amhcs.org/hfa/hfa-admissions/. The lottery closes on February 6, 2026. Please contact the Heritage Flex Academy office at 760-466-1166 if you have any questions.
Wooden Wins! Pyramid of Success
Virtue of the Month: Intentness
Throughout November, our school will focus on INTENTNESS, a vital building block in Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success. Intentness is the ability to stay the course, to concentrate on a realistic objective with determination and persistence, resisting distractions and temptations that try to pull us away. It is the unwavering focus that turns long-term goals into real achievement.
Intentness is more than just trying hard; it’s about patient action and a refusal to quit when the path gets difficult. It helps students develop self-discipline, improve their concentration, and experience the deep satisfaction of follow-through.
In the classroom, intentness looks like:
Focusing on a single task until it is completed, even if it's challenging.
Resisting the temptation to check an electronic device, talk to a neighbor, or daydream during a lesson or study time.
Sticking with a difficult math problem or a complex reading assignment until understanding is achieved.
For our classical education approach, intentness ties into the idea of cultivating a disciplined mind. The ability to attend fully to the truth, goodness, and beauty being presented is the foundation of deep learning and wisdom.
Ways Our Students Are Practicing Intentness
This month, students are reinforcing the power of focus and persistence through specific daily habits:
Students in all grades are practicing "deep work" sessions, dedicating a set amount of time to a single task without interruption, to train their focus.
Students in all grades have been enjoying a variety of picture studies in which they gaze with intentness on a piece of art to identify things they notice, things they wonder about the picture, and to make connections.
Students in grades 1-6 have demonstrated intentness in their pursuit of reading rich texts and taking AR tests. The point totals to-date far exceed last year's point totals at this same point in the school year. Great work, White Tigers!
In Miss Hoffman's class, students are engaging in a personal challenge this month in which they attempt to participate in conversations without using words such as, "um," "like," etc. They have been timing themselves and tracking their progress, and many have already passed their 1-minute goal!
Sixth graders have demonstrated intentness by preparing for and participating in their Great Books seminars. This includes concentrating on the assigned reading, resisting the distraction of simply skimming for plot points, and persisting in the task of formulating a well-supported, original seminar question.
Practicing Intentness at School and Home
We encourage families and students to strengthen their focus and determination through these small, meaningful actions:
Stay the Course: Commit to finishing a task, like a household chore or a reading chapter, before moving on to another activity.
Resist Temptation: Identify one distraction (e.g., a screen, a favorite toy) and intentionally keep it out of sight during focused work or study time.
Concentrate: Before starting a project, state your specific goal for that work session (e.g., "I will finish writing my conclusion.") and concentrate fully until it is met.
Family Activities to Build Intentness
The Persistence Puzzle: Work on a challenging family puzzle or game over a few days, modeling for your child the determination required to complete a complex task.
Skill Mastery: Encourage your child to practice a musical instrument, a sport skill, or a drawing technique for a short, dedicated time each day, emphasizing intent (focused effort) over just "putting in time."
Role Models of Intentness: Read about figures in history or literature who overcame great setbacks through sheer determination, such as Thomas Edison, Marie Curie, or Odysseus, and discuss what kept them going.
"The road to real achievement takes time, a long time, but you do not give up. You may have setbacks. You may have to start over. You may have to change your method... But you do not quit. You stay the course."
—Coach John Wooden
Here are some affirmations for INTENTNESS and memory work for November:
I am intent.
I resist temptation, stay the course, and am determined to reach my goals.
I focus my attention on the task at hand.
Campus Culture:
Homework Stars: Congratulations to this week's Homework Stars: Yaretzi in Ms. Singleterry's class, Isaac in Mrs. Trecha's class, Aaliyah in Miss Ybarra's class, Adele in Mrs. Velasco's class, Maddie in Mrs. Miller's class, Eden in Ms. Neptune's class, Mia in Mrs. Lau's class, and Devin in Mr. Reinking's class. These students have consistently completed all of their homework! Keep up the good work, White Tigers!
Lost and Found: Missing a sweater, jacket, water bottle, or lunch box? Please check our lost and found (located just under the stairwell outside of the main office) before or after school. Please take the time to label all of your child’s belongings, as it makes it easier to return the items to the correct owner. Thank you!
Yearbook Purchase: You may purchase the 2025-2026 Heritage Elementary yearbook here
for $37. We will have a limited number of copies available this year. Please contact us at (760) 737-3111 with any questions or concerns.
6th Grade Yearbook Dedications: Send your 6th grader into middle school with a warm and encouraging message for them on our dedications page in the yearbook. Dedications only cost $20 for 1/4 of a page in our Heritage Elementary yearbook. Spaces are limited, so get your order in before spaces run out.
Calling on Volunteers! There are so many ways parents, grandparents, and family members can get involved to support our students and the school. For instance, we would love to have volunteers to participate during school BBQs and events, lead student reading groups during the school day, help supervise during recess or lunch, copy papers or assemble packets for teachers, and so much more. Interested in being a contributing member of our school community? Please contact the main office at (760) 737-3111.
Mark your calendars!
Friday, November 14 through Thursday, November 20: Literati Book Fair
Thursday, November 20:
Minimum Day (and no ELO-P)
Open House/Holiday Gift Fair
Friday, November 21: Pajama Spirit Day
Monday-Friday, November 24-28: Thanksgiving Vacation
Friday, December 5: Superhero/Disney Spirit Day
Monday, December 15: Modified Day
Tuesday, December 16 - Thursday, December 18: Minimum Days (12:00 Dismissal)
Tuesday, December 16: Christmas Concert (Grades K and 2) at 8:30 a.m.
Wednesday, December 17: Christmas Concert (Grades 1 and 3) at 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, December 18:
End of the First Semester
Christmas Sweater Spirit Day
Friday, December 19 - Friday, January 2: Christmas Vacation
Monday, January 5: First Day of the Spring Semester
Our mission is to develop the hearts and minds of students with a rigorous core curriculum, with a perspective that cherishes timeless virtues and the American spirit.
