What a fantastic start to the school year! Seeing so many of you at Open House on Wednesday set a wonderful tone for our first two days together. Our halls are buzzing with energy, and our teachers have already begun establishing strong routines, fostering friendships, and creating welcoming, safe classroom spaces. It is remarkable how much momentum we’ve built in just two days of school!
Looking Ahead to Our First Full Week
Starting tomorrow, August 17, our students dive into their full schedules, including enrichment classes in art, music, and physical education.
This month, our school-wide focus centers on Ambition, a key building block from Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. In our school community, we emphasize noble ambitions, maintaining high personal standards, striving for excellence, and channeling our energy toward positive, selfless goals. As we launch our core academic curriculum this week, nurturing this noble ambition encourages our students to embrace new challenges, take pride in their growth, and set a powerful, positive tone for the year ahead.
Partnering for Success at Home
You are our most essential partner in this work. As your child adjusts to new routines this week, you can spark deep conversations about their curriculum by trying these simple prompts at home:
What do you notice? (Encourages keen observation)
What do you wonder? (Sparks curiosity and deeper thinking)
What does it remind you of? (Helps make meaningful connections)
These small daily check-ins make a massive difference in reinforcing what they learn in class.
Thank you for your trust, energy, and partnership. On behalf of the entire Heritage Elementary faculty and staff, we are thrilled for the week ahead!
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
On Time, All the Time: All students need to be in their seats and ready to learn each morning before the 8:00 a.m. starting bell.
Student drop-off begins at 7:35 a.m. (note: no supervision for students will be available before 7:35 a.m.).
Breakfast will be available for students in the MPR each school day until 7:50 a.m.
Mondays are modified days with 2:00 p.m. dismissal.
Tuesdays through Fridays are regular days with 2:45 p.m. student dismissal.
Now would be a great time to check out the bell schedule
and enter the scheduled 12:00 noon minimum days on your family calendar.
Student Drop-off: We’d like to thank you in advance for your PATIENCE as we all get used to the procedures. Please help us with the following:
Student drop-off will occur in the carline or at the Zero-Period gate in front of the school.
Parents MAY NOT park in the parking lots for the shopping center, Yum-Yum Donuts, or Palomar College.
Beginning this week, students will be asked to walk to their classrooms independently or with school staff after being dropped off in carline or at the Zero-Period gate.
Please refrain from cell phone use while in the drop-off or pick-up lines.
Please stay in your vehicle in the carline; students will be escorted to and from your vehicle by staff.
Dismissal Reminders: We fully anticipate the dismissal process will take much longer than usual during the start of the school year. Please help us by reviewing the following reminders:
Please be patient and respectful to staff and other drivers as we all get used to the new procedures.
There is limited parking in the front of campus—we encourage all drivers to use the carline for student pick-up.
Confirm all authorized drivers have been included on the Emergency Information Form.
Please display the PINK
or YELLOW
PikMyKid placard for the duration of the pick-up time to expedite the pick-up process.
No PikMyKid app? No problem! Using the PikMyKid placard or providing the PikMyKid number is just as efficient and helps us ensure that students are entered into the correct pick-up location.
Free Breakfast and Lunch Program: Every Heritage Elementary student is eligible for a nutritious, no-cost breakfast
and lunch, with no application required. The monthly menu will be included each week in the Heritage notes. For questions regarding student allergies or dietary restrictions, please contact our main office at (760) 737-3111.
Breakfast Reminder: Breakfast will be available for students to pick up in the multipurpose room (MPR) each morning between 7:35-7:50 a.m. Check out the
A Milk Substitution Form
is available from the main office or linked here for students who require Lactaid milk, soy milk, or oat milk.
Walk-off Authorization Forms: If your child is 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.
Calling on Volunteers!: There are so many wonderful ways for parents, grandparents, and family members to support our students and school community this year. Whether you have 30 minutes or a few hours, we’d love to have you on board!
Library Support: If you love books, organization, and seeing kids fall in love with reading, Mrs. El-Hayek needs your help in the library! If interested, contact Mrs. El-Hayek at hk6library@amhcs.org.
Back-to-School BBQ (Wednesday, August 26): Help us serve up fun and food at our first school BBQ! We need volunteers to help with food service. Stop by or contact Mrs. Robles at the front desk.
Campus & Classroom Support: From working with students in classrooms to supervising lunch recess, there are endless ways to make a difference throughout the year. Reach out to the main office at (760) 737-3111.
After-School Programs: Both the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of Escondido are offering after-school programs this year for a limited number of Heritage Elementary students.
Once again, the YMCA Character Builders
program will be offered on the Heritage Elementary campus before and after school. Parents may reach out to their Youth Development Coordinator, Morgan Earle <mearle@ymcasd.org> for space in the program and more information about YMCA Character Builders.
There is still space available for our students in the after-school program offered at the Boys and Girls Club; students in this after-school program are bussed after school from our campus to their Escondido location on Woodard Avenue. Parents and guardians interested in the Boys and Girls Club program are requested to call (760) 746-3315 for more information.
Medications on Campus: If your student needs to take medication (prescription or over-the-counter) during school hours, you must submit a completed Medication Authorization Form. This form must be filled out by your healthcare provider, and a parent signature is required. Medication must be in its original container. All medications will be stored in the nurse’s office. Please contact Mrs. Janelle Garcia at nurse@amhcs.org if you have any questions.
Cuyamaca Outdoor School (COS) Presentation and Open House: Heritage Elementary School is a proud supporter of Cuyamaca Outdoor School (COS), with the goal of sending all 6th-graders each year to this important rite of passage: Sixth Grade Camp! A representative from COS will visit Heritage Elementary School at 9:15 a.m. on Tuesday, August 25, to share information with students and parents about the COS experience. In addition, Cuyamaca Outdoor School will welcome families of 6th grade students to its Open House on September 12 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Follow this link for more information. We look forward to welcoming you, your students, and the community to COS and showcasing the countless benefits of outdoor education.
YMCA Adventure Clubs: This enriching program offers a unique outdoor bonding opportunity for girls and their dads. Multiple Heritage families participate in this program, and they'd like to share it with you! Meet new friends, learn valuable life skills, and have a great time in a safe, wholesome environment with weekend camping experiences at some of the most amazing southern California outdoor destinations. Clubs are also available for dads & sons, moms & daughters, and moms & sons. Please check out the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA website
for more information.
Wooden Wins! Pyramid of Success
Virtue of the Month: Ambition
As we launch into a new school year, it’s a wonderful time to help students develop the mindset and habits that will serve them well all year long. While last year began with a look at self-control, this August we are focusing on AMBITION from Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Fostering a healthy sense of ambition is a powerful way to start the school year strong, as it inspires students to look at the upcoming year with anticipation, set meaningful goals, and channel their energy into academic and personal growth.
Bringing Ambition to the Classroom
For a focal point in our first weeks of school, let’s encourage ambition by helping our students recognize their potential and embrace each day's unique possibilities. When students channel their ambition toward noble and worthy purposes rather than selfish goals, they build a foundation for true achievement. We can practice ambition from the very first day by arriving ready to learn, tackling new classroom challenges with confidence, and striving to be the best versions of ourselves. Below are some quotes from John Wooden and Abraham Lincoln that can help us better understand how ambition leads to human flourishing.
"I believe we are most likely to succeed when ambition is focused on noble and worthy purposes and outcomes rather than on goals set out of selfishness."
—Coach John Wooden
"Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say for one that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow men, by rendering myself worthy of their esteem."
—Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
Monthly Affirmations & Memory Work
Here are the affirmations for AMBITION and the character-building memory work we will focus on at Heritage Elementary this month:
I am ambitious.
I am honest with myself and know that I am capable of great things.
I do what needs to be done because it is the right thing to do.
I view each day as one with abundant opportunities.
Campus Culture:
Soccer After-School Program: Delanos Soccer Academy is a quality non-competitive after-school enrichment program for students in grades 1-6 that allows young players to learn, improve their skills and enjoy soccer in a positive, fun and safe environment! Soccer training will be held on the turf at Heritage Elementary on Wednesdays from 3:15–4:15 p.m. The 12-week session will start on September 2 and end December 9. Registration opens on August 26, so check out the flier
for more information and how to register.
Summer Reading Program:
This is the final week to submit a reading log for our summer reading program. If you enjoyed some great books this summer, remember to fill out this reading log, and bring it to school with you. You could earn a free T-shirt for meeting the goal for your grade level:
1st graders — 60 pages (7 books)
2nd graders — 250 pages (20 books)
3rd graders — 400 pages
4th graders — 500 pages
5th graders — 600 pages
6th graders — 700 pages
Class Color Day: We are excited to brighten up the campus a bit at the end of this month with our Class Color Day! We know this may take a bit of planning before August 28, so here are this year’s grade-level colors:
Kindergarten-ORANGE
, First Grade-PURPLE
, Second Grade-GREEN
, 3rd Grade-RED
, Fourth Grade-BLUE
, Fifth Grade-YELLOW
, Sixth Grade-WHITE.
Little Free Library:Our campus Little Free Library, available exclusively to Heritage staff, students, and families, is in need of books! It’s time to recycle those books your students have outgrown or finished over the summer. Books for grades TK through 6th grade can be placed directly in our Library box, or larger donations can be dropped off in the front office.
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to be a catalyst for building community, inspiring readers, and expanding book access for all through a global network of volunteer-led Little Free Library book exchange boxes. Studies have repeatedly shown that books in the hands of children have a meaningful impact on improving literacy. The more books in or near the home, the more likely a child will learn and love to read. Through Little Free Library book exchanges, millions of books are exchanged each year, profoundly increasing access to books for readers of all ages and backgrounds. Heritage Elementary is proud to join the thousands of boxes in the Little Free Library network.
The way it works is simple. If you see something you would like to read, take it! When you're finished, share it with a friend, bring it back here, or leave it in another Little Free Library. It's up to everyone to keep this Library full of good reads! Bring books to share when you can, and continue being a friend of Little Free Libraries everywhere.
Visit littlefreelibrary.org for more information or to learn how to start your own book-exchange box in your neighborhood. You can also download the Little Free Library app for your phone and use the map to find other boxes in our community.
Mark your calendars!
Tuesday, August 25: 6th Grade Camp Presentation, 9:15 a.m.
Wednesday, August 26: Back to School BBQ!
Friday, August 28: Class Color *Spirit Day*
Tuesday, September 1: School Picture Day
Monday, September 7: Labor Day (No School)
Thursday, September 10: Back to School Night, 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Friday, September 11: Red, White, and Blue *Spirit Day* & Patriot Day Assembly
Thursday, September 17: Academic Awards (Grades 5-6)
OUR MISSION IS THE FORMATION OF THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THROUGH A RICH CURRICULUM, WITH A PERSPECTIVE THAT CHERISHES TIMELESS VIRTUE AND THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.
