What a phenomenal first full week of school! Classical education reminds us that learning begins with wonder and thrives on orderly habits. I have been impressed by how seamlessly our White Tigers transitioned into their daily routines, diving into core studies, and mastering our campus emergency drills with focus and maturity.
This month, our Pyramid of Success virtue is Ambition. In a classical tradition, true ambition isn’t about self-centered achievement; it is the noble drive to cultivate our innate talents, pursue truth, goodness, and beauty, and offer our absolute best effort in service of our community.
That spirit of excellence was evident this week with the launch of our enrichment classes. Through Art, Library, Music, and PE, our students are engaging both their minds and bodies to form well-rounded, virtuous selves. A sincere thank you to our dedicated enrichment team—Mrs. Brumfield, Mrs. El-Hayek, Mrs. Hoggatt, and Mrs. Morgan—for inspiring our scholars to aim high from day one.
To reinforce our monthly virtue, consider asking your child this week: "What is one area where you want to show noble ambition this month, for example, in reading, mastering a new skill, or helping a classmate?"
Upcoming Events
Tuesday: 6th Grade Camp Presentation (9:15 a.m.) — Parents of 6th graders, please join us this Tuesday in the MPR to learn about our upcoming Cuyamaca Outdoor School camp experience (which is scheduled for October 5-9).
Wednesday: Welcome Back BBQ Lunch — Our students will participate in one of our favorite community traditions! Sharing meals together strengthens the circle of support around our children.
Friday: Class Color Day & "Wooden Wins" Assembly — Students are invited to show school spirit by wearing their class colors as we gather for our first character assembly celebrating ambition and team success.
Thank you for your trust and active partnership as we nurture both wisdom and character in our students.
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
Cuyamaca Outdoor School (COS) Presentation: 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! Mr. Dustin Burns will be on campus this Tuesday, August 25 at 9:15 a.m. to share information with students and parents about the camp. For parents who would like to visit Cuyamaca Outdoor School, you are invited to its Open House
on September 12, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. We look forward to welcoming you, your students, and the community to COS and showcasing the countless benefits of outdoor education.
Back-to-School BBQ: We are so excited to celebrate the start of this year with our annual Back-to-School BBQ! This Wednesday, we will be serving hamburgers (or veggie burgers) and hot dogs to all students, so there is no need to pack a lunch! Please ensure your child has a healthy snack for his/her morning recess.
School Picture Day Next Week: School pictures will take place next week (not this week) on Tuesday, September 1. School picture day is a free dress day, but please refer to the “Dress for Success” guidelines.
Back-to-School Night: We look forward to welcoming all parents of students in kindergarten through 6th grade to our Back-to-School Night on Thursday, September 10. Please join us on the turf at 6:30 p.m. before visiting your child’s classroom. Parking will be limited at Heritage Elementary School, so we are encouraging parents to use Lots 1 and 2 of Palomar College’s Escondido Center, located at the corner of Midway Drive and East Valley Parkway.
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:
Cars will not be permitted to enter the carline until 30 minutes prior to the start of dismissal (2:15 p.m. on regular days and 1:30 p.m. on Modified Days).
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.
A Note Regarding School Lunches: To ensure our students have a focused and uninterrupted learning environment, we kindly ask parents to avoid dropping off outside lunches at the main office. While we know life gets busy, midday deliveries create significant logistical challenges. Due to high office volume, we cannot guarantee that dropped-off meals will reach students before their scheduled lunch period ends. To help your student have a smooth lunch break, please ensure your child arrives at school with a packed lunch in the morning or chooses a lunch provided by our school-lunch program. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our front office efficient and our classrooms free of distractions!
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.
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:
Class Color Day: We are excited to brighten up the campus THIS FRIDAY with our Class Color Day! We hope you'll come dressed head-to-toe in your grade-level color:
Kindergarten-ORANGE
, First Grade-PURPLE
,
Second Grade-GREEN
, 3rd Grade-RED
,
Fourth Grade-BLUE
, Fifth Grade-YELLOW
,
Sixth Grade-WHITE.
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.
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.
