As we head into the final week of the school year, I hope you enjoyed a meaningful Memorial Day weekend, spending quality time with loved ones and reflecting on the immense sacrifices made by the brave men and women who secured the freedoms we cherish. This past week, our teachers thoughtfully integrated projects, readings, and reflections into their lessons, ensuring our students understood the profound significance of this day.
As we look back in gratitude this Memorial Day, we also look forward to a monumental milestone. This summer, our nation marks its 250th anniversary, two and a half centuries of the great American experiment. In the classical tradition, we teach our students that true freedom is not merely the ability to do what we please, but the cultivation of virtue and the responsibility to uphold what is True, Good, and Beautiful. The heroes we honored this weekend made the ultimate sacrifice so that this inheritance of liberty could endure.
The last few weeks at Heritage Elementary have demonstrated this pursuit of excellence. Our students have truly put maximum effort into finishing strong, as seen across all grade levels:
The Joy of Reading: Our Accelerated Reading program reached incredible milestones. Our school librarian, Mrs. El-Hayek, celebrated our dedicated readers with prizes, "brag-tags," and well-earned pizza parties!
Cartography & Creativity: Fifth graders leaned into their knowledge of US geography, presenting spectacular, detailed “state floats” in the MPR.
Ecological Awareness: Fourth Graders created beautiful works of art for Escondido's "Love Water, Save Water" poster contest, with seven of our students winning top honors and being recognized during a special ceremony this past week at the City Hall.
Historical Inquiry: Third graders completed their capstone biography projects, uncovering the enduring impact of notable historical figures.
Moral Leadership: Second graders wrapped up their final Core Knowledge unit, delving into the inspiring lives of American heroes like Susan B. Anthony and Jackie Robinson, who both exemplified fortitude in their fight for justice.
Our phenomenal teachers and instructional aides have done a masterful job balancing rigorous academic focuswith well-deserved celebrations, ensuring our scholars wrap up the year with both a sense of achievement and a dose of fun.
This intentional, balanced approach will carry us through our final three days of school. We will complete our remaining assessments, reflect on our growth, and wholeheartedly congratulate our students on a spectacular school year.
Please review the important notes below for detailed information regarding our final week's schedule, as well as exciting summer enrichment opportunities available in our community. Thank you for your steadfast partnership and support throughout this journey. May this historic summer bring your family rest, reflection, and joy!
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
School Closed on Monday, May 25: All American Heritage Charter Schools will be closed on Monday in observance of Memorial Day to honor the memories of service members and their families who have sacrificed to protect the freedoms we enjoy.
Minimum Days, May 26-28: Please note that the last three days of school (Tuesday, May 26 through Thursday, May 28) will be minimum days with student dismissal at 12:00 noon.
Free Dress on the Last Day of School: Thursday, May 28 will be a free dress day for all students! Please remember that the Dress for Success
guidelines still apply.
Kindergarten Promotion: On Thursday, May 28 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. we will hold a kindergarten promotion ceremony outside on the turf field. Free parking is available at Lot 1 of the Palomar College Escondido Center and parents will be allowed onto campus beginning at 8:15 a.m.
6th Grade Clap-Out: We’re planning to send our 6th graders out in a celebratory fashion with a “clap-out” at the end of the day on the last day of school. Parents of sixth graders are encouraged to join us on campus at 11:45 a.m. to express our appreciation to our students for a job well done before they head off to Heritage Junior High School!
Parent/Student Portal Closed: The Synergy Parent and Student Portal systems are no longer accessible. The system closes for the five days preceding the end of the grading period while the teacher is updating his/her grade book. Final semester grades will be mailed home during the week of June 1.
Lost and Found: Missing a sweater, jacket, water bottle, or lunch box? Please check our lost and found (located just under the stairwell outside the main office) before or after school. Thank you!
Library Books and Chromebooks: All library books and school-issued Chromebooks are due back before the end of the school year. Please help your student locate and return books to the school library and Chromebooks with chargers to the main office as soon as possible.
Medication Pick-Up Reminder: If your child has medication in the office, please pick it up by Friday, May 29. Medications must be picked up by a parent or guardian. We will dispose of any medications that are not taken home by the end of the school year. Thank you!
Breakfast Reminder: Our free breakfast and lunch program has been a blessing to so many families this school year! To help your child start the day right, please ensure he or she arrives at the MPR by 7:50 a.m. We stop serving at this time to give students enough time to reach their classroom and finish their meal before school starts at 8:00 a.m. Thank you for helping us keep our mornings running smoothly.
Breakfast and Lunch Service: Check out the calendar below for the monthly menu. Breakfast is served each morning until 7:50 a.m. Please remember to pack a healthy snack and water bottle for each day this week! Given the minimum days all week, lunch will NOT be provided this week before student dismissal.
Summer Cheer Clinic: Calling at Heritage Cheerleaders! The ECHS White Tiger Cheerleaders will be hosting a cheer clinic this summer for all students ages 4-12. The summer cheer clinic will be held on the field at Escondido Charter High School on June 8-12 from 8:30-11:30 a.m. The cost is $125 per child and will include a T-shirt. If you are interested in attending, please sign up here. Check out this flier
for more information.
Escondido Pop Warner Football and Cheer Sign-ups:Registration for youth football and cheer is now open! Options are available for flag football, tackle football, and cheer. Football season kicks off July 15! Please follow this link for more information and to register.
Play As One Summer (PAO) Camps in Escondido: The mission of PAO and Field of Faith is to teach the value of working hard, living pure, leading with courage and honoring Jesus Christ through the platform of Sports, Arts, Vocation, and Education. The faith-based camps from PAO offer football, soccer, volleyball and basketball during the week of June 23-27! A separate week of PAO Dance Summer Camp will be hosted on June 22-26. The summer camps are open to students entering Kindergarten through 8th Grade. Check out the Play As One Summer Camp website
for more information and to register.
Summer Splash Vacation Bible School: Mission Hills Church in San Marcos is hosting their annual Summer Splash Vacation Bible School from June 22-26. For more information and to sign up, visit their website here.
Summer Reading Programs: Interested in some additional reading practice for your child this summer? The Institute of Reading Development will be offering live online courses throughout the summer. Visit their website
for more information about the programs, schedules, and costs.
Free National Parks Pass for Fourth Graders: Planning a trip for Summer Break? The Every Kid Outdoors pass is good for the 4th grade school year, until August 31. Information on obtaining the pass is available by visiting www.everykidoutdoors.gov.
Reminder for Parents of Kindergartners: Headed to the doctor or dentist for your student's check-up? State law requires that all kindergartners have an oral health examination (dental exam) and a recommended health checkup from a doctor during their first year in school. When your child goes in for a dental checkup, please have the dentist fill out an Oral Health Assessment Form. When your child sees the doctor for an exam, please have the doctor fill out a School Entry Health Checkup Form. These forms are also available in the Heritage office. Completed dental forms are due by May 28, 2026. Completed health forms are due by November 1, 2026. Please contact Nurse Garcia at nurse@amhcs.org
if you have any questions.
Attention Parents of 6th-Graders! It’s time to prepare for seventh grade! Students entering seventh grade in August 2026 are required by California law to submit proof that they have received the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccine booster. Personal beliefs exemptions are no longer accepted. For medical exemptions, you must submit a valid CAIR medical exemption obtained through the State’s medical exemption program. Please bring your child’s updated immunization record to the Heritage office before the start of 7th grade. For more information, you can visit the California Department of Public Health "Shots for Schools" website or the San Diego Health and Human Services Agency" Immunization Requirements for Childcare and Schools.” If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Garcia at nurse@amhcs.org.
Class of 2032 Spirit Wear: Parents, family, and friends of this year's sixth graders: now you can purchase your own sixth grade shirt or hoodie to commemorate this year! Order yours today: SHIRT or HOODIE.
Wooden Wins! Pyramid of SuccessVirtue of the Month: Competitive Greatness
As we reach the month of May, Heritage Elementary School has finally arrived at the very peak of Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: COMPETITIVE GREATNESS. Coach Wooden defined this crowning virtue as: “A love for a hard battle, knowing it offers the opportunity to be at your best when your best is required.”
Competitive Greatness isn't about "beating" others; it’s about the joy of the challenge itself. It is the ability to rise to the occasion, to give your absolute best when the stakes are highest, and to find a "second wind" when the finish line is in sight. As we conclude our school year, we celebrate the hard work that allows us to perform at our peak.
In the classroom, Competitive Greatness looks like:
Finishing Like a Pro (FLAP): Putting the same level of care into the very last assignment of May as you did the first assignment of August.
Rising to the Occasion: Approaching final presentations and assessments with excitement rather than anxiety, seeing them as a chance to "show what you've got."
The "Clutch" Mindset: Staying focused and positive even when end-of-year schedules get busy and energy is low.
For our classical education approach, Competitive Greatness is the embodiment of Arete—the Greek word for "excellence" or "virtue." It is the culmination of our year-long labor in the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. We teach our students that excellence is a habit, and May is the month we let that habit shine in its fullest form.
Ways Our Students Are Practicing Competitive Greatness
As the school year draws to a close, our students are demonstrating their "love for the hard battle" through these significant milestones:
Kindergarten Promotion: Our youngest scholars are showing competitive greatness as they prepare to "step up" to First Grade. They are mastering their final tricky-word lists and math basics, proving they are ready for the greater challenges of the primary years.
Sixth Grade Capstones: Our 6th graders are at a true turning point. As they prepare to transition to Heritage Junior High School, they are demonstrating greatness through their final projects and seminars, showing the leadership and academic maturity required for the Logic stage of their education.
End-of-Semester Projects: Students in all grades are finalizing portfolios, science projects, and history presentations. They are learning that "Greatness" means polishing the final details and presenting their work with pride.
Final Assessments: Instead of fearing final exams, students are practicing the "peak performance" mindset—trusting in the Condition, Skill, Poise, and Confidence they have built all year.
Practicing Competitive Greatness at School and Home
We encourage families to help students finish the year with "championship energy" through these actions:
The "Home Stretch" Mentality: When motivation dips in the final weeks, remind your child that "greatness" is defined by how we finish. Encourage them to give their best effort right up until the final bell.
Celebrate the Struggle: When a final project gets difficult, remind them of Coach Wooden's words: Love the hard battle. The difficulty is what makes the achievement meaningful.
Reflect on Growth: Ask your child, "What is one thing you can do this month to show you are ready for the next grade level?"
Family Activities to Build Competitive Greatness
The "Personal Best" Challenge: Set a family goal (like a certain number of pages read, limits to screen time, or miles walked) and work together to hit a "personal best" for the month of May.
Transition Talks: For our Promoting Kindergartners and Graduating 6th Graders, take time to discuss the "new battle" ahead. Ask: "How has your hard work this year prepared you for the challenges of next year?"
Legacy Letters: Have your child write a letter to their "September Self," describing the challenges they overcame and the greatness they achieved this year.
Read Together: Explore stories of those who performed at their best when it mattered most. Recommended titles include: Wilma Unlimited
by Kathleen Krull, and for our 6th graders, revisit The Children's Homer, which they read in class.
"Competitive Greatness is being at your best when your best is needed. It’s enjoying the challenge when the going gets tough. It’s the love of a hard battle." —Coach John Wooden
Affirmations for COMPETITIVE GREATNESS and Memory Work for May:
I work towards competitive greatness.
I try my very best even when things are difficult and challenging.
I see challenges as an opportunity to grow and become the best I can be.
Campus Culture:
A Year of Remarkable Achievements! Thanks to the incredible partnership between Heritage Elementary staff and our Heritage families, we have accomplished so much since last August. We've continued to develop our art and music curriculum across all grades, expanded our reading and math intervention programs, welcomed even more parent volunteers onto campus, hosted unforgettable character assemblies, spelling bees, talent shows, and student musicals, and strengthened our school culture, which champions effort, courage, honor, and service. With only three school days left in the 2025-2026 school year, we are motivated to finish strong and celebrate all we've achieved together!
Homework Stars: Congratulations to our Homework Stars: Sophia in Ms. Luis's class, Leonardo in Mrs. Martineau's class, Porter in Mrs. Scarpello's class, Jovan in Mrs. Seavello's class, Laura in Ms. Hoffman's class, and Gisselle in Mrs. Lemus's class. These students have consistently completed all of their homework! Keep up the good work, White Tigers!
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. Are you interested in being a contributing member of our school community for the 2026-2027 school year? Please contact the main office at (760) 737-3111.
Mark your calendars!
Monday, May 25: Memorial Day (school closed)
Tuesday-Thursday, May 26-28: Minimum Days (12:00 noon student dismissal)
Thursday, May 28: Last Day of School! Kindergarten Promotion, 8:30 a.m.; 6th Grade Clap-Out, 11:45 a.m.
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.
