This past week was a wonderful demonstration of our strong school culture. The week culminated in a high-spirited day as students and staff showed off their creativity with crazy hats, wild hair-dos, and silly socks. The fun extended into our daily routines, as our dedicated instructional aides, led by Mrs. Webster's creativity, brought extra joy and laughter to our students. On Thursday morning, they greeted families in the carline dressed as minions. On Friday, they sported mustaches and hard hats as construction workers. These moments, from the spirit day to the creative carline dress-up, aren't just about fun; they are essential to building a positive and vibrant school culture where students feel connected, happy, and excited to learn.
Recognizing Character: Alertness and Initiative
The lively week also included our character assembly, where we celebrated students who best demonstrated the traits of alertness and initiative over the last two months. These students received special awards for their good character and were excellent examples for their peers. The entire school participated in friendly competitions, joined together in reciting positive affirmations, and shared cheers with their teachers. Mrs. Cook and I truly enjoyed seeing the energy and encouraged all students to continue demonstrating these strong character traits every day.
Universal Meals Program Launch
The big news for the coming week is the exciting start of our universal meals program! We are thrilled to be able to provide healthy, nutritious meals to all of our students at absolutely no cost to their families. While we anticipate a slight learning curve during the first several weeks as everyone adjusts to the new process, we are confident this will benefit our entire school community. Please check your email for the detailed information sent out over the past week, and review the announcement section below for more details about the program.
Focusing Our Energy: The Power of Intentness
As we shift gears, we've officially turned the calendar to November. With the “fall-back” time change, we also shift our school-wide focus to the powerful character trait of intentness. Intentness means being purposeful, focused, and dedicated to a goal or task. It is the quality that helps a student block out distractions and apply their mind fully to their learning.
In the Classroom: This looks like students focusing their attention during lessons, completing assignments with careful thought, and working diligently to master new concepts. It is the ability to sustain effort even when the work is challenging.
At Home: Intentness can be nurtured by encouraging your child to fully commit to their homework before moving on to other activities, setting goals for reading or practice, and helping them understand the value of deep, sustained effort.
We believe that by focusing on intentness this month, we can help our students not only achieve their academic goals but also build a valuable habit of focused effort that will serve them well throughout life. Continue to stay engaged with your children’s education by asking them great questions about their school day, celebrating their successes in demonstrating intentness, and encouraging a lifelong love of learning. Please take a few minutes to review all the important notes and announcements below. Go White Tigers!
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
Free Meals for All Students Starting this Monday:Starting this Monday, all students at Heritage Elementary and Heritage Junior High School may receive free breakfast and lunch each school day—no applications or forms required. Please note that breakfast will only be available for students to pick up in the Multi-Purpose Room (MPR) from 7:35-7:50 a.m. each morning before school begins. Please note that the Heritage Notes will feature the menu each week in the links section above; however, for this week, we've included it as an image below.
Fall Book Fair Presented by Literati: Our online book fair is now open! 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! Then join us at our in-person fair from November 14–November 20.
AHCS Musical Theater presents The Wizard of Oz: Ready to see a musical that will give you all the feels? Join us as American Heritage Charter School students of all ages showcase their talents in this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz! This show is guaranteed to make your heart grow three sizes, and you’ll quickly realize there's no place like the theater! Just follow the yellow brick road to a show packed with heart, brains, and courage, incredible songs, and spectacular sights. Tickets are on sale now, with shows at the American Spirit Theater on the Escondido Charter High School campus from November 6-9. Check out the show times below, and click here
to purchase your tickets. It's a gale-force of fun you won't want to miss!
SHOWTIMES
Thursday, November 6*: 4:30 p.m. (EMERALD CAST)
*ECHS Students $6 cash at the door while supplies last
Friday, November 7: 7:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST)
Saturday, November 8
2:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST)
7:00 p.m. (EMERALD CAST)
Sunday, November 9
2:00 p.m. (EMERALD CAST)
7:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST)
Important Calendar Note: We are looking forward to our upcoming fall event–the annual Holiday Gift Fair, Open House, and Book Fair on Thursday, November 20. 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 toward the end of the semester. Stay tuned for more information!
Silent Auction Basket Donations: We are excited to host a silent auction at this year’s Holiday Gift Fair, and we could use your help! We are looking for donations for our themed baskets. Check out this flier for the grade level themes. If you are able to contribute any items, you can send them in with your child or bring the item(s) directly to the front office. Thank you in advance for your donations!
Wanted! Donated Baskets, Totes, and Containers: We need parents’ help in the month of October to collect items we can use to package the silent auction baskets for the Open House and Holiday Gift Fair. Please bring donated items to the front office or send them to school with your child.
Consortio Parent Meeting: Be sure to mark your calendars for November 12 at 8:30 a.m. for our session entitled “Creating a Culture of Joy.” The meeting will be in Room #1 of the TK/Flex Home Learning building located directly in front of the main office of Heritage Elementary School. Any questions? Please reach out to Jill Thomas at jthomas@amhcs.org.
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 Will Practice Intentness
This month, we'll reinforce the power of focus and persistence through specific daily habits:
Students in all grades will be encouraged to practice "deep work" sessions, dedicating a set amount of time to a single task without interruption, to train their focus.
Our fourth-, and fifth-graders will show intentness by returning to and correcting their math homework immediately after receiving feedback, demonstrating their determination to master a subject.
Sixth graders will demonstrate intentness by preparing for 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: Michael in Mrs. Conti's class, Aitana in Mrs. Greiner's class, Layla in Mrs. Drum's class, Urijah in Ms. Goodman's class, and Noah in Mr. Greiner'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!
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!
Thursday, November 6 through Sunday, November 9:The Wizard of Oz Performances
Tuesday, November 11: No School (Veterans Day)
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
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.
