It has been a joy to see our hallways filled with energy once again as we returned from Easter Break. Although it was a shorter four-day week, our students and staff have accomplished an incredible amount, transitioning seamlessly back into the springtime rhythms of discovery and academic rigor.
As we look toward the horizon of the school year, we are building toward a shared sense of coherence. In a classical framework, learning is not a series of disconnected facts, but a beautiful fabric where history, science, and character are woven together. This week provided several beautiful examples of that philosophy in action.
Living History and Scientific Inquiry
Our campus was a bridge between the past and the future this week:
Colonial Day: Our kindergartners celebrated the conclusion of their Core Knowledge unit on Colonial Towns and Townspeople. Through immersive activities, they stepped back in time to experience the daily lives, trades, and communal spirit of early America. By "living" the history they read about, our youngest scholars develop a deeper empathy and a clearer sense of their place in the human story.
The Smith Ranch Excursion: In third grade, Mrs. Marler’s class led the way as the first group to return to Smith Ranch in Escondido. These trips represent the "A" in STEAM—the artistry of observation—as students apply science, technology, engineering, and math to the natural world. This was the first of the four classes that will visit the ranch in April, and we are deeply grateful to Deanna Smith for providing this unique outdoor laboratory.
Character Focus: The Roots of Confidence
As we enter the final push of the school year and prepare for state testing, our focus has shifted to Confidence from the Pyramid of Success. In the classical tradition, confidence is not born of self-importance, but of competence and preparation. It is the "quiet assurance" that comes when a student knows they have the tools to meet a challenge. We are encouraging our students to lean into this virtue. Specifically, we want them to trust in the hard work they have done since August and to approach their upcoming assessments not with anxiety, but with the poised confidence of a scholar.
The Week Ahead: Literacy and Legacy
We have two exciting opportunities next week to celebrate our love of learning and our connection to history:
The Scholastic Book Fair: We invite you to visit the library before or after school. Cultivating a "home library" and a love of physical books is essential to the classical mission of fostering lifelong learners.
Decades Day (Friday): Our Spirit Day this Friday invites students to dress in the styles of a specific decade. This is a fun way to reinforce our chronological studies, allowing students to creatively represent the different eras of history we explore throughout our curriculum.
As we move into these final months, let’s work together to help our students bring their best, most confident selves to school each day. Thank you for your continued partnership and for being the foundation of our White Tiger community.
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
Spring Scholastic Book Fair: The Scholastic Book Fair is here! Come visit the library before or after school through Friday, April 17. Check out this flier
for more information or visit the book fair site to create an e-wallet, preview books, and more.
April Consortio: Please join us on Wednesday, April 15 at 8:30 a.m. in the 1845/TK Building for a special time of encouragement and insight. Our Curriculum Coordinator, Mrs. Kelly Beck, will be sharing “What Does It Mean For Your Child to be Free?” We hope you will join us for what promises to be an inspiring and practical time together. We look forward to seeing you for our last meeting of the school year! If you have any questions, please contact Jill at jthomas@amhcs.org.
Decades Day this Friday: Get ready to turn back the clock! This Friday, April 17, we’re celebrating Decades Day for our weekly spirit day. Whether you want to channel your inner flapper, rock out like a 1950s greaser, go full neon for the 1980s, or go back hundreds of years or more, we want to see your best throwback looks! Parents, please ensure all costumes remain school-appropriate and functional for a day of learning. We can't wait to see which era takes over the hallways!
Stars and Stripes Talent Showcase Auditions: Do you sing, dance, play an instrument, tell jokes, or have another talent? You could be a part of our Stars and Stripes Showcase on May 7, 2026! If you're interested, start preparing an act and sign up with Mrs. B. for an audition time after school on April 21 or 23. For more information, email Mrs. B. at kbrumfield@amhcs.org.
Parent Participation Requested || Children and Technology Survey: One of our very own Heritage parents is currently working toward a graduate degree and teaching credential! For her capstone research project, she is exploring the relationship between children and technology use. Could you spare a few minutes to help her cross the finish line? Here's the link to a brief anonymous survey. It takes a few minutes to complete and requires no personal information. Your participation is greatly appreciated!
Easter Basket Donations: In preparation for the 2025 Holiday Gift Fair Silent Auction in the fall, we are always looking for donations of baskets. If you have an Easter basket that your family will no longer be using, we would gratefully accept it! These baskets will be repurposed and filled with wonderful items to be auctioned off at our joint Open House and Holiday Gift Fair next year.
State Testing (CAASPP) Planned for April 27-May 4: Students in Grades 3-6 will soon be completing CAASPP Training Tests and Practice Tests with the help of their teachers to better familiarize themselves with the format and content of the assessments. Heritage Elementary School will administer the state assessments during the week of April 27-May 4. The data collected this year will help the administrative team develop plans to support students and ensure they have mastered the foundational skills and knowledge in English Language Arts (ELA) and math. For more information, please visit CAASPP’s Parent Guides for Understanding.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Footloose, the Musical, coming to ECHS:Get out your favorite sweat band because Footloose is coming to ECHS! Footloose, set in the '80s,tells the story of Ren, who sets out to prove that "Dancing is Not a Crime" along with the unavoidable adjustment of moving from Chicago to a small farming town (with no cell phones). When we hope "Somebody's Eyes" are watching, we hope they're yours! Footloose tickets are now on sale for only $13, with shows at the American Spirit Theater on the Escondido Charter High School campus from April 16-19! Check out the ticket website for details about cast lists and show times.
*Please note that Footloose is rated PG and may be best suited for upper elementary students.
Dress Code Reminder: During the colder months, please be reminded of the following dress code expectations:
Leggings or tights can be worn under shorts, skorts, and skirts but must be either solid navy blue, white, or maroon.
All bottoms must be a uniform type material. No denim, jeans, sweats, leggings (worn as pants), cargo pants, or sweatpants are permitted.
Sweaters, sweatshirts, and hoodies must be either solid navy blue, white, or maroon.
On especially cold days, outerwear (in the form of winter jackets, parkas, and rain jackets) can be any color but may only be worn outside.
Save the Date! Heritage Talent Show and Art Display: Don’t miss "The Stars and Stripes Showcase" on May 7 from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Come support our amazing students as they showcase their unique skills and hard work. It’s going to be the highlight of the spring!
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.
Attention Parents of 6th-Graders! It’s time to prepare for seventh grade! Students entering seventh grade in August 2025 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.
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.
Wooden Wins! Pyramid of SuccessVirtue of the Month: Confidence
Throughout April, Heritage Elementary School will focus on CONFIDENCE, the final pinnacle block alongside Poise at the top of Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success. Coach Wooden defined Confidence as “Respect without fear.” It is the well-founded self-belief that comes from knowing you are prepared to do your best.
True confidence is not arrogance or bravado; it is a quiet, steady assurance. It is earned through the hard work, intentness, and skill-building we have practiced all year. As we enter the final two months of the school year—the "home stretch"—confidence allows our students to stand tall, trust in their training, and finish the year with strength.
In the classroom, Confidence looks like:
Attacking the Task: Approaching a difficult math problem or a blank writing page with the mindset of "I can figure this out."
Respect without Fear: Looking at a challenging exam or a state test as an opportunity to show what has been learned, rather than something to dread.
Quiet Assurance: Admitting when you don't know an answer, but having the confidence to go find it.
For our classical education approach, Confidence is the fruit of Mastery. When a student has spent the year mastering the "Grammar" (the fundamentals) of their subjects, they earn the right to be confident. It relates to the virtue of Magnanimity: being "great-souled," or having the courage to attempt great things because one has prepared their mind and heart for the task.
Ways Our Students Are Practicing Confidence
As we move into April and prepare for end-of-year milestones, our students are building earned self-belief through these specific actions:
State Testing Readiness (Grades 3–6): Our upper-grade students are practicing "test-taking confidence." They are learning to trust their preparation, manage their time, and approach state assessments with the steady "respect without fear" that Coach Wooden championed.
The Final Push: Students in all grades are looking back at their work from August to see how much they have grown. This reflection builds the confidence needed to tackle the more complex projects and final units of the spring semester.
Memory Work Milestones: Students are standing before their classes to recite passages of poetry or information from their capstone writing assignments, proving to themselves that they can master even the most difficult intellectual challenges.
Artistic Expression: As students prepare for spring recitals and art showcases, they are practicing the confidence to share their unique talents and hard work with the community.
Practicing Confidence at School and Home
We encourage families to help students nurture a healthy, earned confidence through these daily habits:
Highlight the Effort: Instead of saying "You're so smart," try "I can see how much you’ve practiced; your confidence is well-earned." This connects their success to their preparation.
Review the Journey: Sit down with your child and look at a piece of writing or a math sheet from the beginning of the year. Show them the tangible proof of their progress to build their "confidence bank."
Preparation is Key: Remind your child that the best cure for "test jitters" or performance anxiety is simply being prepared. When the work is done beforehand, confidence follows naturally.
Family Activities to Build Confidence
The "I Can" List: Create a list of three things that were "hard" in September but are "easy" now. Use this as a reminder when new challenges arise this month.
Mock Presentations: If your child has a presentation or a test coming up, let them "teach" the material to the family. Being the "expert" for a night builds incredible academic confidence.
Encouragement Notes: Tuck a small note into your child’s lunchbox or binder during testing weeks, reminding them that they are prepared and that you are proud of their effort, regardless of the score.
Read Together: Explore stories of individuals who succeeded because they refused to be intimidated by a challenge. Recommended titles include: The Girl Who Never Made Mistakes
by Mark Pett, Rosie Revere, Engineer
by Andrea Beaty, and biographies of figures like Abraham Lincoln or Amelia Earhart.
"Confidence comes from being prepared. You must have respect for every opponent, but fear of none. You must know in your heart that you have done the best of which you are capable." —Coach John Wooden
Affirmations for CONFIDENCE and Memory Work for April:
I am confident.
I am sure of myself and my abilities.
I am not arrogant or think I am superior to others.
I do the right thing, despite what others may think of me.
Campus Culture:
Homework Stars: Congratulations to our Homework Stars: Aaliyah in Mrs. Colwell's class, Nevaeh in Ms. Garduno's class, Elias in Ms. Abed's class, Sebastian in Miss Le Pere's class, Maya in Mrs. Andrews's class, Santiago in Ms. Chmara's class, and Parker in Miss Everett's class. These students have consistently completed all of their homework! Keep up the good work, White Tigers!
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.
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!
April 10-17: Scholastic Book Fair
April 17: Decades Day *Spirit Day*
April 16–19:Footloose, the Musical Performances at ECHS Theater
Monday, April 27-Monday, May 4: CAASPP Testing
Thursday, May 7: Heritage Elementary Talent and Art Show || Stars and Stripes Showcase, 5:30-7:30 p.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.
