This week carries a special significance for our campus. As we turn the calendar from April to May, we are transitioning into the most pivotal stretch of the academic year. This is the moment where our year-long focus on character and classical inquiry culminates in action.
Beginning this week, our students in grades 3–6 will embark on their annual state assessments. While testing is only one measure of a student’s journey, it is a vital tool that helps us celebrate academic growth and refine our future instruction.
We ask for your partnership in ensuring your child’s attendance and punctuality during this window. Every moment of preparation counts, and arriving at school on time helps our students enter their classrooms with a sense of calm and readiness.
As of this past Friday, we have officially reached the End of the Third Grading Period. We are now in the final stretch!
Progress Checks: Parents of students in grades 4–6 are encouraged to check the Grades Portal
this Tuesday for the most up-to-date information on student progress.
Sixth Grade Spirit: On Friday, our 6th graders debuted their “Class of 2032” spirit shirts! It is a bittersweet reminder of how far they have come and the bright futures awaiting them.
Yearbooks: We have officially completed the 2025-2026 yearbook! With fewer than 80 copies remaining, please consider purchasing yours soon to secure these memories before they are gone.
Throughout April, our teachers have worked diligently to instill confidence in our students: the quiet assurance that comes from being well-prepared. This week, we build upon that foundation as we reach the very pinnacle of Coach John Wooden’s Pyramid of Success: Competitive Greatness.
Coach Wooden defined Competitive Greatness simply: “Being at your best when your best is needed.” As we begin state testing and dive into final projects, we are teaching our students that "competition" isn't necessarily about beating someone else; it is about the internal drive to perform at one's highest level when the challenge is greatest. It is the marriage of a prepared mind and a courageous heart.
We want our White Tigers to embrace these upcoming assessments not as a burden, but as an opportunity to demonstrate their "Competitive Greatness.” We want students to show the world the depth of their knowledge and the strength of their character.
Thank you for your continued support as we help our students bring their best, most enthusiastic selves to school each day. Let's finish this year with the poise and excellence that defines the Heritage community. Go White Tigers!
Yours in learning,
Marc Gilbertson
Important Announcements:
Grading Period End: Friday, April 24 marked the end of the final grading period before the end of the semester. For 4-6 grade students, please check the Grades Portal
on Tuesday, April 28 after 9:00 a.m. to view your child’s most current progress in each subject area. This is a great opportunity to set some year-end goals as we look toward the final month of school.
State Testing (CAASPP) Readiness: Heritage Elementary School will administer the state assessments this week. During this time, we could use the support of each family in maintaining consistent attendance, emphasizing punctuality, encouraging best efforts, and ensuring that students are well-rested and have a healthy breakfast to start out each morning.
Teacher Appreciation Week: May 4–8 is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week! We can use help from parents to help coordinate this year’s teacher appreciation events. If you are looking for ways to contribute, please see the email from Mr. Gilbertson and Mrs. Cook sent on April 15. Families who would like to contribute to the week’s events can Venmo Mrs. Osmena using this link
or bring donations to the main office. You can also join the Heritage parent Facebook group entitled, “Esco Heritage Charter K-6 Parents and Friends” for updates from some of our parents. Thank you in advance for helping us celebrate our teachers and instructional aides!
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!
Date Change! Tropical Aloha Spirit Day on May 15: Please mark your calendars that our final spirit day of the school year, Tropical Aloha, and our final "Wooden Wins!" character assembly have been moved to Friday, May 15.
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.
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!
Dress Code Reminder: 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.
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: Penelope in Ms. Luis's class, Jasmine in Mrs. Martineau's class, Andrew in Mrs. Scarpello's class, Solenge in Mrs. Seavello's class, Cami in Ms. Hoffman's class, Bryce in Mrs. Lemus's class, and Bella in Ms. Hellinger'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!
Monday, April 27-Monday, May 4: CAASPP Testing
Wednesday, May 6: End-of-Year BBQ!
Thursday, May 7: Heritage Elementary Talent and Art Show || Stars and Stripes Showcase, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Friday, May 15: Tropical Aloha *Spirit Day* (note: date change!
)
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.
