We are off to a great start to the second semester! Students have settled back into routines after the break, and it has been a joy to see classrooms full of focus, energy, and learning. A reminder that returning student registration for the 2026–2027 school year has begun. You should have received an email last Thursday with the registration link. Please be sure to complete the form by Friday, February 6.
Traffic Safety Reminder
A quick but important reminder about morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up procedures. Student safety is our highest priority, and we need everyone’s help to keep traffic flowing safely.
We had another traffic accident this week involving a left turn from the exit driveway. Even though the City of Escondido sign indicates a left turn may be permitted after 8:00 a.m. and after 4:00 p.m., this is not a best practice during school traffic hours and creates unnecessary risk for students, families, and our traffic staff. The morning and afternoon commute times are especially unsafe for left turns.
Please remember:
Enter through the west driveway
Exit through the east driveway
There is no entry at the east driveway
Do not make a left turn when exiting, especially during morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up
These procedures are in place to reduce congestion and keep everyone safe. Thank you for partnering with us, slowing down, and following the traffic flow guidelines.
Please refer to the attached pick-up and drop-off map for a visual reminder of the correct routes and procedures.
Sincerely,
Sandi Knapp
Principal
AMERICAN HERITAGE CHARTER SCHOOLS
2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR LOTTERY INFORMATION
Lotteries for the 2026-2027 school year will open on October 14, 2025 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.
MEAL SERVICE PROGRAM AT HFA
January Meals
- Nutritional information is found in a link at the top of the calendar
Breakfast Reminder Breakfast is served from 8:00–8:15 a.m. No breakfasts will be served after the warning bell.
Parent Communication & Student Participation Please talk with your child each morning about whether they plan to participate in breakfast and/or lunch that day. This helps our team prepare accurate meal counts and ensures your child knows your expectations.
Allergies & Dietary Restrictions If your child has any food allergies or dietary needs, please ensure we have a doctor-signed Medical Statement Form
on file. Families may also submit a Fluid Milk Substitution Form
(parent-signed) if they prefer lactose-free, soy, or oat milk.
If you have any questions, please email Principal Sandi Knapp or Office Manager Sarah Sinohui.
NEW & TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION
DRESS CODE REMINDER: As temperatures are beginning to drop, please be reminded that sweaters, sweatshirts, hoodies, and leggings must be either solid navy blue, white, or maroon. On the especially cold days, outerwear (in the form of winter jackets, parkas, and rain jackets) can be any color but may only be worn outside.
MORNING DROP-OFF & POWER HOUR: As a reminder, HFA gates open at 8:00 a.m. Please ensure students are dropped off no earlier. If your student is attending a tutorial, drop-off should be no earlier than 7:45 a.m. Monday Power Hours do not start until 8:30. There is no supervision in the office or classrooms before that time. Our office staff and teachers use the mornings to prepare for the day ahead. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
RE-ENROLLMENT FOR TK - 7TH GRADE: It’s that time of year again! On January 8th, you will receive an email with a link to complete your re-enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year! In order to secure your seat, please take care of your paperwork no later than Thursday, February 5, 2026. If you have any questions or need assistance with the re-enrollment process, please contact Sarah Sinohui at ssinohui@amhcs.org
or by phone at (760) 466-1166. Thank you for your continued partnership, and we look forward to another successful year!
CURRENT 8TH GRADERS LETTER OF INTENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL: We are excited to announce that the enrollment period for 8th-grade students planning on attending Escondido Charter High School will open on Monday, January 12, and will close on Thursday, January 15. On January 12, you will receive an email with a link to complete your enrollment from Escondido Charter High School. If you have any questions or need assistance with the re-enrollment process, please contact Leanne Megna at lmegna@amhcs.org or by phone at (760) 737-3154.
7TH GRADE FIELD TRIP TO MEDIEVAL TIMES: Seventh-grade students from Heritage Junior High School and Heritage Flex Academy are invited to attend our annual Medieval Times field trip on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. The cost of the field trip is $40 per person, which includes transportation via charter bus, lunch, and the show. To access the permission slip and make your payment, please click HERE. Permission slips and payment must be made online no later than Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Due to payment deadlines with the venue, we cannot add reservations after the deadline. Please contact the HFA office at 760-466-1166 with any questions. We are here to help!
CONSORTIO- READING TOGETHER BOOK CLUB: Our next meeting will be on Monday, January 26, during power hour (8:30 - 9:30), we will be discussing chapters 4 and 5 on Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation. See this clip for a glimpse of our topic.
These monthly gatherings will provide a space to share practical strategies for building the practice of good mental health in our children. The anticipated dates we will have through the year are as follows: 1/26/2026, 2/23, 3/9, & 4/13. Sign up here
to join us for our first session and/or have your name on the announcements list.
8TH GRADE GIRLS: SISTER PROJECT: Please join us on January 16th at 3:35-5:00pm in the ECHS Student Union. The theme is Making Vision Boards and Mocktails! Please bring any crafting supplies you'd like to use and a snack to share with the group.
ATTENTION K-5 FAMILIES: What better way to start the new year than to gaze up at the heavens and wonder about what we see. Join us at our next Consortio: Learning Together on Monday, January 12 at 1:00 in the HFA courtyard for an introduction to our Astronomy, Exploring Space, Nature Study. Mr. Erik Beck, the curriculum creator, will be with us to offer insights and inspiration and answer any questions you may have. Students are welcome to attend with their parents.
CONSORTIO: PARTNERING WITH PARENTS: All parents are invited to Consortio: Partnering with Parents—a monthly gathering created to inspire, encourage, and support you on your parenting and educational journey. Join us for our first gathering of the New Year on Wednesday, January 21st at 8:30 AM in the 1845/TK Building as we discuss “Habits of the Heart: How Daily Rhythms Shape Our Children” Come enjoy a time of wisdom and encouragement. Childcare is provided. We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions, please contact Jill at jthomas@amhcs.org
ATTENTION HFA FAMILIES: The Yearbook team needs your assistance- We would like to use your personal pictures to be included in some of our layouts. We are looking for these pictures: 1) HFA students with their pets: Whether you have dogs or cats or horses or chickens or goats or birds - whatever animal friends you have, please share a photo with us. If you have multiple animals, go ahead and include them all! Please include the student's and animal's names. 2). HFA students doing extracurricular activities: play ball? ride horses? surf? paint? dance? scouts? martial arts? musician? a collector of something? Whatever fun stuff you do, we would love to share your pictures in the yearbook. Don't forget to label the activity and include the student's name.
Three ways to submit pictures: 1. You can use the scan code to submit pictures directly into the Yearbook website (see below and there is a code poster under the magnolia tree in the courtyard). 2. You can also send pictures via email to rdominguez@amhcs.org. 3. You can bring them to Mrs. Dominguez, who will scan them and return your originals. We would like to have all pictures by FRIDAY, January 30, 2026.
It’s time once again for the Scripps National Spelling Bee! This year each HFA 1st - 8th grade class will hold a class spelling bee during an on campus day at the end of this month. A red path winner and a blue path winner from each grade will move onto the next level of competition.
Each 1st - 5th grade winner will participate in the Elementary Spelling Bee Final at Heritage Elementary the week of February 2nd-6th. The Champion from each grade will receive accolades along with a highly prized spelling bee trophy.
Each 6th, 7th, and 8th grade winner will participate in a Heritage Spelling Bee Final on February 6th. The Heritage 6th - 8th grade Champion will move on to the county level of the Scripps National Spelling Bee competition.
Here are the lists of spelling bee words to study. Each class competition will start with words at their grade level. Once those words are exhausted, words from the next grade level list will be given. Study as many lists as you would like.
Jr High Soccer and Basketball Games: @ Valley Center Middle School - Varsity 3:30pm
WOODEN WINS VIRTUES PROGRAM
January
SKILL
I am skillful. I have an open mind, open ears, and an eagerness to learn. I am willing to put forth the hard work and practice in order to reach my goals.
"Be true to yourself. Make each day a masterpiece." -Coach John Wooden
ACADEMIC ADVISORS CONNECTION
We hope that you have been able to walk back into the school day successfully, and your kids are showing you their great work as they begin to run (see last week’s note).
Some joys of hybrid learning: one is having a curriculum established for you; another is that the parent educator can use this as a springboard to go deeper into the subject. This can be a deep dive into the history, story writing together, math games and puzzles, a science quest online, or myriad other fun things to do together.
Family conferences will take place during the weeks of January 20 and January 26. Please check the link in the email being sent this week to confirm your assigned day and time. Adjustments can be made if needed. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
January Meet-Up
We’re excited to be invited to join the field trip group with families from HFA Blue Path! Please join us on Thursday, January 29, at Swami’s Beach Tide Pools. A detailed letter and sign-up sheet were emailed on January 5. We hope you can join us!
Gaga Ball Fun on Campus: A group of HFA parents is organizing a parent-led donation to purchase an inflatable gaga ball pit for student use on campus. The school is not coordinating the fundraising or purchase. This inflatable option is easy to set up, can be stored when not in use, and only takes a few minutes to inflate. The total cost for the pit, a storage bin, and new gaga balls is $250. Families who are interested in contributing may contact Melissa Guiliano directly at 605-359-0378 for more information. We are grateful for the initiative of our parent community and their continued partnership in supporting joyful student experiences.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
January 19: No School, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday
January 21: Consortio @ TK/1845
January 26: Consortio: Reading Together
January 28: HFA Campus Tour
January 28: AHCS Board Meeting
January 29/20: Decades Day/100th Day of School Spirit Day
It’s time once again for the Scripps National Spelling Bee! This year each HFA 1st - 8th grade class will hold a class spelling bee during an on campus day at the end of this month. A red path winner and a blue path winner from each grade will move onto the next level of competition. 
