What a fun week on campus! Celebrating the 100th day of school brought out some very convincing “geriatric” kindergartners, and our decades spirit day did not disappoint. The 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s were all well represented. It turns out HFA ages beautifully.
We also loved welcoming Mrs. Sandy Nichols as our guest speaker at the Wooden Wins Assembly. Her message around the virtues skill and condition gave students a clear and encouraging picture of what it looks like to practice character with intention. It was a meaningful moment of reflection and growth for our community.
Thank you for helping make our school such a joyful, connected place. We’re looking forward to another strong week of learning ahead.
Sincerely,
Mrs. 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
Heritage Flex Academy offers free breakfast and free lunch for all students. There is no need to sign up in advance.
February Meals
- Nutritional information is found in a link at the bottom of the calendar
Breakfast Reminder Breakfast is served from 8:00–8:15 am. 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
RE-ENROLLMENT FOR TK - 7TH GRADE: It’s that time of year again! On January 8th, you received an email with a link to complete your re-enrollment for the 2026-2027 school year! In order to secure your seat, please complete your registration 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!
SPRING SPORTS ANNOUNCEMENT: We are excited to launch our Junior High Spring Sports Season! This season, we have Boys Soccer and Girls Basketball.
Tryouts are Monday, February 2, 2:30 - 3:30 PM & Tuesday, February 3, 3:30 - 4:30 PM
Boys Soccer - ECHS Soccer Field
Girls Basketball - HJHS Blacktop
All requirements remain the same as our other sports seasons: • Maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher • Be in good behavioral and attendance standing • All sports clearance forms must be completed prior to first competition
LAST CALL! 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!
A Note from Mrs. Peterson, the music teacher ~
Hello families! We are adding something fun to music class this semester, called "Music in Action" (many students may remember this from last year). Our first one is just 2 weeks away! I've included some information about it below:
Music in Action
Who: Your students :)
What: A time for students to share with their class a musical talent (a song, playing an instrument, dance, poetry, chant, music video, cheer, etc.)
When: February 17th/18th during music class (1:30-2:00 min. max)
Why: promotes performing, encourages having the courage to stand in front of people & also teaches students how to be a good audience member
If playing an instrument, your student will need to bring it to school (or they can record themselves and send me the video via email). I am planning to bring a keyboard for any pianists who want to share their talent :)
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me atrpeterson@amhcs.org
ATTENTION HFA FAMILIES: Have you ordered your yearbook yet? BUY YEARBOOK HERE
Parents, did you want to showcase your student(s) in the yearbook? The deadline for ads is February 6, 2026! See flyer below for more info!
The Yearbook team needs your photos! 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, February 6, 2026.
CONSORTIO
CONSORTIO - LEARNING TOGETHER: K-5 families, join us for some out of this world science fun on Monday, February 9, at 1:00 in the HFA courtyard. We will work together to complete the ‘Make a Moon Lander’ challenge (here) found on week 25 of your FlexGrid. Bring your Nature Journal and pencil box. We will have some materials for building your Moon Lander available at school, but we encourage you to bring supplies suggested in the video and/or any supplies you think you will want to use for your creation.
CONSORTIO: Partnering with Parents @ 1845/TK BUILDING: We are delighted to invite you to Consortio: Partnering with Parents, a monthly gathering designed to inspire, encourage, and support you in your parenting and educational journey. Please join us on Wednesday, February 18th at 8:30 AM in the 1845/TK Building for our Teacher Spotlight: Lessons that Inspire at Home and at School. Our very own Mr. Johnny Class - Jr. High Humanities teacher and Heritage Elementary School parent - will share practical insights and meaningful encouragement for families. Enjoy a time of wisdom, discussion, and connection with fellow parents. Children are welcome. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please contact Jill at jthomas@amhcs.org
CONSORTIO- READING TOGETHER BOOK CLUB: Our next meeting is on February 23rd, during power hour (8:30 - 9:30), we will be discussing chapters 6-8 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: 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.
THIS WEEK AT HFA
Monday, February 2:
Power Hour: begins at 8:30 am, please see your teacher’s weekly email for more information
Third Grade Spelling Bee Finals @ Heritage Elementary School, 8:15 am
Yearbook Class @ 10:00 am
Jr High Boys Soccer Tryouts @ ECHS Soccer Field from 2:30-3:30
Jr High Girls Basketball Tryouts @ Heritage Junior High Blacktop from 2:30-3:30
Tuesday, February 3:
Jr High Boys Soccer Tryouts @ ECHS Soccer Field from 3:30-4:30
Jr High Girls Basketball Tryouts @ Heritage Junior High Blacktop from 3:30-4:30
Wednesday, February 4:
First Grade Spelling Bee Finals @ Heritage Elementary School, 8:15 am
I have team spirit. I am considerate and respectful of others. I am willing to put "we" above "me". I sacrifice my own personal interest for the good of the team.
“You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone without the thought of repayment.” -Coach John Wooden
Valentine Field Trip & Party Next Thursday:We hope you can join us for our upcoming Valentine Field Trip and Party at Happy Heart Haven on Thursday, February 12th at 10:00 AM. A letter with additional details, along with a sign-up form to attend, was emailed on January 23rd if you’d like to refer back to it. Happy Heart Haven is an incredible sanctuary for rescued animals and provides a meaningful opportunity for the children to learn, explore, and have fun in a truly special environment. We are so excited to share this experience with our students and families and hope you’ll be able to join us for this memorable day. Feel free to take a moment to learn more about this wonderful organization - Happy Heart Haven is truly something special!
Swami’s Beach Tide Pools:We also wanted to share what a wonderful time we had at Swami Beach this past Thursday! The children had an amazing opportunity to explore a vast variety of sea creatures, and it was such a joy to see their excitement and delight with each new discovery. To top it all off, we were treated to a beautiful, sunny San Diego day, which made the experience even more special. It was truly a memorable and enriching adventure for everyone!
LEGOLAND FIELD TRIP OPPORTUNITY: The Blue Path K-3rd Field Trip Group is inviting all HFA and Flex Home Learning students (grades TK-8th) and their chaperones to join them at Legoland on Friday, May 29th! Ticket prices and information as well as details about the event will be emailed out to those who sign up via this Legoland Field Trip Form. If there are specific questions, please reach out to Annie White at thewhitefamily417@gmail.com.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
February 9: Consortio: Learning Together
February 12: Virtual Learning Day
February 13: No School, Lincoln's Birthday
February 16: No School, President's Day
February 18: Consortio @ TK/1845 Building
February 18: AHCS Board Meeting
February 23: Consortio: Reading Together
February 25: HFA Campus Tour
February 26/27: Dr. Seuss/ Mismatch Spirit Day
March 2: Parent Teacher Conferences
March 3-6: TK-5th Grade Check-In
March 9: Parent Conferences
March 13: End of Grading Period
March 18: Consorito: Partnering with Parents; @ 1845/TK
March 23: HFA Spring Showcase
March 25: AHCS Board Meeting
March 25: HFA Campus Tour
March 26 & 27: Wooden Wins; Career Day/When I Grow Up Spirit Day
