It was wonderful to see all the love ❤️ last week on Valentine’s Day! Welcome to Week 25. This week will be a short one as we observe the Presidents Day holiday on Monday.
Next week, February 25–27, many of our HFA teachers and academic advisors, along with a group of educators and administrators from other AHCS campuses, will attend the Great Hearts Classical Learning Symposium in Tempe, AZ. We look forward to bringing back fresh ideas and renewed inspiration to further strengthen our classical learning approach and culture for our students.
During this time, trusted substitute teachers will be serving in classrooms to ensure learning continues smoothly while our teachers are away. We are grateful for your support as our team invests in professional growth that directly benefits our students and school community.
With kind regards, 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 closed 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 closed 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 closed 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 closed 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
Attention 6-8th Grade Students:AI Intensive with Stanford Mentors: Inspirit AI
is a 25-hour summer research program taught by Stanford academics that allows students to learn and apply AI to build impactful projects such as AI-driven medical research. Applications
are due by March 1st.
A Note from Mrs. Peterson, the music teacher ~
Music in Action is NEXT WEEK
If your student signed up for Music in Action, please encourage them to be sure to plan, prepare and practice :) Music in Action will take place during music class Tues/Wed Feb. 17th/18th.
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 that want to share their talent :)
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me at rpeterson@amhcs.org
ATTENTION HFA FAMILIES: Have you ordered your yearbook yet? BUY YEARBOOK HERE
CONSORTIO
THIS WEEK! 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 16:
No School in honor of President's Day
Tuesday, February 17:
Wednesday, February 18:
Consortio: Partnering with Parents, 8:30 am @ 1845/TK Building
Jr High Games @ San Pasqual - V - 3:30pm, JV - 4:30pm
Sister Project Meeting: @ ECHS Student Union - 3:30pm
WOODEN WINS VIRTUES PROGRAM
FEBRUARY
TEAM SPIRIT
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
ACADEMIC ADVISORS CONNECTION
We hope you are enjoying the long weekend with your kiddos. We will jump back into classroom learning on Tuesday and look forward to those smiling faces and happy voices filling the campus.
Looking ahead, we have Check-in #3 coming up from March 3 through March 6. Now is a good time to check over your student’s work in detail and put those grade marks on every page if you have not already done so. Look back in their workbooks and see how far they have come and how their skills have grown. And celebrate those daily successes with a hug!
We had a wonderful turnout for our Happy Heart Haven meet-up, including a few families from last year who joined us again. A heartfelt thank you to the Walker Family for opening their beautiful animal sanctuary and giving us the opportunity to learn, touch, feel, and feed the rescued animals. It was a meaningful and joyful learning experience for everyone!
Conference Time
Conferences start this week on February 17th and continue next week Feb. 23rd-25th. Please see the link in the email sent out this past week to confirm your conference day and time. Adjustments can be made if needed. Otherwise, be sure to add it to your calendar, and I look forward to meeting with you then!
Our kindergarten through fifth graders joined us at Consortio: Learning Together this past Monday to design and build their very own moon landers. It was so much fun to watch their wonder come to life. Thank you to all of you who joined us.
COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES
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.
CALLING ALL HFA ARTISTS: The Escondido Art Association is a 66-year-old non-profit Art organization whose mission is to support, educate and promote local artists and the exhibition of their artwork. The Kids Kaleidoscope Art Show is part of our ongoing commitment to nurture the artistic journey of our community’s young people by offering the unique opportunity of professional gallery exhibition. The 2026 Kids Kaleidoscope Exhibition is made possible in part with a donation in honor of Dixie G. Wood and other generous donors. More information can be found here.
A great opportunity from our Project Next from ECHS.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
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
