Monday (10/6) - Friday (10/10) Hero Training Week Tuesday (10/7), CSU Application Workshop Wednesday (10/8), Grade 11 College Bound Seminar Monday (10/13), Columbus Day Holiday (No School) Thursday (10/16), PSAT (Grade 10) Friday (10/17), PSAT (Grade 11) Friday (10/17), End of Second Grading Period Saturday (10/18), Saturday School Monday (10/20), Winter Sports Night Monday (10/20) - Friday (10/24), Homecoming Spirit Week Tuesday (10/21), NHS Blood Drive Friday (10/24), Homecoming Football Game Saturday (10/25), Homecoming Dance Wednesday (10/29), Grade 10 College Bound Seminar Friday (10/31) co Curricular Pep Ralley (Assembly Bell) Tuesday (11/11) Veterans Day (No School) Wednesday (11/12) Veterans Day Assembly (Assembly Bell)
NEW & TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Grade 11 College Bound Seminar This Wednesday, October 8, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m, is the Grade 11 College Bound Seminar hosted by our ECHS Student Services team. We encourage all junior parents and students to attend. Topics include: graduation requirements, benefits of a college degree, selecting the right college fit, college admissions criteria, standardized testing, NCAA, cost of college, financial aid and scholarships.
AHCS Musical Theater presents The Wizard of Oz Ready to see a musical that will give you all the feels? Join us as AHCS students of all ages showcase their talents in this year’s production of The Wizard of Oz! This show is guaranteed to make your heart grow three sizes, and you’ll quickly realize there's no place like theater. Just follow the yellow brick road to a show packed with heart, brains, and courage, incredible songs, and spectacular sights. Tickets are on sale now, with shows at the American Spirit Theater on the Escondido Charter High School campus from November 6-9. Check out the show times below, and click here to purchase your tickets. It's a gale-force of fun you won't want to miss!
SHOWTIMES Thursday, November 6* -4:30 p.m. (EMERALD CAST) *ECHS Students $6 cash at the door while supplies last Friday, November 7 -7:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST) Saturday, November 8 -2:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST) -7:00 p.m. (EMERALD CAST) Sunday, November 9 -2:00 p.m. (EMERALD CAST) -7:00 p.m. (RUBY CAST)
2025 ECHS Homecoming
We are excited to announce that the 2025 ECHS Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, October 25, from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m. on the ECHS campus!
Please carefully review the following information regarding the dance:
ECHS students MUST purchase their tickets and complete the permission slip online.
The permission slip for ECHS students (excluding guests) is integrated into the online purchasing process; therefore, there is no necessity to complete a paper permission slip. All tickets are non-transferable and can only be used by the person who filled out the permission slip.
Guests from outside of ECHS are required to purchase their tickets online AND complete separate paper permission slips. The guest ticket document is found on the first page of the signup form. Guests must be high school students at least 14 years of age. While graduated students are eligible to attend, they cannot be more than 20 years old. Outside guests can also access their paper permission slips here. They must print and manually sign the permission slips. ECHS admin must approve the guests. ECHS students are expected to present the completed permission slips of their outside guests when collecting tickets.
Tickets will be available for sale from September 26 through October 23. However, the tickets will GO UP IN PRICE EACH WEEK, so get your tickets early! Here are the prices by date: September 26-October 3 - $40, October 4-10 - $45, October 11-17 - $50, and October 18-23 - $55.
A student's reservation for the dance is NOT CONFIRMED until they have obtained their ticket. Students may collect their tickets during lunch at the clock tower on the following dates: October 14-17 and 21-24.
Every student and parent is required to carefully review the dress code outlined in the sign-up form. Students failing to adhere to the dress code will be denied entry to the dance. No refunds will be issued if a student is refused entry.
Students must present identification (typically their school ID card or driver's license) and their ticket for admission to the dance. Students from other schools must also present valid identification.
Additional guest permission slips can be obtained from the front office.
Space is limited! Once again, please note that your reservation for the dance is only finalized upon ticket pickup and submission of all pertinent permission slips for guests. To purchase your ticket, kindly click on the appropriate link below!
H.E.R.O Week Beginning the week of October 6, all AHCS students will participate in a week-long safety training called H.E.R.O. week. During the training, students will learn important safe-thinking skills associated with the protective responses of hide, escape, run, and overcome. During each day of H.E.R.O. training, students will participate in a thirty-minute daily lesson where they learn safe-thinking skills and personal empowerment strategies through age-appropriate activities, stories, and classroom discussions. These lessons will be most effective if they are followed by student-parent discussions at home.
The H.E.R.O. Program has been vetted by numerous focus groups consisting of students, teachers, school administrators, school psychologists, university faculty, law enforcement, and most importantly, parents. The AHCS staff is confident that the curriculum and training is not only age appropriate, but is in alignment with our school’s educational philosophy.
If you would like additional information about the curriculum, we encourage you to visit the Safe Kids Inc.’s website. You can also download the free H.E.R.O. Companion Guides for Parents for different age-spans by clicking on the “Resources'' tab located on the top menu bar of the website. Parents may also access additional resources, including a guide for discussing school violence with children, as well as guides for younger and older students to help them think about safety.
Halloween Costume Reminder As a reminder, ECHS does not allow students to dress up in costume on Halloween. Students will be sent home if they arrive in any sort of costume attire. Please plan accordingly.
Winter Sports Night Are you interested in sports at ECHS this winter? Our Athletics Department would like Please Join us Monday, October 20 from 6:30 - 8:00 pm at Escondido Charter High School American Spirit Theater as we provide important information about our sports programs and for our athletic department. This will be a great opportunity to connect with all of our coaches and athletic department staff.
(All winter athletes and parents must attend this event before participating in an ECHS winter sport.) We are often asked, “I have attended these events before, Do I need to attend again?” The answer is,"Yes. We will be providing you with changes from AMHCS and CIF so it is important that all parents,student-athletes,and coaches attend."
PARENTS
Progressive Dinner Progressive Dinner is on Saturday, December 6, this year! We will load up on buses, travel to the homes of ECHS families, eat food, carol in neighborhoods, and then return to the campus for some socializing and dessert. More information will be coming out in the Charter Notes in the coming weeks. Ticket sales will begin the week of November 3. If your family can host 50 students for appetizers or the entree, please let Ms. Young know at kyoung@amhcs.org.
Parent Volunteer Organization The PVO has a fundraising event and is selling Pizza/Drink combination tickets for $5 at the Winter sports night on October 20.
LOTTERY & ENROLLMENT
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 at https://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 at https://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 at https://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.
ACADEMIC & STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION
Grade 10 College Bound Seminar Sophomore students and parents are encouraged to attend the Grade 10 College Bound Seminar on Wednesday, October 29, from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. It will be hosted by our ECHS Student Services team. Topics include: the career exploration process, college information, paying for college, and more.
PSAT NMSQT ECHS will be paying for all grade 10 and grade 11 students on the 230/260 credit plan to take the PSAT/NMSQT in October. Please see the following dates and times below: Thursday, October 16 (Grade 10) - 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, October 17 (Grade 11) - 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please see the Student Guide Link
for more information on the exam.
AP Testing Deposit An AP testing deposit of $40.00 is due by Monday, November 3. AP testing is in May, but tests must be ordered in the fall. If you are planning to take an AP test, make sure you log into your College Board account, join the class/test, and then submit your deposit using this link. For questions, email Mrs. Dunlap at edunlap@amhcs.org
or visit her in D-201.
Peer Tutors Needed Are you a strong student looking to make a difference? Student Services is seeking peer tutors to mentor fellow students. As a peer tutor, you'll be paired with a student and help them with a specific academic subject for about an hour each week. This is a great opportunity to earn community service hours, build your resume, and help a peer succeed. Interested? Fill out our form to get started!
College Visits ECHS is offering on campus college visits. Sign up for the HQ presentations using the link below No sign up is needed for lunch presentations, just swing by their table in the quad. Tuesday, October 7: 12:30 - 12:55 p.m. - Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Sign upHERE Wednesday October 8: 12:30 - 12:55 p.m. - San Diego State University - Sign upHERE Tuesday, October 14: 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. - Point Loma Nazarene University Wednesday October 15: 12:30 - 12:55 p.m. - Hillsdale College - Sign up HERE Thursday October 16: 1:00 - 1:30 p.m. - University of the Pacific Thursday October 16: 3:35 - 4:00 p.m. - Chapman University
STUDENT SERVICE INFORMATION FOR SENIORS
Senior College Information Form Seniors, have you finalized your list of college applications yet? Remember you must turn in your Senior College Information Form to your academic advisor (Mrs. Withem, Mrs. Collier, or Mr. Prodan) two weeks before your first application deadline. Filled out, the form should look like this. That means if you are one of the few students applying to a school with an early action deadline of October 15, you should turn in that form by the end of this week. Your Academic Advisor can help you fill out the form in your senior meeting, or you can come visit the Student Services Center in D-201 for help.
Senior CSU Application Workshop Thinking about applying to CSU San Marcos, San Diego State, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo or any of the other 19 California State Universities? On Tuesday, October 7, ECHS Student Services will be hosting the CSU Application Workshop in the Flex Lab after school from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. You can RSVP here. The CSU Application
window opens October 1, and will close Monday, December 2. There is no early action or early decision for the CSU Application, so take your time and make sure you are filling out the application correctly.
PROJECT NEXT
Project Next Career Coaching Ms. Osorio, our Career Coach with Project Next, is here to support students with their next steps after high school. She is available on Mondays from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesdays through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the ECHS Future Center. Check out the menu of services here, book an appointment here, or email her at tatiana@projectnext.org. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to stay updated on events and opportunities throughout the year at echs_futurecenter.
Tuesday, October 7
: Money Matters- Budget Tracking will be hosted in the Future Center from 12:55 to 1:30 p.m. and is presented by our partners at Financial Beginnings.
Thursday, October 9: The Hunter Manufacturing Day Field Trip
will be from 12:00 to 2:45 p.m. We have 6 spots available. Please use the QR code on the attached flyer to join our interest list.
Tuesday, October 21: The Show Imaging Field Trip
will be from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. We have 24 spots available. Please use the QR code on the attached flyer to join our interest list.
CAMPUS CULTURE & COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Town and Country Town and Country will meet on Tuesday, October 14, and Tuesday, October 28. Please get a permission slip from the front office or the future center, and bring it with you the first time you attend to volunteer. A new permission slip is needed each year. This is a community service opportunity.
National Honor Society Blood Drive Our first Blood Drive will be Tuesday, October 21, from 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. To sign up, go to redcrossblood.org
and select the correct drive, then sign up for a time slot. Soon, there will be flyers with QR codes to use as well. If you successfully donate, you will receive 1 hour of community service, and will be excused from class during that period of time. You will also get a free T-shirt. You must be 16 and have a signed permission slip in order to donate. See Mrs. Dixon-Reister for the permission slip or more information.
Wizard of Oz Volunteers Sign up to work backstage for the Fall Musical, Wizard of Oz! (Second week in November) Lots of jobs to choose from. No experience needed. Pick up an application in the theater or the Flex office and return it to Mrs. McCormick in the theater during lunchtime or after school.
Harmony Hacks Club at CSUSM The Harmony Hacks Club at CSUSM Computer Science is inviting high school girls who are imaginative, creative, out-of-the-box thinkers, excited about technology and music; no matter their skill level! Please see the attached flyer
for more details. Feel free to share the information with any other interested high school girls who are interested in participating. You can register here.
Saxon Day ECHS Saxon Day is coming soon on Friday, November 21! We’re looking for creative, math-themed videos and live performances celebrating John Saxon and the math curriculum. Whether it's a skit, parody, or musical performance, be sure it's fun, engaging, and school-appropriate. All submissions are due by Friday, November 7, and must follow the ECHS Saxon Day Guidelines. Check out this Best of Saxon Day
folder for some great inspiration! Lastly, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Mr. Booth at cabooth@amhcs.org. Let’s make this Saxon Day truly mathtastic!
Math & Science Club Beginning Monday, October 13, Emmanuel Faith Community Church is offering a weekly math & science club from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. They have one-on-one small-group tutoring in all levels of math and science, support from retired/current teachers and professionals in STEM fields, Dinner and engaging activities each week. Please see the attached flyer. You can sign up at this link.
Travel to BELIZE 2026 You are invited to TRAVEL WITH US TO BELIZE JUNE 2026! We have spots left for our trip to Belize. Come explore ancient ruins, zipline through wonder, ride a tube through a cave, visit the Belize zoo and so much more! Guaranteed fun! This is not a school sponsored trip. Everyone is welcome to join including families! The trip is all inclusive: airfare, lodging, meals, and activities. Email Ms. Sanchez tsanchez@amhcs.org to get on the interest list and check out this link for the complete details and to sign up.
Community Service Opportunity Do you want to dress up like a creepy clown or zombie? Do you want to coordinate some spooky carnival games? Old Poway Park is looking for volunteers for their Once Upon A Halloween event on Saturday, October 25. Here is the link
to sign up, and learn more about the volunteer positions.
Community Service Opportunity Heritage Elementary's ELO-Program is looking for high school volunteers. Volunteers will help students with homework as well as aiding teachers in a variety of classes such as coding, 3d printing, art, dance and more! If you are interested in helping our youngest White Tigers and earning community service hours, please click on this link.
ATHLETICS
ECHS Athletics Please check our athletics website, for the latest updates! You may also contact our athletic department at echsathletics@amhcs.org, if you have any questions. We look forward to sharing with you as we Play As One!
ISPE If you are enrolled in ISPE this year, please click on the link that correlates to your program TCP
or CLP
to input your hours. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Mallie at mgreen@amhcs.org.
Co-Curricular Eligibility Policy The ECHS Co-Curricular Eligibility Policy has been recently updated. To review the policy, click HERE.
OUR MISSION IS TO DEVELOP THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OUR STUDENTS THROUGH A RIGOROUS CORE CURRICULUM WITH A PERSPECTIVE THAT CHERISHES TIMELESS VIRTUES AND THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.
