We are well underway with the 25/26 school year. I want to thank everyone who participated in our eighth grade field trip to Catalina! The weather was perfect, and the activities were amazing.
This week, tryouts for fall sports will be on Monday and Tuesday for Flag Football, Girls Volleyball, and X-country. Learn more by visiting the "Announcements" section. On Thursday we will be having our Patriot Day Assembly, so please feel free to wear your red, white, and blue patriotic gear on Thursday, September 11, 2025. Friday, September 12, the Sister Project will have their first meeting after school.
Let's have another great week. Go White Tigers!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason Gaylord
Principal
8th grade students participated in a fish scavenger hunt on Catalina Island.
Scavenger hunt participants having fun!
Action Items
Parent/Student Handbook Acknowledgment Form
We need all students and parents to sign our Parent/ Student Handbook Acknowledgment Forms, which were due by August 22, 2025, by using this link. If you would like to review the Parent/Student Handbook, then please use this link here. Students were given a hard copy of the handbook to review with their teachers the first week of school.
Students were able to touch sharks!
A view of the CIMI - Toyon Bay campgrounds.
Announcements
Class of 2026 - Eighth Grade Hoodies
We are excited to offer exclusive eighth grade hoodies to our Class of 2026 students for just $25! This will be the only opportunity to place an order this year. Orders can be placed through Friday, September 26th; unfortunately, we will not be able to accept orders after the deadline due to the production process. We hope to have hoodies available for distribution by the end of October. Every eighth grade student's name will appear on the back of the hoodie to create a "Class of 2026" image. The front of the hoodie will feature our white tiger logo and school name. To place your order, please click HERE. Note: The image shown on the order form is for reference and the year will be updated in production.
Eighth grade students will be allowed to wear their Class of 2026 hoodie any day of the week. This spirit wear exception is being made for the eighth grade students as a way of celebrating the Class of 2026 for the remainder of the school year.
Please contact the front office at 760-294-5599 if you have any questions.
Looking for a fun way to keep your daughter active on the Columbus Day school holiday? Does she want to learn about the new CIF sport of flag football? The Escondido Charter Flag Football program is hosting a fundraising clinic on Monday, October 13. This is a great chance for girls to learn the basics of the game, improve their skills, and have fun with their friends. We're offering the clinic for girls in grades 2 through 8. There are two options for the day: (1) Half-Day Clinic: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or (2) Full-Day Clinic: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Be sure to register your daughter by September 29 to ensure she gets a camp shirt! For more details and to sign up, please fill out the Google Form.
School Picture Reminder
Students who had their school photo taken on Picture Day received a proof sheet of their poses from their P.E. teacher on Friday, August 29. Please follow the instructions provided on the proofs to select which pose you would like featured in the 2025/26 school yearbook. Photo packages are also available for purchase online through Gerardy Photography, but please note that the deadline to place an order is Tuesday, September 9.
Fall Sports
The fall sports season is here! Tryouts for Girls Volleyball, Boys Flag Football, and Co-Ed Cross Country will be held on Monday, September 8th from 2:30–4:00pm and Tuesday, September 9th from 3:30–5:00pm. Tryouts for Flag Football and Cross Country will take place at the HJHS Softball Field, and volleyball tryouts will be held on the HJHS Blacktop. All HJHS and HFA 7th and 8th grade students are welcome to try out, provided they maintain a 2.0 GPA, have no Fs, and are in good standing with administration(no detentions or Saturday schools). Once teams are formed, practices will be held on Mondays, with games and competitions taking place mainly on Thursdays and Fridays. The season will run from September through the first week of November—come ready to compete, grow, and represent your school with pride! Please click HERE
for the practice and game schedule.
Sister Project Event
Our first event will be on Friday, September 12, from 3:35–5:00 p.m. at ECHS in the Student Union. Please bring a snack to share with the group and be prepared to meet your sister! If you have any questions, please reach out to Jennifer Scaramuzza at jscaramuzza@amhcs.org.
Calling all White Tigerettes. Come out and cheer with our ECHS Cheer team under the Friday Night Lights! Our fall cheer clinic will take place at Heritage Elementary School from Monday, September 15, to Thursday, September 18. Check in at 3:15, the clinic will begin at 3:30 and end at 5 pm. The White Tigerettes will cheer the first and second quarters of the varsity game on Friday, September 19th, at Orange Glen High School. We look forward to seeing you at our Fall Clinic! Sign up at this link.
Back-to-School Night
Join us on Thursday, September 18, 2025, for Back-to-School Night at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will start promptly in the East Valley Community Center located at 2245 E. Valley Parkway, Escondido, California, 92027, next to Heritage Junior High School. The event will conclude at 8:00 p.m.
Back-to-School BBQ and Volunteer Procedures
Following Back-to-School Night, we will be having our Back-to-School BBQ for students and staff on Friday, September 19, 2025. During lunch, students may enjoy grilled hamburgers (vegetarian option available), hot dogs, chips, a dessert, and a water bottle. There is no cost for the BBQ other than a smile and possibly a thank you to the volunteers facilitating lunch.
If you would like to volunteer, we would be more than happy to have you; however, we have a new process in place this year. Please download the application HERE, to be completed and returned to the front office along with some form of current government-issued photo identification (driver's license, passport, military ID, US or other governmental identification), to be scanned for a background check. Additionally, volunteers must read the AHCS Volunteer Handbook, which is the final page of the handbook. Please call the front office at 760-294-5599 with any questions or to express your interest in volunteering for the BBQ.
Wooden Wins
Each month we will be focusing on a virtue to develop the hearts and minds of our students. September’s virtue is Alertness, the ability to observe constantly, stay open-minded, and be eager to learn and improve. Here is a link to the poster. Please feel free to use this resource to speak to your kids about virtue at home. We will recognize our Self-Control and Alertness recipients at our Wooden Wins Assembly on October 3, 2025, in the East Valley Community Center (EVCC) Gym, adjacent to the HJHS campus.
Catalina students waiting for activity instruction.
Reminders
School Hours
Monday: 8:05 a.m. to 2:10 p.m.
Tuesday-Friday: 8:05 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
Tutorial is offered Tuesday through Friday 3:10-3:50 p.m.
Punctuality Reminder
We need all of our parents’ support to ensure students arrive at school no later than 7:55 a.m. Students are able to arrive at school as early as 7:35 a.m. The expectation is for all students to be unpacked, seated, and ready to learn when the bell rings at 8:05 a.m. Being on time (or early!) is a sign of respect. Thanks for your support!
Drop-off and Pick-up
Enter at the southwest corner of the parking lot, drive straight to the East Valley Community Center, make a left and drive to the front of HJHS for drop-off/pick-up. See the traffic map here. Please be patient as the first few weeks are very busy.
Parents, please make sure that you are following our traffic pattern for drop-off and pick-up. Most of our families do a great job helping us by following the rules of the road in our drop-off and pick-up areas. Please note that these rules and regulations are in place to keep you, your students, and staff safe. Additionally, these guidelines are in place to keep our neighbors safe and able to use the roadways as designed. Please support us by following the rules and the law. We really appreciate your help!
Dress Code
All students are expected to wear uniforms. Please refer to the Heritage Junior High School Dress Code here for more details. Students may wear American Heritage Charter Schools (AHCS) spirit-wear every Friday. Please feel free to use this link to purchase uniform tops throughout the 2025-26 school year.
Tutorial
On August 26, 2025, HJHS started holding tutorials. Tutorial will be regularly held Tuesday through Friday after school from 3:10-3:50 p.m. Please use this linkfor reference. Students staying for tutorial, must remain on campus. They may not leave and come back to campus. If you would like to know if your student attended, please contact the front desk. We have students sign in every day for tutorial. If you need your student to leave early, then you must sign them out in the front office like a regular school day. Please note that tutorial is a privilege and students attending must be prepared to work on homework or ask for help. Tutorial will not run on modified or minimum days. Please feel encouraged to contact your student's teacher if you would like them to address specific needs.
Eighth grade students enjoying free time on the Catalina field trip.
Mark your calendars!
September 8: Fall Sports Tryouts
September 9: School Picture Orders Due Online
September 11: Patriot Day (Red, White, Blue Spirit Wear)
September 12: Sister Project
September 18: Back-to-School Night
September 19: Back-to-School BBQ and End of Grading Period
September 22: Half-Day (12:15 p.m. Dismissal)
October 3: Wooden Wins Assembly
October 13: Columbus Day (No School)
October 20: Non-Student Day (No School) / Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 21 - 24: Parent/Teacher Conferences (2:10 p.m. Dismissal)
We appreciate you taking the time to read this important message. We want to encourage you to check for this email weekly and call the front office if you have any additional questions.
