Welcome to Week 8 and October! We had a busy but fun week last week with a joint evacuation drill, FastBridge testing, volleyball and flag football games, a cross-country meet, and Roman Day. Well done to all the students participating and engaging in those activities. Please continue to encourage your students to get involved. It matters.
This week should be business as usual with a Wooden Wins Assembly on Friday, where we will recognize those who best demonstrated the virtues of Self Control and Alertness. We will also be holding a Saturday School for those students who need more time and extra support, along with a few students who are missing a lot of school or need to be there for disciplinary reasons. Regardless, it is a great opportunity for students to get caught up and receive support.
Let's have another great week. Go White Tigers!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason Gaylord
Principal
Mr. Liuag coaching the recent flag football game versus Escondido Christian.
Action Items
Sign Up for Parent/Teacher Conferences
The Heritage Junior High School faculty would like to invite you to attend Parent/Teacher Conferences to discuss any issues or concerns that you may have. Conferences are not required, but we recommend that you schedule a time to meet with your student's teachers if they are earning below a C grade or if clarification is needed for course and teacher expectations. Parent communication between home and school is extremely critical in providing an effective instructional environment for our children. Our teachers truly appreciate the support that you give your child in his/her education while at home.
This year's formal Parent/Teacher Conference schedule is as follows:
Monday, October 20, 2025: 7:40 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday–Friday, October 21–24: 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
To request a meeting with your student's teachers, please use the link HERE to sign up. If you would like to meet with two teachers, we suggest you schedule back-to-back appointments using each teacher's link. However, if you would like to meet with three or more teachers, please call the front office at 760-294-5599, and we will coordinate a single meeting for the group, if possible. We are also offering a NEW option to schedule a telephone call rather than an in-person meeting when scheduling a conference. Finally, if you require a different date or time than we have listed, please do not hesitate to call the front office so that we may schedule something more convenient for you.
2025–2026 Yearbooks
The 2025/2026 yearbook is on sale now. It's a lasting way to look back on friends, milestones, and school spirit. Secure your student's copy while supplies last. Go to https://jostensyearbooks.com/?REF=A01121139
to order your copy today.
8th Grade Yearbook Ads
If you are a parent of an 8th grader and would like to purchase a personalized ad in the yearbook to celebrate your student, space is very limited, so act now before all the ad space is sold out. Visit https://www.jostens.com/apps/jcom/router.mvc?affiliateId=2229818
to place your ad. Note: Ads are for 8th grade students only. The price for the ad does not include the cost of the yearbook.
Coaches Cozzi and Liuag leading the flag football teams to a victory at Escondido Christian School.
Announcements
American Heritage Charter Schools 2026-2027 School 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 School: 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.
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 award recipients at our Wooden Wins Assembly on October 3, 2025, in the East Valley Community Center (EVCC) Gym, adjacent to the HJHS campus.
October's virtue is Initiative, which is cultivating the ability to make decisions and think alone. Displaying initiative also means acting without the fear of failure, and having the willingness to learn from defeat. Here is a link to the poster. We will recognize our Initiative award recipients at our Wooden Wins Assembly on October 31, 2025, at the EVCC.
H.E.R.O. Training
Please note that the following week, October 6–10, 2025, we will be completing our H.E.R.O. training. The program is for the purpose of preparing our campus in case of an emergency. Simply, the acronym H.E.R.O. stands for Hide, Escape, Run, and Overcome. It prepares students for flexible response if action needs to be taken. Please also let us know if you have any questions about the curriculum or training during that week, and we will be happy to help.
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.
Mark your calendars!
October 3: Wooden Wins Assembly (Self Control and Alertness)
October 4: Saturday School
October 13: Columbus Day (No School)
October 14: Lottery Opens for 2026/27 School Year
October 17: End of Grading Period
October 20: Non-Student Day (No School) / Parent/Teacher Conferences
October 21–24: Parent/Teacher Conferences (2:10 p.m. Dismissal)
October 31: Wooden Wins Assembly (Initiative)
November 11: Veterans Day (No School)
November 14: Veterans Day Assembly
November 20: Minimum Day (12:15 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.
