Monday (10/12), Columbus Day Holiday (No School) Tuesday (10/13) — Friday (10/16), Homecoming Spirit Week Wednesday (10/14), NHS Blood Drive Friday (10/16), Homecoming Football Game Friday (10/16), End of the Second Grading Period Saturday (10/17), Homecoming Dance Monday (10/19), Winter Sports Night Wednesday (10/28), Grade 10 College Bound Seminar Tuesday (11/10), Veterans Day Assembly (Assembly Bell) Wednesday (11/11), Veterans Day (No School)
NEW & TIME SENSITIVE
Willy Wonka Jr.! AHCS Musical Theater presents Willy Wonka Jr.: Step into a world of pure imagination! Join us as American Heritage Charter School students of all ages showcase their incredible talents in this year’s sweet and sensational production of Willy Wonka Jr.! This show is guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth and ignite your sense of wonder. Grab your Golden Ticket and follow us into a magical factory packed with scrumptious songs, hilarious antics, and spectacular sights! Tickets are on sale now, with shows at the American Spirit Theater on the Escondido Charter High School campus from November 5-8. Be sure to lock in your seats early, as ticket prices will increase starting October 31. Check out the showtimes below and click here to purchase your tickets—it’s a golden opportunity for fun you won’t want to miss!
SHOWTIMES Thursday, November 5* 5:00 p.m. (GOLDEN TICKET CAST) *Students $5 cash at the door while supplies last Friday, November 6 7:00 p.m. (WONKA BAR CAST) Saturday, November 7 2:00 p.m. (WONKA BAR CAST) 7:00 p.m. (GOLDEN TICKET CAST) Sunday, November 8 2:00 p.m. (GOLDEN TICKET CAST) 7:00 p.m. (WONKA BAR CAST)
2026 ECHS Homecoming
Important Update! Due to demand, ticket sales have ended, but students can still pick up their tickets at the clock tower at lunch or with Ms. Gist in the A building through Friday, October 16.
We are excited to announce that the 2026 ECHS Homecoming Dance will be held on Saturday, October 17, from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. on the ECHS campus!
Please carefully review the following information regarding the dance:
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 6-9 and 13-16.
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.
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 will be holding an informational meeting. Please join us on Monday, October 19, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the ECHS American Spirit Theater as we provide important information about our sports programs and 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 5, 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 2. If your family can host 50 students for appetizers or the entree, please let Ms. Young know at kyoung@amhcs.org.
LOTTERY & ENROLLMENT AMERICAN HERITAGE CHARTER SCHOOLS 2027-2028 SCHOOL YEAR LOTTERY INFORMATION
Lotteries for the 2027-2028 school year will open on October 13, 2026 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 15, 2027. 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 5, 2027. 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 5, 2027. 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 5, 2027. Please contact the Heritage Flex Academy office at 760-466-1166 if you have any questions.
ACADEMIC & STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION
Palomar College Drop Ins and Palomar College Application Workshop On 10/22, 11/12, and 12/10 during WIN time, Mr. Gonzalez from Palomar College will be here upstairs in the Future Center to help with searching for Spring semester Palomar classes, accessing and setting up your MyPalomar account, scheduling appointments with a Palomar Counselor, answering questions about the enrollment process and next steps, etc. Use this link to sign up for a time!
Mr. Gonzalez, from Palomar College, will be hosting Palomar Application and Palomar Promise Workshops on Tuesday, 11/3, and Friday, 11/6, during WIN time in the Flex MPR. Use the links in the dates to sign up!
Discover CSUSM You are invited to Discover CSUSM on Saturday, October 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Students can get application help and learn more about Cal State San Marcos. Discover CSUSM Day!
AP Testing Deposit An AP testing deposit of $40 is due by Tuesday, November 3, 2026. 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. If you have questions, please email Mrs. Collier at lcollier@amhcs.org.
College Visits ECHS will be offering on-campus college visits starting in September. Some college reps will be out at lunch in the quad area to meet our students, and pass out information about their school. On Wednesdays or Thursdays, college reps will come to campus during WIN Time to present information about their school to our students. You will need to sign up ahead of time. Please check back regularly for the college visit schedule.
Grand Canyon University: Tuesday, October 13, during lunch, by the clock tower Savannah College of Art and Design: Wednesday, October 14, WIN Time (2:50-3:30) - Sign Up Haverford College: Thursday, October 15, during lunch, by the clock tower Drexel University: Thursday, October 15, WIN Time (2:50-3:30) - Sign Up Wentworth Institute of Technology: Friday, October 16, during lunch, by the clock tower Southern California School of Architecture: Tuesday, October 20, during lunch, by the clock tower UC Santa Barbara: Wednesday, October 21, WIN Time (2:50-3:30)- Sign Up UC San Diego: Thursday, October 22, WIN Time (2:50-3:30)- Sign Up Northern Arizona University: Friday, October 23, during lunch, by the clock tower
PROJECT NEXT
Mr. Alan, our Career Coach with Project Next, is here to support students with their next steps after high school. He will be available on Monday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the ECHS Future Center. Please schedule an appointment
or email him at alan@projectnext.org. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to stay updated on events and opportunities throughout the year at echs_futurecenter. I am here to support students with:
• Career assessments using Journey’s Map • Resume support • Job search and application assistance • Interview preparation and mock interviews • Internship search • Personal finance workshops • Adulting skillshops • Career chats • Scholarship search • Career Closet access
For Junior students interested in joining our 2026–2027 NextCohort, please complete our Junior Cohort Interest List
2026–2027. We look forward to connecting with you! We will begin reviewing applications and will contact students when we return to share more information and discuss next steps.
Wishing you all a great school year. I can't wait to meet you!
Mr. Alan
CAMPUS CULTURE & COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
Marine Science Club Marine Science Club First Semester Field Trips! We invite you all on these adventures! Join Google Classroom (code cxvei6mv) for the most up-to-date details. Our field trip will be to the tide pools in La Jolla on Saturday, November 7. We will meet at Cuvier Park at 1:00 p.m. (see map in Google Classroom). All student participants must have a permission slip for each trip. Permission slips are posted outside Ms. Sanchez' classroom in the flex building room I-104. Google Classroom has all the information you need, but you can email Ms. Sanchez tsanchez@amhcs.org
with any questions.
Civil Air Patrol Rummage Sale Rummage Sale: Our Civil Air Patrol squadron will be hosting a rummage sale on Saturday, October 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The sale will be held in the front archway. Come by and find some great buys on interesting stuff!
Town and Country NHS will be continuing to work with the Town and Country Retirement community this year, and our October event will be held on October 27. This community service opportunity will run from 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. Grab a new permission slip for the 2026/2027 school year at the front office or Future Center. All information is on the slip. Contact Mrs. Dixon-Reister for further information. Hope to see you there.
Sister Project The next Sister Project Event is Friday, October 16. We will be painting pumpkins! Please RSVP using the Google Form posted on Google Classroom. Snacks needed, pumpkins provided. Google Classroom Code: jptymjiy
Saxon Day ECHS Saxon Day is coming soon and will be celebrated on Thursday/Friday, November 19/20! 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 6, 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!
The Writing Club The Writing Club is hosting a College Essay and PIQ Workshop on Friday, October 23, during WIN time. We will meet in room I-209, in the Flex building. All upperclassmen are welcome; seniors applying to college are especially encouraged to attend. RSVP here.
Snackbar Volunteer Opportunity Volunteers are needed for JV and Varsity Football games. If you are interested, each shift is about an hour and a half. Here is the signup link.
Theater Community Service Opportunity Do you need community service hours? We need volunteers to help with the Fall musical! We still need ushers, backstage movers, make-up artists, spotlight operators, lobby sales, etc. Please pick up an application in the theater during lunch. Questions? Email Mrs. McCormick jmccormick@amhcs.org.
Tutoring Opportunity Are you interested in tutoring students at the junior high school? They have a few students in need of one-on-one tutoring. Please contact Ms. Collins at kcollins@amhcs.org.
Italy 2028 Buongiorno! Interested in going to Italy in June 2028? Come to room C208 or email Mr. Kemp at ckemp@amhcs.org for enrollment and itinerary information! Trip details can also be found by visiting https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/3055343JV *Note: This is not a school sponsored trip.*
Community Service Opportunity Heritage Elementary's ACE Program (formerly known as ELO-P) is looking for high school volunteers. Volunteers will help students with homework as well as aiding teachers in a variety of classes such as cooking, 3D printing, art 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.
Athletics Clearance Packet Please create a parent portal account through RankOne.com and complete all paperwork in the Student Management Portal prior to your son or daughter's try-outs. If you have any questions or cannot find your son or daughter within the system please reach out to Mallie Green mgreen@amhcs.org. Here is a quick how-to video on how to set up the parent portal.
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 FORM THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH A RICH CORE CURRICULUM, WITH A PERSPECTIVE THAT CHERISHES TIMELESS VIRTUES AND THE AMERICAN SPIRIT.
