Tuesday (12/16) - Thursday (12/18), Fall Semester Finals (Finals Bell Schedule) Friday (12/19) - Friday (01/2), Christmas Vacation Monday (01/5), First Day of Spring Semester Friday (01/9), ECHS Lottery Closes Monday (01/12), Spring Sports Night Thursday, (01/15), Academic Awards Assembly (Bell Schedule)
NEW & TIME SENSITIVE INFORMATION
Finals Schedule Finals for ALL students (TCP and Flex) are being held on Tuesday, December 16, Wednesday, December 17, and Thursday, December 18. Parents, please help your student to do their best on their finals by ensuring they get plenty of rest prior to taking the exams. Please take a moment to view the bell schedule
for details about the days/times of each exam.
End of the Fall Semester The semester ends on Thursday, December 18, marking the start of Christmas Vacation. Report cards will be mailed on Friday, December 19. Classes will resume on Monday, January 5. The entire ECHS staff wishes the parents and students a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Senior Dedications Senior dedications are now available for purchase, and the holiday season is the perfect time to order one! Families can choose from 1/4-page, 1/2-page, or full-page ads, with prices varying based on the size selected. Dedication pages are limited, and once the final spot in the 2026 yearbook is sold, no additional pages can be purchased. Parents who wish to honor their senior are encouraged to visit jostens.com and reserve their space soon.
Attention Charter Families! Don’t miss your chance to capture the memories of the year! Yearbooks are on sale now for $80, but the price will increase to $90 on Thursday, January 1. If you want to commemorate the moments, friendships, and stories that made this year unforgettable, owning the yearbook is the perfect way to do it. All purchases must be made exclusively through the Jostens website at jostens.com. The school cannot process or facilitate any sales, so be sure to order directly online. Secure your copy today and keep the memories alive for years to come!
Class of 2026 Lawn Signs Lawn Signs are ready just in time for Christmas! They are available in the school office for $25. You can reserve and pay for your lawn sign at this link, or you can pay in the office when you pick up your sign. Thank you!
Lost and Found The locker rooms were cleaned of all left items. Cleats, sweatshirts, athletic bags, water bottles, and any other lost and found items will be donated to a local charity on Friday, December 12. Please check the lost and found for items you may be missing before it's too late.
New Class of 2026 Spirit Wear Attention senior families! Just in time for the holiday season, new "Class of 2026" spirit wear is available at the AHCS Spirit Shop, brought to you by the ECHS Parent Volunteer Organization. Peruse our amazing hoodies, t-shirts, and crewnecks, available in both men's and women's styles. Click here
to buy!
Spring Sports Night Spring Sports Night will be held on Monday, January 12, at 6:30 p.m. in the American Spirit Theater. If you are interested in playing a sport during the spring season, we highly recommend that you attend this informational meeting!
LOTTERY & ENROLLMENT
AMERICAN HERITAGE CHARTER SCHOOLS 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR LOTTERY INFORMATION
Lotteries for the 2026-2027 school year opened 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.
STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION FOR SENIORS
Cal State University Application Deadline Extended Several CSU campuses have extended their application deadlines for freshman applicants. For example Cal State San Marcos is still taking applications for most majors until December 31. Click on this link
to go to the “Is Your Campus Still Accepting Applications?” tool to see which campuses and majors are still accepting applications.
January College Application Deadlines Seniors are reminded to turn in your Senior college information form and request any necessary counselor or teacher letters of recommendation for January college admissions applications no later than Wednesday, December 10. If you missed that deadline, follow up with your academic advisor immediately.
FAFSA Application and Raffle Any student who has completed their financial aid application by Wednesday, December 17 will be entered into another raffle. Students can complete their financial aid form now with this link. Remember, if students are looking to apply for the Palomar Promise (2 free years of college), this form is required. If you need help, make a 1:1 appointment with our Project Next Financial Aid Coach, Ms. Garcia, in the Future Center here.
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. As we wrap up the semester, I want to take a moment to thank all of our students and families for your trust and partnership. It’s been a joy supporting you, and I’m so proud of the hard work you’ve put in over these past few months. Wishing you all a wonderful and restful holiday season!
Reminder: For PLP students or anyone finishing finals early, Project NEXT is here and happy to help next week. I’ll be on campus Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday during my normal hours, and Tuesday for the half day. You can book an appointment with me by clicking here.
Project NEXT can support students with: • Exploring careers and majors • College or trade school applications • Résumé writing and updates • Volunteer, internship, and job opportunities • Interview preparation • Apprenticeships, military pathways, and gap-year options
Seniors: Ms. Michelle, our FAFSA Coach, is here every Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. She can support you with submitting the FAFSA. Book an appointment with Ms. Michelle by clicking here.
Don't forget to check out our upcoming events! January 8 National Guard Career Chat 12:40 p.m. • Future Center Sign-up coming soon
January 15 Action Heating & Air Field Trip 20 spots available
January 20 DPR Career Chat (Architecture, Engineering, and Construction) 12:40 p.m. • Future Center Sign-up coming soon
January 22 5-Year Plan Workshop 12:55 p.m. • Future Center Sign-up coming soon
CAMPUS CULTURE & COMMUNITY SERVICE OPPORTUNITIES
TRAVEL TO BELIZE June 2026 DISCOUNT CODE! We are looking for 4 or more travelers to join us on a grand adventure to Belize. High School credit and College credit is available for this trip! Great gift for a graduating senior! Travel is through Explorica as this is not a school sponsored trip. Make it a family adventure! The trip includes airfare, lodging, meals, and activities. Don't miss out on ziplining through Belize, riding an inner tube through a watery cave, snorkeling in warm water, encountering local animals at the Belize zoo and so much more! Check out this website
for more information, including the complete itinerary and to sign up. DISCOUNT CODE Travel8N.
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!
Athletics Physical Form This form
needs to be completed before trying out for any ECHS sport. It should be uploaded to your Student Management Portal. This can be found on our athletics website
under “Athletics Dept & Forms” and then after selecting “Clearance Forms”.
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.
