Monday (9/21) Half Day (Half Day Bell) Tuesday (9/22), Co-Curricular Pep Rally (WIN Time) Wednesday (9/23), Make-Up Picture Day Friday (9/25), UC Application Workshop (WIN Time) Tuesday (9/29), CSU Application Workshop (WIN Time) Tuesday (9/29) — Friday (10/2), Hero Training Week Wednesday (9/30), Grade 11 College Bound Seminar Saturday (10/3), Saturday School Tuesday (10/6), Say Anything Assembly (WIN Time) Thursday (10/8), PSAT (Grade 10) Friday (10/9), PSAT (Grade 11) Monday (10/12), Columbus Day Holiday (No School) Tuesday (10/13) — Friday (10/16), Homecoming Spirit Week Friday (10/16), Homecoming Football Game Saturday (10/17), Homecoming Dance Wednesday (10/28), Grade 10 College Bound Seminar
NEW & TIME SENSITIVE
September 21 (Half Day) Monday, September 21, will be a minimum day across all American Heritage Charter Schools. The ECHS school day will be from 8:30 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. The front office will close at 1:00 p.m., and there will be no tutorial for Flex students on that day.
2026 ECHS Homecoming 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:
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 21 through October 15. However, the tickets will GO UP IN PRICE EACH WEEK, so get your tickets early! Here are the prices by date: September 21-26 - $40, September 27-October 3 - $45, October 4-10 - $50, and October 11-15 - $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 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.
To purchase your ticket, kindly click on the appropriate link below!
First Progress Report Grades Available Updated class grades will be available on Tuesday, September 22. We encourage all parents to log into your parent portal, ParentVUE to stay up-to-date on their child’s academic progress. Please consult the syllabus for your child’s classes for information about missing/late assignments. If parents are having trouble accessing the grades portal, please email Kim Young at kyoung@amhcs.org.
Parent Volunteer Organization (PVO) Meeting We invite you to join us for our monthly PVO meeting on Monday, September 28, 6:00 p.m. at Best Pizza & Brew (311 E Valley Pkwy, Escondido, CA 92025). This is a great opportunity to stay informed, share ideas, and collaborate with other parents to support our school community. Your voice matters! We hope to see you there!
Make-Up Picture Day Make-up Picture Day is Wednesday, September 23. There will be announcements over the loudspeaker for timing: Seniors at 8:30, Juniors at 9:30, Sophomores at 10:30, and Freshman at 11:30. This is for students that did not take their picture in August. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Young at kyoung@amhcs.org.
Senior Cap and Gowns Cap and gown ordering has begun! Here is the link to order a cap and gown. This year the ECHS cap and gown unit is $32.95. This includes, cap, gown and tassel. If you would like additional optional items, they are also available on the website. If you have any questions, please contact Ms. Young at kyoung@amhcs.org.
ACADEMIC & STUDENT SERVICES INFORMATION
Senior UC Application Workshop The UC Application
submission window opens on Thursday, October 1, and ends on November 30. UC schools do not offer early action or early decision, so there is no benefit to turning in applications early besides reducing stress. It is more important that everything looks correct on your application before submitting it than turning it in early. ECHS Student Services will be hosting a UC Application Workshop during W.I.N Time on Friday, September 25, from 2:50 to 3:30 p.m. You can RSVP here.
Senior CSU Application Workshop On Tuesday, September 29, ECHS Student Services will be hosting the CSU Application Workshop during W.I.N. Time. You can RSVP here. The CSU Application window opens October 1 and will close Monday, November 30. There is no early action or early decision for the CSU Application, so take your time.
Grade 11 College Bound Seminar Please SAVE the date and plan to attend the Grade 11 College Bound Seminar. We encourage all junior students and parents to attend. The seminar will take place on Wednesday, September 30, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and will be hosted by our ECHS Student Services team. We will be going over the college search process, college applications, 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 08 (grade 10) from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday, October 09 (grade 11) from 8:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Please see the Student Guide Link
for more information on the exam.
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.
Whittier College: Tuesday, September 22, during lunch, by the clock tower Grand Canyon University: Wednesday, September 23, WIN Time (2:50-3:30) - Sign Up Point Loma University: Thursday, September 24, WIN Time (2:50 - 3:30) - Sign-Up University of California Merced: Wednesday, October 7, WIN Time (2:50-3:30) - Sign Up 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 Wentworth Institute of Technology: Friday, October 16, during lunch, by the clock tower
SENIORS: Senior Check Ins Don’t forget to sign up for a meeting with your academic advisor to discuss graduation status and post-graduate plans. All seniors should have received an email last week with sign-up instructions.
Scholly Sallie Mae Scholarships Scholly recently merged with Sallie Mae. They have a great website where you can find scholarships quickly, and set parameters of what you are looking for. You can check out their website here.
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
CSF Thank you to everyone who applied to CSF this semester. You should have received an email last week regarding your application status. If you have any questions, see Mrs. Booth or Mrs. Dunlap.
Town and Country NHS will be continuing to work with the Town and Country Retirement community this year, and our next event is on September 22. This community service opportunity will run from 3:45 to 5:00 p.m. every other Tuesday, weather permitting. 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.
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.
Instrumental Ensemble ECHS is organizing a group of musicians to build our arts community and perform at certain events during the school year. We have a chamber music group for strings and piano and an instrumental jazz ensemble for brass, guitar, and piano. If you think that your instrument would fit into one of these groups, please contact Dr. Evan Getz at egetz@amhcs.org. We will decide on pieces to play and group practice times and locations in the near future.
Marine Science Club Join the Marine Science Club! All are welcome! Join the Google Classroom (code cxvei6mv) for updates on events such as field trips and meeting information. The first interest meeting is after school on Thursday, September 17, in Ms. Sanchez' classroom (I-104). Upcoming field trips include tide pools and snorkeling. Some fun events planned for the classroom too! Join the club by adding yourself to the Google Classroom. President- Jon Mejica President Elect- Jules Tang Officers- Lilly Knight and Izzy Chipping Free Family Fun Explore Hands-On Science at Scripps Discovery Day! Join the Scripps Research Outreach team for Discovery Day on Saturday, October 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Scripps Research Auditorium Courtyard in La Jolla! This free event invites students and families to explore interactive activity stations, enjoy chemistry demonstrations, and chat with scientists in a fun, casual setting. It is a fantastic opportunity to experience hands-on scientific discovery and learn about the groundbreaking work happening right in our community. Pre-registration is requested—visit scripps.edu/discoveryday Be sure to sign up for a fun day! Sister Project Applications are officially closed for Sister Project. We are no longer accepting any more Sisters from the ECHS, HJH, or HFA.
Harvest Night San Pasqual Union Elementary Volunteer Opportunity Harvest Night is a school-wide carnival at San Pasqual Union Elementary to raise funds that go directly back into teachers' classrooms. Would you like to help with setting up, running carnival booths, or cleaning up after the event for elementary school students? We are looking for volunteers on October 29, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. The actual event will be from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. at San Pasqual Union Elementary (15305 Rockwood Road, Escondido, CA 92027). Please contact Ms. Carson at vp@spupto.org if you have any questions or are interested in signing up.
2027 & 2028 China, Ecuador and Galapagos Last week we had an interest meeting about the 2027 summer trip to China and the 2028 summer trip to Ecuador and Galapagos. In case you missed the meeting, email Mr. Prodan (sprodan@amhcs.org) for details. Since these trips are independent of the school, they are open to ECHS students, friends and family. Students need to be going into high school or be alumni to sign up. Parents are welcome to join the adventure. Note: This is not a school-sponsored trip.
Italy 2028 Join Mr. Kemp for an information session on the Summer 2028 EF Tours Grand Tour of Italy! This meeting will cover the itinerary (we're going to Venice, Florence, and Rome), safety, affordability, and academic benefits of the trip. The meeting will be held on October 1 at 6:00 p.m. in the Future Center. Please visit this link
to RSVP. 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.
