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
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!
H.E.R.O Week Beginning the week of September 29, all AHCS students will participate in a safety training called H.E.R.O. week. During the training, students will learn important safe-thinking skills associated with the protective responses of hide, escape, run, and overcome. During each day of H.E.R.O. training, students will participate in a thirty-minute daily lesson where they learn safe-thinking skills and personal empowerment strategies through age-appropriate activities, stories, and classroom discussions. These lessons will be most effective if they are followed by student-parent discussions at home.
The H.E.R.O. Program has been vetted by numerous focus groups consisting of students, teachers, school administrators, school psychologists, university faculty, law enforcement, and most importantly, parents. The AHCS staff is confident that the curriculum and training is not only age appropriate, but is in alignment with our school’s educational philosophy.
If you would like additional information about the curriculum, we encourage you to visit the Safe Kids Inc.’s website. You can also download the free H.E.R.O. Companion Guides for Parents for different age-spans by clicking on the “Resources'' tab located on the top menu bar of the website. Parents may also access additional resources, including a guide for discussing school violence with children, as well as guides for younger and older students to help them think about safety.
PARENTS
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!
Class of 2027 Yard Signs Class of 2027 yard signs are ready and available in the school office for just $20 until December 31, 2026 and $25 starting January 1, 2027. You can reserve and pay for your yard sign using this link, or you can pay in the office when you pick up your sign. Thank you!
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.
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.
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.
University of California Merced: Wednesday, October 7, WIN Time (2:50-3:30) - Sign Up Vanguard University: Thursday, October 8, 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 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
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
Academic League The most Charterian of endeavors--is BACK! If you have any interest in participating in a contest of speed and intellect against other local high schools, come to our informational meeting this Thursday, 1 October, in C101 (Mr. Waterhouse's Room). Can't make it? Contact one of the coaches, Ms. Ruch, Ms. Grangetto, Mr. Currie, or Mr. Waterhouse for information.
Town and Country NHS will be continuing to work with the Town and Country Retirement community this year, and our October events will be held on 10/6 and 10/27. 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.
Sister Project Please RSVP for our next Sister Project Event using this link. Event Date: Friday, October 16, from 3:35 to 5:00 p.m. in the Student Union.
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!
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.
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
with any questions. Here is the link
to signup.
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.
Volunteer Opportunity—Fall Carnival The Baypoint Fall Carnival is coming up on Friday, October 23. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Ms. Budfuloski at lbudfuloski@baypointprep.org.
Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team Update Team Growth & Student Engagement Our FRC robotics team currently consists of 33 students, including 8 new members. Students are currently undergoing training across our six major functional areas: Marketing, Electronics, Computer Programming, Assembly & Hand Tools, Fabrication, and Computer Aided Design (CAD). Student leadership interviews are scheduled across this week and next to establish our student leadership structure for the season. Funding and Capital Upgrades: Grants: We have submitted applications for multiple grants and anticipate receiving updates soon. Corporate Matching: If any of you would like to contribute with a match at your company, we have an ECHS benevity account for robotics using this link.
Laptops: If you have any old laptops, we are always looking for laptops to teach programming and run our 3D printers and machinery. Please leave them at the front desk or email tdewey@amhcs.org. Technology: To successfully program and operate our robot, the team required dedicated laptops with administrative flexibility. Thanks to matching funds, we launched and successfully completed a fundraising campaign in a single day to secure these resources. Appreciation & Strategic Outlook We extend our sincere gratitude to the Charter notes community for your continued support of our program. Our focus this year is on building a unified, highly collaborative team capable of exceptional technical and operational achievements. Connect With Us Instagram: @teamdaedalus2839 Team History & Website: Daedalus 2839
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.
