We had a really great week last week with Back-to-School Night and the Back-to-School BBQ. I want to thank everyone who participated and helped make those events great! It was a lot of fun. Please also be reminded that Friday was the end of the first grading period and that all progress report grades will be updated by 4:00 p.m. on Monday afternoon.
This week our students will have a minimum day on Monday with dismissal at 12:15 p.m., a joint alternate evacuation drill with Flex Academy on Tuesday, and FastBridge testing throughout the week. It will be busy, but should run smoothly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns, and we will be happy to assist you.
Here is a breakdown of the week:
Monday — Minimum Day (Dismissal 12:15 p.m.)/ progress report grades completed by 4 p.m.
Tuesday — Joint Evacuation Drill at 1:00 p.m. (Please note that our office will be closed during that time.)
Thursday — Girls Volleyball/ Flag Football/ X-Country have games with early release
Let's have another great week. Go White Tigers!
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Jason Gaylord
Principal
Students enjoying the Back-to-School BBQ!
Staff and students share their lunch together.
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.
FINAL WEEK to Order Class of 2026 — Eighth Grade Hoodies
We are excited to offer exclusive eighth grade hoodies to our Class of 2026 students for just $25! This will be the only opportunity to place an order this year. Orders can be placed through Friday, September 26th; unfortunately, we will not be able to accept orders after the deadline due to the production process. We hope to have hoodies available for distribution by the end of October. Every eighth grade student's name will appear on the back of the hoodie to create a "Class of 2026" image. The front of the hoodie will feature our white tiger logo and school name. To place your order, please click HERE. Note: The image shown on the order form is for reference and the year will be updated in production.
Eighth grade students will be allowed to wear their Class of 2026 hoodie any day of the week. This spirit wear exception is being made for the eighth grade students as a way of celebrating the Class of 2026 for the remainder of the school year.
Please contact the front office at 760-294-5599 if you have any questions.
2025–2026 Yearbooks
Attention White Tiger parents! The time to buy this year's yearbook is now. We only pre-order 165 copies, and each year we do sell every copy. Space for eighth grade ads recognizing your eighth graders' achievements is very limited, so do not wait to purchase. Please use thislinkto purchase a yearbook and thislink
to learn more about an eighth grade ad.
Spending time with friends during the BBQ.
Staff members manning the grill.
Parent volunteers taking a break and enjoying the shade with Mrs. Smith.
Looking for a fun way to keep your daughter active on the Columbus Day school holiday? Does she want to learn about the new CIF sport of flag football? The Escondido Charter Flag Football program is hosting a fundraising clinic on Monday, October 13. This is a great chance for girls to learn the basics of the game, improve their skills, and have fun with their friends. We're offering the clinic for girls in grades 2 through 8. There are two options for the day: (1) Half-Day Clinic: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or (2) Full-Day Clinic: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Be sure to register your daughter by September 29 to ensure she gets a camp shirt! For more details and to sign up, please fill out the Google Form.
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 recipients at our Wooden Wins Assembly on October 3, 2025, in the East Valley Community Center (EVCC) Gym, adjacent to the HJHS campus.
Mr. Gaylord enjoying lunch with students at the BBQ.
Seventh graders at their first BBQ as a junior high student.
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!
September 22: Half-Day (12:15 p.m. Dismissal)
September 23: Joint Evacuation (1 p.m.)
September 22-26: FastBridge Testing
October 3: Wooden Wins Assembly
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)
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.
Students enjoying the Back-to-School BBQ!
Staff and students share their lunch together.
Spending time with friends during the BBQ.
Staff members manning the grill.
Parent volunteers taking a break and enjoying the shade with Mrs. Smith.
Mr. Gaylord enjoying lunch with students at the BBQ.
Seventh graders at their first BBQ as a junior high student.
