Welcome to HTeNC!

High Tech Elementary North County is located at:
1480 West San Marcos Blvd., San Marcos CA 92078  •  Accessibility Map

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Learning at High Tech elementary North County is rooted in project-based learning. This means that our faculty guides our students through the creation of projects designed to develop their understanding of the world around them. Students are immersed in the process of learning: exploring, discussing, designing, reflecting, and refining. They create something together that demonstrates their new understandings to a real audience, often outside the school walls. Our sources of information are not limited to traditional textbooks and basal publications. At HTeNC, students will examine information from “expert” adults, primary source documents, other teachers, Internet resources and each other. The curriculum is rigorous, yet developmentally appropriate, providing the foundation for success at middle school and beyond. Over the course of the year, students build upon what they have learned, in preparation for the next grade.

HTeNC serves approximately 340 students in grades Kindergarten through five. Our school will always be small, allowing our children and adults to form close relationships that challenge and nurture each child as an individual. Class sizes are kept at 24 students or fewer to support each student’s unique personality, interests, and needs. Students are not separated by ability or skill into different classrooms or programs. HTeNC teachers and staff deeply believe that all students have gifts and talents and needs, and we support them within our classrooms. Accordingly, we do not have separate GATE or Special Education rooms.

What a child accomplishes as a result of study is tremendously important. Most assessment at High Tech elementary North County will be performance-based: students develop projects, solve problems, write reflections of their findings, and often present them to a panel (usually comprised of teachers, community members, and other students). Consequently, our students are given traditional exams and tests sparingly. At High Tech elementary North County, the measure of accomplishment lies primarily in the students’ ability to explain or demonstrate his/her learning from the beginning of the project to the end.

HTeNC’s building design supports our young students as they learn and grow. Classroom walls are moveable, so groups of students can work in small groups or large groups; most windows and doors are transparent encouraging students (and adults) to see what others are working on, sparking new ideas. Student work is always created for an audience, and that work is often displayed for that audience throughout the building. All classroom furniture is specifically selected to meet the physical and social-emotional needs of our children. The floor plan is intentionally designed for teams of three teachers at each grade level, who plan collaboratively on projects. Shared spaces throughout the building allow for older students to mentor younger students in a variety of structured activities.