2019
Get your badge
Award Winners

NBRS Badge for Del Mar Hills Academy

Del Mar Hills Academy - Del Mar, CA

SurfRider pride... painting the 8 Keys!

SurfRider pride... painting the 8 Keys!

Del Mar Hills Academy stakeholders believe in "rowing together" to nurture a college-ready culture. It is this vision - where staff and families work together to ensure all students are prepared with the academic and social-emotional skills required to meet or exceed grade-level standards and demonstrate mastery of the skills that matter most - that transformed Del Mar Hills Academy from being the most under-performing to one of the highest-performing schools in our district. Coupled with our college-ready culture, the 8 Keys of Excellence character education program provides all students, staff, and families with a common understanding and language around expectations for personal excellence.

Classroom teachers leverage five interrelated principles to guide their instruction: agency, personalization, cultural intelligence, collaboration, and design thinking. Curiosity and creativity are promoted and empathy is developed as students immerse in human-centered, inquiry based mindsets where they develop the thinking skills necessary to solve complex, real-world problems. For example, our fourth graders designed prototypes for mitigating impacts of coastal erosion along neighboring beaches and presented their findings before the Del Mar City Council. Experiences such as these, empower all SurfRiders to be engaged citizens and change agents within our community and beyond.

Del Mar Hills Academy celebrates our diverse student body and the development of the whole child by fostering an appreciation for the arts, creative expression, and scientific exploration. Interest-based electives and STEAM+ programming offer students the opportunity to explore personal passions and develop new friendships while engaging in inquiry-based learning experiences across disciplines. Del Mar Hills Academy is an extraordinary place to learn and grow.

2019 Awardee

Del Mar Hills Academy

14085 Mango Drive
Del Mar, CA, 92014-0640

(858) 755-9763

Principal at time of Nomination:
Ms. Julie Lerner

Mrs. Andrea Sleet, Current Principal

Title I School

Del Mar Union School District

Suburban

School Website

School Facebook

School YouTube

School Social Media

School Twitter

Mission

Del Mar Hills Academy is a community where everyone is committed to moving all students to and beyond proficiency to be college ready.

Student Demographics

  • Asian: 12%
  • Black/African American: 2%
  • Hispanic: 21%
  • White: 64%
  • Two or more races: 1%
  • Application