Williamsburg Northside School

299 North 7th Street

Brooklyn, NY 11211

21 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by parent on November 12, 2022

Northside's teachers are outstanding. Really amazing, warm, progressive school. Northside taught my children how to become thoughtful, curious, articulate, empathetic and engaged humans with a thirst for knowledge, who know how to problem solve and collaborate, as well as be leaders. My son is thriving in every way possible at Northside. Graduating kids get excellent placements typically at their top choice of schools. My daughter went to the High School of her dreams.
Submitted by parent on June 10, 2022

Our oldest daughter has been at Northside since preschool and is just finishing first grade. Our youngest will start in September at the preschool. The preschool and K-8 are in two different buildings but very close to each other making the pick up drop off very easy. In the 5 years we have been at Northside we have found wonderful teachers and great leadership from dean Elie Dèu who I see every morning welcoming children and families. We are from Europe originally so we appreciate the similar methods of teaching and learning, the Reggio Emilia approach to integrate project learning to keep children interested and to have something to always keep them interested.
Submitted by parent on September 24, 2021

I have two students in this school and we moved one of them. In recent years they have an exorbitant amount of teacher turnover (17 teachers this year alone.) the creativity that teachers once used in their classroom is now gone and replaces with charter school curriculum. If this is what you are looking for go to a charter school it’s cheaper. The leadership is changing constantly so a cohesive mission cannot take hold.
Submitted by parent on May 18, 2021

Our kindergarten daughter has been going to Northside since preschool. I have to admit, the first year, we were on the fence due to the way some incidents were handled involving rowdy kids. Now, however, we're so happy that we're within walking distance of Northside and that we stuck with it. Our daughter's pre-K and kindergarten teachers were absolutely amazing, and we trust that the teachers are all wonderful as we continue to send her to Northside. The concept of "community" is extremely strong at Northside—which is so important in this day and age, when the world is going through so much turmoil. The school makes sure to teach about all kinds of social justice issues, incorporating those teachings seamlessly through their everyday classes. The small class sizes ensure that each student gets plenty of attention. We were particularly impressed by how Northside handled the pandemic for the 2020-2021 school year. They learned a lot from the sudden closing of schools in 2020 and really invested a lot into making sure the staff and students were safe. And it worked. It's been amazing. Given the tuition, we hope that Northside will continue to build in more offerings, such as more sports teams, etc., and hopefully even expand to include a high school.
Submitted by parent on September 21, 2020

A truly diverse community that has the children well being and education at its center. This school is a shining example of child centered education and is dedicated to each and every student. The administration and teachers go far beyond the call of duty because they are passionate about education and delivering the best education they can. The new middle school has delivered on its promise to be dynamic, project based, and rigorous all the same time supporting each individual. I highly recommend this school!
Submitted by parent on September 19, 2020

My two daughters have been at Northside for 4 years. and kids and i are so happy about this school. I feel so Safe for sending kids every day, school is really clean. and all the teacher are so warn and kind.I see Teachers and head of school almost every day at front door in the morning.
Submitted by parent on November 13, 2019

Our son is in 2nd grade and has been at Northside since age 2. All of his teacher have left lasting impressions on our family and on our child- the small classes allow for hands on learning and personalized attention, and the collaborative work between classes means its never "too small." He loves integrated science and art- where the project based curriculum gets tied into all his other subjects. Last year their 1st grade class studied fire stations, and when construction workers blocked an exit in our home, he pointed it out to me as a safety hazard and we had the building fix it. His learning goes beyond the classroom and basic curriculum. Northside is teaching our son to be a lifelong learner and better citizen!
Submitted by parent on August 30, 2018

Thrilled with my son's progress and development at Northside. Fantastic facility and great teachers.
Submitted by parent on April 05, 2018

Perfect is all I can say; From nurturing to learning everything they do speaks passion. For these teachers, teaching is a joy and not just job.
Submitted by parent on March 15, 2018

The school is perfect for my child so far he has not shown any sort of reluctance towards school.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2018

My child is enjoying his time here and teacher gives attention to every student.
Submitted by parent on June 28, 2017

My daughter has been a part of the Williamsburg Northside group of schools since daycare. She is currently in third grade, so I am certain of her to continue in the upcoming middle school when the time comes. The school's approach to teaching is very influential and effective for young learners and I would rate them as one of the top schools in New York.
Submitted by other on May 01, 2017

I am glad to have picked this school for my son, who has show great signs of improvement in the last one year. I would thank them with my recommendation.
Submitted by parent on March 14, 2016

We have two children at the elementary school at Northside and are extremely pleased with the education they are receiving. Here’s why: My kids are learning how to be at the driver’s wheel of their learning experience, which is a lesson that they will carry with them throughout their lives. It thrills me that both of my kids honestly want to go to school every day and love learning. I am witness to the fact that they have an insatiable hunger to keep exploring and digging deep into the subjects that they are working on, which may be true for every kid, but at WNS, this natural hunger is paid attention to and it is used as the driving force fueling the topics and lessons. To me, the fact that the school takes the time to focus on building an honest foundation of comprehension in core subjects is priceless. And as that foundation develops, I see my kids building on it quickly and efficiently, surpassing even my academic expectations, which are high.I like that my kids are seen and treated as individuals and the staff really makes an effort to work together to know and support them with appropriate expectations. All of this to say that my kids and their school peers are shaping up to be these intelligent, articulate and thoughtful individuals, which I think has a lot to do with the educators at WNS. Another reviewer referred to the staff as "sweet", but I'd describe the lower school classroom and enrichment teachers as fierce, passionate and knowledgeable. They are the real assets in my experience.Some reviews site the admin as being a problem, but I'm seeing that the growing administration is listening to and working with the parents, teaching staff and students to build an environment where everyone is respected and valued. Surely there is more to do, but the big picture is shaping up successfully.The main sell for me is that, particularly for the very young ones, the school is not driven by the race to see how fast kid can “learn” but they are more focused on how they learn, how deeply they understand what they are learning, and how genuinely they want to know more. And then academic rigor picks up significantly as the kids move through their elementary years. This is why I think WNS is a great school to consider. Don't let the price stop you from checking it out either, there's a solid system for financial aid, thankfully!
Submitted by parent on December 12, 2015

WNS is an engaging and exciting place for young minds! My son attended this school for three years and I am glad he started out here. He received the foundations needed for a healthy educational beginning. Most schools start drilling their young minds with academics, academics and more academics, however WNS focuses on the development of social emotional skills early on, which is the key to a successful educational beginning for any child. Thus, children automatically develop a love for learning and sharing their thoughts openly. Teachers aren't driven by test scores but are driven by the thoughts and ideas of their students.
Submitted by parent on August 31, 2015

My son has been attending Williamsburg Northside since he was 5 months old and we could not be more pleased with his progression throughout each division of the program. He started off at the infant and toddler center where the staff quickly eased any worries we had about leaving him with a new caregiver. We were easily able to build trusting bonds with his teachers and never had a doubt in regards to whether he was in a safe, nurturing environment. We were also impressed by both the beautiful and spacious classrooms along with the many activities he was exposed to on a daily basis such as clay, painting, and sprinkler play in the backyard. The same held true for his time at the preschool where the fabulous classrooms (along with the art studio, gym and beautifully renovated rooftop playground) and dedicated staff made going to school each morning a pleasure. Both programs also offered numerous opportunities for our family to be involved ranging from Parent Association meetings to family potlucks, to simply reading a story to our son's class on his birthday. I highly recommend this school. Our family is looking forward to moving on to the lower school this fall and continuing to be a part of the Northside community.
Submitted by parent on August 28, 2015

Great teachers and leadership team. The school's philosophy is nurturing and creative, perfect for elementary level. Our daughters are both happy here and clearly benefit greatly from the teaching style.
Submitted by parent on March 19, 2015

My 5 year old daughter has been attending WNS since she was 8 months old and continues to love the teachers, her classmates, the curriculum, and the facilities. The administration is very communicative, personable, and will work with you in terms of finances and schedule. I highly recommend exploring the UPK program, the diverse, well-rounded education, and exciting afterschool programs. My expanding family looks forward to being apart of this warm, creative neighborhood school and watching it grow with the community and expand to grade school.
Submitted by parent on February 04, 2013

We were originally happy here but only with the ITC which is the Infant & Toddler Center. Thereafter, a true disaster!!! Not worth the money!!! Parents never know what is going on, meaning teachers do not give updates on a daily basis nor are trained properly. The whole Reggio Emilia Approach is a tactic used to get you into the school (not followed by teachers).
Submitted by parent on January 23, 2013

We sent our child to this school for his first school experience and deeply regret it. Uncaring teachers and staff and the opposite of nurturing. Pretentious and hyped. Teachers were not experienced and did not have a strong presence. I don't understand why so many people have such great reviews of this school in the community but this is one example where spending more money does not ensure quality. School is currently far more focused on expanding themselves than providing quality education.