Wellspring Elementary & Middle

90-20 191st. Street

Hollis, NY 11423

31 Reviews

School District
Grade

PK, K-8
Type

private

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Reviews

Submitted by other on July 01, 2024

**Disappointed with the Decline in Quality Under New Administration**I am deeply disappointed with the drastic decline in the quality of education and overall environment at The Wellspring Schools since the change in leadership during the 2023-2024 school year. The new administration, unfortunately, has proven to be highly incompetent, leading to numerous issues that have culminated in a mass exodus of talented and dedicated teachers.Under the previous administration, Wellspring was a place where students thrived academically and socially, supported by a team of passionate and skilled educators. However, the current leadership has failed to maintain those standards. The lack of effective communication, poor decision-making, and disregard for the needs of both students and staff have created a toxic atmosphere that is detrimental to learning.The most concerning consequence of this ineptitude is the alarming number of teachers who have left the school. These were individuals who were not only excellent educators but also mentors and role models for the students. Their departure has left a void that the administration has struggled to fill, resulting in a significant drop in the quality of teaching and an increase in classroom disruptions.Moreover, the administration's failure to address these issues has led to declining student morale and engagement. Parents are increasingly frustrated and concerned about the negative impact this is having on their children's education and future prospects.In conclusion, the change in leadership at Wellspring has been nothing short of disastrous. The new administration's incompetence has eroded the school's once stellar reputation, driving away exceptional teachers and leaving students to bear the brunt of this mismanagement. I sincerely hope that the school board takes immediate action to address these problems and restore the school to its former glory.
Submitted by parent on February 08, 2024

My child loves going to this school. It’s become her second home.
Submitted by student on May 22, 2023

Title: A Critical Assessment of WellspringIntroduction:Wellspring disappoints with its lackluster academic environment and subpar quality of education. This review outlines the issues I observed, highlighting my negative experience.Academic Environment:Student apathy hinders a productive learning atmosphere, with a lack of motivation and intellectual curiosity.Quality of Education:The curriculum fails to inspire critical thinking and adapt to diverse learning styles, resulting in a stagnant approach that hinders comprehensive understanding and practical skills.Faculty and Support:Many faculty members seem disinterested and detached, leading to a lack of support and leaving students feeling neglected.Campus Atmosphere:The absence of a vibrant social scene and limited extracurricular opportunities diminishes the overall educational experience.Conclusion:Wellspring falls short of its potential, lacking student engagement and providing an uninspiring academic approach. Improvements are necessary to create a more enriching and supportive educational environment.
Submitted by teacher on December 27, 2019

Awesome experience as a teacher and Instructional Coach
Submitted by parent on October 29, 2019

Excellent, my daughter is in this school fir the past three years and principal Ms Jones is awesome. Study of education and environment is above standard
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2017

Wellspring is dedicated to striving to be more than just an average school. There is a clear vision and they haven't given up on working to accomplish it despite challenges. My kids love wellspring and are flourishing. I love the way the staff helps inspire my kids and help them to be excited about learning. I love that they get to try coding and other technology skills and that they love interacting with the Quran. Before they felt it was a chore, at wellspring they are living it more so that I hear them reciting randomly throughout the day.
Submitted by parent on April 11, 2017

Wellspring has everything we were looking for: a PhD in education leading the school, proper security, a full gym, authentic Islam and Quran, certified teachers and technology. We are very happy with the school and have supported their efforts to expand to high school as it's our children's future.
Submitted by parent on April 07, 2017

My experience with Wellspring has been very positive. My son began attending this school year and I couldn't be happier with the quality of his education and the environment. He feels safe, is well cared for, and is always encouraged to do his best. The curriculum is rigorous, but he enjoys learning and performs well. I am particularly pleased with his knowledge and performance in Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Quran. He is always able to articulate newly learned understandings and is becoming quite comfortable with practicing his faith on a daily basis.
Submitted by parent on April 06, 2017

I see big improvement from the school. Now they have middle school with a lot of great enrichment program like entrepreneurship lecture,python coding class, and they will start art club very soon too. "
Submitted by parent on August 09, 2016

Initially it was hard for us to find a school with high academic standards in combination with keeping the high values. As a parent I highly recommend this school because of few important points. School concentrates on Student's more, then just pleasing the parents, teacher's involvement, no favoritism, always on point, one step ahead in the game. I am glad that the school team have a great vision. Yes there is still a room for improvement but this school is moving in right direction. Hoping for another great year.
Submitted by parent on August 08, 2016

My 3 kids love this school. They have been here since the first year. The kids are the most important factor which we should focus. I see a huge potential in the school, that's why I always support their efforts. It has a vision, long time plan, and concept. Like all other institutions, there are hiccups in the process. We have to always remember that we are still 3% in America without an adequate support from the government. They are too many negativity outside. I have seen with my own eyes where many muslim parents losing their children (VERY SERIOUS MATTER). Public schools is not an option. We are planting seeds for our future. Let's stay positive.
Submitted by parent on May 29, 2016

Amazing school with an amazing model. The school teaches kids to be creative in everything they do mashaa Allah. From having a Mad Science show (a show about science in a fun way), to bringing ducks to school (to learn about animals), to teaching kids the basics about car mechanics, you can't help but admire what the school is doing. If you add few more facts, such as kids memorize the Quran daily, speak Arabic at early age, learn about technology in the Technology lab, and have creative playing and team work exercises during gym time, you can't help but feel your kids are on the right path. Additionally, the teachers are kind and knowledgeable, and the Creative Director is very involved, which is very comforting for me and my wife. We are very pleased with the school and looking forward to many more years with them inshaa Allah.
Submitted by other on May 27, 2016

As an education professional, I had the opportunity to work with Wellspring Elementary both in regards to curriculum enrichment as well as individual student assessments. Having also worked with other Islamic schools throughout the NYC area as well as Long Island, I can confidently say that Wellspring Elementary holds true to their standards by exhibiting a superb level of creative education complimented with support, technology and motivation. The Wellspring Model is truly a diamond in the rough when it comes to Islamic school education.
Submitted by parent on May 05, 2016

Think very hard before coming to this school. If the leadership had any intention of reaching out to parents and truly improving themselves, rather than spending money on false and miss-leading advertising, I MAY tell you to take a shot with hope things will improve. However, year after year, this school continues to go down in quality. The good: Hifz and arabic. Due to amazing Quran and Arabic teachers, who are extremely committed, the arabic and quran program at this school IS one of the best in this area. 5 thumbs up.The bad: everything else. This school will pull you in with ipads, smart boards, a computer lab (which by the way the majority of schools have now), promising an "innovative", "hands on" and "creative" curriculum. It’s all false. There is no wellspring model - it is called your luck with whatever teacher you get every year. Every year our children experience COMPLETELY different teaching styles, experiences and qualities of education (which goes down). I will not say it is due to the faults of the teachers, rather, it is due to the fault of the non-existent administration. Were there good years? Sure - but because they had amazing teachers - not due to any model or support from the admin. In fact, the administration under pays their teachers so those who are over qualified, leave. The "creative director" is essentially a "wear all hats" manager who can only do so much. They do not have anyone who is qualified (master’s degree, certified or even has a background on leading, and growing schools) leading this school. Neighboring schools search across the nation to bring in qualified principles and leaders to grow their schools. Here they say you don't need a principle.
Submitted by parent on October 05, 2015

seeing progress with the issues that parents are having with the school, the teachers are great but strongly feel that the CEO needs to step aside for the good of the school and let it be run by new management. Looking at how this year goes to determine whether my kids will stay or not.great atmosphere for kids, but admin needs to pay more attention to parent concerns
Submitted by parent on September 02, 2015

Ideas sold to parents are different from what takes place. Parents are kept at an arms length. Extremely high teacher turnover. Teachers are changed without notice and parents not informed by the school. Some grades lost 3 teachers in 1 yr. Admin gets defensive when concerns are brought to them. Website displays credentials of teachers that are no longer at the school. School is marketed to make you feel they have the best teachers/best islamic environment, but with non Muslim teachers teaching your children it's hard to agree. No school nurse, high teacher turnover, teachers underpaid/ finances not explained. Each year more parents withdraw from the school. Children who left wellspring and gone to public schools have been behind academically. The wellspring model of creativity, islamic /Arabic concepts being integrated into the curriculum is misleading. I have not witnessed it in hw/classwork. On the positive its a small school, kids are familiar with each other. The Arabic and Quran teachers are great.
Submitted by parent on January 15, 2015

Love love love this school alhamdolilah! Great academics, great atmosphere, close knit community feeling with the teachers and staff, and really involved parents. Would love to see an expansion of the school and more resources such as a computer lab and library. Otherwise I am a very happy parent knowing my children are in good hands alhamdolilah
Submitted by parent on December 09, 2014

Wellspring is a new school which opened in 2011 since then it is very clear that the staff is learning from mistakes and striving to better and correct the issues the school has. The school has always excelled in academics, Quran and arabic. This year it is evident the group of teachers are more experienced and the communication between parents and teachers/admin has greatly improved. There are more opportunities for parents to be involved in the school which is very refreshing compared to previous years. Looking forward to seeing the school continue to improve to the vision and standards set by admin.
Submitted by parent on November 22, 2014

Creativity and hands on is still sub par at this school. I am pleased with Arabic as my child is learning to read. I agree with the comment listed earlier regarding lack of positive reinforcement- there is none. My child who is in public school has awards, certificates, pizza parties for good behavior and class competitions vs this school where each child regardless of how good or disruptive they are gets to select from a treasure jar. Children at a young age like recognition and to be told they did well and congratulated. The parents at this school are all professionals and we want the best for our children. I cant say if I will return for another year because I am not happy academically. My child performs well according to school standards but having my child tested raised concerns. It is a small school and teachers are easily accessible which is a plus but to recap I am not happy with academics, lack of parental involvement, lack of creativity and lack of hands on projects/learning. As with any new school there will be hiccups but the reputation of this school has been on the decline which is also worrysome. Just wish things were a bit different at this school.
Submitted by parent on November 19, 2014

I will agree that admin has phobia of letting parents involved in school. They think that they know best, which is why they have bad reviews. They charge money for everything and fundraisers are a way to get more money out of school's parents (who are already in a financial burden of tuition). Finally, creativity is still something I am looking for. On the other hand, Wellspring has good vision and educational standards. Their Quran Hifz is wonderful, Academic expectations are high (quality of a good school), teachers are dedicated to the students, competent & approachable (not all are Masters level), Arabic for higher grades is good, and we are able to get weekly updates. In addition, the school parents are highly educated professionals. They all value education (if they complain, admin please take notice!!) I really hope the school gets their act together soon (just get parents involved, they can do wonders with their ideas), otherwise their parents turnover will be similar to teachers turnover rate.