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Wonderland Avenue Elementary School in Hollywood, California

Wonderland Avenue Elementary School Detail

(323) 654-4401
8510 Wonderland Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
Levels: K-5
District: Los Angeles Unified School District


Wonderland Avenue Elementary School Census Data

Census InfoValueYear
White, non-Hispanic:62.86% (2009)
Black, non-Hispanic:4.25% (2009)
Hispanic:5.15% (2009)
Asian:23.49% (2009)
Pacific Islander:0% (2009)
Native American or Native Alaskan:0.45% (2009)
Unspecified:1.12% (2009)
Filipino:2.68% (2009)
Student Teacher Ratio:19.3% (2008)
Percent Free and Reduced Price Lunch:9.51% (2008)

Wonderland Avenue Elementary School Ratings Summary

Average Quality Rating5
Average Principals Rating4
Average Teachers Rating4
Average Activities Rating4
Average Parents Rating5
Average Safety Rating4

Wonderland Avenue Elementary School Reviews

Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2010-05-10
“Wonderland is a jem of a public school, commonly referred to as the public education that feels like a private. Our Principal is the BEST, and thru parent fundraising we have an amazing arts/ science program, edible garden program, PE, music/ dance classes, librarian and much more. One of the best part about this school is the strong sense of community that is the driving force behind so many of the wonderful things that happen at Wonderland.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2010-04-27
“A gift to our children and our community. Strong, connected leadership, gifted, dedicated teaching staff, passionate, hard-working parent volunteers and a supportive community all play a role in the school's success. It's an on-going struggle but parent and community support for 'extras' like PE, art, music, science and additional staff development allows the students to have well-rounded education in an increasingly fiscally straightjacketed system.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2010-04-27
“Wonderland Elementary is a shining example of how a community can pull together and support it's youth. Financial support from parents and the community at large keeps programs like art, music, PE and our library running strong!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2010-04-27
“Fantastic! Our daughter is in the magnet program and she really did win the lottery. The teachers,the office staff , the principal, and the community make this the ideal public school.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2010-04-24
“Both of my sons went to Wonderland and it is a gem in the middle of this big ol city. Small, community oriented with an active parent body and dedicated teachers.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2010-04-12
“Dedicated staff and parents and a very intimate campus make Wonderland a shining star in the otherwise embattled LAUSD!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2010-01-04
“I cannot let the last review go by without commenting. It's disappointing to me that when someone from our dedicated and talented staff finally weighs in with a review on this site, it's in defense of Dr. Greene. To begin with, she's been gone (thankfully) for a year and a half. Her communication skills were atrocious and ultimately led to her removal. In stark contrast, we now have Don Wilson as our principal. He is warm, accessible, caring and passionate about being at Wonderland. While Carol Greene's main focus was keeping the school in compliance with LAUSD's every mandate, Don Wilson's vision is to make Wonderland a shining beacon of this great community.”
This review was posted by a teacher.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2009-12-13
“I have worked with Dr. Greene and happen to know, because of conversations I've had with her, that she does care about the students. She actually cares much more than most principals I've worked with in LAUSD, but may be less able to express her compassion through body language than most people. Nonethess, though tempermental, she has a good heart.”
This review was posted by a teacher.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2009-09-18
“Fantastic teachers. Dedicated, forward thinking, accessible principal. Student achievement, and the joyous faces of our students, says it all. PEACE. LOVE. PUBLIC SCHOOL.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2009-06-03
“When our child entered the Wonderland 3rd grade magnet, parents at our previous school remarked about the amount of money Wonderland expected parents to donate, about the elitist attitudes, the incredible amount of homework and about the magnet 'v' home school issues. After a truly great first year I have found none of the above to be true! The new principal is excellent and very approachable, the teachers are incredible the campus is a pleasure to visit. The homework is intelligent and thought provoking, rather than simply 'busy' work, there is no pressure to volunteer, but when you do it is really appreciated, no matter how small your contribution, I have seen no evidence of home school 'v' magnet issues and have found the Wonderland children and parents to be really welcoming. Our child has grown both academically and emotionally due to this great school.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2009-05-31
“Excellent school with a wonderful 3rd grade gifted-magnet staff and a principal, Don Wilson, who is passionate about his job. Your gifted children will become people you don;t even recognize with their first years... in a good way. They treat them like young adults and the kids rise to the occasion. There are actually 2 separate schools (the neighborhood school and the magnet school) sharing the same campus. The families of the magnet students come from all over Los Angeles because the program is THAT good and, although the kids all get along well, there isn't a lot of interaction between the magnet families outside of class due to the long distance commutes. The neighborhood families seem to be very involved and the campus is sort of an extension of the neighborhood where kids play on the weekend.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-11-18
“A great NEW principle is now leading this school to be the best it has wanted to be for a long time, but could not with the negative energy of a horrible leader. With that now gone the school is a completely different atmosphere between teachers and parents and a new camaraderie as been formed. Open to try new things and expand the resources we have wanted for so long it is now a school I am proud to say we belong to and mean it!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-11-05
“Under new leadership, Wonderland is back to being the best elementary school in the district. A full time art teacher, a great principal, amazing teachers and small class sizes all make this school great. There will always be the debate about the magnet vs. the home school but both are excellent.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-09-29
“I moved to this neighborhood for the school four years ago. It was more than we wanted to spend on a house, but the school's reputation and it's high scores made the difference. At the time, the school was the 6th highest ranking school in the district. Over the last four years, our child has thrived and developed a love for school and teachers that we could only have dreamed of. Now the school has a great new principal, Don Wilson. We feel fortunate and grateful that we made the move. Over the last four years the school has steadily risen in academic achievement and now it is the 2nd highest ranking elementary school in the district (The number one school in the district, Balboa Magnet, is a Highly Gifted Magnet-Only school). This is amazing considering Wonderland is a neighborhood school and only part of it is a magnet.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-09-22
“A gem of a school with a wonderful principal and passionate, involved families.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-08-29
“The only drawback to this great school has been the principal, as evidenced in the numerous reviews. She has been replaced this year, thanks to dedicated and collective parent involvement at the school. The new principal is evidently highly regarded within the district and the perfect match for this community of children, parents, and educators.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 3
Post Date:2008-06-20
“I was very disappointed in this school after all it's been made out to be. The test scores do not tell the whole story. The parents make it a great school and a few magnificent teachers. But overall, the academics in the neighborhood school are low while the ones in the magnet are challenging. Don't move here for the school, at least not until they give more resources to make sure the whole school is getting the attention it deserves.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2008-06-20
“I found Wonderland to be a place that my child flourished. The art program, the teachers, the administrators all genuinely care about the children of this school. My child attended the magnet program. The teachers were passionate about what they did and thanks to the Friends of Wonderland who tirelessly fund raise my child was exposed to so many opportunities outside of a public school setting. I feel extremely fortunate that my child attended Wonderland.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2008-06-17
“I have found Wonderland to be extremely disappointing. The principal (Dr. Greene) is robotic and completely uncaring of the students. LAUSD protocol comes first. The 'whole' child is not of concern. Academics first and foremost. Dr. Greene belongs in a room full of paperwork, not in a position that should involve being human and caring.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 4
Post Date:2008-05-27
“There is a great discepency between the quality of instruction in the home and magnet schools The magnet children receive more enrichment. The resource program is still not fuctioning correctly. It is misleading for you to call this school a 10. The k-1 teachers are phenomenal!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2007-12-17
“This school did my kid so much good. From the greatly talented teachers to the amazing safe campus it is, in my opinion, the best school in the greater LA area.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2007-11-03
“Amazing dedication by the teachers and the community”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 4
Post Date:2007-04-30
“Wonderland School is a good school because of the incredible dedication of the parents and teachers who pour so much of themselves into this fine, community oriented environment. We're hoping this school gets a change of leadership soon - perhaps the district will find the strength to be proactive and intervene at some point, but it is LAUSD which leaves parents like me mostly hopeless. Don't be discouraged, the teachers are focused on what matters, the kids.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2007-04-24
“We started in the 3rd grade magnet and have been so impressed by the quality of the school and teachers. The teachers put in so much extra time and care into the kids. They are not only teaching academics, but are teaching the kids life skills as well. We are thrilled with our decision to pull our child from a small private school and sent him to Wonderland. He loves the school and has made many good friends.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2007-04-21
“My daughters attended the gifted magnet. My last one is graduating June of 2007. [It] is a private school education in a public setting. Strengths are a challenging curriculum,outstanding faculty, amazing parent body, effective fund raising, great grade level trips, students need to be accelerated learners to excel keep up with the pace. Although school is diverse, one ethnic group is dominant. I encourage more black and brown students to apply. Graduates out perform students in most middle schools. 6th and 7th grades are a breeze whether in public or private middle schools. Plan for significant amounts of homework. New science lab is fabulous. Classes have music, art, computers, PE, orchestra. Plan to be active parent. Low to no teacher turnover. Principals find this to be a chalenging parent run environment. Child centered school.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 4
Post Date:2007-04-17
“There are a few great teachers and several who think they are. The school is wonderful, especially compared to the public school choices. The most important thing lacking is strong leadership. The current principal really needs to go.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 3
Post Date:2007-02-09
“I see that the children are doing intense work, no doubt, but on the other hand I don't see it leveled out. I think that the diversity in this school could improve greatly. The parking is terrible. Too many children in one class when it gets to the upper grades. Really see if this school matches your child's personality before selecting.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 4
Post Date:2006-10-01
“The strength of this school is that it is small with a strong sense of community and has parents who are very aggressive about fund-raising. The quality of education depends on the teaching, which is uneven in both the home and magnet schools. Due to the eclecticism of Laurel Canyon and the presence of the magnet school, there is more economic and ethnic diversity than other public schools of the same caliber. The principal primarily cares about maintaining heigh test scores, which means if your kid is slow to to develop (i.e. not reading in Kindergarten), you're out of luck. As will all LAUSD schools, the bottom line is standardized testing which stifles creative thinking, but there are a few teachers who are trying to buck the system against all odds.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 1
Post Date:2006-08-06
“We moved from another county to Los Angeles and heard only the best about this school. We were very surprised about the opposite reality we've encountered: Big but very aggressive parent involvment with a great deal of business networking...A lot of money was raised but you couldn't see it in the classrooms. We also wondered how this school gets the high test scores, since academics in our kid's classes were very weak. It was more socializing than anything else, but they always got super grades...We were so concerned after a while that we moved away from this school. It took our kids one year to get back on track and their new teachers wondered what kind of (bad) school these kids went to!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: N/A
Post Date:2006-06-13
“a lot of parental involvement. good music.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2006-06-08
“One of the best public schools in the city--great parent involvement. the children have arts, music and PE which is funded through the parent's booster club-Friends of Wonderland. The ethnic diversity in the magnet school could be better balanced (ethnic minorities are primarily Asian, but it is getting better. There has been an increase in African-American kids in the past 2 years, but very few Latinos). If your child has been designated as Gifted, they will get a superior education which will prepare them for good public and/or private schools, hands down!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2006-05-31
“The wonderland magnet has been the best thing that has happened for my daughter. The teachers have been more than stellar, very supportive. The biggest problem I see with this school is the principal is not good with parents, teachers, or especially children.”
This review was posted by a administrator.
Quality Score: 3
Post Date:2006-04-19
“Teacher quality varies greatly! We were happy in the neighborhood school, but moved our child into the magnet. Expectations and assignments were unclear. We switched schools, but stayed in the LAUSD and are now very happy. There is very high turnover in the Wonderland Principal's office, and the current one seems unable to establish eye contact or mainain a conversation. There is seemingly no overall curriculum plan that sets standards to prepare one grade's graduates for the following year's requirements. The parent involvement is very strong, but chaotic and a very few people do the majority of the work. The affluence of the surrounding community means that they can raise a lot of money, but there is little agreement on how to spend it.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2006-04-12
“Excellent parent involvement, extracurricular activities such as build a skateboard, karate, etc - art & gym added by private funding. The best public elementary school in LA. Disadvantage - must live in the Laurel Canyon neighborhood.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2006-01-17
“Great school for my kids. I wish I'd gone there when I was a child. The arts program is great”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-12-26
“My son attended from K-5 and our experience was very positive. All years he did well and felt comfortable and safe on campus. I think the API scores speak for themselves. After school there is the STAR program which would vary and is probably more geared toward the K-2 grades. The parents are an 'eclectic' group, but despite surface differences, place high value on the education of children and are very involved. Probably the biggest drawback is the small playground. Older children, especially boys, needing more room. Overall a very good experience.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-06-30
“Wonderland is a fabulous school. It's small so attention to the individual is great and the level of parent involvement is superb. There is an parent paid for art program as well as music and PE. If you're lucky enough to have your child go to Wonderland you will be thrilled. It's as good, if not better, than any private school in the area.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-05-16
“Principal and staff are so caring. My daughter got an IEP for her problem with ADD without any problem. At a prior school the staff didn't want to deal with the problem.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-04-22
“Terrific school in the hills of Los Angeles. Great academic programs and guidance espescially from 3rd grade up. Very nice atmosphere and lots of motivated teachers.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-04-02
“If only this school, especially the magnet, could go through 12th grade, our public school issues would be solved! And incredible place, with supportive families, extraordinary teachers, in a beautiful setting. Very well prepares the kids academically, creatives, and self-esteem wise. Our two children loved it.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-03-31
“We are in the Magnet where the quality of teachers is excellent! Being a gifted program, you would expect there to be many hours of challenging homework. However, the work load is very managable. Yes, it is challenging, but that is why we are there. I beleive it is the teaching techniques not the amount of work that contributes to the extremely high test scores. Very inivative projects and a lot of stress on the children doing their own work and the parents simply being there to make sure it is completed but not to complete it for them. Many wonderful field trips, and I can't say enough about the wonderful parent community and the pride they have in the school. And though the location is a bit inconvienent, the campus is relaxed and filled with many happy children.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-03-10
“Fantastic extracurricular - art, drama, gardening, music, dance, PE - all with specialised teachers paid for by PTA. Small so all the adults know your child. Safe - the kids are not fighting each other. Very desirable, so get good longterm teachers.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2005-01-09
“this school raises an amazing amount of money for how small the student body is. because of it, they have an aide in every class, music, p.e. and orchestra which has translated into high scores on the CAT/6 and motivated children.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 4
Post Date:2004-10-14
“My child is in the Gifted Magnet program, which is superb through second grade, when class sizes are restricted to a max of 20 children. Educational standards here are very high, as reflected by the standardized test scores. But I felt that, starting in 3rd grade, when the class size jumps to 32 per classroom, children do fall through the cracks, unless the parents are on top of the situation and request additional teacher oversight. One of the more difficult aspects here is the physical site, itself. It's very, very difficult to attend student concerts or any event at the school, due to lack of parking. Also, kids in the magnet program have a hard time socializing with each other outside the classroom, because kids come from all over LA.”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2004-08-17
“This is the most amazing elementary school I've ever seen. My son has been in 2 LAUSD schools with Wonderland Magnet being one of them. The quality of education and challenging curriculum along with the amazing 3rd and 4th grade teachers make it an incredible experience. The children go on field trips regularly in the magnet to amazing places which enhance their education as well as overnight trips which increase their independence. The children at this school and families are also incredible. Everyone seems to really care about what's important in life, there children's education!”
This review was posted by a parent.
Quality Score: 5
Post Date:2004-08-17
“The cream of the crop for public elementary schools! Great teachers who know how to motivate students, a principal who is truly involved and parents who care--the perfect formula for success. My daughter has made lots of friends (in the magnet school) and loves going to school here.”
This review was posted by a parent.

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