John Wister Elementary - Mastery Schools

About Our School

John Wister Elementary serves students from kindergarten through 5th grade in the East Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia. Students at our school have the opportunity to advance to Pickett Campus after completing 5th grade, offering them a comprehensive K-12 experience within Mastery Schools. Explore the information below to discover how we ignite students’ enthusiasm for learning while supporting their holistic development in a safe and secure school environment. 

563

Students

K-5

Grades

We offer a rigorous academic curriculum that includes subjects such as math, science, reading, music, art, and more. Our dedicated and highly qualified teachers and staff ensure that all students receive a well-rounded education in a fun and joyful environment. To learn more about Mastery’s academic approach and the range of student supports available, please visit our Academic Program page.

Every Mastery school has a dedicated school culture team that is responsible for ensuring a positive and safe school community. Our schools observe common rituals, such as morning circles, community meetings, and school events that celebrate the school community and the joy of learning. We also ensure that school rules and values are consistently supported and enforced. Our teachers adopt standard school-wide classroom behavior systems, ensuring that students are held to consistently high expectations. We intentionally create a community that strikes a balance between structure and student independence, allowing schools to feel both orderly and joyful. To learn more about school culture, visit our Student Life page. 

We offer an aftercare program through Joshua’s Academy, which runs from dismissal time to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday. The program accepts childcare subsidies. For more information on this program, contact Mrs. Jones at 215-589-9062.

We also offer enriching extracurricular and athletic programs to support student growth outside of the classroom. Offerings include: 

  • Art Club
  • Basketball
  • Book Club
  • Cheerleading
  • Games Club
  • Girls Mentoring Group
  • Homework/Tutoring Club
  • Lego Club
  • Performing Arts
  • Reading Enrichment
  • Step Club

Mastery’s student uniform consists of a Mastery logo collared shirt, solid-colored pants, Mastery logo sweaters/sweatshirts, closed-toe, flat-soled shoes, and head coverings for religious purposes. Hoodies and t-shirts, regardless of logo, are not permitted. 

Uniform polos can be purchased online here. For more information on purchasing uniforms, please contact the main office at 215-951-4003.

Being prepared for school each day is vital to student success. To ensure your student is ready from day one, please review the list of required school supplies.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE 2026-2027 SCHOOL YEAR

John Wister Elementary serves students in the East Germantown area who reside within the school’s attendance zone, which is located in the 19144 zip code. Preference is given to students with siblings currently attending the school. Students living outside of the attendance zone cannot enroll, even if they reside within the listed 19144 zip code. Please review the attendance zone map below to determine your eligibility to enroll your student, or use our school finder to identify the Mastery schools your child is eligible to attend. 

The Apply Philly Charter website will be inaccessible from January 21 through February 22 for school year 2026-2027 applicants. If you’d like to consult with one of our enrollment specialists about options for your student during this period and be reminded via email, call, or text when the website reopens so that you can complete an application, please complete the form linked below.

Get help from an enrollment specialist

If you applied for the 2026-2027 school year by the January 20, 2026, priority deadline, lottery results will be made available via the Apply Philly Charter portal on February 6. Learn more about the lottery process and the actions you need to take to secure your spot for next year here. 

Please note: If you are seeking a seat for your child for the current school year (2025-2026), you can still apply online using Apply Philly Charter during the shutdown period (January 21 – February 22). To begin your application, simply log in and click the “Apply for Current Year” button. Applications submitted for the 2026-2027 school year through the current year application in Apply Philly Charter will not be processed, as applications must be submitted for the correct school year to be eligible.

Our Principal

Erica Smith

Erica Smith is the proud principal of John Wister Elementary. She is an active and passionate school leader who believes that every child can achieve their goals and dreams with the support of a great school. Before being appointed as Wister’s principal, Principal Smith served as the Assistant Principal of Specialized Services at the same campus. Prior to that, she…
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Additional School Leadership

Aaron Rhock, Assistant Principal of Instruction

Ewura-Aba Hartley, Assistant Principal of School Culture

Laura Agosto, Assistant Principal of Specialized Services

Lauren Carter, Assistant Principal of Instruction

Marquise Reynolds, Assistant Principal/Director of Operations

Life at John Wister Elementary

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Who to Contact

Attendance Zone