As a teacher and school administrator, National Lutheran Schools Week (January 25–31, 2026) has always been one of my favorite times of year! The energy, joy, and fun around our school celebrations were always a highlight. Whether through silly dress-up days, special assemblies, service projects, or special worship services, the students knew it was a blessing to attend a Lutheran school. It was all centered on giving thanks to God for the blessing of our school and a Lutheran education. Now, as I am blessed to serve as a district education executive, it fills my heart with joy to visit our Lutheran schools and see the love for Jesus shine through celebrations and service.
A Biblical Example
Psalm 100:1–2 shares very clearly the focus of our Lutheran schools during this special week of celebration and throughout the entire school year. It says:
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into His presence with singing!
Celebration Ideas in the Classroom
1. Make paper chains of joy.
Students and teachers create a chain of joy to hang in their classroom or in the hall. Each day of the week, students can write down a joy and add the paper link to the chain. These might be joys or blessings at school, at home, or in their neighborhoods. At the end of the week, the chains will be lengthy.
Classrooms might then attach their chains to create a festive display for the school entrance. Provide some context for visitors by displaying a description of the chains, such as, “In celebration of National Lutheran Schools Week, Ms. Johnson’s third-grade class created this paper chain to share reasons they are joyful and thankful for their school!”
2. Create a church banner.
Each classroom might make a banner (depending on the size of the class) and add what makes them joyful about their school. The banners can be hung in the church individually by grade or connected for a full-school banner! This is a great way to celebrate your school with the congregation that supports it.
3. Make thank-you bookmarks.
Each student might create a thank-you bookmark to share about the joy of their school. This year’s theme verse for National Lutheran Schools Week, Psalm 98:4, should be included. If these are made for congregation members, the students might hand them out after a church service when members exit the sanctuary.
4. Perform a service project.
Students might start a couple of weeks before National Lutheran Schools Week, collecting items for military personnel, members who are homebound, food pantries, or nursing homes. This gesture can be extra special this time of year because, by this point, holiday gifts and visits have tapered off, sometimes leaving our most vulnerable neighbors feeling lonely.
Depending on the grade level, pictures can be drawn or letters written. Students can include details about their school and explain why their school is a joy-filled place to learn and grow in Jesus.
5. Interview alumni.
A fun activity for the children might be interviewing former students. Invite students from generations past into the classroom for fun and informative interviews. These might be congregation members or others from the alumni records. Interview questions should be written ahead of time, and each child should be given the opportunity to ask a question. Make sure that there are no repeated questions. We know guests will love to tell stories about the school from the past. End the activity with the class singing a joy song for the guests, and then share a snack.
There are endless ways to celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week and the gift of your school! Be creative, have fun, and be filled with the joy of Jesus!
Scripture: ESV®.
To implement the thank-you bookmark idea, check out these free Scripture coloring cards you can print, decorate, and share with your community!
