2026–2027 School Calendar
August 19, 2026 – May 26, 2027
The school calendar Joplin MO families rely on all year is right here. Martin Luther School’s 2026–2027 calendar lists every first and last day, no-school day, quarter end, noon dismissal, testing window, program, and enrollment deadline — so you can plan childcare, vacations, and work schedules well in advance.
Print It for the Fridge
The full year on one page — download, print, and post it where the whole family can see.
Dates You Will Want on Your Calendar First
- Thursday, August 13 — Meet the Teacher Day, 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 5:00–7:00 p.m. (school pictures taken both windows)
- Wednesday, August 19 — First day of school
- Sunday, August 23 — Teacher Installation at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 9:00 a.m.
- Wednesday, October 14 — First quarter ends
- December 21 – January 1 — Christmas break
- January 24–30 — National Lutheran Schools Week
- March 29 – April 2 — Spring break
- Wednesday, May 26 — Last day of school, noon dismissal
First Semester
August 2026
- Aug 10–18 — Teacher meetings and professional development
- Aug 13 — Back to School / Meet the Teacher
- Aug 19 — First day of school
- Aug 23 — Teacher Installation, 9:00 a.m.
September 2026
- Sept 4 — No school: professional development
- Sept 7 — No school: Labor Day
- Sept 18 — VIP Day; noon dismissal
- Sept 20 — Early Childhood–Grade 8 sing in church, 10:30 a.m.; free Better Together breakfast in the gym at 9:15 beforehand (no Sunday School or Bible classes that morning)
- Sept 21–25 — NWEA testing
October 2026
- Oct 2 — Bible Knowledge Day in Lockwood for grades 1–4; regular school day for all grades
- Oct 9 — PTO Spaghetti Dinner
- Oct 12 — Class pictures and picture retakes (moved from Oct 2)
- Oct 14 — First quarter ends
- Oct 21–23 — No school: LCMS Missouri District Conference
- Oct 26–30 — Parent-teacher conferences
- Oct 30 — K–8 field trip to Roller City
November 2026
- Nov 11 — Veteran’s Day Chapel, 8:15 a.m.
- Nov 23–24 — No school: professional development
- Nov 25–27 — No school: Thanksgiving break
December 2026
- Dec 7 — MLS family enrollment opens
- Dec 9 — Early Childhood Christmas Program, 6:30 p.m.
- Dec 16 — Grades 1–8 Christmas Program, 6:30 p.m.
- Dec 18 — Noon dismissal, lunch served; second quarter ends
- Dec 21 – Jan 1 — No school: Christmas break
Second Semester
January 2027
- Jan 4 — Classes resume
- Jan 11–15 — NWEA testing and Early Childhood conferences
- Jan 18 — No school: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Jan 19 — Enrollment opens to the public
- Jan 24 — Early Childhood–Grade 8 sing in church, 10:30 a.m.; free Faith at the Table breakfast in the gym at 9:15 beforehand (no Sunday School or Bible classes that morning)
- Jan 24–30 — National Lutheran Schools Week
February 2027
- Feb 11 — K–8 field trip to Roller City
- Feb 12 — No school: PD conference
- Feb 15 — No school: President’s Day
- Feb 16 — Grades 5–8 Geography Bee, 9:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.; no school for Early Childhood through 4th grade
March 2027
- Mar 5 — No school: professional development
- Mar 12 — Noon dismissal, lunch served; third quarter ends
- Mar 26 — No school: Good Friday
- Mar 29 – Apr 2 — No school: spring break
April 2027
- Apr 8 — Kindergarten Declaration Night, 6:00 p.m.; Academic Fair, 6:30–7:30 p.m.
- Apr 15 — Discounted enrollment fee deadline
- Apr 16 — PTO Trivia Night Fundraiser
- Apr 19–23 — NWEA testing
May 2027
- May 4 — Early Childhood Spring Performance, time to be announced
- May 21 — Spring Musical, 7:00 p.m.
- May 24 — MLS Field Day
- May 25 — Bible Bee, time to be announced; Graduation, 6:30 p.m.
- May 26 — Noon dismissal; last day of school
- May 27–28 — Teacher meetings
A Few Notes on Reading the Calendar
- Chapel is every Wednesday at 8:15 a.m. in the Immanuel Lutheran Church sanctuary, and families are always welcome to join us.
- Noon dismissal days still include lunch unless noted otherwise.
- NWEA testing weeks are normal school days — no schedule change for families.
- Dates marked “to be announced” will be confirmed closer to the event and posted on our events page.
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.”
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV)
Thinking About Joining Us?
Come see a school day for yourself. We would love to show you around.
More for MLS Families
- 2026–27 Supply List — Every grade, typed out for phone shopping
- Documents & Forms — Calendar, supply list, and dress code downloads
- FACTS Family Portal — Grades, attendance, and announcements
- Lunch Program — Menus and pricing
- PTO — Book Fair, Spaghetti Dinner, Trivia Night, and more
- Tuition & Financial Aid — Rates and assistance
- Admissions — How to enroll for 2026–27
Questions about a date on the calendar? Call the school office at (417) 624-1403 or email info@martinlutherjoplin.com.
Calendar updated July 28, 2026 and subject to change; families are notified of any changes through The Glow newsletter and the FACTS Family Portal. Martin Luther School is affiliated with the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) and accredited through National Lutheran School Accreditation. Located at 2616 S Connecticut Ave, Joplin, MO 64804.
Help for the Hard Questions — Parent Evening
Thursday, October 15, 2026, 6:30 to 8:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall. An evening for MLS parents and grandparents, hosted by Jason Glaskey and Principal Mollie Ramstad, on answering the big questions kids ask. Free, with dessert and kids’ activities in the gym and nursery.
No School — Teachers at the LCMS Missouri District Conference
There are no classes for students Wednesday through Friday, October 21–23, 2026. Our teachers and staff are attending the LCMS Missouri District Conference. This is not a break for our faculty. The district conference gathers Lutheran school teachers from across Missouri for three days of sessions on teaching, curriculum, and the confessional faith we hand on to your children. Our teachers spend the time learning, worshiping, and comparing notes with colleagues who do the same work in other Lutheran schools.…
Parent-Teacher Conferences — Regular School Days
School is in session all week, October 26–30, 2026. These are regular school days with regular hours. The conferences happen on top of the school day, in the afternoons and evenings. That is worth saying plainly, because conference week is often confused with a break. Send your child to school as usual. Then come back later in the day for your conference time. Teachers hold conference slots after classes and into the evening so working parents have a real chance…
K-8 Field Trip to Roller City
Students in kindergarten through 8th grade head to Roller City in Joplin for an afternoon of skating and fellowship on Friday, October 30, 2026.
Veteran’s Day Chapel
Veteran’s Day Chapel is Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 8:15 a.m. in the sanctuary at Immanuel Lutheran Church. School is in session that day as usual. Veterans and their families are warmly invited. So is anyone else who would like to come — chapel is always open, and this one especially. Our students gather for chapel every Wednesday morning at 8:15 during the school year. On this Wednesday the service turns toward those who have served in the armed forces:…
No School — Teacher Professional Development
There are no classes for students on Monday and Tuesday, November 23–24, 2026. Teachers and staff are working both days. PD stands for professional development. It is not a day off for our faculty. These two days are set aside for meetings built specifically for teachers and staff — training together, reviewing student progress at the halfway point of the semester, and planning the work ahead. Learning is not just something we ask of students. Ongoing professional development was one…
No School — Thanksgiving Break
No school Wednesday through Friday, November 25–27, 2026 for Thanksgiving Break. Students are actually out the whole week. Monday and Tuesday, November 23–24, are professional development days for teachers and staff — a working week for our faculty, not a holiday. Classes resume Monday, November 30. There is no chapel that Wednesday. Chapel returns to its usual Wednesday 8:15 a.m. slot on December 2. The stretch after this break is a full one. Enrollment for the next school year opens…
MLS Family Enrollment Opens
Enrollment for the 2027–28 school year opens to current MLS families on Monday, December 7, 2026. School is in session that day as usual. Current families get six weeks of first refusal. Enrollment does not open to the public until January 19, 2027. That window exists so the families already here can hold their child’s place before anyone outside the school can claim it. It matters most in the grades that fill. Our classes are small on purpose, and a…
Early Childhood Christmas Program
The Early Childhood Christmas Program is Wednesday, December 9, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary at Immanuel Lutheran Church. School is in session that day as usual. This is our youngest students’ night — Preschool and Kindergarten. They have been learning their songs and their lines since Advent began, and they are very ready for you to see them. Bring grandparents. Bring neighbors. Nobody needs to be an Immanuel member or an MLS family to come, and there is…
Grades 1–8 Christmas Program
The Grades 1–8 Christmas Program is Wednesday, December 16, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary at Immanuel Lutheran Church. School is in session that day as usual. Every student in grades 1 through 8 takes part. The older students carry the speaking and the readings; the younger ones sing. Together they tell the Christmas account the way our school tells it all year — out of Scripture, in the church, with the congregation listening. Everyone is welcome. No ticket,…