Immanuel Lutheran School has been a part of Alexandria’s heritage for many years. Originally established in downtown Alexandria on Cameron and Alfred Streets in 1870, Immanuel thrived for forty years before closing shortly before World War I. As WWII was ending, Immanuel Lutheran Church moved to its current location on Russell Road. The school reopened in 1945, and has flourished there since.
Immanuel Lutheran School Today
Now after more than 75 years of consecutive operation, Immanuel continues to offer a Lutheran and classical education in Northern Virginia, with a liberal arts curriculum for Jr. Kindergarten (pre-kindergarten) through 8th grade. Our students enjoy a rich academic environment that includes high academic expectations, small class sizes, Shurley grammar, Saxon and Singapore math, classical literature, Latin (beginning in 3rd grade), science, weekly chapel services, Christian character formation, world history, Logic, music, art and much more.
What is a Classical Lutheran Education?
Wisdom, eloquence and virtue – these are the aims of a classical education. The patriarchs of western civilization understood that education was more than the acquisition of basic skills and mere competency. The purpose of education was to transform, to elevate, and to refine the mind and the soul. This was the standard, not the exception. At the center of classical education is an emphasis on the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. Because these universal values serve as the building blocks of classical learning, the classical arts are timeless and proven, and have been known to produce many eloquent confessors and wise leaders. Our communities today are in dire need of just these sorts of men and women. In an endless pursuit of the latest educational dogma, many schools no longer have the capacity to judge what is Good, True and Beautiful, much less teach it. In forsaking the soul for the mind, they have forgotten how to educate both. Classical Education is a holistic approach to education, and a return to excellence in teaching, curriculum and expectations.
The first “Lutheran” schools were formed for the precise purpose of offering a classical education to a broader segment of the population than had ever been offered before that time. Martin Luther and the early reformers urged the local governments to set up schools patterned after the ancient academies of the Greeks and Romans teaching the seven liberal arts of grammar, dialectic (logic), rhetoric, aesthetics (music), empirics (astronomy), mathematics, and geometry. These schools became the model for the famous German “gymnasium” and the English “public schools” that set the standard for excellence in education well into the twentieth century – a standard severely eroded in recent decades. Yet this rich heritage of classical Lutheran education has not been lost. Immanuel Lutheran School is dedicated to continuing in this great tradition.
School Ethos
Confessing the Christian faith, cultivating the intellect, refining the character.
Christ-Centered – Immanuel Lutheran School was established by a community of believers to spread the faith as taught by Holy Scripture to children uninitiated in the faith, and to strengthen the faith of believing children. The Word of God is a constant presence in the school; as a regular and daily feature of the life of the school, prayer, worship, and the proclamation of the Gospel will frame classroom instruction. The school considers the Church of the Unaltered Augsburg Confession to embody the purest expression of the Gospel, and the school always keeps its mission and curriculum consonant with the Church’s confession of faith.
Classical – Immanuel Lutheran School’s core curriculum provides for instruction in the liberal arts and sciences. This entails, but is not limited to, literature and English composition; foreign languages; world, Church and World history; arithmetic and Algebra; music and fine arts; and the Earth sciences. Each student will be expected to develop an aptitude in these academic areas. The school will work with each student toward achieving mastery in all of these academic areas. One of the greatest treasures of the Lutheran heritage is its emphasis upon a rigorous parochial education; Immanuel Lutheran Church stands within that tradition and seeks to perpetuate it. Immanuel's parish school has always acknowledged both the intrinsic merit and usefulness of the liberal arts and sciences. The study of these subjects reveals the glory of God to the student, while enabling the student to glorify God through knowledge, wisdom, and worship.
Christian Character Formation – Immanuel Lutheran School believes that good deportment completes an education. To that end, Immanuel's teachers shall instill in their students an awareness of the duties of Christian citizenship, especially encouraging civility and mercy toward one's neighbor. In addition to requiring its teachers to lead by example, the School uses Scripture and literary works to shape the good moral habits of Immanuel's students.
Academic Achievement
Our goal is to help each individual student achieve his or her highest potential. This includes a rigorous curriculum that encourages mastery of material and inspires a love of learning. Immanuel’s students are given NWEA Measurements of Academic Progress assessments. The majority of our students’ standardized test scores were above grade level in all areas – math, reading and language arts.
Extended Care Program
Immanuel offers both before school and after school extended care options for busy parents. Our Extended Care professionals are carefully screened and selected. They engage our children in constructive educational activities, direct outdoor sports and free play, assist with homework and ensure that the extended day experience is fun and educational!
“Immanuel’s commitment to Christ, to great education grounded in faith and science, and your ability to do these things with both firmness and love is something truly extraordinary. Our children not only learn from the positive examples of the adult leaders at the school, but also come home and discuss the great character of the children around them even sharing specific examples of their peers’ modeling strong character.
Often when a school does one thing so well, there is a trade-off on another. But not with Immanuel. It is not just faith and theology that is being modeled so well; you all have also created a truly phenomenal academic environment for your children where they are being challenged and are flourishing. ”
At-A-Glance
As a private, Christian school, ILS is a mission of Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
Since 1880, Immanuel Evangelical-Lutheran Church has been a member congregation of the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod (LCMS).
ILS is fully accredited by the Consortium for Classical Lutheran Education (CCLE). The school is also accredited through the National Lutheran School Accreditation sponsored by the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.
Currently serving 206 students in grades Jr. Kindergarten through 8.
Students begin studying formal Latin in 3rd grade.
Students begin studying formal Logic in 5th grade.
All students participate in robust Physical Education and Music Programs.
ILS is an active member of the Association of Classical Christian Schools (ACCS) and faculty are actively engaged in the work of the Society for Classical Learning (SCL).