ILS Breaks Ground on Building Expansion & Renovation

On Sunday, April 17, Immanuel Lutheran School broke ground on a five-classroom addition to the school building. After several years of planning for this renovation and expansion project, the community was thrilled to come together to celebrate the official groundbreaking.

Current ILS families, alumni, and members of Immanuel Lutheran Church joined with representatives of the project partners, including Rust Orling Architects, Chamberlain Construction, and the Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF) for the ceremonial ground breaking. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and continue until January 2017. Students are expected to move into the new space during the 2016-2017 school year.

Immanuel Lutheran School was originally established in Old Town Alexandria by German immigrants in 1870. After closing during WWI, the school was reopened in its current location off of Russell Road in 1944, where it continues to serve students in Jr. Kindergarten through 8th grade.

As well as adding five new classrooms to the school building, the existing classrooms will be renovated with new floorings, ceilings and millwork, additional bathrooms will be built, the HVAC system will be updated, and an elevator will be added to the school as a part of this project. Work is also planned for the church building, including improvements to the kitchens, the addition of more bathrooms, the construction of an elevator.

"This is a significant moment in Immanuel’s history,” said ILS School Board Chairman Jason Kunik. “For more than 70 years, this school has stood in this location, serving students and families from throughout our community. We have been so blessed with the continued growth of the school, and we need this additional space and the improvements to our facility to be able to continue to serve families for generations to come.”

March Issue of the ILS Post Out Now!

Our latest issue of the Immanuel Lutheran School Post is out now! Students in the Upper School Journalism Club have been working hard to report on all the latest news and happenings. We hope you enjoy the result of all their hard work!

Stay tuned for our next issue in April.

Lutheran Schools Week - Serve Together

As a part of the 2016 National Lutheran Schools Week, members of our ILS faculty shared reflections on the theme of Life Together in Christ. Each focused on the different parts of our "life together" as we play together, serve together, pray together and learn together. In today's reflection, Upper School Lead Teacher, Ms. Kramer, shares insights on serving together at ILS.

Serve Together – Ms. Kramer

As they mature, ILS students are being trusted with more and more responsibility throughout the school: patrol, helping younger grades at chapel, other forms of chapel service, running the Talent Show, developing the culture of the school through our house systems. And there are countless other ways students serve without programs: I can think of two 4th grade students who scan the blacktop and playground every day for left-over trash without being asked, or students who jump at the chance to help a teacher with tasks. We take service seriously at Immanuel, because we are becoming who we are meant to be: members of community, people who will love and care for one another. Is there any more meaningful way to be an image bearer of Christ?

Lutheran Schools Week - Learn Together

During Lutheran Schools Week, our faculty shared reflections on this year's theme of Life Together in Christ, focusing on the different aspects as we play together, serve together, pray together and learn together. In today's reflection, 1st grade teacher Mrs. Gorr shares insights on learning together at ILS.

Lutheran Schools Week - Serve Together

Why do we serve together? Why take precious time away from academics to work on service projects?

I am reminded of Saint Paul’s warning to the Corinthians. Don’t gloss over the text; it’s worth reading:

“If I speak with the tongue of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

In other words, we fail as a classical school if the only outcome we achieve is a well-trained mind. If our students graduate as intellectually robust defenders of truth yet lacking love and vision to use their gifts in service to neighbors, then our work has been in vain.

Lutheran Schools Week - Play Together

"And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them" (Mark 10:16 ESV)

With just one day to officially celebrate National Lutheran Schools Week, students were excited to Play Together during a school-wide game hour. We give thanks for our minds and bodies - blessings from the Creator - allowing us to pray, learn, serve, and play. 

Play Together - Mrs. Schmick 

Children + playing = learning. Hands-down, one of the best equations ever. Our days in the Jr.  include a wonderful balance of not only instruction but also play. Whether a student is completing a puzzle inside or participating in a game of tag outside, they are learning. Both surroundings are perfect environments for little minds and bodies to use kind words (Mrs. Schmick, may you please play animals with me?), increase patience (as they wait in line to kick a soccer ball), and build muscle strength and coordination (as they climb steps and ladders and catch footballs).