School Calendar 2026-27 for Teachers: Dates + Activities

The 2026-27 school year includes Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 26, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18, Presidents' Day on Monday, February 15, and Teacher Appreciation Week from May 3 to 7. Federal holidays are fixed, but school closures and some observance names vary by district, so check your local calendar before you plan.

September 2026

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Mon, Sep 7	Labor Day	Community helpers and jobs in our town (K–2); the history of the labor movement and the 8-hour day (3–5).
Sep 15 – Oct 15	Hispanic Heritage Month	Read-alouds by Hispanic and Latino authors; biographies of scientists, artists and leaders.
Thu, Sep 17	Constitution Day	Write a class constitution; compare it with the Preamble.

October 2026

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Mon, Oct 12	Columbus Day / Indigenous Peoples' Day	Name varies by state and district. Learn about the Native nations of your region and their presence today.
Sat, Oct 31	Halloween	Falls on a Saturday this year; many schools mark it on Friday, Oct 30. Pumpkin math and descriptive writing, following school policy.

November 2026

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Tue, Nov 3	Election Day	Hold a class vote on a book or a recess game; tally and graph the results.
Wed, Nov 11	Veterans Day	A short, respectful lesson on service, one real story and a thank-you note.
Thu, Nov 26	Thanksgiving	Gratitude writing, a balanced look at the 1621 harvest and the Wampanoag perspective.

December 2026

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Late Dec	Winter break	Dates vary by district. Before break: holiday-neutral winter science, math and writing, plus a review of routines for January.

January 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
First week back	New Year goals	A 30-minute goal-setting lesson: one small, specific goal per student and a check-in every two weeks.
Mon, Jan 18	Martin Luther King Jr. Day	Read about Dr. King's life and work; 'I have a dream for my school' writing.
Late Jan – mid Feb	100th Day of School	Counting and place value, 'When I'm 100' writing, games and stations. Count from your first day.

February 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
All month	Black History Month	Biographies, primary sources and a class wall of inventors, artists and leaders.
Tue, Feb 2	Groundhog Day	Predictions, weather data and a simple shadow science experiment.
Sun, Feb 14	Valentine's Day	On a Sunday this year; kindness notes and friendship writing on Friday, Feb 12.
Mon, Feb 15	Presidents' Day	Compare two presidents with a Venn diagram; write 'If I were president…'

March 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Tue, Mar 2	Read Across America Day	Guest readers, book swaps and a class reading goal.
All month	Women's History Month	Research and present a woman in science, sports or civic life.
Sun, Mar 14	Pi Day / Daylight saving time begins	Measure circles and find circumference (upper grades) on Friday, Mar 12.
Wed, Mar 17	St. Patrick's Day	Probability with rainbow-colored counters; procedural writing for a 'trap'.

April 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
All month	Autism Acceptance Month	Read-alouds about neurodiversity and talking about how everyone's brain works differently.
Thu, Apr 22	Earth Day	Waste audit of the classroom trash, plant growth journals, local cleanup.

May 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
May 3 – 7	Teacher Appreciation Week	Students write letters to a teacher or staff member who helped them this year.
Mon, May 31	Memorial Day	How Memorial Day differs from Veterans Day; a short remembrance reading.

June 2027

Date	Observance	Classroom idea
Mon, Jun 14	Flag Day	Symbols on the U.S. flag and a class flag design.
Sat, Jun 19	Juneteenth	If school is still in session, an age-appropriate lesson on emancipation and freedom.

Tips for planning around the calendar

Tie dates to standards. A holiday lesson should still practice reading, writing, math or civics.
Keep it short. One focused lesson often beats a week of crafts.
Be inclusive. Not every family celebrates every holiday; offer choices and focus on learning.
Watch weekends. When a date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, plan the lesson for Friday or Monday.
Plan sub days too. Busy seasons are when emergency sub plans save you.

Plan a holiday lesson in minutes

The Pluma lesson plan generator drafts a standards-aligned lesson for any date on this calendar, and the worksheet generator creates matching practice pages. Review and adapt everything to your class. Free to start, no card.

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Frequently asked questions

When is Thanksgiving 2026?

Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26, 2026. Many schools close on Wednesday through Friday of that week; check your district calendar.

When is the 100th day of school in 2027?

It depends on your start date and calendar. Count 100 student days from your first day, skipping weekends, holidays and teacher workdays. For most U.S. schools it falls between late January and mid-February 2027.

Do schools close on Veterans Day?

Some do and some don't. Veterans Day (Wednesday, November 11, 2026) is a federal holiday, but school closures are decided by each district.

Are these dates the same for every school?

Federal holidays are fixed nationally, but school closures, breaks and some observance names vary by state and district. Always confirm with your district calendar.