100th Day of School Newsletter Template

The 100th day of school is one of the most anticipated milestones in elementary education, especially in grades K through 3. It is a natural moment to celebrate how much students have learned, how far the class has come, and the power of counting to something meaningful. A newsletter to families beforehand builds excitement, gives parents context for any preparation their child needs to do, and invites them into the celebration.

This template covers what to include, how to handle any at-home preparation, and how to write the newsletter so families understand why the day matters.

When to send

The 100th day of school typically falls in late January or early February, depending on when school started and how many days your calendar has counted. Send your newsletter one week to ten days before the date. Families who are helping their child with a "100 objects" project need enough time to gather materials without a last-minute panic.

If you do not know the exact date until closer to the event (which happens if your school has snow days or schedule changes), send the newsletter as soon as the date is confirmed, even if that gives families only four or five days. A short lead time is still better than no lead time.

What to include

What the 100th day of school is and why you celebrate it. For families who went to school in a different country or did not have this tradition, a brief explanation is useful. The 100th day of school is a math milestone that helps students practice counting in large quantities, builds number sense, and gives the class a reason to mark how much they have accomplished together. It is especially meaningful in kindergarten and first grade, where 100 days represents a significant fraction of the year.

What you are planning in the classroom. Activities you are doing, books you are reading, math games organized around the number 100, any costume element (some classrooms do "100-year-old" dress-up), or a class project. Be specific. Families love knowing exactly what their child is going to experience.

Any at-home preparation students need to do. Many classrooms ask students to bring in a collection of 100 small objects. If you are doing this, give families clear guidelines: what counts, what does not, how the items should be organized, and when they need to arrive. A vague request to "bring 100 things" generates a lot of follow-up questions. A clear request with examples generates confidence.

Example guidance: "Students are invited to bring a collection of 100 small objects grouped into sets of 10. Past examples include 100 cotton balls, 100 pennies, 100 Cheerios, 100 stickers, or 100 small pasta shapes. Collections should fit in a ziplock bag or small box. They are due by [date]."

What students should wear or bring on the day itself. If your class does a costume element or special dress, explain it clearly. "Students are invited to dress as a 100-year-old person" is enough, with a note that this is optional and regular school clothes are fine for students who are not participating.

Whether parent visitors are welcome. Some 100th day celebrations include a brief family viewing of student collections or a classroom walk-through. If that is happening, give families the time and any logistics.

Sample newsletter copy

Subject line: The 100th day of school is [date] — here is how we are celebrating

Opening: "We are almost at the 100th day of school, one of my favorite milestones of the year. This is a big moment in our classroom, and I want to make sure you have everything you need to help your child celebrate."

What we are doing: "On [date], we will spend the day exploring the number 100 in math, reading, and creative activities. Students will share their 100-object collections, complete a 100-themed art project, and take on some seriously fun math challenges involving 100."

100-object collection: "Please help your child gather a collection of exactly 100 small objects, organized into groups of 10. The collection should fit into a bag or small container and should arrive by [date]. Please label the bag with your child's name."

Optional costume: "Students are invited to come dressed as a 100-year-old person on [date]. This is completely optional and always produces a great class photo. Regular school clothes are perfectly welcome."

Tone for the 100th day newsletter

Enthusiastic. This is a celebration. The newsletter can and should reflect genuine excitement. Families pick up on a teacher's energy, and a newsletter that reads like an excited teacher writes like someone their child wants to go to school for.

What to avoid

• Sending the newsletter so late that families cannot prepare the collection
• Making the costume element feel required for students who cannot or do not want to participate
• Leaving the collection requirements vague (size, how to group, when to bring it)
• Forgetting to celebrate what 100 days means for the class, not just for the math lesson

Using Daystage for milestone newsletters

Milestone newsletters like the 100th day should feel different from a routine monthly update. Daystage's block editor lets you add a headline section, a clear callout for the collection instructions, and a warm closing section that reads like a celebration rather than a logistics memo. The formatting tools help you create a newsletter that matches the energy of the day you are announcing.

A day students remember

The 100th day of school is one of those milestones students bring up years later. The collection their family helped put together, the costume their parent found at the last minute, the number 100 built out of pasta or pennies or cotton balls. A newsletter that invites families to be part of that memory, with clear instructions and genuine excitement, makes the day richer for everyone in your classroom.