Advice from a Teacher re: taking kids out of school for Disney

[camdensmom]

Since there seem to be so many posts lately about taking the kids out of school for a Disney vacation I figured I would pipe in with some advice from a teacher.

It is very annoying/insulting to hear, "it is only 1st/2nd/3rd grade so he won't miss anything." We work our butts off to plan and execute lessons and it is disheartening to hear parents show disrespect for that.

Do not simply request that all the work be sent home and it will be made up. In most classrooms children are learning through centers and hands-on instruction. This can not be sent home in the form of a worksheet. Peer interaction and teacher support are required (not to mention gameboards, manipulatives, etc.)

Please do not ask for all of the work "ahead of time." It is SO TIME CONSUMING for a teacher to put together the work ahead of time. I always keep a "while you were out folder" and add any assignments that can be done at home to it as they are passed out to the class. It is much easier on the teacher if you make the work up after the fact.

Don't bother writing in the note or stating in conversation, "this will be an educational trip." You aren't exactly touring Washington, D.C. Be realistic. There is a lot to see, do and experience in Disney. There is ample opportunity to introduce your child to history and culture. Truly it can be a very educational trip, but it's really about family fun, flying on Dumbo and eating Mickey Head ice cream bars. Don't try to sugar coat it. It is what it is and that's not a bad thing, but playing making it sound as if the motivation was to culture the child is silly.

Realize that while your child's overall academic career will not suffer from missing a week of school, it will pay a toll on the immediate marking period. Concepts build off of one another (this is esp. true in math, science and social studies) and it can take a while for a child to get caught up. Will it mean your child won't go to Harvard? No. Will it mean your child might drop from a B to a C in math on that quarters report card? Maybe.

Also, your vacation may mean a lot of extra work for the teacher. Gathering assignments and needing to devote extra attention to that student to get him caught up is time consuming. Be sensitive and appreciative of that.

Now, with all that being said do I think parents should take their kids out of school for a trip to WDW? It depends on the kid. Family time is important. Family vacations are memorable and enjoyable. There are plenty of learning opportunities available that you won't get in a classroom and it would be extremely enriching. Travel during school vacation weeks can be 2 to 3 times as expensive and parent's work schedules don't always allow for it. Some kids are great students and won't be hindered from the absence.

I guess my point is that it is not a bad thing to take a child out of school for a family vacation, but I would suggest being sensitive in how you address it with the school. My suggestion would be to write something along the following lines:

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to let you know that __________ will be absent from __/__ to __/__. We will be taking a family vacation to Disney World. I apologize that he will be missing classtime for this trip, but for personal reasons we were not able to take it during a school vacation week.

In addition to quality family time and fun in the parks, we look forwarded to taking advantage of all of the educational opportunities that exist in Disney. However, we are aware that he will be missing valuable lessons and activities in your classroom during his absence. Please let us know how you would like this to be addressed. We are willing to work with you to make sure he is able to catch up on the missed work in whichever way you best see fit.

I look forward to speaking with you regarding this matter.

Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Go! Have Fun! But at the same time be sensitive and accomodating to the teacher. Teachers are always willing to work with you.

Also, just as a word of caution be aware of your districts attendance policy. In my previous district any child who was absent more than 4 consecutive days without a medical excuse was reported to the truancy officer.

[lklasing]

Camdensmom - I really appreciate you posting this. I have been following the discussions about whether or not to take kids out of school, as that is exactly what I am planning to do in May. I really appreciate your insight on this. I had never thought of the issue that it is harder for the teacher to get work to us in advance, rather than after the fact. I am saving your e-mail so I can use your language in a note I send to the teachers in April.

Anyway, thanks very much for your thoughts!

Leslie

[liznboys]

Great post, thank you sharing your thoughts on this.

[kkevcamsmom]

I love your letter for the teacher. We talked to our son's teacher in September about our trip in January. She's thanked me several times for letting her know so far ahead. She's been making a booklet for him to take so he's not too far behind. Some things will have to wait until he's back, but she was very grateful for the time to prepare something for him.

A few other students of her's have gone this year and they have only given the teacher a few days notice, she's only been able to gather a few items for them to do on vacation and heard the same thing about the grade being 'not important'. It's very hurtful to the teachers that give up a ton of personal time for lesson plans, grading, putting together field trips and other things.

I would love you use you letter when we "offically" notify the teacher next week about the days our son will be gone. May I use it?

Thanks in advance!

Lori

[camdensmom]

You are all very welcome and yes, please feel free to cut and paste the letter. I hope it is useful to you. Enjoy your trips! :)

[SusanMomOf2]

What a great post, very thoughtful and considerate... I taught Sunday school and can vouch that it's not the easiest thing to gather materials before they are taught. I like your letter, and I will put it to good use over here. I'm hesitant to take my daughter out of school (a very important 1st grade) because among her 5 A's, she has 2 B's and 2 C's. But one good thing is I've used our trip to help motivate her to improve and study harder. She has so much homework and things to read and study. That's a whole other topic. Again, thanks for the post dear teacher.

Susan

[Mouse House Mama]

I'm so glad you wrote that letter. Our oldest is in pre-school and you would not believe what they are learning! :teacher: It is crazy! We are taking him out for a few days for our next trip but I will ask the teacher what he will be missing so I can reinforce it on our trip (yes I will be a mean Mommy and make him do homework!) We are planning another trip for next year and plan on doing it during school break. I don't want him to miss a thing! These kids have to know so much for kindergarten that I can only imagine what they will do in elementary school! :eek:

[HappyDznyCamper]

Thank you for so nicely explaining a teacher's viewpoint on taking kids out of school. I have a high schooler now but have not taken her out of school for Disney ever, but we have family near Orlando so price vs time of year has never been an issue for us.

[disneynewbee]

I agree with the whole educational thing- ya there are a few educational things to see or do but lets face it that is not why we are going. Our school has a pre trip form though where they make you list all the educational things you will be doing on the trip, as I was filling it out I kept thinking how silly it sounded. She did get her form today saying that her trip is approved though so I'm a happy camper. Being in 8th grade she can't afford to have her days unexcused since you can't make up the work for unexcused absenses. I also included a note stating why it was necessary to make the trip during the school year (med reasons) and that I understand how difficult it is on the teacher and student to miss class time and that we would work hard and make things up in a timely matter.

[GoinToDisney]

I taught first grade (I'm staying home right now, but plan to return), and I agree with a lot of the points made. I feel it totally depends on the student whether missing school will affect his/her grades. If a child is not behind at all, I never cared about them missing school.

I sooo agree that it is hard to get work together ahead of time. A good teacher has lesson plans but goes with the flow and takes advantage of teachable moments. This means you might not get to everything in your plans. Good teachers use hands-on types of games and activities that can't be duplicated at home. I used to just give my first graders a journal to keep and a couple of books for the plane and a few math worksheets. Then I would do the real catch-up work myself in the classroom when the student returned. I think the letter was perfect.

Basically, you know your child, if he or she is struggling, why make it harder on him or her. If not, then go for it! If my kids could handle it, I would. By the time this is an issue for me, I'll probably be back in the classroom, and a teacher can never take a week off in the middle of the year for Disney.

[OceanAnnie]

I'm glad I saw this thread! I'm in the pre-planning stages for a trip for next year and I've contacted the school to inquire about policies and what not.

I like your letter and will probably use it when the time comes. Thank you! :)

[Mommaof3]

Let me heartily second these thoughts and the letter to the teacher. I too am a teacher and have always worked very hard to give the best education to my first and second graders. Often people do not realize how very important the younger grades are in establishing the foundation to one's education. Just try building a house without a proper foundation and you get my point. WDW is great family fun and one can learn from the vacation, just as one can learn from any experience in life. But, DO NOT confuse family bonding time with more formal, structured learning. There is NOTHING wrong with bonding as a family. I HIGHLY recommend it. There are times when going during the school year is the only option. Go, have fun, make memories you will always cherish. Work with the teacher and accept the situation that results for your child. It is not realistic to expect that your child can experience the time away from school AND then get the benefits of attending each day of school. You can not have both. And the teacher should not be expected to "make up the lost days" with your child. The rest is up to the district. Just for the record, I did take my children out of school to go to Disney. I took the papers when we returned and taught the new info. to my children and had them do the work. Their grades did not suffer, but I knew that they could. I was willing to accept it as it was my choice to take them out of school. OK---off my box now! Melissa

[Harvest02]

I enjoyed the OP also! Thanks for a great letter! I am going to take my kids out for only 2 days next fall, but the wording on the letter is perfect! I will have to copy and paste it, so that I can use it when the time comes. :thumbsup2

[jodifla]

I enjoyed the OP also! Thanks for a great letter! I am going to take my kids out for only 2 days next fall, but the wording on the letter is perfect! I will have to copy and paste it, so that I can use it when the time comes. :thumbsup2


To me, the letter sounds like begging, which I don't want to do.

I simply state that we'll be out of town due to family circumstances, and leave it at that. I ask the teacher what requirements and procedures she wants us to follow.

It's her classroom so she can certainly set the rules of the classroom, but it's my child.

[scanne]

What a wonderful letter!

I, too, am a teacher (I teach music), but there are SO many kids in my district that go to WDW throughout the year.

Actually, last week one of my students' parents surprised him with a trip to WDW. However, the parents did not contact any of his teachers to let them know and he missed 3 or 4 days of school - plus the end of the marking period and, at least for me, he has several assignments that haven't been turned in. He also switches to a new special area subject when the new marking period begins and I won't see him unless I seek him out. I felt this was totally irresponsible of the parents.

I think your letter is extremely well written and I think it will be a valuable tool to the parents on these boards that are questioning how to inform their child's teacher of an absence due to a WDW vacation.

Thanks for posting!!!

[hollyb]

Since there seem to be so many posts lately about taking the kids out of school for a Disney vacation I figured I would pipe in with some advice from a teacher.

It is very annoying/insulting to hear, "it is only 1st/2nd/3rd grade so he won't miss anything." We work our butts off to plan and execute lessons and it is disheartening to hear parents show disrespect for that.

Do not simply request that all the work be sent home and it will be made up. In most classrooms children are learning through centers and hands-on instruction. This can not be sent home in the form of a worksheet. Peer interaction and teacher support are required (not to mention gameboards, manipulatives, etc.)

Please do not ask for all of the work "ahead of time." It is SO TIME CONSUMING for a teacher to put together the work ahead of time. I always keep a "while you were out folder" and add any assignments that can be done at home to it as they are passed out to the class. It is much easier on the teacher if you make the work up after the fact.

Don't bother writing in the note or stating in conversation, "this will be an educational trip." You aren't exactly touring Washington, D.C. Be realistic. There is a lot to see, do and experience in Disney. There is ample opportunity to introduce your child to history and culture. Truly it can be a very educational trip, but it's really about family fun, flying on Dumbo and eating Mickey Head ice cream bars. Don't try to sugar coat it. It is what it is and that's not a bad thing, but playing making it sound as if the motivation was to culture the child is silly.

Realize that while your child's overall academic career will not suffer from missing a week of school, it will pay a toll on the immediate marking period. Concepts build off of one another (this is esp. true in math, science and social studies) and it can take a while for a child to get caught up. Will it mean your child won't go to Harvard? No. Will it mean your child might drop from a B to a C in math on that quarters report card? Maybe.

Also, your vacation may mean a lot of extra work for the teacher. Gathering assignments and needing to devote extra attention to that student to get him caught up is time consuming. Be sensitive and appreciative of that.

Now, with all that being said do I think parents should take their kids out of school for a trip to WDW? It depends on the kid. Family time is important. Family vacations are memorable and enjoyable. There are plenty of learning opportunities available that you won't get in a classroom and it would be extremely enriching. Travel during school vacation weeks can be 2 to 3 times as expensive and parent's work schedules don't always allow for it. Some kids are great students and won't be hindered from the absence.

I guess my point is that it is not a bad thing to take a child out of school for a family vacation, but I would suggest being sensitive in how you address it with the school. My suggestion would be to write something along the following lines:

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to let you know that __________ will be absent from __/__ to __/__. We will be taking a family vacation to Disney World. I apologize that he will be missing classtime for this trip, but for personal reasons we were not able to take it during a school vacation week.

In addition to quality family time and fun in the parks, we look forwarded to taking advantage of all of the educational opportunities that exist in Disney. However, we are aware that he will be missing valuable lessons and activities in your classroom during his absence. Please let us know how you would like this to be addressed. We are willing to work with you to make sure he is able to catch up on the missed work in whichever way you best see fit.

I look forward to speaking with you regarding this matter.

Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Go! Have Fun! But at the same time be sensitive and accomodating to the teacher. Teachers are always willing to work with you.

Also, just as a word of caution be aware of your districts attendance policy. In my previous district any child who was absent more than 4 consecutive days without a medical excuse was reported to the truancy officer.

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO

By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!

[KirstenB]

We're leaving for WDW tomorrow. Dd1 is in 3rd grade. I have sub taught (several long-term assignments, as well as short term) and I agree with everything you've said. We wrote an abbreviated form of the letter:

_______ will be out of school from 11/13-11/17 due to a family vacation. I know it's a hassle to prepare her homework ahead of time, so however you all want to handle the missed assignments is fine with us.
Thank you,

___________


Both teachers asked me how we wanted to handle making up homework. I said ideally, we'd like to do it during vacation, but I know it's a lot of work for you all. They both said no problem. Dd is working on it right now.

To the posters who felt the letter was "begging" and "we pay the teacher's salary", well I look at it as just treating the teacher with the courtesy you'd afford any professional.

[jodifla]

We're leaving for WDW tomorrow. Dd1 is in 3rd grade. I have sub taught (several long-term assignments, as well as short term) and I agree with everything you've said. We wrote an abbreviated form of the letter:

_______ will be out of school from 11/13-11/17 due to a family vacation. I know it's a hassle to prepare her homework ahead of time, so however you all want to handle the missed assignments is fine with us.
Thank you,

___________


Both teachers asked me how we wanted to handle making up homework. I said ideally, we'd like to do it during vacation, but I know it's a lot of work for you all. They both said no problem. Dd is working on it right now.

To the posters who felt the letter was "begging" and "we pay the teacher's salary", well I look at it as just treating the teacher with the courtesy you'd afford any professional.

I like your letter, short and to the point. The OP's letter on the other hand, has the parents apologizing and groveling, which I notice you don't do in your letter.

[scanne]

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!

Wow. A little harsh, huh? And it seems you're judging the OP based on her professional opinion...and assuming she's NOT a great teacher? What's up with that?

[drag n' fly]

I think the letter was well written. Respect is mutual...treat someone how you want to be treated. We have never had a problem with removing our kids during the school year to take a vacation. Our teachers have been very acccomodating but we also give 6 months notice. I did ask for work beforehand because once we arrive home my kids have a 5 day break so they will be able to complete and catch up on most of their work then. Why is it when a child is removed from school for a holiday it becomes a truancy issue but a home schooled child can go to WDW and have a "educational experience"?

[camdensmom]

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO

By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!

Seriously?

Unjustified. Uncalled for. Immature.

I have very high family values and mentioned in my original post how beneficial a vacation can be. GREAT TEACHERS do know however, that it is professionally irresponsible to send home any work that has not been taught in class. It is not fair to expect a child to know how to do something that we have not yet covered or even introduced.

And FWIW, I don't recall cashing a personal check from you so you do not pay my salary. By that mentality you have the right to commit crimes because you also pay the salary of the police officers. :rolleyes2

[lil mermaid]

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO

By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!

She's probably thanking God too! :rotfl2:

[Teacher03]

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO

By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!


You know, I bet the OP is equally grateful she is not your child's teacher! A little harsh, don't you think?

To the OP, I think your post is right on. I teach third grade, and I have had three families out for vacations already this year. I do not have a problem with this, I think family time is very important. I gave some work out ahead of time, and some had to be made up when the child returned. It was a mutual understanding on both parts.

[jnordan]

To the OP -- thank you so much. Your post was very thoughtful and I liked the letter you suggest very much. Might I make a few personal adjustments? Sure, but the gist of it, I think, was very respectful.

I just have to comment, though . . . Lately it seems that some people frequenting these boards have nothing to say unless it is is aimed at making someone else feel bad. Oddly, these same people seem to be the ones railing about other parents/teachers not doing a good job or making good decisions. But I just have to wonder -- is the voice you use on these boards representative of the voice you use in "real life"? Because if so, I question the values that you are teaching your children and modeling for others. There is a way to disagree with someone while still being respectful.

I was a teacher until I had children. I think because all of us have eexperienced education in some form in our lives -- be it as students or teachers ourselves -- we think that we're experts. But I don't think that anyone who hasn't taught really understands a teacher's work. It is unending. I couldn't go home for Thanksgiving weekend and relax -- because there is ALWAYS (even when the papers are graded and the lesson plans are prepared) more work to do. There are always ways your lessons could be improved, more help that some students need, more calls that could be made to parents . . . Most teachers do everything that they can while still maintaining some sort of life of their own -- and let's not forget that these people also have families, responsibilities, hobbies, etc. . . of their own. They are entitled to those things just as much as the rest of us.

I guess that if you're of the "they're my children and I'll make the final decision" camp, then I would say, "fine", but expect to accept the consequences for those decisions. Your child's teacher has no obligation to prepare work in advance or stay late after school to help your student catch up because of an OPTIONAL vacation (not that I'm opposed). Most teachers, however, do these things out of the goodness of their heart. That is something that DOES deserve some appreciation and respect. Because while they're doing all of this to help you have your vacation, in addition to the normal planning and grading, etc. they're also helping the 5 special needs students in their class with their individual needs, staying after school to help students who haven't just missed a week of school for a vacation, figuring out ways how to help the 2-3 students in the class who are constantly misbehaving, calling parents of students who haven't missed class to talk to them about their kids . . . The list goes on. Yes, we pay our teachers -- but it's a piddly amount for what they do.

It's amazing to me that teachers receive so much of the blame for our education problems. In my experience, teachers are rarely to blame.

OK, I'd better just go. My blood pressure is rising!

[mmeads4]

Also, just as a word of caution be aware of your districts attendance policy. In my previous district any child who was absent more than 4 consecutive days without a medical excuse was reported to the truancy officer.

My little one just started Preschool, and the other is only 2. I have been reading the "missing school" posts and although I agree with your treating teachers with respect and your letter is a great idea, I think school districts while not tolerating absenteeism should make exceptions for medical, family vacations and funerals....now, if Grandma dies 3x a year or she dies every year for the last 5 years...keep better records, but why punish a student for 1 family vacation a year? Now, most of us don't have lots of $$, so to go to WDW 2 or more times a year or more than 1 family vacation a year is a bit much. And it isn't realistic for families to all go at the same time of year. Especially when there are jobs that pay the bills, school taxes etc have to be worked around.
Anyways, that's my $0.02 worth

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[DisneyDotty]

Hey OP :wave: --love your post! You make many excellent points. Having been a high school teacher, I also cringe when someone says "Oh, Johnny is only in ____ grade. He won't miss much." What do people think it is that goes on in the classroom all day? And why would any parent put up with a teacher who doesn't accomplish much for a whole week?
I really believe that parents need to own up to their decisions--if they want to pull their kids out of school, fine. They have that right. But apologize, accept the consequences, and make no excuses. :sunny:

[KirstenB]

Forgot to add...the reason my letter to dd's teachers was so brief was mostly as a courtesy to them. I well remember having 20 minutes for homeroom and having several kids handing me notes, make up work, lunch money, field trip money, etc, etc. Add in taking attendance, looking over lesson plans, pledge of allegiance, and the teachers don't have time to read a long letter.

I loved very brief notes when I was teaching, so I could quickly screen the notes of stuff I needed to deal with immediately (ie. ________ had a very stressful night last night due to ________. Please watch over her today)

as opposed to _______ is going to be absent in 2 weeks due to ___________, which I could look at later at the end of the day.

[crisi]

We write a similar note.

We also let the teachers know the kids will be required to keep a journal of their trip.

[DaisyD]

I wouldn't bother with such a long letter. It almost sounds like one is asking for permission and I'm certainly not going to do that. I simply state that DD will not be in school for such and such dates. I don't even tell them where we are going though the teacher knows. I also never ask for work. Our school has the vacation packets premade at the beginning of the year for the kids to take when needed. The teacher will give you math or spelling if your child needs or wants it. Personally I don't think it is a big deal to miss any elementary school time. It is easily made up.

[SunKat]

I found it interesting to read about this from a teacher's point of view. And yes, I learned something! I had never thought twice about asking the teacher for my DD's work so she could do it on vacation.I didn't realize it was so time consuming for the teacher. The next time we go away, I will ask the teacher what she prefers, either make-up work when we get back or homework on vacation.

Now that my DD is in 5th grade, we go to WDW during winter break, and she usually misses just one day of school.

And for you parents that have trouble getting your kids to do homework on vacation, this one worked for us... we put DD in her bathing suit, sat her at a poolside table and said "you can go in the pool when you finish that math!". Worked like a charm. :teeth:

[swillis]

I don't usually respond to these out of school for vacation threads, but now that I have had the experience of doing so I'm going to.

Last year I took my daughter (6th grade) and son (3rd grade) out of school in the middle of May for our first trip together to DW. I sent notes to their teachers that were very similar to the one that the OP posted. I chose to take them out of school for the trip for several reasons.

I work in an animal hospital, and while I have been there for 5 years, I am still low man on the totem pole when it comes to vacation time. This combined with summer being a busy time of year, I couldn't take a week long vacation.

I also was pretty sure that the kids would do fine making up missed work. The vacation was planned for right after the MCAS test (statewide assesment test) and I thought that since that was done, and the end of the year was coming up, that they wouldn't miss too much.

Lastly, I have been to Florida in the summer. Not fun.

I also had some serious "thought fights" with myself about it as well. On the one hand I thought, well geez, it's no problem for the school to schedule many days off for in-service, or holidays. As a full time working mom, it's a huge inconvienece to me to have to arrange alternate care for my kids on these days. For instance..just this month since November 1st, my kids have had 2 days off and a half day of school.

On the other hand I did give serious thought to how bogged down my kids would be with makeup work upon our return.

So I decided to do it. I sent the notes to the teachers about 2 months before we left, and I arranged for the kids to each have a camera, and a handmade journal to write down at least 2 educational things they learned or did while away.

What happened was the 6th grader was not given any instructions as to what her teachers (she had multiple) wanted from her while she was away. The 3rd grader's teacher gave him his assignments to complete while he was away. We brought half with us, and he finished the other half when we returned.

The 6th grader never made up her tests, or completed the homework that was missed. She didn't fail any subjects, but her grades dropped. The 3rd grader did fine, but he was overwhelmed when we got back.

This year I want to return to DW. We are going to go during the last week of school, and actually do 2 weeks. There is NO WAY I could take them out of school this year for any length of time. My now 4th grader's teacher is relentless with the classwork and homework. When my son was out for 4 days with a bad ear infection (he usually requires hospitalization, and morphine when he gets ear infections) his teacher expected every single paper they did in class while he was out, completed in 4 days (since that is how many days he was out)
And my now 7th grader is just not capable of being trustworthy enough to seek out, and complete missed assignments.

So I still have mixed emotions about the whole out of school thing. I do think that because of the material that must be learned for the kids to pass these state tests, the teachers are forced to pile on the assignments. Consequently, missing even a few days does seem to have a negative effect on their grades.

Just my 2 cents, I don't intend ot offend anyone, or speak badly of teachers. I think the days of individual teaching styles is over, and that's too bad, but it's the way it is.

[DisneyDadof3]

Note: I am a H.S. math teacher

Absent students are a huge problem - however, the problem is not with students that miss 5 days to go to WDW and are present the rest of the year, the attendance problem is more with the kids that miss 30-40 days a year.

If you miss 5 days in math, there is little question you will have some trouble getting caught up as well as learning the new material. However with a little preparation and hard work before and after the trip, students are generally able to get back up to pace.

Shoot - our kids miss more days for useless assemblies, field trips, class elections, homecoming activities, early dismissals for sports/activities, band trips than they would by taking a week trip to WDW.

[DisneyDadof3]

I think the days of individual teaching styles is over, and that's too bad, but it's the way it is.

You can thank the mandatory state testing that is killing education! :crazy:

[SunKat]

You can thank the mandatory state testing that is killing education! :crazy:


Agreed. My DD's 5th grade class has spent most of the last two months reviewing and practicing for the state tests.

[Luv'sTink]

Shoot - our kids miss more days for useless assemblies, field trips, class elections, homecoming activities, early dismissals for sports/activities, band trips than they would by taking a week trip to WDW.

This is what I was thinking! My DS, 4th grade, missed 1 day in Sept., 2 days in October, Is off 3 days and 3 half days in November. Two weeks in Dec.,That is 16 full days and 3 half days in less than four months. When you teach decimals and division and then give them 3 days off and follow that with 3 half days they are not going to remember much. Oh and had two field trips this month also.


ETA..I spoke with the Principal about my DS missing school for WDW and he was excited for him. (Principal has to excuse absenses) His teacher said he would have no problem getting work together for him and thank me for giving him advance notice.

[ppony]

Camdensmom, I loved your post and letter. :goodvibes THANK YOU! And I appreciated hearing from another teacher's perspective (I've asked a few directly). I just adjusted a few things in it to fit my need and I think I'll use it. I was just thinking about this too today as it's about time I notifiy the school I'll be taking my DS out next month. I read up at the beginning of the year on what their stipluations were for this and what they wanted and needed from me and how they deal with the homework situation though I'll ask his teacher what she would most prefer from us. And we most certainly will bring back something for her and the class to use and enjoy. We did mention it to his teacher at his October conferences and to my relief she actually seemed genuinely exited about it especially when we said it will be a total surprise to him. Get up and go that morning. No warning to HIM but plenty for the school and his teacher. :teeth:
IMHO teachers are worked SO hard and for so little (seen on first hand experience), I do not want her to have to do anything extra for us, I want to do for her to help HER out. We want this "disturbance" in our son's education to be minimal for him as well as her. Rah rah for teachers! :cheer2: :wave2: Thank you for your work with children!

[dbmarie]

I feel that education is important but I think we forget sometimes that they are kids and we shouldn't expect them to act like adults with so much responsibility. Disney is fun and I really can't see 2-5 days in a year hurting a child so much that they would drop a whole letter grade.
Will it mean your child might drop from a B to a C in math on that quarters report card? Maybe.
I do stay very involved with my children's classrooms and I let their teacher know 5 months before our vacation and I absolutely defer to them regarding what I should do about any missed lessons as I am clearly not their teacher anymore then she is my daughters mother.

[Daxx]

Thank you from a fellow teacher!!!!

:thumbsup2

[TJ's Mom]

[QUOTE=dbmarie] Disney is fun and I really can't see 2-5 days in a year hurting a child so much that they would drop a whole letter grade.

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids.

[maxtomsmom]

As a fellow teacher who happens to be on childcare leave and yes, taking my DS out of Kindergarten for five days, I still believe that it should really be up to individual families. We may never have the chance to go during an off-time again. Believe me I would gladly give back one month of summer (which in my opinion is way too long) just to have 1 week off of my choosing. School breaks often mean more money & more people no matter where you go. Will I take my kid out again? Who knows? If he's able to handle it then yes. As a teacher I never minded the parents who were upfront and honest about taking their kids out of school. We do what we can in life. Learning can come from many different sources. I know from personal experience. My parents did it to my brother and I to go camping all around the country. I saw 40 states before the age of 10. Spent a lot of time meeting people and seeing things you could never teach in a million years during those memorable times. I seem to recall the Blue Ridge Mountains better than what I did in the whole year of 5th grade. Again, my brother and I could handle all the work on the road and once we got back to school. We did stop as we got older, but more for financial than anything else.

I also find that parents who put so much effort and concern over their child's missed days are the ones who help out during school events and are actively involved in their child's education.

BTW when I told my son's teacher, she had no issue with it.

[noodleknitter]

[QUOTE=dbmarie] Disney is fun and I really can't see 2-5 days in a year hurting a child so much that they would drop a whole letter grade.

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids.

If that is the case, the whole system is screwed up, frankly. If a student can't be ill without failing a class, there is a problem.

[dbmarie]

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids
I am sure that you may feel this is true but I have a hard time seeing that 2-5 days causing a letter drop in grade. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I take my girls out every year for a vacation and they have never had any issues. However they also have a really great attendence record for the rest of the year and I work with the teachers on any issues immediately. Honestly my mom took me out all of the time from school and I was always an A student (even to go to the mall) which my girls shall never know ;) .

[TJ's Mom]

[QUOTE=TJ's Mom]

If that is the case, the whole system is screwed up, frankly. If a student can't be ill without failing a class, there is a problem.

I agree but sometimes kids don't make up the work. Now most parents will ask and make sure their children do the work. If you are in on the discussion, you are probably one of those parents. But other parents take their kids out of school or their kids are sick and never make up the work. It is really sad. As a teacher there is only so much I can do.

Also some kids in high school are taking 4 AP classes hoping for college credit. These classes by definition are supposed to be rigourous (which is not the case at all schools). They are also in extra activites and sports and three other classes. The kids are over worked and sometimes they are at their limit. When they are absent for a few days it is more than they can handle trying to do their regular work plus their absent work.

[noodleknitter]

Fair enough. I think your information is accurate, but the system is mussed. By that I mean the ENTIRE system...which does include parental involvement.

My opinions on all of the AP stuff, though would be for another thread!

The funny thing is that twice in college I became seriously ill and missed at least a week of classes and was able to catch up.

[TJ's Mom]

I am sure that you may feel this is true but I have a hard time seeing that 2-5 days causing a letter drop in grade. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I take my girls out every year for a vacation and they have never had any issues. However they also have a really great attendence record for the rest of the year and I work with the teachers on any issues immediately. Honestly my mom took me out all of the time from school and I was always an A student (even to go to the mall) which my girls shall never know ;) .

Unfortunately I have seen it happen quite a few times over the years I have taught. Now that being said, I don't think it is the case with most kids. I am all for pulling kids out of school for vacations and mental health days (shopping does wonders as does a good pedi :) ) I think our society needs to relax. However, with No Child Left Behind, the pressure on the schools and teachers is unbelievable. The difference between when I went to school and today is completely different. Your girls are probably good students and responsible and can handle it. Some kids can't. Every parent needs to make an individual decision based on their child and go from there. Most can handle it, but some can't. I think as they get older, it gets harder to miss school.

[dbmarie]

Unfortunately I have seen it happen quite a few times over the years I have taught.
What I meant was that I am sure those 2-5 days were not the cause of the letter grade drop. I am sure that there were other factors. Some parents just do not stay active enough in their child's school and those days may have a bigger factor on a child who is ill prepared for school or for the work involved in school.

[casey49781]

I am leaving for Disney on Dec 2 and wont be returning til Dec 11, That means my children will be missing 6 days of school, I have informed the teachers well in advance and have asked if possible to let me have most of the work in advance over Thanksgiving weekend..My children are dd 9 in 4th grade and a honor roll student and perfect attendence awards, and a ds 6 in kindergarden, I will do all I can to help them with there work if it even means doing it on vacation and some after for them being out of school for or family vacation, we only get to go every other year. I do appreciate the teachers going out of there way to help me out, so that I am able to take my children out of school. Our school you are allowed to only miss 10 days per marking period, I am using 6 for vacation, I talked with the office to inform them and they told me that since my children do not miss much school that the time missed will be fine. They only miss when sick or doctors appt, my son is adhd and bipolar so he does have a appt once a month . I sometimes have the attitude if they can take days off for inservice and ect then I can take mine out for family vacation.....

[Tink-n-Belle]

We are going to Disney in a few days and as a courtesy, I offered to send my child in with a Self-addressed stamped envelope so my DD's teacher could mail her homework and the teacher loved the idea. We will be home over the weekend so as long as she receives the package Friday or Saturday she can spend the weekend doing her work.

As the children get older, I feel it will be harder to take the kids out of school, so we are doing it now. However, IMHO there are so many learning opportunities available to kids besides school and teachers need to realize that.

Disney is educational, it is no different then going to the local science museum. Disney is a great place to teach children about the world around them due to the different parks. My 1st grader is going to study dinosaurs this year, therefore, we are going to be spending some time learning about the dinosaurs in Dinoland. In 2nd grade their class will be learning about the different countries around the world- so we plan to reinforce what our 3rd grader learned last year and get a head start on the 1st grader by visiting WS and learning about other cultures.

My 3rd grader learned about the solar system recently. How cool is the mission space pavillion going to be to her. She is going to extend her learning there. She will actually get "why there is a red ball" at the entrance to MS :rotfl2:

Then take History, The Hall of Presidents!!! How cool is it that you get to see all 43 Presidents on 1 stage. You learn what they look like, what they wore and how some of them were very important to the United States. How about the American Adventure and the COP -- I remember my Brother- who as a "very cool" 16 years old loved COP. He said he loved it because it was neat to see how electricity changed our lives and he loved the song too :love: . They showed us how America has evolved over the last 200 hundred years. It brings history to life.

Take the shows, My Dd's dance and have participated in theatre and dance recitals. Its great for them to see that all the hard work they do in dance class can have a fantastic result, if they so choose.

In a perfect world, all parents would take their children to Disney during vacations, but then the childrens learning experience would be less as you can't see everything during the busy times.

The basic are very important. My 1st grader is learning about short a and O right now and that is very important. But so are the other things that intertwine in their lives. We do our best to send our kids to school every other day of the school year and I think that teachers should take that into consideration too. We are good parents and teachers should applaud families who take the time to be a FAMILY because staying a FAMILY will have so much more of an impact on there education then any other thing. After all its all about the kids!

[MissyDVC]

Well said, Tink-n-Belle :thumbsup2 I very much appreciate my children's teacher's efforts when I inform them that we will be taking the children away to Disney. I truly do. But I also believe that it is equally important to acknowledge the fact that some parents feel it is very important to share family times together and that that time doesn't always correspond with the school calendar. Even if you do not believe that Disney can be educational(which I do), experiecing the pure happiness and togetherness that Disney generates is learning enough for me. When I feel my children's education will be effected by our trips, I will then stop. But until then, I will decide what is best for my children and will always inform the teacher well ahead of time and graciously accept whatever work they can give me. I appreciate their point of view and am fully aware that this is my choice and that it takes extra time for them to put it all together for us. Luckily, our teachers are happy to help :cheer2:

[Deesknee]

Thank you for expressing your experienced view on this. If I have in my opinions on this subject ever offened you or any other educational professional, pleas accept my apologies.
I always thought teachers would prefer you take the work with you so that your child won't be as behind. I know there are obviously classroom opportunities that they will miss out on, but I thought if they missed out on those and the writing/studing work they would really be behind, therfore making it even harder for the teacher. Pesonally, I hate taking work with us. I have to wonder now, if their 7th gr math teacher giving them 11 sheets of homework for a 4 day absence was trying to get a point across to us. She would have been better off to articulate it. Getting them all done was tough, but they did it. Passed them in only to have her grade 4 (as that's all the class managed to get done.), then threw the rest away.

[HappyLawyer]

Since there seem to be so many posts lately about taking the kids out of school for a Disney vacation I figured I would pipe in with some advice from a teacher.

It is very annoying/insulting to hear, "it is only 1st/2nd/3rd grade so he won't miss anything." We work our butts off to plan and execute lessons and it is disheartening to hear parents show disrespect for that.

Do not simply request that all the work be sent home and it will be made up. In most classrooms children are learning through centers and hands-on instruction. This can not be sent home in the form of a worksheet. Peer interaction and teacher support are required (not to mention gameboards, manipulatives, etc.)

Please do not ask for all of the work "ahead of time." It is SO TIME CONSUMING for a teacher to put together the work ahead of time. I always keep a "while you were out folder" and add any assignments that can be done at home to it as they are passed out to the class. It is much easier on the teacher if you make the work up after the fact.

Don't bother writing in the note or stating in conversation, "this will be an educational trip." You aren't exactly touring Washington, D.C. Be realistic. There is a lot to see, do and experience in Disney. There is ample opportunity to introduce your child to history and culture. Truly it can be a very educational trip, but it's really about family fun, flying on Dumbo and eating Mickey Head ice cream bars. Don't try to sugar coat it. It is what it is and that's not a bad thing, but playing making it sound as if the motivation was to culture the child is silly.

Realize that while your child's overall academic career will not suffer from missing a week of school, it will pay a toll on the immediate marking period. Concepts build off of one another (this is esp. true in math, science and social studies) and it can take a while for a child to get caught up. Will it mean your child won't go to Harvard? No. Will it mean your child might drop from a B to a C in math on that quarters report card? Maybe.

Also, your vacation may mean a lot of extra work for the teacher. Gathering assignments and needing to devote extra attention to that student to get him caught up is time consuming. Be sensitive and appreciative of that.

Now, with all that being said do I think parents should take their kids out of school for a trip to WDW? It depends on the kid. Family time is important. Family vacations are memorable and enjoyable. There are plenty of learning opportunities available that you won't get in a classroom and it would be extremely enriching. Travel during school vacation weeks can be 2 to 3 times as expensive and parent's work schedules don't always allow for it. Some kids are great students and won't be hindered from the absence.

I guess my point is that it is not a bad thing to take a child out of school for a family vacation, but I would suggest being sensitive in how you address it with the school. My suggestion would be to write something along the following lines:

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to let you know that __________ will be absent from __/__ to __/__. We will be taking a family vacation to Disney World. I apologize that he will be missing classtime for this trip, but for personal reasons we were not able to take it during a school vacation week.

In addition to quality family time and fun in the parks, we look forwarded to taking advantage of all of the educational opportunities that exist in Disney. However, we are aware that he will be missing valuable lessons and activities in your classroom during his absence. Please let us know how you would like this to be addressed. We are willing to work with you to make sure he is able to catch up on the missed work in whichever way you best see fit.

I look forward to speaking with you regarding this matter.

Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Go! Have Fun! But at the same time be sensitive and accomodating to the teacher. Teachers are always willing to work with you.

Also, just as a word of caution be aware of your districts attendance policy. In my previous district any child who was absent more than 4 consecutive days without a medical excuse was reported to the truancy officer.


I say get annoyed all you like! I too am a teacher and basically it is really none of our business what people do with their families. I do not judge because you do not know a family's situation. Yes, we do work hard to create lesson plans. When has someone on here said or even shown they are not sensitive to the teacher. And NOT all teachers are willing to work with parents, because i know some who are not. I love the way people want to tell others to be sensative on how they address it with the school-WHY. School districts have their own policy on missing school. A parent can address it any way they like. I am taking my child out and yes, i will be out of my classroom too, you know what everyone will survive.

Finally, i think you really have so much nerve telling anyone what seems silly, because in the end it is really none of your business. A good teacher supports his or her students and their family, they do not pass judgement. That is just my .02 cents and as a parent i could really care less how a teacher feels on this issue. As a teacher, there is so much going on in the world right now, we have no promises on the amount of time we will be on this planet so live life and enjoy. Everything is a learning experience.

[HappyLawyer]

Thank God your not my childrens teacher. We pay your salary and we have the final say on when we take the kids out of school. Yes school is very important but so is family time. If your unhappy with this then maybe you should not be a teacher. JMHO

By the way our teachers have no problem giving work out early. Then again they are GREAT TEACHERS.!!!!

As a teacher and a parent, i so agree. I love the people that called you harsh and immature, takes one to know one as I tell my students.

In her post she did not call anyone immature but low and behold some of you are so quick to jump on the band wagon. DID she say the op was not a great teacher-no, so you could say it was implied but hey how do you know, you cannot read the mind of hollyb. This thread obviously has the attention of all those against taking kids out of school. popcorn::

[Miz Diz]

DS is 5 and in K. We went to Dis in Sept and he missed 4 days of school. We told his teacher the night we met her at school orientation. I told her I hoped it was ok, but we had already booked the trip. She said she would do it if she could. When it came time for the trip, she told us to write on the note that our son was sick. I also asked her if she thought it would be ok if we did the same thing next year. She said yes.
His teacher gave us his some of his work before we left and some when we got back. He already knew everything on the sheets. We had him do the work in the car and had him practice writing his letters properly. I also bought him some phonics tapes and all during the week, we enforced phonics. By the end of the trip, he was reading 3 letter words. At that point in time, his class was only learning the sounds each letter makes.
No disrespect to elementary school teachers, but the truth is, they don't miss much from missing a few days of school through the third grade. I can see once they are in middle school and high school, it would be harder to keep up.
Our school system gets strict on the absences once they hit 9. Until then, we will continue to take a vacation during the school year. Personally, I don't see the harm in it.

[emh1129]

I say get annoyed all you like! I too am a teacher and basically it is really none of our business what people do with their families. I do not judge because you do not know a family's situation. Yes, we do work hard to create lesson plans. When has someone on here said or even shown they are not sensitive to the teacher. And NOT all teachers are willing to work with parents, because i know some who are not. I love the way people want to tell others to be sensative on how they address it with the school-WHY. School districts have their own policy on missing school. A parent can address it any way they like. I am taking my child out and yes, i will be out of my classroom too, you know what everyone will survive.

Finally, i think you really have so much nerve telling anyone what seems silly, because in the end it is really none of your business. A good teacher supports his or her students and their family, they do not pass judgement. That is just my .02 cents and as a parent i could really care less how a teacher feels on this issue. As a teacher, there is so much going on in the world right now, we have no promises on the amount of time we will be on this planet so live life and enjoy. Everything is a learning experience.

I agree.

When we take my ds out of school for our trip, I will give the teacher plenty of notice. But I will not ask and I will not apologize or go to great lengths to explain why we are vacationing at that particular time.
Respect goes both ways.. we will respect the teacher (more than that- we really like her ;) ) but, in turn, I hope she respects that we know what is best for our child.
I taught 4th grade for a few years before becoming a SAHM and even I found that suggested letter to be condescending.

[mitchwebb]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.


As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.


I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

[marcyinPA]

I don't write a letter at all. Our district requires us to fill out a vacation approval form. We must fill out when we are leaving and where, as well as the educational value of the trip. The approval must be signed by the principal and the classroom teacher. This is the standard way of handling vacation absences in our district.

In addition, I do send the classroom teacher a quick email, asking how they want to handle the homework. I let them decide, and I comply.

Marcy

[maxtomsmom]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.


As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.

I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.


Not to flame you and thank you for sharing what your district has written. But, here is what annoys me about schools and their money, Do they put in how much it costs to pay a sub every time a teacher calls out or when the teachers are attending a conference or a workshop? Both professionals need to be paid. Is it written anywhere for the public to review? Now, I think it is important for teachers to develop their craft. (I am a teacher.) But, I know in my district, we are taken out for more trainings then you can imagine. We actually complain about how much time is spent outside the class. We need to be there with the kids as much as they need us. All the cost for the subs are insane. Again, it's a double edge sword, teachers need time to develop their skills, learn new techniques, brainstorm and collaborate and it can't always be done on their time. I would never see my family if that were the case. However, when school districts are making parents, who generally still know what's best for their children, go through hoops like a circus act to take family vacations, then looking into teacher absences and time spent outside the class should be also monitored and shared with the public.

[dbmarie]

When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.
I think this is a little absurb to break children down by a dollar amount. I think that they lose a lot more money from the parents who just doesn't make their kids go to school rather then the involved parent who makes sure their child is in school daily and then takes them out for a couple of days for vacation. Even teachers are allowed sick, personal, and vacation days shouldn't children be allowed the same.

[luvdiz2]

I also have a question. Who made the school boards the deciding factor in what months the children have school off, i.e. July and August. Why not March and September.

[GOODoldPAL]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.
As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.
I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

I have to share this:
At a school assembly, the first year they started the "No Child Left Behind", the prinicpal told elementary students (K-5) that it was their responsibility to get good grades on their state tests otherwise the school wouldn't get the money they needed for books, sports equipment, & to pay the teachers!!

I was one of many parents who stormed the administrative office offended by having my child feeling so pressured prior to the test, that she was having nightmares that her favorite teacher would be fired or there wouldn't even be a ball to play with in gym class!!

Last year, in Junior High, a similar speech was given at an assembly but this time addressing the attendance issue costing the school money. A similar letter was sent to parents as well.
While I think it is more appropriate to encourage older children to not stay home from school for minor reasons like the sniffles or a PMS headache, last year there was an increase in absences due to viruses constantly being passed along by contagious kids who should have been home!

Kids have enough pressure - they should not be pawns for the school budget.
I tell my daughter to set her own standards and like anything else in life the only one she ultimately answers to is God, not the school board.

[HappyDznyCamper]

I also have a question. Who made the school boards the deciding factor in what months the children have school off, i.e. July and August. Why not March and September.
YOU! The school board is an elected body. If you don't like their policies go to the meetings and express your opinion. Run for the board and support canidates who think like you. Ultimatly as a parent and a voter the school board answers to you, but only if you participate in the process.

[jchick]

My 2 cents:

I took DD8 out in Sept (first 9 weeks of school) for a week to go to Disney. Would I do it again? Not on your life! It took weeks to make up, even though her teacher was kind enough to give us all the work in advance. There were still lots of things that came up that needed to be done after we returned. It was tough on her (and on me!) to get back to the real world, do the regular work, plus make up all these extras. She also missed some extracuricular activities (a big Christmas play practice) and important photo session for her Christmas play's program book.

All children are different, I agree, but for mine, I won't do it again.

[noodleknitter]

I also have a question. Who made the school boards the deciding factor in what months the children have school off, i.e. July and August. Why not March and September.

The school year traditionally was based on when people were needed to work. If you don't like your schedule, go to the school board. Although individual holidays, etc. are decided by the teachers here.

[GOODoldPAL]

For the OP, camdensmom: Thank you - your statement was well written and offered insight to the other side of vacationing during school time. I believe you were sensitive to, and even supportive of, the families who pulled out their kids for whatever reason so it is a shame you were treated rudely by some. Too bad for them they don't understand forums like DIS are intended for information sharing which doesn't require agreeing to everything, merely being respectful of everyone's opinion and grateful to those who offer their time with good intentions.
That being said I have my own insights to add. Flame away if it makes your day: :rotfl2:

I agree with the poster who stated their school requires them to fill out a form listing educational benefits of the planned absence before even considering approval. So it is not always parents trying to convince teachers that a Disney vacation is for educational intentions. It probably is just a built-in accountability thing so school districts justify excused absences, and rightly so, but IMHO it makes the parents look like scammers.

Funny thing is, our family typically chooses educational activities; we like to visit zoos, science museums and especially cultural events, so the one and only time we pulled my DD out (to use a free cruise credit), I didn't have to invent an excuse.
However, some of the teachers assumed we were lying and laughed off my DD's offer to create a presentation for her class (at their convenience). What a shame because they were actually studying some same things and she could have offered an interesting first-hand peer mentoring.

Your comments, (and some who agreed), regarding expectations, is the most valuable insight. Depending on how many days missed, and the abilitity of the student, parents need to be realistic about what can be made up, and prepared to see their kid's grades drop accordingly. Those in JH or high school are typically most affected since they work at a faster pace.

I struggled with this before pulling my kid out, not because it was important to me, but because it was important TO HER. I felt the vacation would be counter productive if she would stress over it too much.
My DD always makes the honor or high honor student list but has to work her butt off in math to do so, by her choice. So she worked extra hard before the cruise to bring up her percentage to an A range. Still, upon returning, after missing 8 days of school, her math grade dropped to a high C, and another class dropped to a low B; enough to miss the honors list for the first time by about 1/2 a percent.
Because we discussed this possible consequence in advance, her life did not crumble around her. The teachers commended her for the effort as did I and her year end average still fell in the High Honors range. However, she did learn it is not as easy to catch up as she thought it would be. We included her in our decision to vacation during school time this year and she has lowered her expectations for post-vacation time, as well as starting off this year with more diligence to take the pressure off herself later.

And last but not least, I agree with those who commented about teachers not having as much leeway as they used to for creative teaching and/or one-on-one attention to students who need it. Our education system has reverted back to the stone age mentality of "teaching to the test" and increasing overcrowding plus discipline issues in classes is just exacerbating the problem.
May God bless and help the teachers, parents and students who are making every effort to work together for the good of the students! I WILL apologize up front to all the teachers for any extra work created for them merely in our pursuit of family funtime. I will also let them know that my DD is responsible for adhering to any reasonable demands or restrictions that THEY decide is neccessary for a VOLUNTARY absence from school.

I really feel for the kids who have parents that point the finger of responsibility solely at the teachers because that means they aren't getting the support they need at home and are learning by example to shirk their own responsibility.
Maybe my daughter's been blessed with 98% fantastic teachers. But it's more likely that our mutual respect, mutual concern for my daughter's education, and our combined efforts to help her strive to reach her potential, is what has created the best possible learning experience with the public school system we all have to work with.

Thanks again to camdensmom for the insight & "sample letter" and to those who had constructive insight to offer.

[camdensmom]

Thanks Goodoldpal!

Gosh, I was away yesterday and was amazed to see the turn this post had taken. I tried to be very clear in my OP that I don't frown upon families going on vacation. I listed several reasons why they would. My intention was simply to share some insight from the classroom in the hopes that it would be beneficial to some.

The decision to take your child out of school for a WDW vacation is a PERSONAL one. Rather it be for financial reasons, parent's vacation schedule, health purposes (some with respitory conditions shouldn't travel to such a humid place in the summer), special event (birthday, anniversary), time share weeks, or whatever...you have your reasons and they are valid. Heck, if you want to pull your kiddos out of school for a week "just because" that is your choice too. I'm not casting judgement and at no point did I say I personally saw anything wrong with doing so.

It just came to my attention in reading other threads that it might be worth my time to post in the hopes that some parents might benefit. I think the common understanding is that the "right thing to do" is to request all of a student's work ahead of time. If you don't spend time in classrooms then you may not know that this is not logistically possible or even in the child's best interest. If a child has not been taught how to do something then it is unfair to send them off with a follow-up activity to do on the plane or in their hotel room. Also, it has so frequently been stated on here that, "it is only __ grade, he won't miss anything." I felt it was important to note that they are missing things and while it may not effect their academic career as a whole, it can make for a very challenging marking period for a student. Only you know your child.

When dealing with a typical 9 week marking period, one week is A LOT of time. A good teacher will help the student as much as possible in getting caught up. If this is done during class time it is at the expense of other students. If this is done outside of class time it is during a teacher's personal time. Most are willing to do this, but I felt it was important to point out that as parent's (myself included) we need to be appreciative and supportive.

It just seemed that there were so many questions lately regarding the issue of how to address a vacation with the schools and I thought it might be helpful to view things from all angles.

[NotUrsula]

... When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence.

I've been pointing this out for years. When districts get draconian about brief absences with advance notice given, the real issue is almost always the money. If my child's school loses $28 a day for each absence, then fine, I'll write a check. Heck, I'll even double it, so money should no longer be an issue.

BTW, the traditional US school calendar is based on the needs of family farms. July and August, into early Sept, are the times when extra farmhands are most needed, for harvest. If you don't have any farm families in your district, there really isn't a whole lot of reason to stick to that tradition, although in a lot of areas it saves utility money to have the school buildings shut down during the hottest months of the year.

[supersuperwendy]

We planned a trip for May 2007 back over the summer. I figured being that my girls are in 1st and 3rd grade and we wouldn't be traveling until close to the end of the school year...we should be able to help them catch up on whatever worked was missed. When my oldest was in 1st grade we took her out for a full week to visit family in Michigan. Her teacher was wonderful. She made her a travel journal to bring along and gave me the work she missed. This year my youngest has the same teacher! As far as my 3rd grader goes...we'll see how it all plays out. We're finding 3rd grade to be a very transitional year for her. Things aren't coming as easy or as quickly to her as they once did. I'm hoping since our trip is close to the end of school...things will all work out....we'll see! We want to take them again when they are around 14. I will plan that trip for the early summer, for sure.

[HappyLawyer]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.


As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.


I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

I see no problem here, hell the schools are so tight when it comes to sending a special needs student out of district to get the services they need. Schools districts doo whatever they can not to lose those funds so it should all balance out in the end. Teachers are lucky to pull 50K, in my district special ed with a MA or above get 52k but if everyone is so concerned then how about te princ and assistant princ, the superin, and all those admin coordinators making 85k and above take a cut on salary to help the district recover those loses.

[emh1129]

I see no problem here, hell the schools are so tight when it comes to sending a special needs student out of district to get the services they need. Schools districts doo whatever they can not to lose those funds so it should all balance out in the end. Teachers are lucky to pull 50K, in my district special ed with a MA or above get 52k but if everyone is so concerned then how about te princ and assistant princ, the superin, and all those admin coordinators making 85k and above take a cut on salary to help the district recover those loses.

I've never heard of a super making only $85k.. wow. Our local news just covered this the other night~ in our area it varies from $128k (I think that was the lowest) to some in the upper $150s.
It doesn't make sense to me at all that it's distributed so unevenly :sad2: Teachers deserve much more than they make.

Sorry to de-rail here :blush:

[mrsltg]

While I appreciate the OP's insight, there isn't a chance I'm going to apologize or ask approval from anyone as to what I can or can't do with my own children. School is not the end all be all of the world. As of this year I have been out of school (not counting college) longer than I was in. It's a miniscule part of life and there is no reason to make it bigger than it is.

I'm taking my dd out of school next month for a week. She will be going to her grandparents home while dh and I are on vacation. I sent a note last week very simply stating the dates of her absence and offering to make up any missed work. When my dd is on her death bed I whole-heartedly believe she won't say, "I wish I'd spent more time in school instead of with Momma and Poppa."

As far as an e-mail talking about lost revenue - EXCUSE ME? Lost revenue? And here I thought the purpose was education... While I can certainly understand the need for $$$, not at the expense of family time or a sick child. Where is the line drawn? A kid with a temperature? A kid whose grandmother died? A kid who is stressed to the max and just needs a break? This, and a million other reasons, are why my kids go to private school.

[Miz Diz]

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I don't see how a child being out 1 day, costs the school $28.

My work recently sent out an email that says one of our reports costs $400 to generate, so we need to only request it if it is absolutely necessary. All of the managers are now very mindful of requesting this report because they think the $400 actually comes out of their department budget. One of the programmers told me it does not literally cost the dept $400 everytime they request it - they just figured that the time it takes to create the report is $400 per request.

Is the $28/per day similar to that scenario? At work - they would be paying these people to sit at their desks anyway, whether the report is requested or not. I guess theoretically if they are getting fewer requests, they could get rid of some programmers.

[swillis]

Thank you for expressing your experienced view on this. If I have in my opinions on this subject ever offened you or any other educational professional, pleas accept my apologies.
I always thought teachers would prefer you take the work with you so that your child won't be as behind. I know there are obviously classroom opportunities that they will miss out on, but I thought if they missed out on those and the writing/studing work they would really be behind, therfore making it even harder for the teacher. Pesonally, I hate taking work with us. I have to wonder now, if their 7th gr math teacher giving them 11 sheets of homework for a 4 day absence was trying to get a point across to us. She would have been better off to articulate it. Getting them all done was tough, but they did it. Passed them in only to have her grade 4 (as that's all the class managed to get done.), then threw the rest away.


Funny Deesknee...I wonder if our kids had the same teacher! My son's teacher did that same thing to him when he was out sick recently.

[MarkBarbieri]

Maybe I'm just dumb, but I don't see how a child being out 1 day, costs the school $28.

I believe that some schools get funds allocated to them based on attendance levels. The more students in attendance the more money the district allocates to the school.

[Teacher03]

[QUOTE=dbmarie] Disney is fun and I really can't see 2-5 days in a year hurting a child so much that they would drop a whole letter grade.

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids.


I agree. If a child has a low A or B, one low test score can bring it down a letter grade. Doesn't mean I think you should never take your child out of school for vacation, I just think you should realize this could be a possibility.

[DisneyDotty]

I believe that some schools get funds allocated to them based on attendance levels. The more students in attendance the more money the district allocates to the school.

Actually, I believe all federally-funded (ie. public) schools get money based on pupil attendance, which is one reason so many have instituted these unexcused vacations policies.

BTW--Did you know that in many districts, the one absolute-positive-no-negotiating cause for a teacher's dismissal is failure to keep accurate attendance records? Schools are pretty serious about attendance, period. (When I taught, my attendance book was subpoenaed for a student's shoplifting trial.)

[disneygal33]

To the original OP I loved your letter!! Teachers don't get nearly the credit they deserve!! :cheer2:
To those of you taking your kids out for vacation, be careful about the days your kids miss. When my oldest DD was in 4th grade she got Rocky mountain spotted fever from a tick bite at the end of April. She had missed 3 days earlier in the year due to the flu and then she was out for 11 days due to the RMSF. She returned to school to take the EOG which she scored 2 fours on(highest score possible) She had also gotten straight A's all 4 semesters. 2 days after the EOG's, 5 days before the end of school she relapsed and spiked a temp of 102.7 so I logically kept her home. That day I got call from the school informing me that if she missed one more day of school she would fail. The fact she was under a doctors care didn't matter, the fact she had gotten straight A's and passed her EOG with flying colors didn't matter. State law declare regardless of those things, any student who misses more than 15 days during a school year will fail. :furious: I was forced to send the poor kid to school sick for the next 3 days so she could watch movies and play games.
It was this event that prompted me to consider and eventually decide to home school my kids

My point is check your state's law so if you take your kids out for vacation and then they get sick, you will not end up in the same position we did.

[Kayakmom]

I'm not so worried about my boys missing the days (neither have missed a day yet this year), but I sure can feel for those kids whose grades drop after vacation. I am an MBA student and I completed my B.S. with a 4.0 and still have a 4.0. I have a 20 page paper due the week I return from Disney as well as a final exam. I am actually starting to worry now. I once did a final exam from the hospital after giving birth to maintain my GPA, but I'm considering the possibility that this Disney trip may bring an abrupt end to my long run of perfect grades. I guess I should just get over it, but I'm still like those kids who push to get the straight A's. I was one of them then and I'm one of them now. I don't think that will ever change.

I must say, however, that I missed 2-3 weeks of elementary school every year as a child to go to Florida and it never caused a problem. ;)

Ds5 is in kindergarten and I printed him up a bunch of great letter practice pages with Disney characters on them. I've got all the letters they've done so far ready to go so that he can practice his writing. I also got him a new letter game for his Leapster to use in the car on the way down because his letter recognition is one or two letters below average and the constant repetition of the letters in the game may be a good tool to help him. I also keep in mind that he is the youngest child in his class and he is doing exceedingly well in all other areas.

My fifth grader, well...he doesn't do the work even when he's here. He goes to school and pretty much accomplishes nothing. I get more out of him at home. His teacher is a sweetheart and always gives out a week's worth of homework ahead of time, so he will have no problem keeping caught up on the major concepts. He also spends time pulled from the classroom for special services so he is used to missing lessons in one subject or another each day.

I have conferences for both of them tomorrow so I will make any last minute confirmations with the teachers then. This is the first time in six years that ds10 will miss school for a vacation or to see his grandma. My mom usually comes here or we go there in the summer. She offered to treat for hotel and tickets for this trip and there's no way we're skipping it! It would not be in our budget to do this trip with another new baby coming next June, so we need to jump on it while we have the opportunity!

For now, I am off to try to get a jumpstart on this paper (if that's at all possible with an 8 month old!) and I'll just see how it goes. Maybe I should just suck it up now and start getting used to the idea that I might get my first B. Is it really going to be the end of the world? :rolleyes:

;)

[PaulaSue]

OP, great points.

We have to write educational on the excuse and list. (The secretary said when I first mentioned our trip or it would not be excused. :confused3 )

[m&m's mom]

I do not even have the option of "just going". If I do not get prior approval it is an automatic "0" factored in for the day. Even if they do not have any work due that day, they get the "0". Prior approval for vacations is just not given.
Unfortunately, in Texas it is ALL about funding. My cousin is a school counselor and she said it was over $100.00 per day they miss out on funding. That could make a serious impact on the budget.
We have compromised and plan on taking the last 3 days of school (really barely over 2 since they have early dismissal) off to try to beat the crowds.
Now I am luckly that my kids are all A, B students and have never missed a day since they started school for illness. But, in the past when I asked I got turned down so now we just go after grades are already due in.

[OceanAnnie]

:furious: I was forced to send the poor kid to school sick for the next 3 days so she could watch movies and play games.
It was this event that prompted me to consider and eventually decide to home school my kids

My point is check your state's law so if you take your kids out for vacation and then they get sick, you will not end up in the same position we did.

That is crazy!! :crazy: :sad2:

[disneygal33]

That is crazy!! :crazy: :sad2:

It was horrible. I had never heard of such a thing until this happened to us. The school said the state passed the law a few years ago to help cut down on absences but they didn't put a provision for seriously ill students. There have been many kids who kept up with their work and failed just because they were ill. After the fact I was told I could have let them fail her and then appealed the decision the next school year. :confused3 I am not against taking your kids to WDW during the school year. I plan on taking mine in 3 weeks. I just would hate to see anyone end up in the position we did.

[ont/ohana]

Thank you so much for your letter to our Teacher. I am going to write this today.
Thanks agian!!

[Gillian]

DS's private school asks that you not take the kids out during the year, and especially not the days right before holidays because they miss out on community events that are important to the culture of the school. It's our first year so I'm not sure if people listen or not.

There aren't a lot of worksheets for them in 1st grade, and little to no homework. I'm not sure what they'd be able to send for vacation work.

They do make it easier for parents by giving 2 weeks at Christmas and 2 weeks in March. They don't have to close for things like election day or the NJ teachers convention, so I guess it all works out in the end.

My public school district has weeks when you can take a vacation and not miss much. A lot of people travel at those times (Jersey week anyone?) so if your kid goes to school I don't know what would get done anyway.

[declansdad]

BTW, the traditional US school calendar is based on the needs of family farms. July and August, into early Sept, are the times when extra farmhands are most needed, for harvest. If you don't have any farm families in your district, there really isn't a whole lot of reason to stick to that tradition, although in a lot of areas it saves utility money to have the school buildings shut down during the hottest months of the year.

This was not the only reason for summers off. It also had to do with wealthy families wanting to spend time at the summer home. With the wife and kids at the waterfront for the summer, it made it difficult for people to attend school.

[crisi]

I've been pointing this out for years. When districts get draconian about brief absences with advance notice given, the real issue is almost always the money. If my child's school loses $28 a day for each absence, then fine, I'll write a check. Heck, I'll even double it, so money should no longer be an issue.

BTW, the traditional US school calendar is based on the needs of family farms. July and August, into early Sept, are the times when extra farmhands are most needed, for harvest. If you don't have any farm families in your district, there really isn't a whole lot of reason to stick to that tradition, although in a lot of areas it saves utility money to have the school buildings shut down during the hottest months of the year.

A lot of larger communities have options for year round schools. My neighbor goes to a Middle School like that, and a girlfriend has her two kids in a year round elementary school - they have three weeks off around Christmas, three weeks off in March, three off if June, three in October - something like that. Makes it a little easier to plan vacations when crowds aren't a huge problem. They are often charter schools or magnet schools - though there is a regular district elementary school not far from me that also runs a year round schedule.

As demand goes up, there should be more options - at least in communities large enough to support several options.

[AMaloy314]

Since there seem to be so many posts lately about taking the kids out of school for a Disney vacation I figured I would pipe in with some advice from a teacher.

It is very annoying/insulting to hear, "it is only 1st/2nd/3rd grade so he won't miss anything." We work our butts off to plan and execute lessons and it is disheartening to hear parents show disrespect for that.

Do not simply request that all the work be sent home and it will be made up. In most classrooms children are learning through centers and hands-on instruction. This can not be sent home in the form of a worksheet. Peer interaction and teacher support are required (not to mention gameboards, manipulatives, etc.)

Please do not ask for all of the work "ahead of time." It is SO TIME CONSUMING for a teacher to put together the work ahead of time. I always keep a "while you were out folder" and add any assignments that can be done at home to it as they are passed out to the class. It is much easier on the teacher if you make the work up after the fact.

Don't bother writing in the note or stating in conversation, "this will be an educational trip." You aren't exactly touring Washington, D.C. Be realistic. There is a lot to see, do and experience in Disney. There is ample opportunity to introduce your child to history and culture. Truly it can be a very educational trip, but it's really about family fun, flying on Dumbo and eating Mickey Head ice cream bars. Don't try to sugar coat it. It is what it is and that's not a bad thing, but playing making it sound as if the motivation was to culture the child is silly.

Realize that while your child's overall academic career will not suffer from missing a week of school, it will pay a toll on the immediate marking period. Concepts build off of one another (this is esp. true in math, science and social studies) and it can take a while for a child to get caught up. Will it mean your child won't go to Harvard? No. Will it mean your child might drop from a B to a C in math on that quarters report card? Maybe.

Also, your vacation may mean a lot of extra work for the teacher. Gathering assignments and needing to devote extra attention to that student to get him caught up is time consuming. Be sensitive and appreciative of that.

Now, with all that being said do I think parents should take their kids out of school for a trip to WDW? It depends on the kid. Family time is important. Family vacations are memorable and enjoyable. There are plenty of learning opportunities available that you won't get in a classroom and it would be extremely enriching. Travel during school vacation weeks can be 2 to 3 times as expensive and parent's work schedules don't always allow for it. Some kids are great students and won't be hindered from the absence.

I guess my point is that it is not a bad thing to take a child out of school for a family vacation, but I would suggest being sensitive in how you address it with the school. My suggestion would be to write something along the following lines:

To Whom it May Concern,

I am writing to let you know that __________ will be absent from __/__ to __/__. We will be taking a family vacation to Disney World. I apologize that he will be missing classtime for this trip, but for personal reasons we were not able to take it during a school vacation week.

In addition to quality family time and fun in the parks, we look forwarded to taking advantage of all of the educational opportunities that exist in Disney. However, we are aware that he will be missing valuable lessons and activities in your classroom during his absence. Please let us know how you would like this to be addressed. We are willing to work with you to make sure he is able to catch up on the missed work in whichever way you best see fit.

I look forward to speaking with you regarding this matter.

Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Go! Have Fun! But at the same time be sensitive and accomodating to the teacher. Teachers are always willing to work with you.

Also, just as a word of caution be aware of your districts attendance policy. In my previous district any child who was absent more than 4 consecutive days without a medical excuse was reported to the truancy officer.

Fantastic post!! I'm going to use your letter as the basis for our request to take my DS out in Feb.

I did want to point out (and don't mean to start a debate) that I have said 'It is only kindergarten, blah,blah,blah...' I never meant any disrespect towards teachers. The statement I made referred more to the fact that in the lower grades, I can assist my son with the homework and work with him on the concepts. Once he starts getting into Jr/Sr High, I know that he will pretty much be on his own. For me to help him later on, it may take some major reviewing before I can even begin to have a discussion with him on a subject.

If I ever offended any teacher, you have my heartfelt apology! I have often said that you have one of the most difficult jobs around. To think that you are unappreciated, especially by me, would be just wrong. You all are great!

Thanks again for the post!

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

Why not, instead of having the teacher prepare and give out homework and other assignments in advance, the parent extrapolate from the work already done and propose a sequence of lessons and assignments which the teacher can rubber stamp or make a few additions to or otherwise quickly okay.

Remember, there are only four possibilities for doing the work that will be missed (splitting up possible).
1. Before the vacation.
2. During the vacation, e.g. do the math before going into the pool.
3. After the vacation.
4. Some other time of year, e.g. next year after the child was failed and not promoted to the next grade.

Does the school lose $28. for the day if a kid reports to school ill and has to be kept in the nurse's office all day (or sent back home)? Actually I dare say that floundering in class ill instead of staying at home will result in at least slightly higher grades after imputing the re-instatement of any grade penalty for being absent. (Gym and outdoor recess should not be participated in.)

The parents should not have to, either legally or morally, pay the school $28. per child for each snowstorm makeup day missed becaue the Disney vacation was scheduled on those dates first.

A child so hopelessly far behind from missing school due to illness might well be better off repeating the grade and should find getting straight A's this time easier.

>>> Passed [the assignments] in [after vacation] and the teacher graded [some] and threw the rest away because that's only how far the class got.
Did your kid get an A for each assignment when the class finally get to it?

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

[Fintastic]

I simply state that we'll be out of town due to family circumstances, and leave it at that. I ask the teacher what requirements and procedures she wants us to follow.I agree with this. :thumbsup2

[piggy]

Thanks Camdensmom for the letter to the teacher, I think it is a great idea. We do take our teachers for granted alot of times. To all teachers of the dis.
thank you for a job well done. :cheer2: :banana: :cool1: :Pinkbounc :dance3:

[Gillian]

:cheer2: I did want to point out (and don't mean to start a debate) that I have said 'It is only kindergarten, blah,blah,blah...' I never meant any disrespect towards teachers. The statement I made referred more to the fact that in the lower grades, I can assist my son with the homework and work with him on the concepts. Once he starts getting into Jr/Sr High, I know that he will pretty much be on his own. For me to help him later on, it may take some major reviewing before I can even begin to have a discussion with him on a subject. I agree with this! It's not so much about the teacher as it is about the kind of work they do at that age that makes us think they won't suffer as much as the older kids.

However, I have realized lately that I have no idea how to teach my child letter sounds, or letter combination sounds, or how to sound out new words as he learns to read. Although we read to him every night and have him read to us, I really see him growing in ways I couldn't have taught (without teaching myself first) so :cheer2: for 1st grade teachers!! :cheer2:

[glass slipper girl]

I agree. If a child has a low A or B, one low test score can bring it down a letter grade. Doesn't mean I think you should never take your child out of school for vacation, I just think you should realize this could be a possibility.

I can share my son's recent experience with this. My oldest is in 1st grade at a local charter school. For the first semester he had all As. They were all high As too. His grades were:

Reading: (which he goes to 2nd grade for) 94
English: 94
Spelling: 106
Math: 96
Social Studies: 100
Science: 100

All year his spelling tests he brings home, he has never had less than a 98 on a single one. Our youngest child was born on 10/23. I was in the hospital from 10/23 to 10/26 so DS stayed with Grandma at night and his routine was disrupted. He was more tired and distracted (he's a big worrier so Mommy being in the hospital, despite the fact we'd been preparing him for that for MONTHS, was stressful for him). In that time he missed 90 minutes of school. He had asked if he could be present for his brother's birth and we were considering that but told him that we wouldn't make a decision till it was happening. THe baby ended up being born at 10:45 PM so obviously he wasn't there. We did let the kids be a little late for school the next morning so they could come to the hospital and meet their new baby brother since they were VERY disappointed that he wasn't born before they had to go to bed. The spelling test DS had on 10/27 he got a D on. My mother and my husband had both worked with him quite a bit but being tired and his routine disrupted really did affect him a lot. His teacher called me to warn me b/c he was SO upset. She told him she understood it was a "different sort of week" and that allw ould be OK but he was still very upset. Thank Goodness he has had 98+ on everything else so he still has an A but it's gone from being a 104 to a low 90s A. Still, an As an A but had he had 90s rather than 100s on other tests, he would have dropped to a B.

We will be going to WDW in February. The boys will miss 1/2 day on Thursday then miss Friday, Mon and Tues. I've already talked to his teacher about the time he will miss. We are hoping it won't be too stressful on DS but after seeing that affect without even really missing anything, I am a little more worried. I know we will be doing spelling, reading and math assignments in the evening but the way they do Social Studies and Science, it will be harder to make up. His teacher doesn't like centers so it's not center based, but there is a lot of participation. His teacher did say she'd help us out with activities we could do to help catch him up though.

[DisneyDadof3]

Our elementary schools went to stupid standards based report card that uses 4,3,2,1 as grades - 3 being at grade level and 4 being above. The catch is they don't have opportunities to do above grade level (at least not yet) so a perfect score only results in a 3. I could care less what my daughter's grades are as long as I feel she is doing well and understanding the material (as much of it is brought home, I can look at it). The grade is irrelevant until they get to Algebra for example in math. Grades are very subjective and need to be looked at as one piece of a much larger puzzle. This coming from a teacher. I would not hesitate to take my children out of school for week until late middle school or high school.

If schools were serious about education, they would quit taking teachers out of class 10+ times per year for meetings.

[HappyLawyer]

I've never heard of a super making only $85k.. wow. Our local news just covered this the other night~ in our area it varies from $128k (I think that was the lowest) to some in the upper $150s.
It doesn't make sense to me at all that it's distributed so unevenly :sad2: Teachers deserve much more than they make.

Sorry to de-rail here :blush:

Thisi s very true and many people have a misconception to teachers, i mean hey my hours are 8:40-3:15, i get of easter break, summer break and Winter break, boy i got it made. Yeah, no, we work on the weekend, spend hours creating lesson plans, then the meetings and the paperwork, please, teachers are soooooo underpaid it isn't funny. At least we go into it knowing what we get, my district is not bad, with a masters and teaching special education a first teacher makes about 52k, but then they take out for the retirement fund, union dues, insurance blah blah blah, but teachers need CEO Pay. We certainly do CEO work.

[casey49781]

Last year my daughter was in 3rd grade , the teacher missed more days off than the 6 , my kids will be taking this year for a family vacation, not to mention all the inservice days they miss. Our teachers dont even have a contract so they have a pending school calendar this year....

[Momof2princess]

While I appreciate the OP's insight, there isn't a chance I'm going to apologize or ask approval from anyone as to what I can or can't do with my own children. School is not the end all be all of the world. As of this year I have been out of school (not counting college) longer than I was in. It's a miniscule part of life and there is no reason to make it bigger than it is.

I'm taking my dd out of school next month for a week. She will be going to her grandparents home while dh and I are on vacation. I sent a note last week very simply stating the dates of her absence and offering to make up any missed work. When my dd is on her death bed I whole-heartedly believe she won't say, "I wish I'd spent more time in school instead of with Momma and Poppa."

As far as an e-mail talking about lost revenue - EXCUSE ME? Lost revenue? And here I thought the purpose was education... While I can certainly understand the need for $$$, not at the expense of family time or a sick child. Where is the line drawn? A kid with a temperature? A kid whose grandmother died? A kid who is stressed to the max and just needs a break? This, and a million other reasons, are why my kids go to private school.

I could not agree more. While I do appreciate the OP insight and her thoughts, I would never aplogize or ask for "permission" to take my child out of school. My DD's teachers don't ask my permission for when they are out. (now before anyone says anything I know they must ask the principal/central office for time off but it is almost 100% of the time granted) Take for example last year my DD teacher took the last week of May off to go on a cruise...mind you school was out 2 weeks later for the summer. Or yesterday my DD's teacher took the day off for an eye appt. Now could she have not taken the appt in the afternoon?

As for schools loosing revenues well thats a whole other issue that deals with the gov. and where our tax dollars are spent.

Just my .02 cents. Not looking for an argument or approval as we all have our own opinions and free to voice them.

[disneygal33]

I could not agree more. While I do appreciate the OP insight and her thoughts, I would never aplogize or ask for "permission" to take my child out of school. My DD's teachers don't ask my permission for when they are out. (now before anyone says anything I know they must ask the principal/central office for time off but it is almost 100% of the time granted) Take for example last year my DD teacher took the last week of May off to go on a cruise...mind you school was out 2 weeks later for the summer. Or yesterday my DD's teacher took the day off for an eye appt. Now could she have not taken the appt in the afternoon?

As for schools loosing revenues well thats a whole other issue that deals with the gov. and where our tax dollars are spent.

Just my .02 cents. Not looking for an argument or approval as we all have our own opinions and free to voice them.


The problem is we as parents are allowing decisions about our children to be made by the government. It is the teachers deciding we should medicate our children(Yes I realize some kids actually need it but not nearly the number that are on it) It is the government decided what our children should learn about sex, whether or not they are allowed to pray before their lunch. It is the schools that are outlawing the teaching of the basic facts of American history in our schools because our fore fathers happened to put the words "endowed by their creator" in the Declaration of Independence.
Frankly it is amazing to be that more parents aren't standing up for their rights to raise their children as they see fit!! I for one will never return my children to the public school system. They are my children and they will grow up with the values I set forth for them, not the teachers, schools or government!!

[Happy05]

The problem is we as parents are allowing decisions about our children to be made by the government. It is the teachers deciding we should medicate our children(Yes I realize some kids actually need it but not nearly the number that are on it) It is the government decided what our children should learn about sex, whether or not they are allowed to pray before their lunch. It is the schools that are outlawing the teaching of the basic facts of American history in our schools because our fore fathers happened to put the words "endowed by their creator" in the Declaration of Independence.
Frankly it is amazing to be that more parents aren't standing up for their rights to raise their children as they see fit!! I for one will never return my children to the public school system. They are my children and they will grow up with the values I set forth for them, not the teachers, schools or government!!

My children have been educated in public schools, and no one but my husband and myself have made decisions for them. :confused3 My youngest was tested for ADD and WE (his parents) decided NOT to put him on medications......the school/teachers did NOT interfere with our decision. :confused3 Where are your accusations coming from? Personally, my children learn their values at the home-front. I don't expect anyone else to do that for me! ;)

[camdensmom]

The problem is we as parents are allowing decisions about our children to be made by the government. It is the teachers deciding we should medicate our children(Yes I realize some kids actually need it but not nearly the number that are on it)

Actually, teachers are not legally allowed to even suggest that a child has ADD or ADHD and we certainly are not making decisions to medicate. ADD/ADHD and anything else that requires an RX is a medical decision. It needs to be addressed with and diagnosed by your child's pediatrician.

We as teachers can do little more than recommend a parent speak to the doctor if they have concerns. The schools are only able to diagnose learning disabilities and those do not require meds.

[DisneyDotty]

It's so disheartening to read entries from parents who believe they're slowing losing all rights to parenting...
If my kids don't think they can say a silent prayer before a meal (or a test!) at school, then I as a parent have failed them in their religious upbringing.
If I don't insist on their getting proper medical treatment, then I as a parent have neglected them.
And if I don't supplement their education in school (you should see what they're doing to my kids' math programs around here!), then I am shortchanging them.
Trust me--I get frustrated with my kids' public schools all the time. And I was a public school teacher, so you think I'd be more sympathetic! But I don't rely on the public schools to do my parenting. And I do try to work with the schools to achieve some kind of mutual respect and satisfaction. Of course, should that fail, I too would consider other forms of education. :sunny:

[disneygal33]

It's so disheartening to read entries from parents who believe they're slowing losing all rights to parenting...
If my kids don't think they can say a silent prayer before a meal (or a test!) at school, then I as a parent have failed them in their religious upbringing.
If I don't insist on their getting proper medical treatment, then I as a parent have neglected them.
:sunny:

How dare you say that. You don't know what you are talking about. My child was reprimanded for saying a silent prayer over her lunch. She whispered the word Amen when she was done. She then ended up in the office. Why? Because she dared to pray to herself. I was then called and told I needed to explain to her she was NOT ALLOWED to pray at school, not even to herself. It might make other students uncomfortable to see her with her head bowed and her hands folded. We were told if it did not stop she would be suspended. She didn't share her believe with other students, she didn't insist anyone pray with her. She then got suspended because I told her to she could continue to pray to herself as long as it was silently. 2 days later she was caught with her hands folded and her head bowed over her lunch. she This was the same public school that sent her home in Kindergarten with a book about homosexual princes I didn't fail her, the school did.

[boomhauer]

Duplicate post.

[boomhauer]

I have a better note that you can all feel free to use:

Dear Teacher:

I'm taking my child to Disney World for a family vacation the week of________.
I'm sorry to have to pull him out of school, but due to the fact that my wife and I both work year round and do not have the entire summer off, we're limited as to when we can take our vacations. Please understand that we do no devalue our child's education, but simply value family time equally.

Thank you.

[Happy05]

How dare you say that. You don't know what you are talking about. My child was reprimanded for saying a silent prayer over her lunch. She whispered the word Amen when she was done. She then ended up in the office. Why? Because she dared to pray to herself. I was then called and told I needed to explain to her she was NOT ALLOWED to pray at school, not even to herself. It might make other students uncomfortable to see her with her head bowed and her hands folded. We were told if it did not stop she would be suspended. She didn't share her believe with other students, she didn't insist anyone pray with her. She then got suspended because I told her to she could continue to pray to herself as long as it was silently. 2 days later she was caught with her hands folded and her head bowed over her lunch. she This was the same public school that sent her home in Kindergarten with a book about homosexual princes I didn't fail her, the school did.

If this did happen, that is really sad. That wouldn't happen where I live. We even have prayer before sporting events. What was the title of the book about homosexual princes? That sounds really odd. :confused3

[disneygal33]

If this did happen, that is really sad. That wouldn't happen where I live. We even have prayer before sporting events. What was the title of the book about homosexual princes? That sounds really odd. :confused3

It did happen and the name of the book is King & King. It is the story about a prince whose mother tells him it's time to marry. He then tells her he isn't interested in princesses. It is the story of how he finds his "King". Don't believe me feel free to Google the title.

[rhiannonwales]

OK have to chime in here. We went to DW this October. I told the teacher on the first day of school, and she had all the assignments (or equivalent if it was a group activity) before we left. She offererd to do this as she plans out lessons 7-10 days in advance.Yes, we did homework on vacation, but it was not a horrible amount, and he was completely up to date when he returned.

Secondly, i am not a christian, but i do know that it has been ruled in the supreme court that children can pray in school, as long as it is voluntary and not teacher led. The "seperation of church and state" only means that governmant (schools) cannot incorparate church into school, it does not stop individuals from practising their own beliefs.

The book about the gay princes is called "King and King". It is about a young prince who is told he must marry and is presented with many princesses, but he likes none of them. However, he does like another prince and they get married. Thats it.The same-sex attraction is normalized. There’s no proselytizing, no big lesson. It just is.

I'm not trying to turn this thread into a war. But that being said, i think that many people get their panties in a bunch over this book without really reading it. Whether you approve of GLBT lifestyles or not, the fact is that our kids will most likely meet someone who is gay, or has gay parents. And i think its important that they are made to understand that everyone is different. You can still dissaprove of it but at least you know its out there. The idea that if we dont talk about it it doesnt exist is not only untrue, but also is a great underestimation of a childs ability to understand and make their own opinions.

Ok off the soapbox now.

[disneygal33]

I am going to walk away from this

[Happy05]

It did happen and the name of the book is King & King. It is the story about a prince whose mother tells him it's time to marry. He then tells her he isn't interested in princesses. It is the story of how he finds his "King". Don't believe me feel free to Google the title.

I can understand being upset about your situation. All I can speak for is myself and the fact that I have been very fortunate as far as my childrens' education is concerned. The "government" has never had a hand in the rearing of my children.

[Whosemom]

Wow! I always read these school threads because they just fascinate me.

Why is it that if someone suggests being polite rather than curt, that is called begging, or groveling or asking permission? If your friends invite you to do something and you are busy, do you say "NO!" and slam the phone down? A tiny bit of information is kind of good manners in our culture.

My "letter" to the teacher would start like this..."Hey Carol, we're planning a trip to Disney in a couple of months. How would you like us to handle Isaac's work?"

I guess what I'm saying is, if you have developed a relationship with the teacher, what's the big deal? And if you haven't, why is that? Aren't you working together for the advancement of your children? One would assume that takes some communication.

Then fill out the stupid forms or whatever the district needs. YIKES, no one is offering to throw you in jail.

Again, this is of course AFTER you understand how your child is doing. You aren't going to pull out a highschooler who is barely passing math, are you? I teach remedial math at a community college. I have people who have to miss class, and in the process learn to become independent learners, a way more valuable skill than what they missed that day. But I also have folks miss one day who never recover, because they need the interaction to learn the concept. The book never says to them "why do you look puzzeled" LOL

Disneygal33, your daughter's rights have been trampled. there's no court in the land that would find that acceptable. You should fight that.

rhiannonwales, "oh honey, I know your mommy read you the Bible says this is wrong, but look, its ok in this story, isn't it? It must be that other book that's wrong." Come on. Be honest. "There’s no proselytizing, no big lesson." Yes there is, or why do we read the story? Just because the teacher enjoys :stir: ? No, because she's trying to make a point. Another phrase for that is "teach a lesson". The debate can't remain valid if both sides don't function honestly.

[MarkBarbieri]

My child was reprimanded for saying a silent prayer over her lunch. She whispered the word Amen when she was done. She then ended up in the office. Why? Because she dared to pray to herself. I was then called and told I needed to explain to her she was NOT ALLOWED to pray at school, not even to herself.

I'd get an attorney. That sounds an awful lot like an infringement of your basic constitutional rights. The first amendment prevents the government from establishing religion (thus no school prayer) but it also says they can't prohibit the free exercise of religion either. I've never heard of a case won in which the government attempted to bar someone from silent prayer.

I believe the exact quote is "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof"

[jodifla]

Wow! I always read these school threads because they just fascinate me.

Why is it that if someone suggests being polite rather than curt, that is called begging, or groveling or asking permission? If your friends invite you to do something and you are busy, do you say "NO!" and slam the phone down? A tiny bit of information is kind of good manners in our culture.

My "letter" to the teacher would start like this..."Hey Carol, we're planning a trip to Disney in a couple of months. How would you like us to handle Isaac's work?"

I guess what I'm saying is, if you have developed a relationship with the teacher, what's the big deal? And if you haven't, why is that? Aren't you working together for the advancement of your children? One would assume that takes some communication.

Then fill out the stupid forms or whatever the district needs. YIKES, no one is offering to throw you in jail.

Again, this is of course AFTER you understand how your child is doing. You aren't going to pull out a highschooler who is barely passing math, are you? I teach remedial math at a community college. I have people who have to miss class, and in the process learn to become independent learners, a way more valuable skill than what they missed that day. But I also have folks miss one day who never recover, because they need the interaction to learn the concept. The book never says to them "why do you look puzzeled" LOL

Disneygal33, your daughter's rights have been trampled. there's no court in the land that would find that acceptable. You should fight that.

rhiannonwales, "oh honey, I know your mommy read you the Bible says this is wrong, but look, its ok in this story, isn't it? It must be that other book that's wrong." Come on. Be honest. "There’s no proselytizing, no big lesson." Yes there is, or why do we read the story? Just because the teacher enjoys :stir: ? No, because she's trying to make a point. Another phrase for that is "teach a lesson". The debate can't remain valid if both sides don't function honestly.

The OP's note CLEARLY had the parents apologizing to the teacher. That's unnecessary in my book.

I'm not saying to be rude, but I don't have to APOLOGIZE for spending time with my kid.


I simply state that we need to be out of town and to ask how the teacher wants to handle the work.

[Whosemom]

OK, I reread it and she does use the word apologize. I guess it just sounds like a "polite form" to me than an actual expression of sorrow over wrong-doing. I have class next Wednesday night from 5:30 - 10:30. Lots of folks are planning to miss class because of Thanksgiving. Some said, "I'll be traveling, so I won't be here." Some said, "I'm sorry I'll be missing class, I'll be traveling." One even said, "Everyone's coming to my house. I have to clean and make pie." In my book, all the people made equivalent statements. I realize that missing class is totally different at this level, but my point is that I don't believe the person who threw in "I'm sorry" meant to grovel. Its just how they express themselves.

[GOODoldPAL]

The OP's note CLEARLY had the parents apologizing to the teacher. That's unnecessary in my book.
I'm not saying to be rude, but I don't have to APOLOGIZE for spending time with my kid.

I do agree with you on this point only because of the way the OP worded her apology:
"I apologize that he will be missing classtime for this trip"

However, I don't believe she meant anyone should "have to APOLOGIZE for spending time with my kid."
IMHO the apology was intended as a regret that the child would be missing out on a vital part of the planned lessons, not a regret for spending time with family. Hopefully the OP will clarify though.

I apologize to teachers who I know will go "above & beyond the paycheck" to help my kid catch up and keep her grades up. I apologize not for the vacation itself but for the extra work & hassle created by an extended voluntary absence. If DD's teachers demonstrated they really didn't care if she caught up, well then I probably wouldn't apologize.
But the same applies for my co-workers. I don't apologize for the missed days at work to be with my family, but I know who will step up and pile my workload on top of theirs. I apologize to them too.

Like someone else said; it's a politeness thing not a guilt thing - it merely acknowledges the extra efforts of others. How can that even feel wrong?

I guess if we were all robots we could just spew out "You are acknowledged for additonal unpaid time" and then it wouldn't be an issue over the word "apologize" :rotfl2:

[the Fidge]

Thank you and yes I will copy and paste that ! DH works for a seasonal company and they only permit the employees to vacation during February and the end of March. Thankfully DH has been there some time and they permit him to go the 2nd week of April which is DH and DS birthdays too!

I alwyas print out the pages formt he Education site about the states and as we drive through them and he fills in the sheets about each one. We also stay at one historical place for him to get a wee bit of knowledge in too! We stayed at Saint Augustine for a few days and did the whole tour of the area as well as a lie down on the beach.

This year in his class Saint Augustine came up and he was tickled that he could tell his teacher all about the history and got a great grade on his test that week! DH and I smiled and realized it is worth the extra to make a stop along the way and get some first hand history in there!


Thank you very much for all you do, a teacher can make a difference in a childs life and what a gift that is!

[DisneyDotty]

Disneygal33, your daughter's rights have been trampled. there's no court in the land that would find that acceptable. You should fight that.


I agree wholeheartedly, and I apologize if my other post was insulting to anyone. I guess my point is that we as parents have to be willing to fight for our rights to parent--and that if we don't, we need to accept the consequences. It seems that's what this whole thread is about, anyway. :sunny:

[disneygal33]

I apologize if I was rude earlier. My daughter was in second grade when she got suspended for praying to herself over her lunch. That was 4 years ago and it still makes my blood boil. :furious:

[hsmamato2]

Disneygal- I think you're angry, and you should be,it was wrong, but I can't imagine anyone here agreeing with the sort of nonsense your daughter went through...
And I'm sorry, is it just me?(maybe it is) But it sounds so scary to hear posts about being obligated to fill out a pre-approved form that promises any absence will be "educational"- and the whys and wherefores of any family trip....that frightens me- To whom are any parents obligated to explain their choices for their families?
Who are the great ones who deem themselves the"deciders of what is worthy?"
And what if they don't agree with my families choices? Do they have the right to tell us we're not allowed to do what we wish? That as parents, we're incapable of making informed,intelligent decisions for OUR families?
What if you fill out that form,and it gets refused?
Is that what enrollment in a school district is, simply compulsory attendance for the benefit of the great machine?Silly me, and here i was thinking kids were required to be in school because they were truly benefiting....
*IF* my kids went to school, I'd feel an obligation to explain politely to their teachers that they'd be absent,when,and why. I'd politely request work that could be done so the child can keep up with the class,and not burden the teacher when he returns by not knowing the information.
*BUT* I'd feel no compunction to apologize or ask permission to raise my own children as I see fit.
I think some things get way off balance sometimes.....

[MarkBarbieri]

Wow, people are getting really bent out of shape over what seems so trivial. I read the apologizing portion of the OP’s posting as just being polite, not groveling. Having your child out is an inconvenience for the teacher, however mild, and so a simple apology isn’t out of line. It’s like saying “sorry” to someone when your dawdling child holds them up at a door. It’s not that someone has done something wrong. Apologizing isn’t required. It’s just the polite thing to do. Maybe it’s one of those regional differences. Where I live, passing someone on the sidewalk without saying “hi” or at least politely nodding one’s head is a bit rude; in Manhattan I got the sense that it was a personal affront to acknowledge a stranger on the streets.

*BUT* I'd feel no compunction to apologize or ask permission to raise my own children as I see fit.

If you want to get technical, you really don’t have an unfettered right to “raise [your] own children as you see fit,” at least not in any of the United States. I believe that every state requires that your children be educated. That can be done through home schooling, but it still needs to be done and failure to do so can result in the removal of your children.

If you opt to send your children to a school, you need to follow the rules of the school, whether it is a public or private school. Most schools have some form of attendance policy. In the case of public schools within a district, they may be motivated to enforce the policy by a desire for funding, but that’s not why the rules are there in the first place. The funding requirements are used as stick to bully schools into improving their attendance records. The rules are in place because our elected representatives chose to make it so.

The problem I see is that too many school officials either don’t have the authority or ability to use good judgment on when to strictly apply the rules and when to overlook transgressions. It’s the sort of thing that leads to kids being suspended for having an aspirin in their purse, a kitchen knife in their truck, or pretending that a chicken nugget is a gun. In some cases, that same bureaucratic rigidity leads overzealous administrators to punish kids for reasonable absences while trying to follow a rule designed to protect children at-risk of excessive absences.

We get along great with our kid’s principal and teachers. Part of that is the result of carefully selecting where we live based on the schools our children would attend. Part of that is the result of our working to develop a strong relationship with those people. Part of that is good fortune. I’m much happier living this way than viewing our kid’s school as an adversary.

As for the froth about the King & King thing, I don’t have much sympathy there either. I agree that schools should generally avoid controversial subjects with young children, but you’ll never be able to please everyone. Your kids will get exposed to ideas that you disagree with. Train them to deal with rather than hide them from it.

[Kayakmom]

A couple of things...

As to the poster that said they would start with, "Hey Carol," that's great *if* the teacher is a nice person who truly cares about your kid. Both of my son's teachers this year are outstanding and basically that was what I did and I also did let them know that I truly appreciate all they do for my children and that I'm sorry they will miss lessons that will have to be made up, etc. HOWEVER, last year I flat out told the school principal that I felt that the school was nothing more than a six hour a day babysitting service, which it was. He basically learned NOTHING. Same with the year before. He had teachers who had been teaching for many years and really did not like any sort of special needs students in their classrooms. The gripe was basically the same from all of the parents of kids who had some sort of learning disability, whether large or small. The principal flat out told me that they put EIGHT special needs students in the classroom on purpose, basically to punish the teacher. Well, it was my son and the other students who suffered and we go like crazy to try to make up for that. In that case, I had no problem taking my son out for a day or two while my mother was visiting to go to the aquarium or other academic kind of trip. In fact, I let him "skip" a couple other days for mental health days, too. I'd sure need a break from those witches! I used to ask constantly for progress updates and would get no response. I'd have to go over their heads to the principals constantly. Now, don't get me wrong, they really were not fit to be teaching, and have both since retired. The two teachers my sons have now are OUTSTANDING teachers and believe me, I let them know OFTEN and I intend to get them each a little gift on our vacation because of how good they are to my boys. I am so relieved that they have teachers that actually care. My ds10's teacher goes so far above and beyond and she always says that she really appreciates how much home support I give children. I have learned to do that because in the past two years, if i did not teach him, no one would.

As for the suspension for praying before lunch, that is not only outrageous, but illegal!!! That would make my blood boil.

[ppony]

Wow, people are getting really bent out of shape over what seems so trivial. I read the apologizing portion of the OP’s posting as just being polite, not groveling. Having your child out is an inconvenience for the teacher, however mild, and so a simple apology isn’t out of line. It’s like saying “sorry” to someone when your dawdling child holds them up at a door. It’s not that someone has done something wrong. Apologizing isn’t required. It’s just the polite thing to do. Maybe it’s one of those regional differences. Where I live, passing someone on the sidewalk without saying “hi” or at least politely nodding one’s head is a bit rude; in Manhattan I got the sense that it was a personal affront to acknowledge a stranger on the streets.
:thumbsup2
That's how I read it and took it as well. If I were to walk into the classroom to take my child out while class was in session, I would say "excuse me". it's just polite. People here (think Minnesota nice. ;) ) say excuse me even if you are the one not with the right-of-way at a grocery store or in a walk way. It's just polite.

I have things all in a row with my son's school. He's expected to be absent and the teacher and I had the same idea of having him do a little booklet of writing each night. 3 sentences about each day and a picture to illustrate it. (first grader) It goes perfectly with what they are doing in class. :teacher:

[homedad]

as the husband of a teacher that I beg her to take time out of school to go to disney...I really see it from all angles. She has to get special permission(and since I have a serious health issue I think she may get alittle leeway) to miss school, so she has to prep well in advance. She has students who go at non -break times and she'll try to come up with a project that may slightly be related to topic at that time. And then we take our kids out of school. I'm in the camp that one week a year is not going to hurt her career, her students or my own children. I refuse to wait 1 hour for any ride so its off time we go, we go,to disney we go......

[chip91]

Since there seem to be so many posts lately about taking the kids out of school for a Disney vacation I figured I would pipe in with some advice from a teacher.


Please do not ask for all of the work "ahead of time." It is SO TIME CONSUMING for a teacher to put together the work ahead of time. I always keep a "while you were out folder" and add any assignments that can be done at home to it as they are passed out to the class. It is much easier on the teacher if you make the work up after the fact.


Also, your vacation may mean a lot of extra work for the teacher. Gathering assignments and needing to devote extra attention to that student to get him caught up is time consuming. Be sensitive and appreciative of that.



Thank you so much for your insight as a teacher, and while I appreciate and respect your side of the whole time off instance, in my opinion it doesn't really differ much from if your child is sick for a long period of time, or in my daughters case, in both 1st & 2nd grade she missed 1 week of school due to breaking her arm (yes same arm, same bone, LONG story) so I certainly hope her teacher didn't think I was creating extra work for them by requesting my childs' homework on a daily basis, to keep her caught up, I was the one doing the work with her.

As teachers' don't you need to have your lessons planned out at least a week ahead of time? In our school district the teachers' need to hand in a tenative lesson plan I believe 1 month prior, of course various circumstances cause the need to deviate from the plan, but from the teachers I know, they do stick to it as close as possible.

In that case, I would assume you would have a "game plan" for at least the week ahead. I do understand how much "hands on" learning they do especially at the ages of my children, but there are some things teachers can do in the case of missing days due to vacation: send home their math book and say do pages 16-20, (my dd's teacher last year made copies of the pages she would miss rather than sending home the entire book) or have the parents keep up on reading, even though your on vacation they can still read for 15 minutes at night or if they are pre-k or k and can't yet read well, as a parent (I read to my 2nd daughter before bedtime while on vacation), here's your spelling list for the test you will miss, study the words & make it up when you return. In our school the social studies and science so far are in classroom learning, they would miss that but Math, Reading and Writing they have daily/weekly homework in the form of worksheets. For instance of how to stay on top of things or at least not completely laxed in them while on vacation, last year my 2nd grader had to write daily in a journal - which made up quite a large percentage of her writing grade, so for our trip I made her keep a daily journal of what she did, where she ate, what characters she met, her teacher accepted this and gave her credit for her daily usage journal, and I was sure to thank him for his flexibility and working with me on this.

I'm not trying to step on your toes or justify taking children out of school, but I think if both parties can have a mutual respect for the others' standpoint, it can work and not be too painful on anyone; child, teacher or the parent who helps with all the make-up work (and boy oh boy are they learning way more than I did at their age!!)

Respectfully from a parents perspective,
Chip

PS Thanks for being a teacher, I'm sure you don't hear that enough! I was the teachers' aide for 5 weeks of summer school, one year in pre-k and one year in k, all I can say is YIKES - I used all the patience I could muster for 5 hours a day x 5 weeks!

[Kayakmom]

I'm not trying to step on your toes or justify taking children out of school, but I think if both parties can have a mutual respect for the others' standpoint, it can work and not be too painful on anyone; child, teacher or the parent who helps with all the make-up work (and boy oh boy are they learning way more than I did at their age!!)


:thumbsup2

I'd also like to add that some teachers DO help up with make-up work, as my ds10's does. She really goes above and beyond the call of duty. She takes time out of her day to send me notes about how his day went, whether good or bad. My son can be very trying at times and she has an amazing patience level. She is also a mom to her own two children and I think she's an amazing woman! When I told her about our trip she said, "I wouldn't miss it either! No way! Go ahead and have a great time!"

In return, I work very hard at home to stay on top of things. I give her total support. If he does not complete an assignment during school, she knows that she can send it home and I will work with him on it. If she wants to discipline him for something (he had to stay after school once) I stand right behind her so that he knows there is no way to pull a fast one. ;)

[winkers]

I have deep respect for teachers who love their jobs and work hard teaching and loving my kids! But I won't ask for their permission or 'OK" to take my kids on a family vacation. I take my kids out for a week every year, we aren't able to do most vacations during summer so spring is our best option. I give them about a months notice and ask how they'd like to handle homework. Out of 4 children and dozens of teachers I've only had one give me a hard time about it. I just politely told her that since she doens't have to account to me for her days off during the school year, then I don't have to excuse myself to her. She didn't have a response to that. I think respect and courtesy go both ways and I, like most parents, get irritated by a teacher telling me how to raise my children, just like they would if I told them how to do their job. ok, stepping off my soapbox now!

[marconat]

I informed my 2 kids teacher about our upcoming trip (during parent - teacher night) and I have to agree that it totally depends on the kids... both teachers told me that my kids are good students and will have no problems catching up. Since it's right after Xmas break, they will do a revision of the past months and will not start anything new before the 3rd week of Jan. I'm glad that they are understanding and will bring them sun in a bottle ha! ha! Since it will be 20 below here in the North. :goodvibes

[ilovepooh]

I think if you decide to take a family vacation during the school year, then go and enjoy that quality time. Who am I to question you!

As a 2nd grade teacher, I think it's nice of parents to let me know they are going on vacation, so I don't have to wonder if the child is ok, but I would NEVER expect any kind of apology for it. :sad2:

Yes, we do a lot of activities during the school day, and I put a lot of work into my lessons, but it is the parent's choice to allow their child to miss these things. If the child is a strong student, then they will be fine. If not, then he/she may need extra help from his/her parents to help complete the work missed. I do what I can too. (This is no different than if the child was absent due to an illness.)

I say go on vacation and enjoy your time together as a family! Life is too short and too precious to NOT go on vacation because your child will miss school. :sunny:

[disneymom06]

I think if you decide to take a family vacation during the school year, then go and enjoy that quality time. Who am I to question you!

As a 2nd grade teacher, I think it's nice of parents to let me know they are going on vacation, so I don't have to wonder if the child is ok, but I would NEVER expect any kind of apology for it. :sad2:

Yes, we do a lot of activities during the school day, and I put a lot of work into my lessons, but it is the parent's choice to allow their child to miss these things. If the child is a strong student, then they will be fine. If not, then he/she may need extra help from his/her parents to help complete the work missed. I do what I can too. (This is no different than if the child was absent due to an illness.)

I say go on vacation and enjoy your time together as a family! Life is too short and too precious to NOT go on vacation because your child will miss school. :sunny:

I agree, Enjoy the time together as a family, Life is too short and too precious.

Thank you for your wonderful comments!

[lagunaseca]

It's her classroom so she can certainly set the rules of the classroom, but it's my child.

It's your child but your child must attend a minimum number of days and maintain a certain grade to pass to the next grade. If your child rarely gets sick and maintains their GPA there is no problem. If they miss x amount of days (determined by the school board) the teacher, nor the school can do anything - your name gets sent to the truancy office and you, the parent, have to talk to them and explain. I am a school secretary and once a month the computer spits out truancy notices at every 5 days of absences. The teachers and school want to work with parents but going in with the "it's my child they can't tell me what I can do" attitude will not get you far.

[jodifla]

It's your child but your child must attend a minimum number of days and maintain a certain grade to pass to the next grade. If your child rarely gets sick and maintains their GPA there is no problem. If they miss x amount of days (determined by the school board) the teacher, nor the school can do anything - your name gets sent to the truancy office and you, the parent, have to talk to them and explain. I am a school secretary and once a month the computer spits out truancy notices at every 5 days of absences. The teachers and school want to work with parents but going in with the "it's my child they can't tell me what I can do" attitude will not get you far.


It's a sad state of affairs if the truancy officer can find nothing better to do than harass parents who take their kids out for a weeklong vacation once a year.

[DISNEYLOVER70]

Thank you for the tips, I will use them in May 2007!

[dbmarie]

It's a sad state of affairs if the truancy officer can find nothing better to do than harass parents who take their kids out for a weeklong vacation once a year.
I agree.

[declansdad]

It's a sad state of affairs if the truancy officer can find nothing better to do than harass parents who take their kids out for a weeklong vacation once a year.


If the truancy officer is only doing their job, based on the rules that they are given, how is this harassing parents??

[Tink&Mickey]

I have been torn on this subject, my son is in 7th grade and daughter in 1st. My son isn't doing well in school and he will be missing only 3 days in April. We will be gone most of April vacation and 3 days of the following week. I"m hoping it won't be too hard on him. But we couldn't take it during the whole break time or summer vacation (too hot and crowded). I figure we are only doing this once and never again, we only live once and I wanted to go for our family, my son is getting older and already at the stage where he doesn't want to be with his family and daughter is perfect age, still liking Princesses and old enough to stand in line. It was a hard decision, but we are going for it.

[laceemouse]

I have been torn on this subject, my son is in 7th grade and daughter in 1st. My son isn't doing well in school and he will be missing only 3 days in April. We will be gone most of April vacation and 3 days of the following week. I"m hoping it won't be too hard on him. But we couldn't take it during the whole break time or summer vacation (too hot and crowded). I figure we are only doing this once and never again, we only live once and I wanted to go for our family, my son is getting older and already at the stage where he doesn't want to be with his family and daughter is perfect age, still liking Princesses and old enough to stand in line. It was a hard decision, but we are going for it.
A "once-in-a-lifetime" trip is a very different story, IMO, than someone who takes their kids out every year and then calls it educational. Still, the older the child the harder it will be to make up the work, especially if he is struggling already. If I were you I would be making friends with those teachers big time (which was hard for us to do when they got in the older grades, the school was just so huge!)
BTW, we have been at all times of the year, in all types of weather and in all crowd conditions and we have NEVER failed to have a great time at WDW!!! With careful planning you can still have a BLAST even if it is HOT and CROWDED!! Just my 2 cents ;) !

[jodifla]

A "once-in-a-lifetime" trip is a very different story, IMO, than someone who takes their kids out every year and then calls it educational. Still, the older the child the harder it will be to make up the work, especially if he is struggling already. If I were you I would be making friends with those teachers big time (which was hard for us to do when they got in the older grades, the school was just so huge!)
BTW, we have been at all times of the year, in all types of weather and in all crowd conditions and we have NEVER failed to have a great time at WDW!!! With careful planning you can still have a BLAST even if it is HOT and CROWDED!! Just my 2 cents ;) !


I don't go when it's hot and crowded, period. It's not my idea of a good time.

[kjbstore]

Wow this has been an interesting thread. Our DD is in 9th grade and we've taken her out several times to go on vacation in the past school years - she's always been able to catch up just fine. My DH is a UPS driver and vacations are on a seniority basis and since he is #48 out of 54, there isn't much to choose from. The only dates available for next year (2007) were February, March and November. Since our 25th wedding anniversary is in November, we are taking two weeks. We will take our DD out of school one week (and will let all her teachers know as soon as school starts) and then she will fly home and we'll take another week by ourselves. Having been on chemo for over a year and not knowing if I would make it, we have made the decision that making memories as a family is something that we really value. If that means our DD will miss a few days of school, then that's okay. I am very sensitive to heat and sun and couldn't go during summer months even if the vacation time were available for my DH. Fortunately, our DD rarely misses school, and her high school has an every other day schedule, so she will only miss a maximum of three days for each class. I appreciate the OP letter and will use it for our DD next year.

[disneygal33]

Wow this has been an interesting thread. Our DD is in 9th grade and we've taken her out several times to go on vacation in the past school years - she's always been able to catch up just fine. My DH is a UPS driver and vacations are on a seniority basis and since he is #48 out of 54, there isn't much to choose from. The only dates available for next year (2007) were February, March and November. Since our 25th wedding anniversary is in November, we are taking two weeks. We will take our DD out of school one week (and will let all her teachers know as soon as school starts) and then she will fly home and we'll take another week by ourselves. Having been on chemo for over a year and not knowing if I would make it, we have made the decision that making memories as a family is something that we really value. If that means our DD will miss a few days of school, then that's okay. I am very sensitive to heat and sun and couldn't go during summer months even if the vacation time were available for my DH. Fortunately, our DD rarely misses school, and her high school has an every other day schedule, so she will only miss a maximum of three days for each class. I appreciate the OP letter and will use it for our DD next year.

I hope you have a magical vacation, it sounds like you've earned it!! :goodvibes

[Luv'sTink]

It's your child but your child must attend a minimum number of days and maintain a certain grade to pass to the next grade. If your child rarely gets sick and maintains their GPA there is no problem. If they miss x amount of days (determined by the school board) the teacher, nor the school can do anything - your name gets sent to the truancy office and you, the parent, have to talk to them and explain. I am a school secretary and once a month the computer spits out truancy notices at every 5 days of absences. The teachers and school want to work with parents but going in with the "it's my child they can't tell me what I can do" attitude will not get you far.

Parents always have the choice to homeschool.

In my DS school the Principal can and does excuse any absence he chooses to.

[DisneyDivaMom]

Actually, last week one of my students' parents surprised him with a trip to WDW. However, the parents did not contact any of his teachers to let them know and he missed 3 or 4 days of school - plus the end of the marking period and, at least for me, he has several assignments that haven't been turned in. He also switches to a new special area subject when the new marking period begins and I won't see him unless I seek him out. I felt this was totally irresponsible of the parents.


What I do is tell the school and teachers at the begining of the school year (I know a year in advance of going) then I fill out the paperwork for the office a month before, remind the teachers as well. I ask for a packet or whatever they choose to give. I think one her tasks this time is a daily weather report ie: "I wore my hoodie today because it was windy." She is to keep a journel and bring postcards or pictures and give an off the cuff presentation of the highlights of her trip. All things considered, I think this is the last time I will take her out of school, she is in SPED and while is doing well in her ms class, it is a struggle to keep up. I just don't think it would be wise for our family.

[tetrimble]

Unfortunately I have seen it happen quite a few times over the years I have taught. Now that being said, I don't think it is the case with most kids. I am all for pulling kids out of school for vacations and mental health days (shopping does wonders as does a good pedi :) ) I think our society needs to relax. However, with No Child Left Behind, the pressure on the schools and teachers is unbelievable. The difference between when I went to school and today is completely different. Your girls are probably good students and responsible and can handle it. Some kids can't. Every parent needs to make an individual decision based on their child and go from there. Most can handle it, but some can't. I think as they get older, it gets harder to miss school.

There is a huge difference between when most of us went to school and what is being taught in today's classroom. The cirriculum is more advanced in each grade level as opposed to even 15-20 years ago.

I am taking my children out of school for 7 days in December. I, like a few others on this thread, had mixed feelings about this. I took the children 2 years ago right at the beginning of their summer break. It was miserable because the crowds were higher than anticipated and the weather was ruthless. I wanted us to be able to enjoy a more leisurely vacation this time around yet still have an opportunity to ride as many (if not more) rides than last time.

When I first thought about taking the kids out (this past January), I approached the school's Assistant Principal. I wanted her thoughts on it (couldn't ask the children's teachers as we did not know who they would have for the following year). She said to absolutely go ahead. She felt that the children would be fine with the make-up work (they are both straight A students...thankfully). I did want to make sure that they would not be missing any mandatory testing or any big projects that might occur.

At the beginning of the school year, I informed the children's teachers that they would be out of school for a period of time in December and they were OK with that. I am fairly certain I will have most of my son's assignments to take with us (it's the same exact work my daughter did when she was in that grade), but I know I won't have all of my daughter's assignments.

I felt now was the time to do it (the children are in 2nd and 6th grades). I think all school grades are of importance, but I felt that I could be able to assist my children with their assignments while they are this young. With the accelerated lesson plans nowadays (i.e.-my daughter is already taking some true geometry in 6th grade...blows my mind), I was concerned that I might not be able to help once they get to a certain level (i.e.- I definitely don't remember my trig and calculus so my daughter would have to "fend for herself").

I do appreciate all of the comments and feedback on this thread and a special thanks to camdensmom for starting the thread (BTW, I absolutely love the wording in your letter).

It is a personal choice, but it's important to know our children's comprehension and limitations when it comes to school. In the earlier grades, the children are learning the fundamentals. Without the fundamentals, the children cannot grasp newer (and more difficult) concepts. In the latter grades, the concepts are harder and a parent needs to realize that as well (particularly if the parent doesn't understand the concept and cannot help his/her child).

I just do the best I can for the kids and pray that my best is good enough. :-)

[camdensmom]

As the OP I figured I would pop back in to respond.

It was never my intent to tell people to grovel or ask permission to take their children to Disney. Yes, I used the word "apologize," but it was meant in the polite sense. Just like when I emailed a parent last night who had sent in a note seeing if we could meet today and said, "I apologize, but I won't be able to meet with you tomorrow, but I already have a conference scheduled at that time." I was not groveling...just being polite.

Also, I did not intend to start a debate about taking kids out of school. I thought it was clear in my post that I see very clearly why parents opt to vacation at different times of the year. I understand and support that.

My point was simply to share things from a teacher's perspective. Clearly, I am not speaking on behalf of all teachers, but I am sharing common views of those I've worked with. Do with that info what you wish. If it was helpful...then great. If it was not, then please know it wasn't a personal attack on you or your parenting styles.

[tetrimble]

As the OP I figured I would pop back in to respond.

It was never my intent to tell people to grovel or ask permission to take their children to Disney. Yes, I used the word "apologize," but it was meant in the polite sense. Just like when I emailed a parent last night who had sent in a note seeing if we could meet today and said, "I apologize, but I won't be able to meet with you tomorrow, but I already have a conference scheduled at that time." I was not groveling...just being polite.

Also, I did not intend to start a debate about taking kids out of school. I thought it was clear in my post that I see very clearly why parents opt to vacation at different times of the year. I understand and support that.

My point was simply to share things from a teacher's perspective. Clearly, I am not speaking on behalf of all teachers, but I am sharing common views of those I've worked with. Do with that info what you wish. If it was helpful...then great. If it was not, then please know it wasn't a personal attack on you or your parenting styles.

I really enjoyed this thread. Although it may have veered a bit from your intent, it was interesting to read everyone's opinions on the topic.

In addition, I loved your input from a teacher's perspective. I hope you have not received rude PMs because of your comments. They were very thoughtful and well written...and I believe most of us that have replied appreciated your letter suggestion.

[casey49781]

Hats off to all the teachers as its a tuff job..That said I am taking my kids out of school dec 4 to the 11 , mine will miss 6 days of school, hoping for a snow day in there,,,I already ..today have my dd 9 school work she brought it home to work on it today and it is a ton of stuff so will have most of it done my monday morning, i really appreciate all her teacher has done so that so wont get behind, that said she is in 4th grade and a honor roll child , my son is in kindergarden and i havent seen anything come home yet so will head to school monday morning to check that out,,,,,,cant wait i leave in 9 days,,,, :cheer2:

[barbmouse]

Thanks to the OP...well stated!

I find it interesting that no one has mentioned the child's perspective. We go to DW every other year and took trips during the school year through my dd's second grade year. We decided in fourth to begin vacationing in the summer. My dd is now in eighth grade and would not WANT to miss a week of school. She has not missed a day of Middle School (luckily she hasn't been really sick). If she has a cold I will tell her to call me if she feels bad. She rarely will because she doesn't want to make up the work. She is a very good student and very conscientious. We cruised this past summer and choose a 4 day rather than 7 day because we had to sail in the summer and had to do what we could afford.

I agree with many posters who said just do what is right for your family and what is in the best interest of your children!