Taking Kids out of School for a trip

[Buzz & Woody]

We are leaving on the Friday Nov. 29th and coming back home on December 17th. This is the longest trip that we have taken the kids out of school for and since DS's will be in Gr 3 & Gr 1 next year it will likely be the last. We're leaving on the Friday only because we got a great price on a flight from Buffalo, and the return on a Monday is for the same reason. We'll be on a cruise the first week and in a vacaion home near Disney for the 2nd week. Has anyone had problems with taking kidsout this long? I feel bad since they are only back in school for 4 days before the Christmas holiday, but this is a great opportunity too.

[NAB]

I know how you feel since I just had my kids out last week to go to WDW and they only started school three weeks before that.

My kids are in grade 2 and 5 and there wasn't a problem, we even have a short week this week and next but there wasn't free dining then. So they would have only missed 4 days then.

School office just said let them know when and that was it. Nothing like you can't do that or anything.

I did ask for any work they would miss. The grade 5 got it before we went and the grade 2 is doing make up work this week. Went last year too and had no make up work at all.

Just enjoy your trip!!!!

[coastgirl]

We're doing something similar, planning on coming back Dec 17 or 18, last day of school is 20th. I think even if we are back a few days before they get out, I'll keep my ds (in grade 2) home; it's a tough transition, better to do it in January when everyone's in the same boat. Though I'll ask his teacher what she thinks, if it's going to be...unproductive time anyway, I might send him in so he doesn't miss the fun.

[laura001]

We have taken our kids out many times including 10 days from high school a few times.

As a matter of fact I am taking DD today to WDW, she will miss 4 days of school and is in grade 11 ( I know it isn't a lot of days in comparison). The principal said, "have a great time, you can catch up when you get back, don't take it with you" She was supposed to have a Math test next Tuesday and is taking it today, teachers have been great!

Missing out on school when in grade 1 and 3 shouldn't be a big deal, the life experience (including family)they will have is far more important. Enjoy!

[eeyoremum]

I pull my kids out of school for vacations. They missed the first week of school this year for WDW (grade 8 and grade 3). I like to travel during off times because it is cheaper. Personally I think there is more to life than work and school. I would not worry too much about missing alot in elementary school, those marks are not counted towards things and the kids will catch up quickly, especially with one on one help. I am thinking of taking them out twice this year because it is an EQAO year for my youngest. Since we don't write EQAO he will miss a few days anyway. They make them stay home if they don't write.

[jakoky]

hi there, we just go back from our 10 night DL vacation...my kids ended up missing 6 school days, they are in grades 11, 9, and 7....my youngest had almost no homework, my middle one had a little, and my oldest did some before we left, a very small amount on the trip, and is still playing catchup...she is on a hard course load AND the semester system (which sucks)...she just has to "get" what she missed in chemistry, but her teacher has been awesome...would i do it again, yep, as this was our third 9/10 night trip in the last 3 years...I wouldnt worry about it at all, go and have fun....
sharon

[delta123]

I am taking my son out for 1 week he is in grade 4. But on the other hand we had a huge problem with my fiancee's ex wife letting his son go for a week he is in grade 1. We had to go to court and the judge told us that if it wasn't for the fact that we are actually getting married when we are there she would not have ordered that he be able to go. I think it is a shame that we are made to feel guilty for taking our children out of school for a family vacation. Now days people say that we have lost our family connections and families do not spend enough time together , but when you want to go away with your children you are made to feel guilty about it. They would miss school if they had the chicken pox or the flu. I think travelling is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children it is certainly better then buying them a $600 video game system and saying go away and don't bug me.

[eeyoremum]

I think it is a shame that we are made to feel guilty for taking our children out of school for a family vacation. Now days people say that we have lost our family connections and families do not spend enough time together , but when you want to go away with your children you are made to feel guilty about it. They would miss school if they had the chicken pox or the flu. I think travelling is one of the greatest gifts we can give our children it is certainly better then buying them a $600 video game system and saying go away and don't bug me.

Well said. You will find no video game system at our house. I was one of those kids that had everything but was told to stay in my room because mother and new husband need "time to themselves".

Interesting though I don't feel guilty about pulling my kids from school at all. I feel guilty about nothing actually once I make a decission I live with it for better or worse. Last year a teacher made a comment about missing school and I just shot back "Yep and they are going to miss the same week next year"

[canluvpooh]

I have taken my kids out of school for a couple of years now - they are both A students and have no difficulties in school. I have no guilt about this - if there is work to be caught up on they can do that when they return. Life is too short to worry about missing a few days of school :thumbsup2

[siobhan1997]

We always pull out DD out of school, we can only travel during the winter March Break time as with our own business, summer and other holiday times are not an option. This past March we took our DD out for 2 1/2 weeks in Grade 7 and she graduated Elementary school with honours. NExt March she will miss 8 days of Grade 8.. I never feel guilty for doing this. I never bring homework as I tell the teacher this is my holiday as well. Before we go or when we return I always make myself 100% available to help her catch up. Have a great trip.

[Cruiser1969]

Re: Taking kids out of school to vacation . . .

Been there . . . Done that . . . Will do it again!!!!!:thumbsup2

There is so much to learn about life outside of the classroom!!!!:goodvibes

[tigger & mickey]

This is the 3rd year in a row we are pulling the kids out of school for a WDW vacation. DS is grade 10 and DD in grade 7 this year. DS has a learning disability but has not had a problem with making up the work. I may have to spend some extra time ensuring he catches up but it is well worth it for some time in Disney. Never feel guilty about taking them out.

[BitsnBearsMom]

Done it a few times before and I will do it again regardless of what grade they are in.

We did 2 weeks last October and they were in gr 1 and 7 - neither one had issues catching up and my oldest has LD's - next March we will be doing the 4 days before March break as well as March break and they are in gr 2 and 8.

IMO they learn and get more out of a family vacation then they ever would sitting in a classroom!

[tmli]

I agree with all of you here and have done it many times myself. It is funny how this same question on a different board gets some VERY different response from our American friends!

[Cruiser1969]

It is funny how this same question on a different board gets some VERY different response from our American friends!

::yes::Very True::yes::

[LindaM]

I agree with all of you here and have done it many times myself. It is funny how this same question on a different board gets some VERY different response from our American friends!

I thought of the same thing, we Canadians are so laid back.

I have taken my kids out as well last year my ds was in grade 11 and dd was in grade 12. I talked to the principal regarding taking them out and she had no problem with it.

[calliemom]

I agree it is a great opportunity for you and your family. If you are concerned about the lessons they might miss, perhaps you can talk to the teachers about having some after school tutoring. We do this for our daughter but keep in mind as it is not part of their regular teaching duties she will probably charge an hourly rate. Grade 3 is a big year for Ontario students due to the CCAT testing. Perhaps you can discuss it with the teachers well in advance so that you have everything arranged well before your trip.
Good luck and have a fabulous vacation!

[PandaBear & Boo]

Life's to short to worry about whether to take your kids out of school or not. I've taken my kids out numerous times for vacations and I will be doing it again in April. My kids have not suffered one little bit by missing school.

[digskat]

my son is in grade 3 this year, and he is being pulled out for a vacation in 2 months (missing 9 days). We pulled our daughter out 2 years ago, when she was in grade 3. My daughter was uptight about the CCATs, and we told her to relax. They do not determine pass/fail, they are a test of the teacher's ability, and mean little to the kids future or grade. It helped calm her down, and she did fine. We have removed them for at least a week each year, for the past 4 years, and they are both doing great. Enjoy your time with your kids, they grow up too fast.

[junebug88]

I was worried about taking my kids out of school too gr 3 and sk, but after reading some of the posts, I am not concerned at all. My parents took me of school once but that was high school. As long as my oldest stays ahead of things he won't miss much. This will be their first trip to DW and I want them to enjoy it.
party:

[DisneyFreak06]

I have to say that I'm kind of in the middle on this one. I am a teacher, and usually don't have a problem with students missing, as long as the parents are willing to help their child catch up. I usually just send a few books to read (moreso for flights and stuff) and ask the students to write a journal to share with the class when they come back. (I have yet to see one though.) I hate to see struggling students miss though, because they will only fall farther behind and sometimes it makes them feel as though they will never catch up. I teach French Immersion, so they also need the routines and the repetitions of speaking the language, it's harder to catch up on those things.

I also don't like when I parent asks for extra work, I take the time to plan ahead of time what we probably will be doing (although I can't be 100% certain of what we'll do for two weeks while I child is on vacation. It depends on how quickly the students learn and work, and interuptions etc.) and then they never do any of it! Don't ask for work if you don't plan on doing it-I won't mind, you are on vacation! LOL

Although, personally, if I wasn't a teacher, and I had kids who were doing well, I'd probably take them out of school to travel to WDW at a cheaper time of year! :rotfl: BTW, I don't have any children yet.

[junebug88]

Is it safe to ask the teacher before for advice about journals or books.
I was thinking of just bringing some books and a journal for my oldest.

[calliemom]

my son is in grade 3 this year, and he is being pulled out for a vacation in 2 months (missing 9 days). We pulled our daughter out 2 years ago, when she was in grade 3. My daughter was uptight about the CCATs, and we told her to relax. They do not determine pass/fail, they are a test of the teacher's ability, and mean little to the kids future or grade. It helped calm her down, and she did fine. We have removed them for at least a week each year, for the past 4 years, and they are both doing great. Enjoy your time with your kids, they grow up too fast.

disskat, in our neck of the woods , those CCAT's are very important. From my understanding those test score's from 3,6 and 8 stay on file, and can later determine for example if you child qualifies for a gifted program in specialized high schools. Not saying my dd is gifted, she's just your average student, however in the future if she does have the ability to qualify for a "gifted student" program for high school, they will check those CCAT scores dating back from grade 3. That being said, we still take her out of school every fall (usually around mid-term break) for our yearly trip to Disney!

[digskat]

I don't know where that info came from. The CCAT was created by the Harris gov't, as a test of the teachers' ability. They are not SATs, or IQ tests, and a test given in grade 3 will have no bearing on a kid's highschool career. The results of these tests are posted in newspapers as; how many kids are below the grade line, approaching it, at it, above it, or well above it. It was meant to put presure on the school/teacher. Our kids school had 3 kids well above the grade in reading, 5 above it, 4 below, 1 well below, and the rest met it. The school was slightly better than average in their board, and much better than the local public school.
The schools transferred the pressure to the kids, making them prep for it, and stressing the importance of a good effort, because that made them llok good. This is the same pressure on a kid, as telling him a 'B' in grade 8 will keep them out of Harvard. If your child is gifted, they will accept them, they won't worry about a series of tests given 5 years earlier.

[calliemom]

hi digskat! I thought perhaps this site might help explain more clearly what I was trying to say:

http://www.abcpeel.org/i_testing_ccat.html

This site does say that testing usually starts in Grade 4, however in our school it is performed in 3,6, and 8 and have been informed by school officials that it does in fact remain in their records. I have a friend who's daughter just transferred in to a "gifted" program and these records were looked at prior to her acceptance.

As originally posted, I don't necessarily worry about these things, however I do take into account the time of year these tests are taken at our school, so dd isn't absent during this time. Otherwise, we have no problems taking her out of school for our yearly trek to Disney. Family time is priceless !

[digskat]

I had originally added a response here, but after thought, I decided that we were wandering away from the original poster's question. We have received different info on CCATs, and I don't put any weight to them.
As for the original post, it is your call, we have never had any grief from teachers, actually they have asked if they can stow away. Our kids are in french immersion, so they are challenged with not only learning what they missed, but learning it in a different language. Both have finished the year with 'A's and 'B's, so it hasn't harmed them. Their teachers feel it is a great learning experience, and great for the family. My Dd's teacher has stated he doesn't want to give her much work to take, because he feels it is a great experience for her.

[calliemom]

Funny because I read the post before editing and my response Wow you seem to know my friend and their daughter better than me!

I was simply trying to say that you should try to plan your trips around the test date (which is only 1 day!). I think I am entitled to that opinion. No it is not the only factor that determines a child's entrance into a gifted program, but it is looked at!

[merfsko]

Taking your kids out of public school shouldn't be a problem. When we were in that position, the teachers will all more then willing to give us our homework, and just requested that we keep a journal (which was done anyways). Also, my parents never wanted me taking EQAO in the first place and as it is not essential, don't worry about that.

The only time we had a problem was high school: my HS has a strict policy regarding missing school and I was missing the two weeks before exams. So we told that them we were going to St. Augustine's for business. Which wasn't exactly a lie, as my parents are both historians and we did visit St. Augustines;) In the end, everything turned out very well. In fact, I even got the impossible 100% on my English exam, so cearly missing school didn't effect my marks:cool1:

Hope everything works out for you, and have a superb Disney experience!

-merfsko

[Debbie]

The CCAT was created by the Harris gov't, as a test of the teachers' ability. They are not SATs, or IQ tests, and a test given in grade 3 will have no bearing on a kid's highschool career. The results of these tests are posted in newspapers as; how many kids are below the grade line, approaching it, at it, above it, or well above it. It was meant to put presure on the school/teacher. Our kids school had 3 kids well above the grade in reading, 5 above it, 4 below, 1 well below, and the rest met it. The school was slightly better than average in their board, and much better than the local public school.
The schools transferred the pressure to the kids, making them prep for it, and stressing the importance of a good effort, because that made them llok good. This is the same pressure on a kid, as telling him a 'B' in grade 8 will keep them out of Harvard. If your child is gifted, they will accept them, they won't worry about a series of tests given 5 years earlier.

Mmmmm. I think that you aren't talking about CCAT at all. I believe that you are talking EQAO tests. They are the ones done in May/June and the levels that the kids achieve are printed in the paper. Each parent receives a copy of how his/her child did on the assessment. The ministry, boards and classroom teachers try to explain that the results really are a "snapshot" of a child's learning for that day. e.g. my son is gifted in patterning, but received a 2 in that strand of math. He was tired, and just didn't do well. :rolleyes: So you are right, EQAO results are not used for placement in further studies. Any parent can opt to have their child not complete the assessments.

As a teacher, we take the results, analyze the gaps that show up, and then change our teaching to make sure that a specific skill is brought up to snuff. So, it is not a test of teachers as much as an assessment of programs.

We've done CCAT in grade two before, but we don't do that anymore. In grade four at our Board, students have an opportunity (i.e. it is not done in blanket fashion) to complete something, but I don't know what-it could be CCAT. From there, further testing for "giftedness" is completed.

All that to say that, I don't take mine out of school to go on vacation....I have to teach...:rotfl: . Now, although I haven't taken them out, their aunts/uncles have taken each of them (5!) out of school at different times. My DD16 went last December, and is headed there again this December. Me, I have to wait until I retire.

[digskat]

Funny because I read the post before editing and my response Wow you seem to know my friend and their daughter better than me!

I was simply trying to say that you should try to plan your trips around the test date (which is only 1 day!). I think I am entitled to that opinion. No it is not the only factor that determines a child's entrance into a gifted program, but it is looked at!

No I don't know your friend's daughter, and never did I say I did. I said the CCAT is not the deciding factor, since the site states that it is used to test giftedness/learning difficulties, but if either is found, they don't actually trust the test, they have them complete a true IQ test (Binet), and they further review previous work. If they happen to miss this test, it will not be catastrophic, or even an issue.
As you may have noticed, I edited my post before you replied, dropping the issue because it wasn't on topic, or worth arguing about. As Debbie has since shown, I got my EQAO confused with CCATs (ooops) anyway. I have since checked with our board (through their site), and while they use Thomson Nelson for other sources of work, they don't even bother with the CCAT.
You are entitled to your opinion, and I have never personalized this to say you aren't. I am also entitled to an opinion, and mine is merely that they will not fail, if they miss a test (whether it be CCAT or EQAO), and let them enjoy life at 9, since they will have enough stress about their future, when they are in highschool. This is also what their teachers are saying, forget taking work, let them enjoy the trip, and they can catch up later.


Debbie, thanks for setting me in the right direction. I am at opposite ends of the vacation spectrum, 15 years isn't enough seniority to even consider time off during summer, christmas, or march break. My DW is the same as me......in another 10-15 years, we will get vacation during 'prime time', but our kids will be out of school. At that time, I will want my vacation in December/January, to escape the cold. For know, I will pull them out each year, so we can have family time. If it starts to be an issue with their grades, then the fun stops.

[tigercat]

We just took my dgrdd who is grade 3 to Disney for 2 weeks. Her sister who is in grade 8 went to England with her parents. She however, ended up going to 2 different schools for the time she was there. She went to a middle school and a high school. The high school was preparing for exams so it was neat for her to see and do (yes she was given the same work as the students there) another countries school work. Both learned on their 2 week vacation and neither of the teachers were concerned about them going. The one in grade 3 is even in french immersion. School is important but so is the family.
tigercat

[Tootles]

I hate to see struggling students miss though, because they will only fall farther behind and sometimes it makes them feel as though they will never catch up.

Although, personally, if I wasn't a teacher, and I had kids who were doing well, I'd probably take them out of school

Not everyone has the "perfect" student at home. In 6 weeks or so, we are pulling my DS8 (Gr. 3) and DS5 (Gr.1) out of school for 7 days so that they may experiences WDW for the first time. We struggle financially, so the "Off" season is the "Only" season to go for us. Heck, if the US dollar wasn't so low, it still would be hard to pull off for us. My DS8 has ADD and CAPD and is struggling with clinical depression...at 8! So, why should he not be allowed the same enjoyment as the students who do well in school? Because he isin't as "smart" as them? That isin't his fault. He's doing the best that he is capible of doing. Yes, he will catch up, at his own pace, AFTER the trip. Life is hard for him; because of his learning disabilities, and life is short. If 7 days OFF school, with his family who loves him, in the "happiest place one Earth", maybe a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is a bad thing, because he isin't at the top of his class (and never will be), then others can feel that way. We have a wonderful teacher this year that understands him and agrees this is going to be a wonderful experience for him, and that the work, can wait...:)

[Tootles]

Oops...reading that back now, it sounds as if I'm angry...which, I'm not. :rolleyes1 I certainly didn't mean to "pick on" DisneyFreak06 either by using his/her quote. The truth is most of these threads (past and present) mention, well "my child is straight A's" so it's okay OR he/she "is on the honor roll" so we feel it's perfectly acceptable. I have never heard parents say "you know what-they struggle in school and are not at the top of their class, but we're taking them OUT of school anyway, are we're GOING to Disney World!" Well, I guess I just did. Hope no one felt...attacked. :scared:


By the way: thought I should mention, my DS8 will do better catching up his assignments at home with me, then he would the first time, in the classroom, by his teacher. (that's CAPD and ADD for you) He has no attention span in the busy classroom environment, and learns more at home, in a quieter setting. We often repeat the assignments at home on a daily basis anyway so that he can better understand what he was suppose to hear; and intake during the day. :idea: So, obviously that reason was a factor for us as well.

[jtdl]

Up until this year I had absolutely no qualms about taking my kids out of school for vacations. Now that my daughter is in high school and soon to be going off to university, I have a much harder time. Now this semester she has relatively easy subjects that are not required for her university admission so I have booked a trip to Universal and she will miss a total of 4 days of school. Had she not been at this critical point in her education we would probably go for a longer time. My son is in grade 1 and I have no problem taking him out of school.

[Lamby and Tangles]

Have taken the kids out every year at least once. This year will be 5 days in December for wdw and 5 days leading up to March break for 2 weeks to Hawaii. Both kids have LD's and are in great schools so have never had problems in getting work or getting them caught up. One is in Grade 7 and the other is in Grade 4 this year and combining the trip to the Big Island of Hawaii and the National Volcanic Park to show him what the "rocks and minerals" section at school this year is all about first hand. Also knows a lot since been to Barbados a few times and visited Harrison's Caves a couple of times so he has first hand knowledge of stuff. Was at WDW in June/July and the kids loved Epcot and that itself is a great learning experience especially if you talk to the people who work there. Both kids have travelled extensively and are really well grounded, know that not all people live like we do in Canada and are real humanitarians in their own right. I feel when it comes down to it experiences and world knowledge can only help round out the kids.
Definately don't feel guilty you can teach them so much, have a great trip.

[drag n' fly]

All three of our kids are in school. Gr 8, Gr 6 and K. This will be the last year we take them out of school for holidays. All three teachers are fully supportive of our kids taking time off however dh and I have made the decision to schedule our holidays when the kids are off in (yes high season). :goodvibes

[murcor]

We have taken our kids out of preschool, primary, grade 1 and again this year for grade two. We go for two weeks, 1 week is on school holidays and the other week they miss school.

I still feel terribly guilty about it but agree with many of the posters regarding the family time & travel being a lesson in life itself.

They are young yet, maybe when they get older we will be reducing the number of days they miss from school....maybe not :)

[Brianne&Sami'smom]

We are taking our daughters out of school to do the Halloween cruise on the Magic. We are driving down to Florida so the girls will miss 8 days of school. We have talked to both of their teachers (SK and Grade 5). They are supportive and have given us work for the girls to do so they can keep up with the rest of their class.

[DisneyFreak06]

Oops...reading that back now, it sounds as if I'm angry...which, I'm not. :rolleyes1 I certainly didn't mean to "pick on" DisneyFreak06 either by using his/her quote. The truth is most of these threads (past and present) mention, well "my child is straight A's" so it's okay OR he/she "is on the honor roll" so we feel it's perfectly acceptable. I have never heard parents say "you know what-they struggle in school and are not at the top of their class, but we're taking them OUT of school anyway, are we're GOING to Disney World!" Well, I guess I just did. Hope no one felt...attacked. :scared:


By the way: thought I should mention, my DS8 will do better catching up his assignments at home with me, then he would the first time, in the classroom, by his teacher. (that's CAPD and ADD for you) He has no attention span in the busy classroom environment, and learns more at home, in a quieter setting. We often repeat the assignments at home on a daily basis anyway so that he can better understand what he was suppose to hear; and intake during the day. :idea: So, obviously that reason was a factor for us as well.

Have fun at WDW! I do think everyone should have a chance to go there, and I am glad that you are able to go. Life experiences and family time are important too. It's wonderful that you work so hard with your DS8. (And probably help your other(s) too.)

Thanks for sending another message... I thought you were mad at me! :eek: I really don't like it when I get someone upset.

Again have a fun time at the World! Have some fun for me... In my cold classroom all winter here in PEI! :upsidedow

[DisneyFreak06]

I thought you would all get a kick out of this... I just got an e-mail from a parent of one of my students. They are pulling their two daughters out of school for 11 days to go to WDW! LOL

[highland3]

We'll be taking ours out of school the week before March Break. I told the admin folks, but not the teachers... yet.

[Tootles]

Thanks for sending another message... I thought you were mad at me! :eek: I really don't like it when I get someone upset.

Thanks Tina! (just read your trip report!) It is SO hard to understand someone's "tone" in an message board, isin't it? After I posted it, and re-read it..I thought I had better send another (nicer sounding!) one. Again, sorry for using "your" quote, it really could have been anyone's for that matter. Well, let me just say, I give you credit. Teaching is such a tough job. I have a new appreciation for it with regards to my son's situation. I'll leave you with this...

"Fifty years from now, it will not matter what kind of car you drove, what kind of house you lived in, how much money you had in your bank account, or what your clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better place because you were important in the life of a child." :thumbsup2

[MomtoEmIs&Ow]

It is funny how this same question on a different board gets some VERY different response from our American friends!

I was thinking the same thing!!!! I always felt a little guilty when I read those posts, not totally though. We have taken our kids out of school twice now, at the most was 7 days. and we plan to do it many times more. I don't think it's a big deal.... My kids do really well in school. :cool1: :grouphug:

[laxcdn]

Taking my son in grade 3 out for 8 days. I am sure he won't miss much at all. I will get him to keep a journal of each day.

[sheilag]

Just returned from WDW last month, pulled DD8 out of grade 3 for 8 days. Spoke with teacher and got homework to do on trip, including reading. Every morning, she worked before we went to parks (she gets up early) - came back, she was ahead of class.

Will that work for everyone - no. Will it work for us when she gets a bit older - probably not. Would I do it again - in a heartbeat. Low crowds, free dining, and MNSSHP - definitely worth it!

[epicureangirl]

My daughter (grade 5) just got pulled out during the first week of school (this September) to go to Disneyland. We were gone for 14 days, which is the longest I've pulled her out of school. I felt a small pang of guilt, but we asked the teacher well in advance if she thought it would be okay (which she did). I guess I consider travel a 'different kind of education'. If her grades were going to suffer because of the absence, I would have still done the same thing -- I would have just added a tutor to the vacation budget to help her catch up when she got back!;)

[Chester's Mum]

I have taken my kids to Disney since they were toddlers and always taken them out of school because of the cost and the crowds during school vacation times. Never had a problem with the schools. DD is now in university and can't miss classes. DS is 13 and doesn't want to miss school because of the catch up when he comes back. So I have to go on March break :scared1: for the first time. Enjoy it while they are small! I did.

[Magpie]

We're pulling our fifth and sixth graders out of school for the last week of school in December - Dec 15th to 22nd. My mum was a bit concerned, but I explained our reasoning this way:

1. It's the last week. Reports are done, and the kids won't be doing much.

2. Last year my daughter had a hard time at the class Christmas party because her "secret santa" didn't come through. Meanness, basically. The santas were randomly assigned, and I guess my dd got someone who didn't like her.

3. It's - hopefully - a slowish time of year for crowds.

4. My son is hypoglycemic and can't eat sugar. I really don't think he's going to have a good time at the class Christmas party watching the other kids chow down on candy canes and cupcakes.

Our kids are decent students - both are in the gifted program. I've got no concerns about my daughter. My son, however, has a fairly serious learning disability.

And actually, it's in part *because* of his learning disability that we want to go to Disney this year. He's worked damn hard to keep up. His teacher doesn't assign homework, but he brings work home every night because he can't finish it in class. And that's even with them giving him "modified" goals (less writing, fewer assignments, oral reports, etc...). He's very serious and reliable, and I think he's more than earned a reward. I'm proud of him! I want to see him relax and just have fun for a week.

:cheer2:

[coastgirl]

Magpie, your post rang true here! I was worried about missing Christmas stuff but my kid had a really hard time with a lot of that stuff last year, including waaaaaay too much stress over the holiday concert. New school this year, better set up, and he may do fine, but I so don't need the stress! My guy has sensory processing disorder, also very bright, but doesn't cope well...so taking him out before Christmas and bringing him back when everyone else is transitioning back to routine as well (not til January), makes it a lot easier. I went from worrying about missing the concert to seeing it as a bonus that we're missing it! Hope you guys have a great trip.

[Magpie]

Magpie, your post rang true here! I was worried about missing Christmas stuff but my kid had a really hard time with a lot of that stuff last year, including waaaaaay too much stress over the holiday concert. New school this year, better set up, and he may do fine, but I so don't need the stress! My guy has sensory processing disorder, also very bright, but doesn't cope well...so taking him out before Christmas and bringing him back when everyone else is transitioning back to routine as well (not til January), makes it a lot easier. I went from worrying about missing the concert to seeing it as a bonus that we're missing it! Hope you guys have a great trip.

I think Christmas is a major source of stress for school kids, and not just the ones with sensory issues! Every year my son has his holiday meltdown - part of that was due to the undiagnosed hypoglycemia, but part of it is just the stress of huge expectations, crushing disappointments, and all the emotional craziness that goes with holidays. (Is Santa real? Arrgh!)

The one thing that struck me most about our first trip to Disney was special all the CMs made us feel. I mean, we were doing it on the cheap - staying off site, and eating counter service, and not buying anything, but every CM we met seemed genuinely delighted to meet us. It really felt like everyone just wanted to make our visit absolutely perfect - with the sole exception of the lady running the KidCot at the American Pavilion. She was a bit cranky, but we didn't mind because everyone else was so lovely, and maybe she was just tired or having a bad day.

I like the idea of going and being pampered for a week before Christmas, and then coming home to a nice quiet family celebration around the tree. No stress. :goodvibes

[drag n' fly]

We're pulling our fifth and sixth graders out of school for the last week of school in December - Dec 15th to 22nd. My mum was a bit concerned, but I explained our reasoning this way:

1. It's the last week. Reports are done, and the kids won't be doing much.

2. Last year my daughter had a hard time at the class Christmas party because her "secret santa" didn't come through. Meanness, basically. The santas were randomly assigned, and I guess my dd got someone who didn't like her.

3. It's - hopefully - a slowish time of year for crowds.

4. My son is hypoglycemic and can't eat sugar. I really don't think he's going to have a good time at the class Christmas party watching the other kids chow down on candy canes and cupcakes.

Our kids are decent students - both are in the gifted program. I've got no concerns about my daughter. My son, however, has a fairly serious learning disability.

And actually, it's in part *because* of his learning disability that we want to go to Disney this year. He's worked damn hard to keep up. His teacher doesn't assign homework, but he brings work home every night because he can't finish it in class. And that's even with them giving him "modified" goals (less writing, fewer assignments, oral reports, etc...). He's very serious and reliable, and I think he's more than earned a reward. I'm proud of him! I want to see him relax and just have fun for a week.

:cheer2:

:welcome: Magpie! What part of Canada are you from? With a user name like that I think I might know already!:goodvibes

[Tootles]

And actually, it's in part *because* of his learning disability that we want to go to Disney this year. He's worked damn hard to keep up. His teacher doesn't assign homework, but he brings work home every night because he can't finish it in class. And that's even with them giving him "modified" goals (less writing, fewer assignments, oral reports, etc...). He's very serious and reliable, and I think he's more than earned a reward. I'm proud of him! I want to see him relax and just have fun for a week.



Perfectly said Magpie! ;) I couldn't agree more! We're in the same boat it seems! My DS8 is so looking forward to the break from school. It's such a struggle for him everyday (severe ADD, CAPD, rages, depression etc). I feel so confident that this is a good decision we've made (going to WDW-giving him a break). You sound like you really understand and sympathize what your DS is going through, which is a wonderful thing for him! :thumbsup2 Enjoy your trip!

[Magpie]

:welcome: Magpie! What part of Canada are you from? With a user name like that I think I might know already!:goodvibes

I don't know! What part of Canada would a Magpie be from? :scared:

I picked this user name because everything else I tried was taken, and then I finally remembered an old childhood nickname my mother used to use for me. But now I'm really curious to know where you think I'm from!

So I'll tell you, if you tell me your guess first! :hippie:

[Boomer1]

We have taken our children out of school for Disney vacations the last six years. The last three it has been at Christmas time and I have no regrets. This year they will miss the last six days of school before Christmas. My father taught school for 30 years and has often said that the last two weeks before Christmas is not the time to begin new material as the children are too distracted. Some teachers have sent work for the children to do and we always completed it. Sometimes the children were actually ahead when they came back, other times they have had to catch up. We drive down and our children (DD-13, DD-11, and DS-9) know their US eastern states probably better than some of their American counterparts. They can read maps, understand about the currency exchange factor, and spend three weeks a year together with their family experiencing the magic of Disney. I believe children learn better when they feel belonging and love, and like adults should be able to look forward to a reward for hard work.

[secretdisneytrippers]

life goes by way too fast to not seize every opportunity to spend time with you children...that's our philosophy anyway. We have taken our kids on trips during the school year for the last several years and I wouldn't trade the time we spend (when the crowds are fewer and the travel is cheaper) for anything. Things get busy when we get back but as DSs are only in grade one and grade four we can get caught up in about a week. This year we are going the week after they have a PD day on the friday so that this will be our day to get all the work done before our trip--hope that works out as well as I think it might.
learning happens out of the classroom too, right?

[drag n' fly]

I don't know! What part of Canada would a Magpie be from? :scared:

I picked this user name because everything else I tried was taken, and then I finally remembered an old childhood nickname my mother used to use for me. But now I'm really curious to know where you think I'm from!

So I'll tell you, if you tell me your guess first! :hippie:

I thought you might be from Western Canada because there are literally thousands of them in Alberta. My daughters nickname when she was little was Magpie Maria because she nevers stopped chatting.
Probably Ontario like everyone else!:goodvibes

[Magpie]

I thought you might be from Western Canada because there are literally thousands of them in Alberta. My daughters nickname when she was little was Magpie Maria because she nevers stopped chatting.
Probably Ontario like everyone else!:goodvibes

Yep - you got it! Ontario! :goodvibes

Apparently I never stopped chatting either, when I was a little girl. My daughter was the same until she got heavily into reading, and my son took a bit longer to learn to speak, but now... phew! That boy can go for hours nonstop. Unfortunately he's also got some syntax issues that can make it *very* hard to figure out what he's talking about - though it's always interesting! I feel for his teacher when she's scribing for him on tests! :laughing:

[mickeywho?]

We've taken the kids out of school for the past two years and will again this February. At first I felt guilty and asked the teachers ahead of time to make sure it was fine - none of them have ever had issues. We try to time holidays so they are not missing out on special events, major test time etc. but for the most part have come to realize that family time is as important as school time.
This year my son's grade 5 teacher told all the parents on curriculum night that she expects that a few of us will want to take our kids out of class for holidays and to NOT ASK for work ahead of time. She said she will take note of who's away and what work was missed and will decide herself if they need catch up work. Makes sense to me - when we took him out of class is grade 3 the teacher kept all worksheets for him to do when he got back - half of which was unneccessary - so it really added to his stress.
Both of my parents are teachers - mom is elementary and dad is high school and both agree that we should feel free to take them out - just keeping in mind timing.