elementary kids - to pull or not to pull?

[raven69david]

I'm taking DD7 today (leave in 12 hours) and she will miss her last day of school tomorrow. She has had perfect attendance for the entire school year and we did advise her teacher that she would miss her last day.

 

[ML_LovesDisney]

I pulled my first grader out this year for 4 days. It was totally fine, the teacher and school were very nice about it and gave her all of her work. We finished almost all her work before we left so she didn't have to worry about it. Our other DD is in preschool so that wasn't a big deal. Like others have said though, it depends on your kid. If my kid struggled in school I would hesitate to pull them out for vacation.

 

[Art 1]

I honestly never understand this question. To me it is completely and totally up to the school, the teacher and the parents, not strangers on a Net forum.

Thank you. I wonder if the OP's of this sort of question add up the votes and go with that.

 

[Nancyg56]

Thank you. I wonder if the OP's of this sort of question add up the votes and go with that.

I think that the reality is that people have already made up their minds but are looking for some validation. Taking kids out of school is a very sticky topic and most folks have strong opinions based on their own experiences and for many there is only one acceptable solution. Their way so if a poster has very little support within their own family or circle of friends that poster will come here for a little bit of justification of their decision.

 

[pooh4evr]

We pulled our 3, and 5th graders this past yr for 6 days without any problems- the teachers and admins at the school knew and even helped us keep it a surprise until 2 hour before our flight. (we had made our plans befor the district changed the calendar from a yr round one with 3 week breaks after each quarter, to the more traditional calendar with a 1 week break here and there, and Dh has to take off about a yr in advance and was unable to change his time) We realized this year also that family time and memories are worth more to us than a few days of school. Dh has MS and we are going to do what we can as a family while he can still do it comfortably.

 

[eliza61]

have two kids - k and 2nd grade. ok for them to miss 4 days of school for disney?

Your choice. We never did.

1)
Our mantra with our kids has always been, school first, play second. and while I know some folks can make disney educational, for my family Disney was all about "play". So we never pulled them out of school.

2) It was hard enough to get my sons to buckle down and do their homework and school work on a normal basis. I can't imagine me really trying to force them to do schoolwork while at disney.

3) Many of my teacher friends have expressed that usually the work they get back from kids that go to disney is bad. They laugh at how they can tell the work was done 15 mins before the end of the vacation while on the plane.


Hey if it helps, my youngest son just got a 3500 dollar award from my school district for never missing a day of school.

 

[blessedby3]

We pull our kids out every time that we go...all the way up till 12th grade. Our oldest just graduated college and on our next trip in Oct our others will be a senior, 8th grade and preschool. My kids have never had a problem and it works best for us to take them out and go during the slower times.

 

[wfjny]

I think that the reality is that people have already made up their minds but are looking for some validation. Taking kids out of school is a very sticky topic and most folks have strong opinions based on their own experiences and for many there is only one acceptable solution. Their way so if a poster has very little support within their own family or circle of friends that poster will come here for a little bit of justification of their decision.

This is one of those questions where you will get a variety of opinions, and many people are very entrenched in their opinion.

Someone with an open mind, however, may be enlightened by the conversation.

For example, many people may not have realized just how difficult it is (or how much work it is) for a teacher to accurately predict what work will be covered during the child’s absence. Other people may not have realized that in certain areas of the country an unexcused absence may have legal ramifications as well (did anyone read the story of the Texas High School girl who was sent to jail for missing school).

Personally, I find the people on the extremes the most interesting. I know some teachers that take vacation time themselves during the school year (our old school district gives teachers 15 sick days and 5 personal days a year), yet would also demonize a parent for doing the same. On the opposite extreme are the parents that feel the rules simply do not apply to them.

I believe most of us fall in the middle, and look to these conversations to actually learn what people on the other side of the argument are thinking.

 

[Nancyg56]

This is one of those questions where you will get a variety of opinions, and many people are very entrenched in their opinion.

Someone with an open mind, however, may be enlightened by the conversation.


Personally, I find the people on the extremes the most interesting. I know some teachers that take vacation time themselves during the school year (our old school district gives teachers 15 sick days and 5 personal days a year), yet would also demonize a parent for doing the same. On the opposite extreme are the parents that feel the rules simply do not apply to them.

I believe most of us fall in the middle, and look to these conversations to actually learn what people on the other side of the argument are thinking.

Oh, I absolutely agree! I do believe that everyone has their own circumstances that help to form the option that is best for their own family and that it is nice to know some of the behind the scenes situations that form a decision.

I will confess that I used some experiences I had read here in order to set my DH mind at ease in regards to Kady's school absence. In the end it is DD and DSIL decision how to parent their DD but that does not change that GP's have opinions and concerns. I am not above channeling DIS experience to make DH comfortable with decisions that he neither can nor should change.

 

[Texas Rob]

pull em...you will have a lot less opportunities to go to disney than they will go to school...lol, lets get our priorities straight people! (just kidding of course)

 

[DAZY3BYZ]

This is such a personal decision. One way is not the right way for every family or child. Different school systems have different policies and some children may really struggle with missing school. School comes first in our family. However, we always took our kids out of school for Disney trips until they were in high school. We tried to minimize the number of days they missed. They are all very good students and really never struggled with catching up when they got back to school. Our school system also allowed us to do this. I have no regrets and am very very thankful for the time we were able to spend at Disney with our kids during slower, cooler times. Now, we are stuck with hot summer trips as pulling kids out of school in high school is just not possible. I say if your kids and school system can handle it...go for it and enjoy!!

 

[jason10mm]

This is the internet age, just have a kid from each class email what was done and a scanned copy of any worksheet homework and even their own notes. The teacher doesn't even need to be involved other than to allow a make-up test which wouldn't take up any of their time. Barring a class where the teacher is just improvising on the spot every secondary school class I've ever seen has been tied to a textbook and usually has a premade workbook.

These are kids we are talking about, not folks learning how to disarm nuclear weapons!

 

[Tribe]

I am a high school math teacher and the first question I would ask is how much school do they miss normally. We are not too fond of the parents who allow the child to miss school often and then, on top of that, pull the kid for an extended trip. I have seen this first hand with some of my students and their grades really suffer. Having said that, if the student rarely misses and works hard, I say pull-em. Good family time and life experience is more important than missing a few lessons at school. Now, if the family goes every single year out of school, I am not sure I agree with that.

 

[perdidochas]

have two kids - k and 2nd grade. ok for them to miss 4 days of school for disney?

Which days? If the first 4 days, totally against the idea. If the last 4 days, go for it.

 

[sandydog]

We did it last year with our 3rd grader and kindergartner. We pulled them the end of April/beginning of May and it didn't affect them. I don't think they do enough at that age to bother them too much. Junior high and high school would be a different story. I wouldn't pull them at that age; they'd miss too much and it would be too hard to make up the work without being behind.

 

[eliza61]

This is the internet age, just have a kid from each class email what was done and a scanned copy of any worksheet homework and even their own notes. The teacher doesn't even need to be involved other than to allow a make-up test which wouldn't take up any of their time. Barring a class where the teacher is just improvising on the spot every secondary school class I've ever seen has been tied to a textbook and usually has a premade workbook.

These are kids we are talking about, not folks learning how to disarm nuclear weapons!

Eeeek!!! LOL, I'm not sure I want to laugh or cry about this. considering the US kids have consistently ranked at the bottom of the gene pool when it comes to math and science scores (especially it the last 7 years), forget a weapon of mass destruction, we'd blow up before an American kid could figure out how to unscrew a medicine cap. 25 out of 34 wealthy nations is not what I would call "ready for the technology age".

 

[perdidochas]

How would this be extra work for them? Did the teachers give the poster's kids different homework than what they were going to give the other students?

It's extra work ahead of time. It basically is making the teacher do some of a later time period's work, this week. It is an imposition. Most teachers, however, will do it without any problem. My point about it being an imposition, is that you should remember this later--the teacher did something extra for your child. A kind word or thank you note would be appropriate.

 

[perdidochas]

We take our kids out of school and have never had a problem from administration or teachers. Who would really have a problem with a family spending some time together making memories that will last a lifetime.

Further more, I believe that teachers typically should have lesson plans done about 30 days before the actual lesson. Shouldn't they be turning them in to their principal for approval. It is not like teacher is free to just wing it every day?

The board of education is not going to far! That is what it is there for.

Communicate with the school and the teachers for every grade. I think most will find it isn't problem.

A month ahead of time is foolish. What if a teacher realizes that her class isn't mastering a concept? Should she just go on with her month ahead of time plan?

Most teachers beyond new teachers, don't submit lesson plans for approval. They do submit them for evidence that they had lesson plans, but that is usually either due on Friday afternoon or Monday morning.

Addressing the state board of education on that matter is going too far, and honestly, the state board has no legitimate authority in micromanaging such a minor issue. The local board would be ok, if the principal has already been addressed, and found to be nonresponsive.

 

[GreenCntryGirl]

have two kids - k and 2nd grade. ok for them to miss 4 days of school for disney?

I did it when my kids were in K and 5th grade. My children. My choice.

In my experience, schools have a mandatory number of days children have to be in school because they receive funding for those days. The days kids are not in school=no money for that day.

My thought was that the school could either let us do it with no griping, or I could pull them and homeschool and then they wouldn't get anything at all.

 

[princesspiglet]

We do it every year, but our DD9 is focused and can handle the work. Per our district policy we are allowed 10 "parental field-trip days" per school year. We have never gotten any grief from it and my DD has never suffered. This year we are taking her out for 6 days and we make her do homework almost every night.