Missing 5 days of 6th grade for a trip?

[roliepolieoliefan]

We just returned from WDW 3 weeks ago and I pulled my 6th grader for 5 days. He didn't miss a beat. Just checked his grades and assignments online last night and all assignments are complete and he has all A's.

I already have the Fantasy booked for the 3rd week of April in 2012. He will again miss 5 days and will then be in 7th grade.

It all depends on the child though. My son is very bright and can recover and pick things up very quickly. My friend whos son is the same age pulled her son once and that was enough. He shruggled all year to catch up for that one week that was missed.

I wouldn't blink an eye to pull my 6th grader out for a week and did, other people not so much.

 

[Scampi]

I would not pull my child out of school for that long. However, if he is a good student and making up the work is going to happen, why not ask the parents and let them decide. They know the ability of their child better than anyone else.

Good Luck

 

[Leajess99]

Is he flying as an unaccompanied minor? If so, why not have him stay less time? Come back on Tues/Wed instead?

In 6th grade, my dd did not want to take any days off. (She was taking a 7th/8th grade math class.) 7th grade she was willing to miss 1 day only. 8th, she's willing to take the day before spring break off, not for Disney. It just depends on the classes the kids are taking. She also was elementary school, but felt that they were really pushed that year.

This sounds so much like my dd only she is just now in 7th grade. She would miss too much if she takes time out for vacation. She hates being sick or missing for appointments so those are scheduled as late in the day as possible.

 

[elilala]

I have missed several days of school to go to WDW and DL. As long as your child can make up the work, it's perfectly fine. And my teachers have always been very understanding about it, and let me know what work I should do.

 

[angiwright]

We will be taking both of our boys (1st grade & 5th grade) out of school for a full week in Nov. this will be the first time they have missed a full week. We have tried to go over breaks before but extended family was going this week and we wanted to all go together.

I do think it is okay, because the memories of family vacations & time together is just as important as school. But I also try and make sure the teachers know I don't take it lightly. I let them know a month ahead that they will be missing that week, and let them each know I am more than willing to help make sure everything is made up & they do not fall behind due to it. I think if the parent can assure the teacher that everything will be caught up they are usually very understanding.

My ds 5th grade teacher even told us he doesn't like kids to worry about school work if they are on a family vacation so he will make sure he gets caught up when he gets back!

 

[tinksgilrs251520]

We got back from a trip to Disney in September and my DD missed the first 4 days of school. To me I dont see a problem but what happened after was a mess not talking about missing work either there is one teacher that has given her problems and even called her out on her attendance in front of her class saying that she has a attendance issue that really made me mad. , So i say go for it i am with PP life is to short and we work just a little harder to get her caught up.. Maybe you can ask for assignments before you go to we had down time and I thought to myself if the teachers gave me the work ahead of time she would be caught up .. But the teachers in my district seem to have a problem giving out future work.... How hard can it be? I know for a fact that they have weeks scheduled ahead of time and i dont see the big deal

 

[disfan07]

But the teachers in my district seem to have a problem giving out future work.... How hard can it be? I know for a fact that they have weeks scheduled ahead of time and i dont see the big deal

Ok...sorry...but this ticks me off. If you CHOOSE to tak eyour child out of school, do not under any circumstance expect the teacher(s) to provide them the work ahead of time. They are under no obligation to do that and how do you know that they have it scheduled weeks ahead of time? Most teachers I know have a basic idea of what they will be doing weeks ahead of time but they dont actually do full plans until the weekend before. And yes, it is hard. And what happens if they give you something adn they change what they are doing? Would you complain that the teacher gave the wrong assignment? I hate when people make assumptions that its easy to give th ework ahead of time and that they all have their plans weeks ahead of time. Its crazy.

If you take your child out, dont expect accomodations from the teachers. Teachers in my district will only give out future work if you are going to be out for medical reasons (surgery, pre-scehduled appintments, etc) and any other uncontrollable circumstance but not for vacation. You miss school, you get the assignemnts when you get back and you have 1 day for everyday that you missed to make up the work. SO if you miss 5 days, you have 5 days to get the work done when you get back.

 

[turtlechick6]

For my OWN child, sure I would do it. But I am not about to ask someone else to do that with THEIR child. Mainly because I don't know how lenient or strict they are about school attendance. I also don't know what their child's grades are.

I would mention to your brother that you are going to DW and that you would think it would be cool if they could come along too. Leave it at that. Then it would be up to his wife and him to discuss and decide whether to join you or not.

 

[mjkacmom]

We just returned from WDW 3 weeks ago and I pulled my 6th grader for 5 days. He didn't miss a beat. Just checked his grades and assignments online last night and all assignments are complete and he has all A's.

I already have the Fantasy booked for the 3rd week of April in 2012. He will again miss 5 days and will then be in 7th grade.

It all depends on the child though. My son is very bright and can recover and pick things up very quickly. My friend whos son is the same age pulled her son once and that was enough. He shruggled all year to catch up for that one week that was missed.

I wouldn't blink an eye to pull my 6th grader out for a week and did, other people not so much.

It also depends upon the school. We don't have assignments on line.

 

[shelly3girls]

I think it really depends on the kid so you won't know until you ask. If it was me I would say no, in fact I already did last year to my cousin who wanted to take DD. DD is an excellent student but as a 6th grader takes 7th grade pre-algebra. She is also taking the equivalent of high school Spanish. Between the two she would miss way too much in 5 days including things that can't be made up like science labs. Now if she was doing the regular 6th grade curriculum and was still strong I might say yes. Now DD #2 struggles in school to get good grades even in regular classes so no, I wouldn't let her miss that much either. The amount of work that 6th graders do is over-whelming at times so I cannot imagine missing that many days.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

It also depends upon the school. We don't have assignments on line.

Neither do we. The only thing online are my childrens grades.

All work that was missed was given to my kids upon our return from WDW. They have as many days as they missed to make it up. The kids missed 5 days so they had 5 days from the time they returned to school to make it up.

Completed tests and assignments aren't sent home in the upper grades in my kids school district as they are in the lower grades. With DD who is in 1st grade, every Friday all her work from the week is sent home, so I can keep track of how she is doing. With DS who is in 6th grade, the only way to track grades are to look online. But no assignments or completed work is posted, only the letter grades in each subject to that point in the semester.

 

[momto2inKC]

The last time my kids missed a week (they were 4th and 6th grade), was the last time we'll do that. They both get good grades, but the 6th grader had *so much work to make up. He was able to get some of it before we left, which was much appreciated. But getting the rest of it done, plus his regular work was tough. My kids, now 6th and 8th grade, won't be going to Disney if it requires missing more than 3 days.

 

[DawnM]

We talked to some folks at the pool last week at our condo rental about this very thing. Their son is a 7th grader and they said it is getting harder and harder to take him out of school even though he is a good student and does his assigned homework before he leaves for vacation.

Dawn

 

[Darcy03231]

There's no way I would let my kids miss 5 days of school for a vacation, but part of that is because:

1. We're on block scheduling so missing 5 days of school is like missing 10 days.

2. We have very strict attendance policies and I don't want my kids to take zeros on anything they missed.

I will say that when they were in the lower grades and not on block scheduling and before the strict attendance policies I did take them out, but for no more than three days.

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

There's no way I would let my kids miss 5 days of school for a vacation, but part of that is because:

1. We're on block scheduling so missing 5 days of school is like missing 10 days.

2. We have very strict attendance policies and I don't want my kids to take zeros on anything they missed.

I will say that when they were in the lower grades and not on block scheduling and before the strict attendance policies I did take them out, but for no more than three days.

Is block scheduling different is different districts?

We had block scheduling when I was in school, and missing five days would be like missing two "A" days and three "B" days (or vice versa). We missed less of each class than they would miss now that they (our high schools) are on a "regular" schedule. Not trying to be snarky...just confused.

 

[wellesleyprincess]

I haven't read the whole thread but I teach 6th grade and here are my thoughts.

First, does he change classes? If so, it is unlikely he can get all the assignments before leaving. It will also be more difficult to make up a weeks worth of work. For example, my school does not guarantee me copies of worksheets until the Monday of the week I give them in class.

Second, what's the school attendance policy? At the school I teach more than 3 days consecutive absences need a doctor's excuse or proof of religious observance or family emergency (funeral, etc.)

Third, the week before Thanksgiving may be busier than you think in the classroom. That could easily be around midterm for second quarter (or first trimester).

Personally, I've had one student miss a week (out of state funeral) and it cost her a letter grade in my class (due to never really being able to catch up) and kept her off honor roll. 6th grade is the transition to middle/high school type work and it is much more different to work on different subjects with different teachers. It is also difficult to learn new material without notes and being able to ask questions.