Taking children out of school

[SnowWhite]

I have seen a number of posts about angry parents who are upset about being told that they shouldn't be taking their children out of school for vacations. I for one am not one of those parents. Last year (Oct/Nov 2005) we talked to our daughters grade 3 teacher and when we told him that we were planning a trip for two weeks away(driving included) he didn't even flinch and just wished us a magical vacation and told us not to worry at all about it. This year we already took our daughter out of school (grade 4 now) in Sept/Oct for another disney trip and of course talked to her new teachers(2 teacher format) and they had no worries as well. Well here we are now, I call her 2 teachers again this past week to ask their opinion expecting the worst as we have already had her out for almost two weeks in the fall. No objections what-so-ever! Have a great time was the response. I even asked if she should take some work with her, and the teacher just laughed and said "No Way" not to disney!! To her credit my daughter when she came back from her last trip finished up all of the missed work from two weeks in three days. Without us once nagging her about it. I just wanted to share this story, I've seen so many teachers get slammed about how vacations are handled and thought I would share a positive one.

Rob (Snowwhite's DH)

 

[jenseib]

I have no problem taking kids out of school too. I have done it in the past, and even if the teacher gave me greif, I would still do it. These are MY kids. Now I don't do it often, but when I, do it's my choice as a parent.

 

[LISAVWL]

I have no problem taking kids out of school too. I have done it in the past, and even if the teacher gave me greif, I would still do it. These are MY kids. Now I don't do it often, but when I, do it's my choice as a parent.

I totally agree. I've taken my oldest DS out of school for all our past trips and plan to do so until I see that's it's effecting his grades. Next year he'll be in 9th grade and we're pulling him for 4 days. He knows that it's a priviledge and he must maintain his grades all year to be able to have the choice to go. We notify the teachers well in advance and request any work to be missed. In our school district the teachers post homework on the school website so we can check in daily to see what needs to be done. Anything else missed must be made up within 5 days of our return and so far he's been on top of it. Our family time is more important to us than the few days he misses from school.

 

[loubelou]

I'm a parent who is also an elementary teacher and I now see it from both sides.

In 2001 and 2003 when I was still a SAHM I took my boys out of school for a week to go to WDW. Both times the teachers were very gracious and wished us a fabulous trip. Both of our trips were in the Fall and my oldest son was in the 3rd grade during our 2003 trip. In Texas, we have the dreaded TAKS test and his teacher did tell me that if I was going to pull him out I was doing it at the best time possible (last week of September) because the TAKS testing didn't take place until Feb. and April. Both of my boys are high performing academically, so taking a week off of school does not hurt either of them.

I'm now back teaching 4th grade for the last two years and I've had students pulled out for vacations. Most of the students do fine and never miss a beat academically when they return. However, I've had a couple of low performing students miss 6-7 days of school for hunting trips, cruises, etc. and these students never seem to be able to recover from what they missed. This is especially true with math. If they are behind in math when they leave, they are even further behind when they return a week later. Our math curriculum moves quickly and builds from one lesson to the next and even missing a couple of days can be very difficult for a student who already struggles with math.

My attitude with parents is the same regardless of whether or not their student is a high, middle, or low performing student. They are the parent and it is their decision. Just like it was my decision in 2001 and 2003. I always wish them a wonderful trip and then tutor the student, if needed, when he/she returns.

At the same time, it is true that as teachers we worry when low performing students are pulled out at anytime for several days, but I still feel that it is the parent's right.

My neice's school district has a strict vacation policy. If a child is pulled out for a unexcused absence of any kind all makeup work can receive no higher than a grade of 70. As a parent and teacher, I feel this is wrong!

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

My neice's school district has a strict vacation policy. If a child is pulled out for a unexcused absence of any kind all makeup work can receive no higher than a grade of 70. As a parent and teacher, I feel this is wrong!

When you choose to place your child in the public school system you should(I think must, but..) be willing to play by their rules, if you don't like the rules find a different way to educate your kids(private school, home schooling). If other options don't work for you, find a way to change the system, without teaching kids that it is ok to only follow the rules you like.

 

[TheRatPack]

My dd has had 2 unexcused absenses this year (one she was sick, but we didn't take her to the doctor and one she came home before 11 which is the cut off for being counted present). She received a letter the other day from the attendance officer for the school saying that 3+ was reason to meet with the administrative staff and then the next step was the truancy officer. WOWZERS! It mentioned the No Child Left Behind Act in the letter too....how surprising! We are homeschooling next year, not because of the strict policy on attendance but for multiple other reasons that I won't go in to here. But, I agree with the poster above....if the rules are not fitting to your situation, change your situation or change the system but just like a job....rules are rules and we have to teach our kids to follow them if they choose to put theirselves in those positions.

 

[loubelou]

Because of this strict policy, my SIL and BIL only take their vacations during school breaks. They don't like the policy, but they do follow it.

We are all going to WDW together the week after school gets out! It's really gives the kids something to look forward to during these last 14 weeks of school.

 

[lastminutemom]

Canada doesn't have the NCLB act and many states in the US have choosen to approach NCLB in different ways. In several states, attendance is a big focus (Georgia is one of those states.) Last year, the state legislature choose to crimilize (well place new emphasis on) truancy.

So, it is a bigger deal, with different consequences by where your children are enrolled in public school.

Because of due process laws, schools and school systems cannot treat the abscences of a child who can miss school and be ok differently than a child who can't. In the eyes of the law, consistency is important.

(At our school, the best students are not all the ones who get perfect attendance.)

 

[Tam1067]

I don't want to get flamed here, but I teach college, and though I realize you're all talking about elementary school kids, do consider their future schoolling. I have often had students tell me they were going to miss days or even a week of our short (16 week plus a week of finals) long semester for a family vacation. They have generally been stunned when they discover they cannot make up their missed work (that's a standard policy by the way--I'm not the only one with that one).

I think it's all well and good to go to WDW in the off season and to enjoy the family time together; however, do be aware that there will likely come a time when your kids will not be able to just take off from school without suffering some serious consequences to their grades. Sometimes, my students have the idea that college is something they can fit in around the rest of their lives--which is not really the case.

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> excused absence versus excusable absence
>>> grade no higher than 70 for a near perfect test or paper

Can you the parent be satisfied that your child was or was not sick or did or did not complete the homework to your satisfaction?

How did did DD manage to make it home before 11 let alone before 3 that second day? Was it due to another illness? With so little tolerance for absences it is no wonder kids get sent to school in less than healthy condition. I forgot what thread expounded on sick kids so I will have to let you all use the search function to find it. How many doctors offices and prmiary care physicians would look at the kid for a moment and write up a note without charging a copay?

That said, on the other hand I do not believe in pulling kids out of school because it was more convenient or more comfortable to go to Disney at a particular time.

 

[DisneyBride'03]

My children were enrolled in private school for 5 years. We jsut made the switch to public. We were paying high tuition and high taxes. And the teachers at the Private school were not very accomodating if we took the kids out for vacation. Now, they are actually doing better academically, the teachers are more responsice, and we have more $$ for Disney trips!!
Typo's just and responsive.. dont know how the spell check thing works here

 

[Savsmommy]

DD6 will miss 5 days of school when we got to WDW in 15 days. Her teacher was fine with it. She even asked if she could go to.

 

[Darcy03231]

I don't see anything wrong with pulling a child from school for vacations as long as they are performing well academically. There are all different types of learning. I did it when my children were in elementary school (and it was prior to No Child Left Behind). Each state has approached absenses differently and I would encourage any parent who is planning in taking their child out of school to check to see what their school policy is. I know in ours that the absence is unexcused and after three unexcused absences a parent may get a visit from the truant officer and possibly face some sort of court action. It's also up to the teacher whether or not they want to take or assign any make-up work. If the teacher doesn't want to the child can get zeros for everything missed. This can be compounded if you have block scheduling (we do in the high school). 5 days missed is actually 10 days of work. Since my children are now in middle and high school we can't take them out.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

I don't see anything wrong with pulling a child from school for vacations as long as they are performing well academically. There are all different types of learning. I did it when my children were in elementary school (and it was prior to No Child Left Behind). Each state has approached absenses differently and I would encourage any parent who is planning in taking their child out of school to check to see what their school policy is. I know in ours that the absence is unexcused and after three unexcused absences a parent may get a visit from the truant officer and possibly face some sort of court action. It's also up to the teacher whether or not they want to take or assign any make-up work. If the teacher doesn't want to the child can get zeros for everything missed. This can be compounded if you have block scheduling (we do in the high school). 5 days missed is actually 10 days of work. Since my children are now in middle and high school we can't take them out.

Block schedualing in my district means that if you have more than 6 absences(miss more than 15 min and your ab.)you will not get credit for the course until you make up the time for that class, "time for time". This can be a real pain if you have more than one class that you need to do time for time for.

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

DD6 will miss 5 days of school when we got to WDW in 15 days. Her teacher was fine with it. She even asked if she could go to.

Most of my kids teachers would say the same, unfortunatly they can do nothing about the unexcused ab. policy or time for time for my dd. Absences are reported in a computer that automatically forwards the info to the DA who will "invite" you to a get together if your kid has more than 10 days out. I just prefer to save my 10 days for illness or other unavoidable issues.

 

[TheRatPack]

SeashoreCM, my dd made it home before 11 because a teacher sent her to the office with a tummy ache and had the nurse request I come pick her up. I did pick her up and took her home, she felt better. The following week she complained of tummy aches quiet a bit so I took her to the doctor, she's getting to the puberty stage so I had concerns. Anyhow, the doctor found nothing wrong with her and said maybe it was stress related, but again found nothing wrong with her that would cause it.

I received a phone call last week too, from the school nurse saying she was sick and I needed to come get her. I inquired as to what exactly was sick about her and was told that she didn't have a fever but there was a stomach bug going around so she may be getting that.....no signs, no fever and no other complaints....but diagnosed?

I do not make a habit of sending my kids to school sick as I'm a SAHM who doesn't have the pressures of attendance at work....etc to pressure me to do those sorts of things. But on that same note, I would not tell the nurse that I wasn't coming to get her if she was presented in the office as sick, no matter what NCLB says. It would be a different story I'm sure if the child 'cried wolf' all the time, but my dd has not had that issue. She's had perfect attendance just about every year and she's even won attendance awards, so needless to say the letter from the school was more of a laughable annoyance then a threat.

 

[the Fidge]

I too received a letter and it was regarding an excused one with a doctors note! They have sent many letters out this year as our district is not doing well attendance wise.

I see way too many chidlren go to school sick, I know I get to drive the little ones with fevers and vomitting and yet they still remain in school for the day for various reasons, it always makes me so sad. They need to be snuggled in bed with some soup tlc and some compassion.

Sorry its one of my pet peeves, but on to topic at hand....I too have been very successful with trips. Dh works for a company whose poilcy is that all vacation must be taken during Jan - March. I have been lucky as Dh has some seniority I book in April. Our state testing is ususally held feb- March so not to interfere with that April alwasy works and the bopnus is its DH and DS birthday Month!

I notice the teachers are uunder a ton of pressure for the state testing and do not want to add to their burden one bit! I always inform me them at the begining of the school year and have been very fortunate!

One gave him a journal to bring one gave him alot of work one gave him no work. I usually include a side trip to some place relating to history or science. He will bring in sheets I have him work on.

Thankfully we have never had any problems to date. WIth the business DH is in we sadly have no other choices. THe summer would be great for me too as I am off for the summer but on the otherhand DH could be unemployed and I rather this be my concern than unemployment!

 

[pennymercantile]

I have taken my kids out of school to go on a free vacation to Georgia and it was a learning experience and fun.

My oldest two were both in grade school and my youngest in preschool at the time.

Now that my ds is in middle school we are going for the very first time to Disney but we are only taking him and his sisters out at the very last 3 days of school. This is a free time for the most part and all 3 are doing wonderfully academically.

I would not take them out of school as the get older and into middle school on up because math and science are taught in sequence and if you miss on one theory it is sometimes hard to make it up.

On a side note.....I am ticked off at my ds who was honored w/a recommendation to go the science bowl for the state and he said NO....... .....his reasoning....He had a basketball tournament...(he is not the best player but loves the game.) arghhh

 

[SnowWhite]

Also at the science bowl you can't tackle the other players, and I'm sure that the cheerleaders aren't there either........

Just kidding, as a parent I know how you feel. He must have felt honoured to be asked however.

Rob (Snowwhite's DH)

 

[daisyduck123]

I'm a 1st grade teacher (I'm up DISing at this hour because we won't be having school in the morning, due to the weather) & I have no problem with students going on a vacation. I had one student just get back from a WDW vacation.

I take my own kids out every year for a WDW trip.
This May, DD12, DS8, & I will each miss 6 school days for a WDW trip.
Last year, we each missed 11 school days(went twice last year).