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! 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!

 

[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.

 

[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.

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"?