Advice from a Teacher re: taking kids out of school for Disney

[noodleknitter]

Disney is fun and I really can't see 2-5 days in a year hurting a child so much that they would drop a whole letter grade.

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids.

If that is the case, the whole system is screwed up, frankly. If a student can't be ill without failing a class, there is a problem.

 

[dbmarie]

Believe it or not, it happens more often then you realize. There is a huge difference in a kid missing 2-5 in a row compared to days spread out. I have seen some honors kids (high school) get sick and miss a week and their grade drop from a low A/high B to a D or F. They bomb the test because they have missed the classroom activities and discussions. They get the notes and missed assignments but it is not the same. Plus they are trying to make up 7 classes - that is alot of stress on your kids

I am sure that you may feel this is true but I have a hard time seeing that 2-5 days causing a letter drop in grade. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I take my girls out every year for a vacation and they have never had any issues. However they also have a really great attendence record for the rest of the year and I work with the teachers on any issues immediately. Honestly my mom took me out all of the time from school and I was always an A student (even to go to the mall) which my girls shall never know .

 

[TJ's Mom]

If that is the case, the whole system is screwed up, frankly. If a student can't be ill without failing a class, there is a problem.

I agree but sometimes kids don't make up the work. Now most parents will ask and make sure their children do the work. If you are in on the discussion, you are probably one of those parents. But other parents take their kids out of school or their kids are sick and never make up the work. It is really sad. As a teacher there is only so much I can do.

Also some kids in high school are taking 4 AP classes hoping for college credit. These classes by definition are supposed to be rigourous (which is not the case at all schools). They are also in extra activites and sports and three other classes. The kids are over worked and sometimes they are at their limit. When they are absent for a few days it is more than they can handle trying to do their regular work plus their absent work.

 

[noodleknitter]

Fair enough. I think your information is accurate, but the system is mussed. By that I mean the ENTIRE system...which does include parental involvement.

My opinions on all of the AP stuff, though would be for another thread!

The funny thing is that twice in college I became seriously ill and missed at least a week of classes and was able to catch up.

 

[TJ's Mom]

I am sure that you may feel this is true but I have a hard time seeing that 2-5 days causing a letter drop in grade. I guess we will just have to agree to disagree. I take my girls out every year for a vacation and they have never had any issues. However they also have a really great attendence record for the rest of the year and I work with the teachers on any issues immediately. Honestly my mom took me out all of the time from school and I was always an A student (even to go to the mall) which my girls shall never know .

Unfortunately I have seen it happen quite a few times over the years I have taught. Now that being said, I don't think it is the case with most kids. I am all for pulling kids out of school for vacations and mental health days (shopping does wonders as does a good pedi ) I think our society needs to relax. However, with No Child Left Behind, the pressure on the schools and teachers is unbelievable. The difference between when I went to school and today is completely different. Your girls are probably good students and responsible and can handle it. Some kids can't. Every parent needs to make an individual decision based on their child and go from there. Most can handle it, but some can't. I think as they get older, it gets harder to miss school.

 

[dbmarie]

Unfortunately I have seen it happen quite a few times over the years I have taught.

What I meant was that I am sure those 2-5 days were not the cause of the letter grade drop. I am sure that there were other factors. Some parents just do not stay active enough in their child's school and those days may have a bigger factor on a child who is ill prepared for school or for the work involved in school.

 

[casey49781]

I am leaving for Disney on Dec 2 and wont be returning til Dec 11, That means my children will be missing 6 days of school, I have informed the teachers well in advance and have asked if possible to let me have most of the work in advance over Thanksgiving weekend..My children are dd 9 in 4th grade and a honor roll student and perfect attendence awards, and a ds 6 in kindergarden, I will do all I can to help them with there work if it even means doing it on vacation and some after for them being out of school for or family vacation, we only get to go every other year. I do appreciate the teachers going out of there way to help me out, so that I am able to take my children out of school. Our school you are allowed to only miss 10 days per marking period, I am using 6 for vacation, I talked with the office to inform them and they told me that since my children do not miss much school that the time missed will be fine. They only miss when sick or doctors appt, my son is adhd and bipolar so he does have a appt once a month . I sometimes have the attitude if they can take days off for inservice and ect then I can take mine out for family vacation.....

 

[Tink-n-Belle]

We are going to Disney in a few days and as a courtesy, I offered to send my child in with a Self-addressed stamped envelope so my DD's teacher could mail her homework and the teacher loved the idea. We will be home over the weekend so as long as she receives the package Friday or Saturday she can spend the weekend doing her work.

As the children get older, I feel it will be harder to take the kids out of school, so we are doing it now. However, IMHO there are so many learning opportunities available to kids besides school and teachers need to realize that.

Disney is educational, it is no different then going to the local science museum. Disney is a great place to teach children about the world around them due to the different parks. My 1st grader is going to study dinosaurs this year, therefore, we are going to be spending some time learning about the dinosaurs in Dinoland. In 2nd grade their class will be learning about the different countries around the world- so we plan to reinforce what our 3rd grader learned last year and get a head start on the 1st grader by visiting WS and learning about other cultures.

My 3rd grader learned about the solar system recently. How cool is the mission space pavillion going to be to her. She is going to extend her learning there. She will actually get "why there is a red ball" at the entrance to MS

Then take History, The Hall of Presidents!!! How cool is it that you get to see all 43 Presidents on 1 stage. You learn what they look like, what they wore and how some of them were very important to the United States. How about the American Adventure and the COP -- I remember my Brother- who as a "very cool" 16 years old loved COP. He said he loved it because it was neat to see how electricity changed our lives and he loved the song too . They showed us how America has evolved over the last 200 hundred years. It brings history to life.

Take the shows, My Dd's dance and have participated in theatre and dance recitals. Its great for them to see that all the hard work they do in dance class can have a fantastic result, if they so choose.

In a perfect world, all parents would take their children to Disney during vacations, but then the childrens learning experience would be less as you can't see everything during the busy times.

The basic are very important. My 1st grader is learning about short a and O right now and that is very important. But so are the other things that intertwine in their lives. We do our best to send our kids to school every other day of the school year and I think that teachers should take that into consideration too. We are good parents and teachers should applaud families who take the time to be a FAMILY because staying a FAMILY will have so much more of an impact on there education then any other thing. After all its all about the kids!

 

[MissyDVC]

Well said, Tink-n-Belle I very much appreciate my children's teacher's efforts when I inform them that we will be taking the children away to Disney. I truly do. But I also believe that it is equally important to acknowledge the fact that some parents feel it is very important to share family times together and that that time doesn't always correspond with the school calendar. Even if you do not believe that Disney can be educational(which I do), experiecing the pure happiness and togetherness that Disney generates is learning enough for me. When I feel my children's education will be effected by our trips, I will then stop. But until then, I will decide what is best for my children and will always inform the teacher well ahead of time and graciously accept whatever work they can give me. I appreciate their point of view and am fully aware that this is my choice and that it takes extra time for them to put it all together for us. Luckily, our teachers are happy to help

 

[Deesknee]

Thank you for expressing your experienced view on this. If I have in my opinions on this subject ever offened you or any other educational professional, pleas accept my apologies.
I always thought teachers would prefer you take the work with you so that your child won't be as behind. I know there are obviously classroom opportunities that they will miss out on, but I thought if they missed out on those and the writing/studing work they would really be behind, therfore making it even harder for the teacher. Pesonally, I hate taking work with us. I have to wonder now, if their 7th gr math teacher giving them 11 sheets of homework for a 4 day absence was trying to get a point across to us. She would have been better off to articulate it. Getting them all done was tough, but they did it. Passed them in only to have her grade 4 (as that's all the class managed to get done.), then threw the rest away.

 

[HappyLawyer]

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.

I say get annoyed all you like! I too am a teacher and basically it is really none of our business what people do with their families. I do not judge because you do not know a family's situation. Yes, we do work hard to create lesson plans. When has someone on here said or even shown they are not sensitive to the teacher. And NOT all teachers are willing to work with parents, because i know some who are not. I love the way people want to tell others to be sensative on how they address it with the school-WHY. School districts have their own policy on missing school. A parent can address it any way they like. I am taking my child out and yes, i will be out of my classroom too, you know what everyone will survive.

Finally, i think you really have so much nerve telling anyone what seems silly, because in the end it is really none of your business. A good teacher supports his or her students and their family, they do not pass judgement. That is just my .02 cents and as a parent i could really care less how a teacher feels on this issue. As a teacher, there is so much going on in the world right now, we have no promises on the amount of time we will be on this planet so live life and enjoy. Everything is a learning experience.

 

[HappyLawyer]

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.!!!!

As a teacher and a parent, i so agree. I love the people that called you harsh and immature, takes one to know one as I tell my students.

In her post she did not call anyone immature but low and behold some of you are so quick to jump on the band wagon. DID she say the op was not a great teacher-no, so you could say it was implied but hey how do you know, you cannot read the mind of hollyb. This thread obviously has the attention of all those against taking kids out of school.

 

[Miz Diz]

DS is 5 and in K. We went to Dis in Sept and he missed 4 days of school. We told his teacher the night we met her at school orientation. I told her I hoped it was ok, but we had already booked the trip. She said she would do it if she could. When it came time for the trip, she told us to write on the note that our son was sick. I also asked her if she thought it would be ok if we did the same thing next year. She said yes.
His teacher gave us his some of his work before we left and some when we got back. He already knew everything on the sheets. We had him do the work in the car and had him practice writing his letters properly. I also bought him some phonics tapes and all during the week, we enforced phonics. By the end of the trip, he was reading 3 letter words. At that point in time, his class was only learning the sounds each letter makes.
No disrespect to elementary school teachers, but the truth is, they don't miss much from missing a few days of school through the third grade. I can see once they are in middle school and high school, it would be harder to keep up.
Our school system gets strict on the absences once they hit 9. Until then, we will continue to take a vacation during the school year. Personally, I don't see the harm in it.

 

[emh1129]

I say get annoyed all you like! I too am a teacher and basically it is really none of our business what people do with their families. I do not judge because you do not know a family's situation. Yes, we do work hard to create lesson plans. When has someone on here said or even shown they are not sensitive to the teacher. And NOT all teachers are willing to work with parents, because i know some who are not. I love the way people want to tell others to be sensative on how they address it with the school-WHY. School districts have their own policy on missing school. A parent can address it any way they like. I am taking my child out and yes, i will be out of my classroom too, you know what everyone will survive.

Finally, i think you really have so much nerve telling anyone what seems silly, because in the end it is really none of your business. A good teacher supports his or her students and their family, they do not pass judgement. That is just my .02 cents and as a parent i could really care less how a teacher feels on this issue. As a teacher, there is so much going on in the world right now, we have no promises on the amount of time we will be on this planet so live life and enjoy. Everything is a learning experience.

I agree.

When we take my ds out of school for our trip, I will give the teacher plenty of notice. But I will not ask and I will not apologize or go to great lengths to explain why we are vacationing at that particular time.
Respect goes both ways.. we will respect the teacher (more than that- we really like her ) but, in turn, I hope she respects that we know what is best for our child.
I taught 4th grade for a few years before becoming a SAHM and even I found that suggested letter to be condescending.

 

[mitchwebb]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.


As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.


I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

 

[marcyinPA]

I don't write a letter at all. Our district requires us to fill out a vacation approval form. We must fill out when we are leaving and where, as well as the educational value of the trip. The approval must be signed by the principal and the classroom teacher. This is the standard way of handling vacation absences in our district.

In addition, I do send the classroom teacher a quick email, asking how they want to handle the homework. I let them decide, and I comply.

Marcy

 

[maxtomsmom]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.


As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.

I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

Not to flame you and thank you for sharing what your district has written. But, here is what annoys me about schools and their money, Do they put in how much it costs to pay a sub every time a teacher calls out or when the teachers are attending a conference or a workshop? Both professionals need to be paid. Is it written anywhere for the public to review? Now, I think it is important for teachers to develop their craft. (I am a teacher.) But, I know in my district, we are taken out for more trainings then you can imagine. We actually complain about how much time is spent outside the class. We need to be there with the kids as much as they need us. All the cost for the subs are insane. Again, it's a double edge sword, teachers need time to develop their skills, learn new techniques, brainstorm and collaborate and it can't always be done on their time. I would never see my family if that were the case. However, when school districts are making parents, who generally still know what's best for their children, go through hoops like a circus act to take family vacations, then looking into teacher absences and time spent outside the class should be also monitored and shared with the public.

 

[dbmarie]

When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.

I think this is a little absurb to break children down by a dollar amount. I think that they lose a lot more money from the parents who just doesn't make their kids go to school rather then the involved parent who makes sure their child is in school daily and then takes them out for a couple of days for vacation. Even teachers are allowed sick, personal, and vacation days shouldn't children be allowed the same.

 

[luvdiz2]

I also have a question. Who made the school boards the deciding factor in what months the children have school off, i.e. July and August. Why not March and September.

 

[GOODoldPAL]

Here is a portion of a email sent out from our district this year.
As you are aware, compulsory daily school attendance is a requirement for all students ages 6-18. Our Superintendent, ////, along with all District staff, is committed to continuing academic improvement in all of our schools. Daily school attendance fosters improvement in student achievement and the District needs your support in making sure children come to school on a regular basis. When a student misses school, excused or unexcused, the District loses approximately $28 per day for each absence. Although our attendance rate for the district was 96.79% in 2005-06, the 3.21% of the students who did not attend school totaled almost 134,780 missed school days - or $3,784,622 in lost revenue.
I personal never thought of it in dollars and cents but to a school district that is a a lot of revenue.

I have to share this:
At a school assembly, the first year they started the "No Child Left Behind", the prinicpal told elementary students (K-5) that it was their responsibility to get good grades on their state tests otherwise the school wouldn't get the money they needed for books, sports equipment, & to pay the teachers!!

I was one of many parents who stormed the administrative office offended by having my child feeling so pressured prior to the test, that she was having nightmares that her favorite teacher would be fired or there wouldn't even be a ball to play with in gym class!!

Last year, in Junior High, a similar speech was given at an assembly but this time addressing the attendance issue costing the school money. A similar letter was sent to parents as well.
While I think it is more appropriate to encourage older children to not stay home from school for minor reasons like the sniffles or a PMS headache, last year there was an increase in absences due to viruses constantly being passed along by contagious kids who should have been home!

Kids have enough pressure - they should not be pawns for the school budget.
I tell my daughter to set her own standards and like anything else in life the only one she ultimately answers to is God, not the school board.