Any one have to chacne a trip because kids missed too much school?

[Mom to Jordan]

I have never hesitated to take DS out of school for vacations. Except for kindergarten he has rarely been out sick and makes excelent grades. Well this year has been the exception to never being out. The child that is never sick has been out like 10 days this year . He has developed some asthma, and had several small one day things and was out today with pink eye. We have a trip planned for next school year and now I am starting to panic as to what we will do if come January, and time for our trip, and he has ended up missing a lot of school?? It happend in kindergarten when we took him out for a fall trip and then he had tonsils that had to come out, the flu, and caught every germ that went through the class. It was not big deal then as he went to school reading and really missed nothing he did not know , but now this will be 8th grade!!!

Has this happened to anyone?????????

Jordans' mom

 

[swillis]

I am taking my kids out of class for a whole week in May. Taking kids out of school for family vacations if very discouraged in my town. (there is a big paragraph about this in the student handbook)

My DD is in the 6th grade. She is a good student. She struggles with math. My DS is in the 3rd grade. He is a great student. Bit of a handful when it come to behaving the way the teacher expects in the classroom. WIth these things in mind, I have already sent a note to their teachers advising them of our upcoming vacation.

I informed them that I understand the policy, and I know they are not required to provide assignments in advance but that I would appreciate it if they would do so.

My thought process is...the teachers are provided with at least one 1/2 day off per month for seminars etc. There are quite a few full days off for teacher education etc. I betcha if I add them all up, it would equal 1 week.

Of course if I had kids who struggled in school, or would be missing important things while away, I would reconsider. As it is, my DD just went back to school today after being home with the flu this week. This was her first abcense all year. And yup...still going to Disney in May!

 

[cheryl111]

Hi we have a points system in our borough, get to 7 or over and still take your kids on holiday you could incur a £100 fine. The kids have been graded for acedemic attainment, attendance, how close to exams etc and have only just made it. We find over here in the UK if you book your holiday in the school holidays you have to pay so much more (even double some places) than you would during term time. But, get this, my 10 year old son asked his teacher for extra work to do on the plane and she snapped that work should be done at a school desk and not on a plane - The Cow!!! Cheryl

 

[mum of two pirates]

I would be all over her. It is my child and if and when we chooose to vacation is our bussiness and not hers. I am taking my kids out and we will be gone 19 days. They will go back for 1 day after our thanksgiving break and then will be back for two days before thier 2 week christmass break begins, I will not take any Homework with us, they can get it on thier return and do it on christmass break. I don't care what they say, My SD will be missing one week of 11th grade, as she is flying down after us and comeing home the day we leave wdw for the cruise, her choice, not mine. I figure my kids will be eating diff. cult. foods, seeing differant lands, meeting diff. people, going to the Tulum ruins and so much more, Heck they can learn about aro dinamics on the plain, We have allready started a budget game for math, about what they want to buy and how to spend thier money. But the most important thing is family time, As even on weekends my DH is on the Fire Dept and is gone to trainings meeting during the week, ect. Tell them to call Me I'll give em an earfull. Have a great time.

 

[daisyduck123]

No problems here...

DS7 missed 6 days of school in early January due to pneumonia.

Then missed a week when we went to Disney at the end of the month.

He will miss 6 days this May when we go back to Disney. Oh well.

He's a student at my school...so I can't even pretend these are sick days for him....the whole staff knows when we go on our Disney trips.

DD11 at her middle school misses school too...oh well!!

 

[Steamboat Marti]

We have a second grader that has missed school this year for Disney... of course this against all the rules at our school and I was told this. I respect that and told them so - but a mom trumps a school - and family time is #1 in our home. What I didn't say was - what are they going to do? Fire me?????

 

[Joann]

We have no rules on this at my kids school , as far as I know ! And if there was rules then they will be broken by us! As said its family time and thats important! Alot of the teachers in my kids school agree traveling is a very good source of learning and alot incourage it. As of yet nothing has been said to anyone I know there and alot of families travel at our school. I will ask for work for them while gone but only important things that they might miss. My daughter has made the honor roll again this term so not worried about her, my son is alittle slower and is at the I hate school phase LOL but will get the work if there is any to be missed but will do it on the plane or before or after we get home as it is their holiday to not just DH and mines.

 

[poohraedopey]

We are pulling ours for 1 week next Nov. My nieghbor did a week this Nov for Disney I'm not too concerned it's frowned on but oh well. We have to go when it works for both hubby and I and our work schedules.

 

[denanbob]

Don't feel bad.........my son broke his thigh bone (bad, needed reconstructive surgery with steel rods inserted) back in September which caused him to miss 2 full weeks of school, and then he was in school in a wheelchair for another 6 weeks. In December, he missed 3 days due to strep throat and he's missed 1 more due to illness. So far, he's up to 14 days. We are going to Disney in May and he will miss 5 more for a grand total of 19 days. I *do* feel bad, but the alternative is higher prices for Disney in the summer along with hotter weather and more crowds. NO THANK YOU! He is doing excellent academically and the principal only said "Can I go too?" when I talked it over with her. She said his days have all been excused absences and unforseen circumstances up to this vacation so she is fine with it. Now, my daughter (1st grade) is struggling a bit (math), but she's only missed 1 day all year so far, so I'm not worried about her missing 5 days in May (especially since it's the last few weeks of school anyway). Go to Disney and don't worry about school..........it will be there when you return! ;o)

 

[DisneyFanatik]

I really don't understand why so many school districts frown on family vacations. My kids go to a Catholic school and our principal has said many times that with the way the world is today, spending quality family time together is just as important as anything that you can learn in a classroom. She explains that 10 years from now a child will not remember what happened in school in the 3rd week of May, but they will remember a fabulous vacation that they went on with their family. They will remember seeing and doing different things with the people that they love, and those experiences themselves are an education. And in case you're wondering, her attitude has not resulted in excessive absence at our school.

 

[boomersmom]

We went to WDW in October 2004. I worried about taking our sons out of school too. However, due to my husband's work, travelling during spring is impossible. My oldest has Tourette Syndrome and we feel the lines and heat during the summer months would be hard on all of us. My children had very few sick days all year. It is considred an illegal absence in our district and my sons' teachers weren't very cooperative about providing work. Well we went anyway and had a wonderful time. I still questioned myself when we got back because of the attitude of the teachers. Then a few weeks after we returned, one of my son's freinds and classmates died suddenly from an asthma attack. This made me realize that in the big scheme of things, missing a few days of school was not that important, but having a lifetime of happy memories is priceless.

 

[llp479]

Depending on the state, many schools get their state funds based on the number of children in attendance on each day. Our district doesn't care about people taking thier children out of school, as long as it isn't excessive.

They even "plan" for what they know will be low attendance days. We took the girls out for two days in October to go to DL. They already had Monday, Thursday and Friday off for various holidays. The girls didn't miss anything while we were gone. The teachers knew many people would take advantage of this, so they didn't plan much.

They will miss the Friday before Spring Break which is an early dimissal day. The teachers have told us it will be a cleaning day, so all the girls will miss is a chance to clean their desks and lockers.

 

[bettyann29]

We are going to WDW next Tuesday and the kids will be out for one week (5 days total of school time).. In our school district vacations are automatically unexcused which means that they can make up their work but the highest grade they can get is a 70.. so if they would have made a 100 the grade is automatically a 70, if they would have made a 90, now its a 60.. I wrote a letter to the schools and advised them and I also notified all the teachers and havent had any problems.. One of them did remind me about the grade thing, but gave my daughter all her papers and she does have a test on the day she returns, but wished us a great vacation.. I have only taken them out of school one other time for family vacation and normally dont.. but I dont see anything wrong with it..Family time is very important I think.. If they were struggling in school or had already missed too many days I personally wouldnt do it.. In our school district they can only miss so many days, because they are given funding on each student based on them being there a percentage of the time and if they miss too many days, they will take you to court and fine the parents..

 

[wdwdasiy]

I'm a teacher and I agree that travel can be a wonderful time of learning and exploration. Family time is great! We only have them as children for so long and we must enjoy that time. That said: most schools around the country are graded in part on student attendance. This is the federal "grade" a school gets, not the student. The "grade" can determine how much federal money a school gets each year. Just wanted you all to know the "maddness" behind the "method".

Have a wonderful time on all your trips!!

 

[DVC Sadie]

It seems as if I am the only one who has changed our vacation in the past due to our ds missing too much school for an illness. I could not and would not have been comfortable with him missing 5 more days of school after missing days 7 days due to illness. .