booked and forgot about start of school

[PiperG]

Goofyfamily41,

Your post was very comforting for us. We will be taking DS5 out of school in Jan '03 for a Magic cruise. We know that kindergarden is a very important year for him. However, the family time we spend on our vacations (especially our Disney vacation last year) is always so incredible, that we felt one week out of the whole school year was fine.

I know people are on both sides of the fence. Utilimtately it ends up that parents need to make individual decisions based on their own family dynamics and thier child's personalty and adaptability.

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[mcnuss]

PiperG -- I would not hesitate to pull my kindergarten aged child out of school for a week. I know kindergarten is important, but there are no actual lessons or projects at that grade level. I pulled my DD out twice that year figuring that once she got into "real" school (don't get me wrong, I know kindergarten is real, but I think you know what I mean), I would have less flexibility. I am soooooo glad we did it bc I do believe that it's harder now. (She will be in 3rd grade this year.) This year I won't pull her out for more than 2 days running and when she does miss school, she does a travel journal. When she was littler, it was mostly pictures, but on our trip to France last year, she wrote a travelogue that the school published in the newsletter. I would say without hesitation that she more than made up academically for the 6 days of school she missed with that exercise. The only difficulty was that it was at the end of Sept. and she had not really settled into a routine yet, so when she got back, she was kind of scattered for a while. But as we all know, time flies and she was settled in no time.

 

[my3kids]

I do take my children out of school for vacations occasionally, but I wouldn't do it the first week of school. I think it would be tough to miss those first days.

That said, my understanding from teachers around here is that until a child actually starts, they can't be counted absent, so you wouldn't have the issue of too many absences to contend with. Their first day back would be their start date, so they wouldn't start the year with already a week of days missed. But, that probably varies from state to state and likely even county to county.

 

[Debbie H]

I say go. We took ours out from time to time and they didn't mind it in the least. One is now a attorney, one is in college and the other is in a boarding prep school. It didn't damage them or harm them in any way. Kids are resilent, it sounds like it is more a parental problem than a child problem.

 

[osprey]

We made our decision.

We're going on the cruise. The kids would be brokenharted and the family group we are to meet up with on the ship would have been disapointed if we didn't show up.

Altho the first few days are important several teachers have told us that they are mostly filled with orientation and social activity. One teacher told us she spends that first few classes covering previous lesson work to get the kids thinking again and to see if anyone isn't prepared. We think that they can make up for the first few days.

See all of you on the cruise.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would never think twice about taking the kids out of school for vacation, going while everyone else is on vacation also is NOT my idea of fun....BUT....I would not take them out the frist week of school....that is the week when everyone is nervous and making new friends etc...to miss that would be hard...we took my godson out of school up until 9th gade when he died for vacations and I can honestly say it was NEVER regretted....you never know what tomorrow holds for anyone, enjoy the time with the kids while you can!!! No regrets.....

 

[grandmalinda]

First, I vote YES, take your children and miss the 1st week of school.
I was fortunate that my parents loved to travel and had the time to do so. They weren't wealthy but thought travel was as educational as school, sometimes more. Of course, a Disney cruise isn't exactly education. Each year, we took the entire summer to travel around the U.S. or in numerous foreign countries. My brother and I bought all our school clothes somewhere else than home. We also missed the entire MONTH of school and began sometime in Oct. My parents figured not much got done the 1st month. In the 50's, I'll agree. We didn't suffer from missing that month although we had to hit the road running when we got back.
Unfortunately, my daughter doesn't agree so the only time I can take my 2 granddaughters is July 27th! Maybe you can make a deal with your kids to review their last year's work, ie. fractions, spelling, reading while on the cruise. I know that will be tough but you can fit it in and make it fun. They won't miss a week of school.

 

[Trinity]

My dad (osprey), is a little confused.

My sister will only miss the first 2 days of school (one day is just and "get to know everyone" day and the second day is just a "meet your teachers day). I will only miss the first day. I'm going into 8th grade and I know the school and teachers pretty well, I hope lol.

Don't worry about us!

*Kelly*

 

[IrishCowboy]

You probably won't be 'splitting the atom' during those first few days.

 

[4crusinransiers]

Were sailing Aug 31, our kids will miss the first 3 days of school.
They are 9 and 11. We work weekends, every weekend and take
Wed and Thur off and have for 10 years. So occasionally we take them out of school to spend family time or to go away on OUR weekends. Otherwise we would not get time as a family. Our school is very understanding, Family is more important than school.
We asked our kids if they would mind missing the first 3 days before we booked, no problem. BTW both are A,B students.

 

[westjones]

You know what, 20 years from now the memories of your vacation will be something that all of you will enjoy remembering. The first week of school. Can't say that I remember a single one of them.

Go, enjoy, make magical memories. My DD has been homeschooled all along, but this year she has decided she was to try school, so she is starting 3rd grade at school next month....BUT we are taking her out in September for our annual trip on the DCL.

This will be her third birthday on the cruise (shared with her twin sister, who is still going to be homeschooling). We want to do it every year, we all enjoy it so much and we have decided to make it a tradition!

Have fun, don't worry. Even six months from now none of this will make any difference, but you will still be enjoying the memories of your vacation.

DJ

 

[Debbie H]

padisneyfan and motherhen17404

Greetings from down the road!

 

[tezb]

In our state...Calif. if you are on a vacation during the school year, you ARE considered absent..actually it is called an unexcused absense that stays on your school record. Don't really know what that means but they use it to try and deter families from taking vacations during the school year. Someone mentioned that they didn't think they would be marked absent but I think they probably would be considered absent if they are not there for the first few days of school. An absense is an absence and I'm sure they still have to report who is not there.

We were up against this before but my teen boys did NOT want to be pulled out of school. They said it's not worth all the work/classes they miss. I was surprised...guess I raised them that way as I was always taught that school was more important. I'm starting to think differently now but it's hard to change what you've already instilled in your kids.

Anyway, everyone has a different take on this...so Enjoy your trip.

 

[padisneyfan]

Hi Debbie,

Just up in Hanover last Friday. My husband works up there at Sheridan Press and my DS bought a car from someone in Hanover and he picked it up last Friday.

Are you related to Glenda Harden?


Nancy

 

[Ironmike]

I think that you should take your children out. I am in the Army and with all the deployments that I am doing anytime that I can have a week alone with my family I try to take it. The first week of school is normally not much to speak of. Here in Indiana it is normally a short week just three days. If your kids can handle the attention, they probably will the stars for the first day they come back, having to miss school to go on a Disney cruise. I know that my many of my kids teachers take time out during the school year as well to take vacations. I don't believe you have to have a certain amount of school days just quality days.

 

[Karel]

Not to be rude, but I'm still trying to figure out how you could NOT know when the first day of school was going to be. I had it marked on the calendar since the last day of school year.

Is it September YET?

Our school finally wised up and sent out next years school calendar with the last report cards of the school year. Makes vacation planning a whole bunch easier.

 

[osprey]

Karel - We have three major trips planed out of country including China, Korea, and Belgium. When the Disney trip came up we had to make adjustments in the trip schedules to allow for other family members from all over the US to join us on the cruise. Somewhere in the date negotiations, and they were lengthy, we missed the start of school. Remember that these trips are booked over a year in advance and this year our school district moved up the first day of school.

My daughter Kelly ( Trinity ) pointed out that she will only miss one day and my other daughter Rachel will miss two days. However, she forgot to include travel time so it will actually be 2 and 3.

As I said earlier, we made our decision. We are going on the cruise and they will just have to make up for anything that they miss. They are both strait 'A' students and quick learners.

Thanks again to all. I do appreciate all the responses.

 

[Minnie's Guy]

SEE YOU THERE! Glad your decision has been made -
sounds like your daughters won't have a problem
adjusting. We will probably have more of a problem
adjusting - cooking our own meals, making our own
beds, serving ourselves (ha!ha!ha!ha!)
We are getting so anxious! Our schools start the
day after we return (driving from PA) - that will also
be an adjustment for everyone.

 

[Fawn]

We're taking our 16 year old out of school the first week back after Christmas. His teachers will be told this at the beginning of the year, and he knows he must keep his grades up.

We thought long and hard about this, but finals are mid-January, and the first week back is usually all review. Since he's an honor roll student, he feels ...and we agree...that he'll be fine. Any notes will be copied from friends.

The other kids are either in college (not back yet), on leave or homeschooled, so no problem, thank Goodness.

This is a very personal decision for every family AND every child!

 

[disneydeb]

go on the trip like your daughters my daughter is also a straight a student i have been taking her out of school twice a year once in spring and once in autumn to go wdw since she was 7 yrs old, believe me when they are straight a students even if they are a natural like my kid, they need that time to relax just like adults, school is tough between classes, teachers, peers, sports, and fashions, my daughter is now almost 19 and going into her 2nd year of college, we still go twice a year and she still gets straight a, i'll tell you the one thing i never would do again i think she was in the 3rd grade and i asked for some homework to go with her from the teacher, and the teacher gave her 35 pages, which i made sure she did , the teacher said oh i'm surprized she did it all, what a witch, even my mom had said, the kids on vacation, she didnt need to do all that, well regardless i never asked for homework for my daughter again, mom's always right, and she never had any trouble making up the work.so tell your girls to have fun, because the'll be busy when they get back.