Do you take your kids out of school to go to DW?

[seetheworld]

What is your feeling on this especially for the younger grades K- 6th? Any input appreciated.

 

[my3princes]

We took our oldest out for 8 days in kindergarten. He really didn't miss anything. This October we will be taking 2 boys out of school 2nd and 4th grades for 3 days. We are planning a week when they have 2 days off anyway.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

We always took DS out k-5th with no problems. Always informed the teacher before hand, asked for and made up any work they requested us to do. Our school district policy is quite vage and allows lots of room for play. We had planned not to take DS out in middle school but we may be able to do a trip this year with our best friends. His principal, who knows him well, encouraged us to take him out to go. She did the same with her son this year. We truly belive that travel is a wonderul experence for kids and we the hate crowds and heat of summer . Lots of people feel very strongly about his issue so get ready for lots of heated reponces. It's your child. Your choice.
Jordans' mom

 

[MrsPete]

Kids attend school 180 days, which leaves 185 days free for family plans such as vacations.

If you want/need to travel during the school year, I think it's a good idea to plan around those "odd weeks" when kids are out two days for a teacher workday or a holiday; that way kids can miss only 1-2 days. Since school calendars vary across the country, it's easy to find a week that won't be too busy. A week at one fell swoop is way too much.

As a teacher, I can assure you that the great majority of kids never make up the work that they miss on vacations, and it's very frustrating for the teacher who puts an hour or more into putting that work together ahead of time.

 

[G00fyDad]

We planned our vacation around our DD Fall Break. She is out of school for Wed for teacher in-service and Thurs and Fri for Fall Break. She will just miss 2 days. The school will scan and email her class and home work to us and DD will do that stuff on the flight down and back.

 

[lclark0621]

My DS is not in school yet.

But my feeling is, he is my son. If I want to take him out of school for a week, I can.

If we decide to, we will tell his teacher well in advance of our trip. Get his work & help him with it.

 

[Alexander]

Kids attend school 180 days, which leaves 185 days free for family plans such as vacations.

If you want/need to travel during the school year, I think it's a good idea to plan around those "odd weeks" when kids are out two days for a teacher workday or a holiday; that way kids can miss only 1-2 days. Since school calendars vary across the country, it's easy to find a week that won't be too busy. A week at one fell swoop is way too much.

As a teacher, I can assure you that the great majority of kids never make up the work that they miss on vacations, and it's very frustrating for the teacher who puts an hour or more into putting that work together ahead of time.

You are going to get a rash of mixed feelings on this topic, it's a hot one for sure on the boards! I too am a teacher, and let me just say that life is too short to not spend family time together! I take my personal days and take my son out of school, so I certainly cheer for any other families who do the same. Had a girl out of class all last week....Being such a WDW fan myself, I was thrilled for her.

Life is too short.....Don't sweat the small stuff, missing a week of school is the small stuff!

 

[disneyjunkie]

I've taken my son out a day early for Spring Break. I'm thinking about taking him out a day or two in October. Our schools are closed for Columbus Day and Yom Kipper. This year they fall in the same week. That would be the perfect week for us to try to make a quick 3 or 4 day trip for MNSSHP. Missing a full week of school is not an option for us.

We stick to the school schedule when we plan trips. I'm glad I have a job that allows me to vacation when school is closed.

 

[dmslush]

I took my dd out for a week in 5th grade. The teachers gave her all assignments and we finished them before she went back to school, she only had to make up a test. It was really no big deal. Now, she is in the 7th grade and she feels like it would be too hard to get caught up if she missed a week, so we don't pull her out anymore.

 

[newholidayx2]

this is the first yr we are not taking DS out of school - we're going to WDW middle/end of August - this coming Sept DS will be in 8th grade

We did take him out a wk in 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th for our Disney vacations

 

[dizagain]

Hi! I've done this in the past...took DD's 1st and 3rd Grade out for four days during a week they had a Monday off. It was fine, and the girls did all of their work...funny, the 1st grade teacher really piled it on while the 3rd grade teacher pretty much said to have a good time!

We thought seriously about doing it again this May ( 3rd and 5th now), but decided against it. Older DD is in last year of Elementary and she didn't want to chance missing any of the end-of-year stuff like Field Day, etc. I am a 1/2 day K teacher at a private school and if we took the trip I would miss the entire next-to-last week of school with my kiddos.

So we're probably finished with non-school-holiday trips. Older DD will be in middle school next year and from what I've heard it's too difficult to make up the missed work. Kids around here go to school sick by their own choice!

You must do what is right for your family...it's only a few days and in the long run your kids won't be able to tell you what they did at school during that time but they sure would remember a fantastic trip to WDW with you!

 

[Sandyincanada]

I don't think we have the breaks you do in the US...we certainly do not have fall or winter breaks other than Christmas. We've taken our kids out for a week for years and years. It has never hurt them. If they are decent students, they can catch up fairly easily. I wouldn't even hesitate if they are in elementary school. We are taking our DS out for 8 school days this Feb and he is in Grade 10..our DD has already graduated.

You know your kid best, as long as they are good students, they'll be fine. Not all of us have the luxury of working around school holidays.

 

[Disfreek]

I am a teacher...My DD will start K this fall. However if for some reason her breaks do not coincide with mine (not Christmas/Easter, but Winter break) then I wll take her out of school in February to go on vacation.

I don't get mad at any one of my families that take their child out of my class for a vacation. They can learn a lot of things while they are on vacation as a family--much more than they could learn at school.IMO (now, if it becomes a frequent thing then there is a problem--but a few days a school year for a child who rarely misses school--there's nothing wrong w/ that)

 

[TupperMom7]

We are taking five children out of school this Spring and they will each miss 5 days of school. We are taking the week after their vacation off so that we will have two weeks together. Hey we have to drive from NY to FL - we are going to make the trip worth that aggrivation in the car! Two are in high school, one in junior high, and two in kindergarten. I'm sure that they will get their work ahead of time and will be able to make up anything that they miss. Luckily the schools don't usually lay the work on too thick the week before vacation.
The last time we did this, only two were in school and it was grade school, but it's the same school system. They consider these unexcused absences even though I will be writing a note for them, they don't consider a family trip as a legal excuse for absence. They won't and can't do anything to us, but it kind of makes me feel a little guilty. I feel that if I was homeschooling them, I would set their schedule - so why should this be different. I'll make sure they make up the work.

 

[jtdl]

We're taking DD out of school for 2 weeks. She's in grade 8. From what I've read different times on these boards, I think the schools must be much more strict on children missing days in the US. Here in Ontario, the child's final mark is made up by tests and class work - projects, essays, quizzes etc. As long as the student has a passing grade, he/she passes the grade -regardless of how many days are missed. So I have never been questioned on taking my DD out of school. I sent a note to her teacher a couple weeks ago and he wrote back "have a wonderful vacation". New cirriculm was introduced here a couple years ago and grade 9 is now an excrutiatingly hard year so that's probably the only year that I will not pull her out for a vacation. DS starts JK in September and I will have no qualms about taking him out of school for vacations either.

 

[Pienut]

Take them out take them out take them out!

Thats my opinion. Especially in the younger grades. Time with our children is worth as much as any education they can receive in school. Just make sure they aren't missing any important tests that are difficult to make up. Talk to the teachers and do not ask...tell. I always say...This is what I am doing how do I make it easier for you and my children! Its all in the approach but mostly I am their parent and I can tell what my children and their parents need! Go, have a great time and don't worry about it. Once they get into middle and high school it gets more difficult (but I still do it..but just for a few days now because its hard to make up the work!)

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

I will be taking my DS, 2nd grade, for 4 days this fall along with his kindergarten cousin... and as a teacher myself I will also be misssing. We were originally only going to miss 2 days but the long weekend that I scheduled around was changed. Oh well, it was a hard choice, but family is more important!! Experiences such as a trip to WDW leave memories and learning that will last a lifetime. If your child has a good attendance record, I don't think it is a big deal. Lucky for me our school principal is also a Disney fanatic and has gone during the school year a couple of times. It doesn't seem fair that we can only go when it is hot and crowded during the summer time.

 

[kidangel]

A teacher with our board actually created a "learning package" a few years ago that our elementary schools have on hand for kids who are missing school to go on vacation. It's a project-type thing where the kids are asked to do/look for/comment on certain things about their trip. One of the tasks is to write, address and mail a postcard to the school/class from your destination. They're not marked on it, but encouraged to share it with their class/teacher when they get back.
My kids do well in school, and so I've never worried about taking them out (but then, I've been known to let them take the occasional "mental health day" too) Our next trip, though, will be the first time we've taken them out at the high school level, and I'll confess to being a bit hesitant. However, we've timed it so they'll only miss four days of school, and since theirs is the only school in the area not on the "semester" system, they're actually only missing the equivelant of two days.
I agree that attendance is important, but parents have the right to make the choice for their own kids. Only you can say for certain whether their absence is going to make it harder for them to keep up.

 

[the kabuki]

Took my 2nd and 5th graders out this year, have done it in the past and will do it again. As long as they're doing well in school & not behind in anything, have good attendance, I will not hestitate. I made up journals with disney themes & questions, along with empty journal pages, and had them write in it every night, just so their brains wouldn't shut down for the week! LOL

 

[eeyore kelly]

Taking my kids who will be in 6th & 3rd out of school for 4 days. The trip is planned around Mardi gras which is a short week and is mainly a review week and low on tests. I will make sure that any make up work is made up and request the work before our vacation so we don't have to worry about it during or after vacation. I am so going to be honest about where we are going.