Educational letter for school excuse/taking the kids out of school

[Swan4Me]

The guidance councilor at my kid's elementary school said if I draft up some type of letter/proposal like that for the school/teachers then the trip may very well be considered an EXCUSED absence because it is an educational trip. But I need some serious help with this.

.

Re-read the OP-the letter is just a suggestion- it wasnt stated that it will get the days excused

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Re-read the OP-the letter is just a suggestion- it wasnt stated that it will get the days excused

Well, actually she told me IF I sent in the educational proposal/letter that it WOULD be excused. They have done it before for other families, but that the letter would need to be sent in. She didn't say if the letter was GOOD ENOUGH it would be excused. Just that I needed to send one in to get them excused. So, yes, the absences will be excused.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

 

[Planogirl]

That letter is silly but then so is this thread. IMO.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

That letter is silly but then so is this thread. IMO.

14 pages worth of silly. GO figure!

 

[phorsenuf]

What I don't understand is why you need to use someone elses letter. Why not write your own to outline what you intend to teach your child versus what someone else is teaching theirs.

 

[Swan4Me]

What I don't understand is why you need to use someone elses letter. Why not write your own to outline what you intend to teach your child versus what someone else is teaching theirs.

Because she has no plans to do so & said so on the first page

Now whether or not my kids LEARN anything on this trip matters NONE to me. I didn't plan this trip as furthering the kid's education. But if it is something the school needs from me, I am going to cooperate. I am taking the kids out for (7) school days. We will be there for 10 days. It's not like they are only missing 3 or 4 little days, they will miss a whole week plus two days of the next week. The fact that they would even CONSIDER excusing those absences thrills me.


I find it odd that someone would take kids out that long-10 days & at the beginning of school -esp when she states in another thread that one child is doing poorly in Math-which is a subject if you miss a couple weeks instruction, you are lost

(I have taken my kids out-but it was just 2 days tacked in front of Xmas holiday)

 

[Coconut36]

You ought to be over here on this side reading the garbage you're slinging. I've been posting some of what you're saying to a few people on Facebook and they all think you're nuts. Oh crud. Wait.... now I'm plagiarizing again. Man, I just cannot stop my stealing ways. Please keep commenting. Really. You're hilarious.

Wow...that really speaks to the type of person you are doesn't it?

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

Because she has no plans to do so & said so on the first page

Now whether or not my kids LEARN anything on this trip matters NONE to me. I didn't plan this trip as furthering the kid's education. But if it is something the school needs from me, I am going to cooperate. I am taking the kids out for (7) school days. We will be there for 10 days. It's not like they are only missing 3 or 4 little days, they will miss a whole week plus two days of the next week. The fact that they would even CONSIDER excusing those absences thrills me.


I find it odd that someone would take kids out that long-10 days & at the beginning of school -esp when she states in another thread that one child is doing poorly in Math-which is a subject if you miss a couple weeks instruction, you are lost

(I have taken my kids out-but it was just 2 days tacked in front of Xmas holiday)

My daughter won't be any worse for wear missing 10 days of school because we pay a tutor for her in Math and she gets tutoring at school in Math. She will do just fine, but it's nice to see ppl have so little time on their hands they keep up with what's going on in everybody's life.

And yes, no, I do not plan on this being an educational trip for my kids. I plan on this being a fun family vacation and if they learn things along the way, that's great. But the school requested this letter from me so that's what I am doing.

 

[surfgirl]

And yes, no, I do not plan on this being an educational trip for my kids. I plan on this being a fun family vacation and if they learn things along the way, that's great. But the school requested this letter from me so that's what I am doing.

Make sure your letter is full of "they COULD learn" and not filled with "they WILL learn". Because if you tell the teachers and administration that they "WILL" learn x, y and z, then don't be surprised if someone calls you on it. Just another reason to keep the letter short and sweet rather than extolling ALL the benefits and educational aspects.


As to all the people who are concerned about the privacy with regard to your child. I am not an attorney, nor an educator, but I don't know if privacy laws extend to parent's excuses why their child are absent. I would have no expectation of privacy in this regard - primarily because anytime I've written a note, it is handed into the office and distributed from there. It isn't a closed, sealed document like grades or test scores.

OP, since you are allowed 10 excused absences before any repercussions occur, you are only using 7. Why get your knickers in a twist ? Just tell them it is a family vacation.

Or tell the truth... make it educational. Go to Kennedy Space Center, visit and explain all those exhibits you praise, learn to say 'please' and 'thank you' in all the languages in Epcot, etc.... Then you can go home guilt free and it wasn't a lie.

 

[kaytieeldr]

What I don't understand is why you need to use someone elses letter. Why not write your own to outline what you intend to teach your child versus what someone else is teaching theirs.

Join the club Somebody in this thread even wrote the OP a letter to use - one that could be read without either laughing hysterically, or gagging.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, actually she told me IF I sent in the educational proposal/letter that it WOULD be excused. They have done it before for other families, but that the letter would need to be sent in. She didn't say if the letter was GOOD ENOUGH it would be excused. Just that I needed to send one in to get them excused. So, yes, the absences will be excused.

You may want to reread your original post, because according to what you told us, that's not what the Guidance Counselor said:

I have seen several threads on here where ppl were asking about or posting about needing to write a letter to the school to be able to take the kids out and the letter was explaining all the educational properties of a Disney vacation. Like what things in what subjects they can learn in each park. I have seen several threads like that but I can't find them. If anybody could link me or point me in the right direction to find those threads I would appreciate it. I don't even remember the thread titles so I don't know what to search for.

The guidance councilor at my kid's elementary school said if I draft up some type of letter/proposal like that for the school/teachers then the trip may very well be considered an EXCUSED absence because it is an educational trip. But I need some serious help with this.

I saw one letter drafted up that was long and informative and perfect. But at the time I saw it I didn't think to bookmark that thread because I didn't think I would need something like that. I need it now. Any help you can give me would be appreciated.

People ARE trying to help you. You seem to be refusing to see that, or to stand by the "any help...will be appreciated" statement in the initial post. Sometimes the best help is from an unexpected source.

 

[LuvsDragonflies]

Wow...that really speaks to the type of person you are doesn't it?

Oh the indignity. I'm sorry, but we are just the silliest things over here sometimes.

 

[npcougar]

And beating a dead horse to DEATH. Borderline obsessed it seems. Someone quick go start another controversial thread so she can have something to do TODAY. We know what her obsession was yesterday. Go start a 9 yr old in a stroller thread.

And yet here you are egging on the conversation when you could easily let it die.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

You may want to reread your original post, because according to what you told us, that's not what the Guidance Counselor said:



People ARE trying to help you. You seem to be refusing to see that, or to stand by the "any help...will be appreciated" statement in the initial post. Sometimes the best help is from an unexpected source.

I needed help finding links. I got them. I never asked anybody to write a letter for me because they didn't like what I was planning on using.

 

[DisneyLoverUSA]

You may want to reread your original post, because according to what you told us, that's not what the Guidance Counselor said:



People ARE trying to help you. You seem to be refusing to see that, or to stand by the "any help...will be appreciated" statement in the initial post. Sometimes the best help is from an unexpected source.

MAY VERY WELL BE IF I DRAFT UP THE LETTER. I am drafting it up. So therefore they will be.

 

[Swan4Me]

What people are trying to get you to understand, and what keeps going over your head, is that the letter you say you are using is laughable, a WDW commercial, if you will-and probably will not get the Educational trip approval.

Any moron, and I'm hoping the school officials in your district are not morons, can see it is an over the top form letter you copied from the Internet

If you really want these days excused, a short, to the point, letter would serve you better


But you still dont see it

 

[kaytieeldr]

MAY VERY WELL BE IF I DRAFT UP THE LETTER. I am drafting it up. So therefore they will be.

All due respect, you didn't 'draft' a letter; and 'may' doesn't mean 'will'.

All you did was take two or more templates and combine them into a overblown, inane, ridiculous document. You didn't put a single bit of thought into how the trip might actually be educational for your child, or a single bit of effort into explaining that to the school. You've spent more time and effort interpreting a possibility indicated by the Guidance Counselor as an absolute, than thinking of any actual educational benefits.

 

[CPT Tripss]

And yet here you are egging on the conversation when you could easily let it die.

 

[Skywalker]

OP, why are you hostile with people who are trying to HELP you? This makes no sense to me. They are trying to prevent you and your child from looking like total fools while still achieving an excused absence.