"educational value" of Disney trip?

[Divslp]

The last time I filled out a vacation form for my son's school, his teachers were actually impressed with what I wrote under "reason for absences"! Even the principal found it memorable..lol. I basically listed every "educational activity" we were going to be doing on our vacation. It takes some creativity with words, but it's doable... And it was approved

 

[briveigh]

We have a Lawful Absence Request Form that we are to fill out. It has places for 2 educational opportunities. I put "World Cultures in Epcot," and "Animal Conservation at Animal Kingdom." I just got it back today approved. I didn't think it would be a problem, because I asked the principal earlier in the year what I needed to do for our trip, and he told me to fill out the form.

 

[chris31997]

If driving finding out about each State's bird, flower, fruit, etc

Physics behind, roller coasters

Patterns and reasoning behind Hidden Mickey

Public Speaking: pin trading, gotta ask

Trying new foods from differant places

Making an attempt to find a CM from somewhere besides US and talk with them

History/scale building behind the building of WDW

 

[Burnedout]

It is such a loaded question. I believe almost every new experience our kids have IS educational! I feel it is a huge benefit teaching my kids how to navigate an airport, seeing another state, talking to people (on the buses) from all sorts of different states, and that is without considering many of the educational experiences in the parks themselves.
You can't really put a value on a family vacation though, educational or otherwise I think it is beneficial to everyone in the family and I would probably just say that to a principal if they asked. My husband works long hours, plus Saturdays. There are days he leaves work half an hour after the kids wake up and isn't home until after they are in bed so a week straight spending time with mom and dad is something our kids just don't get and there is no way I would let a school tell me I couldn't do something like that with our kids. Thankfully our school simply told us to have fun when I informed them that we were going, but if we had seriously been given a hard time I would have pulled them out to homeschool in a heartbeat

I think your points are the best. We homeschooled. We didn't "school" on vacation. We just did what most people do. We talked with our kids about all we that was going on and all that we saw. Teaching a kid to be aware of their environment and negotiating it as well as discovering what it had to offer continues to benefit them.


Stupid hoop to jump through. But you gotta do what you gotta do!!

 

[happymommy]

I'd probably write something like "shove it" but that's why I homeschool. Well, that's not WHY I homeschool, but not having to deal with nonsense like that is definitely a benefit.

LOL! I was thinking the same thing!!! That's why my kids go to an independent private college prep school - none of that crap (or at least less LOL). Any travel with family has value.

I do agree with the other PP - at DAK last trip, my DD (who is sort of considering a future as a veterinarian even though she knows it's much more competitive than many other medical careers) spent so much time learning from the vets at that Rafiki's Planet Watch place. Prior to that trip, I don't believe we had ever explored that area! We have learned a lot about the animals there, and watched a bit of a procedure as well.

Still, if a school really wanted some letter, golly I just don't know if I could keep it in. Or just laugh.

The two years my kids went to a conservative religious school that was really strict (boys hair had to be a certain length, etc...) I just called my kids in sick one time the last week of school one year! We were at Disney, and it was a silly half day every day ice cream social type of week anyway. They ended up not being noted absent on their report cards, so the teachers had already finished their marking. The handbook for that school specified that families "were given ample time over the holidays, spring break and summer for vacations" and we were not to pull our kids out (and they specified, especially to go to Disney!) during school time.

Okay rant over - to the OP good luck to your friend. Do what is best for your own kids and don't let any school tell you what to do!

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Hello OP - I am also from the Lehigh Valley, and will most likely be pulling my kids out of school in May for a trip. We've done it before, and like some others, we stressed the geography (we drove), the culture (World Showcase), the science (AK, Epcot), and more. We also did a YES class once, so that totally fell into "educational."

My kids get pulled out of school BY THE SCHOOL to go to Hershey Park twice a year - once for band and once for science. If the school can allow that, they can allow me to take my kids out to celebrate my graduate school graduation!

Quite honestly, as long as you aren't pulling them out during PSSAs you'll be fine.

 

[labdogs42]

Hello OP - I am also from the Lehigh Valley, and will most likely be pulling my kids out of school in May for a trip. We've done it before, and like some others, we stressed the geography (we drove), the culture (World Showcase), the science (AK, Epcot), and more. We also did a YES class once, so that totally fell into "educational."

My kids get pulled out of school BY THE SCHOOL to go to Hershey Park twice a year - once for band and once for science. If the school can allow that, they can allow me to take my kids out to celebrate my graduate school graduation!

Quite honestly, as long as you aren't pulling them out during PSSAs you'll be fine.

LOL. It is not actually the Lehigh Valley school asking for this. Our friends who live near Philly are the ones getting the request from their school. our school is fine with it! Yay!