elementary kids - to pull or not to pull?

[jcieutat]

This will be our 3rd year pulling our oldest out of school for 5 days. I guess alot depends on the school (she is in a private catholic school). We have been going the week after Thanksgiving each year. We get her work for that week before Thanksgiving break and she completes it the week of Thanksgiving while she is off. When she returns to school, she just has to make up a few tests. It does help that she is an A student.

I have been to Disneyworld too many times in the middle of summer where it is scorching hot and you are standing in lines for over an hour. For the amount of money it costs these days, I choose to go when it is cool and less crowded. This will probably be the last year we pull her because it is going to get more difficult starting this year (going into 3rd grade). We will probably start going every other year and doing the beach thing in between.

 

[DRDISNEYMD]

have two kids - k and 2nd grade. ok for them to miss 4 days of school for disney?

~I wouldn't think twice about my kids missing a week of school for Disney or any vacation. Learning doesn't limit itself to just the classroom! Have fun!

 

[Figment43]

Just because you are the parents doesn't mean you trump policy.

I also think it was a bit overboard to call the Dept of Education so your child can have homework ahead of time for YOUR vacation. I guess it does't matter that the teachers had to take time out of their personal lives to prepare not only the lesson plans/homework for the students that showed up for class but also the extra homework for your children so you could go on vacation

That was pretty selfish of you.

How would this be extra work for them? Did the teachers give the poster's kids different homework than what they were going to give the other students?

 

[Alesia]

My advice would be to ask your children's teachers. There are a lot of factors that are involved - such as how they're doing academically, how they're doing socially, how the timing of your trip meshes with the timing of the school year and what the school's policy is on unexcused absences. Strangers on the internet can't accurately judge the pros and cons.

 

[rgf207]

How would this be extra work for them? Did the teachers give the poster's kids different homework than what they were going to give the other students?

Lesson plans are usually planned the week before. Why? Because often times things change from week to week based on student's progress and grasping of the previous plans.

Having work prepared ahead of time is normally triple the work for teachers. Here's why

1. The teacher has to prepare the lesson plan for the current week based on the factors listed above.
2. The teacher now needs to prepare the following week's plans for the 1 student that will be out.
3. The teacher will then need to revise the lesson plans for the following week to adhere to the progress of the class.

Source: My wife who is a teacher who has had to do this before.

 

[t_catt11]

OP, this is a personal decision. Only you, the parent, can make it.

I have pulled my children out of school three of our four vacations for at least a few days (and up to a week plus) to go to Disney. My oldest child is an honors student flirting with a 4.0 GPA, and her brother just got accepted into a prestigious high school for advanced students. I cannot say that Disney hurt them one iota.

Middle school and high school are much harder to miss. Elementary school? Psh. I would not hesitate - but again, this is up to you.

I did an article on this last year to weigh the pros and cons of pulling a child out of school for Disney.

 

[sheila <3 WDW]

My DD will be in Kindergarten this year. We planned a week long trip in October when she will only have 3 days of school due to parent-teacher conferences. I do not know school policy yet on absences, but I assume it will end up fine.

 

[Danjocass]

We pulled out out DD (1st grade) for 5 days in November and the teacher gave us a packet of work to do. Pulling her out again in Jan for 4 days she will be in 2nd grade. She is a great student and has no problem doing the make-up work. But like other posters say, it really is a matter of personal preference.

 

[Figment43]

Lesson plans are usually planned the week before. Why? Because often times things change from week to week based on student's progress and grasping of the previous plans.

Having work prepared ahead of time is normally triple the work for teachers. Here's why

1. The teacher has to prepare the lesson plan for the current week based on the factors listed above.
2. The teacher now needs to prepare the following week's plans for the 1 student that will be out.
3. The teacher will then need to revise the lesson plans for the following week to adhere to the progress of the class.

Source: My wife who is a teacher who has had to do this before.

I knew that you were going to end up telling me that either you're a teacher or you know/are related to someone who is.

If the lesson is planned the week before, then it should not be extra work because he/she isn't providing anything more than the homework for the next week. Nothing is different just because one student is out. It is up to that student to learn the material, whether they grasp it on their own or seek out help. The teacher doesn't need to plan anything extra.

 

[rgf207]

I knew that you were going to end up telling me that either you're a teacher or you know/are related to someone who is.

If the lesson is planned the week before, then it should not be extra work because he/she isn't providing anything more than the homework for the next week. Nothing is different just because one student is out. It is up to that student to learn the material, whether they grasp it on their own or seek out help. The teacher doesn't need to plan anything extra.

I assume you know there is no extra work involved because you are a teacher?

So because my wife is a teacher and not me I don't witness, first hand, what happens? It is extra work. You can sit there all day and try to come up with reasons why it's not but you are wrong. I've seen it.

 

[pjew]

No harm in my opinion in taking them out of school for a lifetime of family memories. I've been taking by 3 kids out of school for all of our 6 Disney trips
since they were in elementary. As of then, my oldest has graduated from high school as president of the National Honor Society. She is now in college studying to be a teacher. No harm there .
I just took my middle child to Cabo San Lucas this February for her high school graduation gift...so i took them (2 daughters) out of school for an 8 days. My middle child will actually be graduating from high school next week with 45hours of college credit. She attended high school & community college at the same time. Kudos to her sooo no harm there either .
My youngest child is a freshman in high school and has good grades too even after missing several days for Cabo.
So as you can tell i have no REGRETS what so ever in taking them out of school for family trips. For the amount of $$ we spend for each trip i think its best to go during slow times with less people and better weather.
Im in the process of planning our next trip for next Nov. for our 25th anniversary. Many family and friends will be joining us and also taking their kids along so they too will be taking them out of school.

yes, you will have a teacher or two who give you problems but the majority of them will be really nice with it. I informed the school a month ahead and they worked with us on getting the kids the work they were gonna miss BEFORE we left on our trip. Some teachers didnt even give them any work they were happy that we did things as a family and wished other kids were fortunate like us. Many teachers just ask them to write a report of the trip and share with the kids when they returned.

for each their own but in my opinion taking the kids out of school for family vacations is the best thing i ever did. We have memories to last a lifetime!

 

[Pills]

We pulled our kids in 11/10. At that point, the little one was in pre-K, so no big deal. The big one was in 3rd grade, and we told her teacher on Know Your School night that we were going.

Her reaction? "Can you put me in a suitcase?" She did give my daughter some homework to do, but nothing big.

We're planning to go again in fall of 2013, when the older will be in 6th grade and the little one in 2nd, and likely around the same time, so we'll have a similar plan.

 

[GillieRose]

We just came back from Disney and the kids missed 5 days of school (3rd and 6th grade). The teachers had there work ready for them 2 days before we left and the kids finished it all before we left. I would do it again. My husband with his job is not allowed to take vacation in the summer so we really don't have a choice. The school was great about it. I know we can probably only do it 2 more years till my daughter gets into High School.

 

[chartle]

1. Here it starts.

You are of course welcome to your opinion........


2. When it comes to policy about this topic, Parents ALWAY trump policy!

1. I agree you did put a little gas on the fire.

2. Yes you can say that, but in some states and or school districts its not a policy its a law. So you wouldn't be explaining it to a Principal but to a Judge.

But to OP no its probably not going to cause a problem, but as always on these posts, its up to the policies or laws of of your school district.


Some say have a nice day say hi to Mickey, others will require paperwork and some because of things like "no kid left behind laws" no. So check with your school.

 

[Figment43]

I assume you know there is no extra work involved because you are a teacher?

So because my wife is a teacher and not me I don't witness, first hand, what happens? It is extra work. You can sit there all day and try to come up with reasons why it's not but you are wrong. I've seen it.

Can you read? I said I knew that either you are a teacher or you know one. Nowhere in my post did I say you didn't know anything because your wife is a teacher and you're not.

It's not extra work. I went to school Kindergarten through 12th grade. I've seen lesson plans. It's not as complicated as you're making it out to be. If it were really that complicated, then why do 9 out of 10 teachers give out homework to vacationing students ahead of time without complaint?

Assuming the teacher isn't brand new to his/her job, they teach the same thing every year for years, varying it slightly based on added material and class progress. Even if she waits until Sunday night to do her lesson plan for the week, she still would have some idea before hand of what will be studied. And if it's just too much for one teacher to print out a worksheet ahead of time, then the worst that could happen is that the student receives the homework upon return and is allowed a reasonable length of time to complete it.

 

[t_catt11]

I assume you know there is no extra work involved because you are a teacher?

So because my wife is a teacher and not me I don't witness, first hand, what happens? It is extra work. You can sit there all day and try to come up with reasons why it's not but you are wrong. I've seen it.

This always kills me. We're talking about elementary school here.

"Next week, we'll be doing chapter twelve in history, working on long division in math, chapter ten in science, and diagramming sentences in English."

Wow. Nobody is asking for a customized lesson plan for the child. Give me an estimate as to how far you think that class is going to go in their books. Be ambitious. If my child does extra work, good for them.


Also, since so many are getting self righteous here, let me do the same.

Why is it that schools seem to crack down on good students about attendance, but then let the students whose parents could care less get away with pretty much anything?

My daughter has had some health issues in her life (once due to having her finger severed AT SCHOOL due to a door that lacked a closure on it), and on two different years (years we did not miss school for Disney or other trips), we have been threatened with truancy court - never mind that she has always been in the top of her class, that we actively support the school, etc.

Yet, she has classmates that miss days on end, and nothing is said. Said kids come from questionable homes where education is not a priority... so naturally, we are the ones who get the 3rd degree.

 

[rgf207]

Can you read? I said I knew that either you are a teacher or you know one. Nowhere in my post did I say you didn't know anything because your wife is a teacher and you're not.

It's not extra work. I went to school Kindergarten through 12th grade. I've seen lesson plans. It's not as complicated as you're making it out to be. If it were really that complicated, then why do 9 out of 10 teachers give out homework to vacationing students ahead of time without complaint?

Assuming the teacher isn't brand new to his/her job, they teach the same thing every year for years, varying it slightly based on added material and class progress. Even if she waits until Sunday night to do her lesson plan for the week, she still would have some idea before hand of what will be studied. And if it's just too much for one teacher to print out a worksheet ahead of time, then the worst that could happen is that the student receives the homework upon return and is allowed a reasonable length of time to complete it.

Yes I can read. I'm not going to continue to respond to you if you are going to be insulting.

 

[Phatoomch]

Children are at school for 13years ... 4days is not going to make a difference.

Before going, talk to the teacher and find out what they will be missing and make a plan for catching up. It won't be a huge amount.

 

[bits-n-pieces]

I assume you know there is no extra work involved because you are a teacher?

So because my wife is a teacher and not me I don't witness, first hand, what happens? It is extra work. You can sit there all day and try to come up with reasons why it's not but you are wrong. I've seen it.

I think the bottome line is yes, it's extra work. But, we all are adults who have jobs that require extra work sometimes. It's called life...roll with it or find something to do that you actually like.

 

[taitai]

The bottom line is that you need to check your District's Attendance policies. In some districts, there are severe penalties for unexcused absences. In others, there are not. If there are penalties in your district then you need to understand those and then decide whether or not the trip is worth it. The penalties can mean automatic zeros on assignments, parents hauled in front of a truancy judge, being held back, etc. Just depends.

Do your homework before you make the decision and know what the repercussions will be.