Getting kids out of school

[Shooby doo]

oops missed the hours out of the 2/3 sentence!!
SD aw:

 

[Deedee]

I hope i didn`t start the threads about the teachers. I put the bit about not being on teachers wages because i am a school lunch time supervisor and only work one and a half hours a day!! I have a lot of friends who are teachers in the school and most of them agree about the high prices any way including the head mistress.

 

[carolfoy]

So are the Orlando hotels going to discount their Peak rate just so the Agent can pass it on to you....Don't think so!

Very valid point - all travel companies put their prices up BECAUSE hotels, ground tour operators, baggage handling companies, etc charge more, airport staff have to work overtime, as do reps so the tour companies have to charge more

 

[andip1967]

I originally started this thread.

Now I am well confused, has anyone given me a straight or proper answer?

Only four months left and I need to get to the bottom of my original question.

Sorry!

 

[carolfoy]

Hi Andip1967 sorry don't know about your original question you'll have to ask her school! every school does things differently but if you explain its a special visit I'm sure they'll be more co-operative to her having time off

 

[SammieG]

This is a very sensitive subject and we all have our opinions!

It seems that those law abiding people who send their kids to school within the school term, and take the kids out in the holidays for family holidays are flamed!! Yet we are the ones following the "rules"!

Going to WDW is NOT contrary to popular belief, mandatory. As others have said, if its too expensive, too hot, or you just dont like the prices that the tour companies are charging then... guess what.... DONT GO!!

Our school expects us to take our children on vacation during the school holidays- and all the parents oblige... no question. Thats the condition of the school.

The jealousy and bitterness of some of the posts in this thread is just outrageous.

If YOU want to take your kids out of school, against the wishes of the school and in breach of the law, then its up to you! However, dont have a go at those people who decide to follow the law and do whats best for their kids.

 

[carolfoy]

I'm sorry but I don't agree that you're breaking the law if you take your kids out of school! the whole point of a lot of schools going along with the two weeks extra discretionary thing is NOT against the law

 

[fizz13]

Ok, here is what I did. My DD school is allowed 10 days off per year at the head teachers discretion. I had to write a letter directly to the HT, stating my case. I explained that we had a timeshare given to us as a present so the dates were not negotiable. This was a one off and not something I would make a habit of, but felt this was a once in a lifetime opportunity for DD. The headteacher agreed, said it was a wonderful opportunity and could she come too?

A carefully worded letter may be all that is needed to get your wish. The only problem you may encounter is her age. At 14, they are involved in their GCSE course, so try and offer to take work with you so she doesn't miss anything.

Good luck and I hope this helps,
Claire xx

 

[carolfoy]

Agree Claire, if its a special agreement and its up to the teachers and they feel that your child can manage to catch up on any work they miss then they can allow that child time off! also think you're right tho'that a 14 year old is in serious study periods so should be a bit more wary

 

[VSL]

Everything I said was true!!

How does that make me
Uneducated
Offensive and get this one Jealous

And who said I was Wound up about it!!

its a Discussion Board - Sorry For speaking the truth!!

It's uneducated because you reckon that teachers 'rake it in' when they so clearly don't (especially considering the cr*p they have to put up with from the Government and some parents).
It's offensive because the way you said/worded your post implied that they don't deserve 'even more money' for marking exam scripts (each takes a good 2hrs+, BTW).

I think that the person who implied that you were jealous took it from the way you were talking about your teacher friends (and all their money) in your first post.
The 'wound up' part is no doubt from all the exclamation points you used, which implied that you were angry and worked up.
I can't help but agree.

BTW, I'm not a teacher, just someone hoping to become one one day - not for the money, but because I love my subject and feel I could teach it to teenagers in an interesting way (ie, not just getting them to sit, listen, and answer questions).

 

[jdybnsn]

I have to admit to being one of the lawless parents that has taken her child out of school during term time - I have to say in defense that as I single parent and business owner I really don't have a choice if I want to go on holiday at all with my children.

It is not just a question of the money, but the fact that my staff have children too so they are normally off on holiday in the vacation period - someone has to hold the fort, and added to which the holiday periods are our busiest times !

Furthermore, whenever we have gone in term time I have always asked for my son's work (he is aged 7) to take away with us for that week, reading books and homework...added to this I always insist that my son writes a daily diary that also includes something about the geography, history and culture about the place we are visiting.
I can hand on heart say that everytime we have returned from holiday he has improved quite notably in his school work, since he gets to spend time in a one to one teaching environment, and has also learnt a bit more about the world in which we live.

It may be a bit of a pain doing school work on the plane and in the hotel room (for him and for me !) but I think it is a fair compromise and one as a parent I feel justifies my actions.

 

[wilki32]

To try and answer the question without bringing up that teachers are lazy and have far too much time off...only kidding people have good friends that teach and would not swap with them for all the tea in China!

Anyway we are taking DD out of school on the 11th October for nearly 2 weeks, she a form from the student centre that we put the dates on and signed. I did ring the school as someone at the student centre had said that year 7 students could not take time off! The head of year said that it was all fine but they had to have a policy to try and stop everyone taking time off in the school year.

Hope thats been of help.

Anthony

check out the ticker!!!

 

[Oddjob]

It's uneducated because you reckon that teachers 'rake it in' when they so clearly don't (especially considering the cr*p they have to put up with from the Government and some parents).
It's offensive because the way you said/worded your post implied that they don't deserve 'even more money' for marking exam scripts (each takes a good 2hrs+, BTW).

I think that the person who implied that you were jealous took it from the way you were talking about your teacher friends (and all their money) in your first post.
The 'wound up' part is no doubt from all the exclamation points you used, which implied that you were angry and worked up.
I can't help but agree.

BTW, I'm not a teacher, just someone hoping to become one one day - not for the money, but because I love my subject and feel I could teach it to teenagers in an interesting way (ie, not just getting them to sit, listen, and answer questions).

And your saying Im Angry and worked up?!

Ill think twice before posting comments here,However true but thats irrelevant isnt it

 

[VSL]

I don't know how you can even imply that I am wound up. I haven't used an exclamation mark at any point, or even worded stuff in a rude way.
I have stayed calm the whole time.

I'm just stating the facts.

 

[Oddjob]

I don't know how you can even imply that I am wound up. I haven't used an exclamation mark at any point, or even worded stuff in a rude way.
I have stayed calm the whole time.

I'm just stating the facts.

So Am I
Now Im Through with this,I will respond no more

 

[Tiggernut_jadie]

This is a very sensitive subject and we all have our opinions!

It seems that those law abiding people who send their kids to school within the school term, and take the kids out in the holidays for family holidays are flamed!! Yet we are the ones following the "rules"!

Going to WDW is NOT contrary to popular belief, mandatory. As others have said, if its too expensive, too hot, or you just dont like the prices that the tour companies are charging then... guess what.... DONT GO!!

Our school expects us to take our children on vacation during the school holidays- and all the parents oblige... no question. Thats the condition of the school.

The jealousy and bitterness of some of the posts in this thread is just outrageous.

If YOU want to take your kids out of school, against the wishes of the school and in breach of the law, then its up to you! However, dont have a go at those people who decide to follow the law and do whats best for their kids.

Show me a post where anyone has had a go at those parents who go in the summer holidays? Well? I thought not!

So you're saying that, because of MEDICAL reasons that proclude my DD and I from going in temperatures of 100 degrees and above then we ahould miss out on a trip to WDW?

Jelousy and bitterness, nothing - I'm more concerned about the ;piousness and holier than thou attitude of SOME posters personally!

 

[Shooby doo]

Andip back to your original question...At our DS school we have to send in a letter to the Headmistress,I normally state when we are going,how many days of term he is likely to miss,the offer to take work (Which the school has refused to give because in their words a holiday is a holiday!) & the fact that I don't have total control of when my holidays are.On a crew of 17,there are normally only 2 off at any one time,with 15 of us having school age children it means only 6 can be off during the summer hols!
This next time will probably be our last before Ds starts High school (he's now 10) I we don't envisage going once he starts unless of course his Mum & I go ourselves!!
SD aw:

 

[kristieuk]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread at all. I have tried not to even read it, because previous threads have become so bitter, and I have become drawn up in in the anger and bad feeling.

I just think that it is really sad that above anything else, this subject creates so much nastiness and I agree, there are those who have a 'holier than though' attitude that if you can't afford to go in the school holidays, suck it up and go somewhere else, or even don't go on holiday at all. That was what got me so inflamed last time.

Reading all of these responses again, I can't help myself.

All I want to say is that whatever our views on this subject, we all have to accept that we are grown ups, capable of weighing up various factors to make educated and responsible decisions. It is not for others to criticise those personal decisions we make in respect of our own families and how we choose to live our lives.

People choose to take their children out of school for different reasons : to save money, to avoid crowds and hot weather, because they cannot have time off together in school holidays (as in our case). It doesn't matter what the reason is. It is personal choice and no-one has the right to interfere with that, or send you on a guilt trip by making out you are involving your children in some kind of unlawful conspiracy.

Likewise, parents who decide to go only in holidays make that decision for their own personal reasons, and that is absolutely understandable, and it is their perogative.

We are lucky that dd (just 6) goes to a highly respected church school with an excellent headmaster who lives in the real world. He has no problem with authorising 10 days absence for family holidays. Working from that basis, I have made the decision that dd is doing exceptionally well at school, she is happy to take a few books and some classwork on holiday, and most of all the experience of travel is enriching. If I felt the experience was not a positive one for her, we wouldn't go.

I really wish that people could just have some respect for the choices made by others. These aren't light decisions, and I'm sure that everyone here has reached their decision through careful consideration of a multitude of factors.

 

[happytraveller]

I wasn't going to respond to this thread at all. I have tried not to even read it, because previous threads have become so bitter, and I have become drawn up in in the anger and bad feeling.

I just think that it is really sad that above anything else, this subject creates so much nastiness and I agree, there are those who have a 'holier than though' attitude that if you can't afford to go in the school holidays, suck it up and go somewhere else, or even don't go on holiday at all. That was what got me so inflamed last time.

Reading all of these responses again, I can't help myself.

All I want to say is that whatever our views on this subject, we all have to accept that we are grown ups, capable of weighing up various factors to make educated and responsible decisions. It is not for others to criticise those personal decisions we make in respect of our own families and how we choose to live our lives.

People choose to take their children out of school for different reasons : to save money, to avoid crowds and hot weather, because they cannot have time off together in school holidays (as in our case). It doesn't matter what the reason is. It is personal choice and no-one has the right to interfere with that, or send you on a guilt trip by making out you are involving your children in some kind of unlawful conspiracy.

Likewise, parents who decide to go only in holidays make that decision for their own personal reasons, and that is absolutely understandable, and it is their perogative.

We are lucky that dd (just 6) goes to a highly respected church school with an excellent headmaster who lives in the real world. He has no problem with authorising 10 days absence for family holidays. Working from that basis, I have made the decision that dd is doing exceptionally well at school, she is happy to take a few books and some classwork on holiday, and most of all the experience of travel is enriching. If I felt the experience was not a positive one for her, we wouldn't go.

I really wish that people could just have some respect for the choices made by others. These aren't light decisions, and I'm sure that everyone here has reached their decision through careful consideration of a multitude of factors.

Well said

 

[disney13]

After reading all these replies, I have a question. How would everyone feel if teachers, head teachers, school office staff etc etc took 10 days off during school term times so that they could take THEIR children on holiday? Would they be happy if their children didn't get the education they deserved because teachers were on holiday?

I'd LOVE to go to WDW for 2 weeks at any other time than during the school holidays but as I have said earlier, I'm married to a teacher who cannot take any time off during school term times unless it's an absolute emergency. I'm certainly not happy looking at paying some £800 for a flight to Orlando next August when the price is £300 in February or November.

Let's get this thread back onto it's original topic and Andip1967 the information he desperately needs.

Andy

P.S. Andip1967 - Hope the surprise goes well.