Have you taken your kids out of school for 2 weeks?

[riu girl]

If so, how did the school/school board handle it? We are in the City of Kawarhta Lakes, ON.

I want to plan a 4 week Florida holiday for late 2007 (mid Dec 2007 - mid Jan 2008). The kids will be out of school for two of those weeks but this would mean I would have to take them out of school for two weeks also.

I would be more then willing to take school work with us, but just wondering what sort of reaction I should expect from the school? So far they have been great about our kids missing school for holidays (but we have never taken them out for more then 6 consecutive school days). We do about 1-2 hours of academics each summer monring and the kids are very used to "Mommy school/school of terror (as DS5 calls it)" and are used to doing scool work while on vacation. We don't watch tv at home, so tv on vacation is always the reward for doing school work while on vacation.

DD will be in Grade 5 and is currently an A/B+ student, DS will be in Grade two and is currently one of the top students in his kindergarten class.

I know that this will be work for the teachers (preparing work to take with us and making sure they get their missed work once back in class.).

I just think that as they get older this is just going to be harder to do since their academics will be more difficult. I want to do this while they are still young enough to be able to miss this much school without problems.

btw, this won't be the only weeks missed for next school year, we always take them out for a late spring holiday (one full week) as well.

DD is on an IEP (for ADHD/behavioural issues) and IPRC (behaviour, although they have been asking me about removing the IPRC) and the school has been just incredible with her thus far. I don't want to do anything to rock the boat and upset the school.

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you

 

[digskat]

By the time we drive to and from WDW it is roughly two weeks, they will be in fact missing 10days. I'd let your teachers know well enough in advance for homework etc. I take our kids out every year and to this date have not had an issue. I am a nurse and DH is a correctional officer so the summer is considered prime time and very hard to get time off. I say go for it! Cheers Kat

 

[MamaLema]

You will receive many different responses to this thread. Taking kids out of school can be a hot topic.

I have taken the kids out of school 2 weeks every school year. The older kids are in grades 2 and 4. For us it has gone smoothly. I didn't have any problems with the school or their teachers. I took all their homework with them and the kids were right with their class when they came back.

I know I won't be able to do it every year - especially when they go to high school.

Good luck with your decision

 

[Fish2]

We took our grade 7 daughter and grade 5 son out for 2 weeks (less a day). The only extra homework our daughter's teacher gave her, was an assignment to take 12 different pictures of DW and write a small report on each of them. They had no problem catching up when they returned. My son wasn't happy with all of his "absents" on his report card though.

 

[chasbos]

We have done it also when we went to Europe a few years ago.

The kids were actually ahead of the class when it they came back to school! The teachers were really good about sending the work with us and we made sure they did it every day!

Missing a few weeks of school is really no big deal!

We always thought that once the kids got into High School that we would have to start vacationing while school was out - but I look at DD who is in Gr 9 this year and on the soccer team & track team right now. She never goes to school! There is always a game or a meet!

So I say go for it - they are only young once.

 

[BitsnBearsMom]

We've done it and will be doing it again.

The kids benefit more from the time spent as a family and even learn more (yes even at Disney!!) from travel. Our school board doesn't seem to mind it!

We did it last year and will be doing it again this year as well as another 2 week trip planned for Dec 2007. Might have to re-think it once ds is in high school as they do 'miss more' then.

My kids will be in gr 1 and gr 7 this year when we go! LAst time they both kept a journal of what they did/saw each day, read a book or 2, and older ds had some math to complete - he was actually ahead when we returned and he also has an IEP and has been identified with ADD and a non verbal learning difference!

 

[CharlesTD]

We take ours out for 2 weeks ever Dec we go for the first 2 weeks of teh month and have never had any issues with the school or the teachers. We are in the Thames Valley schoolboard and we have not heard any of their regulations about teh missed time and we have done it often enough that if they had a big issue with it I am sure we would have heard by now. Our teachers always are very helpfull and are happy we ask them for work to do while we are away.

 

[Miandrea]

Some boards and schools have a policy that if a parent withdraws their child, the school will not provide work during the time away. You will need to write a letter to the school stating the time away for their records. Have a great time with your trip!
Andrea

 

[alohamom]

We always take them out. This year we did a Disneyland, California/Hawaii trip and we backed it onto the March break so essentially they only were out of classes for two of the three weeks we were gone. The teachers for both my kids gave us some work to do while away but some to catch up on and this was hard for my youngest who is in grade one. He is not too happy with the amount of work he is given on a daily basis, never mind having extra catch up work but we muddled through it and lived to tell the tale! I totally agree with the poster who stated that they are only young once and to enjoy your time together as a family, it it such a precious thing.

 

[SandraC]

We take our kids out of school for lots of other "educational" events! Disney is one of them! Teachers have always been awesome. What's it all going to matter in 100 years anyway! ENJOY YOUR LIFE!

CARPE DIEM!

SEIZE THE DAY!

Blessings, Sandra

 

[akalittleeva]

This will be the first year we take our kids out of school (Nov) for 2 weeks. They will be Gr. 5 & 3. They will miss 8 days due to Remembrance Day and parent/teacher interviews. The kids principal is a wonderful lady and a Disney fan - her office is covered in Tigger. I've already spoken to her and she feels that family vacations are a great learning experience and has no problem with it. I plan on talking to their teachers early in the year - they are good students, so I'm not too worried about it.

On a side note - I plan on having the kids make a poster for our character meal at CP and having Tigger hold it in the pic with the kids. The poster will say something like Hi Mrs.__________! Wish you were here...and emailing it to her - I think she will get a kick out of it.

 

[zookeeper]

I am a teacher and one of the boys in my class missed just over a month because he travelled overseas for a family wedding. He made up some of the work, but some of it he just missed. It's not the end of the world and the time spent with family is so valuable!!! As someone else said, in 100 years what difference will it make???

 

[Disneyof3]

I've taken my kids out for approx 10 days and they have taken work with them so they don't forget. I've done this twice now. If we go in Feb.2007 they will again be taken out for the same time frame. I only wish I could of done this as a kid. As most people have post, it's something that they'll remember for years. I could see if the child wasn't doing well in school either, then I would second the option.

 

[mbb]

We went for 3 weeks this past February..our boys have ASD, and both on IPPs.

Aside from photocopying their math sheets, that was it for prep work for their teacher.

We wrote every night in a journal, explored France and more of China this year, and did one Math sheet/day.

Came home ahead of the class...and we had a great vacation

HTH!!

 

[dhluvsDisney]

We've done this many a time. I've even taken my high school kids out of school. It really hasn't been a big deal at all. It's just a matter of them making up what needs to be done. I'm in agreement with all the above. I especially agree with the comment about family time nowadays. OUr lives are so busy, that we find that our best family time comes from our vacation times together. It really is the only time our family goes in one direction instead of 5!

Linda

 

[LoriLea]

I think it really depends on the child. I wouldn't hesitate to take my daughter (Gr.3) out of school for 2 weeks as I'm sure it wouldn't have a negative impact on her. She would catch up easily. My son (Gr.5) on the other hand is entirely different. It would take a long time to bring him back up to speed with the rest of his class if we were to pull him out for a week or 2. We already work extremely hard at home to help him keep up with his class when he's there every day!
Because of this, we've resigned ourselves to the fact that we have to take our holidays when there are school holidays - March Break, summer, Christmas. That's one of the reasons why our Disney trips are planned in the summer.
I wish we could feel comfortable taking them both out during the school year so we could take advantage of off-season rates, flights etc. because I would if I could.

 

[PandaBear & Boo]

You only live once. As long as your kids are willing to do the work their teachers give them then go for it. They are your kids you have the choice to do whatever you want. Have a great trip. PS. I have taken my kids out of school twice to go to WDW and no one said anything about it.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you everyone for all the information.

We have decided to leave this years vacation as it (3 weeks over Christmas, kids will miss 6 school days).

BUT we have decided for next Christmas (2007) we are planning on going to FL for ONE FULL month (the kids will miss 11 school days).

I will talk to the teachers about the vacation early fall 2007 and let them tell me what they expect for missed school work. As it is right now, my kids are used to doing academics every day in the summer (with me) as well as keeping a journal on any vacation we take (for me, not the school) so even if they have to do quite a bit of school work on vacation they are totally used to this already.

Thanks again for all the information.

 

[SnowWhite]

We had this issue last fall when we went to Disney. My daughter's teacher happened to come to our garage sale last summer and I asked him how he felt about her missing almost two weeks of school. He just laughed and said that by the time she got back the rest of the class may have caught up to her. LOL
She has held an A average the last three years (grades 1,2 and 3) and won the overall grade 2 award last year in school. He said that even on vacation students get good learning experiences and if alittle fun happens to show its ugly head then just roll with it.......... Excellent teacher and genuine guy. I have no worries about this fall either. School boards need to realize that just because they regulate their vacations, that it won't always work for parents. Personally, I know that I learned alot about the world just from the travelling that I did when I was young.

Rob (Snowwhite's DH)

 

[cpbjgc]

Wow! 19 posts and no or or posts and no need for a !

When this thread turns up on the Disney for Families board its usually up to 5 pages and raging debates on School policies and bad parenting within an hour of the opening post!

But this is the Canadian Board after all!

We have never taken our DS (now Grade 4) out for more than 6 days, but I'm with the group that says go for it. You seem to have a good plan in place fro keeping them up to speed. As long as the teachers are ok with it, I think a family trip is important and can provide edcuational experiences as well.