Help ! Take Kids Out Of School ??

[vanillarum]

We just returned from a great trip to the world (Aug. 15-24 at the Poly). Here's our problem. We have only been in the summer(no complaints !). We would really like to see the world around Christmas, and are thinking about a short trip (maybe 5 days) in Dec. '08. We don't think we want to go during school break due to the crowds and prices. But we're nervous about taking the kids out of school, to go say, before Christmas. Our DS (15) is an honors student, but we really have to "prod" him to study(maybe we don't need to "prod" him, but we do !). Our DD (10) does great in school also, although it will be her first year in middle school. We don't want to put more pressure on them by taking them out ( they would love it !) and having to make up the work. Any advice or personnel experiences with the subject ? We realize that many people take their kids out of school, maybe we're just looking for reassurances ?! Thanx for any and all info or experiences!!

 

[ILoveMagic]

I understand what you mean...............I made the decision in July to take my DS (10) out of school in December (the 16th-22nd) for our 1st Xmas trip! He is also a very good student. I have never done this before. to top it all off.............i am taking him out 1 week before xmas break! So he will have 3 weeks xmas vacation. Although teachers usually do not like it. I let his teachers know the 1st week of school so they will be prepared when the time comes. They each told me they would supply homework. Just think he will have 3 weeks to complete it! It was a hard decision, but im sure i will not regret it!

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

As long as their grades are good and the trip is short, I think you should go for it!

I'm taking mine out for four days in Sept. 08.
My DS is a B student (he'll be 7th grade next year) and my DD (3rd grade next year) will still be in elementary school so I don't expect any problems. I did pick the dates because there's no state testing that month and we can go to MNSSHP.

Our school system does have a rule about no more than 5 days unexused absences and family vacations are unexused so I'm sure I'll get some sort of warning.
I figure I'm the parent and what I say goes so we are going to WDW!

 

[Mayl]

Each family has to make that choice..

We do take them out for one week to go to Disney each year. The kids are both younger (9 and 7) but they know that their grades have to be excellent for them to go. We inform the teachers right away and get work done before the week vacation to be sure they miss as little as possible.

Due to my job and my DW, it would be very hard to take time off during summer. Also there is a huge benefit to going off season. The prices make it fit the budget, plus you get more done due to less lines and all that.

Right now, not a problem. But we take it year by year. If for some reason the kids were not doing well in school, we would yank the trip in a heartbeat, skip the disney trip for the year and just get them back to par.

 

[Grumpymom73]

It's really a personal choice.
How long are you planning to go? Where we live, Dec. is the end of a semester and my kids have mid-terms/finals so I would check your dates carefully. If you're not taking them out of school for too long and they don't have any mid-terms, etc during that time I would say they shouldn't have too hard a time making-up the work. Again make sure they will have enough time to make-up the work they miss before the semester ends.
I have taken my kids out of school to go on vacation. My DS(13) is an honor student in middle school too. My other DS (8) is still in elementary school and that is so much easier to pull them out of then the older grades.

Of course you could always take the chance and talk to their teachers and pray they are Disney fans too. Maybe promise them a souvenir.

 

[TJA]

Our twins are in pre-k right now, so we will be faced with your dilemma very soon. I think a lot of the "pulling kids out of school" depends on each individual child and if he/she can adapt to missing school due to vacation and not suffer academically. I say try it once and see how it works. What we plan to do once our girls reach school age is the following:

You can work that so the kids only miss 4 days of school. You can leave on a Wednesday late afternoon after the kids get out of school, then be refreshed for all day Thursday in the parks. Book a later flight on the following Tuesday so you can have most of Tuesday in the parks. Therefore, the kids only miss 4 days of school and you get 6 days in the parks.

Just my personal thoughts and opinions -- I know a lot of people feel strongly about not pulling kids out of school. We plan to try it once and see for ourselves. Live and learn, I guess. Good luck!

 

[queenmum2]

We've taken our kids out for trips almost every year they've been in school. Not for long periods, mind you, but they've missed.

Now that DS is 10 - and will be in middle school next year - we MIGHT not chance it. That said, we plan our trip around "oddball" days off of school - teacher workdays, for example, that have no bearing on Disney crowds. In our district, there is a teacher workday at the end of each grading period so that conferences can be scheduled through the day. So we might take the kids out for 2 days of school, then with the workday and the weekend, we can get a full 5 days of vacation.

This year, we're going down in December and the kids will miss the last two days before Christmas break. We'll go down on the weekend and stay through Tuesday (DH has to get back to work). I'm not sure how bad the crowds are likely to be.

Anyway - we tell the teachers up front and request work to do on the trip. Last year, DS's science teacher was absent and didn't send work - then penalized him for a project that they did while he was absent -- I think she was PO'd that we pulled him out. But as his other grades were fine and he's generally a good student, we blew it off. I figure that experiences like this - even though they are really FUN - have great value. Family-building; experiencing FABULOUS theming and learning about other countries (and meeting people from other countries); there's true value in all aspects of a WDW vacation... economics, sociology (what a place to people-watch), culture, seeing what a good science/engineering education can do for you, arts, music...the list goes on.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

Tracie

 

[minnierocks]

We usually take ours out...
This year will be the first year that we will do so with one in high school, and I'll admit that I am a little nervous. Both kids are good students, so we are going...
What about going the week after Thanksgiving? I don't know about your schools, but our kids don't go back until the Tuesday after Thanksgiving...If you have that day off, maybe you could utilize that to your advantage...

We always try to plan the trip so that our kids don't miss more than three days in a row. We also look at where they are in the grading period, so that we don't take them out in the beginning of a grading period (usually lots of new information) or the end of a grading period (lots of tests and projects due)...

If they are good students, then I think they won't have any problem making up their work. We usually drive and my kids do their work on the way...

Good luck and have fun!!! The way I see it...my kids will grow up and be gone in the blink of an eye...I am going to create those family memories, and enjoy the time that I have with them before the opportunity is gone!

 

[npmommie]

I say take them out and go for it!!

We homeschool so one perk is we can take family vacations when we want.
There is much value to family time together, and much to be learned even on a disney vacation.
one doesn't have to have their butt in a seat to learn about math, science, geography, etc etc.......all of life is learning.
I can make "school" out of almost any trip we take!

 

[lastminutemom]

to understand your children's school policies. Our school system does not excuse vacations and make up work does not have to be given. My son's high school is very strict -- teachers don't give make up work for unexcused abscencees. Miss a test and you get a zero. (of course, if it is excused then you are ok.)

 

[CarolA]

Just a warning.

High Schools tend to take a MUCH dimmer view of this. The classes there tend not to be as "structured" as younger grades and the "discussion" etc is a large portion of the learning which your child cannot make up.

I have a friend who is a high school teacher. She does not do anything to assist if a child misses for "unexcused" reasons and at the school vcations are not excused. (Before you start crucifying her... She spent almost all of last school year making twice weekly trips to a local hospital with other teachers to help keep a sick kid on schedule!) She told one parent "I would like to go to Disney when it's slow too, but this is my job and attending is your childs job" LOL!

 

[GovieMom]

We used to take our two out of school ... UNTIL ... they got to high school. That made all the difference in the world. When we mentioned taking them out for a few days, they were so upset, they wouldn't even consider it ... and they love WDW! But that's how important high school is (especially for top students trying to maintain their GPA and class rank). The teachers do not assign make-up work, and absences are extremely frowned upon. I'm glad to say my kids were smart enough to wisely decide that for themselves.

 

[swim-mom]

I just came back and my (5) children missed 7 days of school. Plus we are going in Nov and they are going to miss 3 more days!!

Everyone needs a break and family time is just an important as school. Take a deep breath and enjoy all of the magic that the world has to offer!

 

[cheerforchelsea]

I have taken mine out of school in the past for Disney trips - they are both in their 20's now and in looking back on it - I would have taken them out of school more often for trips. It is much more important to have a family that loves each other and the time that they spend together than to have perfect attendance in school!!!!

 

[kimsuenew]

I would recommend checking your school handbook to see if there is a policy listed. If there is not one listed, then I would contact the principal directly. My son's k-9 school had a wonderful policy on excused family vacations as long as the work went with you and was completed (each teacher had to sign the form we filled out, that was forwarded to them by the Principal, and it specified what dates we needed his work in advance for). For us, it was just as simple in high school as it was in elementry because it was a district wide policy. We never took more than 1 week and 1 day (eg six school days total) but I do know he had friends that went on vacations longer than that. Good luck!

 

[kimsuenew]

I have taken mine out of school in the past for Disney trips - they are both in their 20's now and in looking back on it - I would have taken them out of school more often for trips. It is much more important to have a family that loves each other and the time that they spend together than to have perfect attendance in school!!!!

Amen!

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

This year and last year I am taking DS9 and DS7, both excellent students out for the 2 days preceding their Christmas break. This has allowed us to start our vacation in Value season and end in Holiday, paying for the entire trip at Value rates..(I know, this is the last year for that gravy train.. ) Even though DS9 has had strict attendance teachers, they both agreed that the 2 days preceding break are useless to teach anyway-everyone is too hyped up. We have a very strict attendance policy, allowed 5 unexcused before reprocussions from DSS...DS7's teachers say, "great, can I go, too?" (I can't make the "WDW is an educational experience" argument with a straight face, we are there to bond and have fun..any learning creeps in by asmosis.. ) The attendance policy is not up to the teachers, it is up to the school district, so there really isn't much discussion with the teachers. I just find out the exact policy, assess my kids' performance, and base my decision on that. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable taking them out for more than 2-3 days.-I can't imagine them missing 10 days! ..I think it would be a lot for them to miss, given the frantic pace that they teach things today. I am really impressed with the teens in HS mentioned earlier that were so concerned about their grades..I was like that in college, I panicked if I missed a class.

Aslo make sure there is no standardized testing going on. Last year about a month away from the trip, I noticed standardized testing listed on the calendar. I almost had a fit, called and it was for HS students, so I could breathe easy.

I am now waiting on the 2008-09 schedule to come out so I can start planning next years truancy...I may opt for a a shorter trip in a less crowded time of year...

 

[NJFabFour]

Just a warning.

She told one parent "I would like to go to Disney when it's slow too, but this is my job and attending is your childs job" LOL!

Well-said! I love it!

I just came back and my (5) children missed 7 days of school. Plus we are going in Nov and they are going to miss 3 more days!!

Everyone needs a break and family time is just an important as school. Take a deep breath and enjoy all of the magic that the world has to offer!

People have stated lots of understandable reasons for taking kids out of school but I would be cautious about the message (and educational impact) I'd be sending 5 children by taking them out for so long and so often because you need a break.

 

[TinaLala22]

You are going to hear so many different responses to this and of course the answer is whatever you feel is best for your child.

Now with that said - Last year we took our dd out of 2nd grade for a vacation Dec 1 - 10 and my mother let me have it for about three months before the vacation - did I mention that she came with us??? I talked with the teachers the second week of school to let them know what we were doing. While we were there we were really strick about reading periods and we gave her disney dollars so she had to do some math work when she purchased things. She wrote out all of her own post cards and kept a journal that she submitted to her teachers.

Talk it over and then talk with your teachers. Most school policies clearly say vacation is not an acceptable absences, but you have to think about your family and what you can do to 'add' to your child's education while on vacation. Maybe hit the space center and have them do a report on it?

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Just a warning.

High Schools tend to take a MUCH dimmer view of this. The classes there tend not to be as "structured" as younger grades and the "discussion" etc is a large portion of the learning which your child cannot make up.

I have a friend who is a high school teacher. She does not do anything to assist if a child misses for "unexcused" reasons and at the school vcations are not excused. (Before you start crucifying her... She spent almost all of last school year making twice weekly trips to a local hospital with other teachers to help keep a sick kid on schedule!) She told one parent "I would like to go to Disney when it's slow too, but this is my job and attending is your childs job" LOL!

Teachers have so much to do, we can't expect them to create projects or make up work for kids who miss school for unexcused reasons. I know I sound like I am contradicting myself, because I DO take my kids out for a couple of days, but when I am telling their teacher I always say that if the teacher wants them to do their work beforehand we are certainly up for that, but I certainly don't expect any special favors from the teacher.

Another interesting note, last year at both boys' teachers conferences and from the women who work in the front office, I was "nudge, nudged, wink, winked, say no more..." to write a note for the boys being sick those days instead of unexcused. I guess they get some kind of financial reckoning if kids are out unexcused? I don't know.