High School aged DD

[bnts1993]

Ok I know a lot of you have different opinions about taking kids out of school to go to Disney but my DD's are both excellent students and never have a problem with grades or making up work.

Well with that being said my oldest DD will be in HS next year and so I was wondering what some of you have done in the past or any suggestion you have about taking her out for a trip. We are going Dec 13-19 and the kids get out of school early on the 18th for Christmas break so I figured it would be a big deal to take her that week.

I plan on witting a not to the school for my DD in 5th grade (which I know will be excused) but am wondering if I should write the same note for my High schooler?

This is the note I was going to write for both of them, I got it off mousesavers.com but wonder if it is to childish for high school?

DATE:

TO: [school official]

FROM:

RE: [students name and vacation dates]

Please be advised that [student] will be out of school during the week of [date]. We ask that his absences be excused.

The reason for [student]'s absence is that our family will be out of the state during this week. While we are gone, we will be visiting Walt Disney World. We believe that [student] will be learning many things during this trip and that his education will continue in his absence from school.

Some things [student] will learn about:

• Different cultures of the world, including architecture, language, diet, and dress, by visiting the different countries in the Epcot World Showcase (Japan, China, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Canada, France, etc.) [student] will have the chance to explore the exhibits for each country and speak with natives from each country who work as cast members.
• American history by viewing the Hall of Presidents presentation in the Magic Kingdom and the American Adventure show in Epcot.
• Nature and conservation at Animal Kingdom.
• Science by exploring the Mission:Space ride in Epcot where he will have a chance to see and feel what it would be like to travel by rocket to Mars and by experiencing the Universe of Energy exhibit which teaches about fossil fuels, energy, and conservation.
• Economics by managing his own spending money and making budget decisions on how to spend his money.

[student] will also be learning about map reading by navigating in and to the different theme parks, as well as the resorts and water parks via the Disney bus system, sociological aspects of crowds including patterns and behavior, physics of the different rides, breakthroughs in technology at the Innoventions computer lab in Epcot, art and animation and the history of film, and mathematics.

We believe this will be a wonderful and educational experience for [student] and hope you agree not to charge him with unexcused absences as a result. If it is possible for [student] to take any assignments with him to be turned in when we return or to turn in before we leave any work that will be due while he is gone, please let us know as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this. If you have any questions or need any further information, please feel free to contact me.

[Parent's Signture]_________

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Does your school require it to be educational? Otherwise, it all sounds kind of silly even for the 5th grade child. I wouldn't ever consider it for the High School child.

 

[sue1013]

JMO but I think that note is over the top. You're going on vacation the school knows it why try to make it something it's not. As far as taking kids out of school I always did until HS. We tried one year but there was so much work for them to make up when we returned they didn't want to miss school for a week again. Maybe your HS will give them work ahead of time but ours wouldn't.

 

[LisaNJ25]

I wont in High School. My son is allowed 10 unexcused absences. I can't imagine a school excusing a vacation. I don't want to risk him taking 5 or 6 unexcused school days off.

Now my elementary school age kids have have 18 days. I have no problems than.

 

[hanutedmansionmomma]

Finals are the week before breaks - I think it would be hard to make arrangements to take all finals early! We're leaving on 18th for WDW after all finals over...maybe we'll see ya there

 

[stephie1012]

we took my brother with us in march. he was a junior. He just told his teachers he was going to disney world, he was sooooo excited lol they all told him have a great time and dont worry about the work. A few actually have him money to buy stuff and tips for the parks. i guess it would depend on your school distract.

 

[MSSANDRA]

We took DS out from K-8th grade, no problems.HS is a whole different ballgame. DS is a honnor kid taking honnors class but there is no way he could miss a week and be ok. We are on block classes and the kids can only miss 7 days or they get no credit for the class. The classes just move so fast that a week is a huge amount of time and as someone mentioned they may have exams that week, we do not however.

Letter is fine though I always went MUCH more basic but I would really get some info before missing a week as a freshman.

 

[mjkacmom]

Will he have testing that week? I won't take my kids out after elementary school - I can't even imagine the amount of work dd13 would miss in JH. I think you should talk to someone at the school.

 

[disneymom2one]

I can't imagine taking out my soon-to-be 8th grader for a week and would never dream of doing it in high school. I just don't think it's fair to the child to have to make up that much work (and it would be a lot here).

And I would never use that letter for a high school student.

Elementary is a different ball game. We took our daughter out in elementary but middle school here and certainly high school are just different. I wouldn't do it.

 

[Tinkmom75]

In my school we have to fill out a form from the office. I wouldn't do the letter. All they need to know is that you are going on vacation.

Our school counts the first day and then every other day. We are going during finals. I already contacted the school and they said my daughter could arrange to take them early.

If your school district allows it, will let the kids make up the work, and you think the kids can handle it go and have fun. Life is short.

 

[eeyoremum]

Things are a bit different here in Canada. We don't seem to have the same issues with not being in school.

I have taken my kids out of school many times for disney. Last year DS was in grade 9. We had no problems I called the school the day before we left. They wanted me to sign some form which I refused to do otherwise it was fine. He made up the work when he got back and had a great vacation.

DS in grade 4 talked about disney so much I think the teacher was begining to think he was making the trip up until she got the note from me the day before we left.

I get vacation at weird times of the year. If we didn't pull them out of school we would never have family vacations.

 

[Darcy03231]

Sorry, but there's no way I would take a high school aged child out of school for a vacation. There's way too much work to be made up. If your child is in honors or AP classes its even worse because they seem to cover much more material and more quickly (we've had kids in both regular classes and honors/AP classes). Our middle and high school are also on block scheduling so missing 5 days of classes is really like missing 10. DD (honors/AP) missed 3 days due to illness and had a terrible time trying to get caught up (and her quarter grades reflected it).

 

[Kies99]

Our schools also have a form to fill out.

Here is a link to the form:
http://www.bpsd.org/bphs/studentinfo/trip.pdf

It's pretty basic and straight-forward and is the same for 5th grade through High School.

IMHO, what you have might be a little too detailed. I'd especially remove any reference to the word "Ride".

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

Our schools also have a form to fill out.

Here is a link to the form:
http://www.bpsd.org/bphs/studentinfo/trip.pdf

It's pretty basic and straight-forward and is the same for 5th grade through High School.

IMHO, what you have might be a little too detailed. I'd especially remove any reference to the word "Ride".

LOL. Sorry, but that sounds too funny. Everyone knows that Disney World is all about rides.

Disney is only minimally educational. Thankfully! (Although I miss the old Epcot. I actually learned something back then and enjoyed it.)

 

[Kies99]

LOL. Sorry, but that sounds too funny. Everyone knows that Disney World is all about rides.

Seriously, as Goofy rotfl2 as that sounds I'd personally remove the word ride. Not everyone is a Disney fan (I know...Heathens!! ) so they may not immediately associate Disney with "rides". When I read what the OP wrote, that word just really jumped out at me and I know it'll jump out at an educator.

 

[RMulieri]

I think the letter is a bit much for a 5th grader...I would never send it for a highschooler. The school isn't stupid , they know it is a vacation to Disney.BTW, My school system would pretty much laugh if I sent that letter.Vacations of any kind are unexcused( and teachers are under NO obligation to prepare make up work)..Even if they have educational elements to them.FWIW,I am still pulling my DD out of Kindergarten for the week, But I don't expect any favors for it and take responsibility for it.

 

[Indiana Rose Lee]

LOL, it just tickled me to see it in writing.

I'd take it out, too.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

We will be taking my DD out this year for a week, and she is a junior. While I don't really want her to miss, this is the only time that we can do it because of DH's job. I hope that the school will understand. She will not be missing during any testing so that shouldn't be a problem. As long as your child is a good student, I don't see a problem with it.

 

[princessmom29]

I teach high school and my personal opinion is that especially for an honors child a week is too much to miss, especially if you are on a block system. There are also finals to consider which will likely be that week. Ours are county wide standardized tests and they only way to have them given early or late is to have a cort date or documented medical emergency. Attendance standards also become a lot more restrictive in high school. They know that there is little of real educational value in Disney for an honors high school student so you are not fooling anyone by claiming educational value. Your best bet if you are determined to pull him/her is to call the school and find out if there are finals, if they can be given early/late, and wether or not the absence will be excused. I know that I have had to give zeros to good kids whose parents chose to take them out for vaction and they were over their parent note limit.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

We took our kids out last year in Sept. DD was a Junior, DS was in 8th. grade. In NYS no absence other than illness is an excused absence. I had the kids tell the teachers and I emailed them the week before for work. Did I tell them where we were going, NO. It doesn't really matter. No sick, illegal absence. Will they be penalized when going to high school or college. NO.

The real question is if the children are able to do the work and keep up on their own. More than one day in HS is a lot. I have pictures of DD in Epcot with school books. She had to bring them to keep up. I was lucky, my kids are great students and were able to get back into the swing of things when we returned. NOT all of the teachers would give the kids the work ahead of time...

Lastly, you need to make sure no state testing is during your vacation time, that is even more hard to work out with the school...