Homework and the Surprise

[MNSusan]

We're going to Disney World in fifteen days, bringing my son and his family. Its a surprise for the kids, ages 11, 7, 3. I know the arguments for/against pulling the kids out of school. They agonized over it and decided to do it.

Anyway, the 7 year old's teacher is fine about doing homework when he gets back. No problem. The 11 year old, though, might be tougher. They have a school policy that homework needs to be done before any trips. Great policy and good solution. But they can't figure out how to get the homework ahead of time and have her do it without blowing the surprise.

Any ideas?

 

[golfgal]

Personally I would call the principal and explain the situation and see if there is any way the 11 yr old could take the homework with you and turn it in the day they got back. I can't think of why it would make a difference to the teacher since they probably don't have the correcting keys made up or might not have then ready in some cases.

Another idea is to get the homework Friday after school (have mom or dad pick it up) then mail it to them on Monday if the school would allow this since technically you would send it off before they would miss any school. If you suggest this (the homework could be done on the plane on the way down to Disney) they might just tell you it is ok to bring it back when you get home.

 

[zulaya]

Susan--

Crummy policy. Is it school or teacher that's giving them the runaround? I'd call the teacher and/or principal and explain the surprise and ask if they can come up with with an alternative solution that doesn't give the trip away. You'd think if you are above board with these people that they'd at least try and work with you.

I'll talk to you when I get back...I leave first thing in the AM!!

 

[MNSusan]

Susan--

Crummy policy. Is it school or teacher that's giving them the runaround? I'd call the teacher and/or principal and explain the surprise and ask if they can come up with with an alternative solution that doesn't give the trip away. You'd think if you are above board with these people that they'd at least try and work with you.

I'll talk to you when I get back...I leave first thing in the AM!!

The teacher loves the idea of the surprise and is trying for a win-win. My daughter in law is planning to talk to the principal and we'll see what happens. I told her to ask the principal for ideas to keep the surprise intact.

Have a GREAT time!! BTW, I had my drivers license renewed last week and got it within about 5 days. Assuming your DH's came right away, too?

 

[Fishbone†]

Might be a stretch, but it's an idea.....

Depending on how much homework, and what her "classroom status" is, could you work with the teacher to present the homework as a "trial run"? Let's say she approaches DGD and says "I'm trying to put together a lesson plan for such and such week, and I want to see if the homework is doable.... too much or not enough, or if I'm presenting the information clearly (something along one of those lines), and I was wondering if you would help me out. I would like to give you all of the homework for that week early, and have you complete it and let me know what you think. You'd have a little extra homework spread across the next couple of weeks, but in return, you wouldn't have any homework for that next week, plus, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your efforts." A Disney trip should be reward enough, don't you think??

I don't know if it will work, but there it is...... an idea.

 

[Cindyluwho]

Might be a stretch, but it's an idea.....

Depending on how much homework, and what her "classroom status" is, could you work with the teacher to present the homework as a "trial run"? Let's say she approaches DGD and says "I'm trying to put together a lesson plan for such and such week, and I want to see if the homework is doable.... too much or not enough, or if I'm presenting the information clearly (something along one of those lines), and I was wondering if you would help me out. I would like to give you all of the homework for that week early, and have you complete it and let me know what you think. You'd have a little extra homework spread across the next couple of weeks, but in return, you wouldn't have any homework for that next week, plus, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your efforts." A Disney trip should be reward enough, don't you think??

I don't know if it will work, but there it is...... an idea.

OMG!! Fishbone, what a wonderful idea!

I also wondered how you'd feel about the 11yo being in on the "secret". Sometimes it's just as much fun if they feel they're in on it, especially with the younger siblings not knowing. That would make him feel very grown up and probably just as excited as he would be otherwise. And you know how it is, the anticipation is as much fun as the trip!

 

[zulaya]

Susan--

Yep, his license came fast. Renewed it on a Monday and it came in the mail that Saturday. So much for the 6 weeks they were quoting...they could have saved me the coronary I had when I thought it was 6 weeks.

 

[MNSusan]

Might be a stretch, but it's an idea.....

Depending on how much homework, and what her "classroom status" is, could you work with the teacher to present the homework as a "trial run"? Let's say she approaches DGD and says "I'm trying to put together a lesson plan for such and such week, and I want to see if the homework is doable.... too much or not enough, or if I'm presenting the information clearly (something along one of those lines), and I was wondering if you would help me out. I would like to give you all of the homework for that week early, and have you complete it and let me know what you think. You'd have a little extra homework spread across the next couple of weeks, but in return, you wouldn't have any homework for that next week, plus, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your efforts." A Disney trip should be reward enough, don't you think??

I don't know if it will work, but there it is...... an idea.

How creative! That's a wonderful idea. Her classroom status is fine and she can certainly handle the work. I'm going to send this thread to her parents!

You guys are the greatest!

 

[MNSusan]

My DDIL found out yesterday that the week the kids are missing from school is scheduled for standardized testing.

Well, I'm not sure how it happened, but the principal and teachers have figured out how to let my DGD make up the tests she'll be missing the week she's gone from school. I think they're as excited about the surprise as we are!

We had already started planning how we were going to break the news to the kids - had decided to tell them all, maybe do a scavenger hunt with clues, etc. - and now we're back to them finding out the morning they leave.

We'll already be in Orlando for a couple of days before the kids come down. I wish I could see their faces! My son promises to have the camcorder ready.

Fourteen more days until we leave! Woohoo!

 

[bcvgal]

Please don't let 11 yr old in on secret. We just did a surprise trip a couple weeks ago for our 11 & 6 yr olds and it was such fun. We picked them up from school and told them we were going to the mountains-didn't say it was Space, Splash or Big Thunder mountain. The 11 yr old finally figured it out when he saw magical express tags on luggage at the airport. We had such a great time so do whatever you have to to keep it a secret. Have a great time too!!!

 

[Barb D]

I'm for considering letting the 11 yo know ahead of time. I surprised my kids once, and they've asked me not to do it again. They enjoy the planning and anticipation too much!

 

[simba928]

I say do NOT tell the 11 year old. A few years ago (I was in eighth grade) my parents did a surprise trip for me and my brother. They told us that we had a doctors appointment so my mom signed us out early. She stopped by the office of the school to get my homework before I came down to the office. That morning my homeroom teacher came up to me and said "Bring your math book home tonight regardless of whether you have homework in it or not. Don't ask any questions. Just do it" I was like "OK, whatever". So anyways, my mom works at the airport so she said that she had to run to her office real fast and she left her car at the parking garage. She told me and my brother that the people at the garage were going to vacuum out her car, so we had to bring our backpacks with us. When we walk into the airport, we saw my dad sitting on the bench with a ton of suitcases on one of those carts. The first words out of my brother's mouth were "Dad, where are you going?" It was funny, though, because we had a 2 hour delay that morning so my mom only had a few hours to pack all the bags, bring our dog to the kennel, and all those other pre-vacation errands). I loved it and I will always remember the trip. I personally prefer surprise trips. I get too stressed out while getting ready for trips that I know about and then by time they come, I am not excited about them and I just want to get it over with. I can't remember the last time we went to Disney and my parents didn't surprise us with the trip. This February will be the first time that I know about a trip to Disney in several years.