How early do you tell teachers?

[cindykelley]

We're taking the kids out of school for our trip 12/5 thru 12/12. How early do we inform the teachers? Don't want to tell them early and they just forget and don't want to wait too long and they are rushed to get their make up work ready. Kids are in 2nd and 6th grade.

 

[princessmom29]

We are gonig 11/25-12/2 so DD and I will both miss 11/3-12/2. I sent a note this week with DD (first week of school) that we will boe out those days for a family trip, and have already cleared it with my boss and arranged for my sub so that I know that DD's teacher has more than enough notice, and I have a competent sub for my classes. I told DD'steacher I would contact her closer to the date for work to make up. As a teacher I would say that eariler is better. I can better plan what makeup work to give if I know ahead of time.

 

[tjbaggott]

My children start back to school a week from Monday, and though I think the teachers are busy enough the first day, we will be informing them sometime during that first week of our Oct 26 - Nov 8th trip. Hoping to take work they will be missing, and have them work on it on the two day drive to Orlando and two day drive back.

 

[Steph9072]

I told dd's teacher at meet the teacher night. We decided that I would remind her a couple times between now and our trip 11/29-12/5. I will do the same with ds whos pre-school doesn't start until after Labor Day.

 

[daisyduck123]

Hi! 1st grade teacher here

There is absolutely no reason to tell them weeks ahead of time (what could the teacher possibly do with the info so far in advance? Nothing). I can't imagine someone telling a teacher on the first day or two of school. Although it is important to the parents, a student's vacation is not high on our priority list at all. I know that's being blunt, but it's the truth.

1-2 week's notice before the trip is enough. I never need more notice than that, even if I were to give the work out ahead of time (which I don't).

Have a great trip!

 

[Schmeck]

I would check to make sure you are up to date with the school district's absence policy and go from there.

 

[ms_missy66]

We went 12/12 - 12/19 last year and I told the kindergarten teacher about it at our parent/teacher conference in October. Then when we got closer, I reminded her like two weeks before. But I second learning about the attendance policy. We've had this conversation a million times on this board and I'm definitely the example of why you should know specifics before taking your kiddos out of school for the week. We have no other unexcused absences for the school year and we had to have an intervention plan put into place that states if we have one ore unexcused absence or tardy before January we get referred to the district for further action. If we have another beyond that, we have to appear in family court. *insert eye roll here* And trust me when I tell you, we DO NOT take attendance lightly. My daughter had written excuses (medical or other) for every other absence.

 

[mjkacmom]

I gave our teachers a few weeks notice, but don't expect them to provide makeup work in advance (some do, some don't, but that's extra work for them, so I didn't expect it). Dd8 was in 1st, and didn't have to make up any work, dd11 was in 4th, and was given the work the day before we left (TONS), and dd13 was in 6th, and had to make up everything when we returned.

 

[princessmom29]

Hi! 1st grade teacher here

There is absolutely no reason to tell them weeks ahead of time (what could the teacher possibly do with the info so far in advance? Nothing). I can't imagine someone telling a teacher on the first day or two of school. Although it is important to the parents, a student's vacation is not high on our priority list at all. I know that's being blunt, but it's the truth.

1-2 week's notice before the trip is enough. I never need more notice than that, even if I were to give the work out ahead of time (which I don't).

Have a great trip!

I disagree. I teach highschool and i like to know as far in advance as possible. I can put the child's name and the reason for the absence on my calendar, and that way when i get to plannig for that week, I can put aside what I will need to send with the child for makeup work. It simplifies my plannig to have the info ASAP b/c I tend to plan at least 2 weeks in advance, sometimes more for something that has to be ordered, like lab supplies ect.

 

[MariDisney]

We go Sept. 26th. School starts the first. Having been a teacher, there is no way I'd tell her in the 1st week of school. So, probably on the 10th I will send an email. I will follow up with another email on the 21st. I always say that DD will be happy to do work before we go/while we're there or when we come back, which ever the teacher's preference is. If the teacher doesn't want to get stuff ready ahead of time, that's fine with us. The teachers have always given us some stuff beforehand, though.

 

[Baloosgirl23]

Hi! 1st grade teacher here

There is absolutely no reason to tell them weeks ahead of time (what could the teacher possibly do with the info so far in advance? Nothing). I can't imagine someone telling a teacher on the first day or two of school. Although it is important to the parents, a student's vacation is not high on our priority list at all. I know that's being blunt, but it's the truth.

1-2 week's notice before the trip is enough. I never need more notice than that, even if I were to give the work out ahead of time (which I don't).

Have a great trip!

Hi -- I TOTALLY agree! Being a 7th grade teacher I feel the same way. IMO, it's not like the make-up work is going to be given to that student weeks ahead of time, so what's the point? A week of two is more than enough notice, rest assured!

Have a wonderful time at Disney!

 

[Binnie]

We went 12/12 - 12/19 last year and I told the kindergarten teacher about it at our parent/teacher conference in October. Then when we got closer, I reminded her like two weeks before. But I second learning about the attendance policy. We've had this conversation a million times on this board and I'm definitely the example of why you should know specifics before taking your kiddos out of school for the week. We have no other unexcused absences for the school year and we had to have an intervention plan put into place that states if we have one ore unexcused absence or tardy before January we get referred to the district for further action. If we have another beyond that, we have to appear in family court. *insert eye roll here* And trust me when I tell you, we DO NOT take attendance lightly. My daughter had written excuses (medical or other) for every other absence.

SERIOUSLY?! That is ridiculous! When we were kids, it seems like the only excuse you needed was that Mom and Dad kept the kid out of school for whatever reason! It was kindergarten, for God's sake! What did your kidlet miss, drawing in sand?!

 

[disneydreamingdebby]

As a high school teacher, I have 125 plus students. I don't need to know until a week before the trip. I might be able to give the student the work or might have to give it upon return. It depends on what we are working on.

From a parent perspective of first graders, at the Oct parent teacher conference I asked their teachers if it would be problematic to take my girls out for a few days in February. Both teachers said have a great time. I emailed them about a week before to see what we should work on while gone.

Of course, I completely forgot to contact the office...the day before we left I sent in a note and the prinicipal approved the vacation. Duh! The educational part was important to me, but I completely forgot about the clerical.

 

[cindykelley]

Thanks for all the advice, guys. I've never taken them out before and I was especially worried about my 6th grader. This is his first year having seven different classes and seven different teachers. They both make good grades so I'm not all that worried about that.

I can't wait. I wish it was next week.