missing first week of school?

[hmdavid]

As a teacher I would say there is no excuse. There are two Winter Breaks and Spring Break. Age and grade matters greatly too but, in my eyes it's just bad form. Would you be ok with a teacher missing the first week of school just because of their spouses military schedule? I never quite understood parents who felt the need to take their kids out for separate vacation periods?

Wow... I hope that if you have children of military families in your class you are more sensitive to their situation than how this post has come off. In this day military children often have very little time with the military parent. Families have to take advantage of the two weeks out of the year that they have together.

In our situation, my husband was not able to take time off during summer vacation. We had to wait until he changed command in September before he was able to take leave... before leaving for Iraq for more than a year. When he comes home on R&R our kids will be in school. Our kids will have two weeks with their dad out of 15 months, so you had better believe I will be taking them out of school to go on vacation and spend much needed quality time with their father.

I am sure the OP would LOVE to have her husband home to go on vacation during a scheduled break, unfortunately, for those living our lifestyle, it rarely works out that way.

 

[daisyduck123]

Then go without him and take a different one when he gets back. Go during the holidays or Feb. break, Easter or Spring Break. There are literally about 3 other weeks after Aug. that one could choose to go on vacation. It shows a lack of respect for education. Unless the principal and teacher gives you the ok, I wouldn't do it.

Not everyone gets all those breaks you mention.

I teach in a public school in Maryland & we don't get a Feb. break or a Spring break. After Xmas, all we get off is one day for MLK, one day for Pres. Day, & 3 days off at Easter (Thur, Fri, & Monday).

The next day off after that is Memorial Day.

*Oh, & to the OP.....I would pull them out that 1st week. They'll catch up quickly & before you know it, it will be like they were never out.

 

[mommyof3rookies]

I'm not going to argue this with you - this isn't about taking a vacation its with being with the people you love during or after a stressful time and situation. How would that make my husband feel? "forgot you - we're leaving you behind". Lack of respect for education? My children's education is very important to me. That's why I don't want to take them out of school. You are showing a lack of respect for the restrictions and rules and regulations that come along with the military. It's not only the military member that suffers - the family does right there along side them. I care about my husband and in this world, who has the money to just take another vacation? We certainly don't. It's very rare to find a time that it is possible to take a vacation where the military will let you go. But Whatever.

Conversation over.

Thank you everyone for all the different views on the topic. Hopefully DH can get into another training session or we can find another time to go.

I agree with your DH, take your children and have a GREAT time at Disney. Who knows when/if your DH will be deployed again, and YES there are some things more important than school, OOPS did I just say that, why yes I did, let me say it again, THERE ARE SOMETHINGS IN THIS WORLD MORE IMPORTANT THAN SCHOOL! Spending time with a military parent just coming home from or leaving for a deployment is more important. I once pulled my 2 boys from school after lunch and took them to Busch Gardens for the rest of the day, my DH had just deployed and they needed a surprise, something to lift their spirits, and guess what, the world didn't stop turning and I had their teachers blessings along with the principal, THEY understood what my children were going through. School is very important to me, but the precious time my kids get with my DH is more important on some days!!!

 

[mommyof3rookies]

As a teacher I would say there is no excuse. There are two Winter Breaks and Spring Break. Age and grade matters greatly too but, in my eyes it's just bad form. Would you be ok with a teacher missing the first week of school just because of their spouses military schedule? I never quite understood parents who felt the need to take their kids out for separate vacation periods?

Either I am lucky my kids don't have you for a teacher or you're lucky you don't have my kids in your class. You're total disrespect, insensitivity and lack of knowledge about our military children's sacrifice for this country is ASTOUNDING!! Let alone what our husbands give up so that you can sit behind your computer screen and judge those who are making the sacrifice. Shoo fly, don't bother me

 

[powellrj]

As a teacher I would say there is no excuse. There are two Winter Breaks and Spring Break. Age and grade matters greatly too but, in my eyes it's just bad form. Would you be ok with a teacher missing the first week of school just because of their spouses military schedule? I never quite understood parents who felt the need to take their kids out for separate vacation periods?

Then go without him and take a different one when he gets back. Go during the holidays or Feb. break, Easter or Spring Break. There are literally about 3 other weeks after Aug. that one could choose to go on vacation. It shows a lack of respect for education. Unless the principal and teacher gives you the ok, I wouldn't do it.

Please don't let these posts get to you and don't even respond to them. She was on the community board yesterday posting VERY anti military member and family posts. While she may be a teacher, she is also VERY anti military (to the point of calling them low income terrorist) so I would take anything she says having to do with the military with a grain of salt.

 

[spaceykiddette]

Don't enroll them until after the vacation. Then the days are not considered absences. Enjoy your time together.

NT has "military issues." So, don't get caught up in them. You don't need that kind of negative in your life.

 

[penguin087]

Go on your vacation and have a GREAT time. School will be there when the kids get back. They will have a great memory of their family vacation with Dad.

From my family to yours, thank you for the sacrifice you all make.

 

[patchchild]

Teacher chiming in here.

I have no objection with kids missing a week of school, especially in kindergarten. That said, I'd strongly recommend avoiding missing the first two weeks or so. The kids are learning the classroom routine and getting familiar with the school and expectations. It's not academic learning, but it is some of the most important learning that goes on.

 

[spaceykiddette]

Teacher chiming in here.

I have no objection with kids missing a week of school, especially in kindergarten. That said, I'd strongly recommend avoiding missing the first two weeks or so. The kids are learning the classroom routine and getting familiar with the school and expectations. It's not academic learning, but it is some of the most important learning that goes on.

You can learn the routine even quicker when the rest of the class knows it. Kids learn to just follow along. LOL, that is the same way I housebroke our dog!

 

[jamesmommy]

When you can go you should do it. Family time should supercede school in my book. Not all people can vacation during the breaks decided on by the school board, and honestly, not all people want to. I am a homeschooling mom, and love the freedom it gives us. If we want to go to Disney tomorrow, guess what? We can!

I do think that the first couple of weeks of school are not an ideal choice if you can go at any other time. I do think alot of things other than school work (and possibly more important to the social child) are done at those times especially in middle and high school. It is that time of getting to know your teacher and what they expect, what to do and what to avoid doing, classmates and cliques, schedule, school layout, etc. Of course, if your children have already attended this school, that takes some of the mystery out of it. Age of the children makes a difference too.

That said, if the first week of school is the only time we can schedule the trip, then we would be going on the trip. Kids of any age need that time with Dad more than school.

Have a great time at "the World" with your family, whenever you are able to get there!

 

[tinkerlisa]

we are pulling our son out and it will be either the first or second week of school. it is the week of labor day and he will only miss 4 days. we did the same thing last spring. he only missed three half days of school and one full day. that was my error though. i should have double checked the school calendar. i ended up booking the week of parent teacher conferences. i have no problem with pulling my son out of school. he is a smart kid and can recover quickly and he won't miss much that week.

i hate how schools do not condone going on vacation with your family. our schools policy is no take home work and make up work is decided at the teacher's discretion only. Some families(like mine) just cant go when its a SCHOOL VACATION. My husband(like everyone else I am sure) has to put in for the vacation and hope to get it approved. Where my husband works, they usually will not allow you to take a vacation during busy times of the year. For example, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and Spring break. They are considered peak times at my husbands job(a casino) and usually make it very difficult for you to take a vacation during those times.
Its bad enough we don't get enough family time. Why do they have to make it so hard for everyone to spend time with their family?

 

[surfergirl602]

Either I am lucky my kids don't have you for a teacher or you're lucky you don't have my kids in your class. You're total disrespect, insensitivity and lack of knowledge about our military children's sacrifice for this country is ASTOUNDING!! Let alone what our husbands give up so that you can sit behind your computer screen and judge those who are making the sacrifice. Shoo fly, don't bother me

Thank you for your post - some people just don't get it.

Every day that I get to see my husband is a blessing. God forbid - there's may be a day where that won't happen. he's combat arms. And it scares me when I don't hear from him. The prez is sending lots of troops to Afghanistan soon. Ugh.

Anyway - hopefully I'll try to schedule the vacation the second or third week, maybe over the labor day weekend. It will be a bit harder to get the leave, I think, but it will be a new unit, so who knows! (I wanna know so I can start planning again!)

We like to take ten day vacations, that's our problem.

 

[tinkerlisa]

Would you be ok with a teacher missing the first week of school just because of their spouses military schedule? I never quite understood parents who felt the need to take their kids out for separate vacation periods?

If it meant that it was the only time you could spend with your family together AS A FAMILY then YES I would be ok with that!

 

[fireman1]

Do what your heart tells you. How you and your family feel about it is all that matters, not the opinion of strangers.( even if some of those opinions are wrong )

 

[verlee]

Wow!! since when do the schools have more control over our kids then we do? This is just amazing to me. Education is important, family is essential.

Op do not feel bad about pulling your kids when you need to. You decide when and where your kids go. In ideal situation, yes the kids would be there the first week. However, you are not in an ideal situation. Everyone on here (including the insensitive/ignorant teacher) owes you a debt of gratitude. Thank you for sacrificing your family for mine! Take your vacation. Your kids will not miss enough to set them back the entire year. They will however, miss your dh! Your family time is more important.

Priorities people! Priorities!!

 

[INDISMOM]

As a teacher I would say there is no excuse. There are two Winter Breaks and Spring Break. Age and grade matters greatly too but, in my eyes it's just bad form. Would you be ok with a teacher missing the first week of school just because of their spouses military schedule? I never quite understood parents who felt the need to take their kids out for separate vacation periods?

Let's pretend this isn't a military family. Say it's a family that has a sick child and has a Make A Wish trip scheduled and this is the time that they are slotted to go. They have to pull their other children out of school in order to have this family trip -- then is it ok?

 

[MOMTOMOOTOO]

I have no problem pulling my 3 out and do so every year, usually November or May. I'm not sure about the 1st week though. Could you go around labor day? I think the 1st week is important for the kids more than the school. If you do labor day week then they would have been in school fir a few weeks and they would only miss 4 days. Just a thought.

 

[southurnmimi]

Then go without him and take a different one when he gets back. Go during the holidays or Feb. break, Easter or Spring Break. There are literally about 3 other weeks after Aug. that one could choose to go on vacation. It shows a lack of respect for education. Unless the principal and teacher gives you the ok, I wouldn't do it.

What if he doesn't make it back?

 

[mom2meiko]

i personally would avoid taking my kids out for the first week of school if at all possible - but wouldn't hesitate with almost any other time. i feel like the 1st week is when they get an idea of what to expect for the year, get to know their teachers, classmates, etc. it could really set the tone for the year and they may feel a bit excluded from things coming back.

just my opinion though - do what you feel is best for your family - that is the most important!

 

[squirrel]

I also took my cousins out of school in 1999 for the first week or more.

My Aunt let her kids teacher's know in June before school ended as they were at a private school and she knew who they each would have the next year.

They didn't even get any homework. I gave them each a Journal to write in each day. It was fun to compare what each of us had written. We all had different things in our books. My sister also came with us and she and I also wrote each day in a Journal. They complained at first, but I think now they know it was a great idea.

They must have done fine at catching up when they got back, because my aunt never mentioned anything to me.