Missing School?

[h518may]

We had no reservations with taking our DS out of Kindergarten this Sept.

Funny story though with that. We left early on a Sunday, just days after Hurricane Ike hit Texas. Sunday afternoon sever winds remaining from Ike hit out town taking out 75% off the electricity in town. A week later we when we returned home the town was just trying to make sure that all schools would have electricity to resume school that following Monday. So DS missed no school. And if we hadn't been out of town DH would have never had a vacation that week because he works for the electric company. Even after a week he still went back to work and had to pull several double shifts until all power was back up. We picked the perfect time to go and didn't even know it.

 

[YolantasKids]

We have taken the kids out of school for vacation. Not every year, but we do do it. Last year the kids missed 8 days of school while we went to Cancun. This year they will miss 3 days (right before Spring Break). Our schools do not have a problem with them missing school as they take "Independent Study" work with them while we are gone.

 

[RMulieri]

I am taking DD out in December 2009 and she is starting Kindergarten.Don't really care what the school says about it either.Both Dh and I are medical professionals at a teaching hospital that are really not supposed to take vacation time in the summer due to the new Drs and nurses starting .So we always go in the fall.But since DD is starting school this year we opted for Dec 13-18 instead.

 

[mommytoone]

I took my DD out of K for 6 days in 06 and again this year in 2nd for 6 days. She is in a gifted program, so she is not behind. She received all A's on her report card. If she was struggling I would not have.

FOR ME I will probally not do it again, due to the fact that the work load is much heavier as the years go up, but that is a decission you have to make for your family.

 

[DisneyBuffinDE]

My DS goes to a private school and we took him out in Pre-School for 7 days and we are taking him out this year in Pre-K for 2 days to go to WDW. I know the school politics can be interesting but I have never had a problem going over someones head, so I talked to head of school. He said why not they are kids. So we will take him out as long as he is doing fine in school and has not missed much time. Same with DD but she is not in real school yet.

Our head of school also said let kids be kids.

 

[MiniGirl]

We took our oldest out and then took our youngest out of school. We didn't think twice about it. We just had to make sure all other absences were excused, so it meant going to see the doc even for a those times when your child is too sick to go to school but doesn't really need to go to the doctor. However, it really just depends on the child and the school district. My girls had no problem catching up.

 

[Cloudwatcher]

We have a strict rule in your house. No school, no fun things either. We would never take DD out of school for a vacation or anything other then her being sick or a family emergency. Granted she is only in Pre-K, but if we start now she will want to continue the same rountine as she gets older. We send her to a private school and pay good money for her to get an education.
She has only missed on day this year and that was because she had a fever and couldn't go. The Headmistress did call me the other day because she got "sick" in the caf. I went to check on her and she was fine playing in the office. I told her she needed to go back to class, and she started crying because she wanted to go home with me. And when I told her "no school, no dance or awana's tonight" she quickly picked up her stuff and went back to class.

 

[Kit'smommy]

To each their own, but I think a family vacation during school is fine.

We took DS out of preschool for two days in each of the past two years to go to WDW and will continue to do so, unless he is really struggling.

I missed a few days here and there for family vacations as a child. I understand the point of teaching a child dependability and responsibility by putting school first, but I think you can find a balance. As an adult, I will say that I have no idea what was studied on the days I missed, but I doubt my education is lacking. I certainly remember and treasure the time I spent with my family.

 

[dwayfordisney]

We are taking out 7 yo dd out for 1st grade next week but I didn't even know this until after I scheduled the trip that she has that monday and tuesday off so she is only going to miss three days!!

I have no problem taking her out as her teacher informed us that she is above grade level and would have no problems missing any classes. I don't see a problem with it as I was a corporate brat (same as military one but my dad was a corporate ladder climber) and we moved every 12-18 months from the time I was 6 until I was 17 and there were many times I would miss several weeks of school due to relocating and I never had a problem. I know that would not hold true for every child but I will never think twice about a few missed days of school until they are in middle and high school. JMHO

 

[momtomatthew]

We're taking DS out of Kindergarten for a week in December to go to WDW. We've always wanted to be there and see the holiday decorations, but not the holiday crowds. We didn't think twice about it- but we may not do after this year...

 

[TinkPearl]

We are taking DS out of school next month for a week. He's in the K4 1/2 day program at public school. He's way ahead and his teachers have told me he should really have been in Kindergarten this year, so I have no issue taking him out. I was happy that his school was off that Fri, so he was only going to miss 4 days but now unfortunately...they had a snow day yesterday (with no SNOW! ) so they'll be making that day up the week we're gone now. I'll have to update when we get back because I think we're going to get in trouble with the school......even though he's in a Voluntary program!

 

[coastiewifern]

DD will be in 1st when we take off a week next later this year for Disney. It will be the week after Thanksgiving. I am not concerned about it at all. I am in control of my daughter's education and it is because of my family that she is so far ahead.

If she were struggling or couldn't adjust after being gone, I wouldn't. But you know your kid and what they can handle.

I totally agree with this!!!! I volunteer in my daughter's 1st grade class. It is sad to see so many kids so far behind her. The teacher told me the difference is the parents who work with their kids at home and those who do not. I don't walk in other parents shoes....but I am glad I make working on their homework priority. Yes I am the mean mom who makes up weekend homework. I believe it is our job to help the teachers educate our kids. On the flip side it irks me that when I did pull my 1st and 3rd graders out for the Disney cruise I got truancy warnings sent to me.

 

[RMulieri]

I will say this.I was taken out of school every year in Sept or Oct from Kindergarten thru 9th grade for family trips( I am 34 and a mom now).I learned responsibility before fun and buisness before pleasure with no ill side effects ,despite these family trips and built some wonderful life lasting memories with my family.I don't think parents should be judged as criminals for choosing to take their kids out of school.Some of these schools systems ( including mine) are flat out ridiculous with all their policies etc.Not everyone can travel during school breaks and vacations.As long as your child is capable of completing their work and can handle it I don't see the problem.I will say that my parents stopped taking me out in 10th grade because at that point with all the extra AP classes and sciences I took I could not afford to miss the time.

 

[thepeach80]

Truancy for missing 5 days?! Oh my, I would be in jail after last year. We took him out early in the year for vacation not realizing how many sick days he'd end up missing. I want to say he ended up missing like 20 days last year of school, maybe it wasn't quite that much. He missed a week for the flu, 3 days at Halloween for being sick, one day I didn't take him b/c of snow, 5 for vacation, and I'm sure a few other sick days. I'm assuming part of it was b/c it was his first year in school so maybe this year won't be so bad. He's already missed 3.5 I think this year for sickness. All the kids have had strep in the past 6 wks...

 

[risingsunmom]

Life is short. You never know what the future may bring. We pulled our daughter out of school for three days for an extended family reunion and then I lost two close family members. I wouldn't trade those memories for 6 months of kindergarten.

The bottom line is follow your heart. It doesn't matter what my family, or anyone else's does. You know what's best for your child.

 

[GreyGooseCosmo]

Our two girls are missing two days' worth of school this year. If we wouldn't have gotten such great rates, I'd have pulled them out for a full week. They're in 1st and 3rd grade.

 

[rbramblett]

DH and I are taking our 2 boys who will be in 1st and 4th this September for a week. I did debate, but we decided to talk to their teachers before we go and also are going to have the kids do a report to take back to their classes that will probably be mostly the Hall of Presidents. If they were any older we might not go during the school year.

 

[Disneyvirg]

My reason for booking our trip in June was to avoid pulling DD5 out of school. I booked the trip for the week after school was scheduled to end.

Thanks to a rough winter so far and football and volleyball qualifying for State, our school year has been extended 4 days already. Unfortunately, our girls and boys BB is doing really well, too, so they'll probably go to State as well. Should be happy, but it will extend the school year even more. DH & I have decided that if she misses the last day or two of kindergarten that it shouldn't be too big of a loss. How much do kids learn the last day of school anyway?

 

[Leajess99]

I seriously thought about this last year when we took the boys. My youngest was in pre-school and is this year too. My oldest was in 2nd grade last year. We went in the summer though so we didn't cause any problems. I think we would get a much better deal if we went during an "off" season if there really is such a thing.

Last year was the first year my son's piano teacher had him be in some kind of piano thing at a collage and she said he would have to take the day off school but it shouldn't be a problem because it is an educational opportunity and she felt it made her students better to do it. He did even get a piano report card at this event. I called the school not telling them who I was or when he needed off and just asked if it would be a problem because his piano teacher is requiring it and she can send a note and it is at a collage kinda far away so there is no way he could go to school that day. She said if he did miss school for that they would consider it an illegal absence even though his teacher considers it a definite learning experience. His teacher said she never had anyone tell her it was a problem to take their kids out of class for it before but I think most of her students are from a different school. I did just end up calling him in sick that day rather than letting him get an illegal absence. I don't expect we will ever get away with taking both boys out of school for a Disney trip but it is tempting.

We also let DS skip school on Friday because daddy was home after being in Afghanistan for a year and being in Iraq the year before that. He already had a doctors appointment for an asthma check up though so we talked the doctor into giving him an excuse to miss school.

PEPPERDERR

I can so understand taking him out to see his daddy. Please thank him for his service.

 

[Leajess99]

I am sorry...I know that school is important, but what gives them the right to decide how I should raise my child. Schools have a tendency to be demanding, making families abide to their schedules. I do not see anything wrong with a child staying out of school for a period of time if they can keep up with work/grades AND the parent notifies the school that they are aware that the child is missing school. If the school wants to send a truancy officer to the house to make sure it is the parents notifying the school that is one thing, but there should be no harsh reprimand. JMHO!

In Kindergarten and the younger grades alot of learning is hands on and when a child is not there they are not able to learn. If I didn't want rules of attendance for my child I would home school which is my option. Right now my dd is sick and is out of school the rest of this week.

In all actuality the schools do not have to allow a child to make up schoolwork if they are out of school for an unexcused absence and many places consider missing a week of school for Disney as unexcused. Our district gives many opportunities due to our breaks for trips and as such feel kids should be in school during the school year.