Missing School?

[Don Disney]

Our 5 y/o DD will be 6 weeks into K in Sept.when we were planning to be in Disney.We were wondering what the Dis'ers think/do as far as taking her out or not,and how much school is too much to miss if so? We are really having a difficult time with this,as we will be needing a vacation by then,and it's the only time we'll be able to get away from work without too much of a problem;but more importantly,we don't want our DD to get too far behind-she's a bright one,but we have no gauge.Everyones input on this will be greatly appreciated! HELP!!!!!

 

[Peace Mickey Lovers]

Hi, I have two girls , 6 & 8, we go to Disney every year in either October or December. The girls miss 5 days of school, saying that though I ask for both of their work when we go and we make sure that they do it everyday either before we go to the parks or before they go to bed.

The teachers all agree that if we are going to spend the money to go on a family vacation then we shoudl enjoy it without all the crowds.

Have Fun
Lisa

 

[tonga]

I'm wondering this too. DS will be in kindergarten in the fall, and while I'm okay with him missing a few days of school, I don't want it to be too much. For those who take their kids out of school, what is the maximum number of days you'd be comfortable with?

 

[LisaNJ25]

At that age I wouldnt worry about it. When they are in HS than you have real problems.

 

[tzolkin]

Well, last year when we went to FL we were gone for almost 3 weeks (went to visit family, went to a wedding, went to Disney). There were a few days off for Memorial Day, so my DD wound up missing 12 days. She was in 4th grade, top of her class, and her teacher had no issue with giving us some work for math and history and then allowing her to "do whatever" for language arts (she kept a journal and read Tom Sawyer and Swiss Family Robinson). This year we are making a second trip (2 weeks, so she'll miss 8 or 9 days) and I just mentioned it to her teacher last week.

I would check now about the school's attendance policy. Some districts are very strict about students missing any school. At ours vacation is considered an "unexcused absence", but there are no disciplinary issues for it and the teachers have been supportive.

My extended family is planning to go to Disney in Sept. for free dining, but DH & I decided against it partially because our other DD will be starting kindergarten this year. She has never been to pre-k or daycare, so we didn't want her to have any issues with getting to know the teacher and other kids by missing the second two weeks of school. Six weeks or so after your DD becomes comfortable it may not be such a big deal.
*We also wanted to go earlier (in May) and not go with my whole extended family, so that influenced our decision as well. We have no worries about our kids missing school for a trip, but just the timing of it.

 

[dis75ney]

For Kindergarten, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Just make sure your school/state allows absences for vacation and follow their lead...I know some states are really strict about taking kids out of school for vacation.

We took DS8 (2nd grade) out of school for 6.5 days in October, and thanks to snow days (that never really happened-stupid Mother Nature), we will be taking him out of school for the last two school days in June. Both times, his teacher has been perfectly fine with his absences. We just made sure that DS did his homework packet every day (homework on vacation stank, but I must admit doing it by the pool or while having lunch in Epcot made it much more bearable for DS) and that DS kept up with his vacation journal.

If you're concerned about missing too much school, try to work around school holidays or long weekends. That's what we did in October - we got a two week trip and DS only missed 6.5 days...

 

[GoofyFairie]

OP, be prepared for flames for this question. It has be asked many times before and you will get a variety of responses. I took my kids out of school for a week. My dd ended up missing the whole week before as well with a horrible flu. I made sure I talked to the teacher ahead of time and filled out the paperwork for travel approval and we covered all the material she missed for both weeks. Nothing can replace the time a family spends together and travel is always a learning experience in some way. Have a great trip!

 

[waltdisneyworlddreamer]

Just pulled my 5th grader and kindergartener for 4 days. I would absolutely have no problem pulling them the whole week. Ten years from now it will not matter that they missed a few days of school, but the memories of your family trip together will be with them forever!!

 

[Steph9072]

Our ds will be in pre-school & our dd will be in 3rd grade in the Fall. We will be taking them out of school the end of November. I will let the school's know and do work during our 15 hours down and 15 hours home. I know how important their education is. But I think spending time as a family and making memories our kids will carry with them is just as important.

Ultimatley I think it is a family decision and you have to make the choice that is right for your family. But I say go,have fun & make memories that will last forever.

 

[delmar411]

I'm normally ok with pulling the kids out of school but I'll have to be one of the lone dissents here and say it's a bad idea. They are expected to learn so much in kindergarten these days that missing so soon will leave her far behind. Unless she's been in preschool the past few years she will really be walking into an unknown environment.

My younger DD is also starting K in Aug and we've rearranged how we are going to travel so that we are going when school is out for at least the first couple years.

 

[mjkacmom]

As long as she knows the basics (letters, number, shapes, colors, etc.), she should be fine. I have no problem taking elementary school aged kids out, provided that they're not struggling academically. There is no way I'd take out a MS/HS student - it would be way to hard to make up the work.

 

[daisyduck123]

She's in Kindergarten??

Pull her out. I wouldn't give it a second thought.


I'm a 1st grade teacher who pulls out my own kids (DD14 & DS11) every year for at least a week.

 

[LIBLULA]

I have pulled my DD9 out for the past 2 years in September. She has never had a problem catching up. This September she's going to miss 8 days. Her school is very understanding concerning family vacations. We just have to fill out a planned absence form at least 2 weeks prior to vacation--so teacher can get work together. Her teacher this year (3rd grade) just had her do a travel journal. If she struggled in school, I wouldn't take her out for so many days.

 

[Wunderkind]

Check your school's policy on taking her out. Some school districts are very strict regarding what they deem "unexcused absences." You might also consider that if you pull her out she might miss out on the continuity factor. Kindergarten, and her school experience in general, will be new to her. That's something else you might want to take into account when making the final decision on whether or not to pull her out of school. As another poster pointed out earlier, this is a hot button topic on this board. It's an individual and personal decision to each family. I'll tell you what one of my friends, a huge Disney fan, once told me. She said, and I quote, "What kind of a message am I giving my children if I tell them it's OK to leave their 'job' (meaning school) in order to play?" Again, it's something that each family has to decide on their own. Only you know your child well enough to know if this is the message she'll process and/or if she's able to weather the absence from school. Whatever you decide, I hope you have a great trip when you do go to WDW with her.

 

[holden]

We pulled our DD out of KGN this Sept. for a Disney trip. She missed 3 days and had to complete a daily log of what she learned on the trip plus any handouts/homework. She was fine, but I am glad that we had a packet of work to take with us. I think it's important, even in KGN, for the kids to know that they are still expected to make up missed work.

 

[Girly_Qs]

I agree it is up to each family to decide for themselves.

For us, I wouldn't (and didn't) hesitate in the slightest. We took dd#1 out of K for a week last September (about a month into school). She started preschool at age 2 (2 mornings/wk at 2yo, 3 mornings/wk at 3yo, and then 5 day/wk Pre-K at 4yo), so she was very comfortable with the setting, rules, how 'school' worked, etc. Seeing as she's reading and doing math several grade levels beyond her own (as well as being very social and quick to adapt), there wasn't really any debate for us. Besides those days for our Disney vacation, she hasn't been otherwise absent, or even tardy, the entire year.

School is VERY important to us. Family, even more.

That is when we could make our vacation (with extended family too), and so we did. We'll be pulling her out another week next year this year (the last week before break though, so the most pressing thing she'll miss is the class Christmas party).

 

[susanrose73]

Our family went to Disney for the 1st time ever this past February. None of us had ever been & I figured it's so expensive we may never have a chance to go again.

So, I made the decision to take the kids out of school for 5 days. I wanted us to really enjoy the lighter crowds for what may be a once in a lifetime trip.

I have a kindergartener, 4th grader, and a 10th grader. My 1oth grader is the only one whose teachers gave her grief. I felt terribly guilty about it, but I am still glad we did it. All 3 had perfect attendance to date & no one had fallen behind.

Good Luck-it is a hard decision.

 

[wishtdream]

I took my DD out in sept of her K year for 2 weeks. (I am a very bad parent) We went for her 5th birthday. I consulted the teacher about it when we were in the planing stages. She told me at that time that DD would learn much more about the world at large and many other valuable lessons on the many family vacations she expected we would take through the yearsthan she could possibly learn in school. She also said for a child who had done Pre-K September would pretty much be review anyway. We kept a journal where DD wrote a sentance and drew a picture each day of our trip.

 

[RMulieri]

I have the same dilemma and opted to go in December instead. Though she is in Kindergarten, I don't want to upset her getting into the routine of school.Plus the teachers here don't have a problem with her being taken out at all( she will miss 5 days ) but asked that it not be done in the first month for the reason I mentioned.

 

[jakoky]

well, in 38 sleeps, i am pulling my grade 8 daughter, grade 10 son, and grade 12 daughter (YES-grade 12) to go to DL for 10 nights, they will miss 6 1/2 school days...this will be our 4th trip in 4 1/2 years, and my kids always catch up and do fine....both my girls are always on the honor roll and my son should be ...teachers here have always been great, and this is my trip we have to take, as my oldest is gradding and who knows what she will be doing come september...family time and family trips are so important to me, kids grow up to fast ...i say do not worry, go and enjoy yourselves and create amazing and unforgettable memories....
sharon