Need help to get DS out of school!

[susy]

Our Nov trip is booked and MVMCP tickets bought for Nov 30. My DS's 6th b-day. We planned to return home on Monday, Dec 1.

This means he would miss school that Monday.
We have ressies right now for Nov 26-Dec 1 at WL (Wed-Mon) of Thanksgiving weekend. If we MUST, we can leave after school (gets out at 3:30), but we really wanted to leave early Wed, so he would miss two days of school (wed & mon).

At his school orientation this morning, they said that the county has changed the trunacy rules , thus making it harder to get excused absences. You can wirte a letter to the principal for emergencies. I doubt a trip to Disney (especially in FL) would be considered an emergency, but I am hoping that if I write a nice letter, he will appeaciate my honesty and excuse the absences.
I was thinking of including the fact that his grandparents bought us tickets to MVMCP (the first night) for his birthay without thinking and that these tickets are non refundable. I can also include that I am a student of elementray education and understand the importanceof being in school and that I will convey my feelings to my family members, so that it does not happen again. I will conclude by saying that I understand completely if the absences are not excused.

Of course, I can always LIE and say he's sick. No Diser would ever do that I know (remember all the threads about not lying to Disney about kids' ages). He is always talking about going to disney for his b-day, so there's no way they wouldn't know.

DS is in Kindergarten.

Anyone have any luck with schools?

 

[toystoryduo]

Susy~
I have to agree with you that honesty is the best policy. Especially since your DS will probably talk about his trip to WDW.

I think writing a letter or even speaking to the principal is a good idea. Maybe you can even set it up with the teacher that when he comes back to school, he shares his trip to WDW as makeup work for the days missed. (Making the trip "educational" may help those absences to be excused.)

I think it's wonderful that your family will get to celebrate your DS's birthday at WDW! What a wonderful memory for all of you!

Hope that everything works out for you! Have a great trip!!

 

[LKS]

You will have to be honest and let the chips fall where they may. I think your dates are wrong in your original post - your ressies must be for the 26th through the 1st, so you could just pick him up early on the 26th, after making sure he attends until whatever time that they count it a full day. At our school, that's 11:30.

Surely they will be somewhat understanding that you can't have him back in school on Monday after doing the special birthday stuff on Sunday night. If you tried to drive home in the middle of the night and get him there, I guess he would be as good as sick that day.

All that being said, realize that my point of view is that we don't take kids out of school for Disney trips, but to miss one day for a birthday trip doesn't even sound that bad to me (and I'm pretty serious about the whole not missing school thing.)

 

[trracers]

First of all, I don't think that missing one or two days of Kindergarten is that big of a deal. I have been going to school a long time (haha, started college in 1987 and still going) and missing a day or two here and there has never been that big of a deal. The only school days I missed growing up were for family vacations and they were very special times. I remember them well, and as I get older I appreciate that time more and more. Never do I think to myself, 'gee, if mom hadn't taken me out of school that day....'

I think if you write a letter to the principal, letting them know that your child will be missing school...that is all you can do. Surely they are glad to see families still taking vacations together in this hectic lifestyle we all seem to lead these days. My son even missed almost a week of school last year (10th grade) and all of his teachers were thrilled for him that he was going to Disney and allowed him to make up all his work. My daughter is in kindergarten and we are going the first week of September, missing 3-4 days of school again. The only thing her teacher said is "CAN I GO WITH YOU...LOL"

I think most educators will agree that the policies that they are now enforcing are for the children that miss school on a regular basis for no good reason. They are not to punish families wanting to spend quality time together. I know a lady whose child misses school or is late because, "the mom slept in...again" and didn't get them there . . .

HAVE A GREAT TIME!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I promise you that when he goes off to Havard that they will not care if his absence in kindergarten was excused or not!!!! In most states your children do not have to even attend school until they are 7 years old. My advice is to write a letter explaining that your child will be absent on Wednesday before and the Monday after Thanksgiving as you travel plans require two extra days. Don't mention WDW, but if they ask tell them. There will be many children absent on these two days as travel plans often extend beyond the holiday week-end. Go, have a great trip and don't worry!!!


Jordan's mom

 

[NotUrsula]

If he's in public school and you meet resistance, offering to reimburse the school for the lost state funding might help. Very often, those new draconian attendance policies at public schools are really about money.

 

[ILuvTinkerbelle]

I can sympathize with you, we are taking my son out of kindergarten for a week in Dec. I just got the schools policy and as long as the work is made up, and they do offer things for extra credit that you can do in say Epcot, then the absences will be excused. I am of the mind that as long as my kids do ok in school I feel fine taking them out for a vacation. I don't like crowds and if I only went to WDW on vacations there would be crowds, and honestly in kindergarten I don't think they will miss much. I agree that honesty is the best policy! I intend to tell the school the truth as Toystoryduo said he will talk about it, so lying would be worse then unexcused absences. Good luck with you trip!

 

[susy]

Good news!!!! I just read through the whole packet we got today. Found this:


Family trips and Appointments-

Absence for family trips or special events may be excused if the student gets permission from administration at least five days in advance. Such requests must be in writing from parents.

Well, DS starts Monday and I start grad school on Tues!
After I drop off DS on Monday, the Kindergarten parents are invited to a Booh Hoo party (breakfast and tissues!)

Thanks for all your support!

 

[ILuvTinkerbelle]

Oh that party sounds sweet!
Glad you worked it all out!

 

[crazymomof4]

Originally posted by susy
At his school orientation this morning, they said that the county has changed the trunacy rules , thus making it harder to get excused absences. You can wirte a letter to the principal for emergencies.

What!?!
They were blowing smoke in your face! Each local school board decides the attendance/truancy policy for their school....not "the country". Sure, the number of days of instruction that schools are required to provide are governed, but what are considered allowable abscences are variable from district to district. Our school policy allows for (it's in black and white) up to 10 school days to be missed due to family vacation and unless I missed something, our town is still part of the USA.

IMHO- missing two days will not affect the overall success of the student for the year. My son was chronically ill last year after a mono-like virus in Jan. He missed a whooping total of 24 days of school. But bc. he is a concienscous student and diligently made up his work he was on the honor roll for all 4 marking periods!

 

[crazymomof4]

Originally posted by susy
Good news!!!! I just read through the whole packet we got today. Found this:


Family trips and Appointments-

Absence for family trips or special events may be excused if the student gets permission from administration at least five days in advance. Such requests must be in writing from parents.

Well, DS starts Monday and I start grad school on Tues!
After I drop off DS on Monday, the Kindergarten parents are invited to a Booh Hoo party (breakfast and tissues!)

Thanks for all your support!

I posted my last post before reading this! Glad things cleared up for you. The party sounds cute! Do they pass out sedatives? I keep saying that when my last one goes to kdgtn. They're going to have to take my away on a stretcher!
But then, I homeschool after 6th grade so for many years we will have this revolving door thing going!

 

[toystoryduo]

I am glad that it worked out for you! Have a wonderful vacation!


P.S. Hope both of you have a great first week of school!

 

[Cameo]

Glad things worked out for you. We are taking our DD out of kindergarten in three weeks for a birthday trip also. The teacher had no problem when I told her. She just said, "Write me a note so I don't forget."

I'm fairly certain that kindergarten is not even required in our area, although I don't know anyone who doesn't go. Is it required where everyone else lives? Also, my daughter will only be going half-days. The full-day option is held every other day. How do others compare?

 

[LKS]

Crazymomof4, I think the poster said "county" not "country." Plenty of school districts are county-wide. I know ours is.

 

[crazymomof4]

Originally posted by LKS
Crazymomof4, I think the poster said "county" not "country." Plenty of school districts are county-wide. I know ours is.

OOPS! That's what happens when I'm on the computer when the window a/c is running...the monitor screen vibrates and I end up misreading things!

 

[welovemickey]

We take our kids out of school every year for one week. It's the only time we can travel as my DH's business is waaaayyyy too busy in the summer. At first I was intimidated about taking them out, but as the years go by my attitude has changed to: "they're my kids, I pay taxes and I'll do what I need to do to have quality family time".

Sorry if this offends anyone - it's just my personal feeling.

Have fun on your trip!

 

[ILuvTinkerbelle]

We love Mickey I could not agree more.

 

[disneydebi]

WELOVEMICKEY,

Where in Mass do you live? I am also in Mass, and have pondered this question of taking my child out as well. He's in 3rd Grade (just started today!), and although the only time i took him out was the last week of Kindergarten (and by mistake, as I had planned it for exactly when school let out - and we got hit with a number of snow days in APRIL! which messed up my plans), I worry now that he is getting older. I"ve heard horror stories from various family etc that a lot of the MA School districts are very strict about the number of absences.. my inlaws in Brockton have had huge issue with illnesses, and the schools have threatened not to pass a child who was out more than the 5 allowed days per semester....

It makes you nervous about planning something in advance..

 

[welovemickey]

Disneydebi, I truly feel that the decision to take a child out of school is the parent's only. If my children were not good students, then I would probably make other arrangements (ie shorten our trip). However, if they're doing well in school then we go when we want.

I feel that with all the pressure on the kids to do well on the MCAS exams, they need to release a little and be just what they are, KIDS!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[jajuan]

This is something I fear every year. I take my kids out of school for a week each year to travel. We do one summer trip and then one during the school year. Both of my children are A students and I think that family trips are more important than worrying about unexcused abcenses. Don't get me wrong...school is VERY important to us. In fact, my children would have perfect attendance if it wasn't for the week we take off. I just value the family time we get to spend with no outside influences (such as soccer, gymnastics, scouts...etc). I believe that no matter where we go on our trip, there is some sort of education involved, but there is tons to learn at Disney. Especially Epcot. Both of my older children 10 and 8 write papers about their trip and things they have learned. Last year my sons research paper was on Walt Disney. I guess my long winded point is that family time is very important and if you have to miss school every once in a while...as long as it doesn't have an affect on grades, than that should be fine.

P.S. I do try and plan my week long trip around a long weekend.