Need Help with letter to School

[pbharris4]

First..please no rants about me taking my kids out from school for a week. My DD is in Kindergarten and my other is in 7th grade. Last time we took her out was 6 years ago. Normally we go in summer, but can't this year.

Anyway, I wrote letters to the school stating we were going on a educational trip the week after Spring Break and if they would please excuse her for those 5 days. Stating that if provided she could do her homework, if there is any, while we are there or get caught upi as soon as we get back.

The pricipal called today and said she needs another letter stating what type of educational trip it is..is it a program..blah, blah, blah.

So I have no clue what to put! Anyone else had to write a letter like this and if so can you provide some advice? Thanks!!

 

[ilandrazdsw]

Going to WDW? Driving or Flying?
I would put that we are taking a family vacation and that as parents we see every trip as an education event for our children. During the trip we will be examining different cultures and foods. Our child will also be learning/practicing daily/real life skills such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, reading maps, etc. I would also add that mental health, which includes stable and uninterrupted family time, is an important of form of education.
Honestly, I would probably tell the principal that I was taking my child out of school for an educational family vacation and it was none of his business to where. I'm a teacher and think that it is rediculous that schools think they are the end-all be-all!
You could always tell them you are going to WDC...doubt they would argue with that. Then if anything is said when the kids get back...opps it was a type-o, should have read WDW.
Have a great trip!

 

[lmillercrew]

I agree with pp! She's YOUR child!!!! If you want to take her out of school for a week of shopping, you can do that! As long as she has enough absent days, TAKE her and don't feel guilty at ALL! I hate that I even have to explain and get permission if I want to take my kids to lunch for 45 min. If you can only go on vacation during school, then that's it.
I'm pulling my 3rd grader out of school for a week so she can go to a cheerleading competition. You just need to learn to say Whatever! Go, have fun.

 

[smkiya]

You could always tell them you are going to WDC...doubt they would argue with that. Then if anything is said when the kids get back...opps it was a type-o, should have read WDW.
Have a great trip!

That's pretty smooth....

I always thought it inappropriate for a school to dictate when parents should take family vacations. When they speak to our employers to get time off during peak (summer) times, and fork over the extra $$$ to go during peak times, then they can talk. As long the kids complete their assignments, I don't see how it is any of their business.

Life events are so unexpected, that if something were to happen to me or dh, would my kids remember some random week in school or the family vacation. I personally wouldn't ask for permission to spend quality time making a special memory with my children.

 

[tribus121]

There is a form letter on themouseforless.com that i used

http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/kids/SE.shtml

 

[lmillercrew]

THAT! Was an awesome letter!

 

[pbharris4]

Thanks for the replies! The typo thing was funny! Really....I was kind of "off put" by the principal calling and asking for an additional letter as to what type of educational type trip it was. There's something about attendance...the better the attendance the more $$$ they get or something. A friend of mine took her 2 DDs (12 and 10) to Germany for 2 weeks and they made a big stink at that! I agree, it's really none of their business where we go. It states in the school handbook that as long as the parents are aware..no where in there does it state that you have to provide where you are going and what type of trip it is.

I'll do it anyway because I don't want it to affect my daughter in anyway. But Geesh!!

 

[ariel53098]

I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong but they may want more information to decide if the absence will be excused or unexcused which will determine if she can or can't make up her missed assignments.
District policies vary from place to place. I've taught in several school districts and none would excuse the absence.
Good luck!
Rachel

 

[Sgt Mickey]

There is a form letter on themouseforless.com that i used

http://www.themouseforless.com/downloads/kids/SE.shtml

That is neat. Wish I would of seen that in Nov when I took the kids out.

 

[pbharris4]

Tribus...thanks for the link! Looks like a great letter. I'll have to tweak it a little to fit our plan, but it should do the trick. Thanks everyone!

 

[a1tinkfans]

Going to WDW? Driving or Flying?
I would put that we are taking a family vacation and that as parents we see every trip as an education event for our children. During the trip we will be examining different cultures and foods. Our child will also be learning/practicing daily/real life skills such as budgeting, scheduling, planning, reading maps, etc. I would also add that mental health, which includes stable and uninterrupted family time, is an important of form of education.
Honestly, I would probably tell the principal that I was taking my child out of school for an educational family vacation and it was none of his business to where. I'm a teacher and think that it is rediculous that schools think they are the end-all be-all!
You could always tell them you are going to WDC...doubt they would argue with that. Then if anything is said when the kids get back...opps it was a type-o, should have read WDW.
Have a great trip![/QUOTE

I agree they have NO reason to know specifically WHERE your child is going. That being said, they;ll know when she arrives back at school and talks about it
So, do what your comfortable with.
Have an AMAZING educational trip!
I recall years ago, my sons teacher in elementary ( I think it was 3rd) gave him TONS of school work, which he did each night, he was very strict about it and it was stressful and awful actually. Meanwhile we get back and hand it in and she did not even mark it!
Talk about furious!!!
I sent it BACK to school and asked her to review each page he so diligently did and asked for her comments, I was furious.
Well, she did apparently scan it, TOO BAD, I say....she probably took all of 5 minutes and I kid you not, it was like 40 pages of work and a DAILY journal
Would I do it again, YES to vacation, NO to letting on WHERE we were going..
Do what you have to do, you know your kids BEST!

 

[pbharris4]

I'm not saying what you are doing is wrong but they may want more information to decide if the absence will be excused or unexcused which will determine if she can or can't make up her missed assignments.
District policies vary from place to place. I've taught in several school districts and none would excuse the absence.
Good luck!
Rachel

Well.....she's going anyway. My parents took me out for 2.5 weeks in 11th grade to go to Hawaii. It was the best trip I ever had in my life and I really did learn a lot.

 

[tzolkin]

We went to FL last year for 3 weeks (wedding, visit family, & Disney). I did not say anything to the school. I met with my DD's teacher and told her when/where we were going. She was very nice about it-- gave her some regular assignments as well as some alternative assignments that were better suited to a vacation.

After we returned, I sent a note to the school that said, "DD was absent XX-YY because we were out of town." That was it. No explanation was necessary. Only illness counts as an excused absence, so there was no reason to elaborate-- it was still an unexcused absence.

We are going again this year (for 2 weeks). I mentioned it at my last parent-teacher conference and have been corresponding with her teacher via email about the dates, assignments, etc. She just told me this morning that they will be studying plants, so for science she wanted DD to catalogue flowers and plants she sees on her trip and present about them when she returns. We will be at Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival, so this will be a perfect project.

 

[pbharris4]

Us too. I just added that in the letter. I just emailed it. I figured she asked for the letter so I had to send one. The pricipal is new, She was just promoted to take over for the former principal who went to high school with my DH and whom he knows pretty well. I don't forsee it being a problem. It just caught me off guard that she asked for more info.

Besides maybe she will actually learn someting this time as hopefully it won't be as crowded or hot the week after Spring Break and all the breakers go back home. Normally in June it's so hot and crowded everyone's always in a rush to get to the next FP ride.

 

[Kim68]

We are taking my son out of Kindergarten next month. I haven't even discussed it with the school yet. He has already missed 8 days of school this year, too! The school is so infected with illnesses that he has had 6 colds, 2 ear infections and scarlet fever since September. I see this as an opportunity to get some fresh air.

I will never go to WDW during the summer - it's too hot, too crowded and too expensive. We have been going every other year for the past several years and will probably continue on that path. I honestly don't care what the school thinks. That may sound horrible, but he is my child.

 

[3princesses+aprince]

We're also going to Disney next month and I have not sent in my letter yet either.
I am going to make it short and sweet, it is going to say that My children will not be in school from this date to that one, we are going on a family vacation. Period. And that's it. I'll discuss make up work with each of their teachers, and go from there. My dd5 is only in Pre K, so she's not a problem, my dd7 in first grade is not going to be a problem, her teacher is sweet as pie, and told us that if our children do not have time to complete a homework assignment, that's ok
But my dd9, who is in 3rd grade, well her teacher....I'm not really sure, if she is going to give us work ahead of time or just make her stay in for recess and complete it when we get back. We'll see, I should probably get the letter in soon.

When we went on vacation in 2005, my dd9 was in K, there was a different principle at the time, and she made such a big stink about me taking her out for the week. I was mad, but gave her the letter, and walked away.

 

[Finally08]

I wonder if they're asking simply because you said it was an "educational trip." I mean of course kids can learn something there...they can learn something anywhere if done right, but I think my school would laugh if I said that then admitted I was going to DW.

I went in an spoke to the principal first just to make sure there were no major events happening that week, and also to clear that we wouldn't be reported to truancy for having ds out 5 days (that is in the school policies..). He acted like it was all cool, and just said to email the teachers and let them know/make sure they had no major qualms.
I emailed them all last week and only 1 ever responded...so I'm gonna guess we are ok.

 

[jewelmicky]

We are going in a few weeks and I am working my mt DD6's letter. We went last year during Pres. Week....it was packed. That was the plan this year, but I couldn't get the time off work. I work in a hospital and cannot always get the time off I want....small Dept. + low senority=left overs. The summer months and school breaks fill up pretty fast. I was able to get 3 weeks together.....in May! We are going to FL for 10 days! WOOHOO

Anyway, about the letter. I plan on a simple....my DD will be out from May4th - May 8th.....sound better/shorter that way. Can she get her work ahead of time, and she plans on keeping a journal of her trip. She is in 1st Grade, so they are hitting the writing real heavy....I found the Journal Pages on AllEars, so plan on having her keep one.....that really should be enough. She can bust out the worksheets real fast....I just have to slow her down for the neatness factor.

The way al see it....you know yer kid the best....if she/he can handle it with help.....a vaction during school year is fine.

 

[MegaDisney]

I think you may have inadvertantly opened yourself up to questioning from the principal when you stated you were taking an "educational" trip. Maybe she really is wondering if there is some type of program you are taking your child on?

That being said, I would not use that letter that was recommended. This is a trip to Disney World, period. While I'm sure there are educational opportunities to be found there, that is not the purpose of a trip there. It's for vacation. If I were a teacher or principal and got a letter with that much detail that is obviously desperately trying to classify a WDW trip in this way I would laugh. Just say what it is: you're taking your kid out for vacation. Don't try to justify it. I'm sure the principal would appreciate that a lot more.

I'm planning on taking my first grader out in either early December or mid-late January for a week, and I'm going to tell his teacher and principal why. Straightforward, it's a trip to Disney, and I'm not going to try to sugarcoat it into something it's not. I'm already feeling guilty about taking him out- I'm the daughter of a former schoolteacher and we were never taken out of school for vacations and the guilt of it is already eating at me. But I'm still going to do it now, while he is still young. what I won't do, however, is try to convince myself or anyone else that this is an educational trip. It's a vacation, and we want to go when it's less crowded, and that's what we're doing.

My 2 cents, if you care

 

[CRdisMom]

OP-- I know that you are going to have great time. The girls are going to learn a LOT! Don't let the letter worry you. The government is nuts about attendance IMO.