Need to write letter explaining educational value of WDW to take kids out of school

[Aliceacc]

I have to agree here. While I think you can learn everywhere you go WDW isn't exactly like touring the museums of Rome. If I was a teacher in High School I would laugh if I got a letter explaining the educational value of WDW. That may be just me though.
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It's not just you. And the high school kids I teach would probably be mortified if they realized that was the content of the note.

Go or don't go. But assume that the administrator reading the note is intelligent to know that this trip is about vacation, not education.

 

[hsmamato2]

[And pretty much everyone agrees that there is no educational value in a trip to WDW for a high schooler - they should have already learned those lessons.

not true- I disagree with that statement.

 

[hsmamato2]

Wow. Just Wow. This is TOTALLY not what school, at least in my classroom, is like!! Just ask my kids about the stuff we set on fire yesterday! I am all about lets get up and do something. We do at minimum one class period of hands on a week. Most weeks 2. We work in groups, we use models, we conduct inversigatinos into a particular concept. I have forund that using this approach, and NOT focusing on test scores ect is much more successful, and believe it or not my kids have higher standardized test score since I have adopted this approach. Not to mention that my day is much more plesant.

you sound like an awesome teacher! The kind of teacher I'd want for my kids-

 

[princessmom29]

you sound like an awesome teacher! The kind of teacher I'd want for my kids-

I love my job, and I am passionate about the subject matter. It helps that I teach chemistry and physics. They just lend themselves to hands on stuff. MY kids sometimes refer to me as "that lady that blows stuff up" before they have me for class. Seriously though, I have forund that the kids just retain the info better when thay can 'do it" rather than just "hear it". A good demonstration also tends to get and keep their attention. Notrhing like a good explosion to get the attention of a room full of 16 year olds!

 

[TGM]

This is from themouseforless.com

"
Please be advised that [student] will be out of school during the week of [date]. We ask that his absences be excused.

The reason for [student]’s absence is that our family will be out of the state during this week. While we are gone, we will be visiting Walt Disney World. We believe that [student] will be learning many things during this trip and that his education will continue in his absence from school.

Some things [student] will learn about:

* Different cultures of the world, including architecture, language, diet, and dress, by visiting the different countries in the Epcot World Showcase (Japan, China, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Canada, France, etc.) [student] will have the chance to explore the exhibits for each country and speak with natives from each country who work as cast members.

* American history by viewing the Hall of Presidents presentation in the Magic Kingdom and the American Adventure show in Epcot.

* Nature and conservation at Animal Kingdom.

* Science by exploring the Mission:Space ride in Epcot where he will have a chance to see and feel what it would be like to travel by rocket to Mars and by experiencing the Universe of Energy exhibit which teaches about fossil fuels, energy, and conservation.

* Economics by managing his own spending money and making budget decisions on how to spend his money.

[Student] will also be learning about map reading by navigating in and to the different theme parks, as well as the resorts and water parks via the Disney bus system, sociological aspects of crowds including patterns and behavior, physics of the different rides, breakthroughs in technology at the Innoventions computer lab in Epcot, art and animation and the history of film, and mathematics.

We believe this will be a wonderful and educational experience for [student] and hope you agree not to charge him with unexcused absences as a result. If it is possible for [student] to take any assignments with him to be turned in when we return or to turn in before we leave any work that will be due while he is gone, please let us know as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this. If you have any questions or need any further information, please feel free to contact me."

 

[DisneyOma]

No History teacher is going to accept the American Adventure as a good representative of American history - so I'd leave that part out.

 

[TGM]

No History teacher is going to accept the American Adventure as a good representative of American history - so I'd leave that part out.

Oh come on! Every great history teacher knows American history is full of singing robots!

 

[jevs]

My letters consist of students name/s.
The dates they will be out of school
A brief explanation of why they are missing school - family holiday to XX covers it.
My signature.

 

[ExcessiveIdling]

I find it sad that as parents, we have to ask our school's permission to take our own children out of school for vacation. I brought (well my wife) my child into this world, I took (and continue to) take care, feed, cloth etc my child NOT the school. Yes, school does teach things I may not be able on my own teach, but life experience in my opinion will ALWAYS out weigh any school. My daughter will be young and starting school when we intend to go to Disney for a little over a week next year. She will miss school. Will she get in trouble? Not by mom and dad and THAT'S what counts. The school will simply have to make due. /end rant sorry I just hate having to defend my decisions as a parent (which provided no harm is coming to the child) to schools, doctors, anyone that has not lived with, loves, has grown with the creation my wife and I brought into this world through love. Now...can it be September 2017 already? I wanna go to disney!!!

 

[DisneyOma]

Oh come on! Every great history teacher knows American history is full of singing robots!

Yes, singing robots that don't even mention slavery during the civil war scenes...

 

[mjkacmom]

The OP's youngest is now at least 20 years old, so...

 

[piccolopat]

I guess I have no sense of humor since I have no clue what he was talking about either.

It's a reference to the BBC show Doctor Who.

 

[piccolopat]

The OP's youngest is now at least 20 years old, so...

Thanks for pointing that out. I wish old threads like this got locked at some point.

 

[bcbmommy]

Whether anyone thinks it's "educational" or not, is irrelevant. It's time with family, and THAT is more important than school. Real life experiences are better teachers than 7 hours a day stuck between 4 walls, sitting in a desk, with your nose in a book. I'd also look at the value of a whole week of not being "indoctrinated" by a government institution. Enjoy your vacation!!

And....I just now noticed the original date of this thread. LOL!

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Recognizing that this thread is 7 years old, I still find it interesting OP was willing to schedule around her son's football schedule, but not around his school schedule.

Side note: Disney with my PARENTS is the LAST thing I would have thought was a good reason for missing a week of HS when I was that age.

 

[Aliceacc]

Today I taught linear regression.

I know of nowhere on Disney property where any of my students might have learned the lesson I taught.

When it shows up on a college placement exam, or in a college stat class, or is mentioned on Scorpion, the kids who were in class today will know it. The kids who were in Disney will not.