Our trip was approved!

[aprilfoolwed]

Took my paperwork into the kids' schools this morning, since they will be missing 7 days of school for the trip. I didn't even try to hide that it's a family fun trip. I said we were going to Disney, and that it's to celebrate my graduation, and that a change in work schedule required us to change our original trip dates. When it asked for educational value, I wrote "Life lesson - Hard work does get rewarded" and left it at that.

The elementary school told me the person who does trips was out the rest of the week, but the middle school called me an hour later with the approval! This is the more important one, since I want the middle schoolers to be able to make up their work.

I wrote all over that this was a surprise trip and to please not send any notifications home with the kids. Glad they listened!

One less thing to worry about!

 

[pinkprincess30]

I had no idea approval was needed. Is this the case everywhere? We have kids in elementary & middle school and are planning to go to DLR in May, so they will miss a week of school. Congrats on the approval!

 

[abner1776]

I always follow the "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission" motto.

 

[pinkprincess30]

I always follow the "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission" motto.

Haha! I usually follow the "They're my kids, I'll let you know what I decide" motto.
But I suppose if you want the school's cooperation with missed assignments and whatnot, it's a good idea to communicate ahead.

 

[NinaBella]

I had no idea approval was needed. Is this the case everywhere? We have kids in elementary & middle school and are planning to go to DLR in May, so they will miss a week of school. Congrats on the approval!

Some districts have a policy that the teachers do not have to accept make-up work for unexcused absences. Excused would be medical, dental, family deaths, and pre-approved family trips. Depending on the districts, if you do not get advance approval, the teacher may give your child zero's for the work they should have completed that week. Each school district is different so it's always better to ask in advance. Some states have truancy laws as well that missing a week of school may put you on the truancy list.

 

[cattywampus]

Some districts have a policy that the teachers do not have to accept make-up work for unexcused absences. Excused would be medical, dental, family deaths, and pre-approved family trips. Depending on the districts, if you do not get advance approval, the teacher may give your child zero's for the work they should have completed that week. Each school district is different so it's always better to ask in advance. Some states have truancy laws as well that missing a week of school may put you on the truancy list.

All ridiculous and unnecessarily punitive. School districts need to stop thinking they are god. They are not.

We are pulling child out entire next week. We did inform teacher (not ask) and she was very kind but if the school took punitive action, there would be discussions. I have no problem going up the chain as far as I need to.

Schools wonder why people are homeschooling. I personally don't believe in it, but understand some dont want the self important school officials thinking they run family life and don't want the confrontation.

Why does the totally non-schedule homeschooling satisfy the state requirements but families taking a one week vacation is somehow egregious and requires ridiculously disproportionate reactions?

 

[Figmentmommy]

Haha! I usually follow the "They're my kids, I'll let you know what I decide" motto.
But I suppose if you want the school's cooperation with missed assignments and whatnot, it's a good idea to communicate ahead.

Love this!
We don't require permission but I always send in a letter a week or two before to advise of their absence. It's just a courtesy. Our principal and teachers have always been more than supportive of the importance of family time and very understanding that it can't always be scheduled around the school calendar.
Our children always make up any missed classwork/homework upon their return.

 

[SweetMissy]

Approval? Permission? LOL...that's funny. We all pay for our kids to go to school, whether it be private or through school taxes...it's up to us as parents to decide if we want to take them out for vacation. Sounds like a very strict school. Have fun on your trip!!

 

[olwyngdh]

Why does the totally non-schedule homeschooling satisfy the state requirements but families taking a one week vacation is somehow egregious and requires ridiculously disproportionate reactions?

It isn't non schedule as much as it is we work on our own schedule. I school year round with a week off here and there, I don't follow the school district schedule. I also don't give snow days, an see no reason that my daughter can't at least read or watch educational videos just because she is sick. Shakespeare plays, historical documentaries, and Cosmos are great when she doesn't feel well. There is also no make up work in homeschooling, if it doesn't get done today, it will get done tomorrow and the kid just cheated herself out of a day off or a museum trip. Most of DD12s friends are jealous that she is homeschooled until they see what I expect of her, then they think it would be too hard.

 

[aprilfoolwed]

OP here - we were going to take the trip - approval or not. But in our district, unapproved absences may mean work can not be made up, which I didn't want for my middle schoolers.

I was just surprised at how quickly it was approved! Last time we did this, it took several week. This one was a few hours!

 

[cattywampus]

OLYWNGDH: I did not mean to be insulting to homeschooling at all. If it came across that way, I apologize.

 

[cattywampus]

OP here - we were going to take the trip - approval or not. But in our district, unapproved absences may mean work can not be made up, which I didn't want for my middle schoolers.

I was just surprised at how quickly it was approved! Last time we did this, it took several week. This one was a few hours!

Parents need to stand up to school districts with ridiculously punitive policies instead of just accepting them.

 

[olwyngdh]

OLYWNGDH: I did not mean to be insulting to homeschooling at all. If it came across that way, I apologize.

Oh, no problem! I just figured you didn't understand how it works since most homeschool families don't follow the district schedule. I am sure it looks weird from the outside I just want to figure out how the families that do it in a couple hours in the morning do it! We are rarely done by 2 and we start at 9. We do math, latin, handwriting, language arts.social studies, and science every day, and catch up on experements and things on the weekend if we didn't get to them during the week. I keep trying to add in logic, i have a great curriculum for it, butwe cant seem to find the time. We have to quit between 2 and 3 every day so we can get ready and head to dance or we would probably work later and fit in more. She wants more, but there are only so many hours in a day and I try to leave her Saturday afternoon, Sunday, and Monday evening when she isn't dancing to just play.