Poll for DVC owners with school age kids----How many days do they miss per year?

[Starr W.]

"0" days here- This will be our first trip next year but even in the past, we have never taken vacation anywhere while the kids are in school- Between studies that all 5 have and really shouldn't have to deal w/ the stress of "catch up", they are all also in sports and other activities that would be missed - even for a vacation- Our kids get exemplary grades so it isn't a worry of grades "dropping" per se but the idea that it is "okay" to miss school when you feel like it- No judgement on anyone else- I think it is way cool that you are able to with kudos from your school districts - our district is quite strict and the kids can only have 3 unexcused absences- the unexcused includes any time they miss w/o a doctors note- Well, there goes that because I am not taking a sick day at work and dragging my 24 hr virus having, vomiting kid to a doctor to pay copay and be told to give fluids and send to school tomorrow- No thanks! The school board and I already go round and round on this one- Best thing about it again, is the fact that our kids grades are great- otherwise I bet they'd have Social services on us for the no doctor notes days that they miss-
Wishing we could be there!

Boy your district is tough. We only require a doctor's note if the kid misses more than 5 days. A parent's note is all that is required for less an excused absence for illness.

 

[OlderMan]

My DD's have a "job." It is going to school. They have fixed "vacation" time from school and--like this year--it can be impacted by hurricanes/tropical storms.

Any trips to WDW can be during school breaks and/or summer vacation. (Obviously, this does not apply to one-day school-sponsored field trips to EPCOT, Seaworld, etc.)

JMHO!

 

[loribell]

Some of your districts are incredibly strict. Our kids can miss a maximum of 9 days per semester without a doctors note. Of course they don't miss that but they can if it is needed. They also have nothing to say about before or after a break. If there is testing scheduled at that time then they will make arrangements for our kids to take them in advance. I guess they agree that family time is just as important. As long as they have no problem doing there work there is no reason they can't miss.

 

[Lora]

Had to vote "zero". My girls take their teacher on vacation with them every year...or rather, I take my students. The freedom to take vacations whenever we wanted was definitely not one of my reasons to homeschool, but it certainly is a benefit I've appreciated.

 

[tigger813]

DD missed a total of 3 full days last Dec (a snow day happened while we were away and there were 2 -1/2 days for conferences).
This year she will miss 3 for our October trip (day after we get back is a day off for Yom Kippur) and she will miss one day in April. We will come back from Disney the Monday after the week long vacation. Already warned her teacher about October (she wishes she could go) and mentioned that she will miss a day in April as well.

 

[ticofan]

My kids miss at least four weeks (20 days) of regular school days. However since we home school, we make those days up during the summer when the rest of you are at Disney World. We love the first two weeks in December -- wonderful weather, Christmas decorations, and low crowds. Then we like October for Mickey's Not Very Scary. We round off the public school year by going again in May. Our vacations are usually 10-11 days, Sunday 'til Thursday. That way we save points.

Oh, and sometimes we even do home school in Disney!

My kids are way ahead compared to their public school counterparts. Even though we vacation a lot -- they still get in at least 180 days a year. One of their downsides to home school is that if they are sick or on vacation, those days don't count as school -- so they really never miss any days.

 

[Tinkerbellcrafter]

I used to be really nervous about taking my daughter out but we give fair warning to her teachers and she has just started 3rd grade. We have always brought work with us and we do it on the plane and in the room. The most she has missed for WDW trips is 5 day for the first week of December...not much going on at that time in school at younger grades. This year will probably be the last that we take her out for so many days, though since standardized testing begins in math in NYS. My DH doesn't quite agree with this!

 

[Starr W.]

Some of your districts are incredibly strict. Our kids can miss a maximum of 9 days per semester without a doctors note. Of course they don't miss that but they can if it is needed. They also have nothing to say about before or after a break. If there is testing scheduled at that time then they will make arrangements for our kids to take them in advance. I guess they agree that family time is just as important. As long as they have no problem doing there work there is no reason they can't miss.

Our district lets us know when the state tests are scheduled over a year in advance(when they find out from Columbus, those pinheads like to move it around). It's about the only time they don't want you to miss school and since it's usually at the end of April/beg of May, I'll work around it.

We took the kids out at noon last Jan(4 day MLK weekend) and I could barely get into the office with the number of parents waiting for their kids.

 

[goalie5hole]

We got a nasty letter from the principal the last time we took our children out. We gave them advanced notice and even asked for school work to bring with us and he refused. My wife works in a pediatric dentist office and the parents will always make the appointments during school hours rather than have their children miss after school sports.

 

[glindamood]

We used to take ours out for five days each fall but once they went to college, their trips stopped and we cruised during college breaks.

 

[wilma-bride]

My children are 5, 14 and 15. On average, they only miss 1 week of school per year but that is only because we are in the UK and obviously have to take longer vacations. It is so expensive for us to fly in the summer as well that we don't really have a choice but to take them out of school. Once the two girls have left home, though, and there are only the 3 of us travelling, we probably will visit during summer vacation and not take the little one out of school.

 

[*KeepMovingForward*]

My kids miss 5-6 days per school year due to our Disney vacations. They are high schoolers and never had problems because of the vacations.

 

[threegoofys]

We like to go during January when lines are short and weather is pretty nice. Our daughter misses about 5days in a school year for a Disney trip.

 

[dzorn]

We try to limit it to 5 days max. Though we did you 6 last year for our cruise.

Denise in MI

 

[stopher1]

Another one who voted zero - not because we don't go to WDW during the school year - we DO - we just happen to bring both the teacher and principal with us, since our kids are home educated. Each year when we return, they have to write reports about their trip and what new things they learned while there. Like other field trips to the museums, zoos or some other interesting locale, it just augments their education and adds to their well rounded state.

 

[NJ&SSR]

Being from NJ we are lucky that the kids have a short week of school in Nov. (yes, the infamous Jersey Week) so that is when we go. They only miss 3 days. When they get older (they are only 5 and 7 now) we probalby will not take them out at all, and just go in the summer or spring break.