Pulling kids out of school for 7 day. Early or late in the year?

[ksjayhawks]

Some thoughts from a teacher/mom:

If you know this far in advance that you will be gone, you can usually work with the teacher on this. When I first started teaching many, many years ago, taking kids out of school for vacations was virtually unheard of, they only missed for illness or family emergencies. Now, it is very different.

It is easier for an elementary age kid to miss then older kids. Junior high is tough, but high school is especially bad. It can be hard for kids to catch up and if they miss out on something at that age, they don't always pick it up or have as strong a grasp. Also, you don't want to pull them out right before the end of a quarter, semester or test week. Sometimes the amount of work that they would have to make up would be overwhelming! also, I teach homebound students and getting work from the teachers for these students is sometimes hard, so it could be the same way to get work in advance for a student going on a vacation. Plus at that age they can be so involved in school activities also. Best to work around spring breaks, winter breaks, summer vacations with them.

I would find out when standardized or state or even district testing will be and avoid those weeks!!! Hopefully, you will have a teacher that is flexible with this and will be willing to work with you. If not, you may want to rebook your cruise for another time period.

We are taking our 5th grader out and he will end up missing 7 days due to the way we must travel. I have worked with his teacher on getting assignments and how to incorporate this trip into an assignment. She is very understanding and working with us. There are other teachers in the school, though excellent teachers, who would not be this understanding about a vacation. We chose to pull him out this year and will probably do it again next year for a trip to Daytona for the 500 and race week. Once he reaches junior high, we will not do this, as it is very rigorous and the amount of homework and content he would miss would not be worth it. Then we will do spring breaks, winter breaks or summers. (We are doing this trip now as my husband could not get away during spring break and summer looks doubtful for him, too.)

I would choose later in the year, as there should be a solid foundation established, plus you give the teacher time to gather the work. Many times early in the year, even though they are reviewing, there are new concepts introduced and students are getting used to the new routine--and in this case, the new school.

Hope this helps.

 

[ksjayhawks]

Another thought--

In the school that our daughter graduated from, PE was required to graduate. I believe it is also required in this school system we are in now.

I would keep track of the activities your child does, then ask for a meeting with the pe teacher, principal, and her counselor all at the same time. Go in with a good attitude--can we work through this problem together and come up with a solution?--and it might work.

If that doesn't work, go to the next step, which would be the superintendent . The last resort is the school board. It is better to work your way up the ladder, then storm to the top. But I would think carefully before carrying it to the school board.

The school might have that policy for a reason--to avoid all the students who suddenly don't feel well on pe day, etc. Have you checked the reasons for the policy? I'm sure this was not just decided on a whim. If you work with them on finding a solution for your daughter's situation, she might be able to get credit for what she does. If not, . . .

is the cruise important enough to her to go on and miss school? If it is, maybe she won't mind having to do all the laps. important enough to her You don't want to make her "special" so that she gets razzing (why doesn't she have to do the laps, we did, etc) from the other kids, either. That could make her life more miserable than doing the laps.

 

[benhannah's mom]

We leave Sat.2/28 for the 4 night wonder and then 2 days at WDW. We scheduled the trip to coincide when they wouldn't miss a full week. They are off Monday. We have DS-11 (5th grade) teacher told him he would receive his work when he returns. My husband is not going on the trip and will pick it up on Friday. DD-9 (3rd grade) has received some of her work on Friday and yesterday. DD-8 (2nd grade) received all of her work yesterday. She is almost done with it. The teacher's have been very helpful.

 

[minimouse43]

ksjayhawks,
I did speak to the Vice Principal of her school and he said if I document all her activities we will get together after the vacation and determine if she will need to make up the laps. Yes I agree to have a good be supportive and pleasent. (which I have been so far)

The problem I have with the laps is they don't run 6 laps EVER in that class, it is only for make up you if you miss time. (most kids don't make it up if they miss 1 or 2 days)
Yes PE is a required class, she has to have 2 PE classes to graduate. This is her 2 PE class. It is actually Health and fitness, the 2nd half of the class is classroom study.

I am just concerned with this particular class because the teacher is not flexiable at all and I don't want this to bring my DD down.

I just find it strange that all of her other teachers don't have a problem with her missing except the PE teacher!
Thanks for your input, I do appreciate it.
Minimouse43

 

[wide awake]

minimouse43,
It sounds as if your DD has a real winner of a PE teacher. I would take my DD out of the class, it is obvious the teacher doesn't want to work with her for whatever reason. There are some very unreasonable, dumb, nasty tempered teachers and your job as a parent is to protect your child from them. I'm a teacher myself and cannot imagine assigning extra work to a child leaving on a family vacation. I would go over any new concept with the child before they left, and then omit the vacation week from my grading for that child. Family time needs to be encouraged. There is way too much emphasis on grades and standardized test scores, and it is all just garbage. It takes all the joy out of learning, discourages reading for pleasure and hobbies, and causes family friction.

 

[minimouse43]

Thanks wide awake and everyone for the support!
I have considered taking her out of that class but I hesitate because she needs to learn that mom can't save her all the time and I believe there is a lesson to be learned for everything!

I just want the schools to be a little more flexible if you have a "excused absense" and with your parents for whatever reason that you shouldn't be punished for it.

I am going on this cruise with no care in the world...then I guess I will deal with it when I get home.

Thanks everone and happy cruising!