Pulling kids out of school?

[mariezp]

We homeschool so we plan our school days around our planned annual vacation. We school year round and do not take summer off so we can hit the park during the off season.

 

[bethy]

I will always pull my kids from school for vacation. In a couple of years my DH is going to take a 2-3 months sabbatical from work to travel and our kids will definitely be coming with us.

For us family time and learning is WAY, WAY, WAY more important and critical than some state-sponsored school effort. I respect that the teachers and administrators need to do and honor their responsibilities. I really do. But I have responsibilities to my kids too and mine trump everyone else's. School will be over and done with in the next 12-16 years. But life goes on for a lifetime and so will my relationship with my kids.

If the school every made a huge to do about it then I'd respectfully pull my kid out and homeschool them.

 

[dhlovesbelle]

I agree with Bethy about how quickly the kids will be out of our homes, we get so little time with them. We also will be taking our kids out of school for a full week. I don't feel bad in the least . When we went two years ago all of their teachers were really cool about it and seemed genuinely happy for the kids. I think if it isn't every other month and your kids can keep up then go for it.

 

[Jenn1116]

Hmmm A lot to consider. My dd will be starting K this fall and I scheduled a trip for Dec. The school she will be going to is "Salmon Track" so Thanksgiving break is 2-3 weeks long and she gets the week of Chirstmas off. Well I didn't consider her breaks...I hadn't gotten the school calander yet so I planned our trip for the week she comes back from Thanksgiving break. That Mon, school is closed, she'll go Tuesday, then be out Wed-Fri for the trip. I suppose I could move the trip back to Nov so we go while she's out of school but we have A LOT of other commitments that month and I sure don't want to go any closer to Christmas. So I'm just going to leave it as is.

Can you put Kindergarteners on independent study?

 

[bethy]

Our local schools are very smart about this anyway, actually. We live in a relatively affluent area where it is very dreary and miserable in the winter. Pretty much everyone goes somewhere warm for a time during the winter. So our district scheduled an extra winter break in February. I'm sure it cuts down on absences for them.

I feel that providing my kids with an education is one of my critical responsibilities as a parent. I see public schools as a resource available to me - my kids' primary teacher - to help me do that. I do not see public (or private) schools as the be-all, end-all of education. Just a supplement that I respect and am very grateful to have. I work very hard to make sure that school and school related activities is not the center of our family's universe. I know this is going to get harder the older my kids get so I'm putting my stakes in the ground now. We'll see how it goes.

ETA: Jenn, I know in our state Kindergarten isn't even legally required for children. I still get dirty looks for pulling my DD out but I don't think they can technically do anything till next year. It might be the same in your state.

 

[Leofoenget]

Are you taking your kids out of school to go to Disneyland?

My children will miss four days of school to go on a 5 day vacation, but we could not go any other time. We had to work around DHs work schedule, MILs work schedule and transportation. There is no way I was going to say no.

How are you planning trips without missing school?

This is a real bone of contention with me. I live in the Cupertino School district and they are very FIRM on unexcused absenses. Too bad we go anyway. I have been forced to lie. No I am not proud of it, but sometimes it can't be avoided. (ok sometimes it CAN) I always try to leave on a Wednesday. Sometimes I check him out half day so they get credit for that first day. I call him in sick Thurs/Fri. Honestly they would rather have me call him in sick and GET PAID then take unexcused and NO $$. Once we went to a "funeral" I try to only have him miss 2 days. Missing 2 days in second or third grade it no biggie. As he gets older it may not work so we just might not be able to go.

 

[GailT]

I took my son then 18 out of 12th grade for a week of school because I won a trip to Sydney Australia for the 2000 summer olimpics. A few teachers said go a trip of a lifetime some said I was wrong taking him....guess what his last year of HS and I took him and he graduated just like everyone else. My son when he was younger also misses kindergarten and 1st and 2nd grade to go to DW Those are things that can't be replaced if you cant go when they are young

 

[DangerMouse]

We homeschool so we plan our school days around our planned annual vacation. We school year round and do not take summer off so we can hit the park during the off season.

Marie, we homeschool too! Sure makes Disney trip planning easier.

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

Marie, we homeschool too! Sure makes Disney trip planning easier.

There sure is a lot of us homeschoolers here! Never realized that!

Like mariezp, we plan our school days around vacations. It makes things very easy! Before we homeschooled his public school was quite strict about vacations, even if it was just for 2 days. I'm so glad I don't have to deal with all that anymore!

 

[Cass]

I pulled my DD out for 3 WEEKS to go to Egypt/Europe and Disneyland Paris! You just have to do what you have to do.

 

[rentayenta]

I truly admire home schoolers. My FIL begged me to home school his beloved grandkids but I am afraid I would do more harm than good. We all have our strengths.

 

[godalejunior]

My DS is a Kindergartner and they only go 2.5 hours a day. I volunteer in the classroom on occasion and let me tell you he did not miss much pulling him out for four days....We did get his homework ahead of time and took books for him to read on the plane. I also took his Leapster.

 

[Bread&Butterflies]

I like the home study idea. That way the school still gets paid.
Sounds like a win win situation if the child is able to get the work done.

 

[MPHARJ]

I have pulled my kids out every year for the past 5 years or so. I don't regret doing it either like most of you. With my job going on vacation in off times is the only way. I also enjoy less busy times of the year. Last year and this year though our trips to DLR have been right after they get out of school, only because we have gone to WDW in the fall and they have already missed their 5 days of excused absences. Our schools allow 5 days anything more is unexcused, I have gotten notices from the school the past 2 years after our trips. I guess they are cracking down more. It is not a concern to me because my kids never miss any other time unless they are really sick. My children do very well in school and always do the work that is required of them. This is my time to spend with my children I work shift work and very long hours as a police officer so I take my vacation whenever I please and it works for us. As I said I have no regrets and enjoy all the time we get together especially enjoying Disney with them at younger ages. I wouldn't change anything!

 

[jemilah]

Our ES is going to go year round next year and with DS11 going to middle school with a 9 month calender , vacation time will be rough . They are saying the kids with siblings in upper schools will get preference to requewst the track most like 9 month, if not one will miss school for sure to go away. The district should know that if they put families on different tracks this is bound to happen. We do get a calendar for the school year and I avoid weeks with testing.

 

[Jenn1116]

Thanks Bethy!! ... I guess I'll look into independent study for next year when she's in the first grade since I want to go in October!!!

 

[sunshinemummy]

Another homeschooler here too! I love the flexibility we have to plan vacations around hubby's schedule and not a school. I have heard the horror stories of schools and how they disapprove of pulling kids out of school, it's probably reason #57 for why we homeschool We thrive on spending time together as a family and I believe it is so important, so much more than missing a week or two of school.

 

[pippi]

I look at it this way, you live only once. I used to be a school teacher and I hated and couldn't understand why kids were pulled out of school for vacations. Now that I am a mom I completely understand. I do have a problem with it if the kid is behind in learning but otherwise it's fine. My husband got hit by a car about two years ago. He's fine now but it was very scary. His leg was broken in four places. He couldn't walk for months. So now when we go on vacation and the kids have to be taken out of school, oh well. Family comes first. If you have to take them out of school to enjoy each other do it. You never know what'll happen tomorrow.
Pippi

 

[DTDkettleCORNfan]

We took my 1st grader out a week to go to DL, and did the same last year for Kindergarten. Both times we got all the work from the teachers in advance, and returned it to the teachers in advance as well. Except for the trip journal my son kept......he wrote 2-3 scentences and drew a picture for each day we missed school. Those we submitted upon return. All of the work he did at home counted for credit, so his report card shows no missed assignments.

However, we tried to do an Independent Study Contract so the school would still get the funding, but the principal would NOT approve our request. In our school district it is the principal's discretion. She has said that she will approve going to Hawaii for a week, but not DL. Hmmmmm. Oh well. It has no effect on our decision to pull our son out of school for DL, and we will continue to do so, but we would love for the school to have received the money.

 

[bonita_babe232]

Things are soooooooo diffrent in the states then here! As far as i know if the child is missing here for some time the school still gets the funding.... thats all done in the begging of the year and not counted on a monthly bases.... aswell as here if you tell them why they are not gonna be in school even if it is for a trip that is a exscused absents.... and Its not a problem.... I wish i could home school the kids but i don't for 2 reasons 1. we can't afford to and 2. i don't like them to miss out on the interaction and people skills they learn being with other children.... (but i'm sure if they were home schooled theres lots of play groups and things you could put them in) but maybe if schools up here had rules like down there i would totally understand and find a way to home school them too!