Pulling the kids out of school..

[uvm81]

Obviously, you have some guilty feelings about your child missing their first few days of kindergarten or you would not have posted here. If your looking for "sound" advice, look elsewhere. Most people who subscribe to this site are mind-numbed Disney fanatics who would condone such acts as missing your grandparents Golden Anniversary, your best friend's funeral, or an appointment with your parole officer... all in the name of a visit to WDW.
My daughter sprained her ankle the day before Kindergarten started and we carried her into school so that she would not miss this special day. When she moved on to middle school we were delighted to see six year old pictures of her and her classmates in their yearbook as they began their educational journey together. I agree with the previous post-- couldn't your trip wait a few weeks?

 

[slist]

I am pulling my son, who is entering the 4th grade and my niece who is entering the 5th grade. I had knee surgery this year and have been laid up so any chance of a vacation went out the window. My sons principal will have a fit when she finds out. We took him out of school when he was in first grade and they would not allow him to bring work home before hand. I figure it this way
he will be missing 8 days of school it not the end of the world. I bet he will still be able to go to college

 

[Dogslider]

Most people who subscribe to this site are mind-numbed Disney fanatics who would condone such acts as missing your grandparents Golden Anniversary, your best friend's funeral, or an appointment with your parole officer... all in the name of a visit to WDW.

Lucky for us we that we have few more well balanced people around here to educate and balance out the rest of us fanatics!

As along as the school allows it, without going over the days that they can miss. I would do it also.
Have fun!

Pam

 

[Tigger Fans!]

Originally posted by uvm81
If your looking for "sound" advice, look elsewhere. Most people who subscribe to this site are mind-numbed Disney fanatics who would condone such acts as missing your grandparents Golden Anniversary, your best friend's funeral, or an appointment with your parole officer... all in the name of a visit to WDW.

Whoa! Thought I was on the debate board for a minute.

I think all parents should seriously consider their individual child when making this decision. But...as a teacher I recognize that not all learning takes place in the classroom!

TTFN!

 

[G-gang]

My kids start school on Monday and we will be leaving next Sat. for WDW.

I have already spoken to all the teacher's and they were all very understanding about our family vacation.

I was worried and feeling guilty--not anymore.

 

[mkandk]

But it's more because it's a finance issue for the school. I'm not worried about my kids' education, because I agree that the family bonding and the new experiences are worth it. But the school loses, like, $35? per day, per child.

 

[pygmymom]

Go and have a magical time!

This is such a question of balance--school is extremely important, but think of what your child will remember--the wonderful family vacation you took right after Kindergarten started. It will be a special year all the way around.

The only concern would probably be how early in the school year you're going, but in the big scheme of things, it's minor. We first went during school when our DD's were in grades 2, 4 and 7. My job in retail dictated the time of year we travelled. We've always been proactive about letting the school know, and with one notable exception, we've had fabulous teachers willing to partner with us as far as telling us when they would be available for make up work, etc, even though it was understood it was our responsibility to make sure it was done. As they get older, it becomes much more challenging as teachers are already overwhelmed and the studies move at a faster pace.

Our high school made the decision for us: it's a policy that unless it's for a medical reason, once you miss six days of a class, you don't get credit. So, now we go in the summer.

Don't waste any time on guilt. Savor every second. Have a magical trip!

 

[*Fantasia*]

Originally posted by cindyfan
No offense....but....what kind of "work" can a Kindergartener miss????

IMHO....kindergarten was designed so that the children learn their "social" skills. There are still a lot of school districts that do not require any child to attend kindergarten.
The family life at this point is way more important than a week at kindergarten.

If it was high school and your child struggles with their classes, I would worry then...otherwise....Just enjoy the vacation.

My DD is in the 7th grade and I have been pulling out of class in Oct for the last few years. No big deal!! She will get her assignments ahead of time and we will have time set aside every day to do her work.

Stop worrying!!

Not all schools let the students get the assignments ahead of time. They have to make it up when they get back from the trip.
.........................................................................................................

My son is entering 1st grade. This time if I am taking him out of school, I will only let him miss 2 or 3 days. If I let him miss a whole week or two, he will be missing too much lessons and he might have a hard time gasping to the present assignments and homeworks.

My kids are in private school. I want my money's worth. I would prefer to take them out during school vacation.

Unfortunately not all parent or parents can do this, so in this case, it is very understandable why they need to take them out during school days. As long as the child is OK, then nothing to worry.

I think you'll feel better once you talk to the teacher. Good luck.

 

[Coll0610]

We've taken DS out in kindergarten and first grade and will be doing it again this year in second grade. (We go in October). His K and 1st teachers were fine with it and sent some work for him. He also did a journal both years - which is something we can treasure for years to come.

Maybe it's a bit of a bribe, but I always bring back something for the teacher - stickers, note cards, post-it notes - something she can use for the class. It is a little extra work for her to get stuff together and I want her to know we appreciate it.

We've also told DS that he only gets to go to Disney as long as he's doing well in school, so it's become an incentive all year.

 

[Liz]

My son missed about a week of Kindergarten (he's going into 10th now) to go to Florida. I was stressed about it at the time and now looking back it seems like nothing. The teachers were great about it.

Just by coincidence, the week we were gone they were having a "beach day" at school. The kids wore shorts, sat on beach towels, and did beach type activities. While the kids at school were doing this, my son was spending a day at the Atlantic Ocean!

 

[TDC Nala]

My nephew will probably miss some kindergarten to go to WDW next May...

So, what are they missing in kindergarten? Quantum physics?

 

[K P & J's Grandma]

One of our daughter-in-laws is a teacher. She says that her kids will NOT miss school for any vacation!!!!! We are going to Disney in November and can't take our grandson along - he will be in Kindergarten!!!!!! We will be going with another one of our sons & his family - they have a daughter who will be missing Kindergarten!!

 

[magicmouse2]

I have taken my kids out of school the past 2 years. They could not cope with crowds during peak season. Their grades did not suffer and they were still top of the class In the next 2 years though we are going to try and avoid taking them out of school. They are getting older now, and I do not want them to miss anything.

 

[momsmall]

Don't feel guilty! I truely believe if a child is excelling in school the time that he/she is pulled for a family vacation is valuable. We have pulled our kids, DD 10 - 5th grade, DS 7 - 3rd grade ever since they both were in kindergarten. We are lucky enough to be able to see the following year's school calendar 1 year in advance and there is always a conference week in Oct where there are 3 1/2 days and the other 2 days of the week are teacher education days. So if we only take a week the kids only miss 1 and a 1/2 days of school, many times we are gone for 10 days and they only miss 3 and 1/2 days. Same thing goes for January. Usually, Martin Luther King's birthday week the teachers have professional days and the kids do not have school 3 of the 5 days. So we either go in October or January. My husband is self employed so he is flexible, I'm a stay at home mom and our kids both work at a grade level above the grade they are in. Don't get me wrong the kids are aware that the only reason we are willing to pull them from school is because they get such good grades. They both know if there is any slip in the grades there will be no Disney trips. I tell the teachers at the beginning of school and always offer to get any work they may be missing so they are not behind when we return. We took our DD when she was 3 at Christmas time and swore we would never put ourselves through that again. So as soon as the school calendar is released I keep a copy by the computer to begin planning that years trips. We will be making our 5th family trip this October.

 

[cdrn1]

I take offense to the phrase "mind-numbed Disney fanatic" (which I certainly am not) but I will let that pass. Like I said earlier, I always took my children out of school for family vacations and they have turned out to be successful adults. Imagine that. No harm done. It's interesting to note that it was not the teachers and administrators who had a problem with it, it was the sports coaches who were upset that the kids would be missing practices! One of my dd's had to run 50 laps around the track for missing practice during fall break.

 

[tardin1964]

I for one am not in favor of taking kids out of school to go on vacation.

Although I agree that missing a few days of kindergarten does mean the child will not get into Harvard, I think it sets a precedent in the child’s mine that going to see Mickey Mouse is more important than school.

Using the argument that it's family time and that they learn a different lesson on vacation than at school really doesn't cut it.

Family time is eating dinner together every night...as a family.

Family time is spending time together on the weekend.

Family time is definitely going on vacation, however, when you have school age children it should be done during summer break, winter break or Easter break. Or it should be done during other times when your kids are off from school.

I believe the main reason parents pull their kids out of school is because it is easier on them either financially and/or because there are less crowds. The kids will have a great time whenever they go.

And before anyone makes a comment on my countdown timer, most schools in New Jersey are closed the first week of November for teacher conferences. This is the first time my kids school district has closed the whole week. This will be our first family trip to WDW. I've waited till now (DD 5 and DD 7) because it works out well for all of us. No school missed and value season rates.

My two...well maybe three cents.

 

[cindala]

I wouldn't worry too much about Kindergarten. If you work with your child in helping them complete their work, they'll be fine.

It's when the kids get older, like HS, that it is really hard to pull them out. I have two teen DD, with one in college, and I have never taken them out of school for Disney. They would just have too much to make up, and their grades would suffer.

 

[jjsmom]

I always try to convey happy thoughts on this board but this is one issue that makes my blood boil. I do not want to offend anyone especially hard working teachers and school administrators, but this is my opinion regarding school vacations.

My daughter will be entering 7th grade next week in private school (they tend to be a bit more flexible). We have taken her out of school every year to go to WDW since pre school. I have never,ever felt guilty about doing this. It is a bit of a challenge to make up work, and luckily, all of her teachers have been accommodating. I feel very sorry for kids and parents in school districts that will not accommodate reasonable family vacations. They make arrangements for sick kids don't they? I do not understand what the difference is and there are circumstances that interfere with a family's ability to travel when it's "convienient" for school systems. For instance, my DH has asthma, and he just cannot function in FL heat. We went in June 2 years ago and he struggled quite a bit. He also sells real estate and summer is his bread and butter. We can't hardly take a long weekend away from the business. Even when she enters public high school in 9th grade, we WILL continue to take vacations during school and if they insist on punishing my daughter I WILL challenge them in court!

My brother in law ran the Disney marathon 2 years ago and the local school district wanted to FAIL my poor little 1st grade nephew (for the term) for missing 5 days of school!! They had to go before the board (a courtroom atmosphere) and explain why they "defied" rule and went on vacation (oh the horrors!!). In my opinion, schools have far worse problems than kids who take a few days off for family vacations. They need a good dose of pixie dust!

 

[cindyfan]

The principal acted as though I was going to ruin the schools precious attendence record and even said I should discharge my daughter then reenroll her so the school would not have so many absences on record.

WHAT!!!!! It was kindergarten for gosh sakes!!! That principal needs to take a chill pill!!!

Most people who subscribe to this site are mind-numbed Disney fanatics who would condone such acts as missing your grandparents Golden Anniversary, your best friend's funeral, or an appointment with your parole officer... all in the name of a visit to WDW.

My parole officer was very understanding!!! ....That is getting pretty bold for it being just your second post on these boards.

I think all parents should seriously consider their individual child when making this decision. But...as a teacher I recognize that not all learning takes place in the classroom!

HURRAY !! I agree. Good point.
My DD and DSiL are both teachers and totally agree with you. And ENCOURAGE family time. When their kids get older they will be traveling to WDW during summer and spring breaks. BUT.....totally agree with my decision to pull my 7th grade DD out. She is an A student and has no trouble making up any missed work.
DH and myself have jobs that simply do not allow us to take vacation time during spring breaks and VERY limited to which weeks in the summer. So for us October is best.

Not all schools let the students get the assignments ahead of time. They have to make it up when they get back from the trip.

Very true. We did have a couple teachers that preferred she do her work when she returned......couple of reasons for that....they felt the "family time" was very important and the pressure of completing assignments would take away from the "family time" Also, after DD returned she would have the teachers there to help with the assignments if she needed it.

 

[jeannej]

I wouldn't feel guilty. It hasn't been a problem for my children through elementary school. I no longer do long trips to WDW on the off season because now that I have a middle schooler, it really does make a difference. So, now it is only three days tops.

Enjoy your young ones while you can.

Jeanne