Question about older kids missing school

[loralie]

Hi All,

I am planning a trip for May of 2007 and I have 2 boys ages 11 and 9. We are planning to be in WDW for 10 days, I want to leave on a Wed. and come back on the following Friday so we can have the weekend to rest before we go back to work and school. By doing this my kids are going to miss 8 days of school and I am a little nervous about it. I am not too nervous about the 9 year old because I know the teacher and I think she will be fine with it. My 11 year old is in Jr. High school (6th grade) for the first time so I don't know how this school will react to him missing so many days.

We have Parent Teacher meetings next week so I plan to tell the teacher. I also want to make sure that I am not making plans when there are important tests going on so I want to run the dates by them before I book the trip.

To me and my husband it is just not worth it to go when the kids are out of school to fight the crowds and the heat. We went last May and it worked out great.

Any ideas on how to handle telling the teacher?

TIA,

Loralie

 

[DisneyDotty]

(Speaking as a former teacher here...) Be upfront and honest, and offer no excuses. But do pledge full cooperation in getting make up work completed in a timely manner. And that's great that you're checking the school schedule to work around possible conflicts!
More than worrying about the teacher, though--what is your school district's policy regarding vacation absences? In my kids' district, vacation days are unexcused--no work given ahead of time, teacher's discretion for make up. (Ouch!) Nevertheless, we chose to pull our kids out two days last year, and they were able to suffer no lasting consequences. So, depending on your district's policy, the teacher may have little to say about the matter--either way.
Good luck!

 

[disney_me]

We also are taking our DD 10 out of school in March. I have aready had a chat with both her teachers and they asked me if I wanted to have her make-up work before or after we get back for Disney. Our school district, absences for vacation are unexucsed. I think if your child is a good student and can make-up the work them may have missed then its ok to take them out of school.

Not all families can take vacation in the summer. My DH has his in March so off to Disney for us!!

 

[jjohnson]

When does your 11yo start final exams? I pulled DS12 the end of last May for 4 days and I didn't realize how much review work he missed until we returned.

 

[loralie]

When does your 11yo start final exams? I pulled DS12 the end of last May for 4 days and I didn't realize how much review work he missed until we returned.

I am concerned about final exams too. That is why I am going to ask the teachers next week when we have parent teacher meetings when the exams are and try to work around them. I am looking to go more in the beginning of May rather than at the end of May.

Thanks,

Loralie

 

[daisyduck123]

If your child is a good student, then I say "Go for it!". This is coming from a mom who pulled DD11 (7th grade) & DS7 (2nd grade) out for 2 WDW trips last year (Jan. & May)...they missed a total of 11 days. It didn't hurt them a bit.

By the way, we always bring their teachers back very nice gifts. We got both DD's Algebra I teacher & DS's teacher WDW canvas tote bags, and DD's chorus teacher (a DVC member) some WDW golf stuff because he likes to golf, just to name a few.

We are going again this year..now they're in 8th & 3rd grades & I'm busy planning another 9 day trip. I like to go in the off-season too!

BTW...I'm a teacher..so I also pull myself out of school for our trips!

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

Before you go in to talk to the teachers, why not draw up a makeup lesson plan for your kids yourself. This would include extra work of your choice drawn (and extrapolated) from the overall sequence and flavor of the curriculum to be done before the Disney trip so it is not all catch up after returning home.

Many teachers are adverse to families pulling the kids from school because they don't want to set aside an hour to draw up a lesson plan (or package of work) for each kid in advance. When the parents draw up the lesson plans (it doesn't have to precisely match the actual curriculum) the teacher only has to okay it and perhaps add a few suggestions and it takes the teacher only a few minutes.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[CHRIS0498]

I live in California and we are able to put our kids on independent studies if you are taking any type of extended leave. You have to fill out a contract and they are give a homework packet to be completed while you are on vacation but the kids are not considered absent and the school gets its money, it a win win for all. Check with your school to see if they offer something like this.

 

[stacy6552]

I have a middle schooler as well. I figure when he's going to miss the lecture on brain surgery, I'll stop taking him out of school.....

 

[HappyDznyCamper]

(Speaking as a former teacher here...) Be upfront and honest, and offer no excuses. But do pledge full cooperation in getting make up work completed in a timely manner. And that's great that you're checking the school schedule to work around possible conflicts!
More than worrying about the teacher, though--what is your school district's policy regarding vacation absences? In my kids' district, vacation days are unexcused--no work given ahead of time, teacher's discretion for make up. (Ouch!) Nevertheless, we chose to pull our kids out two days last year, and they were able to suffer no lasting consequences. So, depending on your district's policy, the teacher may have little to say about the matter--either way.
Good luck!

It is very important to know your school systems policy like DisneyDotty said. In my district it is always unexcused abscence for vaction and it is NOT upto the teacher. Plus once you exceed 10 abscence if any are unexcused you will get an "invitation" to a group meeting with the local DA, if you don't show at that meeting you can be arrested They really don't care why they are just worried about truancy rates and federal funding.

 

[disney6family]

We also are only allowed 10 absences per year and our school district now has what they call a 'request for family educational trip' so that each trip needs to show educational value. And this trip alone, even with Thanksgiving weekend helping they are missing 7 days.
That said here is what we do (and I was worried about middle school being an issue, also)
We inform the teachers as soon as we know and fill out any district required paperwork.
Our kids are all good students, so all of the teachers always agree they can easily make up the work, any missed tests are done within the first week after they return.
We get all of the known work they are going to miss and they complete this on the drive down and back. (keeps them busy and lets me answer "are we there yet" with "is your homework done yet"
Any additional work they make up within the week after they get back.
Also, previously some teachers would just require that the student would keep a journal of his daily adventures with at least three items on each day.
We just did PTC yesterday and reminded all of the teachers and it is still all fine.
My middle schooler has to have each teacher sign a paper before he leaves and when he comes back that he has picked up/ turned in his assignments, so that is just more paperwork not anything harder.

Our 'educational request' form also has the value of a Disney trip -
first the tradition of going to Disney for our milestones (it's our 20th anniv trip )
physics - figuring out how the rides work
other customs and traditions - Epcot
animal identification - animal kingdom
money, time and personal management in trip planning, budgeting, cost per mile, day, person, etc
And I put in that reading and comprehension will be part of the whole trip since they have to read to plan and once we get there

 

[daisyduck123]

I have a middle schooler as well. I figure when he's going to miss the lecture on brain surgery, I'll stop taking him out of school.....

Love it!! May I use that phrase sometime?