School excuse wording

[princessdi]

My family and I including my DS9 will be going to WDW next week. He will miss three days. I am a RN and due to the type of nursing I can not take off and go on vacations especially at holiday times. Holidays and the weeks surrounding them are the times we are not allowed under any circumstances to be allowed off. Summer is also busiest since kids are all out of school.

I send the school a note stating the dates DS will be absent, but I STILL get calls asking me if I knew my son was absent on each daywhile IN Disney!! I even remind them I sent a note and spoke with the teacher.this does NOT mean the absences will be excused though. The teachers allow work and tests missed to be made up. Tests will be made up instead of going to recess. DS happily does so to get to go to WDW.

Where we are, the school limits absences to 10 unexcused a school year and once you reach 7 unexcused absences the district attorney calls and sends you a letter. Almost an investigation. This seems a bit exaggerate, but i think its mostly for those who keep kids out all the time.

I have nothing to hide. I teach my kids to be honest. We are going to WDW now because my job as a nurse doesnt allow for it during holiday periods or summers bc that is when it is busiest at my job. He will make up the work at home with the guidance and help of my husband and I. Ill gladly take the responsibility for taking him out and making up the work, just excuse the absences. He never misses otherwise thankfully!! I have no problem with this but trust me, it does not happen often!! Its the whole "one bad apple ruins it for the bunch".


Btw, i am surprised more healthcare workers have not chimed in on this.

 

[wen8jr]

That depends on what the teacher's contract is. Our contracts (at least mine) have always had defined contracted times. Staying in the building after that time is uncompensated and should not, imo, be "expected" by parents.
There should be time planned if not every day then once a week to work with children who were absent within the contracted time. If that is not being done, then that is the issue and the teacher is not planning accordingly. There will be student absences, that can't be avoided. Flu season alone should be a perfect example of what to expect.


Am I saying teachers shouldn't stay after? no, I'm not. But yes, that time IS after school hours and is generally assigned to other required duties. Being appreciative and recognizing that, as opposed to expecting it and demanding it, is only respectful IMO.
If there is no time allowed in the schedule to work with students that are making up work, then if I were in that position I would approach the head administrator of the school and let them know there is an issue that is causing me to be there past "contracted" hours. They should be able to help reassign duties and help with planning. The students should come first - there will always be a need to spend time with a child for makeup work.


That may be the case in your son's school - that doesn't mean it is everywhere. As a certified teacher who has subbed a lot, I have always been given "real" lesson plans to adhere to and "real" classwork to give out. Yes, even at the HS level. As a teacher, on the rare occasion that I am out of the classroom, I leave "real" lesson plans for the sub to follow, and do whatever I can to get a sub in my room who is certified to teach in my subject area. I realize this too is just my personal experience, I'm just saying i wouldn't write off all teachers as giving busy work (or no work) just because of your experience.My son takes AP College courses, not all substitutes are qualified to do this. I'm not writing off all teachers as you have assumed, it is an example of our experience with a couple. I'm pointing out in my post that it isn't only the student that misses school and causes a disruption to their eduction, teachers miss as well. They are only human too right, so they miss work at times. Well a child has to miss school at times for many different reasons as well. And as you have asked me to do...if I were you I would not write off all parents/students who choose to miss a day or so of school for vacation and assume they do not appreciate a teachers time with their child. I appreciate it myself, but yes I also expect it as it is part of their job. If my child had other issues that caused all sorts of problems, no I wouldn't expect it. But under normal circumstances and if it is part of an approved policy, then yes I do expect it as it then becomes in my opinion part of a teacher's duty. Same difference if in part of my job something is required/allowed, I make time for it and get it done and I don't expect a pat on the back either as it is my duty.



The assumption that because teachers don't have students in the summer that that means they're on vacation, or able to vacation is just that - an assumption. So many people here mention that they can't travel at certain times (say, summer) because of their spouse's job. OK - well teachers have spouses too. What if the teacher's spouse can't travel in the summer because of their job? Should the family be forced to travel without one spouse in order to vacation? No, a family should not be forced to travel without one spouse. MY POINT EXACTLY in my post. Schools should not expect this of parents and students either. And I do not assume that all teachers have the summer off. I also know that there are some teachers that give it their all, work summer school, coach, etc. and then there are others who are tenured who are just waiting for retirement to come with no care at all about the children and dash out to the parking lot and leave as soon as the bell rings. My son has two teachers that he visits every day after school just to hang out. These teachers are awesome teachers who get outstanding performances from students and are AP teachers. These teachers go above and beyond and are not like most.

All I'm trying to point out is that just because school lets out doesn't mean that teachers are lying around the house all summer with nothing to do.
No one said this was the case. At least not for all teachers. I was replying to the poster I quoted who said they went during the summer (when I also suspect most teachers try to go). If a teacher's spouse or themselves work during the summer then surely they (if no one else) can understand a parent who can't get off either and needs to take a vacation during school time?


Yes, yes they should....both parents and teachers alike./QUOTE]That's right. Keep in mind though that teachers aren't perfect and they aren't all cut out of the same mold. Your work ethic as an educator and someone elses may not be equal. Same thing with students and parents - they come in all spades as well.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

My daughter would think she was being punished for going on a family trip. It would ruin the trip for all of us. Homework yes, but an extra report, not for us.

well then it is not an "Educational Trip" it is a family trip.. isn't it? If one is going to use the excuse it is an educational trip for school, then that is what it should be.. otherwise you are teaching your child that you can lie to authority to get what you want.... If you are not requesting it to be approved as an "Educational Trip", then it is different, but OP is requesting this.. and doing HW on a family trip doesn't make it an Educational.. it just makes it doing homework on a family trip.. see the difference..

 

[wen8jr]

My family and I including my DS9 will be going to WDW next week. He will miss three days. I am a RN and due to the type of nursing I can not take off and go on vacations especially at holiday times. Holidays and the weeks surrounding them are the times we are not allowed under any circumstances to be allowed off. Summer is also busiest since kids are all out of school.

I send the school a note stating the dates DS will be absent, but I STILL get calls asking me if I knew my son was absent on each daywhile IN Disney!! I even remind them I sent a note and spoke with the teacher.this does NOT mean the absences will be excused though. The teachers allow work and tests missed to be made up. Tests will be made up instead of going to recess. DS happily does so to get to go to WDW.

Where we are, the school limits absences to 10 unexcused a school year and once you reach 7 unexcused absences the district attorney calls and sends you a letter. Almost an investigation. This seems a bit exaggerate, but i think its mostly for those who keep kids out all the time.

I have nothing to hide. I teach my kids to be honest. We are going to WDW now because my job as a nurse doesnt allow for it during holiday periods or summers bc that is when it is busiest at my job. He will make up the work at home with the guidance and help of my husband and I. Ill gladly take the responsibility for taking him out and making up the work, just excuse the absences. He never misses otherwise thankfully!! I have no problem with this but trust me, it does not happen often!! Its the whole "one bad apple ruins it for the bunch".


Btw, i am surprised more healthcare workers have not chimed in on this.

My feelings as well, but I don't work in the medical field. I manage a finance accounting dept. and 2 weeks out of the beginning of each month I cannot miss work and put in excessive hours. Then we have year end close, reporting, audits, etc. So Christmas break is out as well. Spring break falls during the first two weeks of the month in our district...so that's out. Fall break which we did utilize for two years was taken away due to excessive snow days. Most holidays occur during the first two weeks of the month, so we can't take off then (my work). Then my husband can't miss during the summer months and he works most weekends.

We've missed out on precious moments and family time being off together. My son will be flying out of the nest to college soon and we want family vacation time with him while he is still a kid...so this year, yes he is missing school for a few days.

I do take offense to someone telling me or someone else that it is wrong to do this or that we don't appreciate teachers if we do it. That is just a ridiculous assumption to make and really when it comes down to it...I don't care what anyone thinks. As long as I'm following my school district's policy, make arrangements and my son does what is asked... then I have no worries.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

[/QUOTE

as someone who works in a school and reads the absent excuses from parents, i'll tell you that the schools can't really do much if you choose to take your child out for vacation for a short period of time. it may or may not show on a report card as an unexcused or excused absence. Schools need to be informed since they do take attendance each day and it helps to know why students aren't in school and saves the secretary a phone call home to find out why a student is missing. When taking your kids out of school becomes a real issue, is when there are chronic absences (truancy and court), or as the pp who I've quoted above says that missing classroom instruction will hurt her child and make school more difficult for her child. (major respect for this parent/family)
I highly doubt colleges are scanning transcripts to see how often a child was absent from school and basis acceptance on this. they get their full tuition money regardless of how many classes a student attends.

you say schools can't do much, are you aware that they don't have to give you the work ahead of time, are you aware that they can give it upon return and if out three days, require it back in 3 days & take credit off for it being late.. legally? These are things schools can do and that reflects on the child's grades... so while colleges are not looking at their absences they are indeed looking at their grades and credits. Too many unexcused or excused absences (19 total per year in my district) while in high school and you will not get your credits for that class.. and that will be seen on your transcripts for college without a doubt.. and this is coming from someone who has college age children, and who also works in the classroom...and has worked with the social service worker at the school due to the excessive absences of some students.

So while that one week trip to Disney, the few long weekends, the trip to the doctor, the dentist, the 2 week flu....etc.. they tend to add up.. also in my district, 2 tardy's equal an absence as well.. they all add up..

When my youngest was in her senior year, she was out 4 excused days by December. I rec'd a letter in the mail to notify me of it. Letting me know that if she reached 19 total for the year, it would effect her graduation due to credit denial. These were excused absences. She was sick and we had doctor notes.

 

[Angel Ariel]

There should be time planned if not every day then once a week to work with children who were absent within the contracted time. If that is not being done, then that is the issue and the teacher is not planning accordingly. There will be student absences, that can't be avoided. Flu season alone should be a perfect example of what to expect.

In most cases that IS done. You asked what was considered "after school time." I'm merely responding to your question with my experience that after school time is any time after that contracted time ends.

If there is no time allowed in the schedule to work with students that are making up work, then if I were in that position I would approach the head administrator of the school and let them know there is an issue that is causing me to be there past "contracted" hours. They should be able to help reassign duties and help with planning. The students should come first - there will always be a need to spend time with a child for makeup work.[

I don't believe I said there is no time in the schedule to work with students. I am saying that the parental expectation that it can be done within 30 minutes of the final bell ringing is not necessarily possible. There are logistical issues to be worked out there, as students can't be left alone in the building during that time. Someone has to be accountable for them - which means swapping duties with other teachers, or having a separate duty area where teachers are on duty to watch them until duty is over, etc.

I never said that teachers shouldn't plan on helping kids after school - I'm just pointing out the logistics that go into it. There is more to it than just "my kid should be able to stay after school for 30 minutes and make up the work." My point was that many parents are demanding and expect such and such things to happen with little respect to whatever other responsibilities the teacher has at that time. I was merely saying that the attitude of being appreciative of that time, rather than demanding, is appreciated.*

Just so I'm completely clear - yes, teachers should plan to be able to help students after school. And IME, they do. But parents should still recognize that teachers do have other responsibilities in that time and not expect that a week's worth of work be able to be made up in 30 mins after the final bell.

*Also to be clear - I'm not saying that you, wen8jr, aren't appreciative - the appreciative comments throughout this post aren't directed at anyone specifically. They are general comments based on experiences I've had.

My son takes AP College courses, not all substitutes are qualified to do this.

Substituting is one of the areas that's so dependent on states. Where I was referring to in my last post, all subs are required to be certified teachers. They may not be certified in the specific subject (though teachers always tried to get someone for their subject at the HS level), but they were certified teachers and could facilitate AP students with real work even if they weren't teaching something new.

The state where I'm currently living, you only need 60 college credits in order to substitute teach. I think those kind of requirements definitely play a part in what work teachers can reasonably leave in their absence. If I know I have a certified teacher coming in, I know I can leave a certain level of work. If whoever coming in could be anywhere from a college student or a certified teacher, it's hard to navigate what level of work to leave.

So yeah, in short, I do agree with you to an extent Substituting can be very difficult..both for the teacher to plan for, and for the sub to come in and teach.

I'm not writing off all teachers as you have assumed, it is an example of our experience with a couple.

I apologize for that, then - that is how your first post came across..that subs = no real work happening. Clearly a misunderstanding.

And as you have asked me to do...if I were you I would not write off all parents/students who choose to miss a day or so of school for vacation and assume they do not appreciate a teachers time with their child.

I don't write off parents or students at all. Honestly, I don't mind when students are out for whatever reason. I do what I can to help them make up whatever necessary. How parents approach me does make a difference, though. Not in how I help their students, just in the teacher/parent relationship. I firmly believe it should be a partnership, and when I'm approached with demands from parents then it damages that partnership.

Same difference if in part of my job something is required/allowed, I make time for it and get it done and I don't expect a pat on the back either as it is my duty.

I don't expect a pat on the back for helping students either. I do expect respect for my time, that's all I'm saying. If catching a student up requires me staying after my contracted time, I will do so.

No, a family should not be forced to travel without one spouse. MY POINT EXACTLY in my post.

I understood that was the point of your post. What I don't understand is why that paragraph I quoted seemingly didn't apply to teachers. The way the quote was worded implies that it isn't a hardship for teachers to travel in the summer and that they have extended time in the summer in which to take their vacation. I'm merely pointing out that isn't always the case.

Schools should not expect this of parents and students either.

Attendance policies have become more strict with the implementation of NCLB. Districts can fail AYP, and thus be marked a failing school, for missing their attendance requirements. Trust me- this isn't by schools' choice. I don't know of any teacher or school who wouldn't do away with NCLB if given the opportunity. The only way it's going to change is if parents and teachers and districts band together and get our legislators in Washington to change this law. As it is right now, schools hands are largely tied because of how much is tied into funding and AYP.

Keep in mind though that teachers aren't perfect and they aren't all cut out of the same mold. Your work ethic as an educator and someone elses may not be equal. Same thing with students and parents - they come in all spades as well.

I couldn't agree with you more here. Unfortunately there are some horrible teachers out there. I know because I've had more than a few of them myself, and because of that I aspire to be the opposite. No one is perfect. Not teachers, not districts, not parents, not students. That is why the educational partnership between all of the parties is so important to me

I apologize again if I came off harsh. I'm very passionate about what I do, and sometimes it gets the better of me.

 

[Jay2009]

Parents should continue to make the decision that is best for their family after having considered the consequences of their action.

It seems some people don't think that the parents have thought of the consequences (and maybe some haven't) but I think we can give the benefit of the doubt a little bit that they know their situation well enough to make an informed decision.

 

[wen8jr]

I apologize again if I came off harsh. I'm very passionate about what I do, and sometimes it gets the better of me.

I apologize if I did as well. I'm glad that you are passionate, I can see you do care!

 

[Tara922c]

For two half days I would say, "dd will be absent because we are going out of town". My district allows 9 absences a semester, regardless if they are excused or unexcused. The only time it matters if the absence is excused is if the student misses more than 9 days, and the student is up for an attendance review. Honestly, for 2 half days I wouldn't even worry about it. Being said, the only time my district will not allow make up work for an absence is if the child is truant, (absent without the parents permission). If my child wasn't going to be able to make up her work, then I might worry.

 

[Patience]

AP classes in our area have strict attendance policies - missing 7 days would mean they would not get credit for the class. Also, in our district, missing more than 5 days a quarter puts you on a probationary list, and the dean of students has to give permission for the child to continue in honors/AP classes.

Have you checked to make sure that all graduation requirements will be met if the seniors do not get credit for the AP and honors classes? If they do not meet graduation requirements (or if colleges get notified about absences) they might really regret that vacation...

In our school district, AP students cannot have more than one unexcused absence per quarter.

 

[Wadecool]

This thread has inspired me to dust off my old DVD of Ferris Buellers Day Off.

 

[daaasmith]

First off, I hope you have a wonderful trip with your family! It sounds like you have received some great ideas for the letter that you requested in your original post.
I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about the "educational" experience at WDW or any family vacation. I will be taking my 2 kids out of school for 7 days starting next week to go to Disney World (DS-K and DD-6th). I talked with DD's middle school prinicipal when school started this year about our trip, and he said "what a great experience for your daughter. I think we will consider this a 'homebound educational experience' and it will not even count as absences on record." The middle school prinicipal in our district believes that family time, family trips, going out of state to visit grandparents, etc. are all learning experiences, and has no issue with missing school when prearranged. He would like her to keep a journal, and a few of her teachers have assigned some homework to keep her up with her classwork (not much overall). I did not ask for this, but was offered because he stated he feels kids learn from all types of experiences in and out of school. I am very pleased with his outlook on education and williness to work with parents to make things work. Good luck to others!

 

[DustyPixie]

I have taken my DS out of school for a few days for several WDW vacations. I know all about the controversy on the DISBoards that this awakens, but I still feel that the time spent together as a family for just a few days has a far greater impact on my son than a few days in school. We are going again in October and he will miss 4 days of school as an 8th grader. He is rarely sick, so he hardly ever misses any other school days. I figure this will be our last chance to visit WDW during the slower times, since he will be in high school next year, but I have never regretted taking him out of school for a few days during his elementary and middle school years. The family bonding time has been well worth the time needed to catch up in school. Our district teachers have been nothing less than supportive and understanding.

 

[LockShockBarrel]

People can value education all they want but it's not all there is to life. Since some people couldn't take a bit of a joke with "B is our Buddy", let's make another one with I'd rather let my future kid have a break and go to Disney than push them day after day so that they think all that's important is school and work so when they're 30 they have a complete breakdown from stress. It was an exaggeration to make a point. That point was that a decent student should be able to recover from a week or so out of school. My teachers never gave me trouble when I was taken out of school, always gave me work to do which was basically "read up to such and such chapter and do the questions at the end of the sections". I usually did it in a rush the night before I went back to school. I just think it's heavy handed of schools to throw down a rule of "Well WE want what WE think is best for your kids so WE say WE don't trust your judgement as a parent when it comes to taking them out of school." If there's a state mandated level of attendance, fine, but by individual schools? If your kid is having issues in school that has been happening all year, a vacation isn't going to make it worse, there's obviously something deeper that's the issue and maybe a break is just what they need. I don't think a parent should feel like they need to lie to teachers, or carefully word a letter or make any excuse other than "I have decided to take my children on vacation, they will miss X number of days from X date to X date. Any work that you can provide would be appreciated"

 

[Schmeck]

First off, I hope you have a wonderful trip with your family! It sounds like you have received some great ideas for the letter that you requested in your original post.
I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about the "educational" experience at WDW or any family vacation. I will be taking my 2 kids out of school for 7 days starting next week to go to Disney World (DS-K and DD-6th). I talked with DD's middle school prinicipal when school started this year about our trip, and he said "what a great experience for your daughter. I think we will consider this a 'homebound educational experience' and it will not even count as absences on record." The middle school prinicipal in our district believes that family time, family trips, going out of state to visit grandparents, etc. are all learning experiences, and has no issue with missing school when prearranged. He would like her to keep a journal, and a few of her teachers have assigned some homework to keep her up with her classwork (not much overall). I did not ask for this, but was offered because he stated he feels kids learn from all types of experiences in and out of school. I am very pleased with his outlook on education and williness to work with parents to make things work. Good luck to others!

I think this is the principal's way of fudging the attendance records for his district...

 

[sukhakuli]

At my kids school we can pull them out after 9 am for any reason and it is not counted as an absence, and we can do it as often as we want. My ds has outside therapy, because the school is not providing appropriate services, so he misses time for that, and then he is seeing a whole slew of specialists because we are trying to build a solid case to get him those services (the district has a choice to accept previous medical diagnosis or not, and they chose not to. Then they did their own evaluation and said he was normal), so we need to get together a very complete and current evaluation, something that will hold up in court if need be. So he, and my older dd when I need to take her with me, are missing a lot of half days. I do always get a note, but it is not needed. For 2 half days, I would not stress at all about proving it is educational.

We are taking them out for about a week and a half. Obviously there is no love lost between the school district and I, so I am not worried about their funding. They can stick it. My oldest is so far ahead academically, supposedly she is blowing their other gifted and talented kids out of the water, that I have no worries. She has pull out programs to try to teach her something, but she has already passed all promotion requirements for the third grade. She used to be a grade ahead, but we put her back in her appropriate age group last year because I wanted her to have a peer group that is on the same footing she is. She struggles a bit with kids sometimes, or at least she did when some of them were 2 years older than she is. Now she's good.

For my son, well, he is academically at a worse place than he was when he started Kinder last year. Especially his little self esteem. He will probably do better after taking a break. We have been seriously considering pulling him and homeschooling him, but I have been hoping a new teacher might make all the difference this year... He needs more social interaction than other kids, and his Developmentalist warned me that homeschooling might make his social anxiety become a severe phobia.

But all in all, my dh works a lot, my dh deploys, and we need family time. Because he is an intensive care specialist, we don't get to choose vacation time, the military chooses it for us because the unit has to be covered 24/7. We were able to pull strings and get some of our 2 weeks a year during Thanksgiving, and the school gets one week off, so we did try to minimize how much time they are missing. The school is aware of the trip, and told us to have a good time, and be aware that state law requires them to send out a nasty gram warning us about their truancy laws. Whatever. My kids have near perfect attendance every year, so it's not a problem. It's funny, my ds's teacher's kid works at the Magic Kingdom! She told us to find him and say hi, lol.

 

[leebee]

I can see this from both sides of the fence. First, let me say that I happily took my daughter out of school to go to Disney World. The time spent together, lower costs and crowds, and more pleasant weather made traveling in the "off season" worth it for our family. My DD was an honor roll student throughout her public school career, NHS member, graduated 5th in her class, AP/honors classes in high school. DD would miss at least one week a year (some years we'd go on two trips to WDW) up through 8th grade. That was the year she said, "NO MORE!" Did these trips hurt her grades? No. Did she have assignments while traveling- and do them? Yes. However, DD said it was too much struggle and pressure to get caught up on notes, missed quizzes/tests, etc. when she returned, and truly no fun to have to do homework every night of vacation (or cram it all in while in transit, which rarely happened- just too much work). That was when we started going to WDW in August, to learn the pleasures of free dining, packed parks, and blistering heat!

As an educator, it's hard to say that kids don't miss anything when gone for a week, and that taking assignments with them and copying notes upon their return is the same, educationally, as being in school. It's not. Yes, the good students get the work caught up, but if there's something they don't understand, it's rare that they'll come to the teacher and ask for reinforcement. In middle/high school, kids know they've been absent for a family vacation and know when a teacher is going to look down on that, and therefore offer help but perhaps not as readily or willingly. Unfortunately, it's the kids who struggle who are behind the 8-ball. It's easy enough to say, "Then don't take 'em out," but just because Sally struggles a bit, is it fair to say her 3 siblings and parents can't go on vacation? Parents also sometimes think their kids learn more easily than the kids actually do, and that they'll be able to make up whatever they miss quickly. This is often not the case, and although the kid could stay after school to work with cooperative teachers until they are caught up, that's MORE time away from family, and the kid then has to be willing to miss more soccer/football/dance, etc. than already missed while away. ANd then there are the kids who truly will not "get" whatever they missed, regardless of the assignments made up; these are the kids who need to be taught through full lessons, not just recaps reviewed in study hall, and their grades DO pay the price. (and with middle school math programs that spiral, anything they miss while on vacation now can come back in two months to bite their butts in the NEXT unit).

Will missing a week of school doom your child to academic failure, and a dim future? OF COURSE NOT!! However, depending on their class grade (and I'm talking middle/high school kids here), there IS stuff they will miss if they are out for a week, they WILL have to do extra work while on vacation, and it will be harder and more stressful for them when they return as they get caught up, especially if they have teachers who don't agree with the trip in the first place. Yes, you are the parent and get to make the decisions, but be aware that your kid will have to pay the price in double assignments, late homework nights, possible grade struggles, etc.

As much as it frustrated me to have to shift our Disney plans to August (it's just so danged hot and crowded!!!), there was a little consolation in knowing that my tax dollars are going towards a good high school education!

 

[LaurenT]

At my kids school we can pull them out after 9 am for any reason and it is not counted as an absence, and we can do it as often as we want. My ds has outside therapy, because the school is not providing appropriate services, so he misses time for that, and then he is seeing a whole slew of specialists because we are trying to build a solid case to get him those services (the district has a choice to accept previous medical diagnosis or not, and they chose not to. Then they did their own evaluation and said he was normal), so we need to get together a very complete and current evaluation, something that will hold up in court if need be. So he, and my older dd when I need to take her with me, are missing a lot of half days. I do always get a note, but it is not needed. For 2 half days, I would not stress at all about proving it is educational.

We are taking them out for about a week and a half. Obviously there is no love lost between the school district and I, so I am not worried about their funding. They can stick it. My oldest is so far ahead academically, supposedly she is blowing their other gifted and talented kids out of the water, that I have no worries. She has pull out programs to try to teach her something, but she has already passed all promotion requirements for the third grade. She used to be a grade ahead, but we put her back in her appropriate age group last year because I wanted her to have a peer group that is on the same footing she is. She struggles a bit with kids sometimes, or at least she did when some of them were 2 years older than she is. Now she's good.

For my son, well, he is academically at a worse place than he was when he started Kinder last year. Especially his little self esteem. He will probably do better after taking a break. We have been seriously considering pulling him and homeschooling him, but I have been hoping a new teacher might make all the difference this year... He needs more social interaction than other kids, and his Developmentalist warned me that homeschooling might make his social anxiety become a severe phobia.

But all in all, my dh works a lot, my dh deploys, and we need family time. Because he is an intensive care specialist, we don't get to choose vacation time, the military chooses it for us because the unit has to be covered 24/7. We were able to pull strings and get some of our 2 weeks a year during Thanksgiving, and the school gets one week off, so we did try to minimize how much time they are missing. The school is aware of the trip, and told us to have a good time, and be aware that state law requires them to send out a nasty gram warning us about their truancy laws. Whatever. My kids have near perfect attendance every year, so it's not a problem. It's funny, my ds's teacher's kid works at the Magic Kingdom! She told us to find him and say hi, lol.

I sympathize with your situation. I don't know what I'd do if my school just refused to admit hat my daughter needs an IEP (I don't know if it's the same in all states...in NY that's an Individualized Education Program)..
If you have a medical diagnosis and they are being like that, I would sue them!
As it is, even though Becky has an IEP and receives extra help, they do not use the system that works best with her problem, so I have private help (though it';s after school hours....I do recommend you see if you can get his therapy worked out for after school so he's getting the advantage of both).
DO they have parent advocates in your school? I brought in a pedaitric neurological psychologist to my hearing with the school and they never even tried to say that she didn't need IEP! It's suh a shame that some schools do this. I really think my daughter has great potential to be a perfectly average student - IF she can get the kind of teaching she needs...her brain just works differently than the norm - other than that she's quite bright...

 

[ocean702]

you say schools can't do much, are you aware that they don't have to give you the work ahead of time, are you aware that they can give it upon return and if out three days, require it back in 3 days & take credit off for it being late.. legally? These are things schools can do and that reflects on the child's grades... so while colleges are not looking at their absences they are indeed looking at their grades and credits. Too many unexcused or excused absences (19 total per year in my district) while in high school and you will not get your credits for that class.. and that will be seen on your transcripts for college without a doubt.. and this is coming from someone who has college age children, and who also works in the classroom...and has worked with the social service worker at the school due to the excessive absences of some students.

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I am aware of all of that, and yes schools can deny credits based on students academic performance, but the question was related to trying to write a letter to make disney trips seem educational. The responsibility to make up missed work and stay in academic good standing falls on the student and the family if they choose to go on vacation, or are sick or what not, regardless if the school excuses the absence or not.

 

[leebee]

I am aware of all of that, and yes schools can deny credits based on students academic performance, but the question was related to trying to write a letter to make disney trips seem educational. The responsibility to make up missed work and stay in academic good standing falls on the student and the family if they choose to go on vacation, or are sick or what not, regardless if the school excuses the absence or not.

You're right, the question was about trying to write a letter that makes Disney sound educational. I lost the topic when trying to write about my own experiences. My suggestion? Don't bother trying to make Disney sound educational. Many of the teachers take their own families to Disney. They know what it is, and any teacher I know would be insulted by the letter that tries to point out all the educational aspects of Disney. If you want to explain the need for family time, that you'll be happy to have your kid do homework, whatever, fine... but don't use that letter that's posted a few pages back. It'll only annoy the teacher!