School excuse wording

[rgf207]

We are taking our children, Dd17, Ddbf 17 & Ds 9, out of school for 7 days. Family vacation and family time are just as important as school time. We sent pre-excused absence forms to school stating we are going on a family vavation and to please provide homework. My son's teacher thought it was great and he can keep a journal. My Dd & her Bf got hassled but they are seniors and if they don't have it down by now they never will. Both are AP & honor students and will take homework. Our jobs make it impossible to do summer travel so this is my only option. I feel that I am the parent and have the right to take them out as long as they still perform in school.

Good luck,

Judy

It is not the teacher's responsibility to provide homework ahead of time when you are pulling your kids out.

That creates extra work for the teachers. It's not fair to them.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

That letter is ridiculous. People who send it are not going to be taken seriously.

If you have to pull your kids out, just do it. Don't try to justify it so much as an educational trip, because really it's not.

omg...couldn't agree more!

 

[wookiebeck]

How about, "Dear School Administrators,
We are taking our kids out of school for ____ days from ___ (Month) to ____ (Month) so that the family can enjoy lower crowds and less expensive lodging at Walt Disney World, in Florida. The educational lessons of this family vacation will include:
1) economics - the importance of maximizing savings on family vacations
2) geography - the location, weather, and municipal infrastructure of Orlando, Florida
3) math - how quickly costs can add up for food, lodging and souvenirs
4) sociology - the diverse nature of people who attend theme parks
5) psychology - methods used by Disney to induce higher spending in their theme parks
6) English - grammatically correct signs and warnings on thrill rides
7) history - many Disney rides are based on myths and legends, and several are based on bona fide historical American artifacts and personalities
8) physics - actually experiencing positive and negative G-forces on several thrill rides
9) science - discovering the effects of dehydration and lack of sleep
10) foreign languages - hearing several languages in use by actual foreigners
11) biology - seeing, smelling, and possibly depositing stomach contents on the sidewalk after thrill rides
12) engineering - viewing and actually riding highly engineered thrill rides
13) astrology - examining and describing stars seen on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" in DHS
14) art - experiencing actual animation instruction and getting a back-lot view of motion picture production
15) phys ed - walking approximately seven miles per day.

...

This

Now for 'advanced queuing theory class', have your student analyze the effectiveness of the Fastpass to see if there are any flaws with the system.

 

[bigjrfan88]

This

Now for 'advanced queuing theory class', have your student analyze the effectiveness of the Fastpass to see if there are any flaws with the system.

We actually did an analysis on Disney's Fastpass system in a Operations Management course I took, and how it relates to queing theory.

The professor that taught the class was recruited from the auto industry by Disney to help formulate the Fastpass system, so we had alot of inside information about the way it actually came about. Pretty neat stuff, and a neat guy to learn from too.

I'm taking my oldest DD out of school for a trip this year too.

I have been trying to come up with how to word the letter, so this thread is nice. Our school district is kind of strict on unexcused vs excused absences. Policy states that family trips are not excused absences. After 3 unexcused absences you can be turned into Pupil Services. I contacted Pupil Services and they told me as long as there arent alot of other unexcused absences, and no other problems with behavior, then my daughter should be fine. I just worry about the school not wanting to work with us on the absences. I'm probably worrying TOO MUCH!

We had a tragedy here a few years back, so the school district got really strict on their policies. A family of children had not been to school for a few weeks, and no one from the school was checking on the children. Apparently the mother had told the children to stay home and not to leave the house until she returned. The mom had left them there to go on a really long crack binge. Doing what their mother had told them to do, the children stayed put and eventually starved to death or died of dehydration in the apartment. Obviously the community was outraged that this could have happened. So now we have all of these policies in place about absenteeism and how to report your childs absences..yada...yada...yada.

I like this thread though, I have been trying to figure out how to word the letter to her teacher/principal.

 

[princess jackie]

I will just never understand this. Granted I'm not a teacher or a parent...but if and when I have kids, if I want to take them out of school, I will. Absolutely give them homework to complete while there, and give them consequences for it not being done. Will I show them things that I think are educational while I'm at Disney...sure I will but it won't be the focus of our trip! Kids have the right to a vacation too, and not during just "school approved" times. I could understand this moreso during finals time or in certain years but I'm sorry, a 5 year old is not going to be scarred for life because she missed story time, snack time, and a week long focus on "the letter B is our Buddy".

LOVE this! So glad someone said it! Kids need a break too! When we take our kids out of school we always go in and talk to the teachers. We tell them this is when we are going and if you want to send school work along he or she will complete it. That's it! No hoops to jump through.

 

[Bummbok]

Why try to justify it at all?

Now I'm not saying that you shouldn't take the kids out outside school break times, but to try and act like you do it for the kids sake...really 180 days taught out of 365 days in a year works out to be less than 50%. IMO that's like trying to convince the teachers that they'll learn more at WDW instead of the class room.

Just tell it like it is: DH (or DW) can only get away in Feb (or whenever), there is no school break then and Mom and Dad need their vacation too. No made up excuses or veiled attempts at justification just the simple facts. And if the facts include "I could get off in the summer but it's too hot and crowded so we go off season" so be it, it's no one's business.

 

[clanmcculloch]

I don't understand these letters that try to explain the educational benefit of WDW trips. I've taken my kids out of school for a few days (longest was 5 days) for WDW trips. I've always stated exactly what the trips were; family trips to WDW. I don't insult the intelligence of the teachers, other educators and administrators at the school by trying to spin the trips as educational. They know what the trips are like. They're not stupid. I've actually got the VP of my kids' school asking me questions about WDW planning because she knows how well I know it.

I think what's most important is to know your school district's rules regarding truancy and follow those rules without playing any kinds of little games. In our district, 5 unexcused days of school in the whole year means you get a visit by CPS. Last year my kids missed 3 days for WDW. I sent a letter ahead of time (after having also told them verbally well before that because I knew my kids were talking about it) and the school listed the trip as excused absenses. In our district it's up to the discression of the school principle. I've spoken with her about the policy and she said that her opinion is that the policy is there to help the school protect kids who are being neglected and not to stop families who are active participants in their kids' education from taking family vacations. I love our principle. She shows us respect as parents and I make sure to show her respect as an educator.

In our case, we've actually had teachers tell us to take our kids out of school for vacations because WDW really does spin some kind of magic when it comes to autistic kids. Our autistic daughter really does make some impressive gains at WDW. I don't state that in our letter to the school but teachers have made these kinds of comments to me. Her para professionals do use WDW at times as a reference for some things though which I find wonderful. They're enchanted with some German phrases that she's now using, having learned them on our last trip as well as some Japanese phrases she learned the trip before that. I still don't list educational value in letters to the school.

I'm just sad that I don't think we'll be able to take off from school again except maybe the last day before school vacations because our youngest just really needs the classroom instruction too much based on some particular learning difficulties she has. It's just become too hard for her to keep up after missing a few days. It's just what we have to do as her family.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I'm sure OP is not the first parent at that school taking their child out for a WDW trip. They'll have a policy on whether it's excused or unexcused, and the wording of the letter isn't going to change their decision.

 

[nytimez]

That letter is ridiculous. People who send it are not going to be taken seriously.

If you have to pull your kids out, just do it. Don't try to justify it so much as an educational trip, because really it's not.

I'm sure OP is not the first parent at that school taking their child out for a WDW trip. They'll have a policy on whether it's excused or unexcused, and the wording of the letter isn't going to change their decision.

 

[Kona65]

Our family will be taking our middle school age daughters out of school for two half days before Thanksgiving to visit Disney and WW of HP. The school requires an educational trip permission form to be submitted and approved.

I know the children learn a lot at the Disney parks but I cannot think of how to put it into words.

Any ideas? What did you write on a request form if you were taking your children out of school?

(Normally I would not take them out of school but the 1/2 days before Thanksgiving aren't very productive school days in our district -- it is parent/teacher conference week and a lot of families leave early if they are traveling over Thanksgiving.)

Thanks for any ideas on how to express the Disney experience in educational terms.

This is the best one yet. I think I may actually frame this one.

 

[chartle]

Man things have really changed, I finished school in '02 and i dont think my mom had to do any of this!

You got out before "No Child Left Behind" was in full swing.

Every study shows that overall the more kids are in school the more you learn. Many School Districts have attendance goals that have to be met or principals are out of a job.

I know 5 days for one kid isn't a big deal but enough kids start taking vacation during the school year it adds up.

 

[tallen429]

You got out before "No Child Left Behind" was in full swing.

Every study shows that overall the more kids are in school the more you learn. Many School Districts have attendance goals that have to be met or principals are out of a job.

I know 5 days for one kid isn't a big deal but enough kids start taking vacation during the school year it adds up.

biting my tongue...biting my tongue....
I think OP will be just fine and I hope they have a wonderful and worry free trip!

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

While I completely understand that parents have every right to take their children wherever they wish, whenever they wish, it is not the school's responsibility to provide the future classroom work. Our school system allows you to miss up to 19 days a year, for whatever reason you wish..no reasons neeeded, no excuses. But, if a child hits that magical 20th day, there are repercussions....lowering of the grade. There are excused absences...illness with a doctor's note, funerals, college visits. They do not count towards the 19 day limit. But, even then, it is up to the student to get the missed work and finish it in the time alloted.
To expect teaches to provide work, in advance is presumptuous at best. If a family chooses to take an 'off vacation time' vacation, that is their choice. But the schools shouldn't be expected to accomdate it.
It's really not so much a debate about pulling kids out of school. Everyone has an opinion on that. Parents should do what they feel is right. But, they need to stop thinking of a trip to WDW as being educational. Please...give teachers and administration some credit. They know you're going on vacation. CAll it what it is.
Perhaps homeschooled kids may take classes while in WDW, but your public school kids??? Doubt it..unless they are trying to get discounted park passes.

I really am not trying to be argumentative, but it gets silly to have so many people think they are fooling the schools.
Oh, by the way??? My senior dd is missing 3 days of school in Dec...as long as her algebra grade is high enough. It is my choice, and she will take responsibility for getting the missed work, when she returns, or she will text classmates and get it while we are gone and then do it on the plane coming home.

It is not the teacher's responsibility to provide homework ahead of time when you are pulling your kids out.

That creates extra work for the teachers. It's not fair to them.

Amen to the above. My dh is a high school math teacher. Being on the spouse of a teacher side of things, I am amazed at how many families take their vacations during school time and EXPECT my dh and all of their other teachers to prepare the work they will be missing in advance - and then request him to stay after school when they get back to take missed tests or quizzes. You may be only thinking about your own family taking a few days, but in his 8 classes of 30 kids, even if only 10 families are requesting that, that's A LOT of extra work! And in this day and age and working climate (especially for teachers in Wisconsin), you don't tell those parents no - not if you value your job.

If you as family decide that you want to take your kids out of school, that's your choice and you're perogative as a parent - and I don't judge you for that. However, I don't think that a teacher should be expected to ensure that your children don't fall behind BECAUSE of that trip. Because my dh is a teacher, we always take our Disney trips during the summer. It's sometimes a bummer, but that's just the way it is for us.

 

[wookiebeck]

We actually did an analysis on Disney's Fastpass system in a Operations Management course I took, and how it relates to queing theory.

The professor that taught the class was recruited from the auto industry by Disney to help formulate the Fastpass system, so we had alot of inside information about the way it actually came about. Pretty neat stuff, and a neat guy to learn from too.

SWEET! I'm a manufacturing engineer by trade so crowd flow is an interesting topic to me. Would have liked to take that class of yours.

 

[chartle]

[/CENTER]9;42643979]biting my tongue...biting my tongue....
I think OP will be just fine and I hope they have a wonderful and worry free trip!

not at all defending or supporting NCLB(more exact opposite) its just how things are and yes the OP should be fine but if they are in a school district that has strict attendance rules they have to follow them or expect the consequences.

Again its just how schools work now.

 

[Arielle22]

DH and I are taking our DD18 and DD16 out of school in November for 6 days. They are in different schools and one is a junior and one a senior.

One school has no problem with the trip but the other limits absences for the entire year to 6. After 6 the student may get detention or other punishment. However if you are at a doctor's visit you are excused. So if DD18 is sick during the year we will take her to the doctor and get a note.

I don't expect homework beforehand and do expect both to keep up with their schoolwork.

I called both schools earlier this week to tell them. I did not sugarcoat it and simply said we were taking a family vacation.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

How about, "Dear School Administrators,
We are taking our kids out of school for ____ days from ___ (Month) to ____ (Month) so that the family can enjoy lower crowds and less expensive lodging at Walt Disney World, in Florida. The educational lessons of this family vacation will include:
1) economics - the importance of maximizing savings on family vacations
2) geography - the location, weather, and municipal infrastructure of Orlando, Florida
3) math - how quickly costs can add up for food, lodging and souvenirs
4) sociology - the diverse nature of people who attend theme parks
5) psychology - methods used by Disney to induce higher spending in their theme parks
6) English - grammatically correct signs and warnings on thrill rides
7) history - many Disney rides are based on myths and legends, and several are based on bona fide historical American artifacts and personalities
8) physics - actually experiencing positive and negative G-forces on several thrill rides
9) science - discovering the effects of dehydration and lack of sleep
10) foreign languages - hearing several languages in use by actual foreigners
11) biology - seeing, smelling, and possibly depositing stomach contents on the sidewalk after thrill rides
12) engineering - viewing and actually riding highly engineered thrill rides
13) astrology - examining and describing stars seen on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame" in DHS
14) art - experiencing actual animation instruction and getting a back-lot view of motion picture production
15) phys ed - walking approximately seven miles per day.

I hope you agree that, based on this ___ week visit, my children should be awarded a bachelor's degree in General Studies from the nearest state college. If that is not possible, please provide instructions on how my children can complete any additional requirements of their regularly scheduled classes (as if their classes could possibly cover anything remotely as comprehensive as this vacation will expose them to!).

Very truly yours,
Mrs X"

That should get the ball rolling for you...

This post! Awesome

 

[DisLee]

This..and my other issue: this whole PR spin of "Disney is Educational! Really! they go to Epcot and learn about countries! "

Call it what is is.. a vacation. it is NOT a class field trip and can never substitute for solid learning about a culture. even Field trips are merely expanding on what was learned from the classroom/text.

I'm teaching my kids every min of the day. Especially when we go to Disney.

 

[rlahansler]

Our family will be taking our middle school age daughters out of school for two half days before Thanksgiving to visit Disney and WW of HP. The school requires an educational trip permission form to be submitted and approved.

I know the children learn a lot at the Disney parks but I cannot think of how to put it into words.

Any ideas? What did you write on a request form if you were taking your children out of school?

(Normally I would not take them out of school but the 1/2 days before Thanksgiving aren't very productive school days in our district -- it is parent/teacher conference week and a lot of families leave early if they are traveling over Thanksgiving.)

Thanks for any ideas on how to express the Disney experience in educational terms.

I do not like taking my kids out of school at all but I did in Sept/Oct 2009 for a whole week, 5 days missed. My son was in 4th grade at the time and prior to that grade he had perfect attendance K-3rd (4 years), he also had perfect in 5th grade too. I told the teachers how I would never do this but we were going with their Grandma who was turning 60 and it was also the best time of the year for us to go due to sports, etc. Both my kids teachers were totally fine, sent home homework for the plane ride. They even had little reports to do daily on their experience there.
The week of Thanksgiving our schools close the whole week due to Parent/teacher meetings. You are so right nothing is done that week.

Good luck!!!

 

[ccgirl]

Our family will be taking our middle school age daughters out of school for two half days before Thanksgiving to visit Disney and WW of HP. The school requires an educational trip permission form to be submitted and approved.

I know the children learn a lot at the Disney parks but I cannot think of how to put it into words.

Any ideas? What did you write on a request form if you were taking your children out of school?

(Normally I would not take them out of school but the 1/2 days before Thanksgiving aren't very productive school days in our district -- it is parent/teacher conference week and a lot of families leave early if they are traveling over Thanksgiving.)

Thanks for any ideas on how to express the Disney experience in educational terms.

I knew this thread would turn into it's my kids and I will do what I want with them. Thank you, OP, for knowing your school's policy and abiding by them. I would advise everyone to do the same. For some schools, they do not give work ahead of time so it all needs to be made up upon the student's return. Also, some classes will actually give 0's for missed days. Too many 0's could, obviously, affect your child's grade. So, everyone should know their district's policy. It sounds like if the OP submits a paper listing the educational benefits that the absences may be excused rather than unexcused.

To the OP -

I believe you said middle school. I purchased my DD one of the passports from the carts in Epcot. I believe they were around $10. She then went to each country and got it stamped. They wrote her name in the native language. The classes really liked that. Also, we went around Christmas so we got to see how countries celebrated Christmas around the world. Because she goes to a parochial school, the teacher was delighted for her to tell how other countries celebrated (or not celebrated)Christmas. Other educational opportunities can revolve around budgeting, maps, the animals and habitats at Animal Kingdom etc.

Have a great trip.