School excuse wording

[Wadecool]

I'm way behind. I missed the part of the Constitution that guarantees everyone the right to go to WDW during school days. Of course, you could always stretch the true meaning of the amendments to cover pretty much every topic you can imagine. However, I'm sure that plenty of legal minds have already dealt with most of this.

I agree with the teacher that said not EVERY child is a good candidate for homeschooling. Many children might do better with homeschooling too though. There is no one size fits all.

So, has the OP ever said how she plans to word her letter?

I think in order to "get it" you'll need to fashion yourself a handy dandy tin foil hat.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyFamily123
Immigration is a hot debate that obviously won't be solved on a disboards thread...

So why bring it up in the first place, since it has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand??

Because the point is... If the school doesn't bother documenting who is a legal resident of the county.... then the school shouldn't bother asking me to document why I'm taking my kid out of school to go to Disney. The first seems to be a bigger issue of concern. I don't hear any National debates about going to Disney... except on this thread.

The schools here do not allow students who reside in one county to attend a school in a different county (or even a different district within a county) ....at least not without paying $$$. But sometimes parents lie about residence to attend better schools in another area of the State/County. If caught (I never did this...), the parents can be taken to court and forced to pay money. But, how can illegal aliens be a resident of the County without being a legal resident of the larger U.S.?

Let's not punish children by denying education because they are not legal residents.... but the school shouldn't punish me either about missing 4 days of school for a family vacation. That's why I brought it up.

 

[akhenaten]

If a trip to Disney is a religious holiday then the Dis boards need to Poof... no religious discussions allowed!!

Can I become a pastor and call my room a church..hmm maybe stay free???

 

[declansdad]

School policy here is "observance of a documented religious holiday" is a reason for a lawful absence from school. Spending quality time with family is part of my religious values. I documented simply that DS will be absent due to observance of a religious holiday.

If the school wants more documentation than that, it's none of their business. Especially since they don't bother documenting all the students and parents who are in the US illegally who are getting priority for school services.

My son is not going to suffer by missing a week of school. I'm responsible for his education, not the school.

This is as good as calling a vacation to WDW a "great educational" experience.

 

[Colleen27]

4. As a teacher, I am offended that just anyone can "teach" a child...I had to go to school for 4 years to become a teacher..."homeschooling" is not what is best for some children

5. STOP comparing the United States education to other countries...It is like comparing apples and oranges. We are a melting pot society that is WONDERFUL to offer public education to EVERYONE...The key word is everyone. No matter what the language, disability, ethnicity, religion etc...everyone is entitled.... it is not an excuse, it is the facts. We will never compare to other countries that don't have the same obstacles.

I couldn't agree more with point #5.

But as to point #4... How much of what you learned in your education program pertained to classroom management, legal requirements, and special ed situations that wouldn't come up if you were only teaching your own children? I don't say that to denigrate teachers, BTW - I intended to be one before marrying a man with the exact opposite work schedule and deciding it wouldn't work for our family to never be able to vacation at the same time, and I have quite a bit of coursework under my belt to that end. But comparing what a teacher needs to know to manage a classroom of 25 kids, all with different needs, different backgrounds, and different learning styles to what a parent needs to know to educate her own children at home is apples to oranges just as much as comparing the US educational system to that of other nations.

 

[ForTheLoveOfDCL]

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...

I already sent my note in....I don't say anything just that they will be out and make up their work. They're my kids and if I wanna go on a vacation I will. They won't remember the week they missed of school but they will remember we went to Disney every year!!!! However I love this, I think just for fun I will print and send into DD's teachers....they will get a good laugh about this. I actually made the passport for Epcot myself and will have them get them stamped and then ask the person of that country to write Hi, or My name is , or something basic in that language!! Thanks for the good laugh!

 

[Wadecool]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyFamily123
Immigration is a hot debate that obviously won't be solved on a disboards thread...



Because the point is... If the school doesn't bother documenting who is a legal resident of the county.... then the school shouldn't bother asking me to document why I'm taking my kid out of school to go to Disney. The first seems to be a bigger issue of concern. I don't hear any National debates about going to Disney... except on this thread.

The schools here do not allow students who reside in one county to attend a school in a different
county (or even a different district within a county) ....at least not without paying $$$. But sometimes parents lie about residence to attend better schools in another area of the State/County. If caught (I never did this...), the parents can be taken to court and forced to pay money. But, how can illegal aliens be a resident of the County without being a legal resident of the larger U.S.?

Let's not punish children by denying education because they are not legal residents.... but the school shouldn't punish me either about missing 4 days of school for a family vacation. That's why I brought it up.

Sorry. You still have not not made the correlation between illegal immigration and "school excuse
wording", but nice try. I get that you don't like illegal immigration, I get that. However, that's no reason to bring your personal issues and crusades into a discussion about writing school excuses for your kids, who hopefully are here legally.

 

[Magpie]

4. As a teacher, I am offended that just anyone can "teach" a child...I had to go to school for 4 years to become a teacher..."homeschooling" is not what is best for some children

As a former homeschooler, I am "offended" (not really) that you think just anyone with a teaching degree can homeschool a child.

Talk about apples and oranges! I've known teachers who've quit their job to home school their children. They struggle as much as anyone, and sometimes more, because they have a fixed idea of what teaching is and they have trouble adapting that to the one-on-one focus of a homeschooler.

I presently tutor children. I'd never compare what I do to classroom teaching. Especially not when I've got a little girl hanging upside down in a tree, reading challenge sentences written in chalk on the sidewalk.

 

[nytimez]

Quote:
Originally Posted by DisneyFamily123
Immigration is a hot debate that obviously won't be solved on a disboards thread...



Because the point is... If the school doesn't bother documenting who is a legal resident of the county.... then the school shouldn't bother asking me to document why I'm taking my kid out of school to go to Disney. The first seems to be a bigger issue of concern. I don't hear any National debates about going to Disney... except on this thread.

The schools here do not allow students who reside in one county to attend a school in a different county (or even a different district within a county) ....at least not without paying $$$. But sometimes parents lie about residence to attend better schools in another area of the State/County. If caught (I never did this...), the parents can be taken to court and forced to pay money. But, how can illegal aliens be a resident of the County without being a legal resident of the larger U.S.?

Let's not punish children by denying education because they are not legal residents.... but the school shouldn't punish me either about missing 4 days of school for a family vacation. That's why I brought it up.

So let me get this straight: IF the school district starts enforcing immigration law on its own, THEN you'll stop taking your kid out of school to go to Disney World?

You're getting weirder and weirder.

For the record, illegal immigration is a time-honored tradition here in the Americas, dating back to at least 1492.

 

[DisneyFamily123]

Sorry. You still have not not made the correlation between illegal immigration and "school excuse wording", but nice try. I get that you don't like illegal immigration, I get that. However, that's no reason to bring your personal issues and crusades into a discussion about writing excuses for your kids, who hopefully are here legally.

I just think it's peculiar that a parent has to give a public school any excuse to take a family vacation. It's all just plain silly and mad. By the way, my DS's school requires a written note for any absence. My note simply said he was going to be absent. But if it were made to be an issue, I would use the religious holiday observance excuse.

The connection between illegal immigration and school excuse wording is... if the school is not going to question legal residence of illegal immigrants (I consider this a more serious offense than a family vacation), the school shouldn't question me about something so minor as missing a few days of school to spend time with family.

The way I look at it... our schools close several days a month, dismiss students 2 hours early many times, close or open late if there's 1 inch of snow on the ground (and everyone runs to the stores and buys all the bread, milk, and toilet paper). If you're from MD, you know what I mean about the hysteria every time it snows. We use up a LOT of our vacation time from work to cover those times. Every once in a while, I actually like to use vacation time for.... vacation.

 

[akhenaten]

I just think it's peculiar that a parent has to give a public school any excuse to take a family vacation. It's all just plain silly and mad. By the way, my DS's school requires a written note for any absence. My note simply said he was going to be absent. But if it were made to be an issue, I would use the religious holiday observance excuse.

The connection between illegal immigration and school excuse wording is... if the school is not going to question legal residence of illegal immigrants (I consider this a more serious offense than a family vacation), the school shouldn't question me about something so minor as missing a few days of school to spend time with family.

The way I look at it... our schools close several days a month, dismiss students 2 hours early many times, close or open late if there's 1 inch of snow on the ground (and everyone runs to the stores and buys all the bread, milk, and toilet paper). If you're from MD, you know what I mean about the hysteria every time it snows. We use up a LOT of our vacation time from work to cover those times. Every once in a while, I actually like to use vacation time for.... vacation.

Why do you have to even make up a reason? What would be the punishment if you told the truth and said you were going on a family trip???
I don't get the problem.... I have taken kids to Disney during the school year and never made up a reason.... I have suffered thru Disney in July because I did not want my kids to miss school work too... so what???
Yea you set a great example for your kids by making up a religious holiday...

 

[Patience]

Someone here said they would homeschool if their school district ever went to year round school because their child needs the summer enrichment. We homeschooled for three years and it was a wonderful experience but now our daughter attends a year round school. We love year round school! Year round school does NOT mean no summer break. My daughter's summer break is 7 weeks long. She also has a long fall break (hence our upcoming trip to Disney in October- we love vacationing in October), a very long Christmas break and a long spring break. It seems to me that year round school would be a great fit for those families whose jobs prohibit them from taking vacations in the summer. Plenty of options for non-summer vacations with year round school and no need for your children to miss school days.

I'll say it again, if you don't like public school and all of its rules, do your research and shop around! There are lots of great alternatives out there.

 

[Running_Bell]

Because the point is... If the school doesn't bother documenting who is a legal resident of the county.... then the school shouldn't bother asking me to document why I'm taking my kid out of school to go to Disney. The first seems to be a bigger issue of concern. I don't hear any National debates about going to Disney... except on this thread.

Well said!!!

For the record, illegal immigration is a time-honored tradition here in the Americas, dating back to at least 1492.

it is ILLEGAL.... for a reason and there is nothing honorable about anything illegal.


---- seriously, this thread needs to be removed. The OP question hasn't been answered at all and the debate has really moved in to areas where many of the posters here have not the knowledge to debate it. Unfortunately, free speech in America also means that the sharing of ignorance must be tolerated as well as rudeness.

 

[Magpie]

---- seriously, this thread needs to be removed. The OP question hasn't been answered at all and the debate has really moved in to areas where many of the posters here have not the knowledge to debate it. Unfortunately, free speech in America also means that the sharing of ignorance must be tolerated as well as rudeness.

Remove or tolerate? Aren't those mutually exclusive options?

Conversations go where they will. If it's no longer fun, then don't participate. I really don't understand the impulse not only to flounce but also try to take the entire thread with you (by calling for it to be shut down).

Not to mention, this ain't "America". It's an internet bulletin board with an international following.

 

[nytimez]

the debate has really moved in to areas where many of the posters here have not the knowledge to debate it. Unfortunately, free speech in America also means that the sharing of ignorance must be tolerated as well as rudeness.

I'm glad you admit you don't have the knowledge to debate this. We need more of this kind of honesty.

However, I kindly reject your office to share in your ignorance.

 

[akhenaten]

Remove or tolerate? Aren't those mutually exclusive options?

Conversations go where they will. If it's no longer fun, then don't participate. I really don't understand the impulse not only to flounce but also try to take the entire thread with you (by calling for it to be shut down).

Not to mention, this ain't "America". It's an internet bulletin board with an international following.

Come on now Magpie... America IS the world...

 

[akhenaten]

I just think it's peculiar that a parent has to give a public school any excuse to take a family vacation. It's all just plain silly and mad. By the way, my DS's school requires a written note for any absence. My note simply said he was going to be absent. But if it were made to be an issue, I would use the religious holiday observance excuse.

The connection between illegal immigration and school excuse wording is... if the school is not going to question legal residence of illegal immigrants (I consider this a more serious offense than a family vacation), the school shouldn't question me about something so minor as missing a few days of school to spend time with family.

The way I look at it... our schools close several days a month, dismiss students 2 hours early many times, close or open late if there's 1 inch of snow on the ground (and everyone runs to the stores and buys all the bread, milk, and toilet paper). If you're from MD, you know what I mean about the hysteria every time it snows. We use up a LOT of our vacation time from work to cover those times. Every once in a while, I actually like to use vacation time for.... vacation.

The school has no right to ask... but if your child disappeared on the way to school or had an accident while cutting class you would scream bloody murder about why they did not contact you! Rules and regulations work both ways...

 

[Colleen27]

Someone here said they would homeschool if their school district ever went to year round school because their child needs the summer enrichment. We homeschooled for three years and it was a wonderful experience but now our daughter attends a year round school. We love year round school! Year round school does NOT mean no summer break. My daughter's summer break is 7 weeks long. She also has a long fall break (hence our upcoming trip to Disney in October- we love vacationing in October), a very long Christmas break and a long spring break. It seems to me that year round school would be a great fit for those families whose jobs prohibit them from taking vacations in the summer. Plenty of options for non-summer vacations with year round school and no need for your children to miss school days.

I'll say it again, if you don't like public school and all of its rules, do your research and shop around! There are lots of great alternatives out there.

The problem with year-round, at least in my neck of the woods, is that those programs are mostly limited to the elementary school level. So for those of us with kids at different schools it makes the problem worse rather than better because it adds a third (or fourth, for dual-career couples) schedule into the mix.

 

[Saylan]

After reading all 22 pages of this, wow, I didn't realise how hot a topic this could be. Or how different it is down in the US.

I'm not going to say what people should or shouldn't do. I will speak from my own experience though as one of those children who were taken out of school for family vacations.

I went approximately 14-15 times (3 times in one year because we had annual passes) prior to entering University with 1-2 of those trips being in high school. All the rest were ages 13 and under. We did some trips over the pre-scheduled holidays (Christmas, March Break, etc.) and we did one in June for my grade 6 graduation. One trip in June was enough, due to weather more than anything else.

I wasn't an amazingly bright child. I was good at some things, not so much at others, like any kid. I remember some of the specific lessons I was taught in school, but it's mostly just clips here and there.

I do remember almost every trip I took with my parents. I remember fun times with my Dad before his heart attack, inside jokes he and I will share forever. I remember finding rides my Mom would ride that my Dad wouldn't even though to me he was not scared of anything. I have albums of pictures of me at Disney, hugging characters or other random acts (I apparetly loved dancing to the theme music in the World Showcase... ).

I have had so many wonderful memories there that WDW became my 'happy place' when things get hard, and they did.

Would I take my future kid(s) out of school for Disney? Yes, I probably would. I would probably try to do it in the way that least impacts everyone involved (aim for the school breaks, etc.) but I know how much those trips mean to me and how many wonderful family-filled memories I have there. I gained much more from them than I would have from a few more days in class.

 

[Planogirl]

Well said!!!



it is ILLEGAL.... for a reason and there is nothing honorable about anything illegal.


---- seriously, this thread needs to be removed. The OP question hasn't been answered at all and the debate has really moved in to areas where many of the posters here have not the knowledge to debate it. Unfortunately, free speech in America also means that the sharing of ignorance must be tolerated as well as rudeness.

So you decided to contribute to the rudeness by calling those who don't agree with your opinions ignorant? Interesting approach.