School work at Disney

[Later_Mater2009]

I know a lot of people take their kids out of school, do you get their work ahead of time and do a little bit of work in the hotel/resort room each day during down time? I am considering this, but I know you all who have done this know more than I do. I have a 2nd grader and a 10th grader. They attend private school so no worries about taking them out. I specifically want to know how you do school work at Disney so they aren't real behind when they get back? THANKS

 

[robndani]

My kids are too little for that, but this is what my sisters have done (they are 11 and 14):

1) A little on the plane
2) A reading assignment by the pool
3) An hour during hotel down time (or before breakfast or bed) for a day or two.
4) A few days with absolutely no work to worry about.

As long as a little effort here and there is being made, I think it's fine!

ENJOY!

 

[Later_Mater2009]

My kids are too little for that, but this is what my sisters have done (they are 11 and 14):

1) A little on the plane
2) A reading assignment by the pool
3) An hour during hotel down time (or before breakfast or bed) for a day or two.
4) A few days with absolutely no work to worry about.

As long as a little effort here and there is being made, I think it's fine!

ENJOY!

Thank you, sooo soo much! I have two ends of the spectrum, a high schooler and an elementary student. I love the reading by the pool idea.. They may want to do more of that Thanks again

 

[seus-mouse]

When we took them out, we gave the teachers a note a few weeks ahead of time, and then the week before stopped in and worked closely with what they said they were doing in class. I've found the close interaction works very well.
It depends on which kid though...lol... as my DH pointed out our oldest is lazy like him and gets the work in last minute, our youngest, he says..., is more nerdy like me and brings the work herself and keeps in touch online with her math club pals when away.

What robndani said sounds very good to me as well.

Incorporating some part of the trip sometimes works too. Some years back our oldest had a class history project she would be missing and we spent the day in St. Augustine to see some of the historic buildings and sites so she could do her report on that as it related to the class work.


Holly

 

[mchllevns]

When my children were younger we spoke with the teachers ahead of time...many would give packets for them to complete on plane, in room, etc. But a couple gave "Disney" assignments...write about a particular day....look for different types of trees/flowers that you see in Epcot that you wouldn't see back home....made the trip a part of the homework!

 

[Alesia]

I would ask your childrens' teachers if they would prefer to give the work before the trip or after. For some teachers, getting the work together beforehand is a lot of extra work.

 

[laughinplace199]

I would ask your childrens' teachers if they would prefer to give the work before the trip or after. For some teachers, getting the work together beforehand is a lot of extra work.

I agree. My kids' school would not give any work ahead of time. They got all of their missed work once they returned to school.

 

[ajwolfe]

We've taken our boys out a couple of times. They are younger and in elementary school so there isn't as much work as a high schooler. We were given packets of most of the homework ahead of time and a few straggler pieces after. We drive so they could work on it the couple days before we left for vacation and then in the car. We do absoutely no homework on vacation!! It's a vacation; my dh and I do not bring work so we don't make them. If they want to read a book for pleasure, that's fine though. However, we do try to make things educational. We do a lot of discussing in the WS, they budget and pay for their own souvies with gift cards, etc.

 

[MandiC]

My kids are only in 2nd and 4th grade, we did some on the flight down (my 4th grader actually finished almost all of hers on that flight) and then some on the flight home. Our flight home was a Friday so we actually then had all weekend to finish up anything they didn't get done (my 2nd grader had a lot of reading work that normally the teacher would have read to them but instead I did so hers took longer than my 4th graders work which was mostly math and worksheets). We didn't do any of it when we were in Disney, it was our family vacation and I'm against 'work' during that time. If we had time I wouldn't have minded reading a book with them there but we really just didn't have time. We just had parent-teacher conferences and both their teachers said they didn't even skip a beat when they got back to school.

 

[jezebel73]

For my 2nd grade daughter, the teacher gave work ahead of time and we did it in parts on the down days. She also was given a "Disney journal" assignment, since they were working on writing anyway, which we did almost every day, but only for 10-15 minutes.

For my niece, 7th grade, she also was given work ahead of time and it was a LOT!! I think her parents kept her home the day after we got back to finish it. I have no idea how a teacher thought she'd write a 5 page essay on vacation.

For the next trip, they will be in 4th and 9th and I am definitely concerned about the older one. Both are very good students, but the older is a serious overachiever and will freak out if she can't get it done again. Ugh.

 

[brockash]

I know a lot of people take their kids out of school, do you get their work ahead of time and do a little bit of work in the hotel/resort room each day during down time? I am considering this, but I know you all who have done this know more than I do. I have a 2nd grader and a 10th grader. They attend private school so no worries about taking them out. I specifically want to know how you do school work at Disney so they aren't real behind when they get back? THANKS

We try to get the work before we go and try to get as much done as possible on the plane and before we get to Disney. We also usually have one down day so we can also do some then when we need to.

 

[geniegirl]

In Jan we took our 1st grader and had his eacher give us his work to take. We did a bit on the plane then most nights we did a sheet or two when we got back to the room. We are rope dropers so nothing in the morining. Also on our rest day we did a few extra sheets as incentives to get someting special. There were some struggles but in the end we got it all done and didnt have to catch up when we got home. Only issue was the missed tests that they did cram into his first day back but that wasnt too bad.

 

[goofystitchfan]

We have taken our kids out several times for our Disney trips. Last year was the last time however. Our school district policy is to not give work to bring along. They are unexcused absences. My boys are 15 & 13 and now with one being in high school and the other in middle school.. there is just TOO much work to catch up on. Also since it is considered unexcused I was getting worried that if they were to get sick those are also unexcused unless it is 3 days in a row or more, then they would require a doctors note. If you are able to get the work, then you are lucky and I wouldn't give it a second thought.

 

[snoopy5386]

My DD is only in 2nd grade but we pulled her out once in kindy and twice a year in first and second grade. We do the work before we leave, on the plane down and once we return home. Nothing on vacation, no time, energy or motivation. We're on vacation!

 

[set1208]

I had a middle schooler and elementary schooler last trip and I got work for them prior to leaving and we didn't get it done. We were too distracted to work on it. My MS'er had a hard time catching up when we got back, even though she got a tiny amount of work sent with her.

I don't regret pulling them because we had a great trip but next time we go, I'll coordinate it better with breaks.

I'm headed down with just one if my boys in Sept and we are flying out after school on a wed he has thurs off and he will just miss Friday and Monday. I think that the younger they are, the easier it is to catch up.