Suprising Kids, do you think teachers will help???

[jillmomto3]

Hi,
We had our 1st trip planned for almost a year (we were supposed to leave this Thurs.), we hand to cancel, Dh had to have surgery. Dd had all paperwork signed to be off of school for 6 days, she is in 6th grade and has a 97% average. So, we are now planning on suprising the kids for a Christmas trip, my question is, do you think if I sent her teachers an e-mail explaning the situation that they would keep the trip a secret or should I just forget about it? I don't want to ask too much of them. I know it's a lot of work to get the homework organized for the week. I wanted to keep the secret as long as possible.
Thanks!
Jill

 

[michaelwilliammidd]

I'd say its worth a shot. The worst they could do is not go along with the surprise but, I really don't see anyone doing that. Being that they were fine with the original planned trip, I doubt they would have a problem with it. I say give it a try, surprise Disney trips are the best!

 

[shyjade]

I agree, give it a shot!

I'm taking my DD9 out of school for an entire week in November for a surprise trip to Disney (she too is a very good student so I don't think her missing a week will be too bad).

I was trying to figure out a way to get her homework before we go without her finding out; I lucked out and the school calendar shows the Friday before we go is an "in service" day - no school (too bad I didn't know this earlier so I could've planned our trip around her day off).

I will call the teacher the week before and fill her in on the surprise, then hopefully go to school on that Friday to pick up the homework without my daughter knowing. Then Saturday morning I will "drop the bomb" and tell her we are going...and that she needs to spend the day working on homework. Our flight leaves at 6am Sunday morning.

Good luck!!

 

[RLRDA]

Hi,
We had our 1st trip planned for almost a year (we were supposed to leave this Thurs.), we hand to cancel, Dh had to have surgery. Dd had all paperwork signed to be off of school for 6 days, she is in 6th grade and has a 97% average. So, we are now planning on suprising the kids for a Christmas trip, my question is, do you think if I sent her teachers an e-mail explaning the situation that they would keep the trip a secret or should I just forget about it? I don't want to ask too much of them. I know it's a lot of work to get the homework organized for the week. I wanted to keep the secret as long as possible.
Thanks!
Jill

I'm not sure what area of the country you're from but it sounds like you have a very accomodating teacher/school to prepare homework in advance for an absence due to a family vacation. While my sons' teachers don't have a problem per se with families taking their kids out of school for vacations...the school system's policy is that the students will not receive any work in advance and they (administrators) frown on these types of "unexcused absences". My DH and I, however, have taken them on vacation during the school year anyway. They do well in school and I don't think a week away is going to harm their academic mindset (if they struggled in school, that would be a big consideration).

If your daughter is a strong student, which it seems, I wouldn't even mention it to the teacher until it gets closer to the date. It sounds like your going sometime around Winter Break? The workload always seems lighter before a school vacation, anyway. Keep your trip a secret from the kids and have a great time!

Hope your DH is doing well!

 

[jillmomto3]

I forgot to mention we are going the 16th - 23rd, so she will still miss 5 days off of school. Our teachers are usually good about kids taking off, all of them told her when she put in her requet earlier to just go and enjoy and they will get her work ready before she leaves and to fiinish up as soon as she could, but they didn't want her taking it with her. It is great of them giving it to us before she leaves (or me hopefully), so that she can complete everything for back to school after Christmas break. We are from NE PA. I would never take her out if she struggled in school, it is too important. I do think she can handle being off w/out missing too much, especially the week before the Holiday. I know the last day they will watch movies and have a party.
Jill

 

[shyjade]

Last year my DD's teacher didn't send her to Disney with homework either. We went in late September and she only missed 3 days (she was in 3rd grade). I'd made her a Disney Vacation Book where she wrote about what we did each day, her favorite rides, what she learned, etc. and she ended up taking that to school when we got back and shared it with the class.

 

[pinkrose]

I say go for it.

We are surprising our kids in a couple of weeks. DS is in the 6th grade and DD is in the 5th grade. I told the teachers about our trip (and that it is a surprise) when school first started. They have all be very supportive and said they'd keep it a secret. We've also filled out the paperwork and it's been approved. I will be reminding them later this week so that they can be sending their homework. We'll just have to get their work finished before we go so that we won't have to do it at WDW. DS's work will be due the day he returns back to school.

Have a great time!

 

[lady9]

We surprised our children with a trip in Feb. '06. DS's teacher loved the idea of a surprise (DD was only 4 yrs. old). She was great to the point of only sending absolutely necessary work and we picked that up from school the day before we left. We picked him up early from school the next day (He thought he was going to Houston) and after we left, the teacher told the class where he was really going. We brought her back a neat little picture frame for being so sweet about the work and our secret. I wished she was our child's teacher every year!

 

[Cinderella37]

I teach first grade and would be more than willing to go along with the surprise. Often rather than giving work, as I teach in a very "hands-on" district, I give a journal and ask them to write about their adventures on vacation. I don't mind when kids are on vacation; we don't have children yet, but go to WDW every December and I "miss school." I think parents have every right to take their children on a trip during the school year. Have a great time!

 

[3for Me]

I don't have an opinion - I just envy you guys!

Our kids teachers (2nd, 3rd and 5th grade) would all make us do ALL of the homework and make up all of the tests. Between the three kids it would be hours and hours of homework and they would likely miss about 10 tests between them. No missing school for us!

I say do it while you can and hopefully the teachers will want in on the surprise!

 

[deej696]

When I was a kid, I missed a week every October to go to WDW, as my dad played in the pro-am at the pga event every year. I remember my teachers used to send me with my "homework" but I would say overall I only had a couple hours worth for the entire trip!

 

[duffy]

When we went last time, my oldest 2 were both in high school, both great students, and it was in mid-September, so they really were just getting into the year. They knew they had to do the work, but typically procrastinated.

On our last day, we took their little sister, who turned 5 that day, to go on the Pirate Cruise, my husband and I strolled around the Grand Floridian waiting for the boat to return our little pirate The 2 high-schoolers frantically worked at their homework, and on the plane, and on the drive...

We got home and our teachers went on strike the next day. And they were off for 2 weeks. My daughters were so angry that they worked so hard and could have let it wait till they returned. And by the time the strike was settled, everyone in the school needed refreshing, so it did not matter if they had done the work or not!

 

[micmacmissy]

...the school system's policy is that the students will not receive any work in advance and they (administrators) frown on these types of "unexcused absences".

That is ridiculous--I would call the principal, or superintendent, and find out if that policy is anywhere in writing. If not, I would challenge them on it.

I was a high school administrator before I stopped working to be an at-home mom and I can tell you that very few of these policies are enforcable. Honestly, I think some of these schools are getting out of control and trying to parent our kids for us.

(Our son's elementary school allows kids two "personal" days a year where parents can pull them out for personal/vacation reasons. But you have to submit it in writing and get it approved by the principal. My husband was leaving for a yearlong deployment in Iraq--and I had to get the principal's permission for a 2-day family "goodbye" vacation? Ridiculous. Of course, the principal approved it--but if he hadn't? We would have gone anyway. AND given the superintendent an earful about it!)

My husband and I are highly educated professionals who are fully responsible for our kids. No one is going to tell me if and when I can pull my kids out of school, but yes, they can try to! And honestly, a lot of the policies these schools institute are not legally enforcable. (Yes, high schools can withhold credit for excessive unexcused absences, but that's about it.)

School systems cannot tell you what to do with your own child. See what they have in writing, and challenge them on it!

 

[W2BNeverland]

That is ridiculous--I would call the principal, or superintendent, and find out if that policy is anywhere in writing. If not, I would challenge them on it.

I was a high school administrator before I stopped working to be an at-home mom and I can tell you that very few of these policies are enforcable. Honestly, I think some of these schools are getting out of control and trying to parent our kids for us.

(Our son's elementary school allows kids two "personal" days a year where parents can pull them out for personal/vacation reasons. But you have to submit it in writing and get it approved by the principal. My husband was leaving for a yearlong deployment in Iraq--and I had to get the principal's permission for a 2-day family "goodbye" vacation? Ridiculous. Of course, the principal approved it--but if he hadn't? We would have gone anyway. AND given the superintendent an earful about it!)

My husband and I are highly educated professionals who are fully responsible for our kids. No one is going to tell me if and when I can pull my kids out of school, but yes, they can try to! And honestly, a lot of the policies these schools institute are not legally enforcable. (Yes, high schools can withhold credit for excessive unexcused absences, but that's about it.)

School systems cannot tell you what to do with your own child. See what they have in writing, and challenge them on it!

I don't know how it works in Maryland, but in Texas, parents and child can get hauledinto truancy court for excessive abscences.

 

[Kathy5]

I am a teacher at a middle school, and I like it when the kids let me know ahead of time that they will be out for a vacation. This allows me to gather work for them, and often, to let them do the work in school with me before they even go (I pull them from a gym or music class, or they come into school a bit early for a few days). This way, they go on vacation with no work and don't have to worry about catching up when they return.

Now, not every teacher will do this, but letting the teacher know a student will be gone, will at least allow the teacher to save the work that the student is missing. And, no one wonders if the student is having a prolonged illness, etc.

I can't imagine any teacher (okay, I could imagine a few, but not many) who wouldn't go along with a surprise.

KAthy

 

[claudia]

That is ridiculous--I would call the principal, or superintendent, and find out if that policy is anywhere in writing. If not, I would challenge them on it.

I was a high school administrator before I stopped working to be an at-home mom and I can tell you that very few of these policies are enforcable. Honestly, I think some of these schools are getting out of control and trying to parent our kids for us.

(Our son's elementary school allows kids two "personal" days a year where parents can pull them out for personal/vacation reasons. But you have to submit it in writing and get it approved by the principal. My husband was leaving for a yearlong deployment in Iraq--and I had to get the principal's permission for a 2-day family "goodbye" vacation? Ridiculous. Of course, the principal approved it--but if he hadn't? We would have gone anyway. AND given the superintendent an earful about it!)

My husband and I are highly educated professionals who are fully responsible for our kids. No one is going to tell me if and when I can pull my kids out of school, but yes, they can try to! And honestly, a lot of the policies these schools institute are not legally enforcable. (Yes, high schools can withhold credit for excessive unexcused absences, but that's about it.)

School systems cannot tell you what to do with your own child. See what they have in writing, and challenge them on it!

We are on Long Island and it is the same policy at my son's HS. Last year we took him out for 2 days for vacation and he decided to tell them that he was going away .....needless to say, they made a big stink about it, he received the unexcused absences on his record, he missed a test which they would not let him make up and they refused to give him the work to do on vacation. Needless to say, I have told him that I will be calling him in sick on the 2 days he will miss for our Christmas vacation.....he agreed. He is an exceptional student, all AP and Honors Courses and is always on High Honor Roll.....I do not want to lie to the school, but there is no way I am going to let him be punished like that again.

 

[jillmomto3]

I'm happy so many of you didn't think it was a bad idea to ask her teachers. I think I am going to ask them about it during open house in November and than e-mail reminders about 2 weeks ahead of time. Hopefully they will go along w/it, if not nothing lost by asking! She is the oldest of my 3 and I would love to be able to pull off a suprise on her too!
Jill

 

[pilferk]

Hi,
We had our 1st trip planned for almost a year (we were supposed to leave this Thurs.), we hand to cancel, Dh had to have surgery. Dd had all paperwork signed to be off of school for 6 days, she is in 6th grade and has a 97% average. So, we are now planning on suprising the kids for a Christmas trip, my question is, do you think if I sent her teachers an e-mail explaning the situation that they would keep the trip a secret or should I just forget about it? I don't want to ask too much of them. I know it's a lot of work to get the homework organized for the week. I wanted to keep the secret as long as possible.
Thanks!
Jill

We're going in Jan '08.

We told our oldest's teacher at orientation (while our daughter was off with the other kids) about the trip (so she'd know it was coming), and that it was a secret.

She said go, have fun, her lips were sealed, and to remind her in mid to late November via a phone call or email so she can ensure she puts together a work packet for her.

So, in our case, the teacher was pretty amenable to keeping quiet.

 

[micmacmissy]

I don't know how it works in Maryland, but in Texas, parents and child can get hauledinto truancy court for excessive abscences.

Trust me, you cannot be hauled into truancy court if you are responsible parents with an achieving child. In ANY state. (The US Dept of Education sets federal policy for ALL states.)

Children are considered truant when they meet ALL three criteria:
1. Excessive, unexplained absences,
2. Lack of parental cooperation with the school system,
3. Poor academic record

So, clearly a responsible parent with a well-achieving child cannot be hauled into truancy court if they remove their child for a family vacation. Even if that vacation is two months long.

It's important for parents to know what their rights are--and that many of these "policies" that are put into place are there for the lowest common denominator of parents. But the fallout affects all parents, especially the responsible ones, who are honest and upfront about their plans.

 

[micmacmissy]

We are on Long Island and it is the same policy at my son's HS. Last year we took him out for 2 days for vacation and he decided to tell them that he was going away .....needless to say, they made a big stink about it, he received the unexcused absences on his record, he missed a test which they would not let him make up and they refused to give him the work to do on vacation. Needless to say, I have told him that I will be calling him in sick on the 2 days he will miss for our Christmas vacation.....he agreed. He is an exceptional student, all AP and Honors Courses and is always on High Honor Roll.....I do not want to lie to the school, but there is no way I am going to let him be punished like that again.

Claudia...I used to work on Long Island.

This is exactly what I mean--you and your son are being punished for being honest and upfront. If I were you, I would go straight up the chain of command to the superintendent and fight the unexcused absences...I realize teachers can withhold work (which I think is a lazy cop out), but I would still fight the absences. They are infringing on your right as a parent to take your kid out of school....for two days? Ridiculous.

They should spend a little more time with the families of children who are failing out of school and who have actual truancy issues!