Taking Kids out of school- Again!

[My2Angels]

I know this has been talked about over and over, but until now, I have never seriously read the posts....
My extended family wants to go to WDW for Christmas, the week before Christmas to be exact. They do not want to be in the crowds that the week of Christmas brings.
To leave when they want to, we will have to take the kids out for 5 days of school. It is the week before Christmas break, so I don't think they will miss too much schoolwork. My 3rd grader is my biggest concern for missing work, but she is very bright and will have no trouble doing the work on the road or before we leave. I also have a 2nd grader and a kindergartener.
In Alabama, our school policy is "miss 3 days you get a letter, miss 5 days you COULD get sent to early warning court" that is if the principal sends it in.
I need some serious opinions here.....should I just not worry about it and go, or should I risk messing up the whole trip for the family?

 

[tam626]

Do they have educational trip forms at your school? I took my dd out in April this year (her seniour year) for a cruise & they approved it. You just have to come up with some educational things you'll be doing on your trip.

 

[RMulieri]

We are going the same week and pulling ours out of school.But we have the educational abscence request form

 

[redrosesix]

We miss school every year for WDW, but DD would be livid if I made her miss the Xmas concert and some of the Xmas parties she attends at that time.

 

[Brancaneve]

I am a teacher and feel that time with family is extremely important and that there are valuable experiences one can learn from outside of the classroom. For some teachers, the time leading up to the break is filled with projects, singing, etc. If your child doesn't mind missing all that, then go for it!

 

[Ava]

I would talk to the school to find out exactly what their policy is - from what you posted it sounds like they are not very forgiving about absences, and I would not want to end up in court for my children missing 5 days of school. Family time is important and can be educational, but if the school is going to penalize you/your children for it, I wouldn't go. Hopefully the rest of your family will understand that your children's schooling needs to come first.

If you can work things out with the school, then talk to your kids' teachers to see what exactly they will be missing in that week and if they will be able to make it up either before, during, or after the trip. Also consider what a PP mentioned - if your children are in chorus or band, they may miss performing in the Christmas concert.

I think only you can decide what is best for your kids, and the rest of your family should respect your decision.

 

[loveysbydesign]

thankfully our school district allows up to 10 days missed per year for educational trips!

 

[LadyShea]

Where in Alabama? Our district has draconian attendance policies, but I think if you notify them they will at least call off the legal dogs, even if they won't excuse the absences.

Also what date does your Winter Break start?

 

[PHXscuba]

Could you wait to go a couple of days after your family and stay a bit longer? It sounds like THEY are the ones wanting to miss the Christmas crowds, so maybe you get a little "nuclear family" time at the end? That way you wouldn't have to miss as many days of school.

I don't pull my kids out for Disney (my choice, no judgement attached), but I do tell friends with preschool kids to travel NOW before they are tied to school schedules. I also tell friends with only elementary-age kids to take their kids out of school NOW if they plan to because once they hit junior high it is almost impossible to leave school for very long -- seven different teachers, finals, sports, etc.

I believe you need to do what is best for your family, even if it isn't what the extended family chooses.

PHXscuba

 

[AZMermaid]

\

I believe you need to do what is best for your family, even if it isn't what the extended family chooses.

I agree!

I teach in a very affluent school and my students are always out to go all over the world. My general thought is 3rd grade and younger (I teach 3rd) and they are good students, one trip a year is okay. I always send a small packet if asked, but realize it is sort of a pain to put these packets together. Sometimes my parents get upset that it isn't every single thing the kid is missing! There is a lot more to school than the worksheets! After 3rd grade, I wouldn't recommend more than a couple days.

But- at that time of year, there is usually a lot of fun things going on, especially for your Kindergartener, I would guess. How will the kids feel about missing those things? These are also the types of things that end up in the end of the year scrapbook and I always have long faces of the kids that missed it. This stuff I don't make up. My motto is, "You miss school, you miss stuff."

 

[Cinderella94]

Your kids are in elementary school. Don't even think twice about it.

When they get to taking high school classes is when you have a problem.

 

[dwelty]

This is the second post I have read where the School districts threaten the parents with "court" if they take their kids out of school for family vacations. Why arent parents challenging these policys with the school board. They are treating you the same as a parent who is a druggie and allows their child to skip school.

When people allow this to happen, parent's rights get steam rolled.

There are many parents (military, forestry service, fire service, etc) cannot take vacation during the traditional summer.

You are the parent. Don't let the school intimidate you.

 

[Steph9072]

We are taking our kids out of school the week after Thanksgiving. DD will be in 3rd grade and DS will be in pre-school. Dh and I talked it through before making reservations. Some may not agree but this is what we think is best for our family.

 

[P.I. Squirrel]

This is the second post I have read where the School districts threaten the parents with "court" if they take their kids out of school for family vacations. Why arent parents challenging these policys with the school board. They are treating you the same as a parent who is a druggie and allows their child to skip school.

When people allow this to happen, parent's rights get steam rolled.

There are many parents (military, forestry service, fire service, etc) cannot take vacation during the traditional summer.

You are the parent. Don't let the school intimidate you.

At least in Georgia, it's not the school, it's the state. With test scores lower and lower, one of the 'solutions' the state has implemented is to legislate truancy. They have so narrowly defined truancy, that the only 'approved' absences are illness, death in the family, or school sponsored trips. And, when they report you for missing the maximum number of days, you don't explain it to the school board, but a court judge when you get a summons!

 

[amandamims1]

This past April, we had to fly across country for my grandfathers funeral and figuring out his estate. My mom got an "independent study contract" for my sister. My grandfather died on a wednesday, my sister went to school thursday and got the contract, then all teachers gave her the work she would miss and she did it while we were there. My mom is getting another ISC for when we go to WDW.

 

[jrt1176]

We always went for a week or so at times when I was in school.

I dont know what excuse my mother used, we usually went during my older brother's spring break in college when I was in high school. Before that we had the same break dates...

I do know that my grandparents died multiple times each... That always works...

 

[JUJU814]

Don't give it a second thought. They are YOUR children...NOT the school's. They have no business telling you what they can and cannot do with your kids. All they care about is their funding.

I am horrified reading how different school districts have such horrendous policies and would threaten parents with court. I'd tell them to stuff it!

Family time together is precious. You'll have a great time!!

 

[lauris87]

I'm a teacher.... and I have to say... that I would probably not have my kids taken out of school for five days for a vacation.
But.... I do realize that it is the parents decision... and family time is necessary....

So... my only advice is.... please, please, please... make sure your child completes all the work that is in the "packet" before they return to school. And then... they will still be behind... so you'll still have to "help" them after school the week after they get back to catch up to where the rest of the kids are.

More often than not.... this is NOT done.....

 

[cmusschoot]

As a teacher, elementary, taking kids out of school drove me nuts. I agree with the last poster, it wasn't so much the missing school part...it was the playing catch up when the student returned. Going over missed work...re-teaching missed lessons etc.

What really drove me nuts was when parents asked for the weeks worth of work ahead of time. As a teacher (many times) student understanding led my lessons and I never knew how long/quickly students would catch on. So it was nearly impossible for me to "guess" what we would be doing for a week.

Also often parents would ask for the work several weeks in advance so that it could be completed before they left. Gr....

That being said, I was always a supporter of family time and understanding of families schedules.

I asked students to keep a journal, semi-daily, of their trip and put that together with pictures. I used this project in lieu of homework because I wanted students to really enjoy their trip...how many families don't get to go at all???

Now, if they were going to Disney...I also requested a character's autograph....and a chocolate dipped mickey ear rice krispie treat....

 

[tink_lover]

DH and I just started having this discussion and last night talked to a neighbor who is an educator in town (teacher with PhD). Her children are a lot older than ours, but she said they always took the kids out of school for a week each school year to travel with husband for his work trip. I have a work meeting planned next Jan and will be on the grounds. Kids will be in 1,2 and 5th grade. We would not pull them for the entire week, but are thinking 2 or 3 days and right now are leaning towards doing it. In this economy, it would certainly save a lot of money with the room.