Taking kids out of school for a cruise?

[abdmom]

OK, I've just moved back to T.O. from the States. Kids were in private school in the States and are in public in T.O.. I've found the school expectations to be very different, and less stringent, especially for my ds who is in grade 8. I also have a dd in grade 6 and ds in JK. All kids are very bright and are at the top of their classes.

I'm sorely tempted by a kids sail free on the DCL Med cruises in May. It is around Victoria Day and the kids would be out of school for 8 days total.

Has anyone taken their middle school/junior high students out for a week or more? Will the TDSB police show up on my door step? Or will the school be kind of OK with it? Are they into review at that time of the year? Are there final exams in middle school?

 

[samsmainla]

I have a daughter in grade 6 and we have taken her out of school for the last 4 years for Disney vacations.
She is also at the top of her class. We have never had any trouble, or lower marks for the missed time.

I also am a school bus driver, and drive Junior High students. So many are away at least once a week(yes a week)!
Many go on holidays out of the country for 3 weeks or more at a time.
I say if your kids have good attendance, go for it!!!!!

 

[abdmom]

Thanks

I've never taken a Disney cruise before and would really like to before ALL my kids are too old. I had also booked a Med cruise with a different line for this coming August, but the deal I got with DCL is too good to pass up.

 

[tjbaggott]

We took our Gr's 1, 7, 12 and 12 kids out of school for two weeks this past fall for a Disney Vacation. No problems here in Ontario. There are no rules saying a parent can't. I did notify all teachers well ahead of time and asked them if my kids could be assigned some work to do on the travel there and travel back part of our trip so they don't get too far behind. All teachers sent work, and all work was completed. My two oldest kids (17 and 18 yrs old) did have tests to do once they got back, and were given extra help for any parts of lessons they didn't understand doing on their own while away.
I found the teachers were really excited for our kids to go on this vacation. We are doing it again next fall (but without the two oldest this time as they will be in Collage or University then).
The U.S. has a different kind of funding system for their public schools (based on attendance not number registered), thats why they have more stringent rules.

 

[canadianjovigirl]

We also took our kids aged 9, 11 and 15 out this Oct/Nov for 3 weeks and they ended up missing 9 school days and no problems here either. The teachers worked with us and my kids caught up no problem. We dont regularly do this and are unable to do vacations during the summer as my husband works seasonal. Glad we had no problems as i was super stressed after reading about issues they have in the US with kids missing school.

 

[minnie56]

My girls went to Private School from age 4-18 so can't compare the public school and where they might stand on this but I can tell you we took them out often for holidays with zero repercussions. Sometimes they would work them ahead a little and other times not...it was never an issue. If the student is pretty strong academically, they should be fine!

 

[LSmith]

We just got back from a two week vacation in Hawaii with our kids. We went away in October too.

The schools here have no legal right telling you that you can't take your children out of school for trips. Do what works for your family. Your kids will be institutionalized for the next 18 or more years.

Although my kids are excellent students I would still take them out for vacations if they weren't. Why should struggling students not get to have some fun?

We ask that the teachers give them work either before and/or after but not during. Vacation is vacation. Sometimes we get lots but usually only get some.

We get very little attitude from the teachers although one French teacher marched up to me in the school yard after a Disney trip to Florida and, with her hands on her hips, stated "I have NEVER had the desire to go to Disneyland". I just looked at her like "So who asked?"

Live life to the fullest. Vacations are a very valuable time spent with family.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Actually...the schools can protest about absences. All kids must complete a certain number of days in total to be able to graduate.

So, taking kids out occasionally is not an issue but doing it on a regular basis can become a big problem.

 

[LSmith]

Actually...the schools can protest about absences. All kids must complete a certain number of days in total to be able to graduate.

So, taking kids out occasionally is not an issue but doing it on a regular basis can become a big problem.

Prove it.

My oldest is over 20 and consistently was out of school each year for 5 or 6 weeks. Never a problem.

Also, there are many, many kids who come to school for 6 months here and go to their home country like India, Pakistan or China, for example, for 6 months every year.

 

[Ted in Halifax]

 

[riu girl]

Do whats best for your family and consider the wonderful learning opportunites that the vacation will provide.

We just got back from Mexico and the kids (Grade 7 and Grade 4) both missed 8 school days (6 if you count the two snow days when busses were cancelled).

Our grade 7 child was sent a missed work package (a long essay not related to the vacation and several hours of math). She did this while on vacation plus read 2600 pages (several novels) , kept a journal (about 40 pages) and collected info (maps, brochures, drew sketches) for a geography project on the area we were staying in (not required by the teacher she just wanted to do it). I met with her teacher briefly this afternoon regarding what else she should do on her Christmas break in order to "catch up". The teacher looked at me and said "she did more then enough work while on vacation, she is AHEAD in all areas right now". He seemed surprised that she finished all the work he sent with her. He was very impressed regarding what she did culturally on the vacation and told me he very happy we took her on the vacation.

Our grade 4 child was sent on vacation with no schoolwork and he simply kept a journal each night. He does have a small package of missed work to complete over Christmas break. Again his teacher was more then satisfied with the opportunities/learning experience that the vacation provided.

This is our sixth December in a row that we have taken our children out of school for an extended period of time and never once were the teachers upset about it. On the other hand, they seem very pleased after having read the kids journals regarding what learning opportunites the vacations provided.

Maybe one thing that you might want to do is to have the kids read up on what they may be able to do/see on the vacation. For example, prior to this vacation both kids read several books about the Mayan people/culture and studied maps of both Mexico and regional maps of the areas we visited. They actually planned the itinerary (most of it anyway).

 

[tigger2on]

Prove it.

My oldest is over 20 and consistently was out of school each year for 5 or 6 weeks. Never a problem.

Also, there are many, many kids who come to school for 6 months here and go to their home country like India, Pakistan or China, for example, for 6 months every year.

OUCH! Softer and nicer wording makes for a happier/friendlier board

 

[LSmith]

OUCH! Softer and nicer wording makes for a happier/friendlier board

Likewise!

 

[Debbie]

OUCH! Softer and nicer wording makes for a happier/friendlier board

We're Canadian. We like the crabbiness to stay on other boards.

Do whats best for your family and consider the wonderful learning opportunities that the vacation will provide.

Exactly. My kids have had the opportunity to go during school time with their aunts and uncles through the years. As a teacher, I couldn't take them. Out of respect and a "we're working together" belief, I always notified the school ahead of time. If work was sent (it wasn't usually), we'd try to do it. If not, catch up time was after. When parents ask me, I ask that students read a bit (I would count reading the signs/menus too), and I send "Roman" [roamin'] Mickey" and journal, too. If it is done, great. If not, fine.

Unlike the States, where there IS a minimum attendance number for elementary and secondary school, in Ontario, there is not.

Relax, enjoy your family and enjoy your vacation!

 

[LSmith]

We're Canadian. We like the crabbiness to stay on other boards.

Maybe you guys can tell me what I said that was considered crabby????? Someone said it can be a big problem taking your kids out of school and I said prove it. How is that crabby? And when did you two become moderators? You think you can say anything as long as it is sugar coated with a happy face or a thumbs up?

Gee, I feel like I'm being bullied by passive aggressive behavior.

 

[dancin Disney style]

[COLOR="Green

Unlike the States, where there IS a minimum attendance number for elementary and secondary school, in Ontario, there is not.



[/COLOR]

We will have to agree to disagree. I understand you are a teacher but my school board told me that in order for a student to graduate grade 12 they must accumulate a number of days in class from grade 1 thru 12. They also told me that children that yearly miss several weeks are in danger of not making the required number.

Have they or would they enforce this...I have no idea.

 

[dancin Disney style]

Maybe you guys can tell me what I said that was considered crabby????? Someone said it can be a big problem taking your kids out of school and I said prove it. How is that crabby? And when did you two become moderators? You think you can say anything as long as it is sugar coated with a happy face or a thumbs up?

Gee, I feel like I'm being bullied by passive aggressive behavior.

When your initial statement is "prove it" that comes across as being confrontational. That may not have been your intent but think about if someone said that to you....how would you take it? No one says that you need to sugar coat anything but in general the feeling on this board is one of friendly debate not the nastiness that seems to pop up on most debates on a lot of the other boards. I think many of us here are proud of the way we have these debates and never a harsh word is published.

 

[LSmith]

When your initial statement is "prove it" that comes across as being confrontational. That may not have been your intent but think about if someone said that to you....how would you take it? No one says that you need to sugar coat anything but in general the feeling on this board is one of friendly debate not the nastiness that seems to pop up on most debates on a lot of the other boards. I think many of us here are proud of the way we have these debates and never a harsh word is published.

Prove it means just that. If you come on this board where many people are saying that they have had no problems taking their kids out of school some for many days and tell them they could have big problems then you should be able to prove your statement.

You have no problems disagreeing with people on here though.

Oversensitive?

 

[Debbie]

We will have to agree to disagree. I understand you are a teacher but my school board told me that in order for a student to graduate grade 12 they must accumulate a number of days in class from grade 1 thru 12. They also told me that children that yearly miss several weeks are in danger of not making the required number.

Have they or would they enforce this...I have no idea.

Gosh! I WISH!!!! I teach grade one, and I have had students who have missed upwards of 40% of the school year. By grade four (4 x 4 months a year), and they have lost over a year of school-not including attendance in JK/SK. In our Board, even the attendance counsellors aren't able to be interested in our little people-they are concentrating on keeping the high school kids in class. It is my belief, that that is when you catch 'em. By the time they are in late elementary/high school it is too late to change habits.

 

[wannago2disney]

I have no idea about mandatory number of days. I would expect that so long as the child/student can handle/complete the curriculum teachers would not have objections about missing days for something such as a family vacation. Family time is important to a childs developement too.

I also believe that as a parent, if you choose to take your child out of school for vacation, making sure that the work they missed will be completed is as much your responsibility as the student's...you shouldn't do it for them but you should make sure that they have time to complete it and that it is complete; either before, during or after the vacation as works best for your situation.

My DS is Gr 1 and DD is JK...we have made journals for them to take with them, an activity to complete each day that corresponds with what they will be missing at school during the 2 weeks we are gone in January. Both kids tearchers approved of the journals and when we return my DS will be allowed to make a small presentation to the class about his vacation.

We thought that this would be fun for them and give them something to do while we are looking for some "quiet time" too.