Taking Kids Out Of School....

[dotsofunn]

We are taking our kids out of school for the 11/29 Magic. What do you write on the note to the school.."Going on a cruise". Just doesn't sound good..."Family Field Trip"???

Would love to hear what you have done in the past...

Thanks!

 

[strasfamily]

I just wrote that we were going on a Disney Cruise. After that, all the staff and my daughter's teacher were telling her how much fun she is going to have - they were all jealous!

 

[aprilgail2]

My friend who is coming with me on the cruise is just writing a note stating Personal family business for her 9th grade daughters note.

 

[lsmac]

I just told the teachers straight out that he was going on a cruise. I had more than one request for extra passengers!

I will also send in a note on Monday reminding each of his teachers that he will be out for a few days and to send any homework home. (quite sure ds will try and modify that note!)LOL

Lisa

 

[AnnMorin]

I say straight out that I think going to other countries is an excellent hands on learning experience for Mike. I tell them that he is aware he will have work to make up and ask what special projcets they would like him to do. This year his social studies/english teacher wants him to do a computer slide show of where we have been, Mike is excited about it and it helps educated his class about other parts of the world.

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Hey dotsofunn...........I haven't see you in our 11/29 sailing forum in the meet boards...... I have taken our DD's out of school each of the last 3 years a week at a time for family vacations. Two previous DCL cruises. I just call the school and tell the teacher we are taking a family trip (they usually already know with my DD's excitement and talking about leaving for the trip with all their friends) Our school encourages these trips. They say "there aren't many families that take trips together anymore." Our school doesn't even give then work to take with or make them "make up" what they missed. Thay ask for them to write a little "diary" of what they did and what they learned.

 

[NAT&MAGSMOM]

I too have no problem with taking my dd out of school and will
definitely tell her teacher the truth. Her teacher loves to cruise as well, so she won't have a problem. We are going the week before they get out for holiday and they don't usually do much that week anyway.

DD has a huge project due while we are gone..so she will turn it in early.

I always ask for home work and I'm sure she'll have plenty of math and reading and they usually have her do a journal.

Just MHO.....
Phyllis

 

[OurDogCisco]

I'd just tell the truth because then you'll have to ask your child to lie when she gets back. All schools are different but I'd check with school to find out what the vacation policy is.

For example, my dd's school requires a 3 week notice so that they can put together an independent study package. The packet contains all the schoolwork done during the day and any special stuff that they need us to complete while we are gone. It is kinda of pain to miss school in our district because you get the same amount of work as do at school. Only difference is that it doesn't take too long to complete.

Good Luck & have fun...

 

[denise5374]

We just sated flat out that we were going on a vacation. The kids got the work ahead of time. We also had the kids do alittle presentation with pictures of where we were and what they observed, it wasn't required but my hubby is a teacher and he thought it was a good idea.

The school had no problem with the trip.

 

[wink]

We took our kids out of school in October, and considering there were over 150 kids in the program the final day - so did a lot of other parents!

We filled out a vacation form for our school. Finished some projects before and made up some work after. During the trip, DS kept a journal of what we did each day.

Laura

 

[Gina]

I pull my DS out of school for each cruise, and I am always honest with his teacher about where we are going. I tell her which countries, and what we will be doing, and both of the past two times his teacher has been thrilled for him and excited to see the things he learned during the trip. How many first graders know that St. Maarten is the smallest land mass governed by two sovereignties? *smiles*

-gina-

 

[vgaskin]

We leave next week for a 10 day trip, 7 days magic and 3 days WDW but the kids will only miss 4(little one misses 3) because of the holidays. For the high schooler, I told everyone at Open House in September and they were all fine with it. She will get some madatory points taken off for an unexused abscence but they are giving her extra assignments related to the trip to help compensate for that. The Spanish teacher wants her to take pictures in Cozumel and tell the class what it was like. The biology and P.E. teachers are having her write about the shore excursion in CC that we are going on, the Nature & Kayak tour. English just wants her to make a journal of her trip,etc. They all have been great. I gave them letters about 2 weeks prior with our itiniary and things I thought might be related to her studies. They are going to get her the assignments and any other work by the time we leave.

The 1st grader's teacher says she won't miss much as they won't have homework the short week and she can take her spelling test a day earlier. She wants her to write about her trip and take some books with her.

The Pre-K teacher just got done teaching about other countries so she is fine and we will just get some worksheets to go with the weekly itiniary that we always get the Thursday before anyway.

If you work with them, most teachers realize that they will learn more by going to all the countries etc than they would in class for those couple of days.

 

[MiaSRN62]

We take our kids out of school also. We just tell the school the truth---that we are taking some much needed family time together. We include where we are going.....what we will be doing....etc. The school has always been supportive in our district. A couple times the teachers asked for a small report on the trip to be presented to the class or just to bring back some souveniers from the places we had visited. We drive down to FL and at least 50% of their homework is complete by the time we reach South Carolina.

 

[ChattyKathy]

I have also told my kids' teachers that I will be taking them out of school...and they have no problem with it. Even the principal told me~ this is a very well educated trip for kids to experience hands-on and that his teachers could no way, no how give that kind of education in that length of time even if they wanted to!
They said to go and have a good time!



Kathy


PS-I had some offers for extra passengers as well...

 

[ohiominnie]

My kids will get the last week of November off and the first two weeks of December off. Then they'll probably have a little school to do for a week then will get more time off for the Christmas holidays. I don't think there will be a big problem with it, their teacher is VERY VERY VERY nice and understanding. In fact the kids want her to come along!! So I am going!!!
uh....we homeschool!!! So far I've not had a problem letting my kids out of school to go on a Disney cruise!

 

[FredS]

Originally posted by wink
We took our kids out of school in October, and considering there were over 150 kids in the program the final day - so did a lot of other parents!

We cruised with our children in October, also. However, we were on fall break and did not miss school for the vacation. If my child was in kindergarten, and possibly first or second grade, doing well, and the teacher was amenable then I would not fret over missing a few days, but I would definitely tell the teacher exactly why your child is missing school, as they will likely find out anyway.

To be honest, for those who say they took their children out of school but were not required to make up any work I would have to question what sort of education was being acquired wherein missing many days of lessons was not important? That is why I would not take older children out of school because, for instance, my daughter (who is an excellent student) would be very much at a disadvantage if she missed several days of instruction in her classes. If the classes were that unimportant, or just doing the lesson on their own would be the same then doesn't it seem that something is wrong at the school?

 

[HooKooDooKu]

I think the important thing is not so much exactly what you tell the children's teachers so much as that you tell them well in advance so that the teacher can possible plan for the absence.

And IMHO, notifying teachers only two weeks ahead of time (with a holiday in the middle of that time) is cutting it pretty close. I would have contacted the teachers at least a month in advance, and follow up with a reminder the week before.

 

[vgaskin]

Originally posted by HooKooDooKu
I think the important thing is not so much exactly what you tell the children's teachers so much as that you tell them well in advance so that the teacher can possible plan for the absence.

And IMHO, notifying teachers only two weeks ahead of time (with a holiday in the middle of that time) is cutting it pretty close. I would have contacted the teachers at least a month in advance, and follow up with a reminder the week before.

I don't know who you are referring to, but we did tell the teachers in September at Open House and discussed possibilities and I was told to remind them about a week prior. Most teachers have been asking my daughter how many days etc and keeping track of it. I just sent an "in writing" letter 2 weeks prior to remind them and give them the details they will need in order to do assignments and to have something on file. We will be gone during Thanksgiving, so that is not in the middle of the notice. That is how we can take a 10 day trip and they only miss 3 or 4 days of school. I feel and so do my kids teachers that I have given them ample opportunity and notice. Again, I don't know if that was referring to me or not but I didn't remember seeing anyone else mentioning a holiday and 2 weeks notice.

 

[Wishing on a star]

DS is only in Kindergarten, so not too big of a deal...

At the beginning of the school year I simply wrote a memo to his teacher, cc: to the office. Something like this...

_______________________________________________


This letter is to let you know that my son will not be at school beginning on Friday September 19th thru the following Friday, September the 26th.

I will be happy to see that he completes any make-up work before he returns on the 29th

Sincerely,


________________________________________________



Sure, his teacher and the school may probably find out from him where he is going... (which his teacher did) But, IMHO I do not have to offer any information. And, I do not need to ask the schools or the teachers permission to make these plans for my family. I simply did not even 'go there'!

 

[LAMPSKIES]

Our DD's schools policy is to NOT give out assignments in advance. Both are good students. As far as notice.......we went to Las Vegas last month for a wedding from Friday to Monday and as we are sitting in the airport at 6:30a.m. I asked DW "did you write a letter to the school letting them know that they are not going to be there?" Opppppsssss bad parents!!! We were so caught up in the wedding thing we forgot!!! It again, was no big deal. I guess it all depends on the students and the school.