Taking Kids Out of School?

[East Coaster]

We cruised and visited Florida for 16 days in May, DS15 and DD12 missed 11 days of school. I wouldn't report until the reports came in, they didn't spend too much time catching up on work when we got back. They both asked for homework before they left but the teachers were reluctant to assign it as they didn't know where they would be when we got back from vacation.

Well exams are over and both children did as well as or better than in all of their subjects. My daughter is a pefectionist so I knew it wouldn't be a problem for her. My son is a bit of a procastinator so I wasn't so sure how easy it would be for him, he surprised me most of his marks were higher!

I say go...have fun... have fun! They will do just fine when you get home.

P.S. Just checkin out the finances, if we can swing it our kids will be out 11 more days next year, we are now hooked on Disney and the cruise!

 

[Jsme]

I work in the school system in NC and at my High School the teacher frown upon this BIG TIME. HOWVER, last October (and the October before that) we took our children out of school for 4 days for our 7 day cruise. The cruise ran into the fall break and so I did not have to take them out as long as it could have been. They could have missed 6 days in all due to the day we left was a school day.

Both times I have told the teachers up front on the day our system has to meet the teacher prior to school. I also wrote a letter to the teachers. For my daugther since she was in Middle School last year, I also wrote a letter to her counselor and the Principal to have it approved. I did this at the being of school. Last year our schools started at the beginning of August in NC.

Both of my children had homework to complete while gone. My son had his normally daily and homework to do and also to keep a journal of the trip. He had a lot of work to do. My daugther did not have as much work.

 

[2timecruiser]

I have to agree with everyone else! Take them out of school. I live in Louisa County, VA, which is located between Richmond & Charlottesville, & I took my son out of 3rd grade this year for 1 week, to go on our 4 day Disney Cruise in May. The teacher didn't have a problem with it, even though she didn't prepare any work for him to take with him to do while we were gone, which is okay with me. We are planning a 7 day cruise May 2006 on Disney, & I am not even going to hesitate about whether to take him out of school or not.

You will have to let us fellow Virginians know where you will be at, so we can say howdy to our Disney neighbor!

 

[logan1_2000]

This topic has been the subject of previous threads, I always read what folks have to say because I pull DS out of school and I am a teacher's son. I am a teacher's son whose teacher-mom pulled him out of school in 8th grade for a week in FLA when we had made kinda big plans for a spring break week that was cancelled by the school system to make up for snow days. Mom figured we needed FLA more after the blizzard winter of '78.

We've been lucky, the teachers have always been great--DS's 1st grade teacher was so excited she even made some snorkeling recommendations after she asked what islands we were going to.

On the Disney for Families (or is it Disney with Kids?--something like that) board on DIS I found a link to great sheets for kid's to fill in with features of each day of their trips, makes for a cute report format for class.