Taking Kids to Disney World on School Days

[Princess_Aurora]

DD will be a first-grader starting this coming fall. We're trying to plan a trip for October/November. We talked to her school about it and they said although she can get her work in advance, it would only be so she wouldn't get behind the class. She would get a zero for each day she's gone...and it can't be made up according to the lady in the office. I find it hard to believe, though, that a teacher wouldn't let a student make up zeros.

I know that there have been discussions about this before on the boards, but it never applied to me until now. I mean, I've been on school days before and I've seen tons of kids so it's obvious that parents will take their kids out of school. I was just wondering what peoples experiences on this were. Has anyone ever been told that they can't make up the zeros and then were actually able to make them up? DD is a great student, and I have no reason to believe that a few zeros would hurt her in the end. I remember getting a couple of zeros in school before and I was always able to keep them up with my mostly A's. Would I be a bad parent, though, to just say, "Sure. Give me kid a zero."?

 

[Phrebert]

What a better way to teach them:
Geography: Visit World Showcase
PE: The mad dash when the park first opens.
Citizenship: being nice waiting in line
and
Economics: Realizing how expensive everything is at WDW

 

[Mouseteacher]

Zeros in First Grade???!!

Our first grade class is not graded in that manner. Some first grade families have taken their children during school time for a short duration. We catch them up when they return. This applies only to children in grades K-3. The older they get the more difficult it becomes to make-up work although we allow them to.

 

[k&a&c'smom]

I have taken my kids out of school to go to WDW - and no, I don't think you are a bad parent. The school system likes to make you feel that way, but your child will learn a lot from her experiences during your travels. I think that is just as important as the learning they get in school.

My DD is in middle school, and every time we let the school know in advance. But each time, they come up with something to make us feel bad. Last Dec., DD told all her teachers and asked to get her assignments before the trip. Her teachers told her she would be better off making it up when she returns, as they would be giving her everything in their teaching plans, but in actuality, they rarely are able to teach everything in their plan. So, less makeup work than pre-homework!! This is what we decided to do, but while we were in FL, DH called and said "The school has called and said DD won't be able to go back to school unless she comes back right now!!" Well, this wasn't the case, they simply wanted a written note that she was with me, but why try to upset us during our trip?!

Bottom line, if you want to take your child with you, go ahead, it's not the end of the world!!

 

[pirateofthecarolinas]

No, I don't feel you would be a bad parent. We take our children out for our Dec. trips. Why? Low crowds and cool weather. If I'm going to dish out thousands for a trip I want to enjoy it. Luckily, my children were allowed to make up their work. They were out for 6 days. Good luck with your decision. I know when they are in middle school I won't take them out of school but in elementary I don't see the harm.

Lori

 

[clh2]

Originally posted by Princess_Aurora
She would get a zero for each day she's gone...and it can't be made up according to the lady in the office. I find it hard to believe, though, that a teacher wouldn't let a student make up zeros.

Has anyone ever been told that they can't make up the zeros and then were actually able to make them up? DD is a great student, and I have no reason to believe that a few zeros would hurt her in the end. I remember getting a couple of zeros in school before and I was always able to keep them up with my mostly A's. Would I be a bad parent, though, to just say, "Sure. Give me kid a zero."?

IMHO - If there going to give your child a Zero - then why bother doing the homework anyway? Why bother making the effort?

Just a thought - could you talk to the actual 1st grad teachers? Maybe they have a different policy than the lady in the office?

We took our DD (4th grade) out of school for 3 days last October, took advantage of 2 no-school days, and we were gone for a week. She spent about 3 hours total doing homework, 5 hours including the 20 minutes of reading she needs to do in a week. Her teacher was wonderful about our needing to take a family vacation.

In the whole scheme of things - the family vacation will be remembered forever. The actual days in 1st grade - probably won't be.

 

[crazelion]

I don't understand that point of taking your kids out school for vacation. It makes not sense to me.

Why not just take the kids to WDW when they is out school. I think education is very important. Yes teach your kids about family togethers but at the expense of there education.
I know when I was kid I love school and all the fun that school had to offer.

I would go WDW when kids have summer vacation or 4 day weekend.

Before say schools don't give 4 day weekend. Our school system just had one. I would take kids on that weekend so that would miss school.

I am not judging you.

 

[palmtreegirl]

Go have fun! It's only first grade, it's not like she'll need to submit her first grade transcripts when she applies to college.

 

[ValerieK]

We are taking DS out of school for our trip. He is good in school (A's and B's) and don't see a problem with it. I would be more concerned if he wasn't doing well and had trouble keeping up.

 

[msdznyduck]

We took our 2 kids out of school (they were in 1st and 3rd grades) in November for 3 days (Thurs and Fri are teacher's convention days, and school was closed.)--I told their teachers in advance that we were going to WDW, and DS's teacher (3rd grade) was okay with that. DD's teacher talked to the principal, and we got a rather nasty letter in the mail from her, saying how, even though a trip like that would be educational, it was not in the child's best interest to be taken out of school, blah, blah, blah..... On Friday before we left, the teachers walked out on strike, and they weren't in school on Monday, so the kids ended up only missing 2 days after all..........so much for the value they placed on our kids education, after that letter!!

 

[tiggersmom2]

I take my kids out of school every year to go WDW. I OK it with the teachers before hand and the DS is allowed to make up his tests and work BEFORE we go. We do send our kids to private school, so this may make a big difference. I don't really know how public schools work but I think it is RIDICULOUS to give kids a zero that they can't make up.

 

[browneyes]

We took the kids out of school in November to go on our trip. My ds is in 2nd grade, my dd is in 5th grade. My ds's teacher was amazingly accomodating. I told her in September (I think) about the trip and she told me whenever I wanted the work he'd miss so he could make it up, to ask. And she worked with him to get caught up on any tests he missed. My dd's teacher evidentally has a Disney allergy or something, but he did give her the work she missed the day we went down to WDW.

Their school doesn't have the zeroes for missed day policy. Thank goodness. If they did, my ds would've failed 1st grade last year from his tonsillectomy and emergency cauterization that made him miss 2 weeks of school.

 

[angel's momma]

Originally posted by Princess_Aurora
Would I be a bad parent, though, to just say, "Sure. Give me kid a zero."?

In my opinion, no. My DD will also be in 1st grade this fall & we are taking her out for a week in Dec. with no penalty. I know that receiving a zero would crush her though. She's way too sensative about her report card even though she doesn't receive "grades" and she does very well (she received 2 "sometimes" instead of "always" and she cried most of the night despite reassurance that it was a good report card). For us, knowing how she would react to a zero would probably be enough to make me change our trip date, but only after talking to the teacher, principal, and even the school board to verify that the zero would definitely be given & how it would affect her report card.

 

[Judy from Boise]

Guess i am a radical ! But i have taken my DD in 7th grade out of school 3 times this year for family trips ! Granted it was always for just a Thursday pm/all day Friday combo, but still i didn't hesitate to do it.


During grade school we often took her for 1 week each semester.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

I took my daughter out for a week to take her to Disneyland last month. Her teachers were great about it...they said that family time and vacations are very important. My daughter is 12, and she had some homework to do on the trip, but it only took about a half hour each day. She had more to make up upon returning. No big deal at all! I say go for it! Kids need this time with their families.

Somebody mentioned that you should take them to WDW during times when they aren't in school. I personally chose to go during the school year because the crowds are smaller and the lines are shorter! Also, the temperatures are more comfortable for NW people like myself! I can't stand Anaheim in the spring or summer...way too hot.

Anyway, your kids are only kids for a short period of time. You go and have a great time and leave the guilt behind!

 

[aprilgail2]

I plan on taking my dauhgter out of school every year for a vacation together. THis year we are taking my 14 year old god daughter out of school for a week to go on a Disney Cruise in May. I simply can't afford the price increases to take them during the spring breaks and winter recesses. As far as using 4 day weekends it would be the same massive crowds since if one school is foo, most others are too.
I had taken my godson Matt with me on vacation every year from the time he was 2, he traveled to lots of places, we had a blast and it made a lot of memories. Matt died when he was 14 and there is not ONE regret for taking him out of school..so his grade was a point or two lower for missing some school...big deal! it was well worth it! You never know what is going to happen to you or your children in the future, live it up with them while you can! Education is important but so is time away with your family!

 

[Tinkbell]

I teach first grade and in most subjects, I give the students daily participation points. There is so much we do during the day that can't be made up at home (group work, hands on activities, etc). Those points can't be made up, but if a child is absent, I don't calculate that into his/her grades.

 

[wilderness01]

Go and have a good time. It is first grade for pete's sake. Several teachers do not believe in taking time off of school. You know your child and what is best for them. If they are doing fine in school then there is no harm. What would happen if they were sick and missed a week of school? We had one teacher that lectured the parents on missing school for vacation and how it wouldn't be tolerated. This same teacher took a week off of school midyear to take her family to disney! Guess she had a change of heart or the rules were altered when it came to her family!

 

[Danauk]

Firstly let me say that I am a teacher who works with 7 year olds. I do not have a problem with my children taking time out of school. Each year we allow 10 days authorised absence per child for holidays etc. However these have to be applied for in advance. What I would say though is that as a lot of the work we do at that age is very interactive and teacher led it is not always possible to make up the work missed. Also please do not expect the teacher to have to spend extra time making up work especially for your child to do just because they will not be there during the lessons already planned (teachers are busy enough planning regular lessons for their whole class let alone having to prepare extra work for someone just because they will not be there.) I usually ask my children to keep a diary of their trip which they can share when they get back and to collect things they can show the class and talk about on their return. Also when they get back I will give them copies of all the homeworks they have missed to catch up on.
Just one other point though. I understand that parents want to take their children out of school as the holiday cost will be lower and so will the crowds. Please spare a thought for the childs teacher who has no choice but to go at peak time with peak crowds!!

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Danauk
Just one other point though. I understand that parents want to take their children out of school as the holiday cost will be lower and so will the crowds. Please spare a thought for the childs teacher who has no choice but to go at peak time with peak crowds!!

My cousin is a 1st grade teacher and every year she takes a week off during the school year to go to Disney so its not just parents who do this.....