Taking Kindergarten Son Out for 3 days?

[safetymama]

I sometimes really get frustrated that people have to ask these sort of questions in the first place. You're the parent - they're the school and we are talking about 3 days of kindergarten - not grad school during finals!

Seriously though if you think your son can handle it - I wouldn't worry about what the school thinks even if it is regarded as unexcused. There is no such thing as a permanent record and which do you think your son will remember more? Those 3 days learning abc or meeting the Mickey!

 

[IwannaseeMickey]

As a former teacher, my answer is YES, take them out...I always thought a family trip was more important in the life of a child than a few days of school. I never ever had any problem with it. A partener did once, we had a straight A student, nice girl go on a ski vacation w/ just her dad and my partner threw a fit...my opinion was what a wonderful memory for her. And this was only 5th grade, not like it was high school or anything.

Now, as a parent of an entering Kindergartener, I am taking out my DS for 3 days at the beg. of Oct. and 2 days at Thanksgiving for family trips. They get like 10 unexcused days and like 10 excused. I figure it's Kindergarten, it's not actually required in most states and he's already reading. Can he miss that much?

 

[mum4jenn]

We took dd out one day in Kindergarten because she was the most advanced in her class. In 1st grade this year we took her out 1 day in January and 1 day in May. She was also doing very well in her class so we asked her about if she wanted to miss those days and of course she said it was ok. We told her teachers what we were doing because we teach dd to be honest always.


HOWEVER....at the end of the year when she saw a couple of classmates getting perfect attendance awards she informed us that she no longer wants to miss any school!!! I am glad because since I am the lunchroom manager at another school it is hard for me to take off those days too!!

 

[pavil]

We just took our 3 kids ages 7,5,4 out for two weeks in early may. We are very active in our school and let the teachers know way in advance what we were doing. They were all for it and we let them know to assign whatever homework that they wanted. We drove so our kids had all the homework except for the journals done by the time we arrived at disney. No crowds, better weather was the best thing we could have done. Take them while they are young and the Disney "Magic" works the best.

 

[Wickedmom75]

Due to the awesome deal with the dining package we are going in late august which would normally not be a problem but 3 of our 4 are going to Yearound and they start at the end of July . Our oldest will be going into 5th grade with a regular school year, we figured it would be better for the other 3 to miss 5 days of school then to make her miss 5 days while the others were on their fall break. I think it will be easier for the other 3 to do their work (k,2,4) then to do a weeks worth of 5th grade homework. Sounds backwards but they are all excellent students and get good grades, plus we are military and my husband wil lbe out for most of the summer and he was gone all last year and we really need some one on one family time aaaaand to make life more interesting we may be getting transferred in October so I really want us to just go and have some fun . Sorry this was way longer than I wanted to be. Family First is defninitely one of our Motto's

 

[dismom9761]

I really struggle w/ this.My DH took my sons on their annual mens', fishing trip last May and they missed 3 days of school.I had talked to the teachers(3rd and 1st graders)and been told everything was fine. They had tons of make-up work which they turned in the day they returned.It was not until the last day of school that we found out that my DS9 had been given several zeros on TESTS that he had missed.It caused him to get his first B.He was crushed.He is in the Gifted program and we never thought she would do that to him. The principal said it was her decision because vacation is an unexcused abscence.This having been said-he will go again next year.I think the time camping w/ his dad,Granfather,Uncles and cousins is too important.I just hope he has a more understanding teacher.
BTW I am taking my DD6 out of school for 4 days in 1st grade to go to WDW. I know all the 1st gr teachers and they are great about it.
Sorry so long.

 

[jeast]

I've been a high school teacher so, as you can imagine, I value education highly. However, family is as important a value as education and I won't hesitate to teach my kids to always put family first.

That said, any school district that interferes in REASONABLE family vacation absences because they are afraid of losing money from the state will hear my thoughts on how little they will make from my children when I am home schooling them due to their inflexible authoritarianism.

So there.