Told the school today...

[flortlebap]

As I sit here, I have a form in front of me asking the educational value of our trip. Do I honestly go on and on about Epcot and learning cultures of other countries, or studying animals and dinosaurs at Animal Kingdom? Or how about a lesson in air travel in a post-9/11 world? Ridiculous.

Sounds good to me

 

[Bugsmom73]

Our school district has a policy of 5 excused days for a vacation. We will be using those. I am not sure when we will go again. Alot will depend upon my kids and their performance. DD has already been sick one day with a fever.

 

[Hope73]

Our school is great about trips. The principal even told us to have a good time. I hadt writing the initial letter. But really you are taking your child out of school for a good thing.

 

[maxiesmom]

Our district went back to school yesterday. My sis called me to tell me that I had picked the right week in October for our vacation. Seems the BAND teacher has a problem with missed concerts. If you miss for any reason except death or illness with a doctor's note, he will drop you grade 2 levels. Even if you are excused from classses for the day, he needs a seperate notification, or he lowers your grade. And this is for 6th grade. Band. Thank goodness I picked the week I did.

I'm to afraid to ask what my nephew's 9th grade teachers think about him missing a whole week to go to Disney.

 

[karinbelle]

The run-around by schools regarding absences is due in part to the No Child Left Behind Act - student attendance rates are calculated into a school's score.

Also, it varies by state/district, but too many unexcused absences are considered truancy and in my area parents can get fined or worse. This is for the most extreme of cases. I have a student right now that in the past three weeks has attended school three days.

Take your kids. Especially if they are in elementary school. Just give notice and get permission or excused absences as much as you can. Family time is very important.

Karin

 

[karinbelle]

Sorry - just read through the thread.

Teacher pay has not kept up with inflation. In my state, our 2% raise was countered by a 3.1% inflation rate. And those of us who elect not to take the insurance (because we are covered under another policy) are getting our medical flexible spending account CUT by $60 per month. So - If you don't take the insurance, you make $60 less a month than your counterpart who does take insurance.

 

[fakereadhed]

Haven't read all of the responses (but plan to later on) so I don't if this has been brought of yet but can't you un-enroll him/her in the school and just re-enroll your child when you get back from vacation? Just "homeschool" the child for the days/week that you are in WDW. After all, isn't WDW a wonderful learning experience? Would this idea be "doable" or am I just dreaming up a way to take my children to WDW w/o being punished by the school board? LOL

I mentioned it. Probably won't put me at the top of the favorite parents list at school but oh well...wait, I didn't have a chance on that list anyway!

 

[delilah]

...
I should mention, maybe, that this is an extremely family-oriented community, where the majority of moms are SAHMs, volunteer in the school, etc. ....

Sorry... sore spot for me ...it's not just the SAHM's that are family-oriented. Nor does being SAHM make you a more involved parent. Just as being a Working parent does not mean you are not involved.

I'm a working mommy (because I "want to" not because I "have to") and I'm still very involved in my kids lives and schooling.

(I'll get off my soapbox now...I feel the need to rant when anyone equates "SAHM" to a "better" mom in any way/shape/form. <exhale>

This is so true, and a sore spot for me as well. I am a family physician, and I volunteer lots for school, scouts and church. Family physicians actually work quite long hours and the work is really quite demanding. I am a member of the school commission, and my husband and I helped to establish a science lab for the middle school aged students at this school. On a regular basis, my husband, another science trained father and I give presentations on science topics as enrichment for the students. In order to do this, one needs to have the appropriate background and training, which in my experience, most SAHMs do not have. (I am sure there is a rare PhD chemist SAHM, I am not referring to her).

 

[clori]

I guess I should be greatful that my dd's school had no problems when I took her out last year for 1 week in kindergarten. We went in early January for a week. I told the teacher right before winter break that we were taking a family trip. She laughed and said that many kids had already missed a week or two for trips to Disney and a cruise. I laughed and said that while we would be seeing family who live in Alta Monte Springs are real reason for our visit was Disney. She did mention that in older grades it gets harder work wise to pull a student out for a week but for kindergarten she just saves the worksheets etc. I just needed to send in a note when we got back. DD missed Mon-Friday. We came back on Saturday then Monday was no school for Martin Luther King Day. In the middle of the night Mon into Tuesday dd ran into my room and got sick. There was no way she could go to school Tuesday and I kept her home Wednesday to make sure she was okay. I sent in two notes. Thursday dd brought homes tons of worksheets and I told her she could divide them up and send them back Monday. Nope she did 3/4 of them Thursday and the rest Friday. I did have to convince her that some of the sheets such as coloring the picture of the letter to stick on a paper bag really didn't need to be returned. The teacher was amazed at how quickly dd did all the work. .

Over April vacation dd managed to fall off the monkey bars at a playground and broke her arm. We had 4 follow up appointments at Boston Children's Hospital orthopedics clinic. The clinic was only open 10-4 and 45 minutes prior to appt time was needed for xrays. or so and with dd getting out of school at 2:15 and then getting to Boston I needed to have her dismissed early for each appointment. The first time the principal was in the office and actually asked me about dd's cast. I told her that while I don't like taking dd out early that the appt hours make it difficult. I did say I could get a drs note if she felt it was necessary for her records. She smiled and just said that she knew we were responsible and dd's health was important. She just recommended that I talk to dd's teacher to see if there were any dates such as field trips coming up that dd wouldn't want to miss.

 

[helenm29]

We told our school that the kids would be missing some time 6 months ago! the kids have a great councellor that is working with us...about 3 weeks before we go, he'll contact all the teachers and help us get our homework together. The kids know very well how this works and Dad & I will both be watching to make sure that everything is done including all the make up testing etc. when we get back. Because we are going to be gone for more then a week, the kids will get homework packets. I know as they get into high school that it will be much harder to do this! Good luck to you all! Helen

 

[fakereadhed]

On a regular basis, my husband, another science trained father and I give presentations on science topics as enrichment for the students. In order to do this, one needs to have the appropriate background and training, which in my experience, most SAHMs do not have. (I am sure there is a rare PhD chemist SAHM, I am not referring to her).

On the flip side, lots of SAHM have left their professional days behind to work long hours with their OWN kids. Point is, lots of them DO have college degrees and training in lots of different areas. Even things just as important as science.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

 

[DaisyD]

I just write a letter for the teacher who in turn gives it over to the principal. In the letter I state that DD will be out of school for these dates for a family function. I do not elaborate beyone that. The teacher will know that DD is going to WDW but I don't think they NEED to know. I never tell the principal where we are going because it isn't her business. I will take DD out whether the school likes it or not. DD does get unexcused absences but they don't do anything except send a letter home telling me as much. I send the letter right back and tell them that I know this and will continue to do it through elementary school. We are going the end of the month and DD will only miss 5 school days. She will miss another 5 days in January for skiing. As long as DD is doing great in school then I see no problem with it.

 

[shellynn24]

Last Oct I took my son out of school for 8 or 10 days to go on vacation. We went to see my parents and go to WDW. The month after I got back they sent a truancy officer to my house to deliver a paper that said if he missed any more school I would be prosecuted. I really hate the attendance laws in Texas, I'm not even a resident, we are military and are here only becuase we have to be. I do not understand why school systems can't allow parents to raise their own kids, it's not like my kids belong to them . Okay end rant! Oh yaeh just to add that at the time when I took DS out of school, he was in Pre-K.

 

[liamsaunt]

Yes-I was quite SHOCKED to hear her say that... I was literally waiting for her to say she was just kidding..... but the principal of our elementary school has this thing about wanting to be #1 for attendance in the district. There are 16 public schools in our city and we always fall in 2nd or 3rd place. My DD had perfect attendance last year in Kindergarten, but my neighbor called her DD out on a couple of occasions. Once, the principal answered and she gave my neighbor the 3rd degree. She said if her DD did not have a fever and was not throwing up or complaining of diarrhea, she should be in school The superintendant and school board just instituted a policy where you cannot have more than 10 absences during the school year or else you will automatically be held back I wish I had the patience to homeschool!!!!!

Man, I hope you do not live in my nephew's district! Dsis is pulling him for 6 days for our trip (he is in second grade). She said it was not going to be a problem. We'll see! Are you on the South Shore? I am hoping not!

 

[3DisneyKids]

...
I should mention, maybe, that this is an extremely family-oriented community, where the majority of moms are SAHMs, volunteer in the school, etc. ....
This is so true, and a sore spot for me as well. I am a family physician, and I volunteer lots for school, scouts and church. Family physicians actually work quite long hours and the work is really quite demanding. I am a member of the school commission, and my husband and I helped to establish a science lab for the middle school aged students at this school. On a regular basis, my husband, another science trained father and I give presentations on science topics as enrichment for the students. In order to do this, one needs to have the appropriate background and training, which in my experience, most SAHMs do not have. (I am sure there is a rare PhD chemist SAHM, I am not referring to her).

Once again, you are connecting dots where there are no connections to be made. NOWHERE did I say that SAHMs are more community involved than any other moms. I simply made three separate statements...(1) community-oriented town; (2) lots of SAHMs; and (3) lots of parents who volunteer in the school. Those of you who are offended by this are reading between the lines and making conlcusions that are just not there. In my particular community, yes, the working moms volunteer in the schools, too. THAT was my point...nothing at all about working moms vs. SAHMs (that is off topic for this thread anyway, as well as always a heated issue).

FWIW...YES, I am the "rare" Ph.D. who has been a SAHM (though I am now a WAHM). And many of my colleagues from my doctoral program are also staying or working at home, so it is not that rare at all....

My message has always been, "More Power to Moms!" And that is meant for ALL moms. Let's get back on topic now, please....

 

[DisneyDad in PA]

As I stated earlier in the thread, my kid's school district has a form that needs completed and submitted at least "one week" prior to the trip. They allow two trips up to a total of 5 missed days with approval of the principal.

So I send the forms in this morning and both kids come home today with an approved form along with journals they must fill out. My oldest is in 4th and he also will have to do an oral report about the trip within one week of his return.

I couldn't believe how fast the turn around was.

 

[maleficent1959]

...
This is so true, and a sore spot for me as well. I am a family physician, and I volunteer lots for school, scouts and church. Family physicians actually work quite long hours and the work is really quite demanding. I am a member of the school commission, and my husband and I helped to establish a science lab for the middle school aged students at this school. On a regular basis, my husband, another science trained father and I give presentations on science topics as enrichment for the students. In order to do this, one needs to have the appropriate background and training, which in my experience, most SAHMs do not have. (I am sure there is a rare PhD chemist SAHM, I am not referring to her).

I'm also one of those "rare" PhD SAHMs, and my sore spot is when people (not necessarily you) assume that because I'm a SAHM I must be uneducated, uninteresting, and too dumb to do anything but talk about my kids. Why don't you highlight your achievements by stating that your particular training may be something that not many women have instead of singling out SAHMs?

Back to the topic, last year in kindergarten our teacher was great about our son missing class. Her attitude was "it's kindergarten, what's he going to miss?" But it is much stricter in first grade. We're allowed four unexcused absences in a marking period, then I think you're referred to the truancy department (or whatever current designation it has). The bright spot is that the principal has the authority to excuse absences for reasons other than illness. You just have to write a letter explaining the circumstances and hope for the best.