Vacation and homework

[daystar]

Hi,
Could anyone tell me when you take your kids out of school for your WDW trip, when do you fit in time for their homework(morning, afternoon or night)???I was thinking that nighttime would be a bad time since they will be tired from all the running around that day...My boys in grades 8 and 1....Thanks

 

[mom23boys]

We went Oct 2003 and my DS was in 4th grade at the time. We did his math homework on the plane and during his brother's nap times. He did not have any English work, that was made up after he got home.

I was not able to get the work early, due to a strike in the beginning of the year, but if you can, maybe they can do some before you leave.

 

[Mom to Jordan]

WE have found that doing homework AT WDW just does not work well for us. In the AM we are too excited and in the PM we are too tired. What we do is get as much ahead of time as possible and try to complete it before we go. We also have about 20 hours travel time that we work on it and we always plan one day back before he goes back to school to work on it. Most policies give one to two days for each day out to get it all done so it might not be all due the first day back. We have never been over loaded with makeup work but wuld expect more for an 8th grades. DS will be 7th next year and we have changed our mind and will be taking him out again so I do expect more then.

Jordan's mom

 

[kcbean]

I am taking my 2nd grader out of school for our May trip. I am planning on him doing his homework in our 20 hour drive there and back. I was worried about taking him out but his teacher said "go"

 

[HM]

My son missed two days of school when he was in 3rd grade. His teacher sent math homework with him. He did it in the afternoon before we went to the pool.
The only other times we took the kids out of school, they were much younger and just doing a daily journal page was all that was required (they couldn't really spell well yet, so pictures took up most of the space). They did it at night before going to bed so that they could include whatever was the most memorable thing for the day.
-HM

 

[3mickeys&me]

The last time we went my kids were in 1st grade and pre k. My first grader had homework to do. We did some on the plane down, some early in the morning before we went anywhere. Finished it on the plane ride home.

This time they are in 3rd and 1st and will be missing 7 days of school as we are doing the Land and Sea Cruise. Their teachers said they won't be sending any homework with us. They want them to write in their journals everyday about the trip and my younger one has to drawl pictures as well. Thats it!

YIPPPPPEEEEEEE

57 more days!!!

 

[simba928]

My brother and I do our homework whenever we have some free time. If you aren't going to the parks everday, they could do it on those days or do a little bit each night. Also, do as much as possible on the flight there and/or back.

 

[newtowdw1]

On a different note, if you request homework from the teacher, PLEASE have your child do it! Putting together a packet and making sure the child understands what is expected takes a considerable amount of time. Very frustrating if nothing gets completed.

 

[rbuzzotta]

We had to stop taking the girls out of school for WDW trips now that they are older and have alot of work to make up.

They do Kumon math and it is done daily. The girls either do the week's worth on the plane or drive down and if not finished I have them do it before we set out in the morning. I make their work a priority!!!

 

[blessedby3]

We took our two kids out of school 2 years ago (DD 7th, DS 2nd). I requested their work before we went, let the teachers know well in advance. They missed 1 1/2 weeks of school and did ALL their work before we left for the trip. No homework goes with us to Disney. No one wants to have to do homework while we are down there and all of my kids get carsick if they read in the car, so we do it ahead of time. We are planning our next trip this Nov. and DD 9th and DS 4th and DD Kingergarten will complete all work before we go again. Much more enjoyable trip for us all. My oldest DD just missed a whole week of school a couple of weeks ago, and I told her it is a good test run for this fall when she will miss a planned week. She got all of her work done before going back to school when she was sick also. (This is her first year in public school- she had been in private until 8th and the other 2 are still in private. Hopefully public school teachers will be as easy to work with as her private school teachers!! )

 

[larklynn]

I talked to my daughters teacher (1st grade) She was great she said I could give her her spelling test and all she has to do is write in her journal every night about the trip so she can share it with the class when she gets back. The teacher thought that would make the home work special and more enjoyable. I told dd and she is so excited.

 

[Evil Queen]

Pulling DS9 out of 4th grade next year. Hoping teacher will give him work before he goes.

We are not leaving until Saturday afternoon. He wants to leave Sat. morning and get an extra day in. Hate to say it, but will use this as leverage on getting homework done before we go. If he can complete a decent amount we will pullout (we are driving) a few hours earlier.

Not sure yet, if his teacher will even give him the work early. I hope they do, I am wanting the grades to maintain, but am more worried about him not knowing where they are when he returns.

We will bring any unfinished work with us and he will be required to do a portion nightly before pool time or DTD.

 

[juliesue]

Unfortunately, we have had to stop taking vacations during the school year. My DD is in 5th and DS in 2nd. We had no problems with homework, etc until DD was in 4th grade.

Our school district has a policy that they will not give our work ahead of time. (Don't even get me started on that subject). So when we took them out last year, we waited until 2 weeks before school got out. I figured that the work would be winding down and they wouldn't miss much. I was right for the younger one - BUT Boy, I missed the boat for the 4th grader.

We did try to do some of the work on the trip that we knew would be coming up. But obviously, we were making some guestimates. We did double homework every night for those last two weeks and she still couldn't get caught up. The teacher even made a snotty remark to me about how I had not done my daughter any favors by taking a vacation. (My DD struggles and works very hard at school and this trip was a reward for a long year of hard work.) I did not appreciate that remark.

Sorry if I offended any of the teachers out there. That was not my intent, it was just really hard to listen to her remark when she didn't even look at the reason we did it.

 

[Evil Queen]

Both my parents (retired), my sister and brother all work(ed) as teachers.

All of them are understanding, especially my sister (1st grade, but has taught all elem, school grades) and my brother (8th grade). They have been known to pull their own kids out for similar reasons. Everyone needs a break. Yes, schools offer them, but sometimes they don't work for the entire family or maybe an extra break now and then is needed.

I take a few "mental health" days throughout the year for myself, I figure my kid is entitled too, as long as he is doing what he is suppose to in school.

After this past Florida school year, my entire family is much more into the idea, life CAN be short and stress on many higher levels can happen.

My son won't fail taking off, and I use this to my advantage.

As long as you can help your child maintain in school (you don't want to add extra pressure/stress to trying to keep up if it will cause a setback), I say go for it. I just hope next years teacher or adminastrative office will work with me, if not, won't change my plans.

 

[Mady/Sophiemom]

We take some to do on the plane, and at the airport, on the way down. Depending on her teachers, she has had quite a lot of work to do, or very little. Sometimes We don't take it all with us. We fly back on Sat eve, so we finish up the rest on Sunday afternoon.

Last trip, my daughter had to do a journal, and it was a great way to wind down at the end of the day, before turning out the lights, or she did it the next morning before we left the hotel room if she was too tired the night before. That was the only work she did while at Disney.

 

[Evil Queen]

We take some to do on the plane, and at the airport, on the way down. Depending on her teachers, she has had quite a lot of work to do, or very little. Sometimes We don't take it all with us. We fly back on Sat eve, so we finish up the rest on Sunday afternoon.

Last trip, my daughter had to do a journal, and it was a great way to wind down at the end of the day, before turning out the lights, or she did it the next morning before we left the hotel room if she was too tired the night before. That was the only work she did while at Disney.

I am so hoping for an understanding teacher.

Thanks to my family ties, I usually get the teacher I want for that upcoming year, and hoping so for next year. Didn't happen this school year, and even though I had legit reasons to pull my son out of her class, I didn't. I figure, life doesn't give you pleasant people ALL the time. So he needed to suck up his not having an "understanding" teacher, but she has been a teacher who did her job.

I love the journal idea, and may throw that into the mix of "assignments" next year. I have posted about "educational" experiences on here, and got great responses. I am hoping for the best.....but like I said won't change our plans, but will show us how much we will have to work (with teachers help or not) on staying current.

Even if the teacher gives work and he does it, I can even except a lower grade due to not a legit Fl. excuse for missing school, I just don't want him having to struggle to catch up upon returning.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Our trip is during my son’s (he's 13, 8th grade) Spring Break. He has homework each break so I know we'll have the homework war sometime during our trip.

He'll do as much as he can in the airport and during our flights. He should be able to work on some of each night before bed. What's left will get done Sunday before he returns to school. I actually cut the trip short by one day so that he'll have time to complete the homework.

We have a PTO meeting next week. I plan to suggest (beg) that the teachers give the homework packets out early.

If he can get a few of them by Wednesday, he should be able to complete them before we leave home.

 

[MrsPete]

As a teacher, I can tell you that most kids don't do the homework. It's frustrating when I spend my time putting together a packet of information and it isn't completed. I'd say that at most 10% of my students actually do the work I give them. Sigh.

 

[we3disneygo]

In our school district the homework is given out before and has to be turned in the first day back at school. Last year my dd was in the 4th grade she had so much math, she was 2-3 weeks ahead of the class when she got back. some other students were gone a week all they were required to do was write in a journal-one girl wrote a paragraph!!! her mom was president of the pto!!! not fair at all.

 

[powellrj]

we always try to leave at least one day home before we have to go back to work/school so homework and housework can be done before we start back.

That said, this year we took DS (8th grade) out for 3 days because they had 2 days off for fall break, so we would have a whole week. He really had a rough time even missing 3 days. This was the last time we will take them out of school for a trip. He is taking pre AP classes this year and will be taking AP classes next year.

DD who is in the 3rd grade had a much easier time making-up her work. Her teacher sent it home when we got home and we were able to do a little each night.