WDW not educational? BAH.

[jrmasm]

We are required to fill out Educational Trip forms in order for days to be excused. Fine, I'll the game.

 

[Green Tea]

Aahhh, I found the crazy letter I was thinking might surface. I think this gets a prime spot on the teacher's lounge wall of shame:
TO: [school official]

FROM:

RE: [students name and vacation dates]

Please be advised that [student] will be out of school during the week of [date]. We ask that his absences be excused.

The reason for [student]'s absence is that our family will be out of the state during this week. While we are gone, we will be visiting Walt Disney World. We believe that [student] will be learning many things during this trip and that his education will continue in his absence from school.

Some things [student] will learn about:

* Different cultures of the world, including architecture, language, diet, and dress, by visiting the different countries in the Epcot World Showcase (Japan, China, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Canada, France, etc.) [student] will have the chance to explore the exhibits for each country and speak with natives from each country who work as cast members.

* American history by viewing the Hall of Presidents presentation in the Magic Kingdom and the American Adventure show in Epcot.

* Nature and conservation at Animal Kingdom.

* Science by exploring the Mission:Space ride in Epcot where he will have a chance to see and feel what it would be like to travel by rocket to Mars and by experiencing the Universe of Energy exhibit which teaches about fossil fuels, energy, and conservation.

* Economics by managing his own spending money and making budget decisions on how to spend his money.

[student] will also be learning about map reading by navigating in and to the different theme parks, as well as the resorts and water parks via the Disney bus system, sociological aspects of crowds including patterns and behavior, physics of the different rides, breakthroughs in technology at the Innoventions computer lab in Epcot, art and animation and the history of film, and mathematics.

We believe this will be a wonderful and educational experience for [student] and hope you agree not to charge him with unexcused absences as a result. If it is possible for [student] to take any assignments with him to be turned in when we return or to turn in before we leave any work that will be due while he is gone, please let us know as soon as possible.

Thank you for your attention to this. If you have any questions or need any further information, please feel free to contact me.

[Parent's Signture]

 

[kimblebee]

I'm really surprised that you have to get permission to take your kids out of school for a vacation. Aren't they your kids and you can do what you want with them? I'm not trying to be snarky but I really don't get how someone else can tell you what you can do with your children. When I take my daughter out of school for a vacation I write the teacher a note and say she will be gone from this date to this date because I am taking her to fill in the blank. Nothing more than that has to be done and no one has ever said anything about it.

 

[Magpie]

I'm really surprised that you have to get permission to take your kids out of school for a vacation. Aren't they your kids and you can do what you want with them? I'm not trying to be snarky but I really don't get how someone else can tell you what you can do with your children. When I take my daughter out of school for a vacation I write the teacher a note and say she will be gone from this date to this date because I am taking her to fill in the blank. Nothing more than that has to be done and no one has ever said anything about it.

It seems to be an American thing. I've been told that their school funding is tied to attendance so some school districts go kind of crazy trying to make sure each child's butt is in a seat, every day. Each day a student is present means more money for the school.

I also find it odd, because I think of my kids being MY concern and my responsibility, not any one else's. However, it may be a cultural difference between our countries, as I recall a school trustee in a dispute over paying for a sick child's textbooks saying that, "When they're not in our schools, they're not our concern." Also, In the North you get half the school disappearing during hunting season. And when I chose to home school, no one was interested in us at all. So overall it's just a different way of thinking about schooling.

We DO have truancy laws here, but a lawyer friend of mine told me they're usually only applied in cases of neglect or abuse.

 

[Buckalew11]

Well, I dunno, I kinda agree with that letter. I also think if you were wanting to make it more educational, you could dig a little deeper into all the things mentioned.

Also, I think that it is more educational for some kids than others. I take very little home with me (facts or whatever) but DD has always recalled many things from trips to WDW. She's remind me, "Don't you remember that from the American Adventure?" or some other attraction. Nah, I'm just having FUN, lol. But she actually has learned and retained quite a bit--or at least will say as she is going over something in a textbook & make the comment, "remember that from Ellen?"

Of course, I was the kid who watched all those Saturday morning Rock things and didn't put two and two together. You know, "Conjuction Junction what's your function?" I just sang along, lol.

 

[Oglet]

I'm really surprised that you have to get permission to take your kids out of school for a vacation. Aren't they your kids and you can do what you want with them? I'm not trying to be snarky but I really don't get how someone else can tell you what you can do with your children. When I take my daughter out of school for a vacation I write the teacher a note and say she will be gone from this date to this date because I am taking her to fill in the blank. Nothing more than that has to be done and no one has ever said anything about it.

I agree 100% with you and unless your child misses school on a regular basis it shouldn't even be a big deal. Not everyone has the ability to go on vacation during traditional vacation periods. If done in a responsible way the benefits of family unity, memories and things learned along the way are equally as important as anything a child may have learned in school over a couple days.

With many families having both parents working 40+ hours a week over 6 or 7 days each week its extremely important that there is time made even if a child has to miss 4 or 5 days of school.... Homework will be waiting for then they come back and any responsible parent will make sure that their child works that little bit harder to catch back up on anything they missed out on.

 

[allison443]

I think the whole thing about excusing "educational trips" but not "just a vacation" is kind of silly. Really any trip could be construed as educational: if you are going somewhere and visiting a new area, you are learning about that area. Unless what the kid is "learning" is the same topic/material as what the curriculum is covering, they are still missing school.
By that token I should be able to keep my kid home for a week, just staying home and watching some educational documentaries. It was educational, so it should be excused.

I just feel like it's kind of a "game" like another poster said. If the schools are going to excuse some trips as educational, just let people take their vacations and be done with it.

 

[allison443]

Sure its educational,

You can take a field trip to the zoo (Animal Kingdom)
You can have art class over at the animation building,
Physical Education by walking around the parks or swimming at a water park,
Social Studies and History at the World Showcase,
Math by adding up how much money mom and dad are spending or the piggy bank game at Epcot.
Music by listening to a concert also at Epcot

and just to make it even more like school you can even have crappy cafeteria food by going to Cosmic Rays.

So WDW is just like most public schools.

And by this reasoning, a parent should be able to take their kid out of school for a day to visit a local zoo, go to a local beach or waterpark, etc. They are just as "educational". This is why I think the whole thing is an exercise in semantics.

 

[ols386]

I've never ever thought that going on a vacation to Disney World would be considered an educational trip. It's a vacation plain and simple.

I've been to Kennedy Space center, and while it is VERY interesting, it's just part of a vacation.

I don't see anything wrong with taking your kids out of school for a family vacation to WDW, or wherever, as long as it's not going to make it too tough on the kid to either make-up the school work they missed, or do it in advance or while on vacation. But call it what it is, a vacation.

I never took my kids out of school for a vacation because it just wouldn't have worked for us, but if others want to do that, that's their business.

 

[ksjayhawks]

A family vacation can have an educational component and not be an educational trip. We went on a cruise and took an impromptu walking tour in Belize with a local gut. Educational moment? Yes. Educational trip? Heck no.

I just find it so amusing when people strain themselves to find a trip to Disney educational. I also find it amusing when people really try to convince us that their kids are learning so much culture from wandering through World Showcase. Can you learn something? Sure. But it certainly isn't tantamount to actually visiting a foreign country and really isn't a true cultural experience.

I have to agree with this, especially the bolded part.

Just call it what it is--a family vacation.

 

[mjkacmom]

Agreed. The fact that you can learn something while you're there doesn't make it an educational trip.

I agree - while I guess you could try to make it educational, I know we didn't! We live 4 hours from Boston, 4 hours from DC, 1 1/2 hours from Philly, 20 minutes from NYC - if we want an educational experience, we can do it close to home. We didn't talk to foreign CS's - we have enough here to talk to.

 

[honugirl]

WDW, while interesting and has things you can learn, is not an educational vacation. Neither is the Kennedy Space Center. I went to the Johnson Space Center last year in Houston and while it was fascinating and I did learn things, it wasn't "educational," it was informational. I guess informational is probably how I would classify the things you would learn at WDW. If I tried to tell my college prof in physics that I was going to the Johnson Space Center, the Kennedy Space Center, or Space Camp on an educational trip, he'd laugh me out of the classroom! Even though there are real practical physics applications that I could conceivably learn while there.

 

[CathrynRose]

Please.... it is so educational.

My 15 y/o learns the dangers of drinking and how over spending can affect your checking account.

 

[Magpie]

Please.... it is so educational.

My 15 y/o learns the dangers of drinking and how over spending can affect your checking account.

 

[castleview]

]OK, anyone claiming that it's not educational has never been through the different cultures showcased by EPCOT,[/B] has never discussed the Endangered Species and Conservation topics mentioned in Animal Kingdom, has never considered the history inherent in the World's fair contribution of "It's a Small World".

As an aside, you can always mention that you plan on visiting Kennedy Space Center too.... how is the Space Program NOT educational.

You should see the essays I write for school, they are a work of art

It would be an absolute crime to let my kids believe that the cast members in each pavilion actually dress like that in every day life.

 

[dislaney]

Our school allows for one trip per year not to exceed 5 school days. They have a few rules like notifying the school a week in advance and getting makeup work ahead of time. Also it is not to be used during semester testing. When the kids were younger, it was great! Of course, I would never take a trip now that mine are in high school, because they would just get so far behind- it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[SaraJayne]

I'm really surprised that you have to get permission to take your kids out of school for a vacation. Aren't they your kids and you can do what you want with them? I'm not trying to be snarky but I really don't get how someone else can tell you what you can do with your children. When I take my daughter out of school for a vacation I write the teacher a note and say she will be gone from this date to this date because I am taking her to fill in the blank. Nothing more than that has to be done and no one has ever said anything about it.

Not always an "American" thing.

I do the same exact thing when I take my kids out of school and have never had an issue with our school.

Even though I've taken my kids out of school for WDW, I've never tried to pass it off as anything but a fun vacation...and all the teachers say they want to come, too.

 

[MonkeyDishwasher]

It would be an absolute crime to let my kids believe that the cast members in each pavilion actually dress like that in every day life.

So exactly what I was thinking! The same for thinking that the food served at the World Showcase pavilions is the actuall food they all eat every day. Yeah, I believe every Canadian has Cheese soup and steak for each meal. Sure. And super plain and blah salsa with tortilla chips at every meal in every household at home in Mexico too!

 

[MushyMushy]

Oh please don't misunderstand me, this is TOTALLY a vacation! And I know for a fact that our school district has a very loose definition of what an educational trip is and I don't have to do anything to justify this trip other than fill out a form. What I object to is one surly middle school teacher telling the kids it's pathetic.

You can turn any trip into something educational even a trip around the block.

Please.... it is so educational.

My 15 y/o learns the dangers of drinking and how over spending can affect your checking account.

Preach it sistah!

 

[minkydog]

In our school system it's not even about the days missed. They could care less where you're taking your kids--you can take them to the moon and back(that is, unless they have excessive absences without an acceptable reason. That will land you in truancy court.) The problem is, family vacations are unexcused absences. You can still go, they don't have the power to keep you from taking your vacation; your kids just can't make up the work. Its conceivable that your straight-A 2nd grader could manage to pass even with a 10 day vacation on the books. But if your High Schooler were to try that, particularly if they're on block scheduling (90 min classes) it would probably be extremely difficult or nie impossible for them to pass their classes. Like it or not, this is the policy.