We told DS school

[Honeybehr1]

about the upcoming trip so that she could prepare a packet of work for him well in advance. His teacher said she wouldnt do that. This was a great time to spend as a family. WHEW. BUT she did want him to keep a log (which incorporates reading and writing), keep a log for money he spent (math), and work in which continent the various countries are on. Plus he needs to navigate around the park using the maps.
he will be working on sounds the week before we leave, so she also wants us to stop and listen and jot down in his log what sounds he hears at various locations.
She doesnt want him to feel that he has "work" to do but by doing the above, he will be learning everything that he would be learning in school. We were worried that he would be behind and she said that he wont be at all. As for his spelling words, she told us not to worry(he is an awesome speller to begin with)
WHEW what a relief.

 

[Horizons16]

Wow thats a pretty good idea. My teachers used to give me math packets to do that was always fun to come back to..

"Hey Mickey... can you do my long division?" haha

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Wow, what an awesome teacher! I wish mine were more like that when I was in school. I think she deserves a special Mickey treat or two!

 

[Stepharia]

How old is ds?

My dd is 7 and in 2nd grade. I told the school office last week although I told her teacher at open house right before school started so she would be aware way in advance. I'm wondering what she'll do for dd's work. Last time we went she was in Kindergarten and her teacher gave us her school work. We actually had 2 days off school before we left and she only missed 2 1/2 days due to parent teacher conferences so we got her work done before we left and it wasn't too much since she only missed those couple of days. She will be gone again this time during parent teacher conferences, so if she gives us her actual work that will only be 4 days worth. It would be interesting for her to give her the same types of assignments your ds's teacher gave. Guess I'll remind her when I'm at school volunteering on Wed. and see what she says.

12 days and counting

 

[We-Luv-Disney]

That's great! DS 7 will miss twp days before Christmas break and I know his scholl makes a big deal of it. Not because he is missing stuff but because it hurts the schoold attendance scores. I hope his teacher understands though and works out a plan like that, it would be awesome!

 

[Honeybehr1]

How old is ds?
12 days and counting

DS is 7 and turning 8 on Oct 15th. He is in 3rd grade.
I am so relieved that his teacher was so cool with this. I have never taken my child out of school for a vacation but then again he has only missed 2 days of school (none in K, 1 in each 1st and 2nd) so its not like he stays out.

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

I've taken my kids out a few times for short trips (not just to WDW) but the last time was our longest trip so they did miss some days of school during that Thanksgiving holiday (we were gone longer than the few days they had out of school for Thanksgiving). Each school/teacher is different how they handle things. My oldest -her teacher let her do the actual worksheets and homework AHEAD of time so she had nothing to worry about. My middle child (youngest in school at the time) was in K and was already doing very well- ahead of the rest of the class- so she said not to worry about it and I just had the kids do a journal and plus they brought back their kidcot stuff from all the countries in Epcot and both teachers had them do "show and tell" (even though my oldest was in 4th grade and they technically didn't do show and tell anymore ) to talk about the countries. They actually had FUN doing those things during our trip and afterwards with their classes.

I'm so glad they didn't have homework to do while on the trip or have lots to catch up on when they returned!

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

Sounds like your son has a great teacher, who understands that school isn't just an institution that kids are forced to sit through for seven or eight hours a day.

They did a similar thing when I was in school - I'd have to keep a journal of what I did. I like the math/money idea - though I was the type of kid who liked that stuff and believe I kept track anyway, hehe.

Have fun!

N.E.D.

 

[diddldonna]

I got in a right arguement with my daughters headteacher the other day about our trip in November. She said i was damaging my childs education taking her out of school for 2 weeks. i have no choice my husband can't take time off in school hols because he works at a college as a maintenance officer and this is the only times they can do building works.

Anyway she was going on and on and i said have you ever been to Disneyworld before? She said no it wasn't her type of thing. So i said well don't tell me i am damaging my childs education when on our last trip (June 2004) my children learned more than they would have done sitting in school. They learned about different currencys, about the world around them at Epcot, About animals in Animal kingdom, About the life of movies, and about the magic that all children should still expereince no matter what age they are. We must have covered all subjects on our trip and more.

I feel Disneyworld provides my children with the best education possible, maybe they could have a disney school, lol. Well they know how to have fun as well as educate.

Who feels the same?

Donna

 

[Cookie Princess]

I got in a right arguement with my daughters headteacher the other day about our trip in November. She said i was damaging my childs education taking her out of school for 2 weeks. i have no choice my husband can't take time off in school hols because he works at a college as a maintenance officer and this is the only times they can do building works.

Anyway she was going on and on and i said have you ever been to Disneyworld before? She said no it wasn't her type of thing. So i said well don't tell me i am damaging my childs education when on our last trip (June 2004) my children learned more than they would have done sitting in school. They learned about different currencys, about the world around them at Epcot, About animals in Animal kingdom, About the life of movies, and about the magic that all children should still expereince no matter what age they are. We must have covered all subjects on our trip and more.

I feel Disneyworld provides my children with the best education possible, maybe they could have a disney school, lol. Well they know how to have fun as well as educate.

Who feels the same?

Donna

You go girl! I am already dreading telling my son's teachers. He is in the 5th grade, and it gets harder each year to take them out of school. It says right in my son's current school handbook that parents should utilize school vacations for family vacation time and that the teacher is not required to prepare any homework packets for the children. We have scheduled the trip around teacher conferences so he will only miss 3 days. I know it makes it hard on the teachers. Wish me luck!

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

DS9 is in 4th grade and will miss 4 days next month. Our district forbids vacations - they are "unexcused" absences. But his teacher is said she doesn't think it will hurt him to be out and that when we get back I should just write a note saying he was sick. Which probably means he won't be doing a presentation for the class about the joys of education at WDW!

She said she'll send some work with him and I told her I will design some activities for him to work on. I want him to keep a daily journal, keep track of his expenditures, and keep a log of the people he meets and where they are from. I want to find a printable map of the US so he can color in the home states of the people he meets. I will also think of something for him to do as far as international folks. I might also incorporate something where he talks with different CM's about their jobs. Maybe I'll make it sort of a scavenger hunt - "talk to one bus driver, one waiter, one park maintenance worker, one Mousekeeper, one retail shop employee". We'll see how many job descriptions we can come up with. Hopefully we will bump into some management types as well as hourly employees. We weren't able to fit "Lunch with an Imagineer" in this time, but that would have been amazing.

 

[JCW]

My sis just told her son's teacher about our big family trip to WDW in May. He will be missing a whole week so she was worried (he goes to a private school and they are told 'no vacations while school is in session").

She told the teach about the trip and then asked if she would be willing to put his work together to bring with us (there will be 5 children so we figured two or three times during the trip they would all sit together and do their school work). Teach said don't even worry about it, she will catch him up when he gets back and to just give her a note when it gets closer to the trip so she remembers! WOW! My sis was floored, though she did still say she would like some assignments so that it is easier on her son when he does return to school.

I am sure it helps that he is a straight 'A' student (yes, this Aunt is proud and bragging )

So I guess you just never know.