Which days for kids to miss school? Can any teachers help?

[Pinnie]

I am also currently in a suburban school district outside of Detroit. And since kindergarten is not even a required grade in the state, how can this be?

It may not be "required" but it is HIGHLY recommended in my district. Our Benchmarks are very high and kids are expected to KNOW their alphabet and letter sounds by this time of the year.

pinnie

 

[jodifla]

It may not be "required" but it is HIGHLY recommended in my district. Our Benchmarks are very high and kids are expected to KNOW their alphabet and letter sounds by this time of the year.

pinnie

This strikes me as immoral and unethical. Lots of experts don't expect 5 year olds to be reading. What is this world coming to? People have lost their sense about education. Why put such pressure on little kids?

Parents are starting to revolt, it seems. There was a report the other day about parents in California pulling their kids out of public school because they had gotten too academic and were no longer teaching the arts.

 

[triplefigs]

It may not be "required" but it is HIGHLY recommended in my district. Our Benchmarks are very high and kids are expected to KNOW their alphabet and letter sounds by this time of the year.

pinnie

My triplets are already spelling and know their sounds, alphabet, numbers, and are writing and they are in pre-school. Sounds like they'll be fine next year in K!

 

[Pinnie]

My triplets are already spelling and know their sounds, alphabet, numbers, and are writing and they are in pre-school. Sounds like they'll be fine next year in K!

They sound like they have an excellent foundation! Go and have a great time!!!!!

pinnie

 

[susykt4]

I am shocked at what a big deal so many people have taking their kids out of school. I didn't think twice about scheduling a January trip and pulling my kindergarten daughter out of school for a week. Then, after reading a zillion posts, I was terrified we'd have to cancel our trip. I finally talked to her teacher and she just laughed and said "It's only kindergarten." She acted absolutely thrilled that DD was going to Disney DD is reading and writing, but it's not like she's missing a week of calculus!

 

[triplefigs]

I am shocked at what a big deal so many people have taking their kids out of school. I didn't think twice about scheduling a January trip and pulling my kindergarten daughter out of school for a week. Then, after reading a zillion posts, I was terrified we'd have to cancel our trip. I finally talked to her teacher and she just laughed and said "It's only kindergarten." She acted absolutely thrilled that DD was going to Disney DD is reading and writing, but it's not like she's missing a week of calculus!

That's how I feel. And my mom is a K teacher of 30+ years. She actually is encouraging us to go. Said family trips are much more important than 3 days of K. Now when they are taking Calculus, it'll be a different story!

 

[jodifla]

I am shocked at what a big deal so many people have taking their kids out of school. I didn't think twice about scheduling a January trip and pulling my kindergarten daughter out of school for a week. Then, after reading a zillion posts, I was terrified we'd have to cancel our trip. I finally talked to her teacher and she just laughed and said "It's only kindergarten." She acted absolutely thrilled that DD was going to Disney DD is reading and writing, but it's not like she's missing a week of calculus!

You're right, it is shocking!

 

[teacher31]

You have great advice already, but have to say...

Yikes! I guess I should feel guilty for pulling dd out for a whole week and a half! She is in KG, btw and we will be taking along all the materials that her class will be working on while we are away. I am going to ask her teacher to give her an extra assignment dealing w/Disney for dd to present to the whole class as well.

I should, but I don't! She will have many days of school, but only be able to celebrate her sixth w/Cindy once in her lifetime!

As a teacher, I don't have a problem with parents pulling their kids for family time. However, when parents ask me to 'create extra assignments,' that is annoying. Why should I have to create something for YOUR vacation? I have 25 other children to plan for who are going to be at school on a school day. There are so many ideas out there for you to pull from I don't think it is fair to ask your child's teacher. Take the initiative and create an ABC book of Disney.

 

[daisyduck123]

I have to agree with teacher31 above....please don't ever ask your child's teacher to create an assignment for your child to do over vacation. Please just keep a journal (and one reason we teachers say to do this is because it does not involve extra planning on our part, but yes, is of educational value for your child).

I also vote for missing the half-days, but really, it's Kindergarten...go when it is best for you. School will still be there when you get back. Have a great time! The teacher will probably not mind giving you your conference on a different, mutually convenient day, but please remember her when you are shopping for souveniers.

 

[DisTeach1]

In regards to the post by Marimar, I guess that was the only one that rubbed me the wrong way. You're going to ask the teacher to prepare an extra assignment? As a teacher, I have no problem with kids missing school-Heck, I would do it and have. But, don't ask me to prepare extra work for you. Be prepared to make up the work when your child gets back. Why should I have to go to the trouble to prepare an extra assignment? It's hard enough preparing my regular assignments, let alone having to prepare and then grade an extra one. I had a child (I teach 6th) be gone a week, and she asked for all of her work a week ahead of time, so she could be done with and not do anything on vacation. Sorry! I don't have work prepared that far ahead of time-Sometimes I only work one day ahead. I told her she would have to make up the work when she got back.

 

[debster812]

I had DS's parent teacher conference on Monday afternoon. He's in 3rd grade this year. He'll be missing 1 half day, 1 full day, and being dismissed early in February for our vacation. I told his teacher at the conference. She congratulated me on planning so well, told us to have a great time, and that she'd keep a folder for DS while he was gone, with everything he'd need to make up when we returned.

We have a new Superintendent of Schools (it's her 2nd year) and I think she's realigned the schedule brilliantly. Many of the teacher in service days now fall on the Friday preceeding a vacation week, or long weekend. So for February and April vacations, the week before each vacation has a half day on the Thursday, and the day off for students on the Friday.

 

[Laurabearz]

I am not a teacher but thought I would pipe in here since we just went through this....

I would do the 3 1/2 days... not because they are 1/2 days but becasue they are farther into the school year. Your kids are going to all day kindergater... which is HUGE... HUGE... and it will take a couple of weeks to get them into the rhythm of it all....

So my thoughts for this is mid October, just so they get use to their new schedule.

Have fun!