Wwyd??? I am a little sad!!!

[dislal]

I just booked our trip for next year the end of Jan. thru the 9 of Feb. I was so undecided about when to book, because of the kids school schedule with finals and report cards. We want to go when the crowd levels are low and the weather is cool. Well I came home the other day and announced to everyone that I finally booked the trip DS9 and DD11 are very excited asking all kinds of questions about the trip, but DD 14 didn't say anything and just went into her bedroom, when I asked her what was wrong today she said she doesn't want to go and miss that many days of school. I think I could leave her home with my brother and Sister-in-law, but I think the guilt would be too much for me to have a good time. She will be 15 by the time we go so its not like I am leaving a baby home (with my brother and SIL of course) for 11 days (7 total school days)

I told her I would go to the school and talk to the principal, and I have talked to other parents who have taken their kids out of school and they said they didn't have too much trouble, but our school has block scheduling so she says it is like missing 14 days instead of 7.

So WWYD? any suggestions

****No flames about taking the kids out of school my kids usually have perfect attendance and they are pretty much straight A students.***

 

[clh2]

I'm inclined to agree with your DD...sounds like she is just starting high school, and is probably pretty overwhelmed. Straight A's or not 0 - that is a lot of homework to make-up.

I know that people who even miss 1 single day of "block scheduled-school" get stressed out

Is there any sort of a compromise available- can she come down for part of the time? Maybe a long weekend?

I have a sophomore - and my DD would FLIP if we did this without consulting her. DD is also straight A's, but is taking honors classes, so missing that much school would be horrid.

 

[marypoppinswannabe]

Could you get her assignments ahead of time? Then she could go ahead and do her assignments in advance? That or maybe she could miss a couple of days in the park to work on assignments?

 

[Boston Tea Party]

That makes no sense. Block scheduling means half of the classes one day, the other half the next. That means that you would miss half as many, not twice as many.

Nevertheless, sounds like a responsible young lady with clear priorities.

 

[mckryan]

Actually, that is A/B scheduling. Block scheduling means they have 4 classes a day that meet for about 90 minutes each, plus lunch. So, missing 7 days of school truly is like missing 14 days for other students. My daughter was on block scheduling for the last four years. She would have a years' worth of class in one semester (August-December) and then take new classes January-May.

My daughter would have been overwhelmed to miss 7 days of school. She hated missing any school, even when she was sick, because it was a bear to make up. In our high school you couldn't get work ahead of time, you had to do it when you got back, and a family vacation was an unexcused absence, so you had the potential of teachers not allowing you to make it up.

 

[hereyago]

OP, first off, you should be proud of yourself for raising such a responsible young lady and be proud of her for speaking up in her own best intrest.

Go ahead and go, without the guilt, life is too short for that.

 

[RabbitFood]

Seven days is a lot to miss for any high school schedule--let alone block (which does a year's worth of work in one semester.)
You don't want flames--but I would kindly suggest you reconsider the timing of your trip.
Hindsight is easy--maybe in the future before booking a trip, you might talk to teachers/school administrators (rather than other parents) about the consequences of pulling your kids out for that many days.
Do your kids have off any long weekends around that time of the year? (We have five days off around Martin Luther King weekend due to Institute days and the holiday. WDW is really not too bad crowd-wise then.)
If I were you, I'd respect the opinion of my daughter. She sounds very mature.

 

[MoonFaerie]

I have to agree with your daughter. I was a straight A student in high school. My school switched to block scheduling in between my jr & sr year. Missing 2 days for our band trip to WDW was bad enough. 7 days would have been brutal to try to make up.

My father passed away my Sr year, and I missed 2 classes for the funeral. I had All-State the last half of the week, and there was no way I could get that behind that close to the end of the year.

 

[Pomlover2586]

......I'm gonna be the black sheep here......TAKE HER ANYWAY! It's High School.....7 days Will NOT kill her grades Get Homework ahead of time, do it and HAVE FUN.

Life is too precious NOT to take her and have her miss the family memories.

Yes be proud she is so responsible......but let her know thats it's OK to be a little reckless too- especially if the Mouse is involved

 

[ksjayhawks]

......I'm gonna be the black sheep here......TAKE HER ANYWAY! It's High School.....7 days Will NOT kill her grades Get Homework ahead of time, do it and HAVE FUN.
Life is too precious NOT to take her and have her miss the family memories.

Yes be proud she is so responsible......but let her know thats it's OK to be a little reckless too- especially if the Mouse is involved

Actually the 7 days could seriously hurt her grades, depending on what subjects she is in, what she will miss etc. Not all assignments are available ahead of time and she may not be able to do some if they involve labs, group work, discussions, tests, etc.

Is there a reason you must go at this time--yes I read about crowds and cool weather--rather than another time that might make it easier on her?

If she really doesn't want to go, I would talk to her about staying with aunt and uncle.

 

[JR6ooo4]

stay with the inlaws for most of the school days then make it to the parks for the weekend maybe? maybe a long weekend?

Schoolwork first is a vey mature attitude, hopefuly that is the case and not some sort of desregard for Disney, hehehehehehe.

Mikeeee

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Missing HS for that many days is not good, sorry. 7 days is alot of time to miss. It WILL negatively affect her grades.

 

[Katy Belle]

Be sure to know the school policy. Our school policy has a strict, and enforced policy for Middle and High School in regards to unexcused absenses. It states that if any tests or quzzes are given on the day the child is gone, then they get a ZERO for that test or quiz. No make-ups, no extra credit. So that could really, really hurt a grade. And yes it is enforced and no, family vacations are not excused.

I am not saying your school policy is so strict, but it could be. Check into it.

My DS14 would be thrilled to miss and wouldn't care about the grades but I would care.

Good luck!
Katy

 

[jaminmd]

Is it possible for you to shorten your trip so she won't have to miss as much? Really, you should be proud of yourself that you've raised such a responsible kid!

I'm taking DD out for 5 days but she's in 7th grade. I'm doing it now because I know it'll be too much to do when she's in HS. She's a straight A student & in the gifted & talented program, so her workload is much heavier.

I got her absence approved in advance by her principal. I have terrible guilt because the most she has ever missed is 2 days for vacation but we really wanted to go at that specific time this year, so we made the decision with her. I'm trying to get it in before HS starts, so I only had this year or next to do it. She feels OK about the make-up work she'll have upon her return. If I had any doubts or if she wasn't such a good student, I wouldn't have done it.

So, is it possible for you to compromise? Perhaps shorten your stay. Talk to her teachers and most of all, talk to her to see how much she can handle. How do you feel about her flying by herself if your in-laws can take her to the airport. Maybe she can join you for 1/2 of your stay. Some parents are OK with that (not me, but some).

Anyway, .

 

[kellydizfan]

We took our kids out, my oldest was in 8th grade - it was a pain in the behind to get the work ahead of time and even after she came back as many of the teachers didn't want to hand out the work and then have to worry about getting it done. It is not worth missing that much school - it was 6 days total they missed a year ago April. She is in 10th grade now and I would never do it as she is taking AP History and Honors english this year. We will be doing vacations at vacation times. I would leave her home if she doesn't want to go. I would not force the issue with her - to her school is more important - that is a great thing to think!!!

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I would change the dates of the trip. I wouldn't dream of taking a HS-er out for 7 school days. I just don't understand the reasoning behind it. Thst is a TON of work that you expect her to be able to make up. And the teachers might not let her. She could literally spend a couple months trying to get back on track, in order to accomodate you. That's completely unfair and irresponsible. I know you didn't want comments on the whole "take kids out of school" thing, but it's very different in the lower grades.

How much do you think she'd enjoy that trip, knowing she's falling further and further behind in school, for each day that she's away? Why the need for such a long trip, anyway? I'm completely mystified as to why a parent would do such a thing to their child. In addition, she would be in a position of missing any extra-curriculars, like sports, drama, whatever.

Eh, you're not going to listen to reason. Go if you must, leave her home, expect resentment that she was given no input on the trip and had to choose between it and her education. Be prepared to hear about it for the next 40 years. Good luck.

 

[Ilike2Lurk]

......TAKE HER ANYWAY! It's High School.....7 days Will NOT kill her grades

Oh yes it could. When students take advance classes, missing even one or two days can really set them back

 

[Nancyg56]

I would change the dates of the trip. That is way too much school for her to make up. Check your calendar for teacher workshops that could give you all an extra long weekend and perhaps add a day or two. She would have a easier time making up one or two days but I cannot imagine making up 7 days of block classes.

 

[Lionqueen2]

I would reschedule the trip. I think it would be more important to go on the trip as a family rather than worrying about a little weather or crowds. At 15, your daughter will be going off to college soon, and there will be fewer opportunities for you to have special times with her as she gets older. I would not leave her behind either. I would reschedule to a time that is more appropriate for the whole family.
It seems as if your daughter is being quite responsible and thinking of her grades and the impact it will have as she readies to apply to colleges. She should be commended for that.

 

[Darcy03231]

My kids are in high school and on block scheduling. There is no way I would take them out of school for 7 days!

I would let your daughter stay with relatives. If you really want to have a family trip with all the children I would reschedule the trip to sometime when they're out of school.

Its very difficult to make up work once the kids are at high school level. If she's a straight A student that means she's either in honors or AP classes, which cover a lot of material in 90 minutes, not including all the homeworks (I have an honors/AP student). If she missess 7 days it will affect her grades. DD missed a week due to illness one year and it took her almost the entire semester to get all the work caught up and her grades dipped. She's never missed more than a day since. She says its too hard to get caught up.

Also, as another poster pointed out, the teachers may not be willing to let her make up the work if its an unexcused absence. How will she/you feel if she gets zeros on everything she missed?

I took my kids out of school in elementary without any problems but stopped once they hit middle school (we have block scheduling there to). If it were me I would reschedule the trip for when they're out of school.