Who takes kids out of school for WDW?

I'm just wondering if many of you take your kids out of school to go to WDW or the ones of you in school, if your parents take you out. I didn't want to go during the summer, or spring breaks so we are taking our 2nd grader out of school. She will miss 5 days, but we're getting major grief over it. This is the first time she will get to go and we didn't want to go when it was overly crowded or really really hot. I sort of thought it wouldn't be a huge deal with her only being in 2nd grade and making good grades, but I guess I was wrong.

Would really like to know what other families do.

Thanks

My parents used to take my brother and I while we were still in school (many years ago). They simply contacted our teachers ahead of time and got the assignments that would have been given to us during our vacation. Many times we had all of our homework complete before we left for the trip. Keep in mind that this strategy works best when the kids are still in elementary school, as the work loads aren't that big and the parents can assist if they have trouble with their homework.

My parents took me and my sister out as well. We would go every Thanksgiving week. We would miss 4 days I believe. Same as above we would get our assignments ahead of time. We survived, and honestly, I don't think missing a few days for WDW is a big deal at all!

That is what is so frustrating about all of this. They are refusing to let her get her homework in advance. And also telling us she won't be able to make some of it up at all. We're going to have to get all of her homework when we get back and try to hurry through it. I am SO mad over it :fork: They are just punishing the child because we are taking her out. I didn't know if any others had this problem. We will have 20 hours in the car, where we could work. No...40 hours all together (20 hours there, 20 hours back), so she could be working on it then. I just think they are being unreasonable. But it makes me feel good to know others do take their kids out also. We're spending a lot of money and this is a special trip (our 10 yr anniversary, and BD present for daughter).

I also think she is going to learn and experience so much more going to wdw, staying at AKL than she would in those stupid 5 days of school. Sorry, but the more I think about it, the angrier I get. I mean, what is she supposed to do, tell us she isn't going and that she will stay at home and take care of herself. She doesn't have a choice, she has to go when we go. But why would a school deliberately make it harder. I know (being in education myself) that it's "inconvenient" to gather up assignments, but if they have a lesson plan (as they should), it wouldn't be a big deal.

Thanks for listening to me Gripe. Still wonder what others feel about this?

I didn't take my daughter out to go to WDW, (we live too close) but did take her out for skiing twice when she was in 4th & 5th grade. She did some work beforehand, some on return, and we ended up faxing some of it. Once she started MS, it was too difficult to make up work, so we stopped doing it. This was not unusual at her private school...I remember helping a teacher (when I was a classroom volunteer) collect a packet to give to a student who would be out of the country for 3 weeks. Because of their age difference (10 years) it hasn't been an issue for my son (we couldn't leave my daughter behind until recently) Now that he'll be an "only" child in August, I doubt that I would let him miss more than a day or two...he's bright, but not the student his sister is!

My parents took both my sister and myself out of school on two different occassions. Both times were for two weeks and both times the teachers had no problem giving out the assignments for those two weeks. The first time I was in 3rd grade the second time I was in 7th grade.

I don't see what the problem would be as long as the kid is a good student and normally has a good attendance record. If you continue to have problems with the teacher I would go to the next level and see what can be done.

I can't believe a teacher would give you any trouble about giving a child work for the trip. I know that we had to fill out forms for my kids when we went in December. The teacher sent home the homework for both kids and they finished most before we left and the rest on the plane coming home. Instead of some assignments that my oldest son's teacher didn't have, she asked him to write a few sentences about what he had done each day.

They only missed about 3 days, but were not given any problems. Maybe, a meeting with the teacher to stress the point that this is a special trip(10th anniversary for you birthday for your child) would help. Good Luck and have fun!!!


Jim

My parents used to take me out all the time to go to Disney. We did get all our hw in advance and it's horrible that since your kid's teachers can't go on vacation they won't let your kid go either. It certainly does not hurt your child's education. I go to Georgia Tech and my brother goes to Johns Hopkins. I think we turned out ok. Another point is that Disney inspired to take up my current major and what I want to do with my life. You should talk to the principal.

My parents took us out of school when I was in second grade to go to Disney (1978). We got all of our homework assignments in advance and did them in the station wagon on the way down to WDW. Never had a problem.

Mom and dad were always very cool about getting me out of school. Grade school was never a problem, but high school did raise a stink about it -- so we just worked around it.
If the school wants to be problematic, let them. Your kids are going to be in school for like another ten, twelve years, so I think they can afford to spend a limited amount of time in the most incredible place in the world.

Take her out

I am in Texas and have never had a problem taking my kids out of school to go to WDW.

We just returned from WDW this February and our kids where out for 5 days. I have a daughter in7th grade, a son in 4th grade and a daughter in Kindergarten. We where able to get some of their work for them to do on the way down and the rest they just made up when they returned.

Our school system even has 2 days a year for "parent day." As long as they are with us it is considered an excused absence.

Although 2nd grade is important, there can't be that much covered in a weeks time that can't be caught up on.

My kids are good in school and they understood that the vacation came with it's "drawbacks", ie..extra homework for a while, but they understood that and didn't have a problem with it.

4 of our last 5 trips to WDW have been during school. You should see how many kids are at WDW on a daily basis and not in school somewhere.

I would check your student manuel or with the school board about the policy of missing school. Not just for a vaction, but for whatever. Just tell them that you are going to be out of town for a week and need the assignments.

If they refuse to allow any of the days to be excused, check into how many days she can miss for the year and see if it will be under that. Sick days are excused in Texas and they are allowed 9 unexcused for the year. My kids normally only miss if they are sick anyway so no loss there.

I say take her out, if, she is good in school and understands that she will have a little extra work to do when she returns. Even if they don't give you the assignments ahead of time, go and enjoy your vacation.

PS......Sounds like a teacher could be jealous of your child going to WDW or maybe because all of the class can't go. Hey that would be a great field trip.:lol:

OK--you are all looking at it from the parents' point of view. As in, "We want to go to WDW when it is convenient for us, the parents."

The teacher's perspective is quite different. Your child goes to school something like 32 weeks out of 52. In theory, there should be no problem to schedule your vacations during those 20 weeks. And if you really think about it, missing school for a vacation just doesn't seem necessary.

We repeatedly tell our children that school is their "work." Letting them miss a week (or two or three!) of their "work" sends the message that school isn't important.

There are things that happen in the classroom that cannot be "made up." My son told me that yesterday the cocoons in his 2nd grade classroom hatched into Painted Lady butterflies. He was VERY excited about this. Watching butterflies hatch cannot be put in the homework packet.

Your child will be missing a lot more than a stack of worksheets by being gone. If the classroom experiences were unimportant, then all of our children could learn from paper and pencils.

And no, I am not a teacher. And no, I don't think I will change anyone's mind about yanking their kids out of school.

I was taken from school a couple of times to goon vacation, and I'd do the same for my child. It really is no big deal. It's not like your taking them out for a year or two. Come on, no biggie!!

I think Yellow Shoes makes some valid points...but on the other hand..

I'm sure there were many important things happening in 2nd grade. I don't remember. I DO remember the infrequent family trips I had...no place as exciting as Disney, but with my parents & brothers. Life is short....family memories are forever. Each person/family has their own priorities. Yes, school is their work. Yes work is important, and should not be missed for trivial reasons. It's up to each family to define what is trivial vs what is important.

BTW, my husband is busiest during school breaks, so taking a vacation then is not an option.

Talk to the Principal!!!

I SAY ... TALK TO THE PRINCIPAL!!! I am sure the teacher can gather up at least a few days of assignments for her to do. That is totally absurd that she cannot do it. If she has good attendance & good grades I don't see why not? Teacher is probably jealous :lol: :brick:

Good luck!!!

sorry yellow shoes, but just as there are "vacation" days from work, there are "allowed unexcused absences" from school where the kids can't be penalized for missing..

my parents took me out of school once or twice per school year for two-three days to go to disney when i was a kid.. got all my work in advance, turned it all in, and got straight A's.... not much of a problem there! Besides... what kid would rather be in school than Disney World? I never thought school was unimportant, but it was nice to be the "lucky kid" going to Disney

I think it would be nice if the school cooperated, but they really don't HAVE to! You've made the choice to have her miss school, and have the responsibility of being sure that all of the missed work is made up promptly. I definitely wouldn't cancel the trip because of this, but if they wouldn't give me the work in advance, I would accept (and teach my child a lesson in the process) the consequences of my choice. Yes, they're making things unneccessarily difficult, and I wouldn't be happy, either! As I already said, my priorities are with "family memories."

Another quick point is that Disney is at it's most expensive during the school break periods (summer, Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break). Some families may only be able to afford to go during the school year. Not ot mention those are some of the harder times to get reservations as well.

I agree that there are other times when you can go on vacation, and there are important things that are taught outside of the "paperwork", however, my kids have learned alot of things at WDW that they wouldn't have learned in school that year. AK is really big on animal conservation and they haven't learned much of that at school. Epcot is very educational, my oldest daughter has used information that she learned from the Norway film shown at the end of Malestorm, for a report at school.

Life experiences are just as important as taught experiences.