-
Welcome to the WDWMAGIC.COM Forums!
Please take a look around, and feel free to sign up and join the community.
Pulling kids from school?
- Thread starter Marianm
- Start date
Much-Pixie-Dust
Well-Known Member
No you are not a bad person, but don’t ask for the work before hand. I am a first grade teacher and was so happy when our district stopped giving work early. For each week a kiddo is absent, I spend between 45-60 mins prepping the work for that child. That’s not best use of my prep time when I have to prep for an entire class too that week. If your district has a generous vacation policy, and ours does, then kids leave for vacations all the time. I have had 3 in the last three weeks. You’ll likely not be the only one on vacation. I also take my kiddo out every year for at least a three day vacation. She is in 8th grade now. As I tell my own classroom parents, go and make wonderful memories with your family.
Upvote
0
Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
You’re not a bad parent. Schools are overbearing. We’ve pulled our son out of school multiple times. In fact, he’ll miss a day or two for our upcoming Christmas trip. Just be upfront with the teacher and any other staff you may know. They may or may not assign your child work. At worst, your child is sick a lot this year and you end up with those attendance policy form letters that tell you your child has missed school x number of days. Don’t fret, and enjoy your trip!
Upvote
0
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Yes...yes...for eternity’s sake YES. (Go I mean...no bad parent)
Kids are so overscheduled and overschooled and we are losing all perspective.
Besides...nothing happens that week anyway. They have convinced people that It will lower their test scores and they won’t go to Yale and marry a stud/studette that works out 3 hours per day and make a billion dollars...
But relax Because the reality is none of that will happen anyway.
Enjoy the trip
Upvote
0
MissingDisney
Well-Known Member
Do it and enjoy it. You’re not teaching them to disrespect education by teaching them to value family time. Discussing the importance of preparing for missed school work and including them in the preparations, are useful lessons as well. Take advantage of avoiding school break crowds while you can. 
Upvote
0
DreamalittleDisney
Well-Known Member
I feel your anxiety .. I'm in the UK and taking our 5.5yo out of class for 5 days (it's the last week before their time off so likely not doing much work ) also he's ahead in all subjects and very smart.
You have to write to schools over here requesting absence .. I did that months ago and haven't heard back ... no schools approve it bit you can take them out but they can also charge you a fine for this.
I wouldn't do it past this age and the school we originally applied for did get 2 weeks leave so wouldn't have missed any.
I know his education won't be affected but still feel a little bad about it ... I've got some disney reading books and maths books to do on the plane ... trying to ease the guilt ha
You have to write to schools over here requesting absence .. I did that months ago and haven't heard back ... no schools approve it bit you can take them out but they can also charge you a fine for this.
I wouldn't do it past this age and the school we originally applied for did get 2 weeks leave so wouldn't have missed any.
I know his education won't be affected but still feel a little bad about it ... I've got some disney reading books and maths books to do on the plane ... trying to ease the guilt ha
Upvote
0
RememberWhen
Well-Known Member
At that age it’s fine, but I feel your anxiety. We’re pulling our first grader for a day and a half right before Christmas break and I’m feeling anxious about that. But he goes to a very academically rigorous charter school with a very strict attendance policy. If he misses too many days he could lose his spot. But family vacation is important. Previously we pulled him for much longer. He has missed 10 days in early September (admittedly not our best planning) and was fine.
Upvote
0
We did it until about the fourth grade. At that time in their schooling it gets hard. They start missing out on things that its difficult to make up. One year our daughter missed the skinning and hyde tanning segment and that has followed her throughout her life.
Upvote
0
Isn’t there more to a childs education than books. Life is about the experiences we have, its these that shape us into the person we become. Book learning is great and I wholly encouraged all my children to do well but I also will take them out of school to expierence all life has to offer, if that means disney then so be it
Upvote
0
JIMINYCR
Well-Known Member
Go with our blessings, its worked out well for us. We took our DS out of school several times during his elementary years and Jr. high years. We never did that during high school because at that point the studies got very demanding. We had to arranged for our trips during the school year because it was the only time we were able to arrange time away from our business. The teachers knew us well because we were very active in the school and they knew we were parents who were involved in our sons studies, he was a good student. We received lesson plans and assignments and we scheduled school time while at Disney. He never fell behind and quickly slipped back into place after he went back to classes. He knew part of going on the trip was that he had to do the school work. As long as your kids can do the work and dont fall behind and you can get the teacher to cooperate with you, do the trip. You only get so many years of doing things with your kids, so do it while you can.
Upvote
0
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
I went to Yale and married a studette...still waiting for the billions though. Must be because of that week I missed in 10th grade...Yes...yes...for eternity’s sake YES. (Go I mean...no bad parent)
Kids are so overscheduled and overschooled and we are losing all perspective.
Besides...nothing happens that week anyway. They have convinced people that It will lower their test scores and they won’t go to Yale and marry a stud/studette that works out 3 hours per day and make a billion dollars...
But relax Because the reality is none of that will happen anyway.
Enjoy the trip
Upvote
0
Raegansmommy
Active Member
My flexible time of the year is in December, so that is when we generally take a vacation. Yes, I take my children out of school. They are now 10 and 7 and there has only been 1 year we did not vacation in either Nov or Dec. I turn in their vacation form a month in advance to the school and make the teacher aware of our vacation in advance. I remind their teacher's the week before we are leaving. Some teachers have just had them keep a journal each day, while others have sent a folder full. The work keeps us busy on the plane ride. Last year my older daughter was ahead of the class when she came back.
Upvote
0
KBLovedDisney
Well-Known Member
Kids need a break from school just like adults need breaks from work. Because adults work all year round, summer isn't always an option to go on vacation and fall or spring outings are necessary. But that is just me.
Upvote
0
MotherofaPrincessLover
Well-Known Member
My daughter ended up being ahead when she came back after our last vacation too.
Upvote
0
Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
Maybe it depends on the state. We're New Yorkers, which means we have a communist-inspired Common Core curriculum mandated by the state, so our teachers know (for better or for worse) exactly what they'll be working on every hour of every day, and can simply tell us which pages/chapters they'll be covering while the kids are gone. For teachers in other states -- states that still allow their professional educators to exercise their own professional judgment and personal creativity, and develop their own lesson plans (oh dear, is my anti-Common Core bias showing? LOL), I can see why having to pull everything together ahead of time would be an extremely time-consuming and inconvenient exercise. I guess it's something parents should approach on a case-by-case basis.
Upvote
0
righttrack
Well-Known Member
Kindergarten and First Grade, I say do it. I think some kids 3rd grade and up, it might be a bad idea. Certainly any kid shouldn't be taken out for a week at middle school level and up as they would miss a lot.
Upvote
0