MouseMadness
Well-Known Member
Well, welcome, miles!!:wave:
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Taking a child out of school for a trip to WDW
- Thread starter po1998
- Start date
Well, welcome, miles!!:wave:
goonsquads57
New Member
I agree with everything you said. My daughter is 9, and we've gone every year since she was 2. All of her teachers (except one-a nun) thought it was wonderful. They all gave her assignments (homework) for her to complete while on vacation. She did it without fail each night in the hotel room. The "off season' includes the week after Thanksgiving through the week before Christmas. That's when we always go. It's wonnderful.
disneydentist
New Member
2003 will be the first calendar year since 1992 that we didn't take our daughter out of school to go to Disney. She did miss three days this past November for a Disney trip over the Thanksgiving holiday. This isn't for academic reasons but extracurricular. She's in the band and has a full schedule of football games in the fall along with a hectic concert schedule. This year she had three school concerts and four band festivals, plus tryouts. Since they generally aren't around holidays, when we wouldn't want to go anyway, like Easter and Spring Break, it doesn't leave very many available weekends. For that reason we're going the day after school lets out. Getting her work done has never been a problem. Usually, she's ahead of the class when she gets back.
McArcDes
New Member
We have take our children or of school twice to make the trip to WDW. We never got any negative reactions from the teachers and one of the things they had the kids do was keep a journal about their trip. It was a nice way for them to record what they did too..As for the missed homework it did not seem to be a problem making it up and I have never noticed that they were worse for it...
RogueHabit
Well-Known Member
Do it, we took our son out for a week last year and will be taking be taking him out for 6 days this year.
Fortunately thgis will be his first term at primary school and it will be the final week of the term prior to the half-term holiday in October.
We've already told him that he will be taking some school work with him and that he will have to get it done.
I'm all for taking him out, but he doesn't get off scott free...:goodnevil
Fortunately thgis will be his first term at primary school and it will be the final week of the term prior to the half-term holiday in October.
We've already told him that he will be taking some school work with him and that he will have to get it done.
I'm all for taking him out, but he doesn't get off scott free...:goodnevil
GenerationX
Well-Known Member
I won't take my kids out of school to go on vacation. Kids get the same "educational" experience at Disney in winter, spring, summer, or fall. Trading one week of school (30 hours of instruction + 2.5 hours of homework) for a couple of hours of lessons to do on vacation is a significant net loss in instructional time. I also believe it sends kids the wrong message - school is not as important as shorter lines and better weather.
Every family has their own values, so Your Mileage May Vary.
Every family has their own values, so Your Mileage May Vary.
Captain Cab
New Member
I do not intend to pick on or insult you, but your post is a perfect example of the other side of this debate. There's absolutely nothing wrong with keeping the kids in school during the year, and I personally believe that teachers take it easy on those who take vacations during the middle of the semesters. It's awesome that you have such a strong stance on keeping them in school, and I hope your kids are the best in their classes. Keeping them in class now helps discipline them for the harder times of high school and college.
However, let's take another look at this. Out of curiosity, let's say that each child receives a total of 42.5 hours (30 + (2.5 x 5) = 42.5) (Schools still give homework on Friday's, don't they?) of education each week in the good ol' classroom. Let's further say that you go against your word and surprise them with a one week vacation to the family vacation capital of the world. Your children have already received their assignments for that week, and they easily complete them before returning to school after vacation. Let's complete the scenario by saying that your children were able to learn the material and are back on track (if not a little ahead) with their fellow classmates after the vacation. Amazingly, they should have easily completed the assignments in fewer than 42.5 hours. As long as your children have learned the same material on time as the rest of the class does it really make a difference if they learned it inside or outside the classroom? Scholars are still debating this issue, and I would love to hear some of your (you as in "all of you members", not just you GenerationX) opinions.
The point I'm getting to is that for the vast majority of cases the kids are just fine when pulled out of school for vacations and road trips. As long as the teachers are aware of it ahead of time there should be no problems at all. And as always, it's much easier to pull them out when they're in the early grades (elementary through middle school) than if they're in high school or college. I, myself, have been pulled out several times and like others, I was always slightly ahead of the class whenever I returned.
wow you're brave, I agree by the way.:lookaroun
Something that people should keep in mind, if a teacher gives you a hard time they are most likely just enforcing school policy. Where I teach the school policy is not to give any assignments before the students are taken out for vacation, all work missed is given when they return. It is strongly encouraged that parents do not take their students out of classes for vacations. The days that they miss are recorded in the teachers record book as illegal absences.
MouseMadness
Well-Known Member
I'll repeat myself (again!!) of course, OF COURSE, you need to check school policy and with the teacher before planning anything. However, my mother in law (who' raised one already-a-doctor, and two soon-to-be-doctors who're still in professional school) has taken her kids out of school for vacations before, and she is the yardstick by which I measure myself as far as education goes. So what was good enough for her is good enough for me! Obvioisly education has always been a priority with her... but so is family. I don't think a few days out of a whole school year is enough to set a child into a lifetime downward spiral!!:lol: But, like GenerationX said, each family has to decide for themselves. I just like to think that my kids will be okay in spite of a trip to WDW during evey school year.:lol: To each his/her own!! Happy vacationing.
ChrylWlsn
New Member
Last year we went for 5 days in October. One of the days they were already off for Teachers conferences or something and two of the days were the weekend. So they only ended up missing 2 days of school! Which made me feel better about it.
This year we are going in November for 8 Days! When I checked the school calendar they are off one of the days already. They will miss 4 days of school this time. The kids always let the teacher know they are going and their teacher gives them as much of the work in advance as a she can. I will just have to help them with any of the work that they won't be in school to learn.
As long as they are still getting the assignments finished I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to go in the value season and enjoy the cooler temps!
Hope this helps!
This year we are going in November for 8 Days! When I checked the school calendar they are off one of the days already. They will miss 4 days of school this time. The kids always let the teacher know they are going and their teacher gives them as much of the work in advance as a she can. I will just have to help them with any of the work that they won't be in school to learn.
As long as they are still getting the assignments finished I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to go in the value season and enjoy the cooler temps!
Hope this helps!
Disneyanna0521
Account Suspended
Hey,
take her out of school! she would LOVE it!! i have been there at Christmas time, it is beautiful! i was taken out of school for my sweet 16 (granted we only had a week left of school) but the work i could do before hand and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it.
take my advice PLEASE take her out of school!!!!!!!!!!!
take her out of school! she would LOVE it!! i have been there at Christmas time, it is beautiful! i was taken out of school for my sweet 16 (granted we only had a week left of school) but the work i could do before hand and it was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO worth it.
take my advice PLEASE take her out of school!!!!!!!!!!!
Dwarful
Well-Known Member
Well our oldest is only in 1st grade, but when we went when she was 3 we brought our neice along with us, she was in Kindgergarten. The school our girls go to starts the very end of August and gets out on the 2nd friday in May, so we have a head start. well when we were at WDW a couple were eatting lunch at pecos bills, and the woman said loudly and sarcastically "I can't believe all of these kids are skipping school" assuming that every child there was skipping a day of class. I had to laugh, but if we ever had the option of going in off season we would pull our daughters out for a few days and get the work ahead of time if possible.
FourFourSeven
Member
If you're debating taking a child out of school, let me relay this experience from 20+ years ago:
I was in an advanced algebra class in 8th grade. My mother had a trip to London planned (for a big honorary dinner there for a relative). I was going to go, but would miss two days of class. My algebra teacher STRONGLY suggested I shouldn't miss those two days of class. So I stayed.
What did I get out of those two days of class? 20 years later, beats me. What would I have gotten if I went on the trip? Priceless memories.
I was in an advanced algebra class in 8th grade. My mother had a trip to London planned (for a big honorary dinner there for a relative). I was going to go, but would miss two days of class. My algebra teacher STRONGLY suggested I shouldn't miss those two days of class. So I stayed.
What did I get out of those two days of class? 20 years later, beats me. What would I have gotten if I went on the trip? Priceless memories.
figmentmom
Well-Known Member
Since my husband and I are both teachers ourselves (music), taking our kids out of school in order to go on a vacation was simply never even an option. I have, however, had ample opportunity to observe what has happened with students in my school whose parents did take them out. Students who are already barely treading water academically should NOT miss school! The teachers I work with make every minute in the clasroom count; "extra homework" does not take the place of active, involved instruction. Kids face a lot of challenges these days, and school time is important time, even for the best of students.
Now, I'm not saying that school time is better than family time - we all know that's not true. I firmly believe that a family vacation teaches kids things they can't learn in school, and can strengthen even the closest of family bonds. I'm just saying that you shouldn't choose one over another - put off that vacation until the kids are out for the summer, or home for Christmas, or whatever. Everybody wins!
Now, I'm not saying that school time is better than family time - we all know that's not true. I firmly believe that a family vacation teaches kids things they can't learn in school, and can strengthen even the closest of family bonds. I'm just saying that you shouldn't choose one over another - put off that vacation until the kids are out for the summer, or home for Christmas, or whatever. Everybody wins!
Disneyanna0521
Account Suspended
take 447's advice! please! trust me...this is a memory that will NEVER be forgotten what's more important in the long run have one lower grade on a report card when she is 10 and it doesnt matter that much anyways or miss an incredible memory making trip?
Dont get me wrong i am one of those kids who works their tails off in order to get a scholarship (i am a jr in high school) but she is 10 not even in high school where it really matters please take mine and any one else's advice who says take her
Dont get me wrong i am one of those kids who works their tails off in order to get a scholarship (i am a jr in high school) but she is 10 not even in high school where it really matters please take mine and any one else's advice who says take her
Yellow Shoes
Well-Known Member
You are adults and parents and have the right to do whatever you want with/to your children within legal limits.
But please be honest with yourselves and admit that the reason you are taking your child away from school (which is their "job") is for your own convenience.
The educational opportunities at WDW are as available in July as they are in February.
And I don't think it's fair to expect a kid to do homework whilst on vacation. YOU don't want to work on vacation, now, do you??
But please be honest with yourselves and admit that the reason you are taking your child away from school (which is their "job") is for your own convenience.
The educational opportunities at WDW are as available in July as they are in February.
And I don't think it's fair to expect a kid to do homework whilst on vacation. YOU don't want to work on vacation, now, do you??
Disneyanna0521
Account Suspended
i would do my homework before or after