Taking your kids out of school to go to the WORLD!

[tinkerddeedee]

We are going next month and taking our girls out of school. While a few people have said things to me that are positive, most are shocked that we're pulling them out of school!!!
The way we see it, both our girls are great students, we haven't been to Disney in 6 years so it's not like we do this often, and besides that, SO WHAT!!!! I really don't understand the big deal? We will make sure they get all of their homework and we're driving down so it will get done! I had one teacher tell me that when she gets a kid pulled for vacation, she thought it was a great oppourtunity! They will get more out of a vacation than anything she could teach them in class!!! I thought that was a great way to look at it!!!!:mickey:

[marlaine]

My DS5 is starting Kindergarten this August. We have decided to go to WDW the 3rd week of Sept. I figure it will give him 3 weeks to get used to school then we'll go. We usually go Labor Day week, but we've put it off a couple of weeks. This is our 4th year in a row to go. I really feel like our one vacation a year is so important to us as a family, that it is worth it. I will tell you though, I'm apprehensive of telling the new school--I even thought about lying and saying that we won the trip so we have to go at that time. To me, being together as a family is the most important thing of all.:mickey:

[tink179]

We have pulled both of our boys out for all of our trips, and will do so again in September. They will miss a little more than a week of school, but their teachers and principal have said the same thing...they will learn a lot there! I think if the kids are good students and can catch up just fine, why not? Good for you!:thumbsup: Have a wonderful family vacation!:mickey:

[tinkerddeedee]

ding dong dang, I keep putting my posts in the wrong forums :blush:

Anyway, thank you! I agree! You guys have a great trip too!:cloud9:

[deedeenmickey]

I have taken my kids out many times for Disney vacations. I think the trip is far more educational than one week of school. I try to make sure it's not during testing and they get their work turned in but I believe it is fine. People are so narrow minded and I don't listen to anyone who tries to put a negative spin on everything. Go and have fun!

[TeamJonasSister]

I'm a Sophmore in highschool for five years I've been taken out of school for a week in September to go to Disney. I will also be taken out of school to go back in September again this year.

[tinkerddeedee]

I have taken my kids out many times for Disney vacations. I think the trip is far more educational than one week of school. I try to make sure it's not during testing and they get their work turned in but I believe it is fine. People are so narrow minded and I don't listen to anyone who tries to put a negative spin on everything. Go and have fun!


Your right! And I think the green eyed monster shows his ugly face with people as well, unfortunately:(

[Tinkerfreak]

We have taken our kids out for at least a week for the past 8 years. We have done it at the end of Oct. into early Nov. and the week before Christmas. My girls are strong students and have always made the work up easily and most teachers have been very understanding. However, this past year my oldest DD had a harder time. She is in eighth grade and doing advanced Algebra and the 5 days she missed did stress her out a bit before we left. She did ok when we got back and got all caught up but we have decided that it is just too stressful for her to pull her out again. This year we will be going around Thanksgiving because they only have 2 days of school that week and don't usually do any work those days.
We have had many wonderful family trips and I don't regret taking them out of school for a second. I feel like they have experienced so much at Disney and just by traveling that it has helped them to grow as people. They are more confident about traveling and it has made them want to travel more and do more things.

[dancin Disney style]

I have taken my kids out of school many time to take trips to various places. Do I do it every year....no.

I took my oldest out of school once for a month because we were going to Asia. Her teachers were really excited for her. They asked that she keep a journal to share with the class.

[Pally]

As my kids get older, now 14 and 15, we have found it harder to take them out of school the higher the grade. If we do take them out now we try and do it around holidays.

This coming September 2009 they will miss the first couple of days school. I think they will be fine though. A couple of years ago they missed the first few days also. They made out fine.

When they were younger we would go for two weeks in April or May and never give it a thought.:mickey:

Go and have fun guilt free!:thumbsup:

[TheVBs]

Lots and lots of people pull their kids out of school for vacations. I think as long as you give them plenty of heads up and let them know you'll get any make up work they think your child should have, you'll be fine.

There are always those negative people out there. Ignore them, they're toxic. Most often they put on the guise of the know-it-all and say whatever negative things that come to mind and try to convince you they know what they're talking about. It probably is jealousy. The best you can do is feel sorry for them, move on and wish them the best. :mickey:

[WIMickeymommy]

We too are heading down to Disney next month. My DS5 is being pulled out of Kindergarten for a little over a week. His teacher had NO problem with us pulling him out of school She is actually going to send a journal with us as homework for him to journal in each night. My husband are going to make this a fun homework assignment by putting pictures next to his journaling so he can bring it in and show it to the class.

We have also pulled him out of school for other trips too. Many teachers have actually told us they are getting more of an eduation out of the class than in.

Have a great trip!! :mickey:

[pianobabe]

I pulled DS out of school for at least a week from the time he was in 3rd grade until he was in 8th grade. It would usually be in November around Veteran's day, because that was close to his birthday. He was a strong student. I would always talk with his teacher and the principal to let them know the dates we were going. It worked out very well. There were times the teacher would give him small projects to do, such as talking to a CM at Epcot about their country.
Once he got into High School (he's a Junior now), I stopped taking him out. Were we live the high schools have a different absentee policy and I felt it was more important for him to stay in those classes. We still go on a family vacation to the beach during the summer, so we still have a lot of family time.
DH and I still go to WDW during the school year and DS spends that time with his grandmother. I feel that is just as good for him, because he gets to have those memories with her. I did feel a little guilty at first, but that gives DH and I some alone time together and that is just as important.

[dismommy]

I have pulled my DS out twice 2006 and 2008 and will again in 2010. I make sure to get all his work and to get it done and also this last trip to make sure he read aloud to us each night because he was missing reading group at school and I didn't want him to fall behind with that. I have encountered mixed reactions from other parents, but I have little choice, DH husband is a firefighter and even though has been at his job close to 20 yrs is not senior man and can not get spring break off, and going during the summer is not an option for me. The heat, I can't take it.

[DawsonAR]

We have pulled our kids out every year and haven't had any problems with the teachers or the School. We do give them plenty of notice to ensure they can complete their work.
I have had other people who are shocked we would even consider this. We have to do what is right for our family and school year trips work for us.

[EPCOT84]

:number1:Yes, it is okay. Educators even encourage it. Like some say above, communicate with the teacher(s) in advance and have a great time.

[WDWDale]

As a teacher, I can understand why some teachers would be frustrated with such a move. Depending on the student, some do fall behind due to vactions during school time. However, I also feel that family time together on a vacation (even at Disney) is good bonding/social time, and kids desperately need to learn social skills too. No better place to learn how to behave in public than at a theme park. ;)

[iluvdumbo]

I got pulled out all the time in Elementary School and Middle School. My mom is pulling me out for Sophomore year in HS, so that will be interesting...

[Hull-onian]

We are taking our niece out of school for one week. I think it is worth it.:mickey:

[Nini5055]

I am taking my dd7 out of school for a total of 5 days. Her teacher was completely fine with it when I mentioned it at our Parent/Teacher Conference.

I never seem to have much of an issue taking her out. I don't know if I would do that when she is in High School though as they seem to cover more work...I will cross that bride when I come to it.

I love the idea of keeping a journal!!! What a great way to work on writing skills. :thumbsup:

[cfoshe]

I have taken my kids out many times for Disney vacations. I think the trip is far more educational than one week of school. I try to make sure it's not during testing and they get their work turned in but I believe it is fine. People are so narrow minded and I don't listen to anyone who tries to put a negative spin on everything. Go and have fun!

I would not say we are narrow minded, and I understand some people are not able to vacation during the summer, but I would keep the out of school to as short as possible. A day or two before or after a holiday is great because they tend not to be doing much around those days, but to pull one out for a full week I would say is too much. And it does depends on your childrens ability to learn on there own. But even if they are good at that, they do miss a lot if they are not in the class room.

[MickeyMousse]

We have always taken our DS's out of school for our trips and have given their teachers more than enough notice to get any work together for them. This year we decided to home school our oldest DS12, so no problems there. Our DS7 is in 1st grade and his teacher was fine with it. We always take a tour or 2 while at the World, so it isn't all rides and food, but becomes educational too. I highly recommend the Behind the Seeds tour at The Land!:thumbsup:

Go for it, have no worries.....family time is extremely precious. They can always catch up with school. :mickey:

[tinkerddeedee]

cfoshe, are you a teacher? :);):blush: My SIL is a teacher and almost ALL of my friends are so I have heard it all!!!! But thats ok. We don't do this often, and the memories we will create will by far outweigh anything they'll miss at school. I've gotten great responses already, thankfully. Even her gym teacher wants her to write an "activities" journal to hand in for the days missed. Thought that was cute!