4TH Grader missing school for WDW/USF? -LONG!-

[cathyz]

I don't know if this is the right forum. If not, my apologies! And, sorry this turned out so LONG!

Anyhow, I'm planning a family excursion to WDW & USF for March 2003 (Myself, DH, 2 DS's, My Mom & Dad in ECV). I originally planned 10 days ( Weds. to the following Sat.). The school has 3 - 1/2 days (weds, thurs, fri) of the 1st week and Friday of the next week off. My 4th grader would miss 3 - 1/2 days (which are usually not a big deal) and 4 full days for this trip.

However, we're thinking about making it a full 2 week trip, probably Sat. to Sat. This would mean that DS would miss the 3-1/2 days plus 6 full days (2 more than the other option).

Now, I really don't wish to incite a riot here. I know there are many people who believe that you shouldn't take your kids out of school for such a frivilous reason. I don't really want to get into that debate. I'm OK with them missing a little bit of time, as long as the parents & the child are willing to put in the extra time and as long as it won't adversely affect the child's grades. I'm also a firm believer that family time together is extremely important, sometimes moreso than school. I also realize this really depends on the childs grade in school. A very involved 10th grader, could not miss school as easily as a 1st grader.

That being said, this is DS's last year in elementary school. 5th grade brings the middle school, and I would never consider such an extended vacation then. Basically, this is the last year we could do something like this. Also, you have to understand that DH and my Dad CANNOT deal with crowds. I have done both Easter and Christmas weeks. And, I know eventually these will be our only choices. But, it is next to impossible to navigate with 2 ECV's in those types of crowds.

My question is for those who would agree that "some" time off is acceptable for WDW...do you see any difference between missing 6 full days as opposed to 4 for an average 4th grader?

Obviously, I'm feeling a bit of anxiety about this...but, I would really like some honest answers (without being flamed, please!) I appreciate your patience for reading all of this!!!

 

[worm761]

it sounds like you already have your mind made up. and i agree about spending time together as a family. that being said... is your 4th grader a good student? and are they doing anything at that time of year that he wouldnt be able to make up? if the answer is yes to the first and no to the second then go. especially if this will be your last chance. you may regret it if you dont go. good luck with your decision.

 

[eeyore0062]

Go for it! As long as he can keep up before, during or after the trip, I see no reason that you shouldn't take your trip. Just make sure he doesn't miss many days before the trip, or after, in case your school system has a policy concerning how many days may be missed before they retain the student.

We are taking our DD out for 5 days this coming Oct. She will be in 3rd grade. We have done this every year since 1st grade, with no harm done.

Have a great trip!

 

[Magic2000]

I don't think two more days would make that much of a difference school-wise. If the child is doing well in school, and doesn't mind making up missed work, I don't think it should be a problem. I would work with his teacher and be sure he does whatever is required.
The last two years, we have also added a Dec trip to Disney to see the decorations. We usually go the Thursday AFTER Thanksgiving for four days. We only go for four days during the school year (the kids only miss 2 days of school) - of course its not a problem for my daughter in Kindergarden, but I also have a daughter in 10th grade. She is a pretty good student, and her teachers have worked with us, but it's hard for her to "catch up" and they usually take exams before the Christmas holidays, so that works best for us.
I think it would be easier for a grade school student.
Go and HAVE FUN!!!

 

[jldriscoll]

This issue is being actively discussed right now over on the Family board. Check it out. I think you'll find a lot of support for your decision to go......

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=224600

I personally think if you coordinate your trip with your child's teacher well ahead of time ( so you're not overwhelmed with homework!) a long trip would be very educational!

GO FOR IT!!!!

You're right thinking it could get tougher to go as you move up in grades.

 

[JudithM]

I would go for the option I feel is best for my family. I think you have a good feel for what to consider in making this decision. In our school district a child this age is excused for this absence because they "have" to go with mom & dad - cannot stay home alone.

Also, after September 11, I think many of us have changed our approach to life, for the better of course. Life is too short. What will your child remember - what was learned in school or the time spent with family?

 

[cathyz]

Gosh, you guys, thanks for such quick responses! I really appreciate it!

 

[MauraAndIainsDad]

I hate to be a (reluctant) dissenter, but for my children (4th & 1st grades), it would be too long away from school. We have vowed to never go again in the summer (because of the heat) so we have to plan carefully so that the children will not miss much school. We planned our trip to WDW last year over Thanksgiving so that they would only miss 2 days of school. And we are planning another long weekend trip this fall but again the max is 2 days of school missed.

I think that the key for my family would be to discuss the potential vacation with the teachers before booking the trip and see what they think. The only time we ever took my daughter out of school for an extended period of time (2 weeks) was for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a trip to Italy and Bosnia 2 years ago when she was in 2nd grade. But we talked with her teacher and principal beforehand to get their opinion on how it would affect her studies. The teacher gave us assignments before the trip and my daughter spent some time each day doing homework.

 

[Justhope]

My DD was in fourth grade last year and we took her out for the week 5 days. Her teachers were wonderful about it. We didn't do any homework from books except for some math.
The teachers (3 of them) had her do journal writing daily what her favorite things were, where we ate, how to get to her favorite ride from the entrance, and comparing habitats at Animal Kingdom. We had a wonderful time and wouldn't trade it for anything. I think it would be fine to miss 6 days. I hope her teachers are as cooperative as ours it makes it so much easier.

it also helped that we went after their state testing, it took away alot of the stress for DD and teachers. We also talked to the principal and he was excited that she was getting the opportunity to go and experience it all.

Go and don't worry,
Hope

 

[WDW2000]

I am a Fourth Grade teacher in California, and have had several occasions where parents have pulled their kids out of school for a couple of weeks for vacations. I have always supported the parents decisions in the cases where they were willing to work with the teacher. Hopefully you have made arrangements with your child and teacher to do some work on this trip, maybe a report when they get back? I always send the student with a packet that they can do for review at their leisure and require them to do some sort of oral report of their trip. I may be a little partial since I'm a Disney nut, but I find WDW to be very educational and this is a memory that your family will never forget and therefore you should do it without guilt. Have a great time, just be sure to let your child's teacher know you are willing to work with them.

 

[corndog]

I wouldn't be worried so much about your child missing school work. It's easy to work ahead or keep up while on vacation. I would more woried about missing some memorable event that may not be as easily replicated. You wouldn't want to miss out on a memorable field trip or field day or something fun like that.

 

[crusoemom]

Please consider the following:

Are there state tests for your 4th grader? If so, does your teacher's review depend on the results of the test? If so, are you going after the testing?

Also, is your child's teacher a hands-on type of teacher in which much of the work couldn't actually be made up, or is the teacher more of a paper and pencil type?

I teach 3rd grade, we have mandatory state testing, and my review does depend (somewhat) on the results of the testing. Depending on the time of year (before January or after the testing is always fine with me) and the level of the child's achievement (higher is always better), taking 6 days off isn't usually a major problem. The two months between Feb. and April vacation are murder for me to try to catch the kids up in time for the test right after April vacation.

I do a ton of hands-on activities at that time as well which are pretty much impossible to duplicate at home without significant effort by the parents. For example, doing a science experiment involving (simulated) whale blubber isn't one that most parents are willing to attempt at home.

Last year I had a very bright child miss the entire first week of a new math unit, which was very hands-on and very conceptual the way that I do it. She spent a LOT of time at home trying to catch up when she got back, and since I teach it differently from the way her parents learned, they couldn't really help much. I finally spent some extra time with her in my spare time.

I'm not trying to discourage you from taking your child, but there are definitely better and worse times. For 8 months out of 10, I have no problem with anyone taking their child out of school for up to a week, but for those crucial 2 months (in my classroom), I don't think it's a great idea.

Good luck with your decision!

 

[Mich Mouse]

As a fifth grade teacher and the mother of a fourth grader, I think that you should go.
I teach in N.Y, where we have many standardized tests during the 4th grade. However, I strongly feel that these tests do not adequately measure a students ablity or potential. We have actually lowered our standards by administering them, because they have to be written so that the vast majority of students will be capable of passing. Anyway, teachers wind up teaching primarily for these tests, which are completely unnecessary. We need to find altenative means of evaluating our students.

Don't worry about taking your children out of school. These are the times to remember, and making memories at WDW will prove to be a more enlightening experience that your children would receive at school.

Have A Wonderful Guilt Free trip!!!

 

[VickiVM]

Cathy, we're taking our kids out of school the end of Sept for a week. My son will be in 3rd grade and my daughter in 1st. My son is an exceptional student and in Talent Pool (our Gifted and Talented program). My daughter had an excellent first year in school and I don't anticipate her having any problems in 1st grade. I did ask the asst. principal last year about the possibility of doing this just to feel her out before committing to ressies. She seemed ok with it. The only thing I feel apprehensive about is that in Texas, it is mandatory to attend school something like 90% of the 180 days. Days missed more than 10% and the school district can bring charges against us. I'm sure that kind of action is meant for those parents who just don't care about their child's regular attendance of school. But I'm aware of that so I have to make sure that the kids are diligent about staying healthy the rest of the year. No staying home just cause they have a minor cough.

Also, my school uses the Basic Core Knowledge (or something like that) curriculum and all areas of humanities are applied to teach everything from math to music. I'm sure we can incorporate many aspects of AK and Epcot into the lessons they would be missing at school.

BTW, we could go during the summer or holidays, but there's no way I would attempt it. WDW is just too much of an investment to go during the extreme heat or extreme crowds. We don't plan on doing this again for sometime.

 

[cathyz]

Thank you everyone for your kind responses! It really does make me feel better, especially to hear from teachers. Thanks again!

 

[emsamom]

Hi, we are taking our daughters(8 & 10, 3rd &5th grades) out of school for 2 weeks
(they will miss 8 1/2 days of school) the end of Oct. I have been taking my kids( have 2 older kids-17 &19 )out of school since 1996 for 6 days and have never had a problem. I contact the teachers the end of September to let them know the dates the girls will miss and ask for homework ahead of time. So I say go for it and enjoy!!!

 

[sha_lyn]

I wouldn't book anything if Iwere you until I checked wiht the teachers and the attendeces requirments for your district. In some areas your child could automatically fail for having more than 5 unexcussed absences

 

[travelitis]

I took my kids out of school for a Disney trip, but I made books that included a travel journal and a little creative writing. As we went around the countries in world showcase there were questions to which they had to find the answers. However, before I did this I talked to their teachers and got positive responses. They were 1st and 3rd graders. When we hit 4th grade the teacher did many things that simply could not be made up, so her attitude toward missing was different. She agreed that he needed to miss as much as he did for illness but explained that much could not be made up because it was hands-on in class. There is much of educational value at Disney, and travel exposes kids to new experiences. I agree it's OK to take kids out of school for Disney, but I also think it needs to be with the blessing of the educators involved.

 

[pattyT]

I agree about talking to the teacher but here is a ? -
Willl your school allow you to get work to be missed before you go?

My DD will miss 9 days in October for trip to D - I talked to the principle (teachers are not diclosed until 1st day of school) and we picked a week when there is Columbus Day off - a meeting of some sort and a bizarre so she will actually only miss 7 days of actual work - BUT the school policy is to not give out work ahead of time SO -
We are retuning on a Wednesday night so I plan to go to the school Thursday AM get work to complete and finish ahead of time so she doesn't have to worry about being behind!
Could someone take the work home for you so you could do it on Sunday after you return?

WDW will be a great learning experience and I don't see anything wrong with missing a little school (my DD hasn't missed a day in 3 years of elementary school - and she deserves this!)

 

[mamamia]

Okay here's my 2 cents worth on this. I took my DD out of school for 10 days when she was in 4th grade to go to Disney. She had no problems catching up (and she is an average student - not exceptional, but gets in the 80's). This year my kids will miss 4 days for a Disney trip and they will be in the 7th (DD), 4th(DS), and 2nd (DS) grade. The first year we went to Disney and my daughter missed 10 days I was so nervous because of all the State testing that they do here in 4th grade and I felt bad because I figured she would have a lot of catching up to do, but her teacher was great, she just had to keep a journal, and do a report on the American Adventure at Epcot and then she had a few pages of math. The math was the only thing she needed our help with because it was new stuff. The best part was that when she went back to school they had to take a math test and she got the highest score (somewhere in the 90's) and that was after missing 2 weeks of school. This time I'm not going to worry. We are also leaving on a Saturday, so I hope they can get a lot of their work done on Friday before we leave.