Letter to Teacher

[Madmother]

I saw on one of these forums a standard letter to write to a teacher when you needed to take you child out of school for a WDW trip. Now I cannot find it. Could anyone help me with a link to this letter?

 

[WDWKim]

I'd be real interested in this myself. I know every school district is different, but I've heard of some negativity from taking kids out of school for vacation. My kids are in 7th and 9th grade and don't want "unexcused" absences on their perminant record. The question then becomes should I be honest with their school or not?

 

[jennymouse]

I'd be interested too.

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I remember seeing the letter but I don't know how to find a link to it. I do however take my DS out for trips and this is what I do. At the first parent -teacher meeting in October, I tell the teacher that my DS will be out for a week the middle of January as we will be at WDW or where ever we are going. I make sure that I tell her and not ask her permission. I assure her that I will make sure that he stays caught up and will do any work she wants him to do while we are gone.We go in January, so at the class Christmas party I mentioned again that we would be gone. About a week before I wrote a very simple note reminding her to please send home any work she wanted DS to finish while we were gone. I kept it low key and delt only with the teacher and not the office. All schools have different rules and policies but we have never had a problem. He was maked absent but we were never asked by anyone other that the teacher why he was absent. I am sure it will be harder with middle or high school kids as they have so many teachers and the rules will be different. Let us all know how it goes taking out your older kids.We have one last trip in elementry school and then have to decide about what to do the next year! Good luck. Off season is so worth it.

 

[DznyDreamin']

I hope this works ... I did a search and found this thread. I'm not very computer smart so I'm hoping it will make a clickable link.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?threadid=133284&highlight=letter+teacher+school

We had planned for our ds (2nd grade) to be out 10 days and now I'm just terrified to mention it to the teacher. The first day of school was today and they sent a letter home to all the parents saying in part that they "...are participating in a countywide initiative to improve student attendance ...the family will be assigned an Education Neglect specialist (for unexcused absences)...good school attendance will ensure that your child and you are making school a priority...". You are supposed to limit your trips to 5 days or they are considered unexcused.

Our trip wasn't just WDW, we had planned on making some stops on the way home too. I'm just really torn. I sure don't want to be accused of education neglect.

 

[thepoohbear]

I teach first grade so I am speaking from an early elementary point of view. I know once children get older, things change. But here are my thoughts...

First of all, don't be afraid of us. We're people, just like you, and many of us are parents. And if you do have a difference of opinion, well, what's the worst that can happen? I know because most of us still revert back to feeling like kids when we talk to teachers it can be an intimidating experience, but try not to worry too much. We're here for the children and we care about them very much. Since you are the parents of the children we care about so much, we care about you (are respect you!) very much too.

Next, it's just my opinion but I think family time is very important and most families don't get enough time together. I also think that WDW offers some very educational experiences. Actually, I think many family vacations do. Life experiences go a long way in learning throughout life. That being said, every child is different and you should consider how your child is doing in school. School is not just book learning and there are many lessons that cannot be done outside the classroom. If a child is already behind or gets nervous if he or she doesn't know something, it may be too stressful when you come back. You know your kids best so you can determine this before you make your plans.

One last thing: when my students go away I make them a vacation journal. I just staple a bunch of pages together inside colored construction paper and decorate the cover. They write (or draw, or dictate and parents write, depending on ability level and time of year) what they did each day. If they write or dictate, they draw a picture or sometimes they put actual photos on each page. The child then brings it into school and shares it with the class. (I guess you should check with the teacher to make sure this is okay first.) I always give it back then for the parents to put away as a memento. I have many parents tell me that they love this journal. It gives the kids something to do in the evening that helps them wind down. They also work on it on the plane or in the car. Educationally, it helps because most teachers do a writing assignment each day (like a journal entry). Maybe some of you would like to make one for your kids and give it a try. I always stress that parents don't need to drive themselves crazy with it. Just do as much or as little as meets your needs. Seriously, they do seem to enjoy it.

Wow, this has been long. You can tell I crave adult conversation!

I hope I have not sounded preachy. Really what I want to tell you is that we (teachers) know you are working hard to be the best parents you can be. Don't be afraid of us. We're on the same team and we all want what's best for your kids.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

As a parent and a teacher (7th grade), I don't have a problem with one family vacation during the school year. Hey, sometimes parents can't control their vacation days. What bothers me is when the student walks in on Monday and says, "By the way, I'm leaving tomorrow for a 2-week trip. Can you have my work by this afternoon?" And then sometimes mom and dad surprise them by picking them up at lunch - and I worked my tail off making a packet that never got picked up.

The best way to approach it is to give the teacher as much advance notice as possible (a month, two weeks) and remind them about a week ahead of time. Offering to do something educational on the trip is nice, too - last year a parent took her son to the Pacific Northwest for a week: because I knew in advance, he was able to research Native American groups in the area and return an "expert" on the class' next unit!

Lori

 

[WDW2002]

Dear Teacher,

We are taking Johnny/Suzy to WDW XX/XX - XX/XX.

Signed,
Parent


(J/K)

 

[jennymouse]

Thanks for the link DznyDreamin! I printed it out & will work on DGD's letter tonight.

And thanks for the advice, thepoohbear, I just we just sort of feel guilty for taking the kids out of school. And I agree, we (I) revert back to childhood fear of teachers.LOL

 

[ls1222]

I went to our childrens school today (K and 2nd) to drop off some papers (school starts the 26th). Anyway, I told the school that we will be taking vacation 9/27-10/6 and I was very suprised that they were nice about it. She said to fill out a vacation form and let the teacher know again so that she can get their work together. I was very nervous as I thought that the school would give me a hard time. I did not ask for permission, I just told her that we would be going to Disney and that it is easier for my husband to get time off work this time of year. She said that our school policy is "that you may not take your child on vacation the last week of school", but other than that time of year they usually have no problems with it. I really think you must not ask but tell the school (after all, we are the parents)!!!!

 

[kelljacques@aol.com]

thanks for the great letter!!!

 

[travelitis]

I wish we had such flexibility! Here vacations are unexcused, and if your child misses 4 or more consecutive days a doctor's note is required. When I asked our principal about taking a child out for a week to go to Space Camp, he said he'd approve but I had to get approval from the Superintendant also.

The question then becomes should I be honest with their school or not?

As for the moral dilemna about telling a lie...it's not okay. It's one of the top 10 "Thou shalt nots". It sets a poor example for your kids and forces them to lie or tell on you. It's the "do what I say not what I do" method that will come back to haunt you. If you want to take kids out of school for vacation, go through the proper channels and live with the consequences.

 

[FantasticDisFamily]

Obviously schools across the country and at varying levels have different policies. We have taken kids out in elementary and again at middle school level.

No problem in elementary. As already pointed out by others we advised well in advance - personally, not in writing - well in advance.

Middle school in our area is a little different. First, there is "a form". DS has missed a couple of Fridays for Boy Scout trips. Those were fine. We also pulled him for a Disney trip. We worked it around a 4 day week end so he only missed a couple days. Most of his teachers were great - one was not. Hey we're all people.

Now that our oldest is in high school, playing football, and in advanced classes I would really hesitate to pull him for more than a day or two. Even though with proper advance notice it would be excused.

Ok, here's the punch line - I teach at the university level and recommend travel for kids. When it is within the resources of your family it has so many positive benefits. The kids gain confidence and skills they can't any other way. Their perspective is broader, their critical thinking skills are often better developed. Now this may be coincidental, as far as I know there aren't any official studies. Whatever the connection - go for it! Your kids will remember, grow, and appreciate it in later years!

Deb