Pulling first grader out of school - twice - want opinions.

Glad to hear ours isn't the only school eliminating science in the younger grades! I've taken to having the kids watch fun YouTube videos just to teach them the basic science things we used to learn (photosynthesis was the video of choice a couple nights ago).
My son is totally hooked on a kids science podcast from NPR called Wow in the World. It's what we listen to in the car.
 
We pulled my DS out for a full week when he was in K. I don't think he missed anything. We're much more careful now, as they are older, and have more homework/projects/concepts that build on each other, but still pull them out for 1-2 days around other time off.

Some things to consider (playing Devil's Advocate):
1. Kids are in school 180 days/year and off school 180 days. Is there another time that they have off that you can take one of the two trips?

2. When is testing in your school? In our public school, it is October after our Fall Break and April after our Spring Break. Testing is a big deal. Kids get into gifted, schools get funding based on it, etc., so I would try not to miss testing.
 
We pulled my DS out for a full week when he was in K. I don't think he missed anything. We're much more careful now, as they are older, and have more homework/projects/concepts that build on each other, but still pull them out for 1-2 days around other time off.

Some things to consider (playing Devil's Advocate):
1. Kids are in school 180 days/year and off school 180 days. Is there another time that they have off that you can take one of the two trips?

2. When is testing in your school? In our public school, it is October after our Fall Break and April after our Spring Break. Testing is a big deal. Kids get into gifted, schools get funding based on it, etc., so I would try not to miss testing.

That is misleading, as many of those 180 days are 2 day chunks ( weekends) and 1 day teacher work days, random holidays, etc. They do still get a week here and there and summer but many of those 180 days are not long enough chunks for a trip.
 
It is interesting that, around here at least, the private and hybrid schools we spoke to do not care if you miss for a family trip or whatnot, but the public schools get up in arms about it (because they get paid based on average daily attendance). And homeschoolers have zero accountability here beyond sending a letter of intent and making sure you get in 180 days of school per year. But they can't let a public school family have a say over when they get their own kids. It isn't right or fair. These threads make me very glad that we don't have to deal with that.
Our schools get funded on children registered , not by daily attendance. We've pull DD twice for a few days (2 days each time as our school vacations don't line up with US ones) but as far as school work goes they just asked that she keep reading and write a daily journal.
 
That is misleading, as many of those 180 days are 2 day chunks ( weekends) and 1 day teacher work days, random holidays, etc. They do still get a week here and there and summer but many of those 180 days are not long enough chunks for a trip.
Our kids get 12 weeks off during the summer, a week off at Thanksgiving, a week off for Spring Break, almost 3 weeks off during winter break, 2 additional days off around President's Day, and 2 additional days off for Fall Break. It's a lot of days off that are either already full weeks or are chunked enough that you could take off a week. That's before I count the one-day off holidays, etc.
 
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We have gone to Disney for two weeks every year since my DD was 2. We go Thanksgiving week, where we’d only have to take her out 2 1/2 Days, and then the week after, all 5 days (3 of the days are half days). We have 2 kids now, DD going into 5th, DS 2nd, and we are cutting back a little, and will leave after their last day of school Thanksgiving week (Wednesday), so they will only miss the 5 days the week after. I have always asked for the work that my kids will miss, and they are loaded with work while we’re gone, but at least they aren’t missing anything. Just ask the child’s teacher about 2-3 weeks in advance so they can have it ready for you. We haven’t had any issues. Enjoy!
 
We took our kids out at that age but I think over a week is a bit much. I would do the spring break trip and reschedule the Nov trip for Christmas or Thanksgiving when he's already off school.
 


We took our kids out at that age but I think over a week is a bit much. I would do the spring break trip and reschedule the Nov trip for Christmas or Thanksgiving when he's already off school.

I have debated rescheduling the November trip, but I am purposely planning it around Veteran's Day holiday (Monday) already to minimize time off. And my cousin's family is going at that same time and we want to meet up with them (we haven't seen them in years (they live in Michigan).

Really, the only reason I am considering going twice in the same school year is because of other family members going and because I was planning on getting an AP anyway! So really, they are sorta dictating when I go. We have the flexibility since we won't fly there and only have one kid in school.

Our kids get 12 weeks off during the summer, a week off at Thanksgiving, a week off for Spring Break, almost 3 weeks off during winter break, 2 additional days off around President's Day, and 2 additional days off for Fall Break. It's a lot of days off that are either already full weeks or are chunked enough that you could take off a week. That's before I count the one-day off holidays, etc.

That seem a lot more generous than my school district. How do they fit 180 days in that time?
Having an entire week off for Thanksgiving or having a "Fall Break" of 2 days or 3 weeks off for Christmas would be amazing (we get less than 2)

As for my school's vacation: Here is my school districts days off;

We start 8/27.
They have the normal holidays - Labor Day, Veteran's Day, Thanksgiving (3 weekdays), Christmas/New Year (8 weekdays), MLK day, Easter week (5 weekdays in April), Memorial Day and off for the year on June 7.
The are a scattering of half days out there, that are worthless - those seem more for the teachers than the parents, as you can't really go on vacation and a lot of parents have to scramble for day care for their younger children.

So, sure, plenty of days off in big chunks to take family vacations. So while I could go on a WDW vacation during Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter week -- so will everyone else and that just doesn't seem worth the time or money to fight those crowds I've read about here. *shrug*. And like I said, they don't line up with my out-of-state family plans.

I probably will choose to go those times that when the kids are older (they are more independent, more mobile, and less whiny about long lines, etc.), but not now.

All in all, I am sure it won't be a problem with my son's teacher or school (unless we start doing it year after year :)). I am sure there are plenty of families that pull their kids for a week or two.
 
if it wasn't for that annoying school requirement. Heh

As an elementary teacher I am insulted by this comment. I don’t spend HOURS of time beyond the school day planning to have parents think missing several days doesn’t matter. Twice in the same year is excessive and tells children school is secondary and not all that important. Vacations are built into the school year for a reason.
 
I would get a clear understanding of your kids school rules first. It seems it’s not clear to you. Perhaps you can speak to someone at the school? I know that if I took my daughter out of school even for one day & told them it was for vacation, it would be considered an unexcused.

I agree, you need to have a clear understanding of the policy. The concern i would have is that after two trips there is already an absence from school. Have you factored in if your child becomes ill? Sick days add up and that may be the killer.

It is your kid, not the school's. I do not understand why parents let the schools dictate when they can and cannot have their children. As long as they are making satisfactory academic progress, and you aren't making demands of the teacher for extra work and tutoring, then the school shouldn't get any say in it.

It’s not as easy as that. When you agree to enroll your kid in the school system you agree to follow policy.
 
My plan is to just work with the teacher directly. The district policy is written pretty strict - with words like "unlawful" and potential letters sent to social services, etc., but those policies seem to be written for the habitual missing children -- parents who don't care about their kids education or for older kids who just skip out a lot.

I care about my son's education (I mean, I've made him do "homework" almost every day this summer to keep his skills fresh) .. I just want the flexibility to go on a family vacation when I want .. not when the school schedule dictates.

Generally I feel that attendance enforcement is just a concern to the district because of funding potentially lost when students aren't in school.

Flexibility to see out of town family or to travel are 2 primary reasons some folks do private schooling or homeschooling. Some public school districts are incredibly strict for unexcused absences and their policies actually mean what they say. Before I'd do both trips, I'd nail down, in writing, that you would be approved for both.
 
if it wasn't for that annoying school requirement. Heh

As an elementary teacher I am insulted by this comment. I don’t spend HOURS of time beyond the school day planning to have parents think missing several days doesn’t matter. Twice in the same year is excessive and tells children school is secondary and not all that important. Vacations are built into the school year for a reason.



I don't think anyone is saying school doesn't matter.
 
if it wasn't for that annoying school requirement. Heh

As an elementary teacher I am insulted by this comment. I don’t spend HOURS of time beyond the school day planning to have parents think missing several days doesn’t matter. Twice in the same year is excessive and tells children school is secondary and not all that important. Vacations are built into the school year for a reason.
Nope . .not saying that at all.
How I react every OTHER day shows my son that school is important - reading with him daily, forcing him to go to school when they are tired, going when you had a bad day, the importance of working on homework DAILY before "screen time" .. etc. etc. Taking him out to go on a family vacation shows to him what is even MORE important - quality family time, the value of the dollar (it is cheaper to go when it isn't summer and holidays), and just that life isn't all work and no play.

It is just annoying how inflexible some school districts can be. I mean, we see the differences just in this thread.

The fact remains, every child is different and I will definitely take my child's wellbeing into account for this decision. I'll see how many non-doctor sick days he has had, etc. As well as talking to the teacher (and administration if necessary) before I do this. I appreciate the opinions and feedback. This is NOT a guaranteed trip (the November one is).

Is it selfish decision? Sure, but in the end, I am my child's caretaker, not the school. I will abide with whatever the law states, unless it is overly strict. If so , I will look for other schooling options/districts.

But nowhere do I am trying to insult teachers ... we sometimes are both slaves to the government administrators in helping best teach the children. One size usually doesn't fit all.
 
Perhaps annoying school requirements isn’t the best way to say what you are intending your message to be?
 
Our son loved to go to WDW when he was in Elementary School, but hated missing school because he felt that he had fallen behind by missing days of school. By middle school he asked us not to every go again during the school year except during holidays. We only went on our trips right after school was over each year. His school got out a lot earlier than other schools in the country, so the crowds weren't too bad when we went.
 
I believe as a preschooler I was pulled out for around a week at the end of the school year to go to WDW and on a Disney cruise with my grandparents. Another girl in my class also went and got back right before my trip back then. I don't really remember it, but I don't think they made us do anything since we were so young.

Also, as a high schooler, and then my siblings in elementary and middle school, and even as I and they went to college, we have been going every other year for practically 10 years, going for varying times. Of course previously we would go with the high school band, so the school already knew that around 100-120 kids that were a part of the band were already going to be missing school for maybe 3-4 days. This year we're going for a little over a week so my brother, who is a senior in college, will be missing 7 days of classes and is fine with that. Even before, during college, I always arranged it with my professors and told them, trying to rearrange my schedule if something important fell within the dates of me going.

But here, in the school district I attended, there are papers that a parent can fill out, kind of like a permission slip, to say that they're going on a family vacation to sort of describe the educational aspects of it. I'm pretty sure my mom did this a couple of times for my youngest sister, who was in 5th grade the first time we went and I'm pretty sure she also did it when I went with my grandparents when I was in preschool.
 
Back before our school district instituted an insanely strict (IMO) attendance policy, we took our elementary-aged kids out for a week. Somehow they both survived... something that the school district no longer appears to think is possible. :rolleyes2

Once they hit 5th grade or so, workload was a little heavier (and the policy changed), so we only took them out for maybe 3 days, linking it with what was already a 4-day weekend or the like.

Now they're heading into 7th and 8th grade, and they'll miss 2 days to do a rD trip in Nov, but not more than that. Our longer trips are now in Aug. They're now in private school so we have more flexibility, but they just have more fun when they don't have to worry about making up school work.
 
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