Taking Kids out of school About This Page:

[Tinc]

May 2007 we took them out for 9 days, 3rd and 1st grade. May 2008 we took them out for 15 days. I was nervous both times. Never had a problem, gave the teachers 2 week notice and they gave homework to both kids. They get out in the middle of June for the last 3 weeks, they watch movies, go on field trips, have field days, picnics etc etc.....

Life is too short to worry about everything all the time. Both kids I am sure will graduate high school, go to college and get good jobs. But for now we want to take great vacatiions as a family when the crowds are not insane.

[coasties]

I leave it up to my DD's ( 1st and 7th grade). They will not hear of missing school. My oldest is in honors classes and feels she would be hard pressed to catch up and both of them want to have perfect attendance. I go with that and THANK GOODNESS Value Season starts in early August. We go the first week of August every other year. They both want to go to WDW for their birthdays 11/21 and 11/24 but will not miss school for it LOL.
I do not think your daughter will miss much and if she is OK with it then go ahead !

[dzlovesdisney]

We have taken our boys out of school twice -- first week of October a few years ago (pre-K and 1st grade), and first week in December last year (1st and 3rd grades) -- for Disney trips. Both times, I sent in a note on the first day of school notifying the teachers. Then I set up a conference with each teacher to understand what work they would be missing. Both times, both teachers put together a packet of work for the boys to complete, and gave it to us before we left on vacation. The boys got all the work done before the trip even started, so they wouldn't have to worry about it.

Also, on the last trip they used the Epcot Passports to learn about each country (they asked how to speak and write a word in each language), and then brought the passports back to their classes and presented what they learned. It worked out great. And the time that we got to spend together is priceless.

So I'm a fan of taking them out of school, getting the work done that keeps them caught up, and making great memories!!

[DopeyGirl]

We took DD out for Disney trips when she was in Pre-K and Kindergarten . . . they weren't until later on in the year though (once was the first week of December, the other was the last week of February/first week of March). We'll also be taking her out of school (2nd grade) for a week this coming April/May.

I am not sure I would take her out the first week due to the "getting to know the teacher/class/rules" type stuff that happens that week, but I am a firm believer that if your child is a good student and can easily make up anything they miss, then why not.

In fact, DD's Kindergarten teacher told us (a couple of years ago) that she feels that school work is something that can easily be made up, family time, however, can not. :

[rebecca c.]

We took DS#1 out of school, third week of Jan., DH had a work related trip in California at the Disneyland Hotel. For us this was a once in a lifetime trip and I could not think of not sharing it with both my boys! Our school system does not allow school to be missed for family vacations, so we called DS in as sick.( sorry, we lied, he would not have been able to make up his work for anything else) My co-worker picked up any work he missed and we had it completed, when he returned on Monday.
I feel it is a parental decsion and they are only small for a short time so make the most out of life!!
Rebecca

[belleandmaddysmom]

Hot topic!!
I took Isabelle out of school last October for our trip to Disney. I think she missed 4 days total because of it. She was in Kindergarten and the teacher didn't even give us make up work. She wanted us to have fun!

This year I will take Isabelle out of 1st grade and Maddy out of Kindergarten for a total of 6 days in December. I did feel a little bad because they will be out in between Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation. BUT...I think it is so important for us to be together and celebrate the holidays at Disney.

I guess in the future I will ask them how they feel about it. I will let them decide if they want to be taken out of school or not. Especially when they get to Middle and High School.

[Pax]

I'm not a parent, but here's what I'd do: contact the school, and try to get in touch with her teacher for next year. Ask them if the first wqeek is a good time, or if s/he thinks that another week might be better (maybe the third week), based on what the teacher expects the students to be doing and studying. (Any week with more reading than doing, for example? Easier to accomodate a vacation, as you can bring the book(s) along, and have your child do their reading in the evenings, before bed.)

But, push comes to shove? To heck with the school! FAMILY time is the most important and precious thing you can give your son or daughter.

As has been observed in other threads - and maybe this one, by now - in twenty years, your daughter may be hard pressed to name five of her classmates from this year ........ but will almost certainly still have vivid, happy memories of the week spent at Disney with you and your DH.

Kids can make up for missed schoolwork. However, it's a darned sight harder to make up for missed family together-time, especially of the sort that creates lifetime-long memories.

[IdahoDisneyMom]

As a teacher, and a parent, I can see both sides of this discussion. Those first few days are all about learning routines and making friends. If your child adjusts well, and jumps right in to the start of school, then I say you're probably ok. If she takes a while to warm up, then you might have a problem with her missing those first few days. I would definetely contact the school though, b/c if your daughter misses the first 3 days w/o notice, they'll probably assume she's not coming.

ps My own DD (9yo) missed 3 days this last fall at the end of Sept for our WDW trip, and her teacher was fine with it. It really depends on the teacher and the school though.

[BeckiS]

We are taking our kiddos (3rd and K) out of school in early May 09. I really studied their schedule for field trips and state testing and decided that would be the best time for us. We are sticklers for attendance and good grades, but really see the worth of family time with the least hassles. We, of course!, plan to discuss witrh their teachers about homework and give them plenty of notice before the vacation to ease their minds. IMHO, May is probably the best time to go as as school work is concerned for Texas. They really do not do much and we get a jump on summer!

[pago]

Hello fellow parents!

This topic is a source of great discussion in our home. We take our kids out of school every other year (usually). We made a decision to do this when my father in law purchased a timeshare on Sanibel in the middle of May. At first I was very opposed to taking the kids out, but after my father in law had one quarter of his lung taken out due to cancer (and his father had the same surgery and only lived 10 more years), I decided that spending time with their family was important. This year we took a cruise in March - timing was primary due to MY school schedule as my Master's program only allows for two classes to be missed per semester. We always notify the school early and ask for homework in advance.

We have also always told the kids that if they do not get good grades, the "during school trips" will come to an end.

When you are on the trip, help your kids with learning adventures. When we took 1st graders to Sanibel, we had them collect and catergorize shells and then make a poster to show at school. When on the cruise, our youngest kept a journal.

[castawaykarr]

We are going Sept. 20-27. DS is in 2nd grade and will miss 5 days. DD is in Pre-K and only goes 3 days a week so she'll miss those. My DH and I too, depise large crowds so with the low crowd and free dining advantage....how can we NOT go?? My DS has a new principal though, that I haven't met...hopefully she will be of the same opinion!!

[LeapDayBaby]

DS12 has missed school twice to go to WDW - when he was in second grade (five days w/my DM & DF) and fifth grade (only one day - we went Veterans' Day weekend with DH, DM, DF, DB & DSiL). We even left a day earlier than the rest of my family on our Veterans' Day trip so DS would only miss one day! His teachers were fine with the absences, and he didn't really miss a lot - but now that DS is starting 8th grade, I can't imagine taking him out of class unless he's sick or it's a family emergency. Between the daily homework and preparation for the standardized tests in the Fall (we have the NECAPs here in RI), even missing one day is overwhelming!

Of course, that's just my two cents; your mileage may vary

- Laurie

[ErinluvsMickey]

Originally Posted by castawaykarr

We are going Sept. 20-27. DS is in 2nd grade and will miss 5 days. DD is in Pre-K and only goes 3 days a week so she'll miss those. My DH and I too, depise large crowds so with the low crowd and free dining advantage....how can we NOT go?? My DS has a new principal though, that I haven't met...hopefully she will be of the same opinion!!

We are going @ that time too but I didn't think they are having the free dining at that time??

[Pax]

Originally Posted by ErinluvsMickey

We are going @ that time too but I didn't think they are having the free dining at that time??

As long as yoru stay STARTS by the 20th, and you check into your resort by then, you can get free dining. Or, well, COULD ... while there were still spaces left in that program. ^_^

[hall0731]

ok. I am officially moving out of texas. I wanted to pull my son out in feb of 09 to take him to wdw. The school informed me that I would be served with a letter and have to appear in court before a judge and explain why I took my son out of school for 6 days. I guess in texas they call it truancy even though he is only a 1st grader this year.