Any tips for talking to child's teacher??

[DisneyRoys]

AHHH!! I feel like I am in grade school again!!!

In two hours I have a meeting scheduled with DS 5th grade teacher. I have to convince her that taking DS out of school for one week in May and going to DW is going to be educational. My palms are sweaty and I can't remember what I was going to say. HELP ME!! Tell me how you have handled this situation before.

 

[welovemickey]

I've been in your posiiton many times! After the first couple of years of taking my kids out of school (and yes, I do it every year), I took the attitude that they are my children and I know what's good for them. However, you probably don't want to convey that message unless they give you a really hard time.

One thing I have always done is tell them that I have every intention of having my boys do some work while at the World. We have them keep a journal which they write in every night in addition to doing a few school papers.

Most of the time the teachers are willing to work with you. Just remember that YOU are the parent! You know what's good for your child. Some families (like mine) cannot get away in the summer time and need to have some family time other times during the year.

 

[ahutton]

You can also mention the possibility of doing a tour/activity day that centers around learning. Disney has lots of programs, and as a 4th or 5th grader I got extra credit for writing a short report about my day in a Disney class. Also, EPCOT is like a giant classroom, with a ton of opportunities to learn about many science related subjects and also the social studies in the World Showcase area provided a wealth of research information for me on a paper I wrote about Mexican history. I interviewed people who worked in the pavilion. I had a great time and got a large project done for a class.

My parents took me out of school for a week almost every year - I never suffered any educational loss, did my assignments that my classmates were doing, and turned out just fine (if I do say so myself!)

 

[vicb]

You're right welovemickey, no need to defend your decision!

I always politely inform the teachers that we will be going on a family vacation in a timely manner. I tell them where and when and offer to help my children make up or do in advance what ever the teacher wants done but I refuse to be put on the defensive about family time! My kids are still in elementary school so it is a little easier to make up work now, when older we may not feel missing school is in their best interest. I am a former teacher and I belive kids learn and experience things on any family vacation that they can't in a classroom! Enjoy your trip!

 

[Jordan's MOM]

I agree it is very important to remember that you are not asking her permission.I have never had a bad experence with taking DS out of school for travel. He is in third grade and we just returned from a week at Disney. I let his teacher know at the first parent-teacher meeting of the year. I stated the fact we would be going and DS would be out of school that week. About 2 weeks before the trip I sent a letter reminding her and asking he to please send home any makeup work he needed to do. She sent the folder of work home several days before the trip and we worked hard to get ahead. We only took some reading along and were able to finish the work on the Sunday after our return. She gave a minimal amount of work. WE rewarded her with a gift form disney. We will continue to travel duuring the school year as long as his grades stay good and the make-up is not too difficult.I remind him as we walk though empty lines that if he had to come in Summer, these lines would be filled with people.It works to keep him on the honner roll!

Jordan's mom

 

[Jackie824]

My son is only in 2nd grade. But every yr I take him out of school in March to go on vacation. His school doesnt get spring break until April. But my husband goes to college at nite and works fulltime. So we go on vacation during his spring break from college, which is not the same is my sons. But hey, I figured my son is still young. I dont ask permission, I simply tell the teacher about a month in advance that We are going on vacation and could you send him some work to do while we are gone. I will have to tell the teacher shortly we will be heading to Disney in March. I figure its my child and I have the right to take him out of school for a family vacation. Im more excited about going to Disney then my 7 yr old son.

 

[tjmw2727]

Having a sister and sister in law who are teachers - I learned two key things. Give the teacher as much advance notice as you can so she can do the extra work of getting together lessons and a journal (or whatever) for your child to do on vacation. Also asked about themes and projects they were working on and volunteer to look around for information to bring back especially from Epcot with both WS and FW. It turned out that the dream catcher postcards fit in very well with a project my dd's 1st grade was working on. Every country was more than pleasant to sign 21 dream catchers when my dd explained they were for her class. Even if I couldn't have gotten something so great - just asking helps! One year my dd did a report on manatees after learning all about the 5yo manattee in the living seas.

HTH
TJ

 

[Tawnya]

I am a teacher. I am always so embarassed by teachers who give parents such a hard time about WDW trips. I think they are just jealous! I miss a week every year or so to take my family to WDW. The first year I fretted and worried. Then it occured to me that not one of my 150 students would remember the week that I was gone...but for my family, it would be week of love and memories. Life is short...family is important. There have been difficult teachers in our experience...I tell my kids...life is short..so you fail a test...big deal. Twenty years from now I will not remember the F on the test....but I will remember our precious time together.
ºoº

 

[Hawk]

DisneyRoys - Are you serious? This is what I do:

Dear Teacher,

My son/daughter will be out of school from Month 00 to Month 00. Please advise me as to what work is necessary to be done upon his/her return.

Signed.

That's it. Bottom line -- my kids go where I tell them - not where a teacher tells them. My kids usually do well in school so I doubt 5 days of work will put them far behind. In addition, unless your state truancy laws are substantially different than mine, you won't come under the definition of truant.

Good luck - you will be fine.

Tim.

 

[DisneyRoys]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I did just fine. I told her we were going on a family vacation in May and that DS would be gone for a week. She said that was fine, she would send home his work and just to remind her before he left. I did not even tell her where he was going.

It all went very well. Now I just have to tell DD teachers, but she is in Kindergarten so I am not that worried about it.

 

[ivanova]

We've been lucky so far - my DD is in year-round school, and the month of April is one of her months "off track." We've been fortunate to schedule most vacations (WDW and others) around her school schedule.

Bad news, she's in 6th grade this year and it's her last year of year-round. Future vacations will be relegated to summer breaks, or taking her out of school (I worry about taking her out of school for more than a week tho now that we're moving into jr high and high school; that's a lot of missed work to have to make up). We're thinking of a trip to Washington, DC in 2004 or 2005, for 3-4 weeks ... that'll probably have to be as soon as school gets out (and encompass 4th of July).

As for this year's April trip to WDW she won't miss any school but our friend's 9 year old (they're coming with us) will miss one week of school during our 2 week trip. We definitely want to work in some education for both of them (especially at Epcot). I plan on discussing with my DD's teacher (parent-teacher conferences are at the end of February) to see what he thinks might work into social studies, math, science, etc. after they return to school in May. If it means going around and getting 35 copies of items to take back to the class (like the dream catcher idea previously posted), I'm willing to put in the extra effort.

 

[WDWfanatic288]

when i was in school(only in middle school)i said we were going to be gone on fmaily business and it was excused

ok well heres how it is-
social studies-
SE-shows history of time
and passports in epoct....meet lots of different ppl and learn about their cultures
english-
all of it...lol
science-
epcot
also AK has tons of animals


believe me...ive learned more at the disney then i think! why do you think history is my best subject? LOL!

if you need another other help just PM me!

 

[Hawk]

DisneyRoys:

Excellent news! Its all downhill from here!

Tim.

 

[SandraC]

Last year dd was in grade 2. We just TOLD the school/teacher we are going to WDW. I asked the teacher for work and she replied, "Go, have fun, no work, she'll not do it anyway." Teacher was right, never got to homework I prepared LOL! Last year we took off for WDW during education week at school. That's the week when all the seniors from the retirement home up the road come to read to the kids. It's a "no work" week, review stuff. This year we are doing the same. dd is in grade 3 and her teacher is thrilled she's doing to WDW. HOWEVER! When another grade 3 teacher overheard me, she started giving me grief. I basically told her to mind her own business. I am a volunteer in school, in fact I am on the PTA and chair of volunteers. The VP, prinipal and dd's teacher are the folks I advise.