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

I haven't read through all of these posts and don't have time but wanted to quickly chime in! We took our kids out for a week at a time from the the they were in preschool till maybe 2cnd or 3rd grade and a couple of days here and there in 4th or 5th grade. We live in FL and just will not go near WDW on holidays or school breaks. I am grateful for each and every trip because it certainly isn't happening ever again now that they are in middle school! We pulled them one day last year (6th) to do a long weekend and they felt they missed a lot and didn't want that ever again (this lucky for us was the only day they missed). As you and others mentioned, the earlier grade schooling is important, but we could work with them or bring schoolwork and catch up in a day or two. The trips we had back when they were younger a were magical and neither of their lives or educations were ruined. We have otherwise been very strict about going to school with few sick days at all. Also at this age they have sports-5x a week for two hours a night and never miss.
I say go for it while you can! Also ENJOY it! Don't worry or feel guilty.
ETA: The only teacher/administrator who ever gave us a hard time about this was their preschool director
 
I would probably play it by ear for March to see how flu season went, but if flu season was all good, by all means, I'd do the two trips. I don't have to deal with this yet, but we will be pulling ours out of school for vacation at least once a year. When schools are yelling at parents to "work around school days off" do they realize many of us have jobs too with busy seasons? I work in Higher Ed on the admin side. Our busy time is when school is NOT in session. I can't pile all my vacation into that time because I have deadlines. I don't think it's right for schools to think a family should just not vacation for the 13 years the kids are in school.
 
Absolutely- this was at a public school. I guess the argument is does a child get an equal education when he misses more than 1/6 of the school year for luxury vacations? I felt like you were implying he would just "get it" because there is education in travel (which I fully agree there is). But without the parents teaching the child the missed work (namely systematic phonics skills) he was VERY behind his peers due to gaps.
Without getting into a full explanation, the heart of my beliefs is that the education system as we currently know it, with grade levels and set curriculum is an nearly arbitrary assignment done to neatly organize children and "subjects" to better serve the adults, rather than honouring the intrinsicly organic nature of children and learning. So there is no time line in which to "get it" and indeed nothing to "get". A longer explanation would be needed to do these ideas justice. But that is at the heart of it.
 
So . .not to open a can of worms, but I wanted to update this thread a bit.

The situation of pulling my son out of school for a Disney vacation (possibly two) is a bit sitckier now.

I live in southeastern NC. We just got hit by Hurricane Florence - badly. Schools were closed last week as the storm approached, this week and now next week and maybe beyond as the schools get repaired, roads get repaired and people that evacuated (students and staff) can make it back.

Three weeks off .. with no news how they will make this up. Essentially they have gotten a fall break (after going to school for only two weeks prior to the hurricane).

The state legislature may have to give an exception to the affected counties and NOT require students to do the full 185 days. They may simply have a shortened year. If not, we would have to go to school on Saturdays or cut vacation days or go to school deep into the summer. They may have to rotate kids around to other schools for the ones that are too greatly damaged. We just don't know yet.

So .. in the end .. it doesn't matter if I had planned a vacation during normal school vacation time. That may get cut short anyway.

But I may be pulling my son out during an already shortened year .. but that isn't my fault. I can't change nature.

I should have evacuated to Florida and just started our Annual Pass early .. heh.
 
I wish school schedules were changed to better accommodate family life. Maybe schools should consider lengthening the school days a bit, eliminate most half days and shorten the summer break by a few weeks. For the time saved, they can add several week long breaks that may allow families a bit more flexibility and reduce the need for kids to miss school due to vacations.
 
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We, too, were seriously affected by the storm--we're in New Hanover County, NC. My concerns are different than yours--my DD15 is in all honors and an AP class, so the "making up school work" takes on a much different meaning. We have a trip to Universal planned for spring break, so I already have in my mind that we might have to cancel, if they choose to use that time as make-up school days. IMHO, taking middle and high-schoolers out isn't an option (not trying to start a debate--I'm not doing it, YMMV).

DD15, who has her finger on the pulse of school workings, informed me that, since the governor called a state of emergency, they don't have to make up the time. She also feels that, since they do block scheduling and exams have already been scheduled, that they won't take from second semester to fulfill days missed first semester. Certainly, the AP exam dates are etched in stone (set nationally). She has one on-line class that she's been keeping up with. I figure the other classes do have some time to catch up, since it's only Sept.

BTW, only 180 school days are required--NC builds in 5 "weather days".

Since your child is young, I would be doing all that I could to develop his reading skills daily. This is the biggest thing about 1st grade--it's pretty much all about reading. If he's ahead of the game there, you're good, just encourage him to read daily. If he's not, then work with him--read together every single day. If you happen to have resources at home, like math workbooks or science type children's books, crack those open. I"m a little concerned on your behalf, just due to the choppy nature of how this school year is going to go. That's not meant as criticism, it's more that skills like reading need to be reinforced daily.

As a side note to Piccolopat--in NC, most counties have a least one school available that goes year-round. We also have full school choice, so anyone could choose that school. They go in summer, but have a few weeks off at a few points throughout the year. For HS, my DD15 had the choice of 8 (!!!) different public schools, each offering a different "specialty"--the vo-tech, early college, a STEM school, one with a Marine Biology program... She chose our "home" school, which offers an IB program, which she's in.
 
We have never pulled our kids out of school for vacations. That's what summers and breaks are for.
My husband can't get typical break times off. His breaks are determined by the federal government and are outside of his control.
 


OP, was your home safe? Did you have damage? Frankly, if I had to deal with some heartache at home , I'd want to make the trip twice as special.
 
First grade teacher chiming in to the update- but we live in AZ and in 17 years of school and 12 years teaching- I’d never experienced unscheduled days off until the walk out last year. We don’t have any days built in, but do go more than the required hours so we didn’t have to make up walk out days.

Anyway, I’d still go on your family trip- no guilt- do it. I’d probably skip the second one or at least be mentally out until the last possible minute to see what happens with the schools/State . Good luck and I’m sorry for all you guys are going through in NC!
 
OP, was your home safe? Did you have damage? Frankly, if I had to deal with some heartache at home , I'd want to make the trip twice as special.
We were blessed with little to no damage at my house - friends and neighbors not as lucky. The benefits of living in a brand new neighborhood where they clear-cut trees to build homes. The only downed trees were in an unused area behind us and ALMOST some flooding.

Been busy getting out there trying to help all we can, but will be a while until our area is back to normal for a lot of people.
 
I have a dilemma that I want some opinions on.
What's the longest you've taken your elementary age kids out for a Disney trip? How did that go?

DISCLAIMER: - I know every kid is different and every school district is different, so I am just looking for personal experiences, opinions.

My grand plan was to get APs for the family (wife, son, myself) to go in Nov. when my daughter was 2 and then again 11 months in October when she will be turning 3 (because she would be free still). Two trips of 4-5 days each .. made much more affordable with the annual pass.

I have been planning on pulling him out of school 4 days to go this November (around veteran's day holiday) to go.

My sister's family just informed us they are going during their Spring Break (last week of March) which does not coincide with my son's Spring Break (week before Easter). They want us to go with them (they live 1000 miles away) as we don't see them often. I have a flexible vacation scheduled, we will have an annual pass and only live a days drive away from Orlando, so doing that would be easy and relatively cheap -- if it wasn't for that annoying school requirement. Heh.

While I didn't have issue with pulling him for four days this fall (it's just first grade, he'll be fine), I am worried about pulling him for another few days in the same school year -- both from his education and from any repercussions from the school.

So, what's the longest you've taken your elementary age kids out for a Disney trip? How was it? How did the school view it?
Our district counts up total days missed. If you exceed a certain number, you have to plead your case for the child to get promoted.
 
When we miss school down here for floods and hurricanes and such they don't add on to the school calendar. Instead they go full days for the many early dismissals they had scheduled.
 

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