School the day before Thanksgiving

[anniemae]

I am a huge fan of not wasting my kid's time with what I consider to be "fluff days". In the past if they have asked to not go I always said yes. They have not always asked though as some of those days are actually a fun school day they looked forward to.

I guess I don't see it as a waste of time. It is technically a school day and students are expected to go to school on school days. (I will admit that I am totally a "rule follower" so if it were me, I would not be able to stay home, I would feel to guilty to enjoy it LOL.) If she stays home she probably sleeps, watches TikTok. That, to me, is a waste of time.

I see both sides though and will most likely let her decide for herself.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Meet my husband, ha. His current district has tomorrow off, but he is the type who actually teaches and has work to do on days before breaks. (He teaches high school math, so maybe they’re all sadistic like that.)

We currently live in an area that gets Thanksgiving week off, so I really shouldn't complain. That being said, we had an 11+ hour drive out of town last Friday for a travel ball tournament and I was hoping it wouldn't be a huge deal having my kids miss the Friday before break. My 12th grader was OK, but my 9th grader ended having several things that had to be done that day. So, I guess they have the same sadistic approach

 

[Kestryl]

I had a high school math teacher who still made us take a quiz in the afternoon on 9/11.

OK, I don’t think he would have done that.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I've been working in the public school system for 21 years. "Fluff days" are part of the overall school experience. School isn't just about academics. It's about building and existing in a community that learns, works and plays together. While the main focus is on academic learning, there need to be opportunities to interact socially, relax, blow off steam and have fun. All work and no play doesn't make anyone happy or well-rounded.

That said, I wouldn't hesitate to let a high school senior skip a strictly fun day. They've experienced enough by now and can decide whether or not they want to participate in the planned activities. For younger kids, I would send them unless you have something specific planned (like leaving on a trip that day). Fun days still present plenty of learning opportunities (waiting your turn, agreeing/compromising on activities or rules, etc.). And strangely enough, these days can often be more difficult for teachers and staff. My class (4th/5th graders with special learning needs) thrives on firm boundaries and a predictable schedule. Once we lighten up and offer more freedom, behaviors tend to increase and the day can quickly get out-of-hand.

 

[robinb]

Sure. Just make sure that your senior doesn't expect to skip Thanksgiving week in college. My DD's college had classes on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving!

 

[disykat]

I was always a stickler for those sorts of things, but senior year I kind of backed off. Basically, I wouldn't "excuse" them, but said they could make their own choice. If there were possible consequences, I reminded them of them. After years of perfect attendance, both of my kids skipped school a few times for various reasons senior year, but it was mostly things like not going straight back to school after AP testing that took place off campus. The end of the year gets really dicey with so many things going on, so if there's a number of unexcused absences that can cause an issue you may want to remind them of that.

 

[Skywalker3]

My son was 'sick' the day before Fall break, because it was the homecoming parade/pep rally, etc, and he's just not into all that. My DD would've LOVED that, and looked forward to a day of just hanging out with friends, but DS only has a couple friends at school, so he skipped it. If he'd just skipped it though, it would've been unexcused. I don't like tempting fate though. Every time the kids missed school and weren't all that sick, or just needed a day, they ended up with some awful illness later. karma.
but another thing here for his school, maybe the whole county, is seniors can skip their midterm exams if they have an A in the class, and have NO unexcused absences. DS is just a junior, but he wants to make sure next year he has no unexcused absences to get out of exams if possible.
DS is such a rule follower and stickler, but I think he needed that kind of day to be off. I realized later for my older DD and DS, it's not that big of a deal to miss a day here and there.

 

[scrapquitler]

Would you let your hs senior skip school tomorrow? It's a half day and I guess they are not doing any classes, it's a pep rally type competition thing the whole school goes to. From what I hear, lots of kids take the day off.

If my student wasn't having classes and would rather not attend the pep rally, I'd let them stay home if they chose to do so.
My daughter wanted to go that day because the Powder Puff game was that afternoon after school, and any student that didn't attend school was not allowed to participate in the Powder Puff game.

 

[scrapquitler]

I'm surprised there is school the day before Thanksgiving. My grandkids are out all week and don't go back till next Tuesday.

I live in New England, and the day before Thanksgiving has always been a school day here. There is early dismissal (two hours early), but it definitely counts as a school day.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

If I were to try and teach the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, no one would show up (I found that out years ago). So I cancel classes that day and head out of the country.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

If my student wasn't having classes and would rather not attend the pep rally, I'd let them stay home if they chose to do so.
My daughter wanted to go that day because the Powder Puff game was that afternoon after school, and any student that didn't attend school was not allowed to participate in the Powder Puff game.

What is a powder puff game?

 

[sam_gordon]

What is a powder puff game?

Juniors vs Senior Girls playing flag football. At least that's what it was 35+ years ago when I was in HS.

For our PP game, I was the DJ. The Seniors(?) asked me to play Mony Mony when they scored. So I did. And I knew to cut out the music when the audience chants "Get ****, Get ******". It took about two times of doing it and the AD said "Don't play that song any more."

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I also remember when Thanksgiving Eve used to be considered one of the biggest bar nights of the year since that's when the college kids came home and all got together with their friends. I used to stand in long lines to get into the bar that night and had my share of hung over Thanksgiving mornings. I wonder if that's still the case.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

If I were to try and teach the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, no one would show up (I found that out years ago). So I cancel classes that day and head out of the country.

I don't think public school k-12 teachers have that luxury.

 

[tcufrog]

Should not be a problem, unless your school has a mandatory attendance policy. They would consider that an unexcused absence, and any additional absences could cause problems.

My son got a truancy letter for missing a week of school even though we had notes from urgent care, the ER, and his primary care dr.

 

[dcassetta]

As long as they're not missing anything. Every now and then you get a bitter teacher that insists on having a test or critical assignment due right before a holiday break.

i’m not sure why having some thing due before a break is a problem. I would have an issue with the one who has something due on the day you returned from a break.

We currently live in an area that gets Thanksgiving week off, so I really shouldn't complain. That being said, we had an 11+ hour drive out of town last Friday for a travel ball tournament and I was hoping it wouldn't be a huge deal having my kids miss the Friday before break. My 12th grader was OK, but my 9th grader ended having several things that had to be done that day. So, I guess they have the same sadistic approach

So, when is the last day that a teacher could ask their students to turn things in?

 

[DisneyOma]

Senior skip - yes. Last grades for college were recorded in June. Who knows? Could be a fun day to attend. Maybe sell your senior on the time with their HS friends is coming to an end so take advantage all you can. They'll probably counter with their friends are skipping too. I certainly wouldn't send them for the sole purpose of boosting the school attendance so they can get funds.

Some colleges ask to see the grades at the end of the senior's first semester - they check for senior slump.

 

[dcassetta]

Some colleges ask to see the grades at the end of the senior's first semester - they check for senior slump.

They also ask for a final transcript. I think that sometimes students don’t realize that college acceptances are conditional on finishing their senior year, the same way that they completed their other years of high school. A friend of ours had a son who received a follow up letter from his university in the summer after graduation saying he no longer had a place there. a lot of that had to do with his spring semester and dropping classes and doing poorly and others.

 

[dcassetta]

Would you let your hs senior skip school tomorrow? It's a half day and I guess they are not doing any classes, it's a pep rally type competition thing the whole school goes to. From what I hear, lots of kids take the day off.

For a half-day with no academics, I would not be concerned if my student chose to stay home.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

i’m not sure why having some thing due before a break is a problem. I would have an issue with the one who has something due on the day you returned from a break.

A lot of families go out of town a day or two before the start of break, as travel is often significantly cheaper before the start of Thanksgiving week or the weekend before. There are a small number of teachers that will schedule assignments, quizzes, and/or tests for these days that must be taken/turned in on that specific pre-break day. In our district, that last Friday before break is the end of a grading period, meaning those assignments, quizzes, and tests must be completed before the break. Most families have travel booked well in advance of any knowledge of teacher plans. If you wind up with an inflexible teacher that won't let them test or turn in work early, you risk having your child get zeros that could ultimately impact their athletic and fine arts eligibility upon their return from break.