School Calender just came out. Would you rebook your vacation?

Agreed! I have no idea why this upcoming year is so different than the past. We have looked into rebooking and we would loose my DD’s BBB reservation:( She is very upset about the thought. Our flights would be more. We could probably work out everything else. I talked to an 8th grade teacher at the school he’ll be attending and she said it should not be a problem. I just need to give his teachers enough notice to work with us. Still stressful!

I think if your child having a successful educational experience hinges on not missing three (or ten) days of school, theres a problem. You are likely talking about three hours per subject! There are 180 school days. 177 days they wouldn't miss. They are missing a tiny percentage.
A child can miss triple that due to illness or the same amount of time due to family circumstances such as a death in the family...
However, if you are concerned about it, and you're hesitating rebooking because your little child cannot do BBB, I wouldn't do that- all things being equal. There will still be a Disney trip!
 
I'd guess that there will be several families like yours this year since they just changed their calendar this year. As an elementary teacher, I've had several students miss school for a few days at a time for trips. If you decide to still go and miss school, I'd recommend letting the teacher know a few weeks early so he/she can put together work if they are able to. I have to move at a fast pace in class, but if I know a student will be missing coming up, I sometimes work ahead with that student so there won't be so much to catch up on later. (If needed, I've had students catch up during recess or after school the week they are back, or else just send work home.) It's always easier for them not to miss school, but if they have to miss a few days I would just let the teachers know up front.

For the future, you'll have a built-in break at an unusual time - perfect for Disney trips!

Edited: I just saw that you've already talked to the 8th grade teacher - great!!
 
I'd guess that there will be several families like yours this year since they just changed their calendar this year. As an elementary teacher, I've had several students miss school for a few days at a time for trips. If you decide to still go and miss school, I'd recommend letting the teacher know a few weeks early so he/she can put together work if they are able to. I have to move at a fast pace in class, but if I know a student will be missing coming up, I sometimes work ahead with that student so there won't be so much to catch up on later. (If needed, I've had students catch up during recess or after school the week they are back, or else just send work home.) It's always easier for them not to miss school, but if they have to miss a few days I would just let the teachers know up front.

For next year, you'll have a built-in break at an unusual time - perfect for Disney trips!
Why next year? Is something special happening to school calendars in the South next year?
I'll be getting DGD's next school calendar in the next 3 weeks and am perplexed at the problems others have with getting an accurate calendar in a timely fashion. Sounds...well weird.
 
As a teacher and a mom, I think this debate is ridiculous. Family comes first, always. You shouldn't feel stressed to change your trip. I will pull my own children for 2 days in November for our trip. If I felt I or my children couldn't miss 3 days of school without it affecting us for years to come, that would be the day I'd pull my kids to homeschool and find a new career myself.
 
Regarding next year, I meant that if her school district keeps the different weekend (rather than Columbus Day) for fall break, it might not be too crowded in the parks.
 
As a teacher and a mom, I think this debate is ridiculous. Family comes first, always. You shouldn't feel stressed to change your trip. I will pull my own children for 2 days in November for our trip. If I felt I or my children couldn't miss 3 days of school without it affecting us for years to come, that would be the day I'd pull my kids to homeschool and find a new career myself.


Thank you for posting this as a teacher AND a mom! It drives me nuts that people think a child will crumble to failure if they miss 3 days of school. My daughter had subs for longer than that this school year. Everyone has a life outside of work and school.
 


With all due respect, I don’t consider family vacations to be “frivolous”. When our kids were growing up, we always attempted to work around their school and activity schedules the best we could. Due to work obligations, it is not always possible to vacation when school is not in session and in our school district, teachers are allowed personal days to accomodate things they themselves cannot take care of during school breaks.

By all means, I would try to avoid end-of-term or testing absences, but the real world sometimes determines when families can spend vacation time. Just my opinion, of course.
HI teacher here! Personal days yes, but they must be pre-approved and would not be approved for a vacation. As a matter of fact, they will doc us if they find out you called in sick and were extending a vacay/weekend.

I have kids who have missed extended time for various reasons and they have struggled thereafter to understand concepts. As another poster mentioned, doing a worksheet is not the same as participating in a lesson. School today is very different from when most of us were students ourselves.

Going on vacay during school breaks stinks- you know the airline flight release schedule and book immediately. Anywhere you go is peak crowds and peak costs. Well, someday, we'll be able to retire and travel on the off-peak times. In the meanwhile, we just have to deal with it. Value education- not everyone is able to get one.
 
HI teacher here! Personal days yes, but they must be pre-approved and would not be approved for a vacation. As a matter of fact, they will doc us if they find out you called in sick and were extending a vacay/weekend.

I have kids who have missed extended time for various reasons and they have struggled thereafter to understand concepts. As another poster mentioned, doing a worksheet is not the same as participating in a lesson. School today is very different from when most of us were students ourselves.

Going on vacay during school breaks stinks- you know the airline flight release schedule and book immediately. Anywhere you go is peak crowds and peak costs. Well, someday, we'll be able to retire and travel on the off-peak times. In the meanwhile, we just have to deal with it. Value education- not everyone is able to get one.
I value education. I just value family time more. And my kids bring home so many worksheets I could fuel my home for the winter. School really isn't that different; it's just not always developmentally appropriate anymore.
 
As a teacher and a mom, I think this debate is ridiculous. Family comes first, always. You shouldn't feel stressed to change your trip. I will pull my own children for 2 days in November for our trip. If I felt I or my children couldn't miss 3 days of school without it affecting us for years to come, that would be the day I'd pull my kids to homeschool and find a new career myself.
Honestly as a non teacher and grandmother I'm a bit disappointed in your response. You seem to be glorifying the lowering of education instead of elevating it but of course I could be misinterpreting your thoughts. The last I heard school is an indelible part of family life in the first world or at least used to be considered so. One might wonder how accurate that is considering this country has constantly fallen closer to the middle percentile ranking of first world schooling.
It certainly is something still regarded as a high aspiration for other segments of the global society.

If you don't think school is an intrinsic part of family life and the society as a whole homeschooling is probably a good answer for your family from my POV.
 
We always took our children out of school and went at a slower time. IMO, family time is important and children can always make up the time unless they are in the higher grades (I would say 7th grade and higher). My daughter didn't want to miss school anymore when she was in 6th grade, so that is when we stopped. WDW is much more enjoyable when it is not super crowded.
 
Every year our parish takes fall break the Monday and Tuesday of Columbus day. So we booked our trip around that. We are booked for October 5-9th. The Calendar just came out for next school year and fall break is not until the next Monday and Tuesday!! We are already booked, flights booked, MNSSHP booked and ADR's booked. If we leave it my kids will miss 3 days of school. My DD is going into 3rd grade. I'm not worried about her as much as my son. It will be his first year in middle school. They are both very smart and I don't think would have a problem catching up. I am torn! HELP!!
There's no way I'd switch because of the school schedule at those ages, however if I could get my money back etc. (Call Disney about the Halloween tix, there's a decent chance they'll change them for you this early). then, I might switch just because it'll probably be less crowded, but that's the only reason I'd consider it. At those ages, especially if they're generally a good student, missing 3 days shouldn't be a big deal (coming from someone whose taken her kids out from pre-k - high school...and I'm a school counselor...it shouldn't be an issue.
 
Honestly as a non teacher and grandmother I'm a bit disappointed in your response. You seem to be glorifying the lowering of education instead of elevating it but of course I could be misinterpreting your thoughts. The last I heard school is an indelible part of family life in the first world or at least used to be considered so. One might wonder how accurate that is considering this country has constantly fallen closer to the middle percentile ranking of first world schooling.
It certainly is something still regarded as a high aspiration for other segments of the global society.

If you don't think school is an intrinsic part of family life and the society as a whole homeschooling is probably a good answer for your family from my POV.
Not glorifying the lowering of education at all. I don't have to do that. Politicians with no knowledge of what's best for kids have done that for years. However, another issue is it seems as if society in general believes that the school system bears the burden of teaching both academics as well as how to be a decent human. That shouldn't be the case. The family is far more important than the school.
 
HI teacher here! Personal days yes, but they must be pre-approved and would not be approved for a vacation. As a matter of fact, they will doc us if they find out you called in sick and were extending a vacay/weekend.

I have kids who have missed extended time for various reasons and they have struggled thereafter to understand concepts. As another poster mentioned, doing a worksheet is not the same as participating in a lesson. School today is very different from when most of us were students ourselves.

Going on vacay during school breaks stinks- you know the airline flight release schedule and book immediately. Anywhere you go is peak crowds and peak costs. Well, someday, we'll be able to retire and travel on the off-peak times. In the meanwhile, we just have to deal with it. Value education- not everyone is able to get one.
I am sorry you have to schedule your vacations during summer, spring, Thanksgiving, and winter breaks. I can only imagine the crowds and peak-time expense. My children’s teachers have taken advantage of their PTO for events such as weddings and the births of granchildren; family time. I don’t blame them one bit.

I value education, and am grateful for terrific teachers and curriculum. Ideally, family time and school schedules would never conflict. That’s just not always possible.
 
Not glorifying the lowering of education at all. I don't have to do that. Politicians with no knowledge of what's best for kids have done that for years. However, another issue is it seems as if society in general believes that the school system bears the burden of teaching both academics as well as how to be a decent human. That shouldn't be the case. The family is far more important than the school.
Government needs to work with teachers and parents; I think most can agree with that.
This doesn't change the fact that each part of the equation must hold up their part of the bargain.

I won't be responding more to this thread since my thinking is much too strong on this subject for this forum.
I will say that reading why others take their children out of school better makes me understand certain aspects of this society's current mores.
 
Government needs to work with teachers and parents; I think most can agree with that.
This doesn't change the fact that each part of the equation must hold up their part of the bargain.

I won't be responding more to this thread since my thinking is much too strong on this subject for this forum.
I will say that reading why others take their children out of school better makes me understand certain aspects of this society's current mores.


Every kid is different. Every family is different. Every teacher is different. The condescension in your post is sad.
 
Your kid can miss 3 days of school and you can still value education.

My son missed two full weeks of school his sophomore year due to pneumonia and the flu. It would’ve been 3 full weeks but he got sick the third time during jersey week so he “lucked” out. He did fine. I’m sure everyone would’ve rather had him miss 3 days for Disney.

And i haven’t pulled my kids out of school for vacation since my son was 9. But i don’t think it’s wrong. Do what works for you.

(I am pulling DD out during jersey week for three days but two of those days are half days and they do nothing those days but go to assemblies and watch movies)
 
Your kid can miss 3 days of school and you can still value education.

My son missed two full weeks of school his sophomore year due to pneumonia and the flu. It would’ve been 3 full weeks but he got sick the third time during jersey week so he “lucked” out. He did fine. I’m sure everyone would’ve rather had him miss 3 days for Disney.


Ugh that sucks! I missed about 3 months of my senior year of high school due to knee surgery. I bet my mom would have preferred 3 days!!

I actually graduated AND received a bachelor's degree later. *gasp*

:D
 

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