Would you take your kids out of school - for a vacation

Celestrina wrote: DH found a really good deal for a trip in (I think) mid-May. He would miss a week of school. Personally I'm not in love with the idea, but DH wants to talk to the teacher about it. He's in kindergarten and the last day of class is June 17.

mom21kid2dogs replied: I wouldn't make a habit out of it but if my child wasn't experiencing any educational difficulties and it was a once in a lifetime thing, I might do it.

cameragirl21 replied: my parents took me out of school for vacations several times throughout my school years, including when I was in high school and I graduated at the top of my class with honors so personally I don't see it as a hindrance if the child is able to catch up on his/her own.
Also, I figure kindy is just kindy, what are they going to miss?

gr33n3y3z replied: We do every year why not
Enjoy your trip

Brias3 replied: We've done it quite a few times

MommyToAshley replied: We've taken Ashley out of school for a vacation every year. . Teachers probably hate me. We've taken two September vacations and one in February. And, we are actually planning a vacation for next September so she will miss some of school in second grade. We get her work in advance, and there's plenty of time for her to work on her school work on the plane, in the car, down times at the hotel, etc. Although her school says that they discourage vacations during school, her teachers have always said that it is no big deal.

Jamison'smama replied: I did last year and I would again.

CantWait replied: Yup, sure would!!!

With this posting we may have to, and people at this school do it all the time. Robbie's friend just missed a week.

boyohboyohboy replied: Yes! I would do it without even a second thought..You can always take homework along, or catch up when you get back..

BAC'sMom replied: Yes I would

Kirstenmumof3 replied: We took the kids out of school in November for our trip to San Diego. They caught up pretty quickly when they got back.

lisar replied: Here in Duval county if your child misses more than 5 days in a 9week period they can actually get failed for it. Unless it is medically necessary. Must have a dr's note of some sort. However I have pulled her out on a friday so that we could leave to go camping early. But I havent done it for a vacation.

cameragirl21 replied:
seriously?! that is SO messed up. I wonder if we have that same rule here in Dade county. That would be reason enough for me to choose private school.

Celestrina replied:
Private schools tend to be just as (if not more) strict as public. I went to Catholic school and there is no way they would allow this. The kid(s) wouldn't automatically be held back, but they would have to make up at least some of the time. That's why I was surprised when DH suggested we take the trip.

Calimama replied: Yep!!

cameragirl21 replied:
what do you mean by make up the time? Making up the work, sure, but how can you make up the time?! If there is no school, what do they do, have teachers come in just for the kid who missesd?
I think it's obscene, personally, as my parents took me out for a week of vaca nearly every year and with my asthma I missed at least a week twice a year with bronchitis, not to mention various sick days that come with the territory of having asthma.
I would so not be ok with someone telling me how much time my child can miss. Now, making up the work is another story, that was to be expected.
And like I said, I graduated at the top of my class and I went to a stellar, competitive school, we learned up there in 9th grade what seniors here in Miami public schools are learning. So I don't think my missing school was a hindrance at all.

Kaitlin'smom replied: depends, but more than likey I would. I missed 2 weeks of 2nd grade to go to Europe, we were there a total of 3 weeks, used spring break week for one of them and while I dont remember much the things I do remember of that trip were awsome and feel very lucky I got to go.

Celestrina replied:
Usually on Saturdays or in some cases summer school.

cameragirl21 replied:
sorry, but imo that is just asinine. If the work is caught up then that should be the end of it.

Boo&BugsMom replied: What teachers need to understand is that not everyone can get vacation time during the summer or other times the schools are out. Some people don't get a choice when to take their vacations, and why should you not go on one just because it happens to be when school is in session? Heaven forbid the teacher do a little extra work in making sure the kid can make up a test, homework, or something else. I would do it, in a heartbeat. Quite honestly, if the schools here had the same policy that was posted above about the 5 days within 9 weeks...I'd be homeschooling. I wouldn't want my children at a school that had that much control.

jcc64 replied: I think in kindergarten, I would do it. But I would definitely not pull my older kids out of school for an entire week. Our school district has a policy strictly forbidding teachers from assigning homework in advance for family vacations, probably to discourage families from pulling kids out of school. I know people do it b/c sometimes their work schedules dictate when they can and can't take off, but if you look at it from the school's perspective, if every kid missed a week here and there, it would be pretty tough to keep the whole class on track, particularly where mandatory high stakes testing is concerned. Not every kid is as capable as some of the stellar students we appear to have here at PC, and a lost week of worth could put some students far behind. But this is kindergarten we're talking about, not junior year of high school, so I'd say go for it, but I'm just letting you know it gets tougher the older the kids get.

Celestrina replied:
Thank you for explaining the school's perspective so well.

My2Beauties replied: I'm on the opposite side of most people I would say no only because here if they miss more than 3 consecutive days of school a letter is sent home and they threated to contact police for truancy here I had a friend whose son had croup, she sent in a note and called the school, he was out for 3 days and she still got a really really nasty letter saying he has missed x # of days and this is too many in a 1 week period, therefore, if the appropriate documentation is not given (illness or death in family only) then they would call CPS and truancy officers

MommyToAshley replied:
I think once they get into junior high/ high school level, I would be less likely to take a vacation during school. But, for elementary school, I see no harm. Ashley's school discourages it highly as well, but they don't have a policy about a set number of missed days. But, her teachers have never had a problem with it.

lovemy2 replied: We took Olivia out of school for a week in Kindy and it didn't hurt her a bit - we took a "journal" with us and everynite we wrote together in the journal - it kept her thinking and also gave her something really neat to share with her friends when we got back.