School absences - any tips for convincing reluctant mom and teachers?
Oct 22nd, 2003, 01:26 PM
#86
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Wow, you actually have to have a meeting to discuss pulling your stepdaughter out of school for 4 days? I am a teacher, and I have had many students over the years miss up to a week of school for vacations. While I don't like it, usually a note from home given to all of the teachers and the office is sufficient. I do give assignments in advance, but I find that more often than not, they are not complete upon the student's return to school. We have a policy that if a student misses school for any reason other than illness they have up to 5 days upon return to make up any work/tests/quizzes missed. So, after 5 days, anything not made up is a zero. I know that all schools vary, but I have never heard of having a special meeting.
My opinion may not be popular, but one of the drawbacks of having school-age children is that you have restricted travel times. Yes, it may be cheaper to travel during non-school vacation times, but I strongly disagree with pulling kids out of school becuase it is a more convenient time to travel. Do I think that traveling is a valuable learning experience? Yes, but it should happen when the child is not missing out on other learning experiences.
Whatever happens, have a nice trip. Just make sure that your stepdaughter does not fall behind when she returns.
My opinion may not be popular, but one of the drawbacks of having school-age children is that you have restricted travel times. Yes, it may be cheaper to travel during non-school vacation times, but I strongly disagree with pulling kids out of school becuase it is a more convenient time to travel. Do I think that traveling is a valuable learning experience? Yes, but it should happen when the child is not missing out on other learning experiences.
Whatever happens, have a nice trip. Just make sure that your stepdaughter does not fall behind when she returns.
Nov 17th, 2003, 07:00 PM
#87
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I picked up this message on a search and wondered if this family IS going to England during Thanksgiving. I sure hope so. I'm pulling my kids out of school so we can. (They are in high school and elementary school.) Teacher always tell you how important it is to be in a classroom. Don't buy into it. Take extra school work and go for it.
Best of luck Melissa. It's been nearly 5 months and I hope you made it work. Travel is one of the most broading things you can do with kids. It's all the stuff you get in school in the most learnable format possible. History breathes for you. Education seems like the only possible course. The exposure is priceless...especially if you're from a small town.
Maybe we'll see you there. If not, keep trying to make the dream happen. Best of luck.
Best of luck Melissa. It's been nearly 5 months and I hope you made it work. Travel is one of the most broading things you can do with kids. It's all the stuff you get in school in the most learnable format possible. History breathes for you. Education seems like the only possible course. The exposure is priceless...especially if you're from a small town.
Maybe we'll see you there. If not, keep trying to make the dream happen. Best of luck.
Nov 17th, 2003, 07:12 PM
#88
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You made a mistake even telling the school that she was going to be out. You should have just had her mother call her in absent on 'family business'.
I have hated dealing with schools over this since I was in 8th grade. I got out of school one afternoon to attend a spring training game - Dodgers vs cubs - with a friend. We were called into the principal's office where he lectured us and wanted to let us know that this wasn't something we could do 'every day'
Well that was ridiculous. The Dodgers only played in town every other year and it was only a couple of hours we would be missing.
Seems really stupid since I missed two weeks later that spring with Pneumonia and made up my missed work in one day!
I have hated dealing with schools over this since I was in 8th grade. I got out of school one afternoon to attend a spring training game - Dodgers vs cubs - with a friend. We were called into the principal's office where he lectured us and wanted to let us know that this wasn't something we could do 'every day'
Well that was ridiculous. The Dodgers only played in town every other year and it was only a couple of hours we would be missing.
Seems really stupid since I missed two weeks later that spring with Pneumonia and made up my missed work in one day!
Nov 18th, 2003, 04:44 AM
#89
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For those who were following our situation....
We leave tomorrow evening! And my step-daughter will be joining us! Her grades could always be "better" but she's making B's in Algebra so we can't complain. Several of her teachers have given her a "specfic" assignment for the trip. For example - for her Foods class, she is to try certain British foods and report back. For English, we are touring Charles Dickens house/museum, etc. and she will write a short report on him.
Thanks go out to the teachers for being creative and allowing her the opportunity to explore while learning!
Now if her mother doesn't freak over the 100,000 angry protesters while we're there we should be OK!
I'll post a trip report when we return.Thanks again everyone for your help!
We leave tomorrow evening! And my step-daughter will be joining us! Her grades could always be "better" but she's making B's in Algebra so we can't complain. Several of her teachers have given her a "specfic" assignment for the trip. For example - for her Foods class, she is to try certain British foods and report back. For English, we are touring Charles Dickens house/museum, etc. and she will write a short report on him.
Thanks go out to the teachers for being creative and allowing her the opportunity to explore while learning!
Now if her mother doesn't freak over the 100,000 angry protesters while we're there we should be OK!
I'll post a trip report when we return.Thanks again everyone for your help!
Dec 1st, 2003, 04:13 PM
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We are back from our wonderful vacation to England and Wales. As for school/grades issue, my step-daughter did join us bringing along homework in several subjects that we worked on during the planes rides and for 45 minutes or so each night we were in the Cotswolds (total of 6 nights).
With a little help from her sister in Spanish, me in Algebra, and her father in Biology, all assignments that she had been given before the trip were complete, with the exception of the combined short reports, when we delivered her back home yesterday afternoon. She will be working on the short reports this week anxiously awaiting our pictures to confirm our "afternoon tea", our "fish and chips" and other various foods that were on her assignment list.
Although the protestors did cause some change in plans, we accomplished most of what was on our itinerary.
Even though some of the sites didn't "keep" her interest as much as it did ours, we feel she learned a great deal about another culture and life in general. She has now experienced planes, trains, taxis, buses and the tube (subway). She can read a tube or bus map to get where she needs to be. Best of all, we think she learned to be more independent as she discovered that when obstacles are thrown your way, you must stand up to them and work thru it using what you have available to you.
And lastly, when you are lost, it's OK to ASK someone for help!
More on our adventures (some good, some not so good) in our trip report in the next few days.
Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts and help during our planning!
With a little help from her sister in Spanish, me in Algebra, and her father in Biology, all assignments that she had been given before the trip were complete, with the exception of the combined short reports, when we delivered her back home yesterday afternoon. She will be working on the short reports this week anxiously awaiting our pictures to confirm our "afternoon tea", our "fish and chips" and other various foods that were on her assignment list.
Although the protestors did cause some change in plans, we accomplished most of what was on our itinerary.
Even though some of the sites didn't "keep" her interest as much as it did ours, we feel she learned a great deal about another culture and life in general. She has now experienced planes, trains, taxis, buses and the tube (subway). She can read a tube or bus map to get where she needs to be. Best of all, we think she learned to be more independent as she discovered that when obstacles are thrown your way, you must stand up to them and work thru it using what you have available to you.
And lastly, when you are lost, it's OK to ASK someone for help!
More on our adventures (some good, some not so good) in our trip report in the next few days.
Thanks again to everyone for their thoughts and help during our planning!
Dec 2nd, 2003, 09:28 AM
#96
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I'm glad you guys had a great trip! Can't wait to read the details.
And, rest assured...even if things didn't go 100% smoothly, she will remember the trip with a smile, and years from now, that little seed you have planted will come to fruition in her desire to travel to other places. YAY!
And, rest assured...even if things didn't go 100% smoothly, she will remember the trip with a smile, and years from now, that little seed you have planted will come to fruition in her desire to travel to other places. YAY!
Dec 30th, 2003, 02:04 PM
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Nov 10th, 2004, 06:53 PM
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Just a quick update for anyone else struggling with the questions we had about education and travel.
My step-daughter's grades were not in the least bit affected for the remainder of the school year. In fact, she just received her report for this 6 weeks and she is now making all A's. So in our case, she went from B/C to mainly A's.
Additionally, she has discussed the possibility of attending colleges away from her small home town and has been more independent in her thinking and actions this last year. Prior to our trip, she didn't like to be away from home for longer than a week. Now she is asking about spending the summer with us while getting a summer job here because she says that her options will be limited in her home town to build a base for a future career.
Maybe it's just that she is growing up and I shouldn't point to the travel experience as the reason behind these wonderful revelations. But, we (her father & I) can't help but think that this trip did expand her horizons and open her eyes to a much larger world.
We are now beginning to plan next summer's vacation (when school's out!)
with even more involvement from the kids.
Thanks again to all those who offered their thoughts and opinions.
My step-daughter's grades were not in the least bit affected for the remainder of the school year. In fact, she just received her report for this 6 weeks and she is now making all A's. So in our case, she went from B/C to mainly A's.
Additionally, she has discussed the possibility of attending colleges away from her small home town and has been more independent in her thinking and actions this last year. Prior to our trip, she didn't like to be away from home for longer than a week. Now she is asking about spending the summer with us while getting a summer job here because she says that her options will be limited in her home town to build a base for a future career.
Maybe it's just that she is growing up and I shouldn't point to the travel experience as the reason behind these wonderful revelations. But, we (her father & I) can't help but think that this trip did expand her horizons and open her eyes to a much larger world.
We are now beginning to plan next summer's vacation (when school's out!)
with even more involvement from the kids.
Thanks again to all those who offered their thoughts and opinions.
Nov 10th, 2004, 07:06 PM
#100
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Good for you Melissa! Your step-daughter owes you a big thank you. Just want to add that I have taken my children out of school for many "educational" experiences. And I am a teacher myself! Believe me, parents are allowing kids to miss school for much lesser reasons than this.
But for those of you thinking of doing this, number one, you do NOT ask the school if you can do this. You tell them that you are sure they will agree that the educational benefits of such a trip are "unparalleled". Then you ask them how you can all work together to help little Sally complete all her assignments.
I just wrote the very same letter this week to my 6th grader's teachers as he will be missing 3 days that we are tacking onto Thanksgiving break. He has 5 different teachers, and they were all able to accomodate us.
Again, as an educator, I say there is no classroom experience that can compare to a trip abroad. This will be my 15 year old's third trip to Europe, and he is head and shoulders above other kids his age.
But for those of you thinking of doing this, number one, you do NOT ask the school if you can do this. You tell them that you are sure they will agree that the educational benefits of such a trip are "unparalleled". Then you ask them how you can all work together to help little Sally complete all her assignments.
I just wrote the very same letter this week to my 6th grader's teachers as he will be missing 3 days that we are tacking onto Thanksgiving break. He has 5 different teachers, and they were all able to accomodate us.
Again, as an educator, I say there is no classroom experience that can compare to a trip abroad. This will be my 15 year old's third trip to Europe, and he is head and shoulders above other kids his age.
