Extended vacation to see relatives overseas
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Anonymous
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Alright, I fear I am opening a can of worms, but here goes:
I would like to coordinate our vacations with my nieces' and nephews's vacations. This would require a very long overseas trip and would likely require my child to miss a few days of school (perhaps, even a week) either before winter break or spring break. I understand that family vacation is an unexcused absence. Does anyone have practical experience in how teachers and principals address this issue? |
Anonymous
The answer would be "we don't have school during the summer, do it then". |
Anonymous
| But my nieces and nephews do. Not everyone follows the American school calendar. |
Anonymous
| I missed school for a couple weeks around Christmas every other year growing up in public schools. I recently spoke to a friend about this, and she said that she spoke with the teacher first, explained the situation, and apologized profusely for doing this... In the end the school agreed, but depending on the teacher you have to do the whole "I'm soooo sorry" routine. |
Anonymous
| Since when did we families all start working for the Montgomery County Public Schools? Don't they work for us taxpayers? Maybe it's my years as a private school parent, but we are the consumers and without us none of the school personnel would even exist. I'm not saying we should rise up in anarchy, but give me a break. Some things are more important than rigid school rules on attendance. IMO, schools should try to be somewhat flexible if families come to them with reasonable requests and needs. Not going to happen, I guess. I refuse to be bullied. |
Anonymous
| agree with PP. Just talk to teachers and administrators and go! |
Anonymous
| Don't ask permission. Just go and apologize and tell them your kids will make up the work. There is a chance their grades will be affected but who cares. Life is more important than what your kids will do in a week or two of school. What your kids learn on an overseas trip and from cousins who live in other countries is worth 4 months of an MCPS education at least. We lived in a very international city where kids regularly missed a month here, a month there. Nobody cared and the ES fed into the top-ranked school HS for the city. MCPS takes itself way too seriously. They gave us hell for missing school for such reasons. Total nonsense. Have fun! |
Anonymous
| I have had no trouble with my children missing a week of school around the winter break for family travel.I always let the teacher know well in advance, and I sent a note to the teacher and principal about 2 weeks before the travel date. The teachers sometimes would give work to be completed during the absence (keep a travel diary, etc), or my children would do the missing work after returning. |
Anonymous
| I will have to do this on occasion and I make no apology. I have taught my kids as much as MCPS ever have. |
Anonymous
| Not to jack your thread but I plan to take my kindergartener (next year) out of school in Nov for 3 weeks at least. Some people said that they will withdraw a student automatically given that time period of absence. I have no problems with withdrawing, as long as I can get back in! hehehe |
Anonymous
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OP, I am a teacher (on leave). I have had students go overseas for a month or more, and face few consequences as far as getting "in trouble" with administration. They miss a lot of improtant instruction, but they don't have to repeat a grade or automatically fail a subject. Do not ask permission. Speak with the principal and teacher--I would email them both with the same email--and say that you need to go overseas to be with family. Do not ask permission, do not lie, do not ask for advice about the "the best time to go" and do not imply that this is an optional trip. Tell them that you hate to take the kids out of school, but it's necessary, and that you are concerned about the work/instruction they will miss. Ask how you can best prepare them and then catch them up. It's not the teacher's responsibility to create a packet of work or anything like that, but if you approach the situation nicely, there's a chance he or she may offer (a chance!). Otherwise, just tell them ahead of time and go. You don't need permission, school is not prison. A week is really not a humongous deal, especially if we're talking elementary school. Of course every single day of instruction is important, but parents take their kids out for trips to Disney World all the time.
Also, I'm assuming this is for elementary age--if it's middle or high school age, well, then you might run into trouble. And to answer PP's question, the "automatic withdrawal" period is longer than 3 weeks. I want to say it's more like 2 months, but I'm not 100% sure. |
Anonymous
You are visiting them. You are making enough of a sacrifice. You will STILL see your nieces/nephews when you arrive, as school is not 24-7. Find a spot over the summer. You must really value education, eh? |
Anonymous
Well then you need to brush up on your subject-verb agreement, as MCPS is a proper collective noun. (MCPS ever has) But it's nice to know that you THINK you're smart. |
Anonymous
You've got to be kidding. either that or too stupid for your own good NO ONE will help your kid catch up for those unexcused absences. LOL! |