Taking off the day before winter break

[Anonymous]

I never let my kids take a day off unless they are sick, but the best plane fares I could get are for Friday, so they are going to miss school because the several hundred dollars difference is a big deal for our budget.

Anyhow, I'm not that concerned about DS in an MCPS elementary school, but I really don't want DD to lose credit (no tests that I know of that day) if there are assignments that day in high school. Any suggestions? It seems really suspect to tell them she's out sick. Or do we just suck it up if it's an unexcused absence? She has no other absences this year.

[Anonymous]

Teachers are mentally on vacation that day. NO ONE gives tests the last day. Just have your kid ask in advance to be sure. Happens all the time. They aren't in Jail, it is school.

[Anonymous]

We've done it in the past. I usually just sent in a note ahead of time letting the teacher know that we would be away.

On the (very, very rare) occasions that there was something to turn in, the teachers always let them do it ahead of time.

The school puts out a tough message about unexcused absences, but IME, teachers are pretty understanding about this sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We've done it in the past. I usually just sent in a note ahead of time letting the teacher know that we would be away.

On the (very, very rare) occasions that there was something to turn in, the teachers always let them do it ahead of time.

The school puts out a tough message about unexcused absences, but IME, teachers are pretty understanding about this sort of thing.

+1

Not really a huge deal.

[Anonymous]

ES teacher here, married to a MS teacher. My class is making hot chocolate and doing winter holiday crafts the last two days before break, his are watching a Disney movie (in Spanish--it counts!)

Go, send a note out ahead of time out of courtesy, but it is seriously not a big deal, esp. if she has no other absences this year.

[Anonymous]

HS teacher here. Am giving a test on Thursday, but not Friday. We fully expect many students to be out- but we also don't want the entire week to be a waste. Students with excused absences can, of course, make up work upon return to school.

[Anonymous]

They might miss the Christmas parties. That's about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are mentally on vacation that day. NO ONE gives tests the last day. Just have your kid ask in advance to be sure. Happens all the time. They aren't in Jail, it is school.

~sigh~ They do in Fairfax County Public Schools. My middle school student has two tests on Friday 12/20.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are mentally on vacation that day. NO ONE gives tests the last day. Just have your kid ask in advance to be sure. Happens all the time. They aren't in Jail, it is school.

uh - I can't say I'm "mentally on vacation" that day. So please don't speak for all of us. I've known plenty of teachers who have given assessments on that day. Call it cruel, but if a project is due on the day before a vacation, I'm sure no boss is cutting you any slack.

School is school just as work is work. jail? no - not jail - But it is a responsibility.

She'll receive an unexcused absence unless you do lie. But anyone will see through the lie.

[Anonymous]

I'd go for the lie.

[Anonymous]

DD missed the day before thanksgiving because of an early flight out that day. We have an online system for letting the school know a student will be out. I just didn't specify why she was out. No one ever asked.

[Anonymous]

You're letting them miss school because you were able to get cheaper airfare?????? WTF????? Are you crazy, school is so important, you're a horrible person, yadda yadda yadda ...... Just kidding!

It's no big deal, just tell the teacher way in advance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Teachers are mentally on vacation that day. NO ONE gives tests the last day. Just have your kid ask in advance to be sure. Happens all the time. They aren't in Jail, it is school.

uh - I can't say I'm "mentally on vacation" that day. So please don't speak for all of us. I've known plenty of teachers who have given assessments on that day. Call it cruel, but if a project is due on the day before a vacation, I'm sure no boss is cutting you any slack.

School is school just as work is work. jail? no - not jail - But it is a responsibility.

She'll receive an unexcused absence unless you do lie. But anyone will see through the lie.

In the real post-school world of bosses, we usually just get our work done in advance, so it's actually not due on the day before vacation. We stay late (later than a school days runs for instance.) We might even work on our project over the weekend. Or, we come in really early.

[Anonymous]

NP: We also did that. We had one teacher freak out about it and said some very ugly things to our DD. Thankfully, the school has strict policies about what mean things she can do in revenge over the Holidays. Hey, $400 is a lot to us!