Missing first week of school

[Anonymous]

How many people miss the first week of school due to travel? Does a lot happen that first week?

[Anonymous]

What grade?

[Anonymous]

What age? 1st week of school is definitely important in HS.

[Anonymous]

1st and 2nd grade.

[Anonymous]

Like anything, depending on what the reason is and if it's something that is unavoidable of course it will be fine, the kids and teachers will figure it out. But especially if we're talking elementary, if you have a choice of a week I actually think this is a very difficult one. The first week is when norms and routines are set by the teacher. The class is learning the expectations for the classroom, this teacher etc. But I guess it depends on the grade. In high school as long as it's not freshman year probably wouldn't be as big of a deal, but I'm not there yet.

[Anonymous]

The kids will adjust if they miss the first week but it's one of the harder weeks to miss. I would avoid that if it's possible.

[Anonymous]

Elementary school, it's fine. It's just that your kids will miss the class rules explanations.

Middle and high school, not so much, because all your work counts towards your grade, so if you miss days of school, you need a valid excuse to not hand in your work or miss quizzes, otherwise you get a nice fat zero.

[Anonymous]

I would not do this personally. I think the first week is important socially.

[Anonymous]

For an emergency, sure. But otherwise a terrible idea.

[Anonymous]

If it's unavoidable for a truly good reason (not vacation), then it is what it is. But my kids wouldn't like starting school a week after everyone else. I think they'd feel left out and a little behind in learning the classroom rules and norms. It's not how I'd want them to start off the school year.

[Anonymous]

You could miss 6 months and it would barely make a difference.

[Anonymous]

I would not do this to my kids. I don't think it's common on our school at all, but maybe it is in more international areas.

[Anonymous]

Especially for 1st grade i think the first week is important for the kids to learn what the teacher expects, rules of the room and what the schedule will be like. When our ds needed to have his tonsils removed a few years ago we reached out to the school and asked what week would be best since it would need to happen in September. The teacher was very grateful that we asked and requested NOT the first week of school. She said any other week would be fine but that so much happens that first week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like anything, depending on what the reason is and if it's something that is unavoidable of course it will be fine, the kids and teachers will figure it out. But especially if we're talking elementary, if you have a choice of a week I actually think this is a very difficult one. The first week is when norms and routines are set by the teacher. The class is learning the expectations for the classroom, this teacher etc. But I guess it depends on the grade. In high school as long as it's not freshman year probably wouldn't be as big of a deal, but I'm not there yet.

Completely agree with this as an ES educator. The first week is difficult to miss because of the community building and routines that are established. Your child will miss out on a lot. If it's unavoidable that's one thing, if you are missing for vacation, I wouldn't.

[Anonymous]

If you do this, make sure to inform the school in advance. Otherwise, they will dis-enroll your kids when they don’t show up on the first day.

This happened to a neighbor of mine who had car trouble and got back a day late from a vacation. With everything going on, she didn’t think to call the school. She had to completely re-enroll her kids on the second day, since they had been removed from the school’s list of students.