Thread: Do you take your children out of school to cruise?

I agree with you, Sally, about this whole testing thing. I've been helping out in some of the classes the last few years and often will hear a teacher explain that "this is how you need to answer" a certain type of question on the May State Exams. It's unfortunate that kids are learning how to take tests, rather than learning how to love learning. It's not the teachers' fault. In fact, last night when the President was giving his SOTU speech and mentioned his LNKB program, I booed.

Many kids are showing signs of stress in the period leading up to the testing period. My girl's third grade teacher last year told me that the year before, some kids were actually throwing up right before the exams. Last year, she turned it into a party and had each kid take turns bringing in goodies or juice boxes for the class to enjoy every day during testing.

My "kids" are now 22 & 24, but if we did take them out, there weren't any probs. Also, on all vacations whether during school or off times, we do some educational stops, be it forts or volcanoes or museums, whatever; and they have used many of these places for things from "show & tell", to reports, to projects. Life is an education, always take the opportunity to learn new things from new places. Apparently things got a bit stricter,as when my friend took hers out and was told "No" she couldn't. She said that she felt the opportunity to observe another culture was an education in itself and they were going. (And they did w/no repercussions). So it depends on yr school, and yr child- if they can keep up with the work when gone.

Well people... I changed my mind. I just couldn't go thru with taking her out of school. I have never done it yet, and I can't start now. There will be other times when she can go, like over a school break or vacation.

I have done this many times. The school doesn't dissuade it, and we make sure DD's work is up to date.

We homeschool, so we plan the vacations during the cheaper off-peak seasons (especially Disney World - woah!), and schedule school around them. The summer here is so miserably hot that we school during the summer - we actually have a 3 weeks on/1 week off schedule that we really like. So we can typically find a nice off peak week somewhere in between our "school" weeks.

I completely agree about the hands-on experience, though! There are actually cruises organized specifically for homeschoolers - complete with a few lectures and projects centered around the history and culture of the ports they'll be visiting. That said, I'd hate to force my kids to work during a vacation (hey, that's why WE go on vacation!!!), so I'd rather study that history and culture in the weeks leading up to the cruise, and then leave the cruise for the sheer experience of it. If they chose to do the lectures, either because it interested them or because friends were going, then that would be a different thing. But I couldn't force it on them.

That said, our upcoming cruise is just the two of us, and the boys are spending a week with Grandma and Grandpa!

Erin

I have taken my youngest out of preschool...and I will be taking her out next year from Kindergarten. I don't as a rule take my older kids out of school...My son can't miss too much hockey...my oldest is an A student and graduates in June...I really think they would miss way too much esp. being in private school.

Originally Posted by oceangreeneyes

Also, on all vacations whether during school or off times, we do some educational stops, be it forts or volcanoes or museums, whatever; and they have used many of these places for things from "show & tell", to reports, to projects. Life is an education, always take the opportunity to learn new things from new places.

I couldn't have said it better.

Reggie