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I need to write a letter to the school tonight.
I'm taking the boys out of school for a week next week to go skiing. The boys have their state champs on Thursday so I figured we may as well take the whole week.
The Principal is cool with it. I just need to write a letter to give to the teachers outlining that I am taking them away for a week for educational reasons.
So how do I say I am going skiing for a week and it's gonna be educational in teacher code?
Tell them you're taking a snowy.
That's what I always did before.
I didn't have to gussy it up as educational.
I think the word "enrichment" needs to be in there somewhere...
Why do you have to make it educational?
I was thinking the same as ginger. Holidays that fall during the term are totally acceptable.
I think the educational is more to satisfy government requirements than the school. I might be wrong but I think there is funding tied up in absentee levels and in such a small school 2 children out for a week can bring their average down but if they can demonstrate that educational outcomes are being met then it's not a real absence.
I think I've got something - I referred to gross motor skills and the natural environment.
I disagree, Rouge, term-time holidays are generally not acceptable! However, practice for a competition is less objectionable.
How about:
Dear *teacher*.
DS1 and DS2 have qualified to attend the state championships for skiing on *date*. As a result I am taking them to *place* to improve their skiing, in order to give them the best chance of sucess/to proceed to represent the state. Please can you inform me of the work DS will be missing during his absence.
Yours faithfully,
Onyx.
That sounds not only important, but like you actually will keep up with the schoolwork too. Not that you have to, but it shows willing.
Body coordination helps with brain integration between left & right hemispheres.
Lol TFB. I can assure you at all the schools around me it is completely acceptable :)
Hope you have fun skiing Onyx.
Say of are king to study geography, weather and how the body works :-) kinda strange...I plan on taking the kids out of school for holidays like we did this year and will just be telling them that it's a holiday and they will be learning about the world :-)
Hmmmm... As a teacher who likes taking kids on excursions and justifying them, how do any of these sound?
Well they could be practicing their mapping skills by helping to plan the route to take and directing you along the way.
There is definitely lots of number practice that could occur by calculating how much further it is until the next stop/destination/town and working out how long it will take to arrive based on travelling speed.
They could be practicing their budgeting and money skills by helping to plan the expenses for the trip and trying to stay within budget.
There's definitely some sort of geography and possibly even history skills to be learnt (if you do a bit of sightseeing)
There's definitely gross motor skills to be learnt
There's also social skills and being a graceful winner/loser during the actual competition.
They could practice their recount skills by verbally (or written if you want) recalling the events of the day(s). If they choose to write you've got lots of literacy skills involved
Hope these ideas help.
Just asked DH and unless its written in your schools contract then you don't have to give a reason. It doesn't effect funding. You are the parents and are entitled to holidays any time of the year.
Keywords: life long learning
We have Swiss friends who needed written permission from the county/district/whatever to take their child out of school during term - apparently it's a bit of a rigmarole to apply and the county/district/whatever gave every right to refuse...
I'd go with TFB's version, unless you're subject to similar rules :)
I would simply explain that my children are vampires and as the weather is getting warmer and the sun is re-emerging, they have to be taken to the snow immediately otherwise they will start to sparkle and attract the attention of lesser beings.
Actually, I have no idea. My parents wouldn't let me go on school camp in year 10 as I was doing two year 11 subjects and they didn't want me missing those classes, and made me do my work experience in the school holidays for the same reason ... the thought of my parents encouraging anything that would result in any class being missed whatsoever is something I only ever saw in my classmates, and I'm pretty sure that their parents just notified the school that they'd be out for these days.
The kids had to hand in any assignments before they went though, I think... no default extensions allowed.
I think there's some pretty good (non vampire based) suggestions already here, though. :)
And maybe the boys can confuse their competitors by speaking alternating sentences in Italian.
I have my doubts that the kids being absent for a week needs to be justified as educational. What if the kids had chickenpox for a week? I know this wasn't the question but Im baffled as to why its even an issue really.
It sounds like a heap of BS to me. If the principal is cool with it, why do you have to justify it further?
BS it may be but the school handbook says quite clearly that we have to provide a letter when we go on holidays and the principal asked for one yesterday so I need to provide one.
Writing the letter is the path of least resistance. I have more important things to deal with than battling with a school over their bureaucracy.
OPTION 1:
:
To the snow we go
Teacher, leave them kids alone
Skiing is da bomb
OPTION 2:
I say go with option 1. Everyone loves a haiku.:
Dear School
As you will be aware, DS1 and DS2 have qualified for the Yeti Park State Championship skiing competition, and their division will be competing on date.
Accordingly, to allow for driving, final preparation and team building activities, we will be having a family excursion to AREA from Monday DATE to Friday DATE inclusive.
From our previous discussions, we understand that you appreciate the importance of events such as this, and the life long learning opportunities DS1 and DS2 are afforded by setting and achieving goals, being a part of a community and engaging in a broad range of activities such as the Abominable Championships.
We will be setting aside time for DS1 and DS2 to undertake any ongoing set tasks which can be engaged in outside of the classroom, and we would appreciate the relevant teacher(s) forwarding (either hard copies with DS1 and DS2, or by email to zazou@onyx.co.uk) any set tasks and instructions.
If there are no specific tasks, we will prepare some location focused activities, which can link in with the Yeti Park geography, body movement, history of skiing or Winter Olympics, reading, writing a report (or a creative writing piece) about the competition and so forth.
If there are any key projects which will be due during the relevant week, please advise as soon as possible, so we can discuss with DS1 or DS2's teacher whether it would be more appropriate for the project to be submitted before or after their return.
Given that the excursion will be reasonably brief, we do not anticipate needing to borrow any classroom texts or the like, but if there is something specific you would recommend, please advise.
If you have any queries relating to the above, please contact us on 555 007. If any teachers wish to forward any specific work, or discuss any of the above, they can contact us on this number as well. We otherwise look forward to seeing you upon our return.
Yours faithfully,
Mother Superior (aka Superior Mother)
Either way, leave the ball in their court for them to come to you with any queries, work, etc. And if they don't, run for the hills. And then ski down them. Like a boss.
I completely understand having to give written notification of a holiday to the school. Having to justify it as educational for attendance and/or funding purposes is the part that doesn't sit well with me.
My guess (and it is a complete guess) is that it's about the attendance rates - they're one of the many things on the "my schools" website, and I'm guessing (someone with actual knowledge may correct me) that if the school can show there's a sufficient "educational" element, then they maybe don't have to include it as an absence and it doesn't affect their figures.
The reason why schools require a note for extended absence is so that it can be an exemption. This needs to be approved by the Principal. If it is not for educational purposes then the principal will not approve it as an exemption from school. This will then not count against a child's absence record. Absences from Childhood illnesses like chicken pox are also not counted in a child's record of attendance.
Our school is just starting to crack down on absentee notes as well. And making a point of kids being off school for a legitimate reason. And fair enough.
Its more for people who just don't think education is important. A family member of mine keeps her DD home when hung over. Because she either can't be bothered getting up, or she needs help with the younger one :dunno: Others in town take theirs away for 6 weeks every year for work. Weather or not they take work with them I don't know, but if they do I seriously doubt it actually covers the whole 6 weeks they'd do at school.
Others do random shopping trips or to catch up with family & friends in the city through out the term, often for close to a week 3 or 4 times in a term.
I only mention these people, because I am close to these people. I know their circumstances & I know they really should put their kids education over some of these things.
Honestly, one week out of the year for a holiday isn't such a huge thing. If it was one week out of every term, it might make a difference. I wouldn't worry about justifying it myself. But I'm pretty sure if SIL had to justify her hang over, she'd say DD was sick...