Taking middle/high school kids out...do you take homework?

[monalsw]

do you take the homework with you or have the kids make it up when you get back? i remember seeing one poster who said that they will not take it with them, it's a vacation, and am thinking of this. my dd is in 8th grade, but we are going to be gone for a week and a half, so maybe i better take it with us? oh, what to do?
tia, lisa

 

[dmonroe]

All but one trip I ever made to WDW was during the school year; and I always took my homework with me. We always drove down (10 hours) and that gave me plenty of time to get most of it done. I never did any of it while we were actually at WDW. If you've got a long drive or flight, I think I would take it. I just remember wanting to have most of it done so I wouldn't have to worry about once I got home! Hope this helps -Dana

 

[Jordan's MOM]

Mine is also not quite that old but we delt with the homework issues this past school year by doing a little bit of all of these. We asked for and got the work several days early so we did as much as possible before the trip. Reading and other assignments that didn't require a lot of writting were done on the trip down (about 11 hours for us). We did a LITTLE bit at the resort but not much. It just did not work out well. Did some on the way back and as planned had a full day at home to finish up before he went back to school. Had no problems and plan to do this again next school year.


Jordan's mom

 

[WDW2002]

Neither of my DD's in sixth & fourth grade will probably not take her school work to WDW. But she will also have 2 weeks of Winter - Holiday break to make it up. There are so many educational opportunity to take advantage of while AT WDW, they won't need their school books.

 

[SueM in MN]

We've been to WDW yearly for the past 16 years. We did go during the school year when my oldest DD was in elementary and middle school. We took along homework, but getting it in advance from a number of teachers is much harder than just working with one elementary teacher. Since some of the books were very thick, we copied the pages she needed and just took those. She found once she got back that some of the teachers had not gotten as far along as they planned and some had gotten farther. We also found that some of them covered material that they didn't have in any handouts or books, so it was sometimes hard to catch up. When she hit high school, she asked us not to plan vacations for during the school year because she felt it was too hard to figure out just what she had missed in the classroom lectures and discussions. In high school, what is in the book in some classes is just a small portion of the class.
She actually had an easier time missing a few days of college last Spring (so younger DD wouldn't miss classes). In college there are more possibilities for getting notes from the class.

 

[BounceyOne]

We take it with us, it is nice to have something 'structured' to do once in a while while we are there.
This beiong said, we are not commando style DISers, we take it easy and relax, spending mostly half days in the parks.

 

[Soccer Princess]

If the class is reading a book together, then the book MIGHT be taken to WDW. Other than that ..no homework! I agree with the thought that it's a vacation and you should enjoy it! This has worked for me and I will graduate this year in the Advanced Program with a 3.7 gpa. When I get back I borrow notes from friends and have no problem catching up.
Just my two cents.

 

[KittieKat]

Definently take it..even if it is vacation..I for one, being a high school student know the stress of homework..especially if shes missing a week and a half. But dont let it get in your way..have a schedule, do some on the way there, she'll be antzy neways..and on the way back....and epending on how much she actually has, Id pull out like 1/2 hour of wind down time after, to get a little done, if not..she'll have a monster amount when she gets back.

 

[Barb D]

We just got back today. 6th grade DS and 4th grade DD did schoolwork in the car driving between Orlando and Ft Myers (where we went to a family reunion), in the airport while we were waiting for flights, and on the plane. They got most of it done.

 

[CRCrazy]

Our kids missed a week last March - but it was the week following Feb. vacation, so I got as much work before vacation as we could, and had them complete it before we left. Often, the teachers will assign a journal assignment which can only be done while we are there. That is what the kindergarten teacher did for my youngest. My middle daughter's sixth grade social studies teacher had her write a mini report on each country in Epcot she visited, and had her bring in her Passport with stamps.

This year, we are going Dec 13-19, so they will be back at school for one day before Christmas break. I'm going to try to get their assignments before we leave, and if they have any reading assignments, those will come with us for the plane ride and any down time. Bulky books, math assignments, etc, will probably be done over Christmas break - we don't want to exceed our luggage allowance!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

We absolutely bring all homework that is assigned, and do our best to get it done. We work on the plane, and during those quiet afternoon break times, early in the a.m. before heading to the parks. It's amazing how much work can get done in 5 minute intervals!

However! We do not stress over getting every bit done. After all, it is our vacation! We are fortunate that our children are excellent students (thus far anyway ) and don't have any trouble getting their work done!

 

[BounceyOne]

Is this a coincidence?
Has anyone else noticed, most of us that take family vacations have good students?

 

[Barb D]

One more comment...

I copied the pages they needed out of textbooks and workbooks, so that they didn't have to bring the entire books. We put the pages into folders.

 

[poohlover]

We also until 2000 took our kids out of school for vacations. In 2000 our oldest was in HS and it was impossible!! WE have always brought the homework with us & done some each day.

We also have had the kids do "special" projects for the teachers. A report on the Living Seas (2-3 pages) when they were in 6th grade studying the ocean. Or on a dec. trip a report on holidays around the world.

This gave the kids a chance to share some of their trip when they got back as well as showing the teachers that it's not just a "theme park".

Now we have 2 in HS and are actually spliting the family for this trip. I am going down with the 3 younger ones(9,7,&4), for 3 days and then my DH and older 3 kids will join us the day before Thanksgiving. Thus the older ones only miss a 1/2 day of school. We thought this was a creative way to get the best for all kids.

But each family has to do what they are comfortable with.

 

[LKS]

Bounceyone,

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that no one is going to post, "my kids are pretty much flunking out, but I pulled them out for Disney anyway." They might do it, but I doubt they'd brag about it! And anyway, everyone's idea of what makes a good student might not be the same.

I also don't think it 's because of the Disney vacations during the school year that the kids are good students! Because, I don't pull my kids out during the school year and I also have the ubiquitous "good students." But, of course we do vacation during all the holidays, so maybe that's it. LOL!

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Originally posted by Barb D
I copied the pages they needed out of textbooks and workbooks, so that they didn't have to bring the entire books. We put the pages into folders.

That is a very good idea! We are waiting anxiously to find out how much work our middle schooler will get for this trip.....he has 9 different classes, so it could be a bundle! I'm going to copy anything and everything possible to avoid hauling a 50lb backpack of school work 'cross country!

 

[Mortlives]

When I was a child, my parents always got us homework to take along. I have many fond memories of math problems poolside and reading books on the beach. Now that I have the means to take my family on vacation, we do the same with our son.

Last year he brought a journal assignment, and math problems. This year, I don't know what we'll get, but at least it's only a four day school week. If it is a journal assignment though, I'll remember the lesson we learned last time, and reinforce that a journal is not a minute by minute record of the type police officers are required to keep. The poor little guy (he was 10) was making entries like:
10:58 went to the bathroom
11:05 looked for a soda stand
Instead of something like:
Went to Epcot today and discovered that my favourite ride is Test Track. My mom preferred Cranium Command, and my dad wanted to spend the whole day at World ShowCase. We all agreed on Illuminations, though.

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Originally posted by Mortlives
I'll remember the lesson we learned last time, and reinforce that a journal is not a minute by minute record of the type police officers are required to keep. The poor little guy (he was 10) was making entries like:
10:58 went to the bathroom
11:05 looked for a soda stand

That is SO funny! I have a 9 yr old DS who is quite likely to do the same thing! Poor kids - they take things SO literally!

 

[SnowWitch]

My sons are in 5th and 7th grade. I actually have a parent- teacher conference this morning to discuss our upcoming Dec trip with my 7th graders teachers. During the elementary school years we were able to get all work done before leaving, that is my hope for this year as well. When I made the appt for the conference and explained why I wanted one they said that was so great that I was giving them so much notice. They seemed happy that we wanted to do it before we left.

 

[kel3420]

I have three kids that we are pulling out. A kindergartener for two days- no problem, lol, an 8th grader for 2 days - honor roll student, again no problem, and a Freshman for 5 days - this one is a problem.

I will be the first person here to go out on a limb, and say we probably shouldn't be taking him out due to grades, he is currently failing math, but at this point, due to some behavioral problems both in the family and at school, I think it much more important that we spend some quality family time together, regrouping and just having fun. He will do homework on the airplane and if we have down time, but for the most part, I am just looking forward to having fun with him, and letting some of the stress just wear off.

There are times in our family, where we have to take into consideration social and emotional issues, rather than academic. Actually, we have the full blessings of all his teachers, even MATH! This obviously is not going to be the case for every family, but for mine, this vacation is exactly what we need right now.

Just my two cents.