# There goes my xmas vacation plans



## CSB (Mar 21, 2011)

Well I did my due diligence when I booked my winter vacation this December 2011. Checked each school calendar and the Ontario ministry website. Booked my vacation, as I always do, the first week of the vacation December 18th, 2011.

Just talked to my cousin who informed me that the school boards have asked the ministry to move the vacation one week later due to parents asking that the kids not be off school the week before Christmas. The ministry will announce this spring about the change.

Do you think that RCI will move my week forward? Can you hear me cry?


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## eal (Mar 21, 2011)

I doubt if your kids' education will be irreparably damaged by missing a week of school in December!  Pull them out of school for the week you have booked and enjoy your vacation.


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## moonstone (Mar 21, 2011)

Cindy the article in the Toronto Star stated that the Bds of Ed were asking for just 3 days of school that week (+ 2 PA? days). The kids would be done Wed 21st so if you left your plans as is they'd only miss 3 days not 5! I seriously doubt they'd miss much 'school work' anyways. 
SIL (who is a high school teacher) is seriously hoping this change happens so she & her family can be home for Christmas then head to Florida on the 27th for 12 days! 
~Diane


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## Dori (Mar 21, 2011)

Cindy, don't worry about what they might miss for the few days they would be away. I say this as a mom and a retired teacher. Go for it!

Dori


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## am1 (Mar 22, 2011)

Apparently the union will not approve having the last day in the middle of the week.  I guess that is where the 2 PA days come in.  But still makes it difficult.  

Like has been said the change would allow people to spend Christmas at home and then 12-13 days on a trip.  The weather is a lot better in January for winter sports then middle of December.


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## CSB (Mar 22, 2011)

My son will be in grade 12 next year. This year he had many assignment to hand in and tests the week before the break. It was only the Friday before the break that was no problem to miss.

We have taken our kids out of school many times over the years but not when the marks are this important for university entrance.


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## mclyne (Mar 22, 2011)

Cindy,

 I am sure lots of other people are experiencing the same problem. Not much gets done the week before vacation. Nothing new will be taught. Think of it this way: if your children became ill, they would be out of school for a few days. Ask the teacher for any missed work and have the children complete it before retuning to school. My daughter has done this occasionally when she, her husband and their children vacation with us. There would be no way for them to miss a free Carribean vacation for a few days of missed classes. Go and have a wonderful time!!


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## eal (Mar 22, 2011)

This would be an excellent opportunity for your son to step up to the plate, take responsibility for any work that he might miss, and make arrangements with his teachers to get it done and handed in, or to create alternative ways of doing the work and getting the credit.  

Go on your vacation!


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## drguy (Mar 22, 2011)

CSB said:


> Well I did my due diligence when I booked my winter vacation this December 2011. Checked each school calendar and the Ontario ministry website. Booked my vacation, as I always do, the first week of the vacation December 18th, 2011.
> 
> Just talked to my cousin who informed me that the school boards have asked the ministry to move the vacation one week later due to parents asking that the kids not be off school the week before Christmas. The ministry will announce this spring about the change.
> 
> Do you think that RCI will move my week forward? Can you hear me cry?



Congratulations for being a responsible parent.  Too many parents think only of themselves and not their children when planning vacations during the school year.


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## eal (Mar 22, 2011)

Oh for heaven's sake!  CSB's children will not be harmed by missing the last three days of school before Christmas vacation!  (I don't think you realize how pompous you sound!)  

There is plenty to learn outside of the school environment, believe me.


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 22, 2011)

eal said:


> Oh for heaven's sake!  CSB's children will not be harmed by missing the last three days of school before Christmas vacation!  (I don't think you realize how pompous you sound!)
> 
> There is plenty to learn outside of the school environment, believe me.



But what does the child learn about skipping out on their responsibilities by skipping school for a vacation?


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## DeniseM (Mar 22, 2011)

In our district that's finals week and the end of the semester - bad time to miss school.  My suggestion - if you pull them out - do it officially so that they have the right to make up the work.  That usually means going on short term independent study.  If you take them out of school "unofficially" they have no right to make up the work they missed.


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## eal (Mar 22, 2011)

The end of term in Ontario is the end of January.  A child who goes on a special vacation with their parents learns that there is more to life than nose to the grindstone!

I am a child psychologist who took my kids out of school at least for a few days at least once a year to expose them to new experiences on trips.  Slavish adherance to school "rules" drives me crazy!  (as you can tell...)


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 22, 2011)

eal said:


> The end of term in Ontario is the end of January.  A child who goes on a special vacation with their parents learns that there is more to life than nose to the grindstone!
> 
> I am a child psychologist who took my kids out of school at least for a few days at least once a year to expose them to new experiences on trips.  Slavish adherance to school "rules" drives me crazy!  (as you can tell...)



No question it's important for a child to learn to be a free spirit, experimentation and learning outside of the constrains of our limited educational system is a must simply because of the limits of our education system

But they need to learn that while those opportunities are important...they come secondary to the general rules and guidelines that hold society together for instance the stuctured learning and social aspects behind schooling, or later on in life, a solid job and bills needed to survive in todays world

If a child is taught early on that on a whim all resposibilities and guidlines can be thrown out for a bit of disney fun....that will carry on for the rest of their lives...they'll start putting precedent on vacations over the real life responsibilities like mortgages and jobs


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## Krteczech (Mar 22, 2011)

*week  51*

Same for me and my week 51 on St Maarten. I bought our plane tickets three weeks before Board of Education approved 2012 calendar.  Winter break falls on week 52 and 53. Well, we will have to work around it and hope my daughter will be able to make up her assignments.


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 22, 2011)

Maybe your son could turn in assignments early. If not, I understand what you mean about 12th grade. Maybe talk to his guidance counselor.
Liz


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## eal (Mar 23, 2011)

Ridewithme38:
I appreciate what you are saying about the structured learning and social aspects of formal schooling, and its important lessons for later adult life.  But this trip has been planned for a year, it is not some last-minute whim of the parent.  

Rather than cancel because school board personnel have changed their minds, after publishing a 2011-2012 schedule, the whole family could benefit from figuring out how to make up whatever genuine school work is missed and then taking that vacation.

BTW my kids, who are all grown up now, take their jobs very seriously and would never put a last-minute vacation ahead of their work responsibilities.  But they did have fun at Disneyland in mid-November 1991!


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## jlwquilter (Mar 23, 2011)

Life lessons come in all shapes and sizes. It's how they are dealt with and viewed that makes the difference, even when the situation is identical.

One can take the view that school and classroom learning is primary in all cases and it's the kid's (and parent's) job and you go and do your best no matter what. Vacation time, family time, time off due to illness, and other important things are way down on the list.

One can take the view that school is not so important and fun and wonder and free spiritedness is of more value in all cases.

Or perhaps one can take a moderate view and say things can be equally important and what counts most is using your brain to stike a balance at any given time, taking in all known possible consequences. Sometimes school IS more important but sometimes family and fun is. Maybe getting the child to THINK and participate in making life decisions is really the life lesson to be learned here.


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 23, 2011)

jlwquilter said:


> Maybe getting the child to THINK and participate in making life decisions is really the life lesson to be learned here.



The problem is a Child doesn't have the life experience or know how to weight the pro's and con's of their decisions...If asked if they want Ice Cream or an Apple, the child will choose Ice Cream...

Also with children(and some under developed adults) Immediate Rewards vs. Delayed Gratification...There are alot of studies done on this...If a child is asked if they'd rather have a dollar today or two dollars tomorrow studies say, they will in most cases go for the dollar today....Its an issue of child development not so much education with this one...The brain of a child is just wired to think like that

So its hard to bring a child into the planning phase of a vacation, or really easy...You can pretty much guarantee they will make the wrong decision and then you can go from there


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## CSB (Mar 23, 2011)

It's very interesting the various views on the subject that I see here.

My son is not big on studying and will use any excuse to miss school. When told about this vacation problem, he said "there is no way that I can miss that week of school". He knows what kind of work that his teachers give during this particular week. I remember that he told me about an assignment due the Thursday or Friday before the break. We had a discussion about the problems the kids would have because parents booked tickets a few days earlier than the break.


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## nightnurse613 (Mar 24, 2011)

And not only that...both California and Arizona (there may be others but, I'm familiar with these two) have truancy laws.  After a few absences you get a note from the school and may have to go to court to explain why your child wasn't in school.  The school districts get money for attendance so they get pretty uppitty when you keep your child home.  Of course, while I'm trying to keep my kid in school and instill in him the possibility that he should be in school and learn; the schools seem to take every effort to undo that lesson by suspending him for chewing gum in class.


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## Ridewithme38 (Mar 24, 2011)

nightnurse613 said:


> Of course, while I'm trying to keep my kid in school and instill in him the possibility that he should be in school and learn; the schools seem to take every effort to undo that lesson by suspending him for chewing gum in class.



:rofl::rofl:


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## Liz Wolf-Spada (Mar 24, 2011)

Cindy, it sounds like your son has a pretty good grasp on his situation. Maybe the school board would respond to many parents showing up at the board meeting to voice their objections to such a late change as I'm sure you can't be the only family with plans already made.

Nightnurse, suspending your child for chewing gum sounds seriously unreasonable to me, unless it was more involved than that. I know different teachers took the gum thing more or less seriously, but really to me, it was not such a big deal. Although I must admit, after finding gum ruining a brand new, never before used social studies textbook in my 5th grade class I did sort of go ballistic. It was in a desk not even being used. The principal happened to be there on one of her "pop in" visits and I didn't even care, I was so mad. Up until then I had pretty much told my 5th graders that I thought they were old enough to be responsible about chewing gum. I can even mentally see where the desk was in the room when I discovered the destroyed book!
Liz


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## am1 (Mar 24, 2011)

This thing started with parents complaining.  The school board cannot make everyone happy.  As long as the calander was not finalized I do not see a problem with the change.  



Liz Wolf-Spada said:


> Cindy, it sounds like your son has a pretty good grasp on his situation. Maybe the school board would respond to many parents showing up at the board meeting to voice their objections to such a late change as I'm sure you can't be the only family with plans already made.
> 
> Liz


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## Kagehitokiri2 (Mar 26, 2011)

can your son complete everything early?


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## bogey21 (Mar 26, 2011)

My parents put a lot of emphasis on "perfect attendance", no matter what, at both school and church.  IMO it made me a more dependable adult.  As a parent I did the same with my children and believe it has served them well.  

George


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## crisby (Mar 26, 2011)

One of the ironies of all this is that if it snows enough that week in Ontario, the schools will close and you might end up sitting at home with the kids and hoping that your flights go out the next week. 

Vacation planning in the Canadian winter is always a crap-shoot (but worth it when you step off the plane into the sunshine and palm trees).

We owned in Orlando and took the kids out of school for a week each year in late October and I always felt they were learning a lot at Epcot, the space center and other hands-on experiences. 

Chris


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