extended school year ruining your cruise?

[Dreacrusingaway]

They pushed back everything here. State testing (CRCT), end of year exams, even graduation dates. So our extra days helped. Plus they went an extra 30 min per day for over 2 months. Started in early March and ends next Thurs. They actually got their instructional time back.

 

 

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Edited May 6, 2014 by Dreacrusingaway

[lady_cruiser]

........

 

My main issue is this...what exactly do they think they are going to cover on June 26th that has anything to do with the days we lost in February? Those days are gone and so is the opportunity to make up those lessons.

.....

 

If your Board of Education is like ours its not what they cover, its the fact the kids needs to have a certain amount of days in the classroom every year to be considered as a full academic year.

 

In our case it is 180 days. For example, we had an unusual amount of flooding this year causing schools to close. Without making up the days, kids will be only credited for only 177 days in the academic year. Which means they have 3 days to make up to meet the state's requirement.

[goose30]

We are not sailing end of school year, but our schedule was extended to make up the extra days we lost to the snow. We usually finish much later than most areas outside the Metropolitan NY/NJ/CT area, so our original last day was June 24th. We are now going until June 27th.

 

My main issue is this...what exactly do they think they are going to cover on June 26th that has anything to do with the days we lost in February? Those days are gone and so is the opportunity to make up those lessons.

 

Generally, the kids will be sitting in the classes, maybe having a party, watching a movie, but certainly not working hard on lessons missed months ago. Especially when the kids are taking standardized tests this week (for my 6th grader) and all of that work needed to be learned before today. There are no standardized tests the last week of the school year, so the days are simply placeholders needed because we MUST have a 180 day school year.

 

My older son (finishing sophomore in HS) will miss the last 2 days, as he's working at a summer camp this year, and they have orientation those last 2 week days before the camp starts. If he doesn't go, he loses the job. So no school for him.

 

You are right about what they will be doing on the 27th. But now they won't have to do them on the 24th!

[10yrannivcruiser]

We homeschool our girls. So the weather doesn't get in our way. Also, when homeschooling you can vacation anytime. We usually do vacations during the school year on purpose to avaid crowds.

[CheckersMidwest]

I have a friend in New Jersey - her kids go to private school. They do not make up snow days. They take a lot of AP courses and those test dates are set and all kids in the country take the tests at the same time.

 

In our public school, finals and EOC (End of Course) tests (We don't have any AP courses) are the last week of school, even if days are added.

[screwsmcernst]

I wouldn't reschedule anything. Our last day was suppose to be May 23rd, now the last day is June 6th. Graduation is June 7th. My daughter is a senior, so graduation has to be taken into consideration, but if I had a trip planned, we would be going. AP tests are happening right now. and they were not pushed back because of the 12 snow days we had. Once AP exams are done. there is no more teaching going on in our school. Just kids going to school so the school can get there $$. My DD hardly ever misses school, so I wouldn't feel bad at all.

[taglovestocruise]

We always cruise off season, we have taken our kids and granddaughter and have always taken them out of school.

[sleepless]

I work in a public school in Michigan. We, too, had a lot of snow days. The state allows 6 snow days, we used a total of 10 days. We have to make up 4 days. Those days missed were in the third quarter. Our third quarter was extended by 4 days, thus extending our school year by 4 days. Learning and teaching will progress as normal. Final exams for high school and middle school will be the last three days of school, with no baring on the calendar date.

[navybankerteacher]

We always cruise off season, we have taken our kids and granddaughter and have always taken them out of school.

 

As long as it isn't overdone, and the children bring some work with them (and do it), they probably gain a great more overall from the travel than they miss by cutting a few school days.

[iancal]

When our children were school age we never had a problem taking them out. In fact we did it on several occasions to go to Disney or cruise in December.

 

Let's face it, if they are reasonable students they can easily afford to miss some time. Unless it is exams.....and you can often arrange to sit a little early for those.

 

I would not move your vacation dates unless you have exhausted all options at the school.

[xcomet]

I work in a public school in Michigan. We, too, had a lot of snow days. The state allows 6 snow days, we used a total of 10 days. We have to make up 4 days. Those days missed were in the third quarter. Our third quarter was extended by 4 days, thus extending our school year by 4 days. Learning and teaching will progress as normal. Final exams for high school and middle school will be the last three days of school, with no baring on the calendar date.

 

EXACTLY! so sometimes they cant miss!

[momofmeg]

EXACTLY! so sometimes they cant miss!

 

Lol! I remember we took our daughter on a HAL cruise to Alaska that ended on the Sunday before Memorial Day. In fact our flight was an 7 hour flight that left that evening so it was memorial Day when we returned home.

 

She was so bummed out as the teen club was canceled since the whole ship had only 3 teens. I figured well that's HAL a bunch of old people, but then the cruise director reminded me that finals kept most older kids from doing that cruise. I had forgotten that as my daughter had switched to Home School her last 3 semesters of of high school. She had finished her Spanish and Algebra courses, and had the easier courses left and wanted to do this so we allowed her. She was very diligent and actually finished school a semester early which is why I said I think she graduated in 2002, actually it was late 2001,(which I well remember because I associate 9/11 with her finishing HS) but it it should have been 2002.

[ATC cruiser]

Not to be unsympathetic--we have to deal with hurricane make-up days here, obviously not nearly as many as your snow days--but how does being "forced to reschedule" equate with "ruining your cruise"? Ruining your cruise budget with change fees, yes--but once you finally make it on board will you really still be worrying about any obstacles encountered before?

 

 

Last summer my family and I almost booked the Explorer of the Seas for June 5th, since my kids were out of school on the 1st of the month. Now they have finals thru the 5th. We would not have been able to rebook the cruise, because I have to bid my leave from work in October for the entire following year. I would of been able to get the deposit back, but I think that would qualify as " ruining " my cruise

[Roadtripster]

YES! High School graduation was set back and for awhile, had no clue when it was going to take place. We don't have a cruise planned but instead, a bunch of us are going to Disneyworld. Had everything ready to book and for some reason, I kept waiting. Glad I did, since the dates were not known yet as to when school would end. Finally, the dates were posted, so I tried to book and all my planning was out the window. Had to start all over and figure out a new plan. So far so good. Booked and ready to go in a month!