Each year, we are approached by an increasing number of parents who wish to take their child out of school for extended periods of time. Usually, this is for reasons associated with family plans or family business. We do not have a procedure for granting students a “leave of absence". Rather, it is assumed that parents will make decisions in the best interests of their own child.
We are respectful of the fact that many of our families have family members far away and spending time with them is important. Difficulties arise, however, when parents wish to have some sort of reassurance that their child will not be “behind" in their work when they return. If your child misses school for extended periods of time, he or she will be “behind" in classroom work. Missed instructional time and discussions surrounding the learning cannot be “made up" because complete lessons cannot be re-taught. Students may well have other cultural and travel experiences that contribute to their overall development but the many varied daily classroom activities they will miss cannot be duplicated through worksheets or workbooks.
We are not in the position to provide assignments for students prior to extended absences due to family plans. Upon the student's return, teachers will do their best to help students get “caught up" by providing missed assignments. Below, you will find a list of suggested activities that are designed to assist parents with planning for their child's educational needs while traveling. We will be happy to see what your child has accomplished upon his or her return but we will not be marking these activities.
BLACK MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY VACATION ASSIGNMENTS
Here are some topics that will help you keep your school skills sharp and still allow you to enjoy your holiday. A trip is a great opportunity to learn about other places and things and then compare them to how we live here!
Keep a daily journal of your trip. Include things you did, where you went, how far you traveled. Make comments about what you enjoyed each day, interesting things that happened, etc. (Making a scrapbook is a good way to keep track of things. Then you can share it with people when you get back.
Buy some postcards of the places you visit or take pictures of the sights and things you see. Write a few sentences on each picture or postcard
Keep track of how you traveled there and record distances. If you can get a map, track how you got there and how far you traveled each day.
Keep a weather journal of each day of your trip. Include temperatures, descriptions, etc..
Read or collect some newspaper articles from the area that you visit. Find some interesting things to share with us when you get back.
Make a list of the things you most often buy at home (like groceries: milk, loaf of bread, juice, etc…). Find out the price here at home. When you get to your vacation spot, find out what the prices of those items are there.
Collect souvenirs from your place. Include in your scrapbook.
If the money used there is different from ours, make a display of the kinds of money used.
When you get back, work on being able to give a short (3-5 minute) report of your trip to your classmates.
Listen to the radio in the place you are at. What is the music like? What is the most popular song?
Look at the clothes people wear. Describe the clothes and styles of clothing. How is it the same or different from ours?
Keep track of how much money you (or your family) spend on the trip. How much was the cost per day of your trip?
Have fun, enjoy your holiday and we will see you when you get back!
