 Poster: A snowHead
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Whether it is a good idea or not likely depends on the child. If the child is struggling and can barely pass as it is, it is not a good idea to pull the child out for a week or two, just because you can get a deal in the off-peak season. Surprisingly enough, this happens all too often. No wonder the kid doesn't care about school, their parents obviously don't give a rat's back bottom. On the other hand there are kids who could easily skip two weeks and then be better for it because they didn't get bored to tears waiting for the rest of the class to finish their "review" of stuff they should have learned three years ago.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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It seems there is quite a few who are prepared to do this. I'm pleasantly surprised at, what appears to be, a common sense approach by these schools.
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| BMF_Skier wrote: |
| It seems there is quite a few who are prepared to do this. I'm pleasantly surprised at, what appears to be, a common sense approach by these schools. |
All joking aside it is worth doing some digging and finding out if the headmaster or deputy ski?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Ghost, How can you say parents "don't give a rat's back bottom" about school for taking their children off for a weeks holiday? Some maybe... but I would suggest very few. We used to take our children out as stated earlier, but have decided not to as they get older. Also bear in mind both of our children have many years of zero un-autorised absenses, we don't keep them off for a snuffley nose like many do! Any sensible parent wont keep a child off if they are struggling to keep up... but lets face it, kids have little enough fun these days - thank God that most of us on here are able to afford and have discovered something that some haven't, thus giving our kids a week of laughter and fun with their parent(s). Better to miss a weeks education a year if you cannot afford half term than to miss out in my opinion. As a headmaster whilst "off duty" and not thinking of the league tables - and most would agree I suspect.
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I realise it's a long time ago but in my younger days I went on an annual school skiing trip and that was always during term-time. There were other educational/activity trips organised during term-time too and the idea was that you enrolled for a maximum of two per academic year. Do schools still do this?
For someone like me who didn't have the option of skiing with family, mum tried it once and didn't like it, grandparents too obese and arthritic, it was perfect. In fact I probably preferred it to spending time with the olds...
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You also have to look at how good the kids are athletically as well as academically. My sons' nose is always stuck in a book, he doesn't like football (not good for a kid in the West of Scotland), he doesn't like tennis, he doesn't like swimming, he could be the proverbial couch potato but I've found a sport that he loves and that has to be encouraged for his overall wellbeing. The fact that I love it too is just coincidence 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Lechbob has a point. I don't mind kids, but I'd prefer smaller doses. I'd imagine school holiday weeks have a different atmosphere in resort too, more family-orientated, less party hard...
However, as I said before I really sympathise with how families with school age kids are totally ripped off by holiday companies, not just ski...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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i did when they were in junior school never more than a week tho.. later when o levels hoved into view i would limit it to the last few days of term
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Lechbob, don't you enjoy watching the tinies in ski school? I do.
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You know it makes sense.
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As someone with no kids, I think it grossly unfair for parents to take kids anywhere during schooltime. It infringes my freedom to enjoy some time away from the little scrotes. I already have to finance their schooling, why should my peace be ruined by them not taking advantage of this generosity?
As a former secondary school teacher, it can be really stressful if kids are absent (for any reason) as you inevitably have to do a load of work to ensure they catch up later, otherwise you are seen to be failing as a teacher. I did have one particularly venemous scrote in a yr11 group whose Mum came to parens' evening and asked how her son could catch up (he was not only 'orribl and abusive but workshy and not gifted) then a week later took him to Australia for four weeks, thus removing any chance he ever had of catching up; I was quite pleased as it meant I didn't have to put up with his rudeness and disruption for four whole weeks!
From their point of view it makes absolutely no difference. Secondary education is far more about babysittingkids until they are 16 and thus keeping burglary statistics down than it is about passing on vital life skills.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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We were dead poor as kids, I've never been abroad with my parents. Anyway, when I was in secondary school, year 5?, GCSE year, my neighbours were going to Tenerife and they asked if I'd like to join them (BF with their daughter). So this was a trip of a lifetime opportunity for me. I went and when I got back I asked the English teacher for photocopied of the War Poems I'd missed while away. The old bag said "No", I shouldn't have gone on holiday in the first place. Anyhow I got the work off a friend and sussed it all out myself (Wilfred Owen, how depressing) and got an A in the subject. Some teachers are just plain evil. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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"Some teachers are just plain evil."
... and some dare to treat kids a little closer to the way the evil outside world will, rather than the over protective cosseting which the world has come to expect!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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alicecat,
Yes, but she was just plain evil. She gave me back some coursework which had been sent to an outside examiner, on it my teacher had written "it made me laugh, which said it all", I had not written a comedy but a rather tragic piece. The fact that I came out with an A grade just shows she had it in for me.
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We took our reception aged daughter (and her 2 pre-school age siblings) skiing last week. I asked permission in advance, our school has the 10days per year rule as others have mentioned. They granted permission but sent back a letter from county obviously designed to make you feel like a bad parent.
Before we went I asked her teacher for the letters they would be covering last week....by Wednesday she was ahead of her classmates who were not in school Monday and Tuesday because of snow! 
I also took a pad of paper and got her to do a picture of something she had done each day and wrote some relevant words underneath for her to copy. I know I'm a slave-driver, but it made me feel less guilty.
I don't have any issue with it when they are this young...there is more to life than just school when you are 4 years old.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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tizzyb,
In Germany they dont even start scholl till they're about seven.
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I am a primary headteacher - schools can authorise 10 days a year. Most requests I get are granted provided the attendance of those kids has been reasonable. There is pressure on schools to improve attendance, we all have targets for this, but if some of my parents were forced to go only in school holidays there is no way they could afford it. I would love to be able to ski outside of half-term but that isn't going to happen until I retire.
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casnbs, A sensible attitude. I feel for you with all the targets set - perhaps a common sense award would be a good idea 
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| Quote: |
I don't have any issue with it when they are this young
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I didn't have issues with it at any age - you don't become a "bad parent" because you take your kids out of school for a week, nor remain a "good parent" if you don't. However I would suggest you are not a very super parent if you take them out of school for a week then expect somebody else to look after them all day because it's too boring to ski with them 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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pam w, I think most parents are very soon outskied by their kids !!!
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Except for the oldest who is almost 5 and so was doing a very small amount of lessons, my children are too young to ski.
My kids seemed to be very happy in the childcare, the oldest actually itching to get to club first thing in the morning. That said I only skiied 1 full day and 2 half days in the course of the week and spent some of the rest of the time with them each individually which I don't normally get to do or taking some time for myself in the pool/sauna etc, something I get to do even more rarely!
I view it as a holiday for the whole family and therefore until I feel confident enough to ski with them (as I am pretty rubbish myself and would not want to risk their safety) I play it completely by ear. At the end of the day it is a holiday for everyone and as such should constitute an enjoyable break from the normal routine for everyone in the family regardless of the activities we are doing together or separately.
As soon as they have the basics I will be completely happy to pootle around on easy runs with the kids and as BMF skier says I fully expect them to be far better than me in a very short time, at that point they can ski with their dad and I will spend the entire week in the spa or the bar.
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FAQ
Don't take your kids out of school during tem time. You might love them, I don't. 
. Also verbs, nouns etc. that's all a mystery too 
. Guess that's why I ended up teaching woodwork....and now special needs!
You think I'm a paedophile 