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[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by GinaButtrfly

My theory would be that you have so much snow that you are MUCH more capable of dealing with it. Three crazy flakes here in NYC and the news people scream from the highest Doppler Antenna to hunker down for a LOOOONG winter's nap. Ever since the BLIZZARD of '96 when we were surprised and burried under a whopping 3 feet, the city takes no chances

MEL! Just be careful how you use your days in the meanwhile. If your trip reports reflect in any way your work ethic and productivity in the classroom, I'd bet you are a gem in the principal's eyes. Take a lot of Airborne and vitamins so your face is always at work. Then IF, and it's a big IF, there are snow day make-ups, you can miss one or two fairly guilt free. I've used personal days for Disney before - NYC Board of Ed. My then DBF, now DH, was my assistant teacher at the time while going to college courtesy of the NYC BOE. Imagine telling the principal that not only would I be missing a couple of days, but I'm taking my aide with me He wasn't thrilled.

I am in class (well a Study Hall) right now and literally laughed outloud about the blizzard of '96.... I remember that so well because it was the weekend of my 13th birthday! My best friend and I lived like 4 houses apart and had the same birthday so when we had to cancel our bday parties that weekend my parents trekked me through the snow and the two of us has a slumber party. The news casters did treat it as if hell had frozen over, didn't they? lol... AND ever since every snowflake may be a <gasp> Nor'Easter.... HAHA!!! I love it!

I never thought of that-- the idea that maybe, just maybe, I could hold onto my days until then and work something out if need be, then it doesn't seem so bad. I took a personal day earlier this year because I was moving but thats all I have taken and I know I would rather not take any but again, more than 5 snow days, plus the 2 I alotted for... I may be worrying for nothign. I don't know how likely we are to use more than 7 snow days. There is only a 72% chance or something like that of snow falling during the school week anyways, plus we have lots of chances for not just that weekend snow but vacation snow- Christmas to New Years, Presidents Weekend, MLK Jr day.... it can't always snow on weekdays! lol!


BTW, I know my post earlier today may have seemed confusing so if anyone wants to see... here is our school calendar:
http://www.wappingersschools.org/Calendars/CAL0708.pdf

[MyRapunzal]

Okay, I am sitting here just thinking about WDW when I should be using my Study Hall period to grade and do other, more productive things on a Friday. In any case, I think I am going to go for it. I am going to put down my $200 for a deposit in April and just hope for the best. It feels more meant to be. I know I am crazy. lol.

I will watch the days carefully and keep my fingers crossed- obviously the district does the same thing and tries to break even each year. In the meantime, maybe if I don't take a sick day and its only the difference of like 1 day I will try and take it, see what I can work out. But that is not for worrying about right now.

In any case, while I have all the teachers attention-- what is your favorite "off from school" time to go to the World? I need a back up 5 day period to use just in case. I feel like the only way I can make this work is to be prepared!

[amandal]

I agree totally with the poster who said - how can they penalize you for booking a vacation during a vacation week!! So basically they are saying - yes you have off, but don't make any plans, cuz it might snow. Seems silly, but I totally understand your nervousness about it being sort of like an "unwritten policy". I think you should go for it as well. Could you personally talk to your boss about it - to ease your nerves a bit? Please keep us updated!!

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by amandal

I agree totally with the poster who said - how can they penalize you for booking a vacation during a vacation week!! So basically they are saying - yes you have off, but don't make any plans, cuz it might snow. Seems silly, but I totally understand your nervousness about it being sort of like an "unwritten policy". I think you should go for it as well. Could you personally talk to your boss about it - to ease your nerves a bit? Please keep us updated!!

Okay I am addicted... my 10th graders are taking a test so of course I come on Passporter after I finished inputing homework grades! tehehe!!

Anyways, I think I would be better off waiting on talking to an adminstrator-- if it never comes to pass I would seem like a better employee, ya know? lol. I will if I have to though, but I may swing it that I am going to visit my grandma in Coral Springs, Fl... not Mickey and friends in Orlando to seem more sympathetic. Either way, I figure, I will see what the pattern is like-- if we are down to one snow day before the new year or something extreme then I will talk to someone when crossing that bridge gets closer. I hate this silly policy myself!

[DisneyFun-atic]

When I was teaching, we would go to WDW during the last couple of weeks of August. My school didn't start until after labor day and a lot of schools start up in AUgust, so it seems less crowded than other school vacation times.

[CRCrazy]

I am also a teacher - although our district doesn't make up days during break, but at the end of school (last year we got out on June 24th!)

We cannot take our personal days (1 w/o reason, 2 w/a reason) on the day before/after a vacation week. If we take that time off, it's without pay - no exceptions.

What I would do is book airfare that has the least restrictions - do you have Southwest at your airport? They do not charge a change fee - just save the funds for future travel.

I'd take my chances on the Disney stuff - if you make changes w/in 45 days on a package - as long as the price doesn't go down - they waive the fee.

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by CRCrazy

I am also a teacher - although our district doesn't make up days during break, but at the end of school (last year we got out on June 24th!)

We cannot take our personal days (1 w/o reason, 2 w/a reason) on the day before/after a vacation week. If we take that time off, it's without pay - no exceptions.

What I would do is book airfare that has the least restrictions - do you have Southwest at your airport? They do not charge a change fee - just save the funds for future travel.

I'd take my chances on the Disney stuff - if you make changes w/in 45 days on a package - as long as the price doesn't go down - they waive the fee.

Wow that is really good to know... 45 days before we would leave is March 1-- and by then I will have a VERY good idea of how winter is panning out. And Jet Blue has similar flexibilty (that is who we like to fly and have a free airfare voucher from), I changed from a flight out of LaGuardia in the city to one out of Westchester which was actually believe it or not MORE expensive our last trip and they didn't even charge us the difference! That was some great info! And I loved how you said "I'd take my chances on the Disney stuff"...

[Tigger71]

I'm sorry I cannot help with advice but I would like to say I wish you were a teacher at my kids' school. Dedication with a capital D! Good luck in whatever you decide.

[Shadowfax]

I teach high school English in Maine, and our school policy is the same as CRCrazy. We make up snow days at the end of the school year. Taking any "leave-time" for vacation during the school year is highly frowned upon.

With that being said, I did get approval for a once in a lifetime trip to Disney around Christmas time this year. However, I was upfront and honest with my principal and my superintendent and I was willing to accept whatever decision they made. Imagine my joy and surprise when they approved my time off!

But I know that I will not get to do this again until I retire, and that's OK with me. Usually, we travel in the summer months. Our school goes back early (late August) so we get out fairly early (usually by June 15). We usually go for 9 or 10 days during the last part of June. Last year we went during July 4th and had a blast! It's crowded, hot and humid, but we're in Disney! It's all good.

BTW, Wappingers Falls? I grew up in Newburgh and my parents and grandparents lived in Poughkeepsie!

[MyRapunzal]

Originally Posted by Tigger71

I'm sorry I cannot help with advice but I would like to say I wish you were a teacher at my kids' school. Dedication with a capital D! Good luck in whatever you decide.

Thanks, thats sweet!

Originally Posted by Shadowfax

I teach high school English in Maine, and our school policy is the same as CRCrazy. We make up snow days at the end of the school year. Taking any "leave-time" for vacation during the school year is highly frowned upon.

With that being said, I did get approval for a once in a lifetime trip to Disney around Christmas time this year. However, I was upfront and honest with my principal and my superintendent and I was willing to accept whatever decision they made. Imagine my joy and surprise when they approved my time off!

But I know that I will not get to do this again until I retire, and that's OK with me. Usually, we travel in the summer months. Our school goes back early (late August) so we get out fairly early (usually by June 15). We usually go for 9 or 10 days during the last part of June. Last year we went during July 4th and had a blast! It's crowded, hot and humid, but we're in Disney! It's all good.

BTW, Wappingers Falls? I grew up in Newburgh and my parents and grandparents lived in Poughkeepsie!

Okay, first of all-- what a small world! I have lived in town of Poughkeepsie since I was 3-- and went to the Wappingers schools that I teach in! thats awesome! My DBF actually works in Newburgh at a software company called Epicor CRS. I love meeting people from around her on the forums!

In any case that is really great that you were able to get approval-- I probably can not get approval, and I honestly wouldn't ask unless I had to. Its just strict and I am not tenured, so I am sure you can see that! Christmas at Disney really is a once in a lifetime experience! We went in January for our first trip ever and some day I would like to go back for the holidays! The new castle lights look amazing! Have a great time!

And BTW, I am going to just go for April for sure and use August as a backup. Hopefully there won't be more than 5 snow days, and if there is- hopefully no more than 7.

[HollyH]

Originally Posted by MyRapunzal

Remember I am accounting for 1-2 possible give backs with my vacation. !

If you have already done that, you should be fine. It is rare to give back days, and I would think the chances of having to give back more than two are practically non-existent!

My favorite school vacation time to go to WDW is August. Three reasons....1) Budget season at WDW resorts, 2) Cheaper airfare from NE to Florida than during holiday and/or Spring Break weeks, and 3) Slightly less crowded. But my number one reason for considering Feb. break and/or Xmas break......1) It is HOT in WDW in August!!!!

[x2qwk2cx]

So is New England (MA, NH & ME) the only districts that make up snow days at the end of the year?? We get Christmas vacation (almost 1 1/2 weeks this year), February vacation and April vacation......Right now the last day of school is set as June 11th or something. My senior year of high school (2000) we didn't have 1 snow day... It always managed to snow on Friday afternoon. Needless to say we all got out of school in very early June that year. If it's possible, my district will always try to either only have a 2 hour delay when there's snow or they would let us out a little early - that way we wouldn't have to make up days..... I'm glad I don't live in NY! I wouldn't have been happy having vacations taken away from me!

[HollyH]

I think NY makes them up at the end of the year, too. It is just the possibility of excessive snow days that jeopardizes the vacations (and I think that can happen in CT, MA, and ME too). Most towns (hence school districts) have a fiscal year that runs July 1-June 30. Schools cannot run into July for this reason. If there are too many snow days to make up at the end of the year, a district may risk not meeting the 180 requirement before June 30.

[Fortissimo]

Our district builds in 4 snow days a year into the calendar. This comes in handy every so often, like last year's Christmas Blizzard and the March Blizzard of 2003. If we don't have to use a snow day, then we just teach those four extra days - no biggie as our kids really need the extra seat time. If we go over the alloted days, we add minutes to our day, not days to the year.

Oh, I should say we don't go by a certain amount of days here in Colorado, instead by minutes. The minutes equal about 190 days of seat time. So, we teach 195.

That said, while all of our days are considered "personal", the district is very strict on when you take them. We cannot take them before or after a Holiday. For the first time in a long time, we can take a day on a Monday or a Friday without a doctor's note. This can change if they see a pattern of absences on these two days. We lose a personal day plus are docked $350 if we take a personal day on a "forbidden" day unless we have a doctor's note or unless we can prove that the absence was for a wedding, funeral, or graduation AND we have to have prior approval.

Makes me glad I have 14 personal days every year that I never get to use.

Anyways, my favorite non-school time to go to WDW is the summer of course. Yes it is hot and humid and there are more than a few people there, but I don't have to worry about work. I do prefer early June to the beginning of July. Later in July is still hot and humid, but not as crowded.

As I look at it, I'm in WDW so I can live with the weather and crowds.

Good luck with your plans!

[happyhedgehogs]

I used to teach, and I know how limited your days are! My husband was a state employee (still is) and got 1 sick and 2 vacation per month. I, as a teacher, was sort of a step-child of the state, and I only got 10 sick and 2 vacation per year. I figure the sick days were pretty comparable, since technically teaching was a 10-month position (not counting all the "optional" teacher trainings, workshops, planning meetings. etc, etc, etc in the summer!) But the vacation days really were pretty pitiful, I thought--with the 10-month theory, I should have received 20 vacation days a year to be comparable to DH's time!

I think the first thing I'd do is talk to your principal, if she (or he) is someone you can talk to. She can probably give you some advice on what would be "acceptable" and what wouldn't in this situation. In my thought, it's not really fair for the school district to plan a vacation, but then expect you to just be "on call" until they decide whether they're really going to let you have the vacation. I hope they would understand that certain plans must be made months ahead of time and can't necessarily be changed at the last minute because of snow (or whatever other issues might come up). Especially if a teacher doesn't take days off very often, she should be allowed to take her vacation during the scheduled vacation time!