Taking a vacation is important, as is school, so let's explore how the two can mesh together for the benefit of your child and your family. As may sometimes be the case, work commitments or other circumstances dictate the timing of the family vacation, and if those dates don't line up with the school calendar, a bit of planning is needed.

Here are some tips on taking your kids out of school for a vacation:

1. Give the teacher plenty of notice and work out a plan with them well ahead of time. Teachers appreciate knowing what the plan is and can provide some guidance to you how the absence can be best managed. Your trip may coincide with a social studies or geography class, and bringing back some collectibles from your trip may be useful for sharing with the class.

2. Life is one continuous learning experience, and vacations are no different. Make sure to plan some cultural and learning experience into your vacation. You’ll be in new surroundings and it’s fun to research your destination ahead of time. Bring out maps and guidebooks and review them with your family. Searching for online videos or photos is another source for a wealth of information. Learning about the people, climate, geography and culture is a social studies course all in itself.

3. Each child should take notes and write about their experience. This can be in paper or digital form. Blogs are easy and free to create and teach not only writing, but also the art of doing so in a digital environment. Paper journals work just as well. Writings can include sketches of the days highlights and experiences. As each day unwinds, spend a few moments reminiscing about your day and write a few paragraphs. Not only is recalling, classifying, and recording the day’s experiences a learning tool, it preserves your memories for years to come.

Enjoy your family time together.

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