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Gifts for students' birthdays?

26 replies

adriana126 · 10/10/2016 19:29

I'm an NQT and I teach primary. Do any of the teachers here give birthday gifts to their students?

OP posts:
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ShowMeTheElf · 10/10/2016 19:31

I'm not a teacher but none of my DC have received a teacher present on their birthday ever.

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TheTroutofNoCraic · 10/10/2016 19:54

No. Unless you are planning to stand on the last day before summer holidays handing out gifts to all those who have birthdays in the holiday.

I'm a teacher and I have never heard of gifts for students birthdays.

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PoldarksBreeches · 10/10/2016 19:55

What a sweet but completely impractical idea that you would curse after the first term and never do again.

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MrsHiddleston · 10/10/2016 19:58

My DS's teacher gave them all homemade bookmarks. Child's name. Child's age. And a 'Mrs Soandso says happy birthday'. She laminated them and DS still uses his bookmark 2 years later.

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rainingcats · 10/10/2016 20:04

Im a secondary teacher .... I bring in a birthday card for all the form to sign when it is one of my forms birthdays ... when students have a birthday in the holidays we either do a belated or early birthday card. No gift though!

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TheAntiBoop · 10/10/2016 20:10

DS' primary school give the birthday children a pencil or rubber or other such cheap present in assembly at the end of the week (small school!). Holiday birthdays covered at last assembly/first assembly so no one misses out. the kids seem to really appreciate their birthday being noted tbh

I would find it odd for a teacher to give a present but I know dd's teacher gives them a good responsibility on their birthday and they sing happy birthday.

summer borns (like my dd) miss out I guess - but on the plus side - they don't have to go to school on their birthday!

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ScaredFuture99 · 10/10/2016 20:15

My dcs ahve never had a present for their b'day from the teacher, or a card.
They did get a little something at Christmas though.

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BackforGood · 10/10/2016 20:17

No.
Never come across it in the almost 30 yrs I've been a teacher, nor in having 3 dc at 7 different schools over time.
It would be a nightmare to keep up. Don't start!

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JasperDamerel · 10/10/2016 20:22

In Early Years and KS1 here teachers tend to mark a child's birthday with a special hat or cushion. DS' Y1 teacher had a box of cheap treats (pencils etc) and children got to have a 'dip in the box' for ever 20 good behaviour points AND on their birthday.

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Tiggywinkler · 10/10/2016 20:23

I do. A bendy pencil with a little troll on top this year. Cost about 20p per pupil on Amazon - and the holiday borns get them the day we break up, with a song and a cheer.

Year 1,VERY deprived area.

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TheTroubleWithAngels · 10/10/2016 21:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LockedOutOfMN · 10/10/2016 22:02

Sing happy birthday on each person's birthday. (Holiday birthdays get forgotten. Blush Little treat for the whole class at the end of term.

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LottieDoubtie · 10/10/2016 22:06

I've known it for boarders- which I think is fair enough but not Day pupils.

A Tesco value card and a mini (preferably on offer) box of chocs (approx £1). Is fairly standard. If the house has a good matron they also get a cake!

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LottieDoubtie · 10/10/2016 22:06

Oh and if their birthdays in the holidays not being at school is their present!

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LilMissVixen · 10/10/2016 22:11

When I was at primary school every pupil used to get to choose a handkerchief from a box of handkerchiefs during the assembly closest to their birthday. This was during the 1990s, not the 1890s!

I still have them, although don't use them.

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TeacherBob · 11/10/2016 18:23

Yeah I would suggest not going anywhere near this idea :p

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Minispringroll · 11/10/2016 18:54

Have done this with one class so far (but I had them for two years). They made a card each at the beginning of the year and then those got randomly handed out on their birthday - signed by the whole class. They also got a pencil and a rubber.
I had birthday bags on my wall, one for each month, and names and days of children's birthdays on each bag (cards, pencils and rubbers were ready in each bag). It was mostly because I'm terrible at remembering birthdays, so helped me to be organised for the whole year. However, they were an absolutely lovely class and I was their teacher for quite a while.

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ninnypoo · 11/10/2016 18:55

I did cards last year as an NQT (10 for £1 from Card factory) but not doing it again this year as felt like the kids weren't actually bothered!

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paperdreams16 · 11/10/2016 19:51

I used to be a TA in a special school and every child was given a present on their birthday (or near, if they had a holiday birthday) - proper presents too, always up the value of £15. I had never come across anything like it before and found it very strange!

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BizzyFizzy · 12/10/2016 17:55

No.

The student usually brings in the gifts, e.g. cupcakes.

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happystory · 12/10/2016 19:44

I'm in Early Years so slightly different but our children are delighted with a sticker and a hearty rendition of Happy Birthday!

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Ditsy4 · 20/10/2016 19:04

No never heard of it in any of the schools I worked at and it will cost you a fortune. We have a birthday hat in some classes which they wear as we sing Happy Birthday and the kids love that.
Small gifts at Christmas, Easter and end of year.

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Mistoffelees · 22/10/2016 18:15

I've done a card for each of mine this year, one little girl was so chuffed, especially as hers was sparkly! I also do bit of tat for Christmas and a proper end of year present, got story books last year and colour by number ones ready for this year.

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JassyRadlett · 22/10/2016 18:17

DS1 (September birthday shortly before he started reception) got a pencil saying 'happy birthday from your teacher.'

He treasures it.

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Nectarines · 23/10/2016 08:00

I have nice happy birthday stickers which are scratch n sniff birthday cake scented! Kids love them an only cost about two quid for a sheet of 36

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