Virtual gift for teachers / charity donation.

[PickACoolUserName]

Normally in our school parents do a collection at the end of the year for the teachers and they get some vouchers of some sort. Obviously this isn't currently possible.

Our teachers have been great during lockdown, responding to messages at all hours and I wanted to do something to express our thanks but I'm struggling for ideas.

I was wondering about making a donation to an education charity on their behalf and wondered if that was a good idea?

I suppose the alternative is a digital gift voucher but I'm not sure what they would like!

Hopeful bump.

Just say a heartfelt thank you, honestly. What most school staff want right now is to be told that they did a good job and are appreciated.

Donate to charity if you want but not because it's their gift.

Thank you, that is helpful to know.

Can you not send a voucher into school?
I've done the collection for my dc teacher this year. All who wanted to contribute sent money via PayPal. I then got a voucher from Sainsbury and popped in a card. Will get DC to hand in next week?

I'd do an Amazon gift voucher, they're pretty popular.

Gift voucher for Amazon - you can buy pretty much anything on Amazon!

1 parent collected via bank transfer, we did an Amazon voucher and a photo montage of the kids in the class that a graphic designer mum arranged.

If you do a little search for charity gifts on here then the general opinion is that they are rubbish. Essentially the giver is doing it for themselves and the receiver doesn’t really benefit in any way.

We’ve all just done our own thing this year. I know some probably won’t bother (fine, up to them), but ds teacher has continued to set fantastic quality work throughout while managing her own children’s home learning. Plus ds has been back in school since half-term (key workers) and she’s made the atmosphere in the classroom so calm and caring - he’s been totally fine going back and has enjoyed this last half-term. I’ve bought her a Neon Kactus travel mug which should be useful next year.

A Costa/Starbucks gift card is always a good gift too!

Dunno about Costa/Starbucks - you could run into a coffee snob who won't touch them! Though tbf they can always re-home them. I don't drink Starbucks so when I get a gift card for it, it gets handed on to family.

One4all Gift vouchers are a fab option - can use in loads of places.

All I would say is don't make it stuff - I have to curb my childrens classes from spending a fortune on nice frames with all the kids names in! Lovely but really not something a teacher will have a use for!

Or go for personalised but use able - I have bought our head a notebook so will be used but no need to keep long term which has a nice saying about the head on the front.

Also there is a rumour Ofsted are going to be looking at home learning provsion, so a letter/email to the school to say how you have found them supportive would be appreciated.

+1 for One4All. I actually didn't know it existed in the UK or I would have suggested it too