thread about a thread so shoot me- what exactly do you buy teachers at end of year?

[knittedbreast]

OK so my ds is in reception and i (cringe) didnt know you were supposed to buy teachers end of year gifts.

I feel quite bad now as his nursery (part of the school) had the most amazing teachers and i didnt get them anything :( i just didnt think.

So some questions:

what do you buy the teacher?

If you are considering wine how do you know if its appropriate -what if it turns out they dont drink? how can you be sure?

lastly, how and when do you give them the present? do you send your child in with it? seems a bit inapropriate to send a 5 year in with a bottle of wine you know

Thanky wanky

[cornflakegirl]

DH appreciated wine or beer. One year he got a small christmassy bowl filled with homemade mince pies and chocolate balls - that was really nice.

[JudysJudgement]

box of chocs or small bunch of flowers is fine

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

A friend of mine once sent in strawberries and cream for each of the teachers - and tesco are doing a free carton of cream with a punnet of strawberries, so you could perhaps add some chocolates or biscuits.

I think gifts that can be consumed are the best ones, because otherwise teachers end up with hundreds of little ornaments, mugs and scented candles, and nowhere to put them all.

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

Though I think the idea of raincloud umbrellas was inspired!

[BeautifulBlondePineapple]

I wouldn't like to be given lots of boxes of chocolates (I'd eat them all) and I didn't trust DS(6) not to drop wine, so I bought lovely necklaces from Wallis for the teacher and the classroom assistant. They had a half price sale on so it didn't cost the earth. DS made them both a card and wrote inside himself.
I like the idea of homemade gifts though - maybe chutney, jam or lemon curd next year.

[mummyosaurus]

StayingDavidTennantsGirl

Raincloud umbrellas from Peacocks.

Fingers crossed they like them too.

[thefirstmrsrochester]

i love buying the end of term gifts - fancy rubber ducks, floating duck radios (fiver at wilkinsons), cool cat keyring with lighty up eyes and meowed when you pressed a button on its head (for a know cat lover), wooden trug with herb seeds (gardening afficionado), necklaces from a vie at home sale. And there is always wine which never goes wrong.
Always send biccies, sweets into school for the non teaching staff too.

[chocolateshoes]

I always get something for the staffroom to share rather than individual gifts. Big tin of biscuits, chocs and so on...then I feel it is a thank you everyone eg secretarial staff, site supervisor as well as the teachers.

[StayingDavidTennantsGirl]

One year I got ds2's teacher a bumper joke book - he was always telling jokes, and I thought he'd like some new material. Plus he was asking for cans of lager, and there's no way I was going to comply.

[worraliberty]

Wine...if they don't drink it, someone else in the staff room will.

Most teachers I know, put the prezzies away and give them to family/friends at christmas anyway.

I mean just what do you do with 10 bottles of wine and all those pens/coffee mugs/perfumes/bath sets etc?

[BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack]

The longer DS has been at school the tighter I get on presents, lol.

I no longer bother with the TA's (I cant keep track of them all) but if I feel the teacher has really done DS proud I will usually find out what they like so Iknow I get them something that isnt gonna end up in the "recycling bin"

One year I got personalised choccy bars from Ebay - they were really nice.

[Silverlace]

I decided not to give presents but to give a donation in the form of a charity gift. Last year we gave a vegetable plot for a family in Africa and I have also given
school starter packs for children in developing countries. The teachers have really appreciated it.

[Blatherskite]

Timto allow parents to club funds together so the teacher can buy larger items that they really want. A proportion of the gifts can also be given to the school or to charity. Might be better than 30 boxes of chocs?

[rimmer08]

teacher here, i dont expect anything. i dont drink wine of any description. the best gift i was ever given was a card signed by all my class when i left a school.
believe me, teachers will be grateful to get anything as most i know would not expect anything anyway.

[Greenshadow]

Some fresh vegetables from the garden! - nicely packaged with a label saying from DS.
They can always freeze them if they are going straight away on holiday.

And ideally homemade card, but as children got older, this seemed to drop off.

We no longer have any primary aged children so am enjoying not having to worry about presents for secondary school teachers.

[BoattoBolivia]

As a teacher, and I have posted on this before, I would like to say "thank you," to all of you for putting so much thought into this. Of course we are paid for the job, and pensions are another whole 20 threads , but if you know the presents are a genuine gesture of thanks for a job well done, it really means a lot. They are neither expected, nor needed, but much appreciated.

Those of you in KS1 or with SEN children, don't forget the TAs, they work incredibly hard for far too little money.

Regarding presents, bear in mind that teachers may well be going away as soon as term finishes, so cut flowers can be a waste. Even dieting teachers, or non- drinkers appreciate wine and chocs as presents they can pass on to family to make up for all the times they've been grumpy during the year!

Vouchers are good, but I understand the poster who doesn't like showing the amount she has spent.

My favourites over the years have been: a beautiful cup saucer and small teapot, from a family who had driven me nuts for 2 years! Packs of nice pencils and pens, as I never have enough; books of poetry for children ( but I am known for my obsession with books); simple picture frames after I had my babies; and anything homemade, especially if the child has written a message in a card.

If you know what your child's teacher co-ordinates in school, that might help: eg the teacher who did the gardening will love the pot planted by the child.

I think the charity donations are great as well.

Thank you x

[Tchootnika]

Chocolates/(nice) smelly things/some kind of vasey thing/small silk scarfy thing/scented candle.... you get the picture?
Even if it's not totally to their taste, they should still be delighted (I know I am when I get presents like this - and I'm a mardy and v particular cow...)
And as long as you don't accost them during the holidays/in the middle of the night/while they're sitting on the loo, I don't think they should mind too much when you or DS/DD presents it, either... It's a show of appreciation, no?

[sue30]

Some of the mums in my ds nursery are doing a whip round and giving the teachers money but im not sure about that. So im taking my son out and doing a small gift bag with a small yankee candle, small sweetie and a small bottle of wine. I tend to buy people gifts i would like!!! Can you tell? lol

[NorfolkNChance]

I never expect anything but I do warn my firm that if they are so kind as to want to get me something smells are a no go because of my (very obvious) ezcema. I still use personalised items such as pen holders and mugs and keep all cards and letters I receive. I have a mug that was given to me by a then Year 8 who is now at uni, it is my absolute favourite because it holds a vat of coffee and she thought very carefully about what I like.

[tummytickler]

I usually give a nice mug, and fill it with bits and bobs. But maybe this is a bit boring? I don't really know what else to do, with 4 dc at school/nursery, with at least one teacher and one TA each, that turns out to be very expensive!
I like the idea of a gift bag too.
I get the dc's to make a card too.
My friend is a teacher, maybe I will ask her what she likes!

[M0naLisa]

Il probably get them flowers.

[EcoLady]

Plain cotton shopping bags, decorated with fabric pens & paint by the children. Personalised, yet practical. The gussetted ones from Clever Baggers easily hold a couple of classes-worth of marking :-)

shop.thecleverbaggers.co.uk/store/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=74&idproduct=884 for the neutral ones, plus they also come in oodles of fabulous colours.

[fairydoll]

'i (cringe) didnt know you were supposed to buy teachers end of year gifts'

Of couse you're not supposed to buy gifts .they are doing a paid job FGS! If you want to then that is a different thing.

[EcoLady]

I see that the neutral ones are out of stock! How about pale pink for the ladies or light green for the chaps?

[wherearemysocka]

I'm secondary so don't get the presents that primary teachers get - but to be honest I don't want a load of chocolates or candles - and I know this sounds rude but some of these suggestions sound like tat I really don't want cluttering up my house.

I'd prefer parents to support me when I have to sanction their child, make sure their child does their homework and send their children to bed at a decent hour.

The nicest presents I've ever got have been the personal cards and thank yous. I have a box of those that I keep at home to cheer me up when I feel down about my job.