...to think that mass gift-giving to teachers at end of year is tacky?

[MuddlingThrough]

Do teachers really want 30 packets of Cadbury's Roses, bought because the high-street shops have sented out yet another way to turn genuine sentiment into a tacky marketing opportunity? Or should we just say thanks instead?

The kids do home made cards, thats a given here, but also pressies- wine, decent (if therefore small) boxes of chocs, I wasnt sure what to hget one teetotal dieter but found someone who makes alvender cushions from cath kidston fabrics and that really is her al over.

have done home apinted mugs and stuff in the apst but the kids didnt even geta thank you so will keep it more mainstream this year. Likewise the christmas gifts- G&B choccy witha voucher for education (UNICERF) in africa- got one adoring thank you from an NNEB, but the teachers didnt even open the envekopes- they just binned all the cards still in the envelopes as too much work and boys were mortified. .

Pesonally i think everyone should save their money and use it for secondary teachers in about oooh 3 years (or when I qualify )

I think NOT giving them a gift - be it clubbing together for a nice voucher, homemade cards, etc. is tacky.

And cheap.

Yes, if either of my sons said they actually wanted to get a present for teacher then I would.

I think what people decide to do is more a reflection on the character of the mothers than anything else. DHs would not even think of presents/cards.

Message withdrawn

I think giving a present is a nice idea. LAst year we contributed to the 'group present' and also bought ds1's teacher a really beautiful candle (I had sussed that she loved candles when I went in to help one day), which we were too disorganised to get by the end of term, so left it in the office for her during their INSET day. I bumped into her in the hols and she instantly said she had really really appreciated the candle.

I think they work SO hard, it is only right. And I so appreciate what they have done for ds1. His current teacher had a box of chocolates at Xmas, home made sweets [smug emoticon] at Easter and we'll get her something lovely at the end of this term.

The nicest present I EVER got as a teacher was from a girl I was teaching piano to. I left to have ds1, and she gave me a beautiful Winnie the Pooh Wedgwood china clock, which is still up in the nursery.

I also think that a quick word of thanks for the teacher is more important than a gift. There aresome teachers who have done my kids so much good that I want to give them a big hug...but haven't done so yet One of them is retiring this year and I feel very very sad. The children are singing a version of the Kinks (?) 'Thankyou for the days' for her -DD sang some of it to me yesterday and I got all teary. Soppy cow!

The only thing that does get me slightly is that the lollipop lady just leaves a box at the side of the road for you to dump her rpessies in

HOWEVER I think its worth doing, they all work hard and take an inetrest, and even if they didnt my kids would hate to be the only ones who didnt do it, iyswim. Its one thing me being a stroppy cow and making a stand, quite another to expect them to do it for me.

The head / Secreatry / lollipop lady just get something small like a bag of fudge but at least they get remembered

i will be buying a pressie for ds2's teacher because she is fab! if she wasn't his teacher i would like her to be my friend!

no pressies for pre-school teachers because i don't like them.

You should give the lollipop lady a lollipop surely?

at the lollypop lady!!!!!

i have got ds1 teacher a cup with his name on for the staff room
and i have got ds2 teacher a pen with her name on it
then i get box of biscuits for the staff room

next year i will go mad as ds1 leaves this yr to go to high school and ds2 leaves next september go will even get the head something next year

Lollipop people get presents too? Why don't we all just go out and buy presents for everyone?

What gets me is that we do joint presents for teacher and assistant - we get them the same - all parents contribute - and then people bring in seperate gifts as well!

Also at lollipop lady!

I got "caught" last year leaving some chocs for the security guards at DS's school - wanted to just drop them at the desk but forgot about the security camera so they knew it was me!

Yes, we do joint gifts for teachers that leave, and for all teachers when dcs leave the school. Afraid that I have sounded like a mean cow on this thread but really, really if I were a teacher I'm sure I would prefer a sincere word of thanks to presents just bought as a matter of routine or following the crowd.
And its all so commercial -- our school is already in thrall to tesco etc with vouchers for computers, sports gear etc. Can't we let school be one place where the kids get a respite from consumerism?

The amount of money and time ive spent on selecting various presents in the last month alone could of paid for a decent week away! It seems to be birthday presents for dc friends most weeks and presents for this, that and the other. Honestly where will it all end? Im certainly not buying my dd teacher a blasted present. What could you possibly get for them that they dont already have anyway. What is the worst that can happen if you dont buy them one anyway?

I would rather get a hand made card from the children I teach than lots of boxes of chocolates. I tend to give away all of the chocolate and bath salts etc. The thought is much appreciated, but I would not be offended by someone not giving a present, I wouldn't really think about it.

My best ever card said

Der Msr Reader
Tank yu for tichin me litrice sinse and mats.

Excellent post. Handmade cards it is for the teacher this year, thankyou for the idea.

There's no way I can NOT buy a present for ds1's nursery teacher at the end of his last term. She has been a total star, one of the nicest people I've ever met, and has done far more for ds1/us than her job requires. So I will be buying her something nice (probably a bottle of decent wine from me, and a home-made card and tacky "best teacher ever" mug from ds1, that's his choice!). I will be ignoring the crabby curmudgeons on here who think we shouldn't bother

"crabby curmudgeons "!

I have bought presents in the past when a teacher or assistant has been particularly helpful or gone out of their way to help in certain situaions. But to buy one just because its the end of the school year and nothing much has occurred or been outstanding in the way that the year has gone, then no i dont agree with it.

So you'll be getting out a few galleons from your Gringots account then, GreengotsTheGoblinBank.
What would be the best end-of-year pressies for the Hogwarts staff?

lol that sounds like dd1's spelling

we did homemade card and necklace chosen by dd1 (quite nice actually, she may hate it but dd1 was adamant)

box of biscuits for staff on Monday

I love getting handmade cards from the children, and love thankyou notes from the parents when they feel I've made a difference to their children. I keep them all. When I left to go on maternity leave, the parents were incredibly generous and made me feel very special. The 'best' presents I've been given have been book tokens or vouchers, although I do have a stash of "World's Best Teacher" presents which I keep at school. A lot of the presents I get end up in my DD's shool fair, or in charity shops.
It is lovely to be thanked for what you do.

joint present from the whole class I find nice
individual presents for the teacher I find smarmy

These teachers teach our dc to read, write, count, interact, behave !!

Tacky not to!!