AIBU to buy my class stationery for Christmas?

[HonestTeacher]

My class (year 4) come to school with every gel pen under the sun. Smelly felt tips, cute rubbers etc. The majority do not bring the correct equipment despite numerous pleas and requests to the children and parents. All my pencils and essential supplies have ran out. There is no money in the school budget to buy any more and I don't want to spend my own money anymore. Usually I buy the children a Christmas present (book or cone of sweets). WIBU to buy them all a pencil and ruler as their present or is that really mean?

How much would it be to get them a pencil with name on? More of a gift and they might be motivated not to lose it!

I would get them a cheap one to make a point to the parents! Don't buy one with their names on, it would cost I fortune!

I think that would be a lovely gift even without the context.

I think it would be fine, though I would also think it fine to get nothing at all!

That’s what teachers give the children at DS’s school and they’re not allowed to bring in their own pencil cases.

I think this is a lovely idea but they might not bring them back so maybe don't let them take them away?

I get my DD teachers stationary usually, stickers, personal pens etc but I'm thinking of buying some class pencils and pens etc this year. Would you think that was a weird Christmas present?

We aren’t allowed to supply a pencil case in my DD primary school but I think it’s a nice idea

You could have the class put on the rulers instead of individual names
“Class 4 ” It would be a lot cheaper than individual names too.

Great gift.

For my daughter's class, I bought a box of 150 pencils from Amazon, and wrote positive messages on each of them. Something I saw on Pintrest.

Maybe you could do something like that, make it a bit more special?

@steff13 can I ask how you wrote positive messages on them? That sounds rather fab and I'd quite like to do it.

I don't know how you could do it without looking like you're being presumptuous, but could you request some stationery for the classroom in lieu of gifts for you from parents at Christmas? It might look a bit ungrateful though... Dunno, just a thought.

I wouldn't do it in the expectation of them all actually bringing them into school to use.

I think thats a lovely gift regardless of context, it might be cheaper to get personalised pencils with 'year 4' written on, rather than rulers? then you could bulk buy the rulers separately and at a lower cost

TimeforanotherChange I just used a fine-tip Sharpie marker. Not the super fine ones, but one that is still like a marker. I tested a couple to make sure they wouldn't rub off. I used phrases like, "you're awesome," or "today is a great day," stuff like that.

I saw it on Pinterest and thought my daughter is told every day how smart and funny and amazing and capable she is, and I bet a lot of other kids don't get that.

Our teacher has written a note in the school newsletter saying “every year my lovely class have made me some fantastic Christmas gifts and some have given me wine or chocolates. I’m working to eat and drink more healthily at the moment, so I’d prefer no edible or drinkable gifts this Christmas. If you’d still like to send a gift, the xxx class could really do with some new colouring pencils, scissors, glue sticks and HB pencils”

Teachers buy their pupils presents now? When did this start happening? I only just found out from a thread the other day that teachers get Christmas presents and end of year presents. Is it a thing at Easter as well? Never knew of any presents for teachers when I was at school. It seems to have exploded!

@avocadoze - thank you, that's a good example of what I was trying to imagine

My DSS teacher did this last year. It was a novelty matching ruller and pencil. He loved it. He was a bit younger ( year 1).
Go for it especially if it will benifit them.