Teachers presents - class gift

[angsanana]

I'm organising the year 5 Xmas present for staff this year. 2 teachers, 1 LSA, 1, one-to-one. When I've done this in the past the pot is usually 250-400 (our school tend not to ask a set amount there is a real mix of affluence). I've reminded a couple of times and Im at £115 between around 10 families.

WIBU to buy the gifts and put "love from Tom, bob, Kirsty etc" rather than "love from year 5"? In the past I've put as a class gift but the majority have contributed.

What's the consensus here?

Are you asking for a set amount that some people may not have to spare?

Please don't be ruthless it's not the kids fault nor the parents if they can't afford it, put "love from year 5" and be done.

Put love from year 5.

The teachers I know understand there is a cosy of living crisis there not going to be passed off

Definitely from the whole year. Some will not be able to give anything.
How do you gift to other school staff - cleaners, catering, maintenance, office etc?

No it's clear that it's any amount. Most people put 10-20 - it's for our members of staff. It's a relatively well off area I would have thought a fiver wouldn't go amiss?

I would always just say "from class 5A". But I would leave it a while longer - we're still in November so people probably just aren't thinking about it yet.

I appreciate your dilemma but you’re going to look incredibly passive aggressive if you just put the names of the people who contributed.

Give the gift from the class and rethink the collections in the future. I don’t remember doing a big present for the teachers at Christmas. End of year, yes, but these things get out of hand and it can feel like you’re being asked for a tenner here there and everywhere. It soon mounts up.

I don’t remember doing a big present for the teachers at Christmas. End of year, yes, but these things get out of hand and it can feel like you’re being asked for a tenner here there and everywhere. It soon mounts up.

I agree. A gift at Christmas is ridiculous. It's already an expensive time of year, and the teacher would be horrified to think parents were being guilted into donating.

What's wrong with a handmade card from the children, and a box of chocolates? Most teachers would probably prefer that, as it means more.

Ughh I hate being asked for money for teachers presents, call me a tight grinch but there's just something about it, the expectation. They are in relatively well paid jobs. sometimes the expectation is more than I'd spend on a ( not close) friend for a token Xmas present. And yes we also get asked at the end of the school year , and once as a thank you after a school trip. Sometimes I just don't contribute. What happened to the days of a Xmas card to say thanks, or a hand made card from the kids?

Going against the grain, i think if only 10 people out of 30 have chipped in its fine to do it from those 10. Its different if over 15 people out of 30 have chipped in as it would single out the minority group.

If children are signing a card, id let any child sign though as they wont know what their parents are doing.

The parents in our class that organise it asks for a set amount - the smallest note - and write the names of the kids whose parents contributed on the card. Every year, for both Xmas and em the end of year present, there is only one child’s name not on it. The parents can well afford to contribute but don’t because they don’t agree with the idea of teacher’s gifts. It wouldn’t be right to put this boy’s name on the card or write that the card is from the whole class as the boy’s parents don’t agree to it.

However the same family have no issue with asking for all their kids to be included in free extra curricular activities provided by the teachers that are meant to be for certain year groups only because she doesn’t like paying for childcare either.

there is only one child’s name not on it...It wouldn’t be right to put this boy’s name on the card or write that the card is from the whole class as the boy’s parents don’t agree to it.

So an entire class of parents are happy to exclude one child because of his parents?

I absolutely agree with this. If, as you say, money may not be the issue, maybe they just don't think they should be being asked to spend anything on the teachers when they earn a good wage and the parents' children have missed enormous chunks of their education due to strike action etc.

I'll be honest, I wouldn't be putting any cash in. My child would be making a Christmas card for them, it's much more meaningful.

What's wrong with a card and a box of chocolates? I would roll my eyes if asked for a class gift contribution, it's so bloody try-hard. Thankfully both my kids are in secondary now where its not a thing to buy gifts for people for doing their job.

The parents make it very clear that they do not want to contribute or be involved with it (they say out of principle but the mother is extremely tight and yes they have income). If they wanted their child’s name on it, they would ask for it. This is the child’s 5th year of being the only name not on it. The card and message is sent to the parents WhatsApp group and the child’s parents can see for themselves that their child’s name is not on it. They seem to have no issue with their child’s name being the only one not included so why would the organisers go against the parent’s ‘principles’ and write his name down?

I totally get those who dont want to, but i think the question is do you expect your child to be included on the card?

I wouldn’t expect names to be written in a card when parents object on principle to the idea. This is surely going against their stance? Why would someone assume they have the right to include someone’s name when they have made it known they don’t want any involvement in it?

I agree. But lots of people werent really answering the op which was asking can i just do the card from x,y and z.

They were just saying they dont like class gifts without saying whether they'd want thier child to be in the card or not.

More parents may contribute yet, we’re not even in December!

I think a class present is a good idea if most parents are happy to contribute. I know one of my teacher friends, amongst other gifts, ended up with 26 boxes of chocolates a few years ago at Xmas. It’s lovely of people to buy, but the reality is, teachers give lots of the gifts away when they’re given individual gifts and receive so many of the same thing.

Another one in favour of a handmade card for Christmas and a box of chocolates at the end of the school year. If someone spent £250-400 on a gift for me just for doing my job I would be embarrassed!

From my days as a school governor, most teachers kept all the cards but gifts were usually donated to charity shops or local foodbanks.

You do know it's only 28th Nov don't you?

I wouldnt dream of putting just these names this early on! Loads of time for people to contribute, last couple of weeks of school yeah I'd call it a day and add to the what's app group that it's final day for contributions etc. Then yeah at that point if only say 8 parents had put in it would be those 8 kids names. As that's who it's off. Not the whole of year 5.

It's between all the staff - there's sometimes a few more one to ones or LSAs. This year there are two teachers as they job share. The choice of divvying up between them is one for another thread, always disagreements on whether the teachers get more or those working more days etc this is reminding me why I vowed never to do this again for the class ;-)

The other class WhatsApp's I'm on did theirs earlier!!!! That's why I put my hand up to do year 5