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Original poster

What do you buy your child's teacher and her assistant for Xmas

52 replies

mumtwogirls · 04/12/2006 14:26

I need some advice. What can we get for DD1's teacher and two assistants? In the past we usually do a collection but no one is volunteering and I don't have that much time. (Work and moving). Any teachers out there, let me know what are your thoughts? BTW DD1 is in YR1.

OP posts:
6beetrootsAmilking · 05/12/2006 08:52

this year am givng Christmas Decorations. Bloody loads to buy with music teachers as well!!

Clary · 05/12/2006 08:55

I was going to make Nigella's cranberry biscuits, is that a bad idea then Cod?

Original poster
mumtwogirls · 05/12/2006 09:10

Wow what a response here. Alcohol seems to be the preferred favourite though.

OP posts:
Berrie · 05/12/2006 09:10

I am a teacher and I really don't mind if individual children don't bring me anything but I suppose I would feel like they all hated me if I got nothing! I suppose what I'm saying is I never think "Huh Johhny Smith didn't get me a gift!" I'm just really touched and grateful when they do. Would echo the no chocs thing as I do end up eating them!! I've never had wine but that would be great! I'm afraid I don't really eat home made food as you are never quite sure how hygenically made it was. I feel a bit embarrassed when I get a really posh gift to be honest. I'm only the teacher! I worked in quite a poor area so I got a lot of tacky ornaments but I treasured them all on a shelf in the classroom... Really, a thoughtful message in a card means a lot and are the things that I really remember and associate with the child afterwards.

Clary · 05/12/2006 09:17

Berrie at the homemade food thing.

Do a lot of people feel that?

Eve · 05/12/2006 09:19

I would never eat anything homemade at school.

I am a parent and one day had to pop into another parents house.... my jaw dropped! Kim and Aggie would not have tocuhed it.

This lady was in charge of PTA and baked most cakes for cake stand.....

WonderCod · 05/12/2006 09:32

yes id check fo fag ash in biscuits

Bagpuss30 · 05/12/2006 09:36

I have bought Lush gift boxes for all of ours (4 in total). The teaching assistants will get the same as the teachers as they work just as hard (esp with my kids!). They were about £5 each. The children will do a card for each as well.

Berrie · 05/12/2006 10:11

Ooops, I wondered if that would shock people. No not all teachers feel the same. But many kids in my class were grubby and yes, some presents came with a whiff of fags so ... still very much appreciated though!

LemonTart · 05/12/2006 10:15

I was going to make nice Nigella-esque Christmas biscuits and pop them in a jar for DD to decorate. Not sure now!!
I taught and never felt funny about homemade gifts of food..But then I worked in a rather clean and middle class area

LemonTart · 05/12/2006 10:16

Last year I did a decoration thing out of Accessorize and it was gorgeous little wooden jointed Elf thing. Might just a similar thing this year I guess

Snowstorm · 05/12/2006 10:59

It's weird though, I have absolutely NO recollection of taking in Christmas presents (or Easter or end of year ones) for my teachers when I was little ... is it a relatively new thing that crept up between my own school years and that of my DC?

Am now smiling at the 'relatively new' bit as I've just worked out that I left school almost 20 years ago .... yeee gods, where does time go!

Clary · 05/12/2006 11:01

Lemontart I don?t think it?s you and me that cod and berrie are talking about

I am all nice and clean and so is my kitchen, honest. I did the choc fountain at the christmas fair and nobody complained so I reckon I?m OK lol.

hannahsaunt · 05/12/2006 11:55

Last year ds1 made lovely biscuits with star shapes cut out the centre and baked with crushed up boiled sweeties to make them like stained glass - they turned out beautifully and he helped to wrap them in clear cellophane and pretty stickers - teacher absolutely loved them.

This year his teacher will be getting a book to add to a school library in Ethiopia which ds1 picked from the World Vision catalogue.

danceswithreindeer · 05/12/2006 18:24

What?! Cod having something negative to say about someones efforts to do something nice... ...
Lemontart - you bake those biscuits. I would love to receive them and I'm sure the teacher will too.

alfielooloo · 05/12/2006 18:38

Hannahsaunt where do you get your clear cellophane from?? Am making gingerbread men for school bazaar on friday & have looked everywhere for some

Pinkchampagne · 05/12/2006 18:53

I've bought DS1's teacher a necklace. I know what kind of things she likes as I used to be her TA!
Wine normally goes down very well!

FairytaleOfNewNorksBride · 05/12/2006 20:35

alfielooloo - I've just bought 3 rolls of clear cellophane from Sussex Bookshops. Which, if you're not in Sussex, is a stationers as well as a bookshop. Could try your local version?

I think BakerRoss had coloured cellophane on the website, or try a craft shop. But if you're really stuck, go and beg or buy some from your nearest florist.

alfielooloo · 06/12/2006 00:33

Fairytaleofnewnorksbride, thanks for that. Think I have left it too late for any mail order now, we have got a very POWSH florist in the village, will see what they can do for me. Have already colourd my sugar, looks wonderful, off to market tomorrow to but buy birdfood to make my reindeer food. I LOVE mumsnet for all these great ideas!

hannahsaunt · 06/12/2006 09:38

Alfielooloo - I was in Australia at the time and got it in the local newsagents - worth a shot or just ask the florist really nicely

ruslara · 06/12/2006 12:57

With regards to cellophane - I have begged florist for it before now, but you can get rolls of it quite cheaply on E-bay.
I've done the books and school dinners from Oxfam Unwrapped this year too!

alfielooloo · 06/12/2006 13:11

Managed to get some selophane from the florist & she charged me £1.50 for it! only had about half a metre too. I bought a few bits to make up my xmas wreath before asking for it thinking she would donate it, talk about tight!

julienetmum · 06/12/2006 13:32

Thanks for the ideas. I have just bought 2 text books and 100 school dinners for dd's teacher and classroom assistant.

tassis · 06/12/2006 20:00

lakeland do lovely cellophane bags that are great for putting jars of chutney, homemade shortbread stars etc in. cheap too iirc

alfielooloo · 06/12/2006 23:57

Have made my reindeer food & put them in a wicker basket & they look FAB! even if I do say so myself. Didnt use the very expensive tight florist cello in the end, it suddenly occured to me this aftternoon that I had about 50,0000000 cello bags stashed away in my spare room, I do Phoenix cards, not very much recently hence having so many cellos so I used them, tied them with some red ribbon & voilla!! Am very pleased with myself, as if you hadnt noticed. DH birthday tomorrow, havnt even wrapped his pressie or written his card yet, xmas bazaar taken over my life at the mo, hope hes not expecting a night out tomorrow, have got 3 dozen gingerbread men to make, wrapped in Phoenix cellos. Might make up a goody bag for ds teacher & put some reindeer food in!!

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