End of Term Presents for Teachers

[IDismyname]

Ds will be finishing his local playgroup next week, and has loved every minute of the last year there.

I'd like to give all the teachers/ helpers a present, but there are 8 of them in all.

Does anyone have any ideas? I don't want to spend more than, say £5 each, but am willing to hear of any ideas that include ds making something.... trouble is, not much time!

Thanks

[Slinky]

You may remember from earlier on in the thread that I was hunting for special pressies for our teachers this year due to emigrating/retiring.

This is what we got in the end:

DS1 teacher/DD1 ex teacher (emigrating) - a Mini Rough Guide to Bangkok and a beautiful "crushed flower" covered book with poems/quotations paying tribute to teachers.

DS1 classroom assistant/DD1s ex CA (retiring) - a mini "pampering" set and pressed flower covered "mini-notelet set".

DD1s teacher (also retiring) - same as CA above.

Both children made beautiful handmade cards complete with tissue paper/glitter etc and each have written their own personal message.

Also enclosed a little card each from DH and myself thanking them for everything.

Already feeling a bit tearful (giving presents tomorrow as last day) as the 3 of them have been absolutely fantastic and they will be sorely missed

[Tinker]

Ooops, have just bought my wine today to give my daughter's teacher. Can't see the problem at all. And why not children bringing wine into school? She (my daughter) knows I drink wine, she knows it is something grown-ups like, she knows the teacher is not going to open it in the class and ply the kids with it. If someone wants to show appreciation for something I've done, I'd like something for me, something frivolous, enjoyable etc not something that is necessarily useful. A glittery pen to a teacher is like a mop to a mother.

[kmg1]

MBB - I just don't get your point of view. I've been a SAHM, and ds1 didn't 'get on' with his nursery teacher, I didn't get her a present. But for the past year he has been under the care and influence of one person for a huge amount of time every day. That person has done a fantastic job, we are thrilled to bits with the school, and especially with his teacher. Of course we are going to buy a present for him, not just a note. I wasn't around for the end of term, so I made a point of going up to him and thanking him personally when I last saw him, which he certainly appreciated, but I'm sure he appreciated the wine too...

[bells2]

Surely its perfectly normal to show your appreciation of someone whom you think has done a good job. Doesn't matter if its your teacher, vicar, hairdresser or bin man for that matter.

[Dahlia]

My dh was a teacher for 20 years and never failed to appreciate the many presents he received, and he always thanked each child. I give dd1's teacher and classroom assistant a pressie each xmas and end of year - I am extremely appreciative of what they do for her, and I know from dh what a hard job it is. And we have always had written thank you notes for each present.

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

[codswallop]

creepy

[Maudy]

My DS made a lovely card for his teacher and put a sweet message inside which he thought about very hard. We also took in a bottle of wine. I feel that the card was from him as he adored his teacher and will miss her very much and the wine was from me and my DP as we wanted to thank her for the fantastic job she has done throughout the year.

I wanted to give something for her to enjoy during the holidays that doesn't to relate to school at all. I know wine is a bit unimaginative but I have to agree with Tinker that something for the school, glittery pens etc would probably just make her heart sink.

I love the idea of home made relaxation kits and might pinch that for next year. Much more personal and yet still has the desired effect.
I also like the clubbing together idea and will think about trying to arrange something with the other mums for Christmas. Thanks for the tips...

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

[cos]

Saw a Dad arriving at school yesterday with a box of homegrown veg and flowers for teacher- what a sweet thought. we sent wine and chocs to my DS's teacher, just a small token of our appreciation for a fantastic first year in school

[crossma]

just to throw a spanner in the works, I would love to give a present to our bin men (ok refuse collectors) as I think they do a brilliant job ALL the time, also the nice lady in Woolies and there is one is Tescos and then there is the nice gent who helped my dd on a cold winters day when dd fell down and then there is the bloke at the garage who is always so friendly and helpful even though he looks snowed under and the ELC manageress who is always soooo helpful and friendly, then there is the library assistant who is so nice to the children and spares time to let them stamp their books and the window cleaner who is much better than my neighbours cleaner oh and yes if after all that there was a teacher last year and a nursery staff the year before that, then again I didn't do too badly when I was working, I always took pride in doing my job and trying to be helpful to people especially the horrid ones as I saw them as a challenge and thought what a horrible day they must be having to be so horrid. The list goes on but if I was rich I don't think I would be rich for long, why can't people just stick to homemade cards? Don't expect anyone is still reading this so I might as well stop here! After all the thought is there, isn't it? Plus the effort etc etc etc

[bells2]

err crossma, if you are referring to my message I mentioned "showing your appreciation" which is not necessarily the same as buying a present. I show my appreciation to friendly and helpful shop assistants by smiling and thanking them warmly which seems to be an appropriate way of doing so. For my son's teacher at his Nursery School who has done a superb job over an extended period of time, a personalised present was a more appropriate recognition of her effort.

[crossma]

I wasn't being personal just mean that there are so many people I would like to give a small token of my appreciation to and can't other than by saying thank you etc. I am being lazy and checking out mumsnet for longer than I should when I should be doing the housework and I think this shows it!

[hmb]

Crossma, I gave may children's teachers a present at the end of term, but then I also gave the bin men a six pack of larger each at christmas, and I give a tip to the window cleaner and the postie. My cleaner gets a special gift because she is amazing. You are right, it is the thought that counts but I like to give people a small gift. So shoot me

When I worked in industry I often got a bonus/gift at christmas, why shouldn't eveyone else? It made me feel good, and I expect it makes everyone else as well.

[crossma]

consider yourself shot hmb - truely only JOKING. Just wish I was rich!!!!!!!!

[steppemum]

As a teacher I used to love getting end of year pressies, but i never expected them, and the first year i was totally taken by surprise. The kids used to drop subtle hints asking what i liked, and I always replied chocoloates, because they were easy, and cheap for mums to get, and they were never wasted. In fact on the last day of term, I used to share lots of the boxes with the kids.
I just love some of the ideas here about child made pressies, and I would have been very touched to receive one. My all time favourite pressie was a pair of socks from a lovely mum whose son had been lovely but very hard work all year. The attached note said

Thank you for learning our Tony.

[Lindy]

lisalisa - I don't think you're being creepy at all (well, if you are so am I!!).We were on a playgroup picnic yesterday and I offered the leader one of the biscuits DS & I had made the day before - she absolutely raved about it & asked for a second one so I have decided to make her a batch for the last day of term.

I think homemade gifts & cards are far more appropriate than shop bought ones, which I personally wouldn't give to teachers - I never forget when I worked in industry we were expressly forbidden to accept gifts, where it would have been hugely offensive to refuse we had to hand them in for charity. I know teaching is different but I am not entirely happy with the idea. (Why do I therefore give to the milkman and paper boy then........ confusing!).

[lisalisa]

Message withdrawn

[marthamoo]

Ds1 and I made a present for his Year One teacher this year (she has been lovely, he has thrived under her care, and I have a great deal of respect for her - she deserved a present!)

The last school trip was to the seaside where we collected shells - so ds1 and I painted some of the shells (bought a pack of 12 tiny pots of pearlised/metallic acrylic paints for £3.60 in a local art shop) and stuck them on a picture frame (reduced to clear as it had chips out of it - but we stuck shells over the damaged bits). Then ds1 copied out a list of things that teachers do.."coat finder, Government Directive reader, Curriculum Implementer, nose wiper, surrogate parent" (found that in a T-shirt catalogue) and we put that in the frame along with a picture of her making a sandcastle on the beach (as taken by me on the day).

It was immensely tacky and "Blackpool"-y...but she was thrilled to bits (and we enjoyed making it). I also wrote her a card, saying how much I felt ds1 had come on through the year and thanking her.

Had I not liked his teacher as much as I do, I would probably just have got her chocolates. Oh, and at Christmas I always get a Christmas tree decoration for his teacher - really just a token gesture.

I don't see any problem with getting gifts for anyone you feel has gone above and beyond the call of duty. I don't believe it's an obligation (plenty of the children in ds1's class hadn't brought in anything - or maybe just a card or a picture they had drawn) and I don't believe they are thought any less of for that.

[doormat]

crossma like hmb I give a few bottles of lager to the postie and bin men at xmas time.Dont have to be rich, I just take dh's out of the fridge.
Boxes of chocs or bunches of flowers to the teachers at school.

[doormat]

crossma like hmb I give a few bottles of lager to the postie and bin men at xmas time.Dont have to be rich, I just take dh's out of the fridge.
Boxes of chocs or bunches of flowers to the teachers at school.

[crossma]

depends on your version of "rich" everything adds up! Perhaps it's time to change my name to "skintma". Anyway, I am not saying don't give to teachers, just that there are many I would like to give to but.....

[crossma]

plus I like "giving" sometimes find I have to stop myself as I often see so many things that I think would bring a smile to a friends/relatives face but can't buy them otherwise I would be spending a fortune anyway enough of this. Plus want to know something I did buy something for ds to give to teacher as ds wanted to and it was his choice. Plus ds made something too totally off his own back without me knowing until he had finished it which was so lovely... so there

[CAM]

lisalisa, nothing wrong with being creepy to teacher, anyway she won't be your child's teacher next year so it doesn't matter if you are creeping.