Homemade Christmas gifts for Reception teacher and TAs?

[andnowforsomemoreofthesame]

DS1 is in Reception and I have NO idea what I'm supposed to give to people as Christmas gifts. DS has one teacher, 2 TAs and quite a few other people who seem to do the same job as the TAs. There are always to adults with the children, but it's different people in different days.

Should I give something to all of them? Or only to teacher and TAs? Or something "more special" to the 3 of them?

Is it ok to give them homemade maron glace? Will it sound weird?

I have just learnt how to make maron glace and I thought of making little jars of the thing for them. It is cheap and tastes as good as the "real" one (although it doesn't look as good). A jar of "real" maron glace costs more than 10 pounds (it takes 4 days to make, that's why it's so expensive!)

I just have no idea if people like maron glace.

I'll wrap them in foil, so should I give them to the office ladies as well?

(I hate social etiquette!!! I always end up doing something rude or OTT - never "right")

I will be giving all my DCs teachers and TAs wine. If I'd been in a classroom with 30 kids fir several weeks it's the least I'd want!

Bloody hell, some ungrateful teachers on this thread.

i don't thimk its ungrateful not to want home cooked stuff when you know say that between 10 and 40 % of primary children supposedly have threadworms at any one time!

I am a Reception teacher and although I never expect a gift, would LOVE a homemade gift and the more edible the better.

Little hands don't bother me I spend all day with the lovely little grubs!

Mine usually make Christmas decorations and I make some chocolate truffles which they always say that they enjoy. Ds has also taken to writing a story for each of them staring themselves because he loves writing stories.

Am I the only person who doesn't know what a maron glacé is? off to google

I think with teachers gifts, it really is the thought that counts. I know a couple of teacher friends who, whilst they are grateful to get the gifts, just don't know what to do with them, they're not keen on eating home made edibles (sorry) especially if children have been involved in making them, and there are only so many mugs, chocolates and photo frames they can use.
I can only speak for the ones I know, but a nicely written card would be much more appreciated than an obligation-gift.

Ooh maron glaces look lovely!!! Changed my mind, do them and do me some too

Usual - it's not really ungrateful. If anything it's massively grateful and often emotionally so ....but if mums ask whether it's worth making things at home the honest answer is that no, 30-60 x gifts a year are not eaten/kept.

However, most teachers I know treasure the notes in cards from students they've helped or grateful parents. I still have mine from 15 years ago. I'd recommend putting the effort into writing a sentance of appreciation or making a card if you want to do homemade. I think the temptation is to be so grateful as to want to do something really special and I just want to reassure parents you don't need to spend much/anything honestly and truly. And theheartfelt cards are the things that get treasured...

I always buy a big tin of biscuits for the staff room. And then I buy a bottle of champagne each for the teachers and a bottle of wine for the teaching assistants (they are part-time so there are several of them all lovely).

Sorry but I'm not a fan of maron glace.

I used to give chocolates, wine or good quality smellies with the thought that the teachers could regift what they didn't like however for the last few years I have been giving a gift card as this is something I like getting (Costa last year and I'm thinking of Dobbies this year) so that they can get something they like.

What about something they can use in the classroom. I know teachers spend a lot of their own money on stickers, stamps etc. I once got thr DCs to cover a little box and put in a few different stampers. If you know they are doing a particular topic next term a box of stickers or craft materials that would be useful. Or even a book for the classroom.

I am hugely grateful for any gifts but the lovely cards are fantastic or a gift that the child has chosen. I quite often get lovely mugs because I'm always drinking tea and one child bought me nail varnish as I always had painted nails.
When there are lots of staff then a tin of chocolates or biscuits is great.

Always wine for teacher, chocs or the like for TAs( last year got nice after dinner mints). I reckon if i was a teacher i would appreciate a decent bottle of red more than a mug or the like!

I've bought Yankee candles for the 2 Reception teachers, 2 TAs and a tub of chocs for the after school club team. Hope they are ok!
I'm a teacher myself but secondary. I occasionally get a few cards shoved at me by eager Year 7s. Did get chocs one year, they were much appreciated.

As a teacher i would much rather have a small thoughtful home made gift or card (if a child or parent feels they would like to get me something) rather than a class collection, which personally embarrasses me and puts pressure on parents to contribute unnecessarily.

A couple of years ago a parent gave the school a huge Christmasy gift box filled with lollies (jelly babies, jelly beans, snakes, etc, etc). It went on the table in the middle of the staff room and it sustained us through the last couple of weeks of school and PD days. It was awesome! I do the same for my son's daycare every year now, and it is always very well received. The box costs me about $5AUD from a cheapie shop, and I buy a few huge bags of mixed lollies to fill it, so not very expensive.

I must admit, the gifts that stick in my mind the most are the smaller personal items. One child bought me a little ceramic dog. It's ugly, cheap, and I adore it, because the child chose it for me and it shows the child really listened to me (I'm a dog person). It has pride of place on my desk. Mum was really embarrassed handing it over, kept apologising ("he insisted, I'm sorry, he insisted!") but I love it, and has become a bit of a 'thing' with other kids now buying one for me in different years, so I now have a bit of a collection. I also get a lot of homemade Christmas ornaments as I put a big tree up in my room, and have all the decorations from students in previous years. I also love getting books for the room, and I get the child to write a message in the front if they haven't already done so. I don't expect anything, but I appreciate everything.

Although one of the funniest I received was a dozen bottles of wine, with a note from the parent "After a year of teaching Xxxxx (their son), we thought you would probably need these!".

Anything is fine with me. I'll eat home made stuff. :o
Nothing is fine too though!

I'm sending in some biscuits for the staff room for my son's school. It's nice to have stuff to eat in January.

A chestnut is a nut - the clue is in the name - and would never give nuts as presents - especially presented as "maron glace" which does not say EXPLICITLY that IT CONTAINS NUTS - You will need to put an ingredients list on there, and a warning

We just did freddo frog in a card or a candy cane.

We've got into a habit of giving homemade (food) gifts and the teachers always seem really thrilled.

At the end of last year the dc took in homemade jam, an individual jar for each teacher and a mini pack of scones. They decorated the labels themselves.

For Christmas the dc are taking in homemade chocolates for the teachers. The empty boxes cost £1, the 8 chocolates cost about £3 to make with a selection of flavours, and the dc will decorate the tags.

Anyone else reading this thread and not knowing what maron glace is?

Marrons (2 rs) glacés are candied chestnuts - expensive & posh.

But while I am allergic to all nuts, I am not allergic to chestnuts. I now, for the first time, wonder why.

I just gave wine.

yes a child i taught last year made me a chocolate brownie and when I got it out to eat it had a hair in. Safe to say I did not eat it, and it went straight in the bin.. although bless her i thought it was a nice thought

I am allergic to chestnuts, hazelnuts and macadamia nuts... and latex (which a lot of people who are allergic to chestnuts have as an allergy and v.v) - but I'm not to almonds, walnuts or brazil nuts...