teachers - what would you like as an end or year present please?

[mckenzie]

I remember reading a thread this time last year about this but my searches have proved fruitless.

About 7 or 8 of us mums will be clubbing together. Last year we bought M&S vouchers and a bunch of flowers.

What would you most like to receive from your pupils and their parents?

TIA

no I blinkin well haven't.

Well, you had us going, Twinset!

My kids always make something for their teachers, ie a fridge magnet made of saltdough, painted and modelled on the teacher!, a nice white china cup, which they painted... I always get the staff room a box of biscuits, and one for the office staff as well... Bit stuck for the teachers homemade pressy this year!

I work in a pre school and one of my favourite pressys was a picture of all the girls that worked there drawn by this boy.. and he'd written our names under our pictures, we have it on the wall, and everyday it makes me smile!

Ummmm, I am very happy that Ds has had a happy time in his class, seems to have learned a fair bit, i will tell his teacher how much we appreciated what she has done, but am i the only parent who had never considered giving teachers a present?

I probably will when he leaves - a nice gift for the school - but is it the done thing to give presents at the end of term? Will I be a pariah? eeek!

My Mum was a primary teacher who didn't drink very much, didn't like toiletries and was always trying to lose weight. So I always try to find something different thanwine/chocs/smellies, as hard as that is! Have bought Oxfam vouchers twice 1) for a lovely teacher who I knew would appreciate it and actually came out of school to find us and say how lovely 2) for a not very nice teacher (who my daughter likes but I don't) so was more than happy to give my money to charity rather than him.

One year when we clubbed together we bought the teacher a pampering voucher for the local beauty salon and she really enjoyed it.

Mymum was a teacher too, but I'm sure she never used to get drink! I remember, we very rarely had to buy soap and we always had odd looking ornaments hanging around during the summer holidays!
I like the idea of a box of bickies for the office staff. I might do that this year since dd is leaving to go to senior school.

Homemade card please. No chocolates, thanks.
If you want to do something else, a voucher to a bookshop please - then I can either spend on books for my classroom, books for myself to read over the summer (bliss!) or a trashy magazine to recover from end of term stress!
M&S or JL voucher good too (but no more than £5, thanks)

vouchers? what about tescos vouchers?

I normally go for the chocolater orange route myself.

our card is homemade and ready three weeks early [ show off emoticon]

One thing I always, always do is get choccies or wine for the school secretary. She works so hard and nobody even thinks about thanking her.

we have collections
DS's teacher will get Selfridges vouchers (she chose these) DD's will get Hobbs vouchers (surprise)

our school secretary terrifies me.

What about nice unusual plants,
That was my plan this year and i know teacher likes gardening

Ours is terrifying too. But I love her really. And she knows EVEr

Whoops. Everything, I was about to say.

Oooh that's a great idea about cub leaders etc.

DS1 is leavign Beavers this summer so we must get them sthg. Might make a big box of home-made biscuits - we have done this before and it seemed popular?

Other option for teachers is indeed Oxfam unwrapped. Will have to get organised

i make a huge batch of rocky road or white choc cranberry fudge ( our end of year is christmas time) and just put it in nice bowls/mugs or something that they can use and that way everyone gets a little something and the dds help cook it.

I have three kindy teachers, two school teachers and a number of therapists so do that for them.

I have done the charity gift - you know village for a goat in your name sort of thing.

Last year I bought DD's teacher - who had covered mat leave - a lily to plant in the garden since I know it is her great love.

She pulled me over the other day and said it is doing beautifully and is now three times the size. It's nice to think she remembers us/DD when she sees it, partic since she is leaving this year and has said some lovely things about listening for news about DD in the future.

Ceolas can I come and teach your children please?! Clarins, mmmm...

As a teacher AND a guider I would say:

• we hardly ever get pressies from the brownies' parents despite the fact it is voluntary. That is NOT obviously why I do it, not pressie seeking, but as someone said earlier, teachers ARE just doing their job!
• that said...! It's always lovely getting a thoughtful present from a parent, last year someone got me a token for a stress busting massage - brilliant! But even nicer is a nice note - if your child has had a good year and you feel the teacher has made a positive contribution, please tell him or her! I keep these wee notes for when I'm having a horrible stressful time to remind me it's all worthwhile.

Great thread, was stuck for ideas. My little man finishes pre-school in a couple of weeks and I really wanted to get the main leader something really nice as she's been fab - especially when he was upset at first going and for putting up with me worrying over everything lol. There are a couple of assistants so will need a couple of smaller items too and like the idea of plants for those. Thanks to the poster for the hotel chocolat link - what a fab site - just found a handbag shaped box of goodies so thats my present sorted.

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Dd (who is still quite little) always writes thank you letters to all the adults she has interactions with at the end of the year, and draws pictures.

I don?t know whether the teachers would prefer a gift but it always seems to me that gifts are a bit impersonal and the personal touch is more important.