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Christmas Gift for Preschool Teacher
Do you buy one?
DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? Not sure what to do, as you can tell! Thanks Linda Mommy to Sophie, 3.5 and Eva, 15 months |
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#3
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"GoofeeGyrl" wrote Do you buy one? DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? If you do decide to buy a gift, just a warning. My mother is a pre-school teacher and ends up with more boxes of chocolates and bottles of wine than she could use in a month. Candles and the like are popular with her cos they can be stored and used without acting as dustcatchers. And, tbh, it's not as though they go through a list of the kids ticking off who gave a gift and who didn't :-). Jean --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.816 / Virus Database: 554 - Release Date: 12/15/2004 |
#4
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GoofeeGyrl wrote:
Do you buy one? DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? I think it really depends on what you want to do. Around here, I've seen everything from nothing to very inexpensive gifts to $100+ gifts. I try to keep in mind that teachers often get scads of gifts from their kids and try to do something that doesn't incur a liability for the teacher (just another thing to store, dust, etc.). I usually find that teachers really like things that the students have made, too, even if it's as simple as some cookies the child has made and decorated. For an especially favorite preschool teacher one year I got some polar fleece and got tracings of each child's hand and embroidered the handprints and the names on the fleece blanket in pearl cotton (went pretty quickly), but that's more effort than I'd usually put in. I love it when one of the parents in the class offers to organize a group gift. This year one of the parents in my 4th grader's class is organizing a group gift of a basked of educational games (the teacher had previously expressed that she was wishing she had more games for the kids to play in class). Last year a parent organized a group gift of a Home Depot gift card because the teacher was doing some work on his house. Other parents have organized things like a movie basket (popcorn, candy, movie theater gift certificates, movie rental gift certificates, etc.). If I know the teacher likes tea, I often get a gift from Stash tea that has tea and Nutcracker cookies, especially if the teacher has taken us up on our offer of tickets to see the kids perform in the Nutcracker. I don't think there's any right or wrong amount to spend, for the most part. Personally, I would rather make something at home (like cookies or a nice card) than spend $3 for a gift that won't be useful, but on the other hand, sometimes you find something great for $3! I also don't mind spending more for a teacher the child really enjoys, especially if it saves me time (I'd rather spend a little more money and be done than kill myself finding the right thing on a very limited budget). I also don't think you have to worry too much about the relative cost of the aide's gift versus the teacher's gift. Obviously, you wouldn't want to do something significantly more elaborate for the aide, but I don't think it's any sort of faux pas if you do the same thing for both, if that's more convenient for you. Best wishes, Ericka |
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"GoofeeGyrl" wrote in message ... Do you buy one? DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? Well, we don't have preschool teachers to buy for, but we buy for dance teachers and 3rd grade teachers (and a teachers aide). For the school teacher and the teacher's aide we bought $10 gift certificates for Dunkin Donuts (my DD told me that they both usually have a coffee from there most mornings) and I bought a book for the classroom thru the monthly book club thing that gets sent home. The two dance teachers each teach multiple classes to our family members (one teaches DH and 3 of DDs classes and the other teaches DD for one class and DS for one class). We debated a long time about what to buy for them, and ended up spending $25 for a gift certificate from a local department store (Kohl's) where I know they shop. We only spent that much for them because they've been teaching us for years and because they have multiple family members in their classes. Otherwise I would have spent about $10 each. We figured that the gift certificate would let them get whatever they wanted rather than yet another set of bath soaps and lotions or more scented candles. |
#6
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"GoofeeGyrl" wrote in message ... Do you buy one? DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? I chipped in $5 each for a group gift from all the parents but I also gave $10 gift certificates to a book store. The school is a non-profit and doesn't have a lot of extra money so I thought they could either buy books for the school or for themselves. I was a teacher and I always liked gc's for books or supplies since I spent so much out of pocket. HTH JennP. |
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GoofeeGyrl wrote: Do you buy one? I usually buy something 5$ or less like a decorative tin of treats or cookies. I'm quite sure that the preschool (university affiliated, thus the 'rule') has a policy that there be no gift to a teacher or student helper that exceeds 10$ or something, so in keeping with that, we go minimal. cara |
#8
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I get small gifts for the teachers. Each year it is different. One year it
was Holiday kitchen towels and a small pottery bowl, one year candles and chocolates, last year Starbucks cards and insulated mugs. I think this year I am going to go to Old Navy and buy polarfleece scarves and gloves (they are on sale for freaky cheap, too!) Have fun and don't stress about it. Sometimes a really nice note thanking her for her gift of teaching small children is worth more than any present. Kelly "GoofeeGyrl" wrote in message ... Do you buy one? DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? Not sure what to do, as you can tell! Thanks Linda Mommy to Sophie, 3.5 and Eva, 15 months |
#9
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GoofeeGyrl wrote:
Do you buy one? We make one :-) DD has been going since September and loves her teacher. The class has 24 kids, one teacher, and one helper. I'm just wondering if we should go ahead and buy something? If so, what is a reasonable amount to spend? If we buy one for the teacher and the helper, about how much would I spend on the second gift? Remember that teachers and helpers get gifts each year. I think it means alot to them to have a small personal item that shows the parent has worked with the child. This year I bought some shortbread, some icing pens and little sugar balls and let DS decorate them (he's 5). He took them into school for the teacher to eat at coffee time. The gift is from us rather than him and shows that we as a family appreciate all the teachers do. Mary Ann |
#10
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Hi - Gifts for teachers are always welcome. Any size gift is appreciated. But do your best to have your child participate, at least in the creation of a card for the teacher. (And no, you don't have to go beyond a card!) If you decide to get a gift, a gift certificate is always good, especially if it's for a store or a bookstore near the school (so you know the teacher can use it). Food gifts tend to be a less-good idea, since so many people give them. Look at your own family income AND how much you appreciate the teacher in deciding how much to spend on a gift. If you're in financial straits, send in a card signed by your child and have done. If you're a multi-millionaire, send in a $100 gift certficate to a local store along with a book you think the teacher would like, and don't forget a donation to the school in honor of your favored teachers. Around here, gifts tend to run in the $5-$20 range; I live in a relatively affluent area. I hope this helps, --Beth Kevles http://web.mit.edu/kevles/www/nomilk.html -- a page for the milk-allergic Disclaimer: Nothing in this message should be construed as medical advice. Please consult with your own medical practicioner. NOTE: No email is read at my MIT address. Use the AOL one if you would like me to reply. |
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