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My son started attending preschool in September. He goes two mornings a week. The road has been anything but smooth, but I give the teachers a lot of credit for trying to work with him and keeping the lines of communication open. I'd like to give them something when the school year ends to show our gratitude. I want it to be something special. Any suggestions?? If any teachers are reading this, have you been given something that really struck a chord or that really "wowed" you? I don't have a dollar amount in mind so I am open to any ideas. The teachers (there are two of them) are women, probably in their late 40's, early 50's.
In Camden's class (also 2 mornings a week) all the parents chip in $5 each, so the basket of goodies they get is worth $30. I think that is well and good, but I am also adding in a packet of handmade notecards and a $25 gift certificate to the mall. I know they don't earn a lot at preschools and as a former teacher I always appreciated handmade gifts and gift certificates-one for the sentiment and one for practicality! LOL
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I am a preschool teacher! Hmmm.... I haven't been given anything that wowed me! I call tell you what NOT to do:
No Bath stuff
Nothing with apples
No mugs
I would love anything homemade especailly if the kiddo helped. And as always gift certificates are the greatest!
I'm a preschool teacher for 3 year olds. Don't buy chocolates, candles, lotion or soaps!! A couple of years ago I had been given a watch from a nice store(fossil) with a special message about how precious time is. I loved it and still wear it! Gift certificates are good too. If you do buy something a gift reciept is always great-I've used them a couple of times to get something I'd use more.
Teachers are way underpaid. Preschool teachers are barely paid!!
I always give a gift certificate to our local mall (very big and nice mall). The teachers love them and can use them for everything from kitchen stuff, restaurants, books, clothes, music, etc. However, for one teacher, who loved to garden, I gave a gift certificate to a nice garden store.
A teacher friend of mine echoed some of the other comments -- no mugs, knick knacks, apple shaped stuff, toiletries, plaques, etc.
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
You could buy a gift card and then stamp a cute card holder.
I have given GCs to restaurants. One year I gave our piano teacher a GC to the grocery store similiar to a Super Walmart. She really appreciated it and was able to get something for her apt.
I have given movie passes, handmade journals, note pads and cookie jars. Also movie rental coupons would be good with actual popcorn packages.
My pre-K teacher scrapbooks so thru the year I also donated lots of my (new but un-used) supplies since she just started.
I plan on making thank you's for a year end appreciation gift. To make them I'm using smororgasborders and crayon kids alpha making it look like a chalkboard. (CASE-ed from some where).
Too late for this year, but next year you might try this. Order the Year-Round Fun II set. Each month make up a little cello bag with three or four of the stamps that are appropriate to the season. At the end of the year, send the box for the stamps filled with an assortment of hand made cards. :p
Too late for this year, but next year you might try this. Order the Year-Round Fun II set. Each month make up a little cello bag with three or four of the stamps that are appropriate to the season. At the end of the year, send the box for the stamps filled with an assortment of hand made cards. :p
What a cute idea!!!!
I always did GC for local stores and rest. too-it all depended on their likes (DD's 4th grade teacher wnt to Mickey D's EVERYDAY for lunch...so he appreciated the gc for there ;) and the gardner loved the garden store gc...etc)
My friend is making journals for her DD's preschool teachers, maybe add an RSVP pen and GC for the bookstore...?
I always try my best to personalize the gift, even if it is a gift certificate. Find out if they collect anything or have a favorite hobby and cater to that. One of my DD's teachers collected Teddy Bears so we bought her a collector bear-another collected nut crackers. Another loves to garden so together we filled a hand painted flower pot with different plants and flowers. If they love to read, a book store certificate. Find out what is special to them and make it personal and special from your child. Good luck!
__________________ Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. - Victor Hugo
I have a cute little poem that goes with 'forget me not' flowers/seeds. You can get a cute little flower pot and stuff to into it and then put the poem on a stamped image on a flower and a pic of your child. LMK if you want it.
funny you say forget me not seeds.I plan on giving my sons 2 teachers from Pre- school each a bag that I picked up at the dollar tree with a school theme on it.Inside 5 handmade thank you card for them to give to people so they don't have to buy any.Also a 3x5 hand stamped notbook with a beaded pen.a quilled pencil pin to wear for next year.the other teacher will get chalkboard that is also quilled.there so cute.Also a post it holder stamped with the post it notes for thier desk.and of course the forget me not seeds to plant at home so they will always remember who they came from.I might make the flower packet holder also to put them in.Theres a picture in the gallery section somewhere.It's so cute.
__________________ WHAT IS A STAMPPIN ADDICT!
It's someone who buys stamps they didn't normally like at first,only to see it in Split Coast Stampers gallery in a different perspective.
For teacher appreciation week, I gave my son's pre-k teacher a 'Teacher Survival Kit'. Each item has a different meaning. I found the symbolisms somewhere on SCS. I got a small planter box from the Target $1 spot & put everything in there. And I went with samples.
As the 'end of the year' gift, I am making a scrapbook that I purchased from Target. They had scrapbooking kits on sale ($9.0. I'll put the book together & give it to them to fill with pictures of their families.
Here are the items I put in the kit:
Eraser: To make all of your mistakes disappear. Penny: So you will never be broke. Rubber band: To help you stretch beyond your limits. Aleve: For those trying students and situations. Crayon: To color your day bright and cheerful Wiggly eyes: So you can have eyes in the back of your head. Tissues: To wipe away the tears; yours or theirs. Packet of seeds: To plant the seeds of knowledge and to watch
the growth of your students. Key: To remind you that you�re the key to your student�s future. Battery (Energizer): To help keep you going and going. Equal sugar: To remind you how equally challenging and sweet teaching can be. Band-aids: For your hurt feelings or someone elses. Candle: Because you light up their future Hugs and Kisses (Hershey's): For those times you need to be reminded
you're special and someone cares.
__________________
~*~Allison~*~
Last edited by GAMom2ChelNJustin; 05-06-2005 at 10:12 AM..
I just gave my dd's 1st grade teacher one of those prepkged scrapbook page completion kits...2 sheets of paper 1 sheet of vellum and a die cut sheet...added a couple other things to it and you would have thought I gave her gold! She loved it.
My friend also did the same thing for her dd's teacher who scrapbooks - except she gave her 2 pkgs of the printed SU paper (candy and splash I think!) AND some paper and stickers she picked out at the scrapbook store! I would have liked that gift too!!!
Last year for my dd's teachers (4 of them!) I gave a big bowl I purchased at walmart filled with microwave popcorn pkgs, a 2 liter of soda, various large candy boxes, cup of those cookies you see at walmart checkout and a blockbuster gift certificate - they all liked them as well.
__________________
Shelley
The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
last year for my DD fisrt grade teacher i bought a big beach bag and filled it with a sun visor, beach towel, snacks for the pool, sun screen, beach ball (not blown up) and a gift card to borders to get a good book to read while spending a lazy day at the pool. You could also any other summer/pool toys depending on the teachers kids age. Her teacher loved it!
Having been through this.....we pitched in as a group of mom's and got a gift certificate to a day spa that we knew the teacher went to. She could use the $$ for whatever treatment/pampering that she wanted to. She loved it as did our kindergarten teacher. Stamped thank-you cards are very well received, both teachers my children had wrote thank-yous for all the gifts big and small that they received. I am also giving my daughters grade one teacher a lot of children's bday cards as she gives each child (20 in the class) a card on their birthdays.
Love the teachers survivor kit!!
I did a variation of the teachers survival kit and my kids teachers and even my son's student teacher's thought it was a hoot. I put them in abag an them into some beautifully made pouches. My friend had me make a tumble tile coaster for her son's teacher and she loved it too.
I have been a preschool teacher, lower el teacher, upper el teacher, and now a middle school special ed teacher. I have enough lotion, candles, and nicknacks to last a lifetime! I don't remember the last time I had to buy body wash!
At the December Holidays, I give teacher essentials like thank you notes, sticky notes, stickers, fun reward pencils, etc. or a gift certificate to a teacher store (many online) with, yes, chocolate. I saw another reply saying no chocolate... oops. I didn't know people could get sick of that! LOL Obviously, I like chocolate. I once had one creative kid put M&Ms in a bottle with a handmade medicine label... to be used during times of stress. Before I was working and had more time, I did this for my son's preschool teachers (one teacher and 2 aides... special ed): I gave a menu with directions to choose one salad, one main dish, and one dessert. Each teacher got to pick a day for me to deliver their dinner at the end of the school day.
At the end of the year, I give a gift certificate to book store. Teachers can spend it on themselves or their classroom. (For myself, I do both! Many teachers for young children and special ed children spend a lot of their own money on their classrooms.) If you feel funny about him or her spending their gift on the classroom, buy a children's book with a notecard saying the GC is for them personally to indulge in during the summer break.
My goal with teacher gifts is this: what will help them save time and/or money for their day or their job.
I have a new challenge: nice year end gifts for a male middle school teacher. My kids have always had women and this is a stumper for me!
TIA for any and all ideas!
--Debbie
Find out what his interests are- my DD has two male teachers. One loves Star Wars and the other the White Sox. Got them each gifts which catered to their interests. Once again, hope this helps!!
__________________ Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. - Victor Hugo
I have a new challenge: nice year end gifts for a male middle school teacher. My kids have always had women and this is a stumper for me!
TIA for any and all ideas!
--Debbie
Now that's a good question! Male middle school teachers don't buy things for their classroom and generally they don't go home to laundry and dinner and other daily chores. Therefore, my philosophy about helping them save time or money doesn't apply. My hubby says men like food, but I know a few men who are on a health kick. On Monday, I will ask my male coworkers for you.
I am a preschool teacher and a mother of two in preschool. My favorite gifts to give and receive are always those that are handmade. (I am very lucky to have my demo as a Mom in my class!) For teacher appreciation week, the class all chipped in and got me a gift cert. to A C Moore. It came to me in a beautiful handmade card. I loved that! I gave each teacher a set of handmade notecards and a handmade journal.
For the end of year gifts for the teachers of my kids, I am giving scrapbooks from the whole class. A few weeks ago, A C Moore had thier 6 x 6 top loading albums on sale. I got them and then gave each Mom two black pages for them and their child to decorate anyway they would like. Almost all put a current picture of their child. Most had their child draw a picture. On one page, I put my sons picture and let him write his name and draw something. On the other, I put his handprint using a bright colored paint. I typed a thank you letter on vellum and placed over the handprint then added a border. The albums turned out great. I already gave one out and made the teacher cry - she loved it!
__________________ A good idea will keep you awake during the morning, but a great idea will keep you awake during the night. ~Marilyn Vos Savant
I have a new challenge: nice year end gifts for a male middle school teacher. My kids have always had women and this is a stumper for me!
TIA for any and all ideas!
--Debbie
How about a gift certificate to a sports bar/restaurant near you? Or movie rental gift cards or movie passes always seem to be good, or even gc to Best Buy for cd's or towards a purchase of a bigger ticket item.
__________________ I want people to be afraid of how much they love me-M. Scott
I taught preschool for years at the church I attended it was a kind of outreach program. Let me tell you the pay is very low. I finally had to leave and go back into the business world when it was time to put my children through college.
My favorite gifts were the ones the mom's told me the kids picked out for me. You would be surprised how well they do.
I also loved gift certificates to anything mall, restaurant, movie all were great.
One other thing I appreciated were gifts for the room. New books, puzzles, toys.
But a simple card with a message of your appreciation is great too and always good.
I still remember the kids that came through my "redbird" class (3 year olds) but I couldn't tell you about any specific gifts.
For Christmas, my 3 year-old gave her teachers at daycare perpetual calendars. One of the "teachers" is also the owner and even asked if I would make more to sell at the daycare. They loved them.
I'm using the DD Fresh Fruits set to create a set of 8 Thank You notes for each teacher. I have to keep my costs down since there are 20 between the 3 girls. By the time you do the assistants, music, Spanish, PE, Faith Formation, Pre-school Director, etc. -- it adds up! After I make the mountain of cards I'll contribute a little cash to the "class gift".
Hello,
I have a DS graduating Kindergarten & a DD in K3, this yr we are doing class gifts as I'm room Mom for both, My DS's class are doing a scrapbook, it's 6x6 & they are writing what they love about their teacher & then a pic of themselves, for my DD's class they do all their projects with their handprints so we are doing a handprint quilt, I'm slowly getting each child to put their handprint on a quilt square with fabric paint then one of the other moms will put it together...
In the past a big hit was a birdbath, my kids painted a small plant pot & saucer then turn the pot upside down & glue the saucer on it ~ ta da birdbath for their yard, make sure to seal it well. My Ds's teacher used hers as a platter for chocolate dipped strawberries for our mothers day tea.
Hope this helps
Heidi
__________________ <----- The first snow of the Winter on Mt. Vesuvius (the view from my roof!!!)
I gave my son's ECFE teachers a similar card to the one in my gallery with poems and they had a bunch of crayons cut out with things that they need for the class and usually end up purchasing themselves....popcorn/birdseed etc for sensory table, ivory soap to make the cool snowmen, glitter glue.... so each of us picked a few of those items to bring in. For Christmas I gave them each a pack of assorted cards and they seemed very appreciative with them. One of the teachers sent two thank you's one with the group and when she got home she sent another as well.
I know when our student teacher left the teacher got her a certificate to the local teachers store. My favorite gift for teaching sunday school was an Archivers certificate.
__________________ Kyloe
The lesson from Charlie Brown: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
I have a new challenge: nice year end gifts for a male middle school teacher. My kids have always had women and this is a stumper for me!
TIA for any and all ideas!
--Debbie
What about a gift certificate to go golfing if he likes to golf, or if he likes, hunting/fishing etc.. what about gift certificate to a Sports and Outdoors store. I am even sure that a microwave bucket of popcorn with 2 liter drink and maybe candy with a blockbuster gift card would be great for him also...
I am a preschool teacher and a couple of years ago, I received a set of Thank you Notes made with the Crayon Kids Set on black paper with white craft ink and white eyelets on the kids clothes. I thought it was absolutely the CUTEST thing I had ever seen. I couldn't believe this mom had made them! I had never stamped, but was a scrapper and she invited me to a Stampin Up party and well.... I've been hooked ever since!!!
I also most love the letters and thank you notes the parents write to me. They mean the most!
Art is intended to provoke an emotion from a total stranger. If you�ve succeeded in this, consider yourself an artist. Paper Shanks Blog. Love me or hate me, you are still talking about me
I'm a preschool Sunday School teacher and I loved my chocolate turtles I received this year! I also have to buy my supplies for class, so a gift certificate to the local Bible book store or hobby store would be nice as well!
Wow! This is a great thread to get ideas! Great question! Thanks for asking!
I am a preschool teacher now for two years. I love, love, LOVE the handmade items. I cherish a little bookmark with a pic of one of my students and his fingerprints -Thumbody loves you. So darn cute!
I also enjoy foods. I have one parent that gets really unique mixes, sauces, or dips to give. You know, the kind you can't find in the grocers.
Here is what I did for my daughter's third grade teacher. I was nervous it wouldn't pan out so didn't give myself much credit. However, it not only panned out but the teacher (of someteen years) said it was the absolute best gift she had ever been given.
I hand-stamped 28 different thank you cards to be from each child in the class. There were 28 students in my daughter's class.
I left the cards blank on the inside.
I slipped each card into an unaddressed and unsealed envelope for my daughter to give to each student the last day of school. My daughter told her friends not to look at the card until they arrived home. (This made it seem as though though the cards were FOR THE STUDENTS FROM MY DAUGHTER.)
Within each card I included a stamped envelope with an address label hosting the teacher's address. I also included a note to the student and parents telling them to write a brief note to the teacher telling her how very much they had appreciated her over the past school year. I also instructed them to NOT write on the card but to write their message on a piece of paper and insert it into the card along with the empty envelope in which they had received the card. This way, the teacher could reuse the thank you cards through her next school year.
Then, using the stamped, addressed envelope, slip the card in the mail to be sent to the teacher. Within two to three weeks after school, our wonder third grade teacher would be bombarded with thank you notes which would allow her to thank others in the future.
I hope I wrote that so it makes sense. She loved it and I will cherish the thank you card (made by me and my daughter) which she used to send us and thank us for such a gift.
__________________
*KellyJean*
Find me most anywhere as always_stampin
Drop by and say "hi!"
"More than anything else, love one another deeply
because love outweighs everything."
1 Peter 4:8
Wow! After reading all your comments I couldn't help but wonder what happened between kindergarden and graduation. I've been teaching for 40 years and all I have wanted was a parent to say thank you for helping my son or daughter. In 40 years I can count on one hand the parents who have said that. It's not because I'm a bad teacher either. It's because I've always taught in middle school or high school and we seem to be the forgotten ones. Most of my co- workers spent a lot of their money on things for the class room and have even chipped in and buy clothes and Christmas for their students that wouldn't have any. We work long hours and no one seems to notice. And in case you are wondeering teachers after 30 years don't get any pay raises. I'm one of the lucky ones. My kid's faces light up when they finally understand something, and once in a blue moon they will say thank you. But it sure would be nice to hear it from a parent. Don't forget the forgotten ones.
In addition to a gift cert to a nice restaurant or shop in town, I write a letter to the Vice Principal, with some specific attributes that I have noticed about the teacher. I cc the letter to the principal and the teacher. I have had fantastic teachers for both my kids thus far.
Way to Go e & rscrappinmum. It's people like you and of course the great kids we teach that keep up old vets in teaching. I see so many of the young ones stay in for 3 to 5 years and then move on. Those that stay past 8 years ususally become career teachers. It takes so little to encourage us. Keep up the good work. I know from experience there are a lot of great teachers out there. I just wish there were more parents out there like you. The media doesn't give enough credit to the good teachers so our reputation is getting beat to death because of a very few people who probably shouldn't have become teachers in the first place.
sam
I try to make small gifts for each holiday for all the kids teachers and bus drivers. It gets to be a lot sometimes, since I have 3 kids now in school and with one being in high school I try to make sure that he takes something for each of his 7 teachers. They all love it and thank me each time I do something. It is usually something little, like some chocolates with a bag topper, or a popcorn sleeve (what I am doing for halloween). I also try to do something really nice at the end of the year. For the last two years I have done card sets for the teachers. They seems to love them.
__________________ Lisa C., Mom to 3 great kids, 3 super dogs and an cat that thinks she is a dog! My Gallery
Gift suggestions for preschool teachers?
