Teacher Gift Question
Meritage
member
My son's pre-school class has 21 kids and 4 teachers -2 head teachers and 2 assistants. Another mom and I had discussed a class Christmas gift and decided to ask each family for a $30 suggested contribution to go towards a Visa gift card ($10 for each head teacher, $5 for each assistant teacher).
I just found out that one of the main teachers told another mom that they'd love a sand/water table as the class gift. This table is $300, and the mom has already asked each family to contribute $15 so we can get them the table. I'm really not sure what kind of sand and water table costs $300, but that's beside the point. :-)
I think it's a bit odd to get the teachers a class gift that is essentially a gift to the school, not a gift the teachers can personally use as a thank you for everything they do for our kids everyday. I'd still like to ask each family to pony up $30 for the gift card, but I think it's a lot to ask $45 for each family for a class gift and that they will balk about having to pay another $30 after already being asked to pay $15.
Would love to get thoughts from others. Maybe I should just pay the $15 for the sand water table and let it go, but I feel bad not getting the teachers a gift and don't really want to give them $5 or $10 gift cards from just me either - seems small and lame!
Re: Teacher Gift Question
From my mom's perspective (a K and 1st grade teacher), she would have LOVED something for the room and not for her individually. She remembered the class for years after things like that, and not the individual tchotkes. And with the amount of her own money that she poured into her room every year- for supplies/toys/rewards/etc, she would have loved help with something big like a water table.
The best gifts my mom loved were the meaningful cards and notes she got. She still looks through those every year... All those ornaments? 99% are in the trash...
I do realize that you are talking about a decent sized gift card from all the parents combined- but she'll probably turn around and use it on the water table anyway...
I also think that $45 is too much to ask everyone for.
Ditto this...most of the little things I get just go in the trash or given away because it's the same stuff every year...think of all the STUFF I'd have if I kept it all!
You guys could always ask for $20 per family and do the water table and a special coffee and yummies for the teachers.
When I was teaching the families did a holiday luncheon for the teachers- we all looked forward to it every year!!
The gift cards were nice but I always forget to use them. I had an AMEX from Westfield that only had half the money left because I didn't use it right away. I've gotten a bunch of Starbucks but I don't drink coffee. Meh.