Teacher holiday gifts

[Cumberland]

What I really want to know is how much to spend on a gift card. Between the kids there are SIX teachers, one of whom watches them at her home after school several times a month.

[DCJenn]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

Oh- good question. I'm sure Nikolai's crunchy school has some socially appropriate outlet but...just in case they don't- I need to know. We gave the day care ladies fifty bucks cash each last year but somehow it doesn't seem right for a 'real' teacher.

Jenn

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

When I've bought gift cards, I do $15 to $20. One thing I do like about our elementary school is that they have a tree w/gift "suggestions" from the teachers -- intending that the gifts are to be used in their classroom. It makes it a bit easier.

[PrincessFiona]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

We gave the day care ladies fifty bucks cash each last year

Jenn

WOW!

We used to do a lot of homemade gifts for teachers but that seems to have fallen by the wayside because I just don't have the time. We have been giving $25 gift cards the last 2 years to the main teachers. Now that Amanda and Andrew are in the multiple teachers years, I'll let them pick out a book or small gift for a teacher that they really love...other than that, we'll probably do a $25 Barnes and Noble gift certificate for Alex's teacher. I'm not sure yet with Aidan's teacher...crunchy school= possibly homemade gift :>

Kris

[Meenah]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

I just pay my out of state tuition!!!!!!

[Ladybug122]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

Sorry to Hijack, but in the case where you have a babysitter (3 days/week), how much should I give her for x-mas? $75? $100? More? Less?

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

We gave the day care ladies fifty bucks cash each last year but somehow it doesn't seem right for a 'real' teacher.

Jenn- As a former teacher, I can tell you that almost any teacher would TREASURE a gift of $50 cash! There were many teachers that I worked with who were just barely making it financially - really some weren't. The PTA at my school gave each teacher a $50 gift card to a mall each Christmas, and there were teachers who budgeted for that card every year. Also, payroll double-payed us the pay period before Christmas and made up for it by not paying us the first week of January. Talk about some starving teachers in January! A fifty dollar cash gift to a teacher would be the talk of the faculty meeting!

Ladybug122- we gave the babysitter a $50 gift card to Target (her favorite store.)

[DCJenn]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

Trust me, $50 is nothing in DC.

I figure these people have my child in their care more often than he is in MY care. I think $50 is the minimum.

Jenn

[Tenacious_D]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

Check with the school about the cash gift though. When I taught, we weren't "allowed" to accept cash gifts over $25 dollars but I gift certificates somehow didn't count...I loved the gift certificates to the mall and the local area shops like Starbucks and the local breakfast lunch joint.

One of my favorite gifts...baked goods!! I was just surprised that the kids even gave gifts...I don't remember doing all that when I grew up.

[rainbabies]

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

this thread has me worried. i dont have the $$ to gift ds's three pre-school teachers. do you think a tin of cookies each w/a thank you note is okay?

Re: Teacher holiday gifts

I think that is fine, Sylvia.

We don't do a group gift for Christmas but we do for the end of the school year. Our suggested donation is usually around $10 and we end up getting something really nice for the teacher. I usually do Starbucks cards or a gift card to a local bakery for Christmas gifts. They sell really cute decorated cookies (ribbon included ) and I gave that with the gift card.

My bff is a first grade teacher. She appreciates every gift she gets but...she has an awful lot of wooden apples and apple theme gifts and teacher-theme ornaments.