Help - How do second graders celebrate Valentines at school? i'm not from the States what's the etiquette?
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Anonymous
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Hello, I grew up in the UK so i'm not familiar of how things are done here.
I just got an email from my kids teacher saying "Students are welcome to bring Valentines for their classmates and exchange them on Wednesday. Please be sure to include all of the students in your classroom." What does this mean? Are these hand written/drawn valentines card for each student and a gift? If so what kind of gift? Where do you get your cards from? Do you give anything to the teachers? TIA! |
Anonymous
| You go to Target or similar, buy a package of Valentine's with a character or theme your kid likes, and write one out to each kid by name, from your kid. Or just have your kid sign each with their name and leave "to" blank. But have one for everyone. |
Anonymous
| Buy a box set at Target - make sure there are enough - one for each kid plus one for the teacher. If candy is allowed, we tape a heart-shaped lollipop to each envelope. |
Anonymous
| Pro tip, buy two boxes so that you'll have enough for your kid's class, including a couple of extras for mistakes/misspellings, their teacher, and any specials teachers they might want. Candy is typically not allowed, so don't send it in. |
Anonymous
You will be forced to anyway. They tend to come in boxes of 16 which is never enough. Or maybe 24, but you actually need 25, naturally. |
Anonymous
| We usually get valentines with some sort of activity like a scratch off, or maze, or some such. Kids also love little tchotchkes like squishies and scented erasers so some kids skip the cards entirely and just bring those. |
Anonymous
| Did the note mention a decorated box or bag? Back in the day, kids used to bring decorated box (usually a shoe box) with a slit in it for collecting cards. Teachers may take care of that in class but worth at least asking your kid or a class parent. |
Anonymous
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Buy pencils. Tape the name of your kid (From - Larlo) on each. Hand out pencils to every kid.
Cheaper than cards and more useful. If you have extras donate to the classroom. |
Anonymous
| I’m really glad to hear this suggestions. My kids are in middle now but it was getting crazy in elementary with people sending in huge goody bags full of stupid toys and candy. The erasers are tiny and useless too. I just did the whole target character box thing too. Another pro tip, if you have leftovers, save them for next year when you have 25 students but boxes come in 24. Also one year we did “handmade” by just printing it on a computer and signing with colored pens. Nobody cared. |
Anonymous
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Anonymous
| Make sure you buy the cheap little cards in a box. One non-American mom at our school bought full-size greeting cards for each kid, I think she just didn’t know about the little ones. I can’t imagine what it cost her… she figured it out for the next year! |
Anonymous
Don't give out pencils. (No offense to PP, but a new kid will want to fit in.) Give out the little cards. And contact a parent or teacher to find out if your kid needs to make a box/bag (with his name on it!) to receive the cards. In class, each kid goes with their pile of cards to give out. Then all the kids walk around and put them into the other kids' boxes/bags. (Make sure your kid fills out the "to" and "from" in the cards ahead of time.) |
Anonymous
| PP, why no pencils?! My DD just had me order heart pencils to pass out... |
Anonymous
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You can find free printable valentine cards online. Print them out, cut up and have your child write each kid's name. Don't send candy unless you know your school does that. You do not need any object or gift. Some kids like to make their own-- just have them paint or draw some hearts on small pieces of paper.
If you are doing valentines, you have to do one for every child in the class. You absolutely may not do this for just your child's friends. Because if everyone did that, some kids wouldn't get any at all. |