Teacher appreciation week, what are you doing?

[Anonymous]

I am planning to do giftcard. A new teacher just start this week, and I don't know if I should get her giftcard. The original teacher transfers to different class. What should I do with these 2 teachers (one that newly start this week & one that no longer helping in the class directly)? Any advice?

[Anonymous]

We are giving $10 starbucks gift cards to 5 teachers/aides (he's in day care)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

Nope. MCPS. Yes, per parent!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

NP but I doubt it. At our MCPS, they ask for $150/child. When we were in DCPS it was a lot higher (because PTAs there can pay for aides).

Which MCPS school was this? Was this Bethesda or Potomac? $150 per child? That is just ridiculous.

Ours collected $20 per child for school parties and teachers appreciation. Even if $5 each went to the 2 school parties, there was $10 per child left over for a gift card, assuming all parents gave the money. Which would be atleast $200 in giftcards, so $100 for Christmas and $100 for Teacher's appreciation. My kids also gave their own gifts for Christmas and will be doing another gift for Teacher's appreciation.

Our MCPS in Bethesda also asks for $150 per child but that is for the PTA school fund. Each class also asks for $25 per child for the class fund and that is for class parties, teacher appreciation, teacher holiday gift, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

NP but I doubt it. At our MCPS, they ask for $150/child. When we were in DCPS it was a lot higher (because PTAs there can pay for aides).

Which MCPS school was this? Was this Bethesda or Potomac? $150 per child? That is just ridiculous.

Ours collected $20 per child for school parties and teachers appreciation. Even if $5 each went to the 2 school parties, there was $10 per child left over for a gift card, assuming all parents gave the money. Which would be atleast $200 in giftcards, so $100 for Christmas and $100 for Teacher's appreciation. My kids also gave their own gifts for Christmas and will be doing another gift for Teacher's appreciation.

Neither. It's upper county, large Asian population.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP again - OP, since you mention that you just came to the country - the next time you go back home, buy small trinkets from whichever country you are from. Teachers love the exotic gifts from other countries. You could buy small things for the special teachers and something more expensive for the class teachers. My friend used to do this all the time.

Please do not waste time and money buying small trinkets that will most likely end up in the garbage. Also, don't feel pressured to give a monetary gift. A thank you note will suffice.

[Anonymous]

My son's school is low income and doesn't have a lot of parental involvement, so PTA doesn't send out suggested gift ideas for each or such.

We just giving $25 gift card and snacks for his two primary teachers and $10 coffee gift cards and snack for 4 outclass teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP again - OP, since you mention that you just came to the country - the next time you go back home, buy small trinkets from whichever country you are from. Teachers love the exotic gifts from other countries. You could buy small things for the special teachers and something more expensive for the class teachers. My friend used to do this all the time.

Please do not waste time and money buying small trinkets that will most likely end up in the garbage. Also, don't feel pressured to give a monetary gift. A thank you note will suffice.

I am a teacher's aide and two students brought me lovely small gifts from their travels overseas this year, I treasure them even though they are not expensive gifts, they are unique and beautiful with some thought behind them. I do also enjoy handwritten cards and notes from the kids but after I read them I do throw them away. Gift cards always welcome. I also like when the room parent finds out what staff actually likes and then gets those things for appreciation, such as what type of drink do you prefer, what type of donut, what type of sandwich, etc.

[Anonymous]

My school just did "Room Service". They put a tag on all our doors and we checked off a drink and a snack we wanted for next week. The kids saw it first and were asking me what it was. I thought it was super cute, original, and it made me smile! Super simple but it was fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

NP but I doubt it. At our MCPS, they ask for $150/child. When we were in DCPS it was a lot higher (because PTAs there can pay for aides).

Which MCPS school was this? Was this Bethesda or Potomac? $150 per child? That is just ridiculous.

Ours collected $20 per child for school parties and teachers appreciation. Even if $5 each went to the 2 school parties, there was $10 per child left over for a gift card, assuming all parents gave the money. Which would be atleast $200 in giftcards, so $100 for Christmas and $100 for Teacher's appreciation. My kids also gave their own gifts for Christmas and will be doing another gift for Teacher's appreciation.

Neither. It's upper county, large Asian population.

I’m, no. I’m the one who posted the comment, and we are not upcountry.

[Anonymous]

I send a note and a gift card on the first day. That's it. Considering we have not even gotten one clue from our room mom (who told us she was sending favorite food, classroom supply wish list, favorite beverage, etc., etc. and has not done so as of the Saturday before the actual week), I feel like that's it. If they had wanted me to jump through hoops, they should have given me the information.

[Anonymous]

If no one has already suggested it, Slate.com has a great list. DH and both saw items we’d love to receive. Personally, I like personal notes the best, but I use Inkjoy pens to grade every day so they are a part of every Target run I make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

NP but I doubt it. At our MCPS, they ask for $150/child. When we were in DCPS it was a lot higher (because PTAs there can pay for aides).

Which MCPS school was this? Was this Bethesda or Potomac? $150 per child? That is just ridiculous.

Ours collected $20 per child for school parties and teachers appreciation. Even if $5 each went to the 2 school parties, there was $10 per child left over for a gift card, assuming all parents gave the money. Which would be atleast $200 in giftcards, so $100 for Christmas and $100 for Teacher's appreciation. My kids also gave their own gifts for Christmas and will be doing another gift for Teacher's appreciation.

Neither. It's upper county, large Asian population.

I’m, no. I’m the one who posted the comment, and we are not upcountry.

I'm the bolded poster and AM in upper county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the OP,

The first year of preschool (my child went for half day - 3 hours), we followed whatever the school said - flowers one day, spa items one day, cards one day etc. We did not do gift cards for the movie day as well as the card day. We did just one gift card of $20 for the whole week for all 3 teachers in class, but did the other little things. My kids enjoyed giving the flower, candy, lip balm.

The gift card amount could be whatever you can afford. My cousin works at a preschool (a pretty expensive one at that - $25K a year for whole day) and she said that 2 parents out of 8 gave her something. Which is sad considering their children spend the whole day with these teachers. She was very appreciative of the 2 lotion sets and the one gift card 3 parents gave her. So anything you give would be appreciated since most parents do not even care.


We also did $10-$15 gift cards for every specials teacher for my preschooler, but it added up quickly, so we skipped the gift cards and gave some small gift to the specials teachers the following year.

Now that we are in public school, we will be giving small gifts to all the specials teachers and big gifts to the class teacher.

Can I ask what kind of small gift you are giving the specials teachers that is less than $10-$15? I get that it adds up for the specials teachers, especially when you have more than one kid, but I'm trying to figure out what you're giving someone that is like $5 and is actually something they'd want?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They begged for $150 donation from parents. So, nothing else.

$150 per parent? is this private school?

NP but I doubt it. At our MCPS, they ask for $150/child. When we were in DCPS it was a lot higher (because PTAs there can pay for aides).

Which MCPS school was this? Was this Bethesda or Potomac? $150 per child? That is just ridiculous.

Ours collected $20 per child for school parties and teachers appreciation. Even if $5 each went to the 2 school parties, there was $10 per child left over for a gift card, assuming all parents gave the money. Which would be atleast $200 in giftcards, so $100 for Christmas and $100 for Teacher's appreciation. My kids also gave their own gifts for Christmas and will be doing another gift for Teacher's appreciation.

Not going to name it, but it is not in Bethesda or Potomac. It has a very diverse student body, and I’m sure many of the parents disregard the suggestion. But others with higher income give that amount or more.

$150?!

Not sure why you don’t want to name it. It’s an anonymous forum. I did not think MCPS ptas ever requested set dollar amounts.