Christmas Present For The Teacher

[Guest]

Hi everyone. could you give me your views on the topic of parents bring in presents for the pre-school staff. At the moment parents will bring in presents for their leaders and the staff that work with their child. if we get a present in that is to all they go into a "pick" that is shared among us all at the end of the term. The trouble is we are all on diets and end up with 20 boxes of chocolates that we don't want. we don't want to be rude and ask for different things but you can only eat so much chocolate. I thought of putting out a box or jar and labelling the Staffs Christmas fund saying that it would go towards the staffs christmas lunch.

 

Does that sound too cheeky there is alot of us 10 staff and we all work in a big hall together so its not as though the parents only see 1 or 2 of us, they see us all daily.

i just thought for those parents that might only want to spend a couple of pound but don't know what to get it might be the answer.

it also might jog those who never say thank you into contributing something.

I mean some people tip their dustman, why not their pre-school workers who do just as good a job of loking after things.

 

Would appreciate any views.

I think my staff do a tremendous job and treat them all to prezzies at christmas, but then I'm a bit biased towards them

[Guest]

We have had much the same as you, wine and chocolates which then get shared out amongst the staff but we have (especially in the summer when the children leave) asked the parents (very politely) to buy vouchers for early Learning Centre or similar so that we can buy resources for the group! Last Christmas we had two parents who cooked some lovely dishes for the staff to share at the christmas party, one was Indian cuisine,the other was Tai, they were sooooo delicious and it was truely thoughtful as both of these parents spoke only a little english, All the staff were really chuffed! But this doesnt help much if your all dieting does it?

[Aunt Sally]

Steph

 

I have to admit I 'personally' wouldn't feel comfortable about having a box out neither would I like to see it in a setting. I think we should accept presents regardless of what they are with good grace, its not the gift but the thought. You could always donate the chocs to an old peoples home or something. I fully understand what you are saying, we often get mugs and little trinkets but at least the thoughts there, a lot of parents don't care.

[apple]

here here debbington

[narnia]

I'm afraid I agree with debbington on this one and I'd feel very uncomfortable about putting out notes, or boxes.The parents who give, do so for a variety of reasons, some simply because they like you and want to give something tangible.......some because they're grateful for the care you give their child...........and some because they feel they should( whether they want to or not!).Those who DON'T give, also have a variety of reasons for not doing so............and that reason could be they can't afford to, and they would be extremely embarrassed by a suggestion, however kindly put, that they should contribute.I wouldn't want anyone feeling they HAD to give me things...........and I'm really chuffed when a parent simply thanks me for a job well done!.........and I agree, all those lovely boxes of chocolates you can't eat???Local elderly folks home, nurses at you local hospital....................or what about the firefighters at your local station...........or the homeless christmas meals organisations??Or suggest that you are collecting for a nominated charity, instead of staff gifts(that way, most people can put in even a few coppers without standing out and you ALL feel good, and your waistlines don't suffer!)

[Inge]

agree, committee tried this once and parents said they felt 'obliged to donate' (came from a mum who knew me very well passing on parents veiws)

 

I always feel it is a compliment for a parent to remember or decide to give gifts and all we always send a written thankyou to any parent or child who does, very often it is the child who gives the gift and to us this is what has the most meaning. we are lucky in that many of our parents dicuss this and for the last couple of years have bought flowers for the staff, with a child giving them to each member of staff ensuring everyone gets one.

 

Inge

[Guest]

thanks for your ideas we will talk it over and maybe do something along the lines of a charity gift. although with most of my staff on benefits as well they are the ones that need the charity as much as the parents, but because they are in "work" people tend to think that they are well off!!!!

[Andreamay]

I always hint to any parents that either come in as friends or become friends that the staff really appreciate liquid soap(for staff use)and hand cream with a label on from whoevers child so everytime we use it we think of the child arrrr

I wouldnt put a box out either but we are lucky in that we are run by a committee that usually send us on a nice meal out anyhow,and as ofsted lady said this time we should be getting weekend away with the report we are going to get!!!!

however that doesnt help you does it? Could you perhaps ask a trusted parents view on it?

[Deb]

Sorry, don't like the idea of a box for money either even though it does seem sensible on the face of it.

 

I'm always chuffed to receive anything. Chocs can always be given away to someone if I get them past my children.

 

Recently our committee have organised a whip round and someone has had the job of putting together little individual hampers, but that was their doing. That could well change with different committee members.

 

Previously anything we received was put together and distributed evenly between staff, unless a parent has specifically given something to say their child's key worker.

[Guest Praesus Infelix]

My son is on year two now, and every year one of the mums puts together an album for the teacher and one for the teaching assistant. She gets us all to give a picture of the child and a picture that the child has drawn, which they put into an album with the class photo. We also donate into a fund for the album and a huge bunch of flowers. We've been doing this every year since pre-school and the teachers love it, because they get something really personal to remember the children by, but they are not overloaded with individual presents. The children like the personal contribution and we all turn up on the last day of term for the presentation (usually ends in tears!). It's so well known that our year do this that the teacher this year has already commented on "my end of year album". I think we do a collection at Christmas time too and get the teachers some vouchers.

 

So I recommend you "prime" one of the mums to organise a collection and buy joint presents (I love the idea of fancy hand cream and hand soap, might do that myself for the preschool teachers). After a few years, it becomes a tradition which eventually becomes a policy!

[Sue R]

What a lovely idea!!

 

That's the sort of thing I'd prefer, for sure - can be kept, as well!

 

Sue

[Guest]

That sounds lovely that would mean so much

[Rea]

My best gifts were keyrings, one got lost but I still have one which always gives me lovely memories of the whole family it was from.