Something that we have started this year is to purchase books for the Library and inside the front cover we make a label, In Memory of, or In Appreciation of. Then sending a card to loved ones or retired ones of what we have done. That way we have shown our respect and the money we have rasied went to its original purpose to benefit the school and the students.
Thanks for your thoughts. I think our group has to start moving more towards the card-only type of recognition for life events such as weddings, births, family deaths. I didn't really blink an eye last year when the Hospitality committee was sending fruit baskets and gift certificates for baby gifts because I thought it had always been done. Turns out, this isn't really true and it wasn't until one of our parents -- who used to be on staff at another school -- said she would have been "shocked" to receive anything other than a card that I started to re-think the whole policy of giving teacher's gifts with PTA/PTO money for special life events.
There are some parents who think we can't do enough to show our appreciation for our teachers and we shouldn't begrudge them a plant or gift bag full of presents at concerts. I agree that we should show our appreciation for teachers, but maybe presents isn't the way to do it.
This issue has come to the forefront because we our operating on a much tighter budget this year.
At any rate, I think it's time that some guidelines were set because it isn't right for one teacher to get wonderful restaurant certificates one year and then another teacher gets stiffed because the PTO doesn't have enough money the next year. It's important to be consistent in our recognitions.
our pto only gives out cards for death if when we hear of some staff member loosing a loved one. Our teacher of the year gets a gift certificate to go and eat about $50.00 then a small boquet of flowers. And she has the honor to represent the teachers on the PTO board for the following year. We did have one teacher who lost her home to a fire and we generously gave her a monetary of 300.00. but that's all we've ever done. Cards are nice. But if we start to purchase gifts we would be in the red. One year we had a abundance of gifts from different area merchants that we gave them away during teacher appreciation week. We put all the teachers names in and a student got to draw during morning and afternoon announcements. We had enough to do all of our 35 teachers that everyone was guaranteed winner. Something else that we do is that during teacher appreciation week we do a little something everyday. Monday-juice donuts, tuesday, candy-bars (left over from different events), wed. popcorn & sodas, thurs. mints & peanuts fri.luncheon for that week we budget $350.00 (small gift)
[This message has been edited by elvee (edited 10-18-2001).]
Sorry, I posted this message in the wrong section -- here it is again:
I'm interested in finding out what other PTAs do to recognize special events in the teachers'/staff's lives. This falls under the purview of our Hospitality chair and every year it's different, depending on who the chair is and how much money is in the Budget.
I want to gather some of our PTA members and write downs some guidelines....I'd like to hear what other people do in their schools.
For instance, how does your PTA acknowledge births, deaths, weddings among staff? Card and/or gift? How about retirements? Is length of employment a factor? Does the conductor get a gift at a music concert?
Should we follow different procedures when we have lots of money in the budget vs. when we don't?
Also, we have a lot of donated merchandise from local business. Would it be all right to give teacher's gifts if it didn't cost us anything?
