Last year, I went to Modell's of all places for teacher gifts...I bought coolers and fold up chairs (the kind you bring to soccer games)...the teachers loved them. This year, I gave out Dunkin Donuts gift cards to the teacher's in my son's school. I did a little extra for my son's teacher. I bought a read aloud book called "Things I learned in Second Grade". Then I took pictures of the children in my son's class (individual and buddies) and interviewed them..."What they liked or learned in Second Grade". I wrote down what they said and then put everything together on Shutterfly.com...the hardcover book was beautiful. The teacher LOVED the photo album and read the read a loud story book at the end of school. She said she would treasure both books.

We like to do a sincere thank you card from us (mom and dad) and the girls will make their own drawing/card and then we give an office supply store gift card. We know our teachers spend $$ out of their own pocket many times a year for supplies that the school runs out of or was cut from budget, etc and they've always loved the gift to use towards next years class

In the kindgergarten class we did something similar, sent home a star shape, asked each child to write 'what i like about my tacher is (blank)' and on other side, ask them to draw a picture of something they like about school....then we attached all stars with string and hung them up like a garland in the clssroom on the day of the class party.

We have done this for both teacher appreciation and end of year.
We take a picture of every child in the class next to the teacher (or you can have them by themselves)
Next, we ahve several pages for the children to fill out (with aprents help for younger grades) i.e.- what do you lijke best about Mr/Mrs. so and so, what is your favorite subject discussed in class, what is a favorite funny moment, etc. We then bound the pages together like a scrap book.
The teachers loved them, and they have something special to look back on.

I did a pack of Forever Stamps attached to a poem that I wrote that is posted elsewhere on the boards. Even with them only being 8 dollars a pack I still ended up spending close to 70 dollars when it was all said and done (8 teachers)....phew...d
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I have sent letters of commendation, but not by emial, by regular mail. to the prinicpal, with copy to the super and to the teacher.
it is a nice thing to have in their school file, as well as personal file, if they ever look for a nother job. plus it lets them know how much yove appreciated their work during the year.
lets face it, most teachers have more issues wtih the parents than with the students, and hearing something positive from a parent and knowing your appreciated is always a gift and means more than most gift cards.