PTO Today

We give our teachers a small gift like a ream of color paper or the binder clips that always seem to be coveted. This year I am also able to give them a $50 allowance towards Scholastic Books from our left over profits from last year.

As a teacher too, I would advise you to stay away from candy. Just like the average citizen, teachers are watching their weight and diets too. But everyone is polite and will thank you for the candy anyway. I would suggest 2 ideas...it's very nice to have REAL toilet paper and nice hand soap/lotion for the teacher's bath. Last year, the PTO went so far as to decorate the teacher's bath with paint and knickknacks. I can tell you everyone raved about it!! Another idea is to stock the teacher's lounge with disposable plates, cups, silverware, ziplocs, foil and plastic wrap, tea, coffee, snacks etc. Our PTO has given a new refrig and new decorations to help spice up the lounge in past years. Hope this helps!

Wow, I can't believe that you were giving out $3200 in teacher gift cards. That's a lot of any group's budget. I mean, our entire Field Trip allocation is about the same, and that pays pretty much for evey student to go on an away from school field trip.

But maybe this is all that you do for your staff for the entire year. If so, maybe $3200 isn't that much. I mean, we probably spend about $2000 throughout the entire year on Teacher Appreciation, which includes meals during parent-teacher conferences, appreciation baskets during teacher appreciation week, etc.

Some things that we have done for Teacher Appreciation week, that could apply here, are small gifts. One that went over very well was a coffee mug with the school logo on it. That seems like a perfect back to school gift idea. A calendar would be another idea that would be appropriate.

PresidentJim

[I]Every year our PTO gives homeroom teachers up to $100 and all of the other special teachers and aides up to $50. [/I]

Very good ideas I will be sure to use a few of them

At our school teachers usually get about $50.00 to purchase what they would like to use in their classroom. They are also given bullentin board paper-what ever colors they need. Lunch is prepared for them at least once during the preparation week.

We give each teacher $100 to go toward the classroom. But as the PTS president, I'd like to do something special from me. I like the idea of the desk calendar. I've seen it at the $$ store. Thanks for the ideas!

I managed to find nice candles on clearance for .30 each. Was going to make up goodie bags with the candle, pack of sugar-free gum and....... I can't think of anything else.

And what do you do for the male teachers? These items are coming out of my pocket so it can't be anything terribly expensive. Also, where do you stop at teachers - do you include the gym teacher, art teacher, social worker, speech, literacy coach, etc?

We give our teachers each a Wal-Mart gift card at the begining of each school year. (Wal-Mart is the only close store for everyone.) This year they were $40 each. We had a hard time deciding who to include, but followed a suggestion from the ofice. Any teacher who is an accredited teacher receives one (we have 34). And give the other's a hand signed card.. (however, this year I didn't get that accomplished and feel terrible about it!) We do the same at Christmas and during teaher appreciation week we provide small gifts for all staff (57) all five days and have lunch catered for them.

One year we gave every student, teacher & supporting staff a school shirt for Christmas. (We have 350 students Pre-K thru 5th) Obviously that's not something we can do every year, but it went over GREAT!!! I heard 5th grade students say that this was their first school shirt... most teachers gladly gave up their gift card to see their students so happy. We designed a special shirt for that Christmas, with a small logo & town name embroideried on each. Next time I would reccommend screen printing (cuts the cost down alot!) and mabey getting sizes from parents. (We checked every childs shirt size one day as they came thru the bookfair.) Otherwise, that was probably our proudest moment as a PTO!

Holy Cow!!! Not sure how I got off on that kick... Sorry guys!!!