PTO Today

I am the new {PTO President and I was just wanted some ideas on what to do for the school staff this Christmas.

While it's never wrong to want to do something for teachers, I personally think Christmas is a good time to scale down or do something really small. Everyone is getting gifts and goodies. Classes / individual kids organize gifts. Teachers who are friends give gifts for each other. Everyone loves sweets but is worried about those extra indulgences. Then - as a topper - not everyone celebrates Christmas, and is it fair for the PTO to celebrate a religious holiday? If it were just me deciding, I'd either do something practical to help lower the stress of the season or something very small, saving the PTO effort for when nothing else is going on and you can focus on the teachers. Also, this is a hard time for families if you plan an event that requires a lot of volunteers or donated items.

Again - I'm not advising to do nothing, but I'd keep it a token gift. For instance, one year we simply had a nice smelling votive candle in an inexpensive glass holder. (Not Christmasy.) We added a note tied on with a pretty ribbon - something like: "Happy Holidays and thanks for lighting the way for our children's success!" It was easy and inexpensive. We spent less than $1 per staff member and two volunteers had it all ready in a couple of hours.

If you decide to do food (like a breakfast or lunch) - that's always welcome. However, watch out for:

1) Timing - don't plan something the last day of school that might have huge leftovers. Dealing with them is a problem.

2) Think carefully about sweets. On the one hand teachers love them, on the other hand they may be trying to cut down and "save" themselves for the holiday.

I'm sure they will appreciate anything you do.

I read something on here I thought was really cool...get enough donated deserts for each teacher and have a desert raffle where they draw a number 1-whatever and based on their number they get 1st pick at a desert on display. Do that down the line till all the deserts are gone. Easy do...not too much hassle and would be a nice thing to accomplish....

Of course you'll have the last two "snoopy tree deserts" but it's all in the spirit.

Haven't gotten around to doing it though so I have no real advice for you on the mechanics...d

We do the dessert thing for Thanksgiving at our school. We get parents to donate about 60 pies. On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, we number the pies, and the staff draw a number as they come in and match it with a pie. They absolutely LOVE it.

I agree.....KISS....Keep it Simple S.....


Many teachers will have class holiday parties, many will have team parties, staff parties and will receive gifts from children, parents and peers.

We do a monthly teacher luncheon so this month we're stepping up and doing a more holiday fare...punch...eggnog, hot cider... ham, and the usual party fare.

I love the dessert idea if you're not doing a full fledge lunch.

why not a cookie exchange? get a few parents to bake a batch of cookies. provide holiday plated and ziplock bags or even containers for the teachers to take some cookies home.

provide fruit for those that are watching their diets.

maybe do a Christmas around the world info/traditions. you can get them on the internet and print them out. teachers are just as likely interested in the info and may even pass it onto the kids.

For christmas last year and this year we did a cash bonus for the staff at the preschool i work with

Less than 6 mos of employment: $ 25.00
Over 6 mos to under 1 year $ 50.00 Over 1 year to under 5 years $100.00
Over 5 years to under 10 years $125.00
Over 10 years to under 15 years $150.00
Over 15 years $175.00
Administration $200.00

But we only have 35 or so staff to take care of

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Parish Tanner
Ocala, Fl
Dunnellon Elementary PTO Vice President
Angels In Arms Board of Advisors

How about making sure there is a volunteer for each teacher to help him/her clean up the classroom the last day before break, so they can get out the door on time and with less hassle?

If you do food, think soup and deli tray. Light fare that helps stem the flow of sugar from all the party goodies!

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Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit out of my hat.

WOW--PT--that's very generous--I was feeling guilty that we give our folks a 15 dollar gift certificat for their TAppreciation week present. You made me feel better....d

we don't pay the daycare teachers a ton and they do a lot for us so we try to take care of them.

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Parish Tanner
Ocala, Fl
Dunnellon Elementary PTO Vice President
Angels In Arms Board of Advisors

This year we are giving our teachers pencils, pencil sharpeners and colored paper. They already have a hundred coffee cups, we wanted to give them something they will actually use. Michigan's economy is bad and getting $ from the state is slim to none and slim left the room. Why not give the teachers some supplies so they do not have to pay for them with their own money.