For and against gifts for Teachers.

[Vienna]

The best and most sensible 'post' yet !

I had first hand experience of a school doing such a thing Brissles. For 13 years I worked in a Salvation Army homeless hostel for men and a nearby Primary school sent out letters to parents asking each child to bring in either a toothbrush, face cloth, bar of soap, tube of toothpaste or a packet of disposable razors. The staff put one of each into a ziplock plastic bag and made up comfort packs. They brought them into the hostel just before Christmas and we gave one to every man. Any leftovers were kept safe so whenever we had a new guy move in off the streets, we were able to give him a comfort pack to last him until he could afford to buy his own toiletries.
The other school collected small gifts of toys, toiletries, tinned sweets and biscuits, gloves, scarves, costume jewellery, cosmetics etc etc and the Salvation Army church wrapped them and gave them to children, young teenagers and elderly people from low income backgrounds within the Parish.

 

[Brissles]

I had first hand experience of a school doing such a thing Brissles. For 13 years I worked in a Salvation Army homeless hostel for men and a nearby Primary school sent out letters to parents asking each child to bring in either a toothbrush, face cloth, bar of soap, tube of toothpaste or a packet of disposable razors. The staff put one of each into a ziplock plastic bag and made up comfort packs. They brought them into the hostel just before Christmas and we gave one to every man. Any leftovers were kept safe so whenever we had a new guy move in off the streets, we were able to give him a comfort pack to last him until he could afford to buy his own toiletries.
The other school collected small gifts of toys, toiletries, tinned sweets and biscuits, gloves, scarves, costume jewellery, cosmetics etc etc and the Salvation Army church wrapped them and gave them to children, young teenagers and elderly people from low income backgrounds within the Parish.

Excellent stuff ! The Sally Army go quietly about their charitable work with no big fanfare or publicity drives headed by 'celebs'. They are always around where they are most needed, and thousands of people are thankful for that - my late Dad being one of them. During the war he was on Russian Convoys, and for one tour he left home in Yorkshire to travel to Scotland to pick up his ship. The weather was the worst snow for years, and Dad found himself stuck on route. Cut a long story short, the SA appeared and found beds and hot meals for all the servicemen travelling for embarkation. My Dad often spoken of that night, and never forgot it or the SA.

 

[Tangle foot]

My 6yr old nephew's teacher certainly won't be getting a Christmas gift after she spelt Unfortunately Unfortunateley in his homework book.

 

[carrots]

As a Teacher I don't expect anything and to be honest I'd rather not get gifts.... sounds ungrateful but more often than not it's chocolate, possibly toiletries (I have sensitive skin and can't use most of them) or it's object d'art that aren't really my style - you often see these things on desks and windowsills in classrooms.
I'd rather they gave something to the charity/good cause that schools often support.

One head at a school I worked at suggested that as a staff we didn't send eachother christmas cards but made a donation (about what we would have spent on the cards) to the local church. She collected the money and sent a cheque to the vicar. His wife sent a letter thanking us and saying it was the answer to her prayers as she was wondering how they could afford the cost of crackers, decorations, sweets and treats to make things really festive for the christmas lunch that the parish held, for all those parishioners who were either on their own or in financial need. That was 15 years ago and I dare say there are just as many, if not more, who could do with something like this now.

 

[thatu]

I quite agree that the abolition of gifts to teachers should be school policy, reinforced with letters to parents.

Teachers do a brilliant and valuable job, yes, but apart from unpaid volunteers, so do the many thousands of unpaid carers who receive nothing at all for their selfless work and save the economy millions every year.

 

[Weathergirl]

I am new to all this, my eldest just starting his second term in reception class of our local C of E primary. His teacher is absolutely wonderful, young, energetic and dedicated. And VERY VERY pretty I should say! She looks amazing every day and I clocked her Tiffany silver necklace! Ok I have already commented on here about "school gate" competitive behaviour which is not me at all. But my son adores her and she clearly cares about her pupils (she sent him home yesterday and thanks to her a doctors visit, meningitis scare, a Children's hospital extended visit..turned out to be scarlet fever) I now trust her to be vigilant about every child in her charge. We do not care what other parent's do but I know that at Christmas and at the end of year we will want to do something to show our appreciation. After Akimbo's link to accross the pond I think I will ask my son to make a Christmas card himself with perhaps a John Lewis voucher of a small amount as we can't really afford very much more this year.

 

[Toril]

My 6yr old nephew's teacher certainly won't be getting a Christmas gift after she spelt Unfortunately Unfortunateley in his homework book.

You could always buy her a dictionary. :wink:

 

[Tangle foot]

You could always buy her a dictionary. :wink:

Now that's a great idea.:mysmilie_59:

 

[alter ego]

I had first hand experience of a school doing such a thing Brissles. For 13 years I worked in a Salvation Army homeless hostel for men and a nearby Primary school sent out letters to parents asking each child to bring in either a toothbrush, face cloth, bar of soap, tube of toothpaste or a packet of disposable razors. The staff put one of each into a ziplock plastic bag and made up comfort packs. They brought them into the hostel just before Christmas and we gave one to every man. Any leftovers were kept safe so whenever we had a new guy move in off the streets, we were able to give him a comfort pack to last him until he could afford to buy his own toiletries.
The other school collected small gifts of toys, toiletries, tinned sweets and biscuits, gloves, scarves, costume jewellery, cosmetics etc etc and the Salvation Army church wrapped them and gave them to children, young teenagers and elderly people from low income backgrounds within the Parish.

Ahh, Vienna. Your post made me sad. I give to the Sally every year - they have a brass band that plays our shopping centre every Christmas. It's a habit picked up from my mum who brought us up knowing that she was brought up in a poor village where the Sally's help with food and clothes probably kept several of the families from losing members to cold or starvation-related illnesses.

 

[May]

Ahh, Vienna. Your post made me sad. I give to the Sally every year - they have a brass band that plays our shopping centre every Christmas. It's a habit picked up from my mum who brought us up knowing that she was brought up in a poor village where the Sally's help with food and clothes probably kept several of the families from losing members to cold or starvation-related illnesses.

What a great idea .....so many needy at Christmas and just the gesture even can show people that others care and that can make such a big difference! ....I love this forum ...seriously ...compassionate ...kind and friendly ...:mysmilie_59: