We give a small token gift to staff. This year it was from Big Lots. An ornament full of candy. Then we get each class room about three games or something between $30 - 50.00. In some states it is discouraged to give 'state' employees gifts and teachers are cosidered.
In our middle school, we do a lunch (assorted sandwiches and salad from a deli) for our office staff and custodians. We try to single them out during the holidays because while students tend to give gifts to the teachers, support staff are often overlooked. (And they're the ones that keep things running!)
Teachers get a breakfast a the beginning of the year and everyone gets a HUGE lunch during Teacher Appreciation Week.
At most of our buildings we do some kind of food thing, like many of you do. The other thing we do that I haven't seen mentioned is our "Holiday Gift Tree." A letter is sent home with each child along with a return envelope. Families are invited to donate money in the name of their teacher instead of giving the teacher a gift. If the child donates (any amount is allowed), they receive a card they can color and give to their teacher saying that they donated to the Holiday Gift Tree. You can also have a tree or other display that shows who has donated...we use die cuts and put the child's name on it, and either hang them from a tree or tape them to a wall. The funds are collected by the PTO and a check is written to the school. The staff as a whole decide what to buy with their gift tree money. Many times it is school supplies or equipment, or maybe a water cooler for the teacher's lounge.
For the past couple of years we have bagels and books for the staff. We get day old bagels that are donated. We use our some of our scholastic book fair money that we earn and either go to the warehouse sale or order books from their IRC catalog. In the morning we put the books and bagels out on the table in the lounge and tell everyone they can pick 2-3 books. All we are paying for is juice and spreads for the bagels. All the classrooms get books for their library.
We have about 60 or so staff in our building so we try to keep it small also. Some things we've done in the past are:
1. a hand written thank you note and candy cane or pack of hot chocolate
2. small votive candle
3. small bag of holiday sweets (sandwich baggie tied w/ribbon)
Everything that we've ever done has always been met with real appreciation. The teachers like the thank you's much more than the sweets. Whatever you choose, have fun with it and be sincere.
