This year we gave each teacher a poinsetta plant. I nice holiday decoration without being religious. Volunteers also delivered a dessert and latte to the classrooms one day last week. We try to do this early in the month to avoid the craziness of the last week before break.
As to cash gifts for teachers, check with your accountant/attorney. We have been advised not to give cash to teachers. As a non-profit, we need to be able to show that all of the donations we receive go towards our stated purpose in by-laws. As you would not have receipts for whatever was purchased with the cash gifts, you would not have any proof that the donation was spent in accordance with your by-laws. This could be a problem if you were ever audited.
Also our school district attorney recommended that PTOs not give cash gifts to employees. Cash to teachers could be considered "a bonus", but if it came through the PTO no taxes would be withheld from the bonus. The teacher and/or the school district could be liable for failure to pay payroll taxes.
This differs depending on how your organization is set up. Also this is just the interpretation we have been given. Different professionals could have a different interpretation, but it is something to think about.
We don't do Christmas presents for teachers and staff either. I have started a secret santa the last two years, and they seem to love trying to figure it out. I got one of the teachers this year while she had been working on her bulletin board in the hall. She stepped into another teacher's room, and while she was in there, I slipped into her room and placed her secret santa on her desk. She told me her secret santa was very sneaky. We also get the staff and teacher's involved in a door decorating contest, so PTO feels this is just right for our Christmas at school.
No Christmas presents from our group either. We made a big fuss at Teacher Appreciation Week and all through the year we funded programs and coordinated volunteers to make the teachers' lives easier and insure that they didn't have to dig into their own pockets for supplies and such. Never heard a complaint.
our parent group does NOTHING for staff for xmas, debbie, you are not alone. we think it is fine to do nothing. doent mean we dont appreciate them. we do luncheon in spring, and for crying out loud almost ALL the fundraising we do all year goes back into things that directly benefit teachers in thier classroom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they dont need candy from us at xmas to know we support and appreciate them. we donate our time to them in the class ALL YEAR LONG, that is worth more than any nominal gift, in my opinomn.
Instead of doing one or two big luncheons/gifts each year, we do something small each month. Last month I volunteered to bring treats in to the Teacher's Lounge. Since I am the Box Tops person, I brought in a variety of BT items, inlcuding Hefty Bowls (BT!) and snack size Ziploc (BT!) bags for the Chex Mix. I boosted awareness of our BT program while showing the staff that they are appreciated.
The staff enjoys being appreciated no matter how you do it!
Is my group in the minority in that we don't give anything to staff for the holidays?
We never give them anything personal for any reason or ocassion. Even for staff appreciation week, we give them an academic year datebook, which they love. My personal view is that I work VERY hard to raise money for this group and that we serve our children. Yes, we support our teachers...through extra supplies and funding field trips, etc but definitely not in buying them gift certificates.
Our area is low income, over 50% of our students receive free or reduced lunches. Most of our families make way less than any teacher in our district does and I can't justify giving teachers "personal" gifts and having less money to do for the kids.
But.....this is my opinion. If it is the majority of members who agree that the teachers be rewarded as such in your groups, then more power to you.
