In lieu of cash I always suggest great helper gifts for end of the year teacher ideas. Head up to your nearby Office supply store and purchase supplies for the teachers to use as they return back to school.
We all like to start with new fresh things ---- so consider purchasing some of these items in bulk and making great goodie bags for the teachers as they end their year --- or to give them at their Welcome Back luncheon maybe.
Items they might enjoy new things of include:
new dry markers for the dry marker board, new chalk and new erasesr for the chalk board(s), new red pens for grading papers, new smiley sticker for those papers too, new Post It notes (different sizes are great), a package of paperclips, some of those Big clips that teachers use to clip papers together (those heavy duty "binder clips" of different sizes), boxes of pencils for those many students that ask for pencils, and then maybe a few other things that I haven't noted that would help them get organizee and ready for the new year.
Rember - get them in bulk then seperate them into teacher goodie bags. You can put them in large brown bags - with a cut label afixed to the front of the bag, noting this goodie bag is from your PTO or PTA, to help them start their upcoming year with a fresh start. Afix a raffia bow to the top of the bag (pre cut and pre-tie a bunch and hot glue them onto the bag).
Have fun all year long - maybe replenish an item or two via their teacher mailbox - with a cute note of thanks - keeping the fun and enthusiasium going and allowing them to remember how generous your were when they came back to school.
Teachers appreciate these classroom supplies so much more than another mug, another apple or such and it let's them know that you want to help, not add to the "Teacher Clutter Memorabilia" - this helps them and the students moral.
Vicky, at my daughters' school we have a week long event celebrating our teachers. We kickoff on Monday with a breakfast for all teachers and staff while parent volunteers watch the kids. We do a special edition newsletter dedicated to the teachers in color with messages from students and parents. We also write articles about the various teachers. We have a luncheon one day, we give gifts and usually keep a theme to the week. Basically every day there is something going on and some type of surprise for the teachers.
I believe National Principal Appreciation Day is March 6. There is also a educational bosses day in May, which includes principals, along with others. Hope this helps! [img]smile.gif[/img]
Deb E
