There are 12 teachers on my team. It's just too many, so I probably won't do anything this year. Since our school is so big, we are doing a school wide secret santa instead of giving gifts to multiple people.
I buy gifts for 3 or 4 of my closest friends on staff. It's something small--an ornament, a bottle of wine, some sweets or I'll treat to a dinner or lunch out.
Yes. Things from Vera Bradley or Erin Condren for those I'm close to. Bags of Lindor/Ghirardelli chocolates or Pepperidge Farms cookies, with a pack of copy paper for the rest of the people on my team.
My grade level does a Secret Santa exchange. We choose a date to meet for dinner and exchange gifts. I also do something small for everyone. This year I'm giving each teach a small goodie bag that includes thank you cards, a treat of some kind, and hand sanitizer.
I only have 2 other teachers that I consider myself close enough to for gifts. One, I will be having over to a private Christmas dinner, so he'll get his gifts then and one's a Johovah's Witness. I'm not going to lie; it's kind of nice to have one less person to shop for. I do usually bring in Christmas cookies the week before and I always bring some Jehovah's Witnesses' cookies too (plain sugar cookies in a brown box with a note that states "these cookies are in no way associated with any holiday of any sort" ) but that's about it.
My teammates are aware that I'm not doing well financially (I'm the only one using my job as the primary income in our household). I'll give them all cards and home-made cookies. Knowing them, each of them will give me a $10 gift card.
I bake something to share with staff, give candy to the aides that help me (2), and get a nice gift for my two closest friends at work. Also, at my school most people get a small gift for the principal and secretary. Usually I give them chocolates or lotion.
This is what I do! I'm giving my principal and a few close teacher friends of mine certificates for a spa day. The co-workers on my team are getting Target gift cards. I put way more effort into my students this year :wub: I love Christmas.
Awesome, I think I might get something fairly small (due to budget concerns, haha) for my grade-level team and probably for the SPED teacher who works closely with us and my mentor teacher. For my students I'm thinking maybe a note, candy cane and holiday pencil (if I have the time!)
We decided a few years ago ... instead of doing something small for everyone, we put our money together and give it to our AMAZING custodian! She does SUCH a good job!
My team exchanges small gifts. I also do a small something for the secretaries, custodians and my P from my kids and me (usually we make something). Sometimes we do a staff secret santa too which is fun....little treats in mailboxes and then a $10 gift at the end.
Great idea! I usually put together a tray of sweets for our caretakers and another for our office administrative assistants.
A collection is taken among the staff and gift cards are purchased for the two secretaries and three custodians. Staff does not exchange gifts. We each donate 5 dollars and the money is given to the food pantry. Many school families are using it.
We only have about a dozen people on staff. Most people choose to do something small for everyone--one year I made little packages of fudge, one year I did a potpourri-type thing, this year I have ornaments (Very nice ones, but that I picked up on clearance after last Christmas for less than 50 cents each).
I just bought something for the history teacher, but it was mostly because it was a serendipitous event of being in Boston, seeing a replica Liberty Bell that could replace the bell she normally uses, and the fact that she teaches US History. =3 I don't normally, but I may do something simple this year.
I am just buying something for each of my aides. I was thinking an ornament and candy. I already saw an ornament in Michael's that I know one of them would love! I like giving gifts that are personal and not all the same. Like if I know someone loves cats I will get them a cat ornament, or the other woman loves coffee so I will get her a cute coffee ornament. It doesn't have to be much just something to thank them for their help in my classroom all year.
