School rules, Christmas, gifts, blah blah blah

That's a great idea!

I could look for something appropriate to their area - like a book for the teacher, a paint brush for the aide and something musicy for the music teacher!

Now I just need to find a place that sells unusual ornaments!

Great idea. Ornaments are good and easily stored. I totally agree with the $$, Swimpy. It's interesting to think that in Germany this would be illegal.

Boomerang, what about letting Mo pick the ornaments? Maybe he'll see one that is of a certain color she/he likes, or reminds him of something that was taught. Plus, what a fun excursion. Pier One has some nice ornaments. You could box them beautifully.

I had to laugh at the thought of black bubbles for all the kids for Christmas. I'm sure everyone has seen that awful advertising for the new, holiday-themed horror film. I think it is called Black Christmas...

I will also mention that I'd don't care for gift cards and only give charity presents like The Ark or The Heifer for people who've requested them. One of my sisters did. (And that's what she gives, too. I'd love a beehive or a small alpaca herd.)



<Panzade... ! That was sweet. Hi to all of you and no worries. I'm fine, have been fine, everything's good. I had trouble posting to a2k and got out of the loop and busy doing other things. I've missed you and thought about you all often, frequently, and with loving interest even though I've been gone a while. It is good to see a2k's the same and as nice as ever. Kind of comforting.>

I love the ornament idea. Perhaps next year you and Mo can make ornaments?

Keep in mind that just because Mo loves his teachers, their taste is not necessarily your taste. What you find adorable, they may think of as garage sale fodder.

Candy, cakes and cookies have merit--providing that they can be kept fresh until times of famine in January or even February. Savouries: cheese, sausage, nuts are also good, although there is a bit gap between those of us who find Swiss Colony or Figis the height of sophisticate living and those of us who would prefer eight ounces of the $19/a pound ham.

I will say that the mail order house stuff keeps for times of famine.

Gift certificates should not be in an embarassing amount. One of the big advantages of Parental Present Pooling is that no one child comes off the Big Giver and no one child is labeled as Exceedingly Frugal.

Are you planning to take pictures of the teachers with Mo for his scrapbook? Could you snap a few shots of the individual teacher, solo?

Happy Holidays. December is thought-provoking country.

In Austria like in Germany we teachers are not allowed to accept money ( a voucher or a gift card counts as money, of course). You are allowed to accept was is customary in your area. That means up to a certain value.
But parents always ask what I want for Christmas. I ask for something to use in class with the children. Montessori, more books for the class library, therapeutic toys ( hand-eye coordination, motor skills...) they cost a lot and I am always very happy if the classroom gets more interesting.
The children will give little presents to each other- in a game- they draw a name and will surprise a kid with a little gift. The gift has to be given secretly, no name attached and it shouldn't cost more than 2$.

Personally I like your beehive idea very much.

When I was a kid, having a working Mom was pretty unusual.* My mother taught in a rural area so most of her students lived on farms and their moms "worked" at home. These moms would save the boxes that Christmas cards came in (with their seasonal artwork), line them with waxed paper and fill them with an assortment of shortbreads and other Christmas cookies. I know my Mom always appreciated those gifts and as a kid whose Mom was always busy with teaching, Christmas concerts, etc right up until Christmas, I always loved having goodies in the house for the holidays.

* I should have said "having a Mom who worked outside the home" was pretty unusual. After all, every mother is a working mother.

Rule of Thumb:

Multiply your offering by twenty-five. (Of course not all cookies are chocolate chip!)

Teachers are public servants here (or employees in public services, applying to the same rules), and gifts - especially money gifts - are thaght to be a kind of bribery. (Rightfully, in my opinion.)

Similar to what ul said, small gifts are allowed - with the approval of the superior/headmaster - but no money.

Kindergartens aren't part of the school system, but employees there have the same rules (since communities, churches, charities run them whose employees have similar tariffs/working regulations as civil servants have).

[I've been a member of a staff council, deputy head, in a charity, which run 20 kindergartens. Unfortunately, we had to agree during a time of eight years to the firing of three colleagues, kindergarten teachers, who took money as personal gifts.]

Okay here's what I've come up with - you tell me what you think:

I found these cool little glass ornaments (at Pier 1 - thanks for the suggestion) 9 ornaments on sale for $6. I thought I would split the ornaments up: 3 for Teacher, 2 for Aide and 1 each for the other 2 teachers Mo decided he needed to give gifts to and 2 for music teacher.

(Price range for each gift $2 to $.66)

One jar of Mo made bubbles with wand

(About a buck a jar)

Funky mod gift box

($1.75)

Weird gel paper stuffing

(Free - left over from the old studio days)

Jingle bell gift tag

($.50)

Total cost - $5.25 or less.

Also, I had these cool old Japanese postcards/flashcards that have "Teacher" and "Book" - that sort of thing that I thought we could write a little thank you note on.

The overall effect is, I think, quite nice, though a bit quirky.

Our school forbids any home-made treats to be distributed.

I really wish I could do cookies because I love to bake and cookies are my specialty.

The ornament-with-card sounds elegant.

Is the ban on home cooking because of nut allergies or because of anthrax?

The ornament idea is just splendid. I think I'll use that idea in future too, as it is something all teachers could make use of.

I am also in favor for non-distribution of home-made goodies. One
never knows if the teachers have allergies, diabetes and what not.
I remember that one of the mothers brought in Halloween cupcakes -
they gave you a sugar rush just by looking at them.

According to NPR just now, 1 in 120 children has a mild to severe reaction to peanuts.

Yum, send some this way! That also sounds like a good new topic, Holiday Cookies I've Known and Loved.

CJ -- And what exactly is wrong with a sugar rush??????


The gifts sound super btw and not like you're begging them to love you and Mo, but that they should admire you for your excellent taste.

Nothing at all Piffka, but I always feel, if I indulge in such high
calorie bombers, then let it be something I really like.

Miss Piff - what will you be baking for your birthday?

Hey BETH!!!!!!
Baking for my birthday???
Speaking of sugar rushes, you mean? I am aiming to not bake anything between now & Christmas except three batches of cookies, but my daughter has asked for the recipe to bake my favorite cake. That would be Spice cake with Penuche frosting. <Yay> The Penuche is a recipe from my Granny Clark who was raised southern-style.

Do you remember my birthday? It is the same as Clary's -- a week before Christmas Eve, two weeks before New Year's Eve. IMO, a nearly perfect time, except I'd also like to celebrate it in the summer. I wonder how Clary feels about hers?

Spice cake with penuche frosting! Piff, were we separated at birth or something? My mother used to make that. I haven't had it in 30+ years.

Penuche, I haven't heard that word in a long time, but now that you mention it, I used to love it. Uh oh...




Some of us might need that recipe.

It is wicked good, Osso. I can hardly wait.

Swimpy, my mom, who taught me the recipe from her mom, grew up in Iowa.... Ogden, Iowa. Her mom, the source of the recipe, was raised in Boone, but her family was from Virginia.

Ah, the Iowa connection! It's like the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon...