We are moving to a town half an hour away, and next Thursday will be my 3 1/2 year old son's last day at his preschool here in town. :( I am heartbroken, b/c he has loved it there and has made a "best friend" in his small class (there are only about 6 kids in the class) whom he talks about at home all the time.
I have been very impressed with the staff there, and would like to think of a way to thank them all for the experience he has had. He goes two days a week for extended days, so other than his classroom teacher and a rotating teacher's aid, he has also interacted with a lot of the other teachers who stay until 5pm for the "extended day" kids.
I am very low on funds right now, but I'd love ideas for:
1. A gift to say thank you to his classroom teacher
2. Some way/gift to thank the rest of the staff collectively
For the kids in the class, I am thinking of making cards with a picture of Sebastian that say "Thank you for being a great friend. I will miss you!" and maybe something like "We won't be too far away. If you miss me, call my mom to set up a playdate!" with our contact info. Would that be weird?
Any help is appreciated :)
To me, yeah, it's wierd.
I say just give them a big verbal thanks and goodbye and move on. They won't even think about him come the following Monday. They are used to kids moving on.
The card with contact info is a great idea!
Maybe a small gift card for the teacher, for something fun, like a pedicure.
For the school, how about some new books for their library? Those are always appreciated, and you and your son can write a nice message of thanks on the inside cover :-)
You know what I have found, to be very nice and valued by a Preschool Teacher or staff?
Simply... HAND writing a heartfelt note, about how much you appreciated their rapport with your child and all the wonderful things you and your son has loved about them.
Make each note, different. So that, if they tell each other, they know they are not just getting a "template" note and everyone got the same 'thoughtless' written note.
Make each one, customized.
I have done that.
And it was VERY appreciated, by the Teachers my children have had.
Because, I put it in my own words, and hand wrote it. In a cute card.
And doing this does not cost, hardly anything.
Teachers get knick-knack gifts all the time.
Or, you can gift the school, with a basket of USEFUL items/class supplies. That you know they need. And then write a nice note to attach to it.
And you can also enclose a nice simple photo of you/your family/your child, to the card.
If it were me, this is what I'd do:
A special storybook age-appropriate for the class. (Look on Chinaberry's website for suggestions of dear, sweet books) A card esp. for the teacher.. your child can help you make one.
I'd make a couple of dessert loaves for the staff and a card of thanks in general. Treats are always appreciated in the staff room!
Yes, pass along the contact info-- you really never know which kids will move on and which ones will miss your kiddo. I think it's never a bad idea to reach out, esp. as sometimes kids do wonder where their playmates went.
For the collective gift I took in a basket ( that was in good shape but wanted to get rid of) lined with napkins and filled with muffins fruit and miscellaneous breakfast goodies the morning of his last day with a thank you card. They seemed to enjoy it. I gave another personalized card and gift to his main teacher. Good luck with your move.
I'm a teacher....any of the below ideas are great. It doesn't take much to let your teacher know he/she is appreciated. Definitely include a card saying how you feel as suggested below. Those are very meaningful to us and many teachers save the ones with heartfelt messages in them.
As far as the rest of the class, don't listen to Cheryl B. The curriculum will continue Monday, but your child will still be thought of. Giving them a card with contact info won't hurt anyone and it gives them the choice of whether to use it or not. If you don't give it, there's no choice and a child could be sad as stated in the example below. I had a child move earlier this year and I still think of him and wonder how he's doing. And, my kids still ask about him and consider him part of the class. I still think of students I had years ago! Occasionally, I'll drop their parents a line to see how they are if I have contact info. Most teachers...good teachers...put their hearts and souls into your kids...sometimes above and beyond their own personal children. We get very protective of our classroom children and will stick up for them even after they've left.
Good luck with your move!
:)
I just have to ditto the card is a WONDERFUL idea (I might snag it from ya!)
For the staff, a plate of cookies or a gallon of good Starbucks coffee for their lounge to say thanks:) I did that for my kiddos child care center when the last one left. "Thanks for the decade of care for my kids" kind of thing since almost all the teachers taught at least one of the children.
I took my son to a pottery painting place and he painted a flower pots and vases for his teachers. We planted a sunflower seed in the pot and added decorations and a note that said "thank you for helping me grow". The teachers really loved and appreciated it, espcially because my son helped to make their presents. Also I wrote thank you notes to all of his teachers and administrator. Michaels has a lot of arts and crafts that you and your son can use to create thoughtful gifts for the teachers. They are easy on the budget too.
A really cute idea that will keep on giving is this: Get a clay pot (make sure you soak it in water for an hour and let it dry) choose the size you can afford, get some safe paint, have your child put his hand print (s) on the pot and you (or he if can) write his name and the year, put in seeds of flowers/herbs or some that are already grown. My granddaughter here did this in kindergarten, she is now going into the 8th grade and I still have the pot and it ALWAYZ has something growing!
When DD's friend moved, I would have LOVED to have had contact information. DD is still sad about her friend being out of school and not being able to set up a play date (they moved near where my mom lives). So I think that would be a cute and nice thing.
When I took DD out of her daycare, I gave the staff a gift tower (Wine Country Gift Baskets often has inexpensive ones with low or free shipping) for them to share. I also gave each of her main teachers a small Target gift card.
And one of the best things you can do for the school is talk about them and share how happy you were there.
A card or picture made by your child would be very nice. For the holidays i got our daycare staff an "edible arrangement" (I couldn't find a "nut free" box of chocolates otherwise I would have done that)
