End of year thank you note without gift

denise1

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 6:22 am

Hi. We give our sons' rebbeim tips for chanukah and purim. Now that its the end of the year I would have loved to give another tip but we are struggling financially. Does it make sense to just write a note of appreciation or will it look like we forgot to include a check?

English3

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 6:24 am

There is no problem at all. However if you feel uncomfortable you can include a bar of chocolate which is cheap but presentable.

amother

Dimgray ↓

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 6:45 am

As a teacher I can tell you we love the notes. Attaching something small like a pareve chocolate bar is a great idea.

amother

Cadetblue

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 8:13 am

Not the OP, but love the chocolate idea- thank you!
I have an etiquette question- is it odd to sign the note from me only (and not DH)?
This would be for staff at my daughter's school.

amother

Amber

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 8:21 am

If I got a thank you note from only one parent I would assume the parents were separated! You could sign from the x family, from shimons family, from shimons parents but honestly I would just sign both names

amother

Yolk

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 8:23 am

I have my Boys write a thank you card to the rebbe at the end of the year. I give money purim and chanuka.

amother

↑ Dimgray ↓

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 8:45 am

amother [ Cadetblue ] wrote:

Not the OP, but love the chocolate idea- thank you!
I have an etiquette question- is it odd to sign the note from me only (and not DH)?
This would be for staff at my daughter's school.

I always sign it with my name, husband, kid

amother

Iris

Tue, Jun 28 2022, 10:29 am

I either sign
"The hellers"
Or "yanky and esti heller" (those aren't our names)
I never sign only my name, and I never sign kids' names, unless they wrote it

I'm a teacher. Ideas I've seen$10 or less:

Give a chocolate bar, attach by tying ribbon bow

Or can give flowers for shabbos

or dessert (store bought peanut chews, cookies) for shabbos

Or a $2-4 picture frame with a note inside
Thank you for picture perfect year

But as a teacher, the note is the best part! I keep the notes.
You don't need to give any gift.

amother

Snapdragon

Wed, Jun 29 2022, 6:42 pm

amother [ Iris ] wrote:

I either sign
"The hellers"
Or "yanky and esti heller" ...

I think I am going to start signing all notes to teachers
"From The Hellers" LOL

amother

Crystal

Wed, Jun 29 2022, 6:49 pm

I guess we are the only ones who don’t do this end of year gift because money is tight and that money could’ve been used for food, formula and diapers.

amother

↑ Dimgray

Wed, Jun 29 2022, 7:31 pm

amother [ Crystal ] wrote:

I guess we are the only ones who don’t do this end of year gift because money is tight and that money could’ve been used for food, formula and diapers.

So don't do a gift, but if your kid gained anything this year, try to make the effort to write a note. It costs what 10 cents for a piece of paper? Have the kid decorate it if he's in preschool or write a short note himself and then you add a longer thank you.

Honestly, once I write the thank you emails, I don't remember who sent gifts, but those notes help revive me from the end of the year burnout so I can do this again next year.

amother

Wandflower

Thu, Jun 30 2022, 9:47 am

amother [ Cadetblue ] wrote:

Not the OP, but love the chocolate idea- thank you!
I have an etiquette question- is it odd to sign the note from me only (and not DH)?
This would be for staff at my daughter's school.

I usually write it from the child's view and then sign it off from Moishy and his grateful parents.

amother

Salmon

Thu, Jun 30 2022, 10:12 am

If there is a class gift then I contribute to that. For preschoolers I have them pick a construction paper color for each teacher and then write in dark marker, "Dear Morah [Name], Thank you for a wonderful year! Love, [Child's Name]" and have the kids color the paper. Early grade schoolers I have the kids write their own notes and decorate if/as they wish. Once they're in middle school they email their thank you notes. My oldest just graduated from 8th grade and at the graduation one of her teachers/administrators told my father that my daughter was the only one in her entire grade who sent a thank you. She did that entirely on her own with just one reminder from me because she was already in the habit of sending thank you notes all these years.