<p>Would appreciate advice on how to thank teachers and guidance counselors who wrote the letters of recommendation for EA/ED applicants. Would a card suffice? Flowers? A letter to the principal praising them? All of the above?</p>
<p>A card and a usable gift would be in order.</p>
<p>Hah, my teacher isn't giving me my rec until the day before break, so there's now way I'm doing anything special for him...he's had over a month to write it, grrr. I don't think he particularly cares about thank you gifts anyway</p>
<p>I would say that a card and maybe some holiday candy would suffice.</p>
<p>my d made homemade cookie baskets...and she gave the baskets to the teachers when she asked for the recommendations :D</p>
<p>I wrote a letter to the Board praising their genius in selecting the brilliant Head. He loved that letter, let me tell you.</p>
<p>I wrote the Head praising the remarkable teachers son had. I wrote a separate letter gently suggesting some changes and advising Head of difficulties we did not bring to his attention during the sojourn (November graduation).</p>
<p>I bought a bunch of fantastic gifts for the teachers--depending on years of service. The main mentor, the concrete wall in son's life--she got a massive day spa package and a bottle of top notch cognac that teachers cannot afford. Others simply got nice spa packages. Others got certificates to fancy restaurants that teachers cannot afford. Others got bottles of whiskey. They get so many mugs--they were all blown away by the gifts--but hey--I was blown away by their dedication and patience over five years. He was never the easiest kid to shepherd.</p>
<p>He is giving them a book and thank you note too.</p>
<p>He didn't waive confidentiality and was able to send the Grammas the best rec letters--which they loved.</p>
<p>I had a friend who bought coffee mugs with the name of the college on them and filled them with Hershey kisses =) ... simple but I thought it was cute ..</p>
<p>We didn't give any gifts until AFTER graduation. Our kids still had these teachers and GC's to deal with until then. After graduation, DS and DD wrote nice notes to the teachers who wrote recommendations. To be honest, our GC was not much help...no thank you there. There were two teachers with whom our kids had a mentor type relationship. They wrote recommendations but also did many other things for them during the four years they were in high school. Those teachers got a gift card to a favorite restaurant...after graduation.</p>
<p>Our son returns to his hs every long break and visits with his fav teachers and GC, updates them on his college progress and thanks them for being there for him as a hs student. And yes, if they wrote one of those letters, thanks them for that too.</p>
<p>The teachers always seem happy to see him and his friends and most are now on a first name basis.</p>
<p>The visits are a gift that keeps on giving.</p>
<p>My D brought small gifts from our X-mas vacation in Hawaii and gave one to each teacher along with a handwritten Thank You note.</p>
<p>My daughter gave bookstore giftcards to her recommenders.</p>
<p>My son wrote very sincere emails to his counselor and the faculty members who wrote his recs letting them know he was accepted and thanking them. My son is not very "warm and fuzzy", and this gesture meant a lot to the recipients and showed true appreciation on the part of my son. I also sent thank you emails.
A caution- a couple of faculty members and spouses have told me that the stream of useless gifts can be a real waste, so if you do give something, make sure it is something that can be used and not the 50th candle or ornament.</p>
<p>Mine were given after graduation and I agree--the letter is the most meaningful gift. Surprisingly few letters are written.</p>
<p>Another agreement to the memorable impact of a well-written and heartfelt thank you letter. I have received candy, cookies, coffee (which I don't drink), gift cards for books and coffee, etc. I usually share the goodies with other teachers in my department, and the gift cards have been used by all members of my family. But those special notes are all carefully filed away every year. Each year, before I write the next batch, I reread each and everyone of them. Follow-up emails and visits are a bonus!</p>
<p>We also did bookstore cards, along with notes from both S and me.</p>
<p>My son wrote thank you notes and we gave a gift to a local charity in honor of the teachers.</p>
<p>I prefered to give gift certificates to the local mall. Now I'd be cautious, having read how they charge interest. To the GC, who pulled everything together in 2 days before winter break (S decided to apply in dec of junior y), I added a special pen.</p>
<p>At our school the counselors tell the kids that a gift is required - most kids give it before the rec is even written which seems odd to me! My daughter gave coupons for massages (we are in China so it's a very common thing!). One of her teachers was very ill this fall and missed the deadline for her EA and rolling schools but we still gave him the gift - our teachers spend at least an hour per rec and they deserve something for their time.</p>
<p>In public schools in the U.S., gifts are not expected and certainly not required. Any gift that is required for recommendations is not a gift - it's a bribe!</p>