<p>Since I applied EA and RD... this is what I did:</p>
<p>For EA school: Since the decision came out in December, I wrote simple thank you notes to my GC and two of my teachers along with some baking goodies. They loveeed the stuff and asked me for recipes! I wrote simple thank yous only because I was denied admission and I wanted to wait until I heard from my other schools since they wrote for some of them also.</p>
<p>For RD schools:
I waited until after all the APs were over to settle down and write my teachers and GC more meaningful notes. Even though the first two teachers received thank you notes back in December, I still wrote them again. This time, I included what I learned in their classes and what I got out of them. Because my senior year was so full of ups and downs, I was so appreciative of my other senior teachers supporting me along the way that I also wrote them meaningful thank you notes!</p>
<p>Now that I am in college, I try to make an effort to stay in touch with my GC. I also have written two of my English teachers and my AP Euro teacher letters about how I was doing. I'd like to write another round of letters but I'm going home on Saturday and will visit the HS next week.... Gotta call up the retired Euro teacher to get together for some coffee! My friend (at another college) and I are also trying to invite one of our teachers that we shared for coffee sometimes. </p>
<p>I have written thank you notes to teachers who have really made an impact in my academics for the past several years and they have reported back to me that getting notes were some of the best things a student has ever done for them!</p>
<p>A day really does not go by without me thinking of my teachers when I do my academic work here!</p>
<p>"A reminder about 'thank-you' notes: They should be done right after the teacher has done the recommendation."</p>
<p>A little confession. My son wrote his thank you notes a little early just in case one of his teachers hadn't gotten around to his recommendations and needed a reminder.</p>
<p>We have an interesting situtation on teacher recs. For one thing, two of the teachers were actually college professors; we'd be reluctant to give them something from the university he selects since they're essentially rivals. :D We'll have to think of something else. </p>
<p>I suspect his best recommendation came from a teacher he had a couple of years ago that he's kept up with ever since. She's now the head of the school district's math program and has promised him a job if he decides to become teacher. This is the second time she's written him recommendations, the first to get him into his current high school. I think he should probably pick something extra special for her.</p>
<p>For GC and Faculty that wrote letters, a thank-you note was given with a gift certificate. When S decided on his college a large cake with name of school was left in the faculty lounge for all teachers to enjoy.</p>
<p>I have been thinking about this question lately, especially as the holidays are almost upon us. We have not in the past given holiday gifts to people at school - the kids see it as a form of "brown-nosing" - but should we give something this year to the teachers and counselors who have been helpful in so many ways, and will continue to be helpful until all apps are filed? </p>
<p>I also wonder at what point it is appropriate to be sure thank you notes are written. Now? When all apps are fnally done? When we get the decisions? At the end of the year? I just saw today, for example, that for a scholarship competition, recommendations will be required of semi-finalists only, with those names not announced until April, so there could be more requests for recommendations even after we know where S will go. Some of the teachers involved will also be evaluating S in courses he is taking with them this term and next term. </p>
<p>Although I am a stickler for thank you notes that are timely and specific, I am leaning towards S sending a note closer to graduation, in which he can thank them for all they did this year. I also plan to write a thank you myself, for the help and support they have provided to me as well. And I will either make a donation in honor of each, or send a little gift.</p>
<p>Is it appropriate to give a teacher a gift card because the teacher can clearly see what amount it is? I want to give my teachers a book, but they have so many books already that I will probably accidentally get them one that they already have. So I thought about getting a gift card to Barnes and Nobles like some of you here mentioned but I wasn't sure if that was right. And if I do get them gift cards, how much money should i put on each? Thanks.</p>
<p>Our school district has that policy too but I don't know if it's written or not. Way back when the kids were in elementary school, we room moms collected cash for a
holiday present for the teacher. After the money was collected but before we bought the gift, we were told gifts were not allowed. So we had to return the money to families. Shortly after that, our elementary school began a holiday donation fund. Each December, the students voted on a charity to benefit from the monies and families were able to donate in honor of a teacher. I don't know if that tradition still continues today. My family bought gifts for teachers only in elementary school and senior year high school for GCs, special mentors, and those who wrote recommendations.</p>
<p>As a teacher, my personal opinion is that teacher presents should always be food--not food that needs to be eaten immediately like cookies--but nuts or chocolate bars or candy canes--or something else that can go down the drain or into the trash without guilt, like soap (the luxury kind).... My sister (also a teacher) and I both have way too many cute mugs already. And frankly, I shouldn't eat the number of cookies students seem to think I want. The $100 gift certificate to Nordstrom was an embarassment (implying I could be bought that cheaply!)--I cashed it in and used it to pay for part of the microscope the classroom needed... </p>
<p>The presents I remember were chocolate bars, nice notes, nice notecards (teachers write thank you notes too, especially around this time of year), and a jar of blueberry syrup that was great on pancakes.</p>
<p>ticklemepink - I would guess that the teacher-recipients of your thank-you notes cherish them as reminders of why they became teachers! :) I was very worried because my S asked his teacher to write a rec, but did not specifically ask if he would write him a *good * rec. If my s was denied admittance I am sure I would have blamed the teacher rec! Now I am prepared to buy him a lifetime subscription to Mrs Fields cookies! :)</p>
<p>My son wrote two personal thank you notes to the 2 teachers who wrote his recommendations. Along with the note, he purchased items that he thought they would be able to use.</p>
<p>Teacher #1 - S bought him an Alumni coffee mug (S & teacher - same college) and inside put 3 $10 gift cards from Dunkin Donuts since the teacher stops for coffee everyday at DD before coming to school.</p>
<p>He also went back over break to teach physics classes (private prep school) for this same teacher.</p>
<p>Teacher #2 - S bought him a crystal glass, etched with the school's name on it and a $30 gift certificate to a local eatery. He told him that every time he drank out of the glass he would remember him...</p>
<p>My S is going to send Christmas photo cards to his "people" who have written recs, because of the reasons wish<em>it</em>was_april gave - there will probably be more as time goes on. Then, in May, he can send a nice note to each.</p>
<p>Today son bought $5 gift cards from a great book store where everyone shops for 2 teachers who wrote him recs for a summer program. He'll also write a note. He will have both of these teachers again (one jr. year, one sr. year). (They both wrote letters for other son for college and summer programs, and I think he just wrote thank-you letters.) Teachers among you - is this okay? Too much or not enough? Just a thank-you?</p>
<p>My daughter bought 4 small elegant boxes of chocolates at Borders for those who wrote recs for her. I could not resist opening one (it was tied with a ribbon only) to see what I imagined would be a clear seal on top of the candy.
To my SHOCK there was no seal and one candy was missing!!! Can you imagine if we had given these to the teachers.
We took them back and purchased ones that were shrinkwrapped.
We gave these along with cards.
I also personally wrote a note to the school board supervisor and principle complementing the guidance counselor.
Another cute gift would be a gift card to starbucks.
Even an inexpensive $5 would be nice gesture.</p>
<p>NJres- Never thought about saying the word "good" when I popped that question! I just had confidence in myself that they would like me enough to write good recs since I utilized a lot of their "free" periods for further questions and papers. </p>
<p>Now I ask my professors if they feel that they know me well enough and I just watch their reaction. If they smile and beg to write it, it's all good. If they hesistant, no good.</p>
<p>donating to the school's foundation sounds like a great idea and i think i might do consider doing that for my teachers. so i would make a donation in the honor of the teacher? to those of you who have done this, how much did you donate?</p>
<p>I wrote joint christmas/thank you cards and baked cookies for all my teachers who wrote recommendations and helped me with essays, my guidance counselor, and the school registrar office. In the notes i thanked them for their support, wished them a happy holidays/merry christmas, and told them I hoped to be able to share good news with them come April...</p>
<p>How about a gift certificate for a free car wash at a fancy car wash place? Busy lives & grubby cars kinda go together, and a busy teacher might appreciate a clean car, for a change. My H's parents are retired jr/high & high school math teachers, and they would have appreciated something like that. They used to get a ton of food items, so we tend to look for non-food teacher gifts. </p>
<p>You can get some cool things at the Apple Store, these days. If you know that the teacher has an iPod, you can purchase an iTunes gift certificate from the Apple Store. Best Buy may carry them, as well. Or, just a general gift certificate to the Apple Store, if you know that they use Macs. Have fun! :)</p>
<p>Macramequeen--You can make whatever size gift you want. We make a foundation gift annually every year, so we just noted the names of the teachers in whose names we were making the gift. It's the gesture and not the amount that matters. The notes we received from the teachers (and the headmaster) indicated that they were quite flattered that we would honor them in that way.</p>
<p>What we did was got $10 GC from Blockbuster, along with the microwave popcorn that they sell. In the popcorn box we put the GC, and a box of non parallels, along with the thank you card, and wrapped it with shrink wrap. It costs maybe $14 total, and looked very nice.</p>