Is this normal?

[trip]

You know in the fall when you sign up for volunteer jobs at school? Well, my DD told me about a friend of hers that had signed up to wrap gifts for the teachers at school. The friend thought it was for presents that the teachers/school were giving to the students. What she found out was that it was really for the volunteers to wrap the teachers' personal gifts - for their families. The friend decided to back out. Does this happen at your school?

 

[FireDancer]

Is it a fund raiser where the teachers donate something to a charity for the gifts being wrapped like they do in Borders?

If not that is just ridiculous. I somehow manage to work and wrap my gifts all by myself and I don't have a two week break from work in which to do it.

 

[klacey1]

You know in the fall when you sign up for volunteer jobs at school? Well, my DD told me about a friend of hers that had signed up to wrap gifts for the teachers at school. The friend thought it was for presents that the teachers/school were giving to the students. What she found out was that it was really for the volunteers to wrap the teachers' personal gifts - for their families. The friend decided to back out. Does this happen at your school?

What? I definitely would have backed out, as well. I've never heard of such a thing. How weird!

 

[klacey1]

I somehow manage to work and wrap my gifts all by myself and I don't have a two week break from work in which to do it.

Touche.

 

[krcit]

I don't now why but I find this hilarious!! Can it really be true? hysterical!

 

[powellrj]

I can see this happening at our old school. That was one reason I stopped volunteering for a few years. Instead of doing things for the kids, I was doing personal things for teachers. I didn't take off work or hire a sitter to run to the grocery to get brownie treats for your DDs troop nor do I detail your car for teachers appreciation week.

This would never happen at our new school.

 

[tink1978]

that is crazy! Wrapping the gifts that the teachers had purchased for their families?? I would absolutely have backed out! They should be able to wrap their own gifts.

 

[Rora]

My mom is a high school teacher and the PTA parents do this every holiday season for the teachers. It's a nice gesture on the parents part but I don't think it's fair to ask the students.

 

[Magic Mom]

It sounds like a PTO teacher appreciation thing. I wouldn't have an issue with it. It's just a way for the PTO to do something nice for the teachers.

 

[trip]

Is it a fund raiser where the teachers donate something to a charity for the gifts being wrapped like they do in Borders?

Not a fund raiser.

My mom is a high school teacher and the PTA parents do this every holiday season for the teachers. It's a nice gesture on the parents part but I don't think it's fair to ask the students.

No students involved. (My DD is an adult )

 

[Hannathy]

that is crazy! Wrapping the gifts that the teachers had purchased for their families?? I would absolutely have backed out! They should be able to wrap their own gifts.

I agree! Way over the line! No way should parent volunteers be doing it for the teachers. Parent volunteers are to benefit the children not the Teachers who are getting paid to do a job.

Are you going to go to Walmart and volunteer to wrap the cashiers gifts? or the grocery store, or heck the Dr's Office?

Absolutely uncalled for and to not let people know up front is even worse. I would be livid!

 

[daisyduck123]

We don't/have never done this at my school, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Sounds like the whole thing is voluntary, & just something some of the parents want to do for the teachers as a kind gesture. If you don't want to sign up, then don't. Easily done.

And to the poster who said we "get two weeks off" ...not all of us. We never have 2 weeks off for any holiday. We have always had school right thru til Christmas Eve. This is the first year we are getting the day "before Christmas Eve" off.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

What teacher would want strangers wrapping their presents to loved ones? This is very strange all the way around.

 

[Rora]

No students involved. (My DD is an adult )

Oops! Then no, I don't really have a big problem with it.

 

[Danibelle]

We don't/have never done this at my school, but I don't see anything wrong with it. Sounds like the whole thing is voluntary, & just something some of the parents want to do for the teachers as a kind gesture. If you don't want to sign up, then don't. Easily done.

And to the poster who said we "get two weeks off" ...not all of us. We never have 2 weeks off for any holiday. We have always had school right thru til Christmas Eve. This is the first year we are getting the day "before Christmas Eve" off.

I don't think parents should be doing personal things for the teachers. I have been on both sides of this fence. I would feel uncomfortable having someone else wrap my presents or doing something personal. Volunteering should benefit the school and/or classroom only. It doesn't matter how many days off the teacher gets!

 

[LOVETHATMOUSE]

We never did this in our school, but I did have a different situation. I was running the book fair and we always ask the teachers to fill out little forms from Scholastic for book donations for their rooms. Many of the parents purchase one additional book for the class so that library builds up for the kids. One teacher filled out about 20 of the forms (about twice as many than most teachers). A parent pulled a form from the appropriate teachers box and noticed that on the top of the form it said "for (insert son's name)" . I went to the box, pulled all the forms and they all had her kid's names on them! Instead of asking for donations for the class, she was asking them for her kids. I discussed it with my co-chair and we promptly pulled all forms for her and tossed them in the trash. If a parent wanted to purchase a book for the class, I took the book, but them all in a box and presented them to the principal for that grade's library. What gall huh?

 

[soccerchick]

I agree! Way over the line! No way should parent volunteers be doing it for the teachers. Parent volunteers are to benefit the children not the Teachers who are getting paid to do a job.

Are you going to go to Walmart and volunteer to wrap the cashiers gifts? or the grocery store, or heck the Dr's Office?

Absolutely uncalled for and to not let people know up front is even worse. I would be livid!

I'm sure the parents are the ones who came up with the idea. I would personally NEVER bring my items in for something like this though.

Our PTO does a lot of stuff FOR THE TEACHERS AND FOR THE STUDENTS. They had holiday cookies for us last week. They had ice cream sundaes for us on a work day. They help in the office. They used to xerox stuff. They donate $ to drama, art, publications, music, field trips, etc. I've seen some over the top stuff at my kids' school, but it is parent volunteer driven, NOT teacher asked/demanded/expected. I think a lot of it is moms trying to out-do each other.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

It sounds like a PTO teacher appreciation thing. I wouldn't have an issue with it. It's just a way for the PTO to do something nice for the teachers.

Ditto.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

If the parents want to do this and the teachers appreciate it, I don't see the big deal. Honestly, I wouldn't want to hand my gifts over to "strangers" for wrapping.

 

[leight]

I wouldn't want my kids wrapping their teacher's presents but then I couldn't imagine the teacher's liking the wrapping job done by the kids either!

At my job they have the manager's wrap presents for employees who want them to. THey set up a specific time and the managers from every dept wrap for an hour or so over the space of a week. Its a nice gesture-I brought my nephew's gifts to be wrapped so the paper would be different from my daughters'. One person brought in over 30 gifts and dropped it off with already made labels- wonder if the managers got it right?