PTA gifts

[Ratpack]

Our PTA is looking to give students a "gift" at the beginning of the school. This year, the students got a water squeeze bottle with our school logo on it. They are wanting some suggestions for something different. Any advice or suggestion that your school is doing?

Also, we are looking for some sort of home-school communication folder for classwork, school news, etc. We need good quality, so it can withstand the torture of bookbags, etc. What does your school do for this?

 

[mommytotwo]

One school that I know of gives each student a planner. It includes a calendar of events, important phone numbers, a calendar where you can jot down events for each month, maps, notes....

Each child can put this in their binders or just in their backpacks.

 

[tar heel]

Our elementary school did the folders. They had the name of the school on the front and information such as the school calendar on the inside. They were used as the communication folder. They didn't hold up well for the entire year, though, as they were coated cardboard. A plastic version of this would be perfect.

Middle school does a planner, and it's a great item. The students use them every single day.

A good gift would be a school lanyard since kids have to wear their IDs all the time (at least ours do).

 

[MAKmom]

One school that I know of gives each student a planner. It includes a calendar of events, important phone numbers, a calendar where you can jot down events for each month, maps, notes....

Each child can put this in their binders or just in their backpacks.

Our school does this too. They did away with sending home info. You have to check for it online.

The elementary school all got tote bags to carry books around in school only.

 

[Ratpack]

Yes, we already get the "agendas"- which we use to record homework and all too. They give an additional gift to start them out. They want something useful, but I think a student at our school wouldn't want another water bottle. ???

Keep them coming!

 

[Pooh's Pixie]

We give the agendas (they call them journals) where they write their homework, etc. For communication, the schools do a "brown envelope system". Every Thursday the kids bring home a brown envelope (the big ones) with all the flyers & communication in it. It goes back to school empty the next day. They are pretty durable and easily replaced. And it saves the teachers from giving out flyers every day and the moms from having to check the backpacks constantly.

 

[CrazedDisFan]

One year our PTO gave out lunch boxes with the school logo on them. You can purchase the soft side 6 pack coolers and have them printed fairly cheaply. We bought 400 at $3.74 each. They were VERY well received and enjoyed. We did this 3 years ago and we still see kids carrying them. We did take the time to write each students' name on the inside of the bag. We were concerned parents would forget and we'd have a mess at lunchtime.

Here's a great deal.... only $2.49 each for quantities of 144 or more!
http://www.promotional-items-inc.com/catalog2/koozie_softside_coolers.shtml

 

[RUDisney]

The kids get a schedule planner on the first day of school. This includes the school's rules, too.

Around Halloween, a note goes home with the kids for sizes. At Christmas, we give them a t-shirt (different color for each grade, but with same logo.) The kids are free to use them, but they are expected to wear them for Track and Field Day, which happens to be tomorrow. That way, the grades are color-coded.

It goes over very well. The only complaint that I just heard on our field trip was that when a family has multiple kids, the parents don't always remember which color belongs to whom since the logo never changes. A request has been made that the school year be put on the ones that will be given next December.

BTW, if a student doesn't bring back the form with his/her size on it, they get one that is for the average of all of the students in that grade.

 

[jennyl772003]

My sons school gave those string backpack things with the school logo on it. He's also gotten a couple of the sport bottles. His school also gives out refrigerator magnets with the school calender and phone number on it. THAT is super useful!

For his home folder, they just ask the parents to provide a regular pocket folder, and when it wears out, we are supposed to replace it. His "friday folder" is a pocket folder that has brads on the inside. The teacher put paper in it and that is where she writes her notes.

 

[goofy's friends]

Wow! Either our school is very behin-the-times or cheap!!!!!! We have to BUY all of that ourselves!!!!!!!! The t-shirt (one a year per kid adds up), the calendar (also required), even the take-home folders are supplied by parents. They don't give up anything---the magnet would be very helpful!! My favorite idea for OP so far is the lunch box! what a great item! I'm so jealous!!!

 

[RUDisney]

Goofy's friends, doesn't the PTA have fundraisers? If so, what do they do with the money they raise?

Ours not only buys the t-shirts and journals, but also provides drinks and snacks for each "major" holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter.) The theory is that they want each class to have the same snack and not leave it up to chance (or parents who don't know about, or care about potential nut allergies.)

At our old school (private) most of the fundraisers were given back to the school to keep tuition lower. But, still, the kids got something for Christmas. One year they got a plush toy of the school's mascot (a hawk) in the school's colors and another year they got school logo'd beach towels.

 

[goofy's friends]

Goofy's friends, doesn't the PTA have fundraisers? If so, what do they do with the money they raise?

Ours not only buys the t-shirts and journals, but also provides drinks and snacks for each "major" holiday (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Easter.) The theory is that they want each class to have the same snack and not leave it up to chance (or parents who don't know about, or care about potential nut allergies.)

At our old school (private) most of the fundraisers were given back to the school to keep tuition lower. But, still, the kids got something for Christmas. One year they got a plush toy of the school's mascot (a hawk) in the school's colors and another year they got school logo'd beach towels.

Man, our school IS cheap!!!!!!! We have to pay for all snacks for the parties, too. Unbelievable! If the kids get a gift at Christmas, it comes from the tacher's pocket. Even if the kids win something it is never more than a t-shirt and usually a pencil!! I was OK with it in my ignorance, but now.....


We do fundraisers like crazy and make a lot of $$ and have even been in the top 5 schools for a couple of years for the Box Tops. The $ goes to the class rooms, playground equipment, Art supplies for the Art teacher, a Marquee, books for the library and AR tests.

 

[corie161]

We just recently started a PTO, so these ideas are great!

The school has provided each student in the beginning of the year a folder. They call it the "Panther Folder" or the Thursday Folder. It's basically a coated folder, red with Panther emblem on the front. The inside says Leave at Home on one pocket and Bring back to school on the other pocket. Once a week flyers and the like are sent home in these folders. On the back is a spot for the parent to sign and date, along with the teachers and a comment area. Some teachers utilize this more that others. It goes back to school on Friday. In most classrooms the kids are rewarded in some way for returning the folder right away. The folders tend to look a little worn at the end of the year, but ours is still useable. I suppose some are rougher on them than others.

I really like the drawstring bag idea, and the T-shirt idea for Track and Field day. We do have anything like that.

 

[RUDisney]

Man, our school IS cheap!!!!!!! We have to pay for all snacks for the parties, too. Unbelievable! If the kids get a gift at Christmas, it comes from the tacher's pocket. Even if the kids win something it is never more than a t-shirt and usually a pencil!! I was OK with it in my ignorance, but now.....


We do fundraisers like crazy and make a lot of $$ and have even been in the top 5 schools for a couple of years for the Box Tops. The $ goes to the class rooms, playground equipment, Art supplies for the Art teacher, a Marquee, books for the library and AR tests.

Are you in a public or private school? The supplies, etc., come from money budgeted by the school district for the items you listed. For the library, we run a monthly list of donations that the kids make. We encourage the kids to send in a book donation for their birthday but also acknowledge donations "just because" to the library. We did a big book drive this year in memory of the principal's wife. We got 411 new books donated and the 2nd grade class won cupcakes and a drink one afternoon. So, 411 books for $76.40 that it cost for Sam's Club cupcakes and drinks. Not bad, eh?

We vote, if we have extra money, to buy extra tests for AR. Sometimes we can help out, other years (like this one) we can't. We're looking into other fundraising ideas for next year to see if we can't raise more money for the kids.

Our fundraisers also pay for each classes' field trip. The 6th graders get the big trip to Hershey Park and they other classes do more educational things. Depending on the cost of the trip, the PTA will provide lunches for some and have the kids brown bag their lunch for others. The budget is pretty even between the K through 5th grades.

I'm not trying to up your ire anymore. Just giving you an idea about how we do things so you can find out why and how the decisions are made in your PTA. I'd have a hard time doing fundraising if I didn't know that my kids were receiving a direct benefit from them. Sure playground equipment is great, but a t-shirt to keep or a snack to enjoy is more concrete to them and the district should be responsible for some of the things you mentioned.

 

[daisyduck123]

Goofy's friends, doesn't the PTA have fundraisers? If so, what do they do with the money they raise?
QUOTE]


Wow! My school has never given students gifts at Christmas..I don't think anyone has ever even thought of that, & we have over 600 kids in K-5th.

This year, our PTA money was spent on a rock-climbing wall for our gym.

 

[Ratpack]

Well, I have taught at 6 schools now, this being the the largest with about 1200 kids. (k-5). We have an active PTA with several fundraisers a year. Each fund raiser purchases something different.
Teachers get $200 a year for classroom needs..we return the reciepts to them for records. The parents give us a "spotlight" lunch twice a year with parents doing lunch duty. These are catered lunches. We don't get Christmas gifts through PTA, only from administration. But they are buying a second marquee board for the backside of the school and a picnic area/shelter for outside classroom use. We created a Monopoly board aobut our town and it is being sold all over our community with profits coming back to the school. It is doing well, I think.
Students get the agendas each year- even though we are now going to on line homework assignments and all. But a couple years now, they are providing something for the kids too. They emailed the teachers wanting some input. I just know that it is a nice gesture, but water bottles each year, gets old.
I like the string backpacks or lunch boxes. (However the cafeteria would be upset if we "suggested" bringing their own lunches.)
I have been in schools where PTA struggles to help out financially and schools that are generous. Both are great- when the $ just wasn't there, the parents were there still helping in every way possible. We just want the best for the kids!

 

[goofy's friends]

I live in a state that does not spend that much money on actual classroom expenses--they spend it on administration That leaves the PTAs to try to make up the slack, which is why, I guess, that our kids don't get "gifts". It's always irritating to me that govt. doesn't want to pay for an Art teacher, but will pay for a second vice-principal for a small school. This is why the PTA has to then pay for all the art materials if we want our kids to get to do something in art class besides color. Sorry--rant over.

Anyway, I'm just jealous, but my kids don't know any better, so don't tell them

Lunch box was my favorite idea!