Appropriate gift giving in schools can serve to express a child and parent’s heartfelt appreciation for the hard work and tender care our staff give to their students. It can also teach students the important values of gratitude and thoughtfulness. The value gift giving can bring to a school community is achieved when guidelines are clearly establish, effectively communicated and consistently followed.
Conversely, in an academic and professional environment where values of transparency, consistency and integrity are held to high standard, gifts can also present conflicts of interest, set incongruous expectations and result in unhealthy comparisons among colleagues and families. Furthermore, gift giving can set unfair financial expectations among families who make considerable sacrifices to enroll their children at ASFG.
Therefore, the following guidelines will be followed to assure gift giving at ASFG expresses gratitude and thoughtfulness while avoiding unintended negative outcomes:
- The best gifts are those that show students’ appreciation through thoughtfulness and creativity. Examples include:
- Personal letters or cards of thanks
- A gift item the child picks out with the teacher in mind
- A craft the child makes
- Individual gifts will have commercial value that does not exceed $150. This is a maximum, not a recommended amount. Given that students have many activity and subject teachers, families will consider an appropriate amount if they choose to give gifts to all or most staff.
- Gifts are never obligatory and neither ASFG nor PA will charge additional fees for gift giving
- Cash gifts are not allowed. Gift cards are permitted.
- Group gifts are permitted, but all such participation is voluntary and expressed privately. Experience shows that group-gifts given by small groups of parents have been most effective at teaching our children gratitude while not appearing to set expectations among classroom parents.
- Gifts should be presented to teachers by the students in a way that is sensitive to all students in the classroom.
- Room mothers and section room mother coordinators will facilitate both adherence to and the underlying importance of this policy.
- The school asks teachers to return gifts with commercial value of more than 150 pesos, donate them to ESF or share them with other ASFG staff members.
Thank you for your support in making the school community a place where simple gifts of appreciation are valued for the significance of their message.