End of the Year Gifts

It's nearly that time of year for those teaching back in the USA, and I'm looking back on my "End of Year" gifts for my former students.  I've done a few over the years and changing each time for each class.  Here are some things over the years that had helped me out.

Class DVD

This is my staple in every gift bag with my students!  It's a great gift for students and parents and share some memories throughout the year.  Heck, it's a great gift to myself!  Near the end of the year I work on some digital projects with the kids.  One year we put on Fairy Tale Reader's Theater plays that we put our own special twists on.  We did filmed an interview as our favorite book characters (while dressed up as them as well).  We filmed us acting as news reporters and witnesses to the real life event  of the Great Boston Molasses Massacre and so much more!  I would make sure to add those into the DVDs because the students LOVED doing and watching them!

But I ALWAYS add in a fun slideshow of pictures I took over the years, and I also ask for parents to send in any photos of the school year to add.  Hello MacBooks and their iMovie & iDVD software programs!  They make it so easy and it usually would just take me 1 weekend to create the DVD and make copies for everyone.

OrientalTrading.com

Beach Balls & Sharpies

This was something I never thought of, but my team thought about getting cheap beach balls and a sharpie.  We would give them as gifts on the last day of school and allow some time to let the students in our grade go around and get signatures.  A fun toy to play throughout the summer and a chance to get signatures from all their friends.

Sweet Treats

I love using some kind of sweet treat and a play on words for the kids.  Not that they get it half the time.  "The s'more you read the s'more you know!"  I like the s'mores the most because who doesn't love a s'more while camping over the summer?

Scholastic Book Clubs

Book

I usually find some dollar deal through Scholastic Book Clubs, then I grab them for the kids.  One year I ended up buying a variety of books from the Sunshine State Young Readers list, that cost a bit though.

Oriental Trading.com

Hello Oriental Trading, probably the best place to go to for fun gifts at the right price.  My last year before I left for Australia I was able to score some boomerangs for the kids.  They loved it!

Last Tip

Instead of some bag they would throw away I would give a $1 bucket that I would score from Party City!  It would cost a bit more than I would normally pay for a paper bag, but it wouldn't go to waste and sticks with the beach theme again!

What's in your End of the Year gift package?