#sol18- May 8, 2018
I am preparing to move and my to-do list seems endless as moving coincides with the end of a busy school year, of course. A few weeks ago I received a lovely email from our class mom, asking for ideas for an end of year gift for me from the class. The tradition at our school is that the room parent sends an email out asking parents who want to contribute toward a group gift the room parent will organize to send in x ringgit. My awkward response made it clear that I hate that kind of question. I basically reminded her that I would soon be packing up everything, so what I would really love was notes from the students.
This afternoon I received a second plea:
“sorry to bother you again about this but I have received a substantial amount and I really would like it to be well spent!
Can you please think of something that you still need or that would make you happy? Books, gift cards, wine, new toaster, anything?
Or maybe you can use the donations for something you still need to get/do?”
Now I am torn. Of course, there really is nothing I “need”. My default is always books, it is really an integral part of who I am. Realistically, the books I want are not available here yet. I thought about a gift voucher to buy new books in my new country, but from what I hear my book buying frenzy may grind to a halt there, as there just isn’t much access to new English books in Cambodia. I then thought of Room to Read, an organization that I have been happy to support over the years. Will the parents understand that a donation in our class’s name really would make me so happy? What more could anyone want than to spread literacy and a love of reading? I know I could also ask for it to go to an Amazon gift voucher that I could use this summer while in the US to buy a few of the professional books on my list of summer self-directed PD. In the end I think I will pass on these ideas to her and let her decide, but before I do, I wonder if any of you have great ideas of what I should do?
Ms. Victor Reads 
Erika,
Hate that question.
And yet so thoughtful to have choices.
Resources – writing journals and/or fancy pens for your new students – mailed to your new school!
Split the gift – half to remain in books that the teacher following you can use and the other half to you and your new class.
🙂
Well, no great ideas… but I think that giving options as you shared for them to choose from is the way to go. And I like the idea Fran shared about leaving some books for the teacher following you.
Your ideas are really good 🙂 Wish you all the best in your new country. Regards.
I believe the options you listed run a nice gamut of thoughtful and practical, and I chuckled at the juxtaposition of gift-giving inspirations like “Books, gift cards, wine, new toaster, anything?”