Hi Adams Families,
We often receive questions about how families can recognize teachers and staff throughout the year, particularly how group gifts are coordinated and how specialists and support staff are included.
We want the process to be simple, inclusive and completely optional, so here is an overview of how staff gifting works at Adams.
Participation Is Always Optional
Families may participate in a class gift, give independently, send a card or note, or choose not to give at all. There is never an expectation to contribute a particular amount, and individual contributions are not disclosed.
Group gifts are presented from the entire class, regardless of which families contributed.
Two Class Gift Collections Each Year
Room parents will coordinate two optional group-gifting opportunities during the school year:
• Winter holiday
• End of the school year
Before each collection, your room parent will contact the class with the deadline and payment information.
Contribution Amounts
Seattle Public School Board policy allows for an individual student or family to contribute up to $50 toward a single gift for one staff member, with no more than $100 total going to that staff member during the school year.
With two gifting opportunities each year, this generally translates to $0–$50 per student for each collection.
Because 25% of every classroom collection is set aside for specialists and support staff, families who wish to may contribute approximately $65 total per collection. This leaves approximately $50 for the classroom teacher and $15 for the support-staff pool.
Families may always contribute less, skip the group gift entirely or recognize their teacher individually.
How Contributions Are Shared
Room parents will use 75% of the classroom collection to coordinate a gift for the classroom teacher, using the Staff Favorite Things list as a guide.
The remaining 25% will be sent to a school-wide pool and used to recognize specialists and support staff as equitably as possible. This allows us to celebrate the many staff members who support Adams students without asking families to coordinate multiple separate gifts.
This is a parent-organized effort rather than a PTA fundraiser. The PTA and Staff Appreciation Chairs are simply providing a consistent process to help room parents coordinate gifting and ensure staff members throughout Adams are included.
Birthdays and Other Recognition Days
We will keep birthdays and individual recognition days simple, with no formal class collection.
Room parents may invite individual volunteers to provide a small gesture, such as coffee, flowers, a favorite treat or a group card. Students may also be encouraged to make a card, draw a picture or write a note. These celebrations should remain modest, low-cost and entirely optional.
Staff Appreciation Week
Staff Appreciation Week falls close to the end-of-year gifting window, so it will not include another formal request for gift contributions.
The Staff Appreciation Chairs will coordinate school-wide activities and treats, with each grade assigned a day or activity to help support.
Grade representatives, room parents, and families may also coordinate low- or no-cost classroom surprises, such as decorating a teacher’s door, bringing individual flowers to create a class bouquet or having students write appreciation notes.
Additional information and volunteer opportunities will be shared in the spring.
Staff Favorite Things
Our Staff Favorite Things resource includes classroom teachers, specialists, Focus and Resource staff, and other members of the Adams team. Families and room parents may use it for group gifts, birthdays, appreciation days or any time they would like to recognize a staff member.
We are still updating this, but you can utilize the additional tabs organized by grades at the bottom to see your staff favorite things! If you are missing information for anyone, please feel free to let us know!
What About Classroom Parties?
Classroom parties and celebrations are separate from staff gifting and are at the discretion of each teacher. If a teacher would like assistance, they may ask the room parent or classroom families to help. Room parents do not need to organize parties unless requested by the teacher.
When in doubt, write a note
A personal card, email, drawing or note of appreciation is always meaningful. Gifts are never necessary, but words of encouragement are welcomed and valued by every member of the Adams staff.
Thank you for helping us celebrate the people who care for and support our students every day!
Leslie Haynsworth & Susan Pambianco
Staff Appreciation Chairs