Holiday Shopping? Exploris PTO coordinates schoolwide teacher gifts in December and again in June before the end of school. We encourage all parents to contribute to this gift pool. This collection ensures that all teachers and staff members receive the recognition they deserve- mug free!
TEACHER GIFTS WINTER 2021 Deadline for contributions is midnight, December 14
Any dollar amount is appreciated and divided among the Exploris team. Our total goal is $10,000.
Online donations are being collected via Square. Square accepts all major credit cards, Google Pay, and Cash App Pay.
*Checks: If you prefer to avoid the 2.2% fees, please make checks payable to Exploris PTO and send to the front office in an envelope labeled “Exploris Teacher Gift ATTN: Front office FROM: your name”
If you have other questions, please email Alex Fioto, PTO treasurer at pto-treasurer@exploris.org
Easy Teacher Gift Giving at Exploris
Exploris PTO coordinates collections for schoolwide teacher gifts:
- in December before the Winter Break
- in June before the end of school
- for Teacher birthdays
The PTO’s collections ensure that all teachers and staff members receive the recognition they deserve! Families also have the added benefit of saving time while giving the perfect gift! Our teachers and staff truly appreciate everyone’s generosity and have told us many times how much they look forward to this.
Thank you to everyone who participated during the 2020-21 school year. We were thrilled to give over $18,000 to our Exploris teachers and staff.
Exploris Thanks – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How much should I give?
A: That’s a very personal decision. Our recommendation is to figure out how much you would have spent on all the staff you would have given gifts to and add it together. They will all be getting a portion of this money so it will cover everyone. The donation site lists some commonly donated amounts, but you can write-in any amount you choose.
Q: Why is my money not just going to my child’s lead teacher?
A: At Exploris, your child is not just taught by their lead teacher. They spend instruction time with the entire grade level crew, specialists, and sometimes teachers from other grade levels. Since it is a team teaching environment, the purpose of this to enable you to send in one check and not have to buy separate gifts for all the people who teach your child.
Q: Who does this money go to?
A: After accounting for full-time or part-time status, the money is distributed among all of the teachers and staff (admin, specials, etc…) who help to make this a great environment for your child.
Q: How does the teacher know that I gave to the gift?
A: We will not share the names of individual donors when giving the teachers gifts (as we have not done in the past). If you would like to let your teacher know, feel free to send them a card or email that tells them you hope they enjoy their gift!
Q: Does the teacher prefer a personalized gift?
A: Teachers love any and all expressions of kindness. This check at Winter and again at the End of Year is so nice for them because it’s large enough for them to buy something special, pay off some bills, do whatever they want with it.
Additionally, teachers are ethically bound by the NC State Board of Education Code of Ethics to not accept items from students or parents other than “token” gifts for appreciation. The Winter and End of Year Thanks collections, managed by the PTO, is a way for the teachers to get a meaningful check to be used at their discretion over Winter Break or in the summer to get something nice while maintaining their ethical obligations.
Exploris PTO 
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