As yet another year comes to an end, the quest for the perfect teacher’s gift begins, a token of appreciation for a year of dedication and patience. Enter GroupTogether, the digital fairy godmother of gift-giving. This handy platform transforms the chaotic hustle of collecting contributions and ideas and streamlines the entire process. Hear what a difference it has made from fellow mums who have tried it!
Imagine a world where no one scrambles for cash or worries over gift choices. GroupTogether not only streamlines the process but adds a touch of personalisation, turning every contribution into a collective project. It’s making the end-of-year “thank yous” an easy experience for everyone involved. Welcome to the future of group gifting!
Hayley Jackman (Owner & Creative Director, The Vintage Kitchen)
The first year of your child’s schooling life can feel just as overwhelming for us parents as it does for our kids. Constant communications from the school, 10 different apps to download, sending a different and healthy lunch each day, knowing the right uniform to wear, organising playdates with new friends and attending school events. I just about made it through that first year with my sanity intact only to be hand-balled by our class parent with the task of organising our beautiful teacher’s end-of-year class ‘thank you’ gift.
We loved our daughter’s teacher, but it’s safe to say I had a bit of an internal panic with a million thoughts running through my head when I was tasked with this job. Where did I start? What are her interests? Would the other parents have thoughts on what to gift her? What is the etiquette around this? How on earth do I go about collecting cash from 23 families when I work full-time with a toddler at home?
I hopped on to my trusty oracle of wisdom, the North Shore Mums Facebook and asked the question I’m sure many clueless mums before me have asked, “Help! How do I organise our class end-of-year teacher gift?” And the resounding response was… GroupTogether!
I jumped online and had a look and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was basically the answer to all of my questions. I simply had to shoot an email to our class parents advising that this is what we were going to do (I’m sure they appreciated having one less decision to make at this time of year!). Parents could opt in if they wanted to participate and contribute however much they would like (nobody but myself could see their donation amount) towards a GroupTogether voucher for the teacher. They could also submit a note from their family/child and a photo that the app automatically collated into a card that I just had to take down to Officeworks to be printed. Easy!
Our teacher was then able to put the amount towards a voucher from a huge choice of retailers, such as The Iconic, JB HI FI, Country Road, Sephora and heaps more. She loved it and it felt great to give her the chance to choose something she’d love (after putting up with our little devils – I mean, darlings – all year) rather than receiving 16 boxes of very uninspired Lindt Balls and 7 “Best Teacher” mugs.
I’ve escaped teacher gift duties this year, but have received a What’s App message this week from our Year 1 class parent advising that we’ll be doing a GroupTogether collection, and I’m super grateful to be able to easily tick this task off my to-do list!
Sonia Price (Retail Buyer, Mum to Mila & Thomas, Riverview)
As a team manager, class parent, general organiser and lover of all things personalised, I enjoy creating cards and gifts that people love to receive.
I came across GroupTogether several years ago and it’s now my ‘go to’. I love the simplicity of the website, the variety of fun card designs I can choose from, easy links to get participants to engage, tracking of contributors and the ability to set deadlines for my card or gift. GroupTogether has thought of it all.
Adding a photo is a really lovely touch and I know these cards become a special keepsake for recipients who appreciate the effort and thought behind them. Adding a gift card option is also a nice bonus when I need it, and simply printing a physical card is so straight forward. It’s so easy formatting the final design on the website and taking it to Officeworks to print.
It’s such a great tool when it’s impossible to get a group of people together to sign a physical card. The ease of jumping onto a link and contributing is perfect in this digital age!
Card and gifts for the three amazing coaches!
Michelle Key (Founder Smiles2U, Mum of 3 boys, Pymble)
Between remembering which uniform is for which day and keeping up with all the school events, the role of class parent is a whirlwind of fun and frenzy. In the midst of all this, I’ve stumbled upon a little gem called GroupTogether, and when it comes to end-of-year-gifting, it’s made life easier!
In the past, I have always collected cash for teacher gifts. It was like a juggling act! Waiting for parent to find an ATM to get money out in the first place, trying to keep track of the money coming in, worrying about misplacing it…let’s face it, who still carries cash these days? Those days are behind us, thanks to GroupTogether. It’s all online now, all the work is done for you.
Now, all I need to do is send out an email with a link to the other parents, sit back, and watch the contributions roll in. But the real magic of GroupTogether? Everyone can add their personal touch. Parents and kids can post messages and photos, creating a beautiful collage of thanks and memories for the teacher sharing their appreciation for the hard work throughout the year. It’s like a group hug in digital form!
Teachers absolutely adore these heartfelt messages and photos. It’s a lovely keepsake gift and something they can look back on and smile about for years to come.
So, if you’re navigating the fun world of being a class parent, I can’t recommend GroupTogether enough. It’s a lifesaver that turns the task of group gifting into a hassle-free experience. One less thing on that never-ending to-do list at this time of year!
Start a GroupTogether Collection!
