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January 10, 2025

3 Ways to Celebrate Your Employees in the New Year

As we ring in the New Year, now the perfect time to show your team how much you value their contributions. Celebrating employees isn’t just about boosting morale; it’s about fostering a culture of appreciation that drives engagement and teamwork throughout the year. Here are three simple but impactful ways to celebrate your employees as you start the New Year.

1. Write Handwritten Notes

In a world dominated by emails and instant messages, the personal touch of a handwritten note stands out. A few heartfelt sentences acknowledging an employee’s unique contributions or personal growth can make a lasting impression.

Handwritten notes are a thoughtful, low-cost way to express gratitude, and show employees you took the time to genuinely appreciate their hard work. Leave these notes on their desks, mail them to remote workers, or present them at a team meeting to make the moment extra special. Check out PaperDirect’s collection of beautiful thank-you cards!

2. Hold a Kickoff Event

Start the year with energy and excitement by organizing a kickoff event. This could be as simple as an in-office breakfast or as elaborate as a team-building retreat. Use the event to celebrate the team’s achievements from the previous year while setting a positive tone for the months ahead.

Kickoff events are also an excellent opportunity to outline company goals and inspire employees by sharing the bigger picture. Incorporating fun activities, awards, or even a motivational speaker can make the event memorable and meaningful. The goal is to create an environment where employees feel valued and energized for the year ahead.

3. Create a Recognition Board in a Common Space

A recognition board in a shared area is a simple yet effective way to celebrate employees all year round. Dedicate a physical board in the office, or a digital space for remote teams, where coworkers can post shout outs, thank-you notes, and highlight accomplishments.

Supply a nearby cabinet with fun letter paper, thank-you cards, and invitations so your employees will never run out of something positive to put on the board. Visible and interactive recognition keeps the spirit of appreciation alive daily, and creates a culture where everyone feels seen and valued.

Final Thoughts

Celebrating your employees in the New Year doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Thoughtful gestures like handwritten notes, a fun kickoff event, or an ongoing recognition board can make a significant impact. By prioritizing employee appreciation, you’ll build a stronger, more motivated team ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

PaperDirect has the products you need for employee recognition, and so much more! With the best selection of employee recognition supplies, to high-quality and cost-effective stationery solutions, it’s no wonder why businesses across America choose us for their employee celebrations year after year.

October 18, 2016

Christmas Messages from Teachers to Students

Christmas Messages from Teachers to Students

Students are often the shining stars of your day, and the holiday season is a great time to let them know it. Sending a holiday card to your students shows them you care, can help strengthen your bond, and may even serve as a subconscious, cheery reminder that they have homework due right after Christmas break.

Your holiday greeting cards don’t have to be textbook boring. By choosing an image that catches your eye and writing a personalized message, you can send a memorable holiday card that reflects your own teaching style and personality or your school’s personality and traditions. We’ll even help you out with a few examples of traditional, funny and clever Christmas messages from teachers noted below.

Feel free to use the holiday messages verbatim, or simply as a starting point to jumpstart your own creativity.

Peace Hope Love Joy Traditional Holiday Card

Traditional Christmas Messages from Teachers

Traditional Christmas messages from teachers can stick with the standard themes of peace, goodwill, and joy for the holiday season. But you can also add a dash of teacher influence by mentioning things like wisdom, intelligence, creativity, and other elements that you cherish as a teacher. Traditional messages are also a good place to bring up common Christmas references like shining stars and angels.

May your Christmas be filled with

Merriment and bliss – and your

New Year with infinite learning.

Happy Holidays!

***

The Christmas star shines bright in the sky.

Star students like you do the same in my class.

Merry Christmas!

Funny Snowmen Holiday Card

Humorous Christmas Messages from Teachers

If your class typically leaves students in stitches, one of our funny Christmas messages might be right up your alley. Humorous messages on these holiday greeting cards can mention specific teaching topics or subjects. You can also write them as a math problem or other equation that gives your students yet another chance to chuckle.

If one elf had 12 candy canes,

And another elf had 12 candy canes,

How many candy canes did Santa have?

He got all 24 of them, of course. He’s Santa!

Hope your holidays add up to a fabulous season.

***

Don’t worry.

I told Santa you always showed up and handed in your homework on time.

You should definitely end up on the “Nice” list.

Merry Christmas from your favorite teacher!

Snowman Angel Holiday Card

Modern and Clever Messages from Teachers

Modern and clever Christmas messages from teachers are known for putting a twist on something typically associated with the holiday season. Your choices are huge, with options that include reindeer, twinkling stars, Santa and his elves, angels, blinking lights, and any member of the group included in the traditional nativity scene. We went for the wise men.

The three wise men didn’t get that way

without listening to their teachers.

You’re well on your way to their status.

Merry Christmas to an exceptional student!

Warm Winter Wishes Holiday Card
One of our favorite Christmas cards!

Teachers that get remembered are those that make a notable impact on students of all ages. The impact can come from captivating lessons, building positive relationships, and showing you really care. Sending holiday cards to your students can definitely contribute to the latter two. While you’re on your own for lessons plans, PaperDirect has your holiday card needs covered – shop today!

September 30, 2011

Thank You Note Etiquette–Do You Know What’s Acceptable?

Mom Baby Geese NoteCards

In a world where technology rules and handwritten notes are practically extinct, there is one handwritten note that will never go out of style or become obsolete–the handwritten thank you note. There is absolutely no acceptable replacement to writing a thank you note to show your appreciation for a gift you received or a kind gesture someone extended to you in a time of need. A phone call is nice but just isn’t enough, an email is lazy, and a text message is simply offensive. If you were recently married or hosted a party in which you received gifts, you better settle in and start writing those thank you notes, but before you do, here are some thank you note etiquette tips to keep in mind.

Springtime Notecards

When to Send a Thank You Note:

  • Wedding gifts
  • Birthday gifts
  • Shower gifts
  • Bar/Bat mitzvah gifts
  • Graduation gifts
  • First communion/Confirmation gifts (yes, even kids must write thank you notes)
  • Housewarming gifts
  • Baby gifts
  • When someone sends you a sympathy letter, mass card, or a donation in the deceased’s name

A Nice Gesture

Thank-you notes are not absolutely necessary, but are a nice gesture in the following situations:

  • After a job interview
  • When a host has treated you to a dinner or cocktail party
  • Anytime you feel indebted to someone who went out of their way for you
Balloons Confetti Notecards

What to Write

Thank you note etiquette dictates that should you include these components in your thank you note:

  • Address the gift giver with “Dear” rather than just starting the first sentence.
  • Express your gratitude by specifically describing the gift. Instead of “thank you for the picture frame,” you could write, “Thank you very much for the beautifully hand-crafted silver picture frame that will match our master bedroom decor perfectly.” This shows you truly remember the gift and appreciate its value.
  • Discuss briefly how the gift will be used. For example, “The photo album you gave us will be the perfect place to keep all our honeymoon pictures…”
  • If you were given money, do not say “Thank you for the cash.” Instead, say something like, “Thank you very much for your generosity. It will really come in handy when we build the nursery.”
  • Go the extra mile by including something personal that shows your relationship to the gift giver. For example, “It was so nice seeing you at the wedding, and we’re looking forward to seeing you and the kids again at the family reunion this fall.”
  • End by reiterating your gratitude with a simple, “Thank you again for your kindness.”
  • Sign it with “Sincerely” or something similar.

Thank you notes need not be lengthy. You can write a gracious thank you note in just a few sentences.

A common question is how soon must we send a thank you note? The answer is that you must send the thank you note within a week of receiving the gift (or attending the event).

Shop PaperDirect for thank you notes for all occasions.

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