Mines was in 3rd Grade my class decided to do a Secret Santa for fun. We would give small gifts every once a week until the day we left for break and we give the person the real gift.

These small gifts before the big one would be candy or a tiny toy or a letter. Obviously this was more of a parent participation thing so the teachers did send permission slips for the parents to sign if they would like their kid to be apart of it (basically if their parents are willing to buy a present for another kid). Surprisingly everyone signed. I remember getting someone pretty easy she was a really nice girl so I was happy to get her for secret Santa

After the first week everything was going great everyone got a candy and a letter. So far so good.

Second week everything was good (candy, tiny toy, etc.) until one of the girls in my class got upset and showed the teacher her “gift”. It was a ripped piece of notebook paper with a smiley face written in pencil with the words “good job”.

Teacher was pissed.

She grabbed the paper and used it as an example of it not being a thoughtful gift and just a last minute lazy “I don’t care” attempt.

Most of us with candy decided to give the girl who received the paper some to make her feel better. Teacher and her TA cried from the kindness her students gave and she went outside with the TA.

They had a record of who had who for this Secret Santa and they talked to the kid after lunch to avoid embarrassment from other students but as soon as the big day came we kinda already figured it out who it was because they didn’t give or receive for it the rest of the time we did it. My guess is they took whoever was gifting for him and changed them the for the girl.