Term 3 Week 2 - Olympic Week

HIVE NEWS::

WELCOME BACK
We missed last week’s newsletter (we blame Ellie!) so a belated welcome back to Term 3! Welcome back also to Lenka - we all missed her and are happy to see her back in the Hive! The reason for her maternity leave - the beautiful Aggie - is on the right. Just gorgeous!

HOLIDAY PROGRAM
…was a HUGE success with booking numbers higher than ever, and a fabulous program delivered by our dedicated team. Shout out to Edie & Euge for steering the ship, always with a smile. Highlights included a day at TARONGA ZOO, a crazy, fun-filled time at EQ’s IMPACT WALL, some winter magic at BONDI ICE RINK, energetic times at our own MINI OLYMPICS, mind-blowing constructions with KAPLA WORKSHOP and eagle-eyed ARCHERY!!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

1. The gorgeous wee Aggie - congratulations Lenka & Jara!

2. Morning Magnet Marble Run! Architects: Andrey, Ceilim and Col

3. Aisling T & Coco G in YK helped with decorations for the Hive room

4. Sparky Elke with the electronic circuit she created

5. Week 1’s Friday treat! -Britt’s home-made blueberry muffins. DELISH!!

CLUB NEWS::

• This week we celebrated the OLYMPICS, with lots of SPORTS CLUBS that even the rain couldn’t spoil! We enjoyed gymnastics in the hall and lots of handball and soccer. In ART & CRAFT we made Olympic torches and winners’ medals plus loads of beautiful colouring and painting

• Our SENIORS are enjoying Thursday afternoon MINI-EXCURSIONS across to the pavilion parklands for fun, games, team sports …and a bit of space to themselves! Last week was a great success. There’s space for a small number of Y3s each week too - don’t worry if you miss out, your turn will come!

• EXPLORE & DISCOVER this week was very popular. You guessed it: SLIME!! Well done to Priscila, Bek & Mia and for keeping a huge group of kids happy with this glorious, gummy activity.

• Our morning sessions were jam-packed with loads of colouring and painting of posters for the Hive walls (thank you Aisling and Coco). Some of our older children made their own electronic circuits (well done Elke!)

PARENT REMINDERS::

• Remember to tell us before 2:30pm if your child will be absent in the afternoon. We don’t like penalty fees… You have three options:

  • mark the session ‘away’ online (until 12pm the day before)

  • email us on the ‘bookings@…’ address

  • call us on 0450 896 686

  • REMEMBER: telling school is not the same as telling us

• If your child has started or changed extra curricular activities during their Hive sessions please let us know. Remind them to check in at the Hive room at 3pm, before they head off to music/coding etc…

• Note: you must leave the school grounds after signing out in the afternoon. There is no permission to remain on premises once you’ve finished at The Hive and there is a danger of getting locked in - which actually happened once before! :-/

1. The lovely Aggie x

2. MORNING Marble run!

3. Poster girls

4. elke is Switched on!!

5. Bloob muffs - yummy

Term 2 ***Holiday Program***

The weather was an amazing and we enjoyed one of the best Winter school Holidays in Hive’s history.

Please see the photos from the last couple of weeks.

Term 2 Week 10 - END OF TERM!!

HIVE NEWS::

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
We’re half way through the year, and it’s flying by… Happy holidays to all our Hive families and we look forward to seeing many of you for our jam-packed, fun-filled Holiday Program over the next two weeks. Our trip to Taronga Zoo is full, and Movie Day is almost booked out. Several other days are close to capacity too, so please book now to avoid missing out…

PARENT SURVEY
Thank you to all 99 respondents! The results are really wonderful and have also given us some areas for focus. Read more here.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

Top: Another stunning magnet tower, this time from Evie H, Scarlette M & Frankie-Lola A.

Middle : Little scientists making winter snow with Lauren

Bottom: Britt’s home-made savoury spinach and feta muffins. YUM!!

CLUB NEWS::

• We took it easy this week, with lots of free play and a cheeky little ‘Christmas in July’ celebration with gingerbread men in Baking Club. The weather was a little kinder to us, so lots of outdoor sports (the kids are loving handball at the moment!)

HOLIDAY PROGRAM - PARENT REMINDERS::

• Please remember to pack morning tea and lunch every day. We provide afternoon tea and a fruit platter at 5pm.

• Please check the calendar for info on any excursion early departures or late returns, as well as tips on what to wear/bring on any given day

Magnetised!

Make it snow…

Spinach & feta muffins!

Term 2 Week 9 - WINTER WEEK

HIVE NEWS::

ARTY FARTY
We’re getting more and more artworks up on the walls, so please, ‘pause and look up’ next time you’re in the Hive - our kids are proud of the work they produce and we’re glad they’re happy to share it with us all!

HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS ARE FILLING UP FAST…
Several of the excursion days are almost fully booked. Once the coach is full, we’re done - we can’t create any more spaces. Please log on and make your bookings now!

CASUAL BOOKINGS ON HOLD IN WEEK 9
Thanks for bearing with us whilst we had to tightly manage casual bookings this week. Your patience is appreciated and we’ve done our best to accommodate extra requests whenever possible.

SENIORS’ KITCHEN
A heads up that we’re trying something new in Seniors’ Kitchen, whereby we give them a load of ingredients and let them work out their own recipes. It’s going well, with lots of delicious success stories. I was lucky enough to have one of Olive D’s choc/coconut/raspberry cakes last week - it was totally yummy!!

THANK YOU
…again, to all the parents who send in recycled materials for our creative bees. Archie W’s mum Tobi sent in another huge bag of materials this week - thank you! That’ll keep us going for a while ;-)

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

Top: Warming up for our KAPLA workshop on 10th July and a beautiful example of cooperation, creativity, teamwork and vertical social integration - there are children from YK to Y5 on this Krazy Konstruction team!!!

Middle : Freestyle apple pies, from the Seniors’ Kitchen

Bottom: Delicious winter warmer - baked apples from Germany!

CLUB NEWS::

• Inspired by the weather, we had a WINTER theme in ART & CRAFT - we created penguins out of plates and egg boxes; we conjured up warm luminaries for those dark evenings; we crafted snowmen from socks and we made our very own snow gloves! Brrrrrrrr…..

• In BAKING CLUB, Mia was happy to introduce baked apples from her native Germany! They were so tasty and wholesome and the kids loved making something so different. Such a cool way to eat fruit!

• in SENORS’ KITCHEN they stuck with the apple theme - making their very own folded apple pies. Check out the pics!

• Another wet week, but we worked around it - and had lots of fun with BEYBLADE COMPS, basketball, HANDBALL and netball

• As always the kids in the Hive room are so busy and happy playing with our wide range of toys. We’ve seen some pretty special classic lego constructions and magnet creations this week - different every single time! We’ve also noticed that the kids are loving making some larger constructions with our colourful pads, mats and rocker stools - we’re glad the new furniture is getting such good use every day.

PARENT REMINDERS::

• There are so many viruses around, please keep the kids defences strong by packing them warm clothes every day.
  PS - We’re LOVING the new hoodies from the uniform shop!

• Please remind children with extra-curricular activities that they must CHECK IN AT HIVE ROOM AT 3PM, before they go off to music/coding etc. If you can remind them on the morning of the activity, it seems to work well. Thanks for your help with this - it makes a real difference.

Team KAPLA!!!

Apple pie, aye aye!

Gefüllte bratäpfel

Term 2 Week 8

HIVE NEWS

MINI EXCURSIONS FOR SENIORS NEXT TERM
We’re planning to take the seniors offsite in Bondi one afternoon a week next term. We’ll ask you for blanket permission for the term, and we’ll need a minimum of 20 kids to make it work. Watch this space - we’ll be in touch!

HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS ARE OPEN!!
…and they’re filling up, so don’t delay! et us know what you think of the integrated permissions forms

CASUAL BOOKINGS ON HOLD IN WEEK 9
We have several staff absent at the moment, and it’s affecting our capacity for casual bookings. Please send all casual booking requests to bookings@thehivebondi.com.au. We’ll run a wait list and confirm once you have a spot.

THANK YOU
again, to all the parents who send in recycled materials for our creative bees. We use them all the time - so please keep sending them in!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

Top: Britt’s BUDDHA BOWLS: fresh, colourful - the kids LOVE them!

Middle Bottom: Tallest Tower Ever, crafted by Byron M (Y2) and Ed B (Y1)

CLUB NEWS::

• In ART & CRAFT we looked once again to the environment and recycling. Our children made beautiful collages and 3-D creations using 100% recycled and natural materials. You can see them on display in the Hive. They look amazing!

• WHEELS DAY is still very popular and they kids have really improved their skills since the start of term. Boom!!

• In BAKING CLUB, we made yummy shortbread cookies inspired by Puerto Rico in Central America. This club is growing and growing, and the kids love learning about different countries and ingredients each week with Mia.

• Despite the rain, we still managed some outdoor sport, with the kids having the best time playing VOLLEYBALL. When weather dictated being indoors, we got busy with DANCE and CONSTRUCTION COMPETITIONS!

PARENT REMINDERS::

• It’s cold now - sweaters and jackets are VITAL!

• Please check which bag your child has picked up. We’ve had a few mistaken identity scenarios recently, so it’s great to double check before you leave the school grounds

• Don’t delay with your HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS - we really don’t want you to miss out…

• Please remind children with extra-curricular activities that they must CHECK IN AT HIVE ROOM AT 3PM, before they go off to music/coding etc. If you can remind them on the morning of the activity, it seems to work well. Thanks for your help with this - it makes a real difference.

Buddha bowls

A towering success!

Term 2 Week 7 - Ocean Week

HIVE NEWS

HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS ARE OPEN!!
…and they’re filling up, so don’t delay! Let us know what you think of the integrated permissions forms

INPUT/SUGGESTIONS BOOK::
We’ve got a new ‘Big Book’ for kids and parents to share thoughts, suggestions and feedback. The question or prompt is different every time, so take a look at what the kids are writing on each theme page and please - feel free to add your own thoughts. Big Book lives up near the touchscreen - easy to find, so don’t be shy!

FIRST AID & CPR TRAINING
Our staff brushed up on CPR & First Aid training last week. As a centre we operate with between 75-100% of our staff trained, which is well above the minimum requirement. CPR is renewed every 12 months and full First Aid training is undertaken every 3 years. For both, we train specifically for a child-centred setting. You’re in safe hands!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

Top: Britt’s baked treats on a Friday…

Middle Top: Wonderful origami butterflies from Seth’s crew

Middle Bottom: Tallest Tower Ever, crafted by Byron M (Y2) and Ed B (Y1)

Bottom: the Four Musketeers: First Aiders in training

CLUB NEWS::

• In ART & CRAFT we made the most amazing ocean-themed stuff - jelly fish out of paper bags, coral reef craft, ocean collages, baby shark puppets and much more. And our seniors got busy making beautiful AQUA GLOBES, in keeping with our ocean theme

• We experimented again this week in EXPLORE & DISCOVER, using lemon juice as invisible ink, activated by the heat of an iron. We had mixed success and it was great to see the kids trying different strengths of juice and heat settings to get different results.

• In BAKING CLUB, the kids were all over the maple syrup pancakes from Canada - our biggest gang of chefs yet! The older kids in SENIORS’ KITCHEN had a go at making their own ravioli, using our new pasta making machines. Did you try some at home??

• Rugby, Dodgeball, Handball and Dancing all got a look in this week, in SPORTS CLUB. What an energetic bunch of bees!

PARENT REMINDERS::

• Don’t delay with your HOLIDAY PROGRAM BOOKINGS - we really don’t want you to miss out…

• Please remind children with extra-curricular activities that they must CHECK IN AT HIVE ROOM AT 3PM, before they go off to music/coding etc. If you can remind them on the morning of the activity, it seems to work well. Thanks for your help with this - it makes a real difference.

• Please remember to CHECK THE MENU for the week. Alongside the day’s advertised Afternoon Tea, we always serve fresh cut veggies, but if your child doesn’t want any of those options please pack them something else to eat. With up to 6 different dietary restrictions to cater for each day, we can’t also cater to individual palates. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Yummy carrot cake!

Beautiful creations Charly Rose!!

A towering success!

Trained, and ready to rescue…

Term 2 Week 6 - Environmental Week

HIVE NEWS

HOLIDAY PROGRAM IS OPEN!!
Holiday Program bookings opened on Friday. As per the email, a couple of new things:
1. excursion permissions are now integrated into the booking process = less work for you!
2. you can now book online until 12pm the working day before the session. (But… we don’t advise you to leave it that late - we do sell out!)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS JARA::
Jara is heading to Europe for a month - enjoy! Please avoid his personal Hive email address and instead use bookings@ & enrolments@ for specific queries and hello@ for general enquiries. Thank you!

SURVEY::
A huge thank you to the ninety nine families who responded to our survey! A stunning amount of responses, and (sneak peek) an overwhelmingly positive response. Ellie will collate and share the results in the next week or two.

RECYCLING::
Please keep your recyclables coming in - the kids love to get busy with cardboard boxes & tubes, fabric scraps, egg boxes, paper and card etc. A big thank you to Archie’s mum Tobi for a massive bag of bits and bobs which will be perfect for our winter themed activities

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

Top: Some of the wonderful Lego constructions from our clever Hive kids!

Middle: Great work Oliver H (YK) and Poppy H & Charlie C (Y2)

Bottom: Mia’s Baking Club, learning about New Zealand and some of the
ingredients for their Anzac Biscuits. Yum!

CLUB NEWS::

• In ART & CRAFT we focused on the environment, making co many creations from recycled materials. We also used old bottles to make hanging gardens, creating a little bit of greenery to help the atmosphere!

• In EXPLORE & DISCOVER we experimented with making our own recycled paper. Mixed success, but one we’ll definitely try again

• In the HANG OUT zone in Hive room this week we saw some incredible lego constructions, with the kids creating houses, hotels and even mini-towns from these fab little bricks.

• In BAKING CLUB, the kids loved making delicious, crunchy Anzac biscuits, celebrating a week of Kiwi cuisine. So tasty!

• Our older chefs in SENIORS’ KITCHEN concocted beetroot gnocchi this week. It was a huge success and well done to Eva R, Cooper W and Lyla V-B!!

• It was a wet week, but that didn’t stop us doing SPORTS, making good use of the undercroft and the Hall. Our BEYBLADE BATTLE winner was Freddy C in Y3 - well done!

• For afternoon tea on Friday, Britt served chocolate and zucchini cake - the kids loved it!

PARENT REMINDERS::

• Don’t delay with your HP bookings - we really don’t want you to miss out…

• Please remember to pack warm layers for the kids.

• Wednesday is WHEELS DAY - please send helmets, and protective pads if you have them.

WOW!!!

Busy builders…

Learning about Anzac ingredients

Term 2 Week 5 - RECONCILIATION WEEK

HIVE NEWS

* * CALL TO ACTION * *
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for us all to learn about shared Australian histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
This is an area we’d love to expand at The Hive, so we’re putting out the call: if any families within our community would like to work with us to share their stories, history or facts about their culture, and help us as an organisation contribute to an increased sense of reconciliation - we’d love to hear from you.
Please email Ellie or speak to Edie or Eugenia in the Hive room

SURVEY::
Your input is so valuable to help us improve. So, on Wednesday this week, we sent out a parent survey. By Thursday morning we’d already had 50+ responses. Thank you! We’d love to get about 150 more, so please keep them coming in and we’ll be sharing the results with you all after the survey closes on Fri 7th June

AGM::
Thanks to those who attended the AGM on Friday morning. Our committee was re-elected and we have new general member, Kindy dad Matt - welcome! The minutes and 2018 audited report are available on the news page.

RECYCLING::
Thanks too for all your recyclables! We’re building a great collection and the kids love letting their creative spirits run wild and knowing that they’re mking good use of someone else’s discarded stuff. Egg boxes, kitchen paper rolls, cereal/tissue/biscuit boxes, fabric, old sheets (clean!) etc etc

THE GATES::
The gates haven’t been working properly all week. School have requested priority attention from the suppliers, but in the meantime we appreciate your patience. As a rule - if the gates won’t open, head long to the pedestrian gate on Warners Ave, near the bike racks. Please remember to close it behind you! Thank you.

HOLIDAY PROGRAM::
As usual, we’re busy working on the next HP program! It is due to open by the end of week 7, so watch this space - you’ll be the first to know when it’s ready!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

All our artists got SO involved in our Reconciliation Week activities.
Check out our giant collage Kangaroo and other artworks all around the Hive room!

CLUB NEWS::

• In ART & CRAFT we focused on Reconciliation Week, making indigenous-inspired artworks. Our morning crew decorated a giant kangaroo, using natural and recycled materials.

• Artwork of the week is on the whiteboard near touchscreen - well done to Alex J and Jake S for their fabulous creativity!!

• In SPORTS CLUB our seniors group displayed great sportspersonship in their rugby games. So good to see!

• In BAKING CLUB, colourful veggies & fresh herbs got the kids excited for this week's dish from Vietnam:  GỎI CUỐN CHAY - better know as vegetarian summer rolls. They enjoyed cutting and grating the veggies, plucking the herbs and making their own choices about what to put into their delicious 'parcels'.  Most of them didn't even make it into the paper bag but instead got munched up straight away!

• This afternoon our little scientists will be making their own paint in EXPLORE & DISCOVER using salt, flour water and melted crayons! We’ll let you know how it goes!!

• Another winter warmer favourite from Britt this week - pesto pasta was super popular with our hungry bees!

PARENT REMINDERS::

• The weather has now turned really cold (in Aussie terms ;-) We still have a few little people coming to school without warm tops! By the end of the day, it’s really, really chilly so PLEASE remember to pack them!

• Wednesday is WHEELS DAY - please remember to send helmets, and protective pads if you have them.

Great work LEOPOLD, so colourful!

Wonderful creations, girls!

Term 2 Week 4

HIVE NEWS - GOODBYE KATHY! ::

• This week we bid a very fond and more-than-a-little-bit sad farewell to KATHY, the senior team member currently responsible for our amazing program of activities. With The Hive for almost three years, Kathy is one of our longest-serving staff members and we will miss her SO much. She’s returning to her native Chile to spend time with her family. We wish you well Kathy, and thank you for everything you’ve brought to the Hive over the years.

• Another yummy winner from our in-house chef Britt this week - the children loved her spaghetti with home-made sauce. What a great winter warmer - nom nom!!!

• A big thank you to Sarah - mum to Cayla & Ryan - for bringing in fabric scraps for us to use in our creative projects.

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

The morning crew - led by William in Y5 - built an amazing, huge tunnel using their construction skills, our new magnet toys and the ever-so-versatile Rocker stools.
And in the afternoon - a home-grown puppet show from the talented Alessandro in Y1. The kids have already requested a second performance!!

CLUB NEWS::

• We were so creative this week - we made book creations, friendship bracelets, magic wallets and more in ART & CRAFT - such busy little bees!

• SPORTS CLUB is as popular as ever with rugby, basketball, dodgeball & obstacle courses on offer this week. Phew!

• In BAKING CLUB we said Viva la Mexico! Maybe you were lucky enough to try some of our scrumptious Sweet Corn Cake? It definitely surprised our little baking bees, that we used corn instead of carrots for a cake. But that’s exactly what we want at Baking Club: taste challenge our kids! Our lucky kids are truly getting to taste the whole world with Mia’s new Baking Club! Let's see what Vietnam has to offer for next week…

• In SENIORS’ KITCHEN, the kids learn various life skills whilst getting familiar with savoury meal recipes. This week: ‘safe chopping’ with chef’s knives and BOOM! delicious zucchini fritters were created!!

• It’s super important that children remember to bring their helmets for WHEELS DAY on Wednesdays. We had a few tears this week when those without helmets weren’t able to join in ;-(

• We’re using our stash of recycled plastic bottles in EXPLORE & DISCOVER club to help us make bubble sculptures - look out for the creations in the Hive room

PARENT REMINDERS::

• Please remember to pack a school jumper for your little ones - it gets cold in the late afternoons

• Wednesdays WHEELS DAY - please remember to send helmets, and protective pads if you have them.

NICE ONE WILLIAM!!

A captivated audience…

Term 2 Week 3

HIVE NEWS::

• Thanks to those who came along to the MOTHERS’ DAY BREAKFAST on Monday. It was lovely to hang out and to show thanks to the special women in the lives of our children.

• The Hive has received notice from the Department of Education that we will be visited for Ratings and Assessment sometime before mid-August. This will be the first time for us at The Hive. We’re looking forward to learning what we’re doing well, and where we have room for improvement.

• We hope you’re enjoying all the fresh ARTWORKS around the Hive. Jara was busy this week installing new pin boards, so we have lots more room to display all the brilliant stuff created by the kids!

• In the canteen, Britt is busy behind the scenes feeding up to 160 Hive kids, every single day. On Friday they absolutely LOVED her home-made banana bread!

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK - LOOK RIGHT > > > > > > >

The morning crew - led by Jacob - built their own ‘Teddy Catapult’ using the super-fun Genga blocks.
There were lots of giggles and some very hiiiiigh-flying soft toys ;-)

CLUB NEWS::

• BAKING CLUB theme this week was Japan, and the kids made some very unusual frozen fruit sandwiches! Thanks to Mia for helping the kids try different cuisines and foods, and learning as they cook. Have you noticed the paper bags now include a little info slip, telling you about the food inside?

• Now that the YK & 1s have got used to how it works, we opened up WHEELS DAY to Y2 too, this week. All three Year groups worked well together, following the rules and playing safely. There’s a great range of scooters, skateboards and inline skates, with everyone remembering helmets and lots of kids bringing their own pads too - thank you. We’re seeing skills improve every week!

• We had a recycling theme in ART & CRAFT this week, with the kids refining their fine motor skills: wrapping gifts in recycled paper, making bags out of old fabrics, creating intricate necklaces and working up some very artistic canvases - which you can see up on the wall!

• Crystals were the order of the week in EXPLORE & DISCOVER club - so much fun watching them form in various different colours.

PARENT REMINDERS::

• It’s getting chilly some days, so please remember to pack a school jumper for the kiddywinks!

• The kids listened well in LOCKDOWN DRILL this week. Thanks to all the parents who avoided pick-up during this time, allowing kids to take part in this important safety exercise.

Ready for it…

Blast off!!!!