2023 Term 3 - Weeks 9-10 End of Term!!

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

NETWORK CONFERENCE: Ellie, Edie & Sydney attended a conference run by Network, the peak body for OSHC centres in NSW. We heard from the Department of Education, ACECQA and a range of qualified speakers, on topics such as international OSHC learning, critical reflection, outdoor & loose parts play, workplace relations, the importance of vulnerability & empathy and using engagement to channel behaviours. Yes, it was a big day! And yes - we learned lots!

CHILD SAFETY: We teach the children that they should not talk to people through the school fences. This is for their safety, security and privacy. For consistency and effectiveness it must apply to everyone, so we need your help: if you’re coming to collect your children, please wait until you’re inside the grounds to talk to them. Of course you can wave, but let’s help them learn not to engage through the fences, with anyone. Thanks for your understanding and support.

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

The coming Holiday Program is looking veeery popular and we can’t wait to have all that fun with the kids! The days that aren’t full are still available through the portal. If you can’t book a particular day, email us to join the waitlist.

Remember: every day the kids must bring a good sun hat, sun-safe clothing and wear closed shoes for playing. Also: recess, lunch and water bottle.

⛔ 🥜 ❌ 🌰 NO NUT PRODUCTS IN LUNCH BOXES 🌰 ❌ 🥜 ⛔

It could put a child’s life at risk

🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

This week we applaud JACK in Y2. Jack has spent his mornings this fortnight helping Edie plan our daily staff scrum meetings, and allocating duties amongst the staff.

He’s learned loads about how much happens
behind the scenes at The Hive, to help make sure
the kids have an awesome time - every single day!

Look carefully at Jack’s badge: Scrum Manager! 🙌 🙌 🙌


Lauren - Y3-6 Stage Lead

Lauren joined the team in early 2022 and quickly made her mark, jumping onto our Stage Lead team earlier this year.

Did you know…. Lauren is training to become a helicopter pilot!

She loves anything outdoors and in nature, including camping, hiking, swimming, and fishing - and she once did a road trip all the way along the east coast of Australia!

😃🚰 SNACK ATTACK 🥗🏃🏽‍♀️

Sometimes kids go through stages where snacking feels like a full time activity! What can you do to help this stay healthy?
1) Develop a (flexible) meal/snack routine. Discuss with your kids, so they know for example, that ‘after breakfast we won’t eat again until 9.30am snack.’
2) Stay busy. If you’re sitting around it’s easy to get bored and open the fridge
3) Limit the packaged snacks at home. If they see lots of options, kids will often want to try them all!
4) Plan & prep ahead. It might be helpful to plan dinners for the whole week, and to make a list of healthy snack options for the kids (and yourself!)
5) Avoid snacking close to mealtimes. Distraction can work: suggest an activity they can do. Maybe keep a few toys and activities to the side and only bring them out during dinner prep time. Or better still - get the kids to help you prepare the meal!

KIDS RECYCLING

Are your children involved in recycling at home? Have you talked to them about how and why we recycle, as well as the ideas of reducing and re-using? They could even help make signs for your recycling container/s to show what should go where…

2023 Term 3 - Weeks 7-8

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

💙 🧡 SHOUT OUT to all the DADS and LADS 🧡 💙
To every one of the men out there who positively influence our children: hats off - we celebrate you!! Dads, brothers, cousins, uncles, family friends - you can all make a real difference to the children in your worlds. We hope you enjoyed the P&C’s Basketball Shootout on Fri 1st, what a great turn-out!

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR T4
Our T4 sessions are very busy: Soccer for YK-1, Pottery @ the Pavilion for Y3-6, Skateboarding for Y1-6 and a separate Skate session for YK. The levels of interest tell us we’re providing a service that people really do value 😊 …but we’re always happy to evolve, so if anyone has activity ideas for us to explore next year - let Sydney know!
We have just 6 spots left for Kindy Skateboarding in T4, so if you’re keen fill out this form ASAP.

WHO’S ON SHIFT?
You can now find out who’s on shift at any given time, by looking at the chart which sits above the sign out station.

WHAT HAVE THE KIDS BEEN UP TO?
We’ve been busy with hula hoops, rock painting, balance boards, hama beads, dodgeball, clay club, cardboard kites, circus skills, paper weaving, oztag and so much more!
Did you know that we devise our program based on development of activities that the kids have enjoyed before, Educator feedback/evaluation, emerging research and materials, kids’ strengths and changing interests. We’d LOVE parent input too, so please don’t be shy - if you have any ideas, let us know!

PARENTS, PLEASE REMEMBER…
We need you to leave the school grounds as soon as you’ve signed the kids out. That means not heading over the play equipment with kids and younger siblings please! This helps ensure that it’s only the kids in Hive care who remain in the school, allowing for clear, effective and safe supervision exactly where it’s needed.

😲 WHAT THE HAIL?! 😲
Last week’s surprise hailstorm really left its mark!
It took us all by surprise, so well done to the team for making sure everyone stayed safe
and (relatively!) calm...

For some kids, it was their very first experience of hail, so we made sure they got a good look after it had all stopped. It also prompted some interesting discussions about how hail comes about, as well
as all the other different types of weather…

On that note: it’s getting very warm in the sun, but it’s cold in the wind or the shade… so please make sure your kids pack warm layers AND sun hats at this time of year. We need to cover all the bases… ☀️ 🥶 🤷

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

Our awesome Spring Program is booking out fast, but we still have a few spots left on some days. You have until midnight this Sunday, 10 Sep to take advantage of the early bird preferential pricing, so don’t delay - book today!! If you do miss out, email us here to join the waitlist…

Your HP confirmation email from Becklyn will show the actual cost to you after CCS is applied.


🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

Our Bee of the Week this time is LEWIS T. in Y5.
He stood out as being particularly helpful and patient during box training, helping the younger kids get to grips with
the new moves and the rhythms of the exercises.

Good on you Lewis, for such a collaborative and
supportive approach to our new activity - helping make sure
that the youngest kids felt confident and included.

Sydney - Educational Leader

Did you know... Sydney moved from Canada to Australia waaay back in 2015 and has been at the Hive for 5 years now! She was just granted her Permanent Residency 🎉 so we look forward to many more Happy Hive years together…

Sydney leads the team to create the exciting Activity Programs for term-time & holidays. If you have any ideas - she's always open to new suggestions…

When Sydney’s not busy at The Hive, she's hanging out with her big cuddly dog Zango.

🏃🏽‍♀️ HEALTHY KIDS 🤗

Drinking water is the purest and simplest way to quench your thirst, as it isn’t loaded with the sugars found in fruit juice, fizzy drinks and flavoured waters. Drinking water instead of sweetened drinks helps avoid dental and gut problems, while the fluoride found in tap water can help strengthen teeth and bones.

DID YOU KNOW: In NSW, 55% of boys and 46% of girls in Year 6 drink more than one cup of sugary soft drink each week. By Year 8, these figures rise to 68% of boys and 50% of girls.

AUSSIE BACKYARD BIRD COUNT

Many children have a healthy fascination with the environment and the things they find living in it. Creating opportunities for children to explore and interact with their local environment helps them develop respect and appreciation for natural spaces and animals.

Next month will see the Aussie Backyard Bird count. If you want to learn more about local birds, complete a quiz, test your knowledge and get ready to take part in October’s count, then check out this link!
Last year Australia counted 3.9 million birds across 620 different species, in just 7 days!

2023 Term 3 - Weeks 5-6

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

BUSY BEES:
The kids have been suuuuuper busy this fortnight: cotton bud flowers, cardboard roll cars, cake decorating, netball, DIY playdough, paddle pop stick insects, make your own stress balls, dodgeball, oztag and SO much more….


EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES:
EOI forms have now gone out for Term 4 activities, including skateboarding for Kindys, soccer for YK&1 and pottery workshop (at the pavilion) for our older kids - only 3 spots left there so don’t delay!
There will also be a skateboarding option for Y1+, email to follow shortly…


⌚ HAVE YOU LOST… ⌚
…a smart watch? We have two in lost property - if you think one might be yours, please drop us a line including a description.

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

Bookings are now OPEN!! Please check out the calendars for Little Bees and Big Bees, and remember that earlier bookings (before midnight Sun 10 Sep) get the best pricing.

It’s an awesome line-up of activities that Sydney has pulled together, and we know the kids are going to love it. If we fill up we’ll run waitlists, but the advice is to book ASAP so you don’t miss out…

🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

This week we celebrate Year 2!

Our hats off to JAYCE, who persevered and then triumphed with soccer, becoming Captain of the Week! Great work Jayce 👏👏

And also to LUCA M-P for being an all round lovely guy, and wonderful friend to his cohort 💛 💛



Jara - Business Operations Lead

Jara takes care of the back-office side of things, like enrolments, CCS, and payments. He works remotely, whilst living the dream in Bellingen, surrounded by the Aussie wildlife.

Jara loves hiking, and simply everything related to nature. 

Jara joined the team waaaay back in 2015, and has been integral in evolving the centre into today’s thriving Hive!

💡 PARENTS’ PLACE 🤗

We’ve always cared for a number of neurodiverse children; they form an integral and wonderful part of our Hive community. The Hive staff represents an ever growing body of experience and education and we also undertake regular training in the latest developments, understandings and techniques in this huge area of lived experience.

If you would ever like to discuss your child, we offer a safe, supportive and confidential space in which to do that. In her role as Family Liaison Lead (and with 13 years working in childcare), Edie is particularly well placed to offer support/guidance and to suggest possible next steps for your journey. We can also simply listen, if you’re just starting to explore the whole topic. The key thing to remember is that whilst this journey - and even the possibility of a diagnosis - might feel overwhelming, it can actually be really empowering and helpful to understand more about what’s happening in your child’s mind. You can contact Edie on 0450 896 686 or by email.

SEVEN DAY PLASTIC PLEDGE

About one million tonnes of Australia's yearly plastic consumption are single use products, a concerning trend that harms the environment. Plastic in nature can take hundreds of years to decompose and the waste threatens to pollute waterways, parks and bushland. 

What can you do?
1.    Make a pledge: Choose what plastic item you’re giving up for the week and commit!
2.    Lead by example: Swap out your single-use plastic item with eco-friendly alternatives.
3.    Spread the word! Share how you’re ditching plastic and tell your friends about it.

Breaking the habit can be hard, here are some easy alternative suggestions for the most common uses of single use plastic:

  • Coffee cups and lids > Reusable keep cups or ask for no lid

  • Takeaway packaging > BYO containers

  • Single-use cutlery > BYO reusable cutlery

  • Plastic water bottles > BYO refillable water bottles

  • Pre-packaged fruit and veg > Buy loose or BYO mesh/canvas bags

Once your 7 days is done, reflect on your challenge. How much do you rely on convenience? Was the change hard? Check this link to find out how else you can be involved

2023 Term 3 - Weeks 3-4

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

100 DAYS OF KINDY!
Congrats to all our Kindys, who now completed 100 days at school! Our dress ups came in very handy helping them demonstrate exactly how grown up they all feel now! 🤣🤣 ➡️ ➡️
In this second half ofthe year, we’ll be helping them to develop more responsibility for themselves and one another and starting to talk about the transition to Year 1…


⌚ HAVE YOU LOST… ⌚
…a smart watch? We have two at The Hive - if you think one might be yours, please drop us a line with a description.


NEW STUFF!!
We’ve loved watching the kids enjoy our new equipment: the easel is perfect for writing menus at the Kids Cafe. And our new cityscape floor mat is inspiring so much creative play with our new Hotwheels kit, our animal collection and of course - all our lego!


SHOUT OUT FOR…
Plastic screw top bottle caps - all shapes and sizes.
Please wash and deliver to us by the end of Week 5 🙏🙏

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

Holiday Program will open for bookings in Week 6, with early bird pricing applicable until midnight Sunday of Week 8.

We’re excited to report a return to full split program for Big and Little Bees, including loads of exciting excursions, amazing activities and some mind-blowing incursions!! Watch this space for confirmation that bookings have opened.

Although HP prices had to increase, remember that CCS awards have too - and CCS applies to the whole amount of the HP fees. Remember also that you can get the best deal by taking advantage of our Early Bird pricing.

🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

This week’s award simply had to go to LENNIX in YK,
for his outstanding demonstration of
commitment to oral hygiene! 😄 🪥

Keep on smiling Lennix!! 👏 👏 👏

EDIE - CHILD/FAMILY LIAISON & STAFF LEADER

Did you know… Edie started her childcare career around 15 years ago, as a dance teacher!

She LOVES cooking up a storm in her kitchen, is famous for changing her hair colour frequently and is generally a fan of smiles and silliness

We love ya, Edie!

💡 PARENTS PLACE 🤗

  • Please remember that once you’ve signed out your child, you should please leave school grounds promptly. This is to facilitate the effective identification and safe supervision of all the children remaining in Hive care. Thank you.

  • Smiling Mind have created several short animations for 3-8 year olds, designed to promote positive mental health and offer lessons in emotional wellbeing. There are 18 clips in total, so there should be something helpful for everyone!

KEYSTONE HABIT: As parents, we have big dreams for our kids. We want them to be smart so they can have a reasonable chance of achieving their goals. We want them to grow up to be kind, caring members of the community. And now is the time to set up our kids for success, but how do we do it?

It turns out, parents can implement one magic “keystone habit” that will help raise smart, kind kids. Keystone habits are an elite category of habits that kick off a chain reaction, influencing several areas of your life at once. In other words, you can focus on just one keystone habit, and you’ll experience several positive impacts.

This particular “keystone habit” is completely free, takes only 10-15 minutes a day, and anyone can do it. All you have to do is this: read to your child. Even if they already know how to read to themselves. Because research shows that reading aloud is a powerful keystone habit to help raise smart, kind kids. This is what happens when you read aloud to your child every day:

- Your child will hear a wider variety of words.
- You grow your child’s brain, literally.
- You put them on the path to be a lifelong reader.
- Your child’s behaviour will likely improve.
- You build a stronger bond with your child.
- You increase your child’s capacity for empathy.

If any family is struggling to gain access to books for reading aloud, please talk to The Hive in confidence - we can help! Call us on 0450 896 686 or email Edie.

🌱 🌱 MAKE A MINI GREENHOUSE 🌱 🌱
A greenhouse isn't green! It's a structure with walls and a roof made of glass or plastic, that traps heat from the sun and moisture from the soil. This makes for perfect conditions for a seed to sprout and grow into a big, strong plant before the growing season starts outside.

Have a go at making your own greenhouse at home. You’ll need to collect some recycling materials first. Follow this link to get started.

2023 Term 3 - Weeks 1-2

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

WELCOME TO TERM 3: We’ve got load of fun in store for the kids this term. Baking Club is on twice a week, we have some new city-scape floor play mats and building bits, expandable tunnels for construction play, a fresh, reconfigured Hive room with waaay better access to the Kids shop/kitchen/café, and…. have you seen the lovely cosy new rug in the Reading Corner?


EXTRA CURRICULARS: we’re glad to report that all that extra-curricular activities for Term 3 are booked out. It’s clear that this is a service that families enjoy, so we do plan to continue! If you have any thoughts or suggestions for future EC activities, please let Sydney know. For Term 4 - by popular demand - we’ll offer Skate and Soccer to YK-1, and we’re planning something new and special for the older kids. Expressions of interest will be sent to the relevant year groups in the coming weeks.


🥬 🍅 VEGETABLE GARDEN 🥕 🥒 The Hive is proud to announce that we’ll fund the redevelopment of the vegetable garden, slated to happen this term. We’ll also take on responsibility for the ongoing care and maintenance of the garden, and will introduce gardening sessions into our activity program, helping the kids understand where food comes from and how it’s grown. We’ll also (hopefully!) be able to provide the canteen with ingredients they can use! We’ll have dedicated Hive team members, plus regular support from a professional gardener. If there are any parents out there with green fingers (Europe!) or thumbs (down under!) who’d also like to volunteer an hour here or there, then please let us know!


🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

This week, the award goes to SAM H in Y3,
for displaying sportsmanship of the very best kind,
as well as beautifully inclusive behaviour on the field.

Honourable mention to Ellie G, also in Y3, for equally
awesome behaviour during games and sports.
(Ellie, sorry we didn’t get a photo of you…)

Well done both, for demonstrating the values that
keep things flowing and for doing your best
to help everyone come together and have fun.

ANA - STAGE LEADER (Y1&2)

Did you know...? Ana’s family background is half from Papua New Guinea and half from Switzerland and she loves learning about the many backgrounds of the children who attend The Hive. She feels very lucky to come from two such vastly different cultures and has a lot of pride in her heritage. 

One of Ana’s favorite things to do is to share recipes from around the world, so if you have any to share - please drop her a line…

💡 PARENT REMINDERS 🤔

  • It’s still cold, so please pack WARM LAYERS for afternoons

  • Please check through all LOST PROPERTY - at the end of Week 3 we will donate to charity

  • If you borrowed and clothes through HP, please WASH & RETURN, so we can help out other children

LANDFILL EXPERIMENT
Today, an estimated one-third of all the food produced in the world goes to waste. That’s equal to about 1.3 billion tons. About 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced, if we stop wasting food. Try this experiment and show children what happens when food scraps are just thrown in the bin:
> Have kids place small food scraps in a bottle of water
> Place a balloon on the top and leave in sunlight for 7+ days
> Kids will see the balloon swell with gas, as the food decomposes in a landfill-like environment

2023 Winter Holiday Program

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❄️ Winter Holiday Program - it’s a wrap! ❄️

Well done to the team for delivering a fabulous Winter Holiday Program!
We had a fun-filled and fabulous time, with beach, magnets, disco, ninja challenge, crafts, spa day, treasure hunt, Hive olympics,
yoga, sports, chalk-art, foot-paints, hair salon, virtual reality, Connect to Country, bubble soccer and SO much more!

Check out the pics below…

🏴‍☠️ 🧭 TREASURE HUNT… ☠️ 🗺️

🫧 🫧 🫧 BUBBLE DAY!! 🫧 🫧 🫧

🧲 MAGNATILES 🧲

🌊 🏖️ FUN AT THE BEACH! 🌊 🏖️

🏅🏅 HIVE OLYMPICS with COACH MATT!! 🏅🏅

🖌️ 🧶 SO MANY CRAFT ACTIVITIES… 🎨 ✂️

🐡 🐡 INFLATABLE FUN!! 🐡 🐡

🛹 CONCRETE SKATE… 🛹

🪩 🕺 DISCO TIME! 🕺🪩

2023 Term 2 Weeks 9-10 End of Term!!

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

WELCOME BACK!! Sydney is back at The Hive after 5 lovely weeks back in Canada with family and friends. We’re glad you had a good time Syd, but we’re even more glad that you’re back. Woohoo! 💕💕💕


HAPPY HOLIDAYS!! We know lots of you are travelling overseas this school holidays. To everyone who’s heading away from Sydney - we wish you safe and happy travels. To everyone staying local - we hope to see you during Holiday Program. You can check out the calendars here and there are still a few spots available on some of the days, so… get booking!


CCS Changes We’ve sent a few emails about the changes to CCS which will take effect on 10th July. Most families will be better off, so make sure you’re across the changes.

  • If you already receive CCS - check out this factsheet

  • If your family income is $356,756 and $530,000 and you haven’t claimed CCS, you might now be eligible. You should lodge a claim with Services Australia

  • If you’re currently assessed for CCS and get 0%, you might be eligible for an increased rate from 10 July. Check that your income estimate is up to date through your Centrelink online account

  • If you think you might be newly eligible, check out this factsheet


Hive fee increases A reminder that the new fees can be found on our website. They will come into play a week after the CCS increases, on Monday 17th July.

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

Several days are now fully booked. Just email us if you’d like to join the waitlist - first come first served…

Please remember we have a NO NUTS policy. This is very important as we care for several children with anaphylactic reactions to nuts. Please, CHECK THE INGREDIENTS on everything you send in. Listed nut ingredients must please be avoided.

Do you have any suggestions for particular activities, excursions or themes that you’d like to see on our HP calendar? If so - we’d love to hear from you! Please contact Sydney with your suggestions… 🙏

🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

As well as children, we’ll also start to feature a different member of the Hive team in this section each time, so you can learn a little more about the awesome people who look after the kids every day - hope you enjoy! 😊


Congratulations to LIAM and FINN in Kindy.

They’ve been such awesome bees this week: helpful, kind, considerate and always looking out for their classmates.

Great work boys!!

JEN - KINDY LEAD

Did you know… ? Jennifer’s favourite place in the world is North Tropical Queensland…she fell in love with its picture-perfect beaches and lush, vibrant rainforest. Just one of the reasons she chose to live in this beautiful country (although she still isn’t used to all the giant spiders and insects! 😲)

As a child, Jen‘s favourite thing was her local woodland walk in Scotland, feeding nuts to the squirrels. They would take food from her hands and scurry alongside her as she walked the forest path. Super cute… 🐿️ 🐿️

💡 PARENT REMINDERS 🤔

Please be sure to correctly sign out your children at the end of the day. Click the OUT button (it’ll turn red) for each child who’s leaving with you, and then click DONE to close the screen.

ENCOURAGING KIDS TO BE WATER CONSCIOUS

With our water sources being exposed to pollution, climate change and a growing population, it’s important to find ways to help connect children to this valuable resource so they appreciate why we need to save it. Showing them how they can make a big difference every day by reducing the amount of water they use will foster a greener mindset, that should stay with them as they grow. Here are a few quick tips to get things started:

  • After eating, encourage them to work out whether a rinse is actually necessary, before washing up/dishwasher

  • Ask kids to keep a water bottle in the fridge so they don’t have to run the tap until the water gets cold

  • Make sure they turn off taps tightly - no drips!

  • Don’t run the tap for the whole 2 minutes of teeth cleaning - save it for the mouth rinse at the end

2023 Term 2 - Weeks 7-8

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋


MORE CCS HELP FOR FAMILIES ::
A reminder that the Child Care Subsidy is increasing from 10th July 2023. Most families using early childhood education and care will get more CCS. Some families previously not eligible for CCS will now get it.

If you already get CCS, you don’t need to do anything. If you think you may become eligible, lodge a CCS claim with Services Australia.

Visit childcaresubsidy.gov.au to understand what the changes mean for your family, and find tools to help you calculate how much you’ll save.

POLICY REVIEW REQUEST & NSW CHILD SAFE STANDARDS ::
The Child Safe Standards provide a benchmark against which organisations can assess their child safe capacity and set performance targets. The Standards provide tangible guidance for organisations to drive a child safe culture, adopt strategies and act to put the interests of children first, to keep them safe from harm.
We sent an email on 14th June, detailing what The Hive is doing in this space. Please share your feedback on the Statement of Commitment and our new Child Safe Environment Policy.

HIVE FEE INCREASE ::
Starting in Term 3 (Mon 17 July) the Hive’s fees will increase, as per email to parents on 14th June.

The new fees are available on our website, including rough estimates of what will be payable after CCS. These are estimates only and depend on a number of variables, which are individual to each family. For the most accurate idea of your CCS eligibility, please visit Services Australia.

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

Remember, preferential pricing ends at midnight on Sunday 18th June. Book ASAP to take advantage of the lower prices and to help us achieve optimal planning, staffing and resourcing.
If a day is already booked up, email us to join the waitlist.

🐝 BEES OF THE WEEK 🐝

…are our lovely SENIORS GROUP, who
came up with the awesome idea of a massage train!

Everyone gives, everyone receives, and everyone feels
all the better for it! Perfect after a long day at school…🙌

💡 PARENT REMINDERS 🤔

Another reminder to please:

  • pack warm layers for the kids in this cold weather

  • return any borrowed Hive clothes, washed and ready to re-use 🙏 🙏

GO ON A NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT… 👀

We know that children learn through play, and learning to be more sustainable and caring for the environment can work with that same idea. Add in the fact that spending time in nature can help children develop a connection to the environment—making them more aware of the beauty, diversity and interdependence of natural systems—and a nature scavenger hunt could be a great way to get kids starting to think more sustainably!

Create a scavenger hunt for your children by drawing pictures of things you may see within your area or search online for a pre-made option like this one here from ecoexplorers.com.au.

Find more ideas HERE for connecting with nature, even at home and during winter time…

 

2023 Term 2 - Weeks 5-6

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

HIVE AGM: As per our recent email to everyone, the HIVE AGM will be held in the Hive room on Fri 16 June at 9am. All Hive members are welcome, so please come along - remember to RSVP to the email so we have a steer on numbers. We are particularly keen to hear from parents who would like to join our wonderful Hive Exec Committee - please email Ellie to find out more and put your hat in the ring.

THANK YOU: A massive THANK YOU to Selena Van Loon, who’s spent the last 2.5 years supporting the Hive as Secretary for the Executive Committee. Selena will step down at the coming AGM and we’re delighted announce that we already have a volunteer ready to throw in their name.

Selena - you’ve been a wonderful, warm, positive and supportive influence on the committee over the last few years and we’re all very grateful for the time and energy you’ve given. 🙏💖🙏💖

❄️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM ❄️

WINTER HP bookings are now OPEN!! We’re slightly down on staff in July, so we’ve had to cap numbers, reduce excursions and combine Little & Big Bees for all but one of the days (Thu 13 Jul). Book quickly to make sure you get what you need. Back to normal for Spring hols… 👌👌

* * NEW * * To facilitate more efficient and cost-effective planning and operations, we’ve introduced some changes:

  • favourable pricing for bookings made before the end of Week 8 (ending midnight Sun 18 June)

    • After this cut-off, the price per day increases by $10

  • Your CCSS eligibility applies equally to both price tiers

  • Bookings transferred from waitlist will be charged according to whether request was made before/after deadline.

🐝 BEE OF THE WEEK 🐝


Is the lovely BAE in Y5!

He truly is the King of the Positive Attitude
and has been awesomely helpful this term

Thanks Bae, for showing us all how easy it is to be AWESOME!

👏👏👏👏

💡 PARENT REMINDERS 🤔

  • Another reminder that it’s getting much cooler 🥶🥶. Some kids are still telling us they have no warm layers so please remember to pack a school jumper or jacket every day!

  • There are lots of bugs going round, so if your child is sick, please do the right thing and keep them at home. Don’t forget to let us know that they’ll be missing their Hive session, so we know they’re not ‘missing’ 🙏 . Remember to encourage good cough/sneeze etiquette - using elbows rather than hands.

 

WORLD OCEANS. DAY – JUNE 8
On World Ocean Day, people everywhere can unite to celebrate and take action for our shared blue planet, with one ocean and one climate, which connect us all. Get together with your family, community, and join with millions of others around our blue planet to create a better future. The theme for World Ocean Day is Planet Ocean: Tides are Changing. We need to conserve our wonderful marine resources for future generations. Find out more here

 

2023 Term 2 - Weeks 3-4

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👋 LIVE FROM THE HIVE … 👋

We hope all the wonderful Mothers & Others enjoyed a very special day last Sunday, as well as the fabulous basketball shoot-out at school last Friday. It’s always so lovely to see the community come together - especially when we’re celebrating the amazing people who make such a positive difference to our kids’ lives…

Over the coming newsletters, we’ll be introducing some new features, which we hope you’ll enjoy. We’ll rotate through the term (recipes, parenting, sustainability, activities, fitness etc) - and we’d love to know what you think! This week, we’re introducing Sustainability Corner; sharing tips for a bee-friendly garden or balcony to align with World Bee Day on 20th May.

🏖️ HOLIDAY PROGRAM 🏖️

We’re busy planning our winter Holiday Program - bookings will open in Week 7. Unfortunately, a number of Hive staff will be away in July, so we will need to cap booking numbers slightly lower than usual. Please bear this in mind and book promptly to avoid missing out. We are very unlikely to have last-minute spaces available…

🙏 CAN YOU HELP? FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE 🙏

Next month, our very own GG is taking part in The Push-Up Challenge, to support the Push for Better Foundation. As well as honing his guns 💪💪 he’s also supporting an awesome cause:

“As part of the challenge, I'm fundraising for and raising awareness about mental health, and I'd love your support. It's all about doing 3,144 push ups over 23 days in June. Each push up represents a life lost to suicide in Australia in 2021.

If you’re able, please help me donate by clicking here - it would mean a lot to me and helps to support a really special cause.

Thank you”

Aaron aka GG

🐝 BEE OF THE WEEK 🐝

This kid is a true star! 🌟🌟

CHLOE L in Y4 always turns up with a positive attitude, and usually a beautiful big smile too. She manages to bring kindness to everything that she does, and always does her best to ensure that people feel safe, welcome and included.

Thanks for being one of life’s good‘uns, Chloe! We love ya 💖💖

💡 PARENT REMINDERS 🤔

❄️❄️ Brrrrrr - it’s getting cold!! 🥶🥶 PLEASE remember to pack warm clothes for the kids. The temperature drops in the afternoons, and we want everyone to stay warm and happy!

If we do need to lend clothes to your child, please wash and return them promptly so we can lend them out to others too… 🙏

PLANT A BEE-FRIENDLY GARDEN

A garden or blacony can be a haven for native bees, providing a long-lasting and varied source of the nectar, pollen and building materials that bees need.

Five Tips for a Bee-Friendly Garden…

  1. Select plants that flower right through the year. Many native bees need nectar and pollen throughout the year, so choose plants with a long flowering period, or choose a selection of plants that will flower in sequence in each season of the year.

  1. Select flowers with a variety of colours and shapes. Different kinds of native bees like different kinds of flowers.

  2. Plant a group of each flower species. If you can plant a bed or row of a particular flower, this will attract native bees more easily than scattered plants. However, even a small Bee-Friendly Garden will help the bees, as they will visit your garden along with those of your neighbours.

  3. Select plants that provide nesting materials for the bees too. In addition to nectar and pollen, some bees need collect materials to build their nests.

  4. Avoid insecticides in your Bee-Friendly Garden. Insecticides will kill native bees as well as garden pests. Try to avoid using any insecticides in your garden. However, if you really have to use one, choose an insecticide that has low toxicity for bees, try to apply it when bees are not active (such as at night or on a cold day) and avoid spraying the flowers of the plant.

    Find out more on the AussieBee website.