Our team

The senior team are all trained in CPR, First Aid, Asthma & Anaphylaxis as well as holding Accredited Child Protection certification. 

Sydney Mennell | Nominated Supervisor, Educational Leader

Originally from Canada, Sydney travelled the world before falling in love with Australia in 2015, where she soon discovered her passion for working with children. She's since graduated with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education, and gained several years of hands-on experience in various early childcare settings.

Part of our Hive team since early 2018, Sydney now wears a couple of big hats: as one of our two Nominated Supervisors, Sydney ensure that every care session is run safely and efficiently, in line with regulations. As Educational Leader, Syd oversees the design our famous program of term time clubs and our Holiday Program, drawing on our children’s and Educators’ wide range of passions and experiences, as well as parent reponses to our surveys.

As of 2023, Sydney is also responsible for our growing offering of extra-curricular afternoon activities, ensuring that children with busy parents get equal opportunities to try a whole range of exciting ideas: from drama, to soccer, to skateboarding - with more to come…

sydney@thehivebondi.com.au

Ana Bucher | Senior Educator, Inclusion Support Lead & Y1-2 Lead

Ana discovered her passion for working with children whilst working as a teacher’s aide in the UK, after which, she returned to Australia to pursue a career in teaching. Ana is currently at Macquarie Uni, studying Primary Education and Psychology, where she focuses on child-centred learning and development. She’s the perfect fit for our Inclusion Support role, making sure children with a range of differing needs receive the support they need to fell fully included in our welcoming environment.

With a lifelong affinity for the great outdoors, Ana spends her free time exploring Sydney's surrounding national parks. Her adventurous spirit finds expression through rock climbing, hiking and camping – experiences she eagerly shares with the children, to foster their love for nature.

On board with The Hive since early 2022, Ana brings a unique blend of warmth, energy, and experience and is committed to creating a positive and engaging learning environment. She is excited to be part of a devoted team that nurtures children's well-being and development, helping them forge lifelong friendships and grow into confident and curious learners.

ana@thehivebondi.com.au

Aaron ‘GG’ Gee-Gamkrelidze | Senior Educator & Y3 Lead, Sports Coordinator

Originally a Canberra man, GG has been in Sydney since 2018. With the Hive team since early 2023, GG’s warm energy and love of All Things Sport made him a natural choice for the role of Sports Coordinator, ensuring the kids have a range of exciting, varied and safe sports equipment, perfect for refining skills, trying new things, practicing teamwork and keeping fit!

The Y3 Lead position allows GG to role model empathetic behaviours to Hive kids at a pivotal stage in their childhoods and his warm, funny and fair approach makes him a real hit with boys and girls alike.

In 2024/25, we’re fortunate to benefit from all the latest theories and practices which GG is learning, as part of his Certificate III in Outside School Hours Care.

gg@thehivebondi.com.au

Lauren Jaque | Senior Educator & Y4-6 Lead

Lauren is a trainee helicopter pilot with a long-established interest in child care and education. She has years of nannying experience and has also been a kids’ gymnastics teacher. At The Hive, Lauren particularly loves playing sport with the kids and helping them make discoveries through science experiments! 👩‍🔬

Having grown up in Bondi, Lauren loves the outdoors and can often be found camping and adventuring off the beaten track.

Since joining us early in 2022, Lauren has found her role as Educator to be rewarding and fulfilling, and she loves nothing more than seeing the kids leave the Hive with smiles on their faces after a fun-packed day of activities. 

lauren@thehivebondi.com.au

Jara Poslusny | Business Operations Lead

From a strong background in business retail leadership, Jara (“Yara”) joined us in 2016, applying his motivating approach to problem-solving and constant improvement to the development of effective and efficient processes for our ever-growing and evolving centre. He’s successfully navigated the team through various streamlining projects and software implementations, allowing us to grow safely and effectively to accommodate our increasing number of bookings.

Jara works hard to ensure that everything behind-the-scenes works smoothly, offering maximum support and security to our staff and families. He’s the go-to for all families with queries around accounts, billing or Child Care Subsidy.

jara@thehivebondi.com.au

0475 877 387

Our specialists…

NELLY - Garden
Nelly tends our Hive garden, runs the Hive Gardening Club and liaises with the team to plan the best harvests and the most enriching
learning experiences for the kids.
She also provides yummy fresh ingredients for
Hive’s afternoon tea, and the school canteen!

MEL - Food & Nutrition
Mel ensures that the kids are eating wholesome, nutritious, ‘good energy’ foods at the end of the school day, with a delicious and varied seasonal menu, using local suppliers and - of course - our very own garden herbs & veggies!
Mel is also ensures that our food preparation meets all the required Food safety Standards.