👋 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…

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.

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