We now have a beehive situated in our garden area. Some of our Year 7 Tech classes will be working through an innovative programme as part of their learning in the garden for Semester 3.

We are working with “Bee Awesome” a social enterprise passionate about bees and the environment.

“Bee Awesome” aims to teach our students about the importance of

• Biodiversity / He rerenga rauropi

• Food security / He kai whakahaumaru

• Sustainability/environmental & financial learning.     

Our students will learn first-hand why bees are so important to our ecosystems, and understand the importance of managing a hive. They will learn to

• Identify key conditions of a hive

• Identify ways to maintain and improve hive health

• Know how a hive is managed over a season

• Know how to keep safe around hives

The students participating in the programme will be provided with a beekeeper suit to wear. More information will be provided to this group about any other requirements they will need.

Our long term aim is to extract the honey and wax to sell within our community and we’d like to be as sustainable as possible.

If you have any small glass jars to recycle could you please wash them out and send them to school. (Lids are not needed as new ones will be used).

We would appreciate any donations for other cooking and craft projects.

We will need:

• 4 large saucepans (more if possible)

• 4 small saucepans

• Pyrex jugs (to create double boilers)

• Any straining cloth (old net curtains are ideal)

• Rubber bands - large thick ones

• Plastic cooking spoons

• Old knives

• Old coffee cups or takeaway containers (anything with a waxy coating)

• Old paint scrapers

• Old paint brushes

• Old irons

• Pinking shears

Please send your donations to Mrs Dick-McCann in the Foods Room, we would appreciate any assistance.

Message From Bee Awesome:

You may notice more bees around and hopefully better pollination of any fruit trees that you have :)

Please call us if you are concerned or see a swarm so we can remove it and create a new beehive at the school.

Ngā mihi mahana,

Lesley 021 2124383

Group Coordinator for Bee Awesome / He Pī Mīharo