Hive Academy

🐝 ONE YEAR STRONG — AND JUST GETTING STARTED! 💛

Last week, Hive Academy officially turned **ONE**, and we couldn’t let a milestone this special pass by with just one day of celebrating. So naturally… we celebrated **ALL WEEK LONG!** 🎉🐝

We started the week by celebrating the incredible teachers who pour so much into our children every single day. We officially phased in our newly stocked team break room — filled with snacks, drinks, and little pick-me-ups that will be available every day. Because why save teacher appreciation for an occasional snack cart when we can find ways to remind our team every day just how appreciated they are? 💛

Next, it was time to celebrate our parents and families with a special Parent Appreciation Breakfast. From the very beginning, our families have trusted us with the people most precious to them, supported our vision, encouraged us, and helped turn Hive Academy into the community we dreamed it could be. That trust means more than we could ever put into words.

Then we celebrated the reason behind everything we do — **our students!** 🐝 Every little bee received their very own Hive Academy spirit shirt so they could proudly represent their school and be part of this special milestone.

Of course, we couldn’t celebrate one year without doing something special for our **team** again! Every team member received a custom **ONE YEAR STRONG jersey** — because this first year was built by people who showed up, worked hard, loved our children, supported one another, and believed in what Hive could become. 🖤💛

And then came Friday. 🎉

We finished our anniversary week with our Hive Celebration, bringing together our children, families, team members, and the people who have supported Hive along the way. Seeing everyone together, laughing, visiting, eating cupcakes, playing games, and simply enjoying one another was the perfect way to celebrate this first year.

When Steven and I look back at where we started and then look around at the community that surrounds Hive Academy today, it is hard to put our gratitude into words.

**Hive Academy is so much more than a building or a school. It is the people inside of it.** The children. The parents. The teachers. The families. The friendships. The community. 💛

To every single person who has trusted us, supported us, worked alongside us, cheered us on, or become part of our Hive during this first year — thank you.

One year down. So many memories made. So much growth. And we truly believe…

🐝 We’re just getting started. 💛

**One Year Strong. One Amazing Hive.**

— Steven & Julie
**Hive Academy** 🐝🖤💛

From our Friends with GO Royal Pride:

We can’t wait to welcome our Hive Academy Friends (and future Grizzlies) for a fun-filled morning (and evening) of dancing, smiles and all things Royal Pride! It’s always such a special experience for our team and we’re looking forward to creating sweet memories with the next generation of dancers! 🧡🐻 💙

Dear Hive Academy,

One year ago, we opened your doors.

It feels strange to even write that, because somehow it feels like yesterday and a lifetime ago all at once.

Before you had classrooms filled with children, teachers walking the halls, artwork covering the walls, and little voices calling out our names, you were simply a dream.

A really, really big dream.

We dreamed of creating a place that felt different.

A place where parents could leave their children each morning knowing they were genuinely loved. A place where teachers felt appreciated and knew the work they did mattered. A place where children could be little—where they could learn, make messes, laugh, play, grow, and know that there was an entire Hive cheering them on.

And then somehow, that dream became real.

Over the last year, we have watched babies take their first steps. We have watched children find best friends. We've watched nervous first days turn into children who can't wait to get through the doors in the morning.

We've watched teachers love children who aren't their own as if they were.

We've watched parents become friends, coworkers become family, and a building become a community.

And somewhere along the way, Hive became so much more than a school.

It became our Hive.

This year hasn't always been easy. Building something you care this deeply about rarely is. There have been long days, late nights, hard decisions, mistakes, growing pains, tears, celebrations, and more lessons than we could ever count.

But there hasn't been a single day that we haven't believed in what we're building.

Because every morning when those doors open, we're reminded why we started.

The children.

The little hands reaching for ours. The hugs in the hallway. The artwork proudly handed to us. The belly laughs coming from classrooms. The parents who stop to tell us something their child said about school. The teachers who give pieces of their hearts to these children every single day.

Those are the things that make every hard moment worth it.

To the families who took a chance on a brand-new school one year ago—thank you. You trusted us before there was a history to look back on. You believed in what Hive could become, and we will never forget that.

To every family who has joined our Hive since then—thank you for choosing us to be part of your child's childhood. We know what an incredible responsibility that is, and we never want to take that trust for granted.

To our team—there simply would not be a Hive Academy without you. Thank you for showing up, loving these children, growing alongside us, and helping turn a vision into something real.

To everyone who has supported us, encouraged us, recommended us, helped us, prayed for us, celebrated our victories, or reminded us to keep going on the hard days—you are part of this story, too.

And to our own five little Bees…

Thank you for sharing your mom and dad with this dream. Hive has become part of your childhood too, and we hope one day you look back and understand just how much of our hearts went into building something we hoped would make you proud.

Today, when we look around Hive Academy, we don't just see a business we opened.

We see hundreds of little moments.

We see families.

We see friendships.

We see growth.

We see people we love.

We see a dream that once existed only in conversations between the two of us now filled with life.

And we are so incredibly grateful.

Happy 1st Birthday, Hive Academy.

What a beautiful first chapter this has been.

And perhaps our favorite part of all?

We're just getting started.

With all our love,

Steven & Julie Eilers
and our five little Bees 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

The Hive Academy Family 💛

Today, we pause to remember. 🇺🇸

On September 11, 2001, our nation experienced a day that forever changed so many lives. Today, we honor the lives lost, the families forever impacted, and the first responders and everyday heroes who showed extraordinary courage in the face of unimaginable tragedy.

As we care for and teach the next generation, may we continue to model the kindness, courage, unity, and compassion that brought our country together during such a difficult time.

We will never forget. ❤️🤍💙

— The Hive Academy Family

We're raising future leaders, not social media content!

Happy Labor Day from Hive Academy!

Today, we celebrate the hard work, dedication, and heart of the incredible people who make a difference every day.

We are especially thankful for our amazing Hive Academy team, who pour so much love, patience, creativity, and care into our little bees each day. Your work matters, and we are so grateful for everything you do!

We hope all of our Hive families and team members enjoy a wonderful Labor Day filled with a little extra rest, lots of smiles, and time with the people you love. 💛

Happy Labor Day from our Hive to yours!

The world feels a little less bright today.

We are heartbroken by the passing of the incomparable Dolly Parton.

Dolly was so much more than a country music legend. She was a storyteller, a dreamer, a woman of faith, a champion for children, and a beautiful example of what it means to use your success to make the world a better place.

Through her music, her generosity, and especially her incredible commitment to childhood literacy, Dolly touched generations of families and reminded us that kindness never goes out of style.

Today, we’re remembering the sparkle, the laughter, the unmistakable voice, and most of all, the enormous heart behind it all. ✨

**Rest peacefully, Dolly. The world will always love you.** 🤍

1946–2026 🦋

🐝 Celebrating One Year with Mrs. Erica! 💛

Today, we are excited to celebrate Mrs. Erica’s one-year anniversary with Hive Academy! Her dedication, compassion, and commitment to our children and families have made such a meaningful impact on our Hive.

Mrs. Erica, thank you for the care, positivity, and heart you bring each day. We are so grateful to have you as part of our Hive family and look forward to celebrating many more milestones together!

Please join us in congratulating Mrs. Erica on one amazing year! 🎉🐝