Second grade students at Woodward Elementary School were buzzing with excitement Wednesday as they got an up close lesson on bees from Sunbury beekeepers.

Nick and Jamael Szucs stopped by Suzette Ryan’s classes Wednesday to show off how bee hives work and answer student questions.

Ryan said she organized the visit because she knew she could integrate the curriculum and teach using bees, and she hopes students took an extra life lesson from the insects.

“Most importantly, I wanted our second graders to understand that everyone and everything works together and depends upon one another to survive and thrive,” Ryan said. “Our Woodward community thinks of ourselves as a family. Our school functions just as the bees do in their community. We all have our jobs, and if one person doesn’t do his job well, the community suffers. We spent a lot of time talking about how everyone is an important part of our family here at Woodward, just as every bee is needed to run the hive.”

Nick Szucs said he’s been beekeeping for a few years and learned the trade from his grandfather when he was younger. He recently created his own beekeeping business, Bee Dad Honeybees, and he and his wife recently posted in a Facebook group that they’d like to do educational events and were glad to come speak to the students at Woodward.

“Honeybee education has deepened my passion for the hobby and makes me want to give back and inspire the next generation,” Szucs said. “This was just the first (educational visit). … I loved the questions they had for me, and the curiosity the students had for the bees. Their enthusiasm is infectious!”

Szucs echoed Ryan’s sentiments, adding bees can help students learn about the power of cooperation.

“We hope that the students learned about how bees work together towards a common goal and each have their roles in the hive, much like our community,” Szucs said. “They are such an important part of our local ecosystem.”

After the visit, Ryan said she could tell students were engaged with the presentation.

“I know the kids took a lot away from our bee study and from the visit based on the amazing questions they asked Mr. and Mrs. Szucs,” Ryan said. “They have a new understanding of how important bees are to the survival of the world, and how humans must protect bees. I really enjoyed watching the kids see something they haven’t seen before. They have never seen the inside of a hive, a queen bee, a beekeeper’s suit, a honeycomb, or a group of bees up close. They haven’t touched or smelled beeswax or honeycomb before.”

Ryan called the visit “a terrific experience” for her students.

“Watching the pure joy on their faces and the intense interest they showed throughout the program is the best part of my job,” Ryan said. “I got to see a lot of that today. Mr. and Mrs. Szucs were so knowledgeable and amazing with the children. I had so many children tell me that they had so much fun at school today.”

Szucs said he and his wife have more educational visits lined up at various businesses and schools throughout the area, and he’d be happy to be a resource for students interested in becoming beekeepers.

More information about the Szucs’ business can be found at BeeDadHoneyBees.com.

Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903.