They have been selling locally grown honey to raise funds for the school, and in the process they have learned it is a sticky business.
Teacher Clare Blackmore said the project developed as part of classroom learning about the environment, pollution and sustainable living - particularly the latter.
She said the children became interested in bees because they not only produced one of the greatest breakfast spreads, they also had a major impact on the local ecosystem.
Local apiarist and former Waitahuna School pupil Dana Young has taken the learning project under his wing and is teaching the pupils everything there is to know about bees and honey.
They have since learnt the hills around the school are alive with the sound of bees, working to fill hives.
He dedicated the contents of three of his hives to the school, which recently harvested the honey and had it bottled in Mosgiel before selling it to the public.
Mrs Blackmore said the honey was so popular it sold out within 24 hours.
The school raised about $1000 from sales, and the money would be used to buy native plants and fruit trees for the school, to attract more bees and native birds, she said.
The school already has its own vegetable garden and a bug house which attracts insects that are good for the garden.
Mrs Blackmore said next year it was hoped the pupils would take a more ''hands-on'' approach to the project, and help care for the beehives, extract the honey themselves, bottle it and then sell it.
Judging by the speed at which their first lot sold, it was likely to be another very popular fundraiser, she said.
