Shrouded by the natural beauty of lush, green rolling hills, Harkaway Hills College punches well above its weight for a school that only opened five years ago.
This year’s student highlights include winning the interschool cross country carnival, taking out a state-wide poetry competition and coming out on top in a local short story competition. The school’s bumper NAPLAN results were also a highlight following more than a year of remote education.
College parents Damien and Tatiana Burger say the key to the school’s success lies in supporting the parents.
“By focusing on developing and supporting parental confidence, we end up helping the students in the best way that we can,” Damien said.
The Burgers, who were among the cofounding parents of Harkaway Hills College, fell in love with the PARED model of education because of the encouragement it provides to parents as the first educators of their children.
“There were families in Melbourne who wanted the same support, so we got together, and here we are today, the first PARED school in Victoria,” Tatiana said.
The couple said friendship is a vital aspect of PARED schools because friendship makes for a beautiful community.
“Parents can gather in our dedicated parent room anytime for a coffee and a chat,” Tatiana said.
“It is also a wonderful benefit for parents to get to know the parents of their children’s friends because it becomes such a wonderful support for them as they raise their children.”
