HRA Parents Council members Sonja Seutter and Julie Patterson volunteer at last year’s Fall Festival
At HRA, we believe one of our greatest strengths is the partnership between our families and the school. When parents are engaged, connected, and involved, our students benefit, and our entire community becomes stronger.
This year, HRA is taking a fresh approach to parent engagement with the launch of the HRA Parents Council.
The Parents Council is part of an exciting reimagining of the former Parents’ Association, with a simple goal: to make it easier for every HRA family to find a meaningful way to connect and contribute.
A Parent in Every Grade
Each grade at HRA will have a designated Parents Council representative who will serve as a friendly connection point between families, teachers, and the school.
Throughout the year, Parents Council representatives will help keep families informed about opportunities to:
Support the classroom. From classroom needs and special projects to activities and celebrations, parents will know where an extra set of hands can make a difference.
Connect with your grade. Representatives will share grade-level activities and opportunities that bring families together and help build those important relationships beyond the classroom.
Get involved school-wide. Parents will hear about volunteer opportunities for HRA events, traditions, programs, and special initiatives throughout the year.
Stay connected to the HRA community. Sometimes involvement is as simple as knowing what’s happening, showing up, cheering on our students, or lending a hand when you can.
There’s a Place for Everyone
Parent involvement doesn’t have to mean taking on a major commitment. In fact, one of the goals of the Parents Council is to create more ways to participate that fit the many different schedules, talents, and interests of our HRA families.
Maybe you have an afternoon to volunteer. You can help with a class project. You’re the person who loves organizing, decorating, welcoming new families, or making sure there is always enough HRA swag in the bookstore.
Whatever your gift, there is a place for you at HRA.
Why It Matters
Our students see what we do.
When parents volunteer at an event, attend a performance, cheer from the sidelines, help in a classroom, or simply show up for the moments that matter, our children see first-hand that their school is important to us.
And those connections matter. Strong partnerships among parents, teachers, and the school create a community where students feel supported, encouraged, and celebrated.
That is what the Parents Council is about: connection.
It’s about making sure families know how they can be part of the HRA experience and creating opportunities for us to come together around the students we all care about.
A New Chapter for HRA Families
The Parents Council represents a new chapter in parent engagement at HRA, and we are excited to see where it takes us.
We are not looking for a handful of parents to do everything. We are looking for lots of parents to do something. Fall Festival is the first major event at HRA that could really use parent support. For those of you who already answered the call to volunteer, we thank you.
So, when you hear from your grade-level Parents Council representative, we hope you will say yes to an opportunity that works for you. Come volunteer. Come cheer. Come connect. Come be part of the HRA experience.
Because when families get involved, opportunities abound—for connection, for community, and, most importantly, for our students.
Here’s to a wonderful year of Navigator pride, family connection, and being in it together!
Preview opportunities to get involved and support Hampton Roads Academy! A list of Navigator community events for the 2026-2027 school year is available here.
