"ONE of the reasons I teach middle school here is I remember those years as formative years, but also difficult years. I realise what you try to go through as a human being of that age and dealing with all the social issues, the pressures, the conformity, the being part of a group and not being a part of a group. I think we tend to ignore how important those years are from age 11 to 14. And I think that stuck with me for a long time and it made me think, 'okay, this is the work I need to do'."

Those were the words of David Cooke, a man who grew up in Swan Hill, flew to America and now leads a school that has won four awards in the past two years.