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Macquarie Primary School principal Wendy Cave has a simple suggestion on how schools can better engage with parents: ''Turn on the lights, open the door and invite parents inside.''
To that end, Macquarie is blazing a trail in parental engagement in Canberra; one that goes far beyond tuck-shop duty, morning reading and P&C councils.
Within the next fortnight, parents will throw on their PJs and take their children back to school on a Friday night for a movie on the big screen in the hall. Popcorn will be on the house and teachers will also attend - dropping lesson plans for slippers.
It will be a chance for families and teachers to get to know and better understand each other.
More than 100 families turned up for the first movie night, held last year, and now that word has spread, most of the students are keen to get their families along, putting beanbag space at a premium.
Another initiative has had the school open its library on Saturday nights to allow parents and children to enjoy a quiet read together.
''It has been hugely popular, and for a really minimal investment we are encouraging reading and literacy,'' Ms Cave said.
Having been in the teaching profession for 25 years, including leadership roles in five schools, Ms Cave can clearly see the positive effect the parental engagement is having.
''Any school can do a good job educating children, but they can't do a great job unless they know those children well,'' she said.
By breaking down the barriers between home and school, Macquarie was demonstrating that learning didn't just happen between 9am and 3pm.
Ms Cave said it was also important to be strategic as busy, working parents could find it challenging to build relationships with the school community during office hours.
She said schools needed to encourage parents who were not ''those core group of voices that are on the P&C''.
''We look to establish a partnership with all our families and, as corny as it sounds, it is not only about the programs and classes we offer, but the relationships we build that lead to better outcomes.''
This approach has attracted out-of-area families such as the Halpins.
Sophia and Luke send their two children, Nate, 9, and Clare, 8, to Macquarie because they feel connected to ''a community which puts our children first''.
Movie nights are a special event for Nate, as hearing loss makes it difficult for him to go to the cinema. The latest technology in the school hall includes a hearing loop for him and several other children. And the popcorn goes down a treat.