Parent & Staff Invitation
(Play & Forum – Option One)
NOTE: This invitation template is for those who have implemented Option One – Present Play on DVD. It is designed to be presented on the school letterhead and signed by the principal. A downloadable text version is available on the website ( An additional option is to include the Stories of Us PaCE Program Overview with this invitation.
PARENT & STAFF INVITATION
Stories of Us PaCE Program Play & Forum
Staff and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander parents, community members and children are invited to a special presentation of a play created by the community and students in an Adelaide school.
The Stories of UsPaCEProgram play was specially developed to explore the community’s relationship with schools, acknowledging the positives as well as examining some of the obstacles to greater involvement and stronger partnership.
Following the play there will be opportunity for audience discussion about the play and some of the topics it raises. Your involvement in this discussion is highly valued by the school.
The aim is to provide parents and community members with a voice and an opportunity to strengthen their involvement with the school, with a common goal of improved educational outcomes for their children.
WHERE: [INSERT LOCATION]
WHEN:[INSERT TIME AND DATE]
We encourage you to come along and be an active participant in this positive program.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Any further questions about the program can be directed to [INSERT NAME] on [INSERT PHONE NUMBER].
Yours sincerely,
[INSERT NAME & TITLE]
Stories of Us PaCE Program Outline
The Stories of Us PaCE Program is a multi-faceted initiative designed to enhance the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to:
• engage with schools and education providers in order to support improved educational outcomes for their children;
• build strong leadership that supports high expectations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ educational outcomes; and
• support the establishment, implementation and/or ongoing progress of community-school partnerships.
The program centres on short, simply staged plays developed by parents and students and performed for their community and school educators. The students perform both young and adult roles in the plays, bringing a certain playfulness in exploring a serious topic. These plays serve as a non-confrontational means of raising and exploring the community’s relationship with schools and education providers, acknowledging the positives and examining some of the obstacles to greater engagement and stronger partnership.
Following the play, local community representatives guide a discussion aimed at strengthening parental and community engagement with schools and education providers, with a common goal of improved educational outcomes for their students.
While the plays are central to the program, in many respects the real work occurs in the development process (where parents and students work together in preparation for presenting the play), the forum discussion after the performance, and follow-up sessions. Each stage of the program is designed to help achieve the objectives of the initiative.
The Stories of Us PaCE Program was developed in collaboration with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and students from Fremont-Elizabeth High School in northern Adelaide, with the support of the Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations under its Parent and Community Engagement Program (PaCE).
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