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Western Australia's association for gifted support, advocacy and resources

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Our Committee

Below you’ll find some information relating to our team. We work together to ensure that the organisation runs according to its goals. Many of us have qualifications specialising in giftedness, and as a team, our expertise spans all areas relating to gifted young people and their academic and psychosocial needs.

The organisation has at least one representative who has extensive knowledge in the following areas: gifted education in public schools (including PEAC and GATE programs), private schools, and/or the Catholic sector; the role of gifted education in independent schools; gifted students with special needs; academic research; and childhood and adolescent mental health in relation to gifted and twice-exceptional children and adolescents.

We are incredibly grateful to our many other volunteers who help to form sub-committees focusing on areas such as advocacy and event planning. We would not be able to function without the support of these wonderful individuals.

If you are interested in joining us and think you might be able to help, we’d love to hear from you!



Dean Tollis Chairperson

Dean Tollis -

Chairperson 

Dean Tollis is Organisational Change Manager at Dale Alcock's ABN Group, he has an interest in Gifted Education and the needs of children, parents and educators. He joined Gifted WA to provide leadership and advocacy for the needs fo gifted children in WA. Dean holds a Bachelor of Business with a Double Major in Finance and Economics.

Dean is involved in Advocacy and getting corporation to support and understand Neuro-Diversity and what that mean and can offer a workplace. Introducing companies to gifted and bright minds early to create connections for young people with companies beyond school and university.

















Brooke Siegmann - 

Vice ChairPerson

Events Coordimnator

Brooke is Primary School Teacher at Christ Church Grammar School. She has a background in Science and has taught in both the government and non-government systems. Brooke's passion for differentiating for gifted children began when a child was accelerated into her class for the first time. She then went on to study COGE (Graduate Certificate in Gifted Education) through the University of New South Wales and a Masters in Education with a particular interest in gifted children in Early Childhood at Notre Dame.











Lucy Birts - Member

Lucy is currently the Gifted and Talented Coordinator for Pre Kindergarten to Year 12 at Perth College in Western Australia. Prior to this she was the Gifted and Talented Coordinator K-6 at St Andrew’s Cathedral School in Sydney. She holds a Masters with Excellence in Gifted Education from UNSW and she is passionate about educating and inspiring our brightest minds! Lucy was awarded the ACEL Mary Armstrong Early Career Leadership Award 2020 for her work in the field of gifted education.



  


Retired Committee Members - we are very grateful for their voluntary service to Gifted WA


Jennifer Burton

Jennifer Burton is the Dean of Academic Excellence at Comet Bay College. During her long and distinguished career as a teacher, Jenny has taught a wide variety of subjects to early years, primary and secondary school students. Gifted and Talented education has been her passion for the past twenty years. In addition to her teaching duties, Jenny has extensive experience in delivering professional development to district, state and interstate audiences. A level 3 classroom teacher, Jenny has completed a Certificate of Gifted Education from the University of New South Wales, and in 2012 was recognised as the WA Premier’s Secondary Teacher of the Year.




Dr. Claire Molinari

Claire Molinari is the Director of the Centre for Excellence at Christ Church Grammar School and a teacher of Chemistry. She has a research background in Biochemistry and taught undergraduate courses at UWA prior to starting secondary teaching. She has a passion for gifted education and is currently studying a Certificate of Gifted Education from the University of New South Wales









Amanda Rogers

Amanda is a Secondary Teacher at Mercy College and the Gifted and Talented Coordinator (Years 7-9).  She has taught in a range of school systems in both Australia and the UK. Her passion for Gifted Education and advocacy was sparked by meeting the needs of her two twice-exceptional children.  Amanda has recently completed her Mini-Certificate of Gifted Education and is looking forward to undertaking further studies in Gifted Education.







Kylie Bice

Kylie Bice is an experienced Education Consultant with Growing Up Greatness, specialising in gifted education, differentiation, thinking skills, and educating diverse student groups. Kylie is an award-winning teacher and scholar and was previously the Senior Inclusive and Gifted Education Consultant at the Association of Independent Schools of WA. Kylie has many years of experience working with gifted and talented students in government and non-government schools, and works with schools to examine and improve their practice, policies and processes in order to better support and challenge students of all abilities.




Dr. Kate Burton   

Kate is a psychotherapist specialising in the assessment and therapeutic support of gifted and creative children, adolescents and adults. She additionally advises schools in relation to the psychosocial well-being of gifted students. Kate’s doctoral research examined giftedness in relation to trauma theory, addiction and self-destructive behaviour. Her current research interests include acceleration, anxiety, perfectionism, twice-exceptionality and mitigating trauma in educational settings. Her private practice, Alchemy Therapy, is based at St. Francis Medical Centre in Subiaco.





Melissa Morisson 

Melissa is a mother of three twice-exceptional children, works as a home-school educator for gifted children and is an advocate for gifted education in Western Australia. She holds a Postgraduate Certificate in Gifted and Talented Education and a Masters of Education where she focussed on enrichment programs, mentoring the gifted, differentiation and identifying gifted underachievers in low SES schools.




Trixi Oldfield -

Social Media Manager

Trixi Oldfield is a multinational award winning journalist with two gifted sons and a passion for the emotional wellbeing of gifted children. For 20 years she’s worked in newspapers and radio, predominantly the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. With both journalism and contemporary performance degrees under her belt, she’s also performed or worked in Perth’s arts scenes from PIAF, to the world puppetry festival, and taught design and performance in schools, as well as consistently volunteered in educational settings. Trixi now works freelance with various organisations. She aims to help Gifted WA promote awareness, understanding and connection in relation to giftedness.


Nina Thomas - 

AAEGT Representative

Nina began her career in the RAAF before entering the mining industry. She then studied to be an accountant, owning a business that allowed her to work from home with her twice-exceptional son. Later, she trained as a teacher becoming the gifted and talented co-ordinator at a primary school in Perth. Nina has completed both a Masters in Educational Psychology, a Masters in Gifted Education l, advanced diploma in psychotherapy and various other certificates in ADHD, ASD, and other neurological disorders. Nina is currently a psychotherapist, specialising in Gifted and 2E individuals.





 
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