Victorian Education Excellence Awards
The Department of Education and Training (DET) are calling for Nominations for the following State Education Awards.
It is wonderful to see that this year two new Awards have been created: Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students – Primary Award and Outstanding Provision for High-Ability Students – Secondary Award.
It would be wonderful to see deserving State Teachers nominated for these award categories. Nominations close on Monday, June 8. Please see attached Flyer below for details.
Tuesday, 17 March 2020
Dear VAGTC Members, Friends and Seminar Attendees,
Due to the growing concerns regarding the spread of coronavirus, we have decided to Cancel the Parent Seminar which was scheduled to take place at Parade College, Preston on Thursday, March 19 from 6.30 to 8.30pm. The TryBooking for this event has been closed down.
The VAGTC apologises for any inconvenience caused. Anyone who has paid for the Parent Seminar will be refunded via the TryBooking system. We do hope to be able to run the Parent Seminar later in the year when the health crisis has passed, and will provide information regarding this re-schedule at a later date.
Thanks very much for your understanding.
Mark Smith
President, VAGTC
VAGTC Calendar of Events 2021 as at 25.1.21
Term 1
- Tuesday, January 19 – AAEGT Affiliates Meeting 1 for 2 Reps – 7.30 to 9pm.
- Wednesday, January 20 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 1 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Wednesday, March 3 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 2 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- In the Week Starting March 1 – Region 1 North-West Rural Parent Seminar 1 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- In the Week Starting March 22 – Region 2 North-West Metro Parent Seminar 2 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Wednesday, April 7 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 3 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Thursday, April 8 – VAGTC Strategy Day at Mentone Grammar 9.30am to 1.30pm TBC.
Term 2
- Wednesday, April 21 – AAEGT Affiliates Meeting 2 for 2 Reps – 7.30 to 9pm.
- Friday, April 30 – VISION Magazine Deadline for VISION 1, 2021.
- In the Week Starting May 3 – Region 3 South-West Rural Parent Seminar 3 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Wednesday, May 5 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 4 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Sunday, May 23 to Saturday, May 29 – Gifted Awareness Week – Theme: Thriving as Gifted.
- Sunday, May 23 – AAEGT Presentation 11am EST – ‘Thriving, not just Surviving’ Prof Karen Rogers and Dr Peta Hay.
- In the Week Starting May 31 – Region 4 South-West Metro Parent Seminar 4 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Wednesday, June 2 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 5 – 6.30 to 8.30pm
Term 3
- Wednesday, July 7 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 6 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Friday, July 23/Saturday, July 24 – National Education Summit – City.
- In the Week Starting August 2 – Region 5 North-East Rural Parent Seminar 7 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Saturday, July 31/Sunday, August 1 – 24th Biennial WCGTC World Conference – Part 1
- Wednesday, August 4 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 7 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Saturday, August 7/Sunday, August 8 – 24th Biennial WCGTC World Conference – Part 2
- In the Week Starting August 23 – Region 6 North-East Metro Parent Seminar 7 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Wednesday, September 1 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 8 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- In the Week Starting September 13 – Region 7 South-East Rural Parent Seminar 7 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
Term 4
- Wednesday, October 6 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 9 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- In the Week Starting October 11 – Region 8 South-East Metro Parent Seminar 7 to 9.30pm (PROPOSED)
- Wednesday, October 27 – VAGTC AGM Dinner and Presentation – 6 to 9pm.
- Thursday, October 28 – VISION Magazine Deadline for VISION 2, 2021.
- Wednesday, November 3 – VAGTC Committee Meeting 10 – 6.30 to 8.30pm.
- Wednesday, December 1 – VAGTC Breakup and Dinner – 6.30 pm onwards.
2022 AGM Documents November 9
Notice of AGM 2022 Letter
2022 VAGTC Letter to Members – Notice of AGM 22
AGM Guest Speakers:
AGM Guest Speakers: Featuring student voice through “Stories of the Gifted” – videos presented at the National Education Summit Gifted Symposium including live Q&A with the students. (6.50PM – 7.20PM)
2022 AGM Agenda
2022 Annual Report
2021 AGM Documents October 27
2021 Annual Report
2021 Annual General Meeting Minutes
VAGTC AGM Minutes 27.10.212020 AGM Documents October 28
2020 Annual Report
2020 Annual General Meeting Minutes
VAGTC produces
Shop
The VAGTC produces several resources that both members of the VAGTC and members of the public can access.
FREE Parent Seminar Series
New Seminars coming up for 2023 keep a lookout on our socials and website for future information.
What are the Parent Seminars about?
The VAGTC in partnership with the Department of Education and Training (DET) is facilitating
FREE parent seminars which aim to educate and support parents of high ability children.
Based on themes that arose as ‘high interest/high needs’ in the 2020/2021 seminars, these seminars are designed to foster positive and collaborative home/school partnerships, and to connect parents with each other to provide networking and support.
The seminars provide thematized exploration of elements of the following categories:
Identify -Definitions & identification of giftedness & talent
Understand -Understanding the characteristics & needs of gifted kids
Advocate -How to advocate for your child
Collaborate -Building positive home/school partnerships
Support -Enriching your child’s learning at home
-Where to go for resourcing
Online Seminar Programs
***POSTPONED***
FROM GUIDANCE TO ACTION: HELPING GT FAMILIES ORGANIZE TO CHANGE POLICIES IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND MEET GIFTED NEEDS.
Postponed. We will notify you when a new date has been organised.
Brief Description:
Families of gifted children often feel helpless in public schools, but in many cases, parents can work together to change policies and improve public schools for gifted learners. Join a group of parent leaders from the Gifted Education Family Network who have succeeded in organizing and making changes – and who believe that public schools must fully serve gifted learners from all racial, cultural, economic, and disability backgrounds.
Parents who have participated in past SMPG group, are well prepared to support the social and emotional needs of their children. The SENG SMPG model assists parents in identifying the needs and differences of gifted children, in determining whether a school or professional is an appropriate fit, and in supporting their children’s emotional needs in a variety of settings.
However, many families of gifted children do not have the financial ability to leave their public schools. When schools resist changes, parents may be left feeling hopeless and unable to affect change. Our session is intended to help parents who need to remain in public schools to transform their knowledge into action and advocacy. We plan to assist parents and caregivers in the following areas:
- Understanding the landscape of GT legal requirements
- Locating local families facing similar challenges
- Organizing a group and setting goals
- Beginning the process of local group advocacy for attainable goals
Presenter Bios
Emily: Emily Villamar-Robbins is a graduate of Harvard Law School and holds a Graduate Academic Certificate in Gifted and Talented Education. She has volunteered for gifted education in state and local roles, and she serves as a member of the Texas Education Commissioner’s Advisory Council on the Education of Gifted/Talented Students. She is a founding Board Member of the Gifted Education Family Network.
Kim Farbisz: Kim Farbisz the current Gifted Education Family Network President, parent of two highly gifted students, and a past President and board member of GC-SAGE, a GT parent group that helped to create the GCISD ASPIRE Academy for the Highly Gifted. Kim is beginning her seventeenth year of volunteering for PTA and served as PTA Council President in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. She currently sits on five different boards related to public education. In her professional life, she is an experienced international corporate consultant and has provided business strategy and advice to companies all over the globe. She currently owns her own business coaching firm and works primarily in the DFW market.
Lin Lim, holds a doctorate in psychology (Boston University), an Academic Graduate Certificate in Mind, Brain, and Teaching (Johns Hopkins University), and Twice-exceptional Education (Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education). Her parenting journey with her complex outlier children began about eight years ago and has led to her current interdisciplinary academic interest and focus on synthesizing cultural, attitudes, and conceptual thinking around complex outliers into practical applications. She is an international presenter and keynote speaker on topics including education, diversity, twice-exceptionality, gifted, interdisciplinary social science, human development, and psychology. She is currently an Associate Dean and faculty at Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity in Education, serves as a board member on several non-profit gifted-related organizations, and currently serves as the president of Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted (SENG).
