ROSEMARY CATHCART TO VISIT
AUS IN JULY 2008 !

Workshops for parents and teachers

Rosemary has been involved in gifted education since 1981 in a wide variety of roles as both parent and teacher. In the mid 1980's she developed the REACH model for teaching gifted children, then became involved in taking workshops for teachers, and from 1990 to 1994 was tutor for the Auckland College of Education's post-grad papers in this field. From 1992 to 1995 she served as sole advisor on gifted children for the Special Education Service (now GSE). In 1995, she established New Zealand's only education centre specialising in gifted education, the George Parkyn Centre, led it through its first decade to its present nationally recognised status, and developed its innovative One Day School programme. She lobbied intensively for many years for change in official attitudes toward gifted education, leading to the Minister's Working Party on which she served. She has also worked extensively with parents and with parent groups and has served as national president of the NZ Assn for Gifted Children and for many years as advisor to that body's National Council. Her published work in this field includes a teachers' manual now in its third edition, editing the papers of Professor George Parkyn, writing a management guide to implementing the Ministry's policy following the NAG change in 2005, and various articles. She was awarded the QSM in 2004 for her work in gifted education.

She has a particular interest in professional development in this field. She has travelled regularly throughout New Zealand delivering many hundreds of workshops and seminars for teachers at every level, in schools, universities, colleges of education and to various professional groups ranging from trainee psychologists to ERO, and has worked on various Ministry contracts. In 2006 she established REACH Education Consultancy to allow her to focus on this aspect of gifted education. She is also currently involved in a research project in cooperation with the US National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented.

Her "other" life has included activities such as working as a postie while studying, editing an arts programme for Concert FM, writing feature material on house design, being a play centre Mum, setting up an annual community fair and being an active political party member. She lives in Rotorua with her husband and a mischievous cat.

You can read more about Rosemary Cathcart and her work in New Zealand on the REACH website www.reachgifted.org.nz  
and http://www.reachgifted.org.nz/news.htm

For details of Rosemary's book 'They're not bringing my brain out CLICK HERE

Rosemary Cathcart will be a Keynote Speaker for the AAEGT 12th National Conference "Celebrating Ability"  in Hobart, Tasmania 9-11 July 2008
http://www.giftedconference.org.au/

'A long way from church mice...'
READ Rosemary Cathcart's story about working in the field of Gifted Education in New Zealand