ASSOCIATION NEWS
Welcome your 2018 STANSW Council Members (continued)
Susan Filan Abbotsleigh
Role: Councillor with Professional Learning Committee portfolio
Your role at work including the expertise you bring to STANSW: As Head of Environmental Education at Abbotsleigh,
I develop curriculum-based environmental education experiences on campus, in the local area and at the environment
centre in the Senior School for pre-K through to Year 12. I am patron of the school Environment Council, Agriculture
Club and ACEE Club. In addition to my Environmental Education role, I also teach Stage 6 Earth and Environmental
Science. I am passionate about curriculum and have been an active participant in curriculum consultation for the 7–10
and Stage 6 Science syllabi.
Interesting facts about yourself: I spent my first month in Australia collecting fossils at Riversleigh with the UNSW
team. With that spectacular introduction to Australia, immigration was inevitable. My first career was in medical research.
After more than 10 years, I decided to change careers and trained as a Science teacher. Since then I have worked in
public and independent high schools teaching 7-10 Science, Biology and EES. I started the FIRST robotics program
at Abbotsleigh. In my free time, I volunteer as an instructor at my local dog training club and as a pet therapy visitor to
nursing homes and hospitals.
What do you hope to contribute to STANSW Council in 2018 (and beyond): STANSW has been a major contributor
to my professional development from the Early Career Teacher workshops and 'Meet The Markers' through to BEEINS
and CONASTA. I want to give back to the Association by assisting with governance and development of meaningful
professional learning opportunities for teachers at all stages of their careers.
Tanya Riach Condobolin high school
Role: Branches Committee
Your role at work including the expertise you bring to STANSW: I currently teach stage 5 Science, yr 12 Senior
Science and yr 11 Physics. I am new to STANSW Council. I have a passion for STEM, literacy and numeracy activities
and different ways to collect data and how to use the data for the future. I am always looking for new hands-on activities
and inquiry-based lessons to boost my students' enthusiasm for learning.
Interesting facts about yourself: I was an attendee of the first STEM X academy and was then invited back as an
allumnist the next year. I have hosted science assist workshops and the first regional STEM X. I was chosen to be part
of the 2017 ASTA Japanese exchange.
What do you hope to contribute to STANSW Council in 2018 (and beyond): As a rural and remote teacher, I hope
to contribute my knowledge of teaching in Western NSW to bring a new approach to STANSW to endeavour to share
the great work that STANSW does and to increase the number of members from Western NSW. I feel that teaching is
a collaborative process and that through this network of collaboration teaching practice will improve and teachers will
feel more confident and resourced within their classrooms.
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SCIENCE EDUCATIONAL NEWS VOL 67 NO 1