Robyn Cleaver commenced her teaching career in 1991 and worked as a Society and Environment teacher at a number of public secondary schools before being appointed to Narrogin SHS as Head of Society and Environment and Languages in 2001. Robyn is currently employed as a Principal Consultant in the Department of Education and Training_s Senior Schooling Academic Standards and Support (SSASS) Directorate. A History specialist, Robyn_s particular interests include 20th Century Australia and the ANZAC Experience. In 2003, she was named the joint national winner of the Discovering Democracy Medal, recognising her endeavours in developing civics and citizenship education programs.
Robyn has extensive experience in managing extended educational tours. In addition to organising over 15 interstate tours, Robyn gained selection as a teacher supervisor on the inaugural ANZAC Student Tour in 2004 and was appointed Deputy Tour Leader on the 2005 tour to Greece. In 2006, Robyn was selected as one of two Australian teachers to escort the national winners of the Simpson Prize to Turkey to participate in ANZAC commemoration activities.
Like many in the tour group, Robyn has a personal link to the ANZAC story with four great-uncles serving with the AIF at Gallipoli and on the Western Front. Her Grandfather, Richard Cleaver enlisted in 2nd AIF and was posted to Headquarters NT Force, attaining the rank of Major by the time of his discharge in May 1946.
Phil commenced his career with the Department of Education in 1977 and has worked in a number of schools since that time as a classroom teacher, Head of Department, Vice Principal and Principal. Furthermore he has served on the Ancient History Syllabus Committee, as President of the Ancient History Teachers Association, as a member of the Society and Environment Consultative Group and more recently as a member of the Society & Environment Post Compulsory Reference Group.
Phil is currently the Principal of Lockridge SHS but has been seconded to a leadership consultancy role while he completes a two year posting in the Army Reserve as the Brigade Commander of 13 Brigade (the senior army officer in WA).
Phil served as the Tour Leader on the first ANZAC Student Tour to the Western Front (France) and London and the second to Greece (including Crete and Lemnos). On the third tour to the Western Front (France and Belgium) and Gallipoli, Phil attended as an advisor and mentor. This will be Phil_s fourth tour and among many other things he is especially looking forward to attending the ANZAC Day dawn service at Villiers-Bretonneux on the 90th anniversary of the town_s recapture by 13 Brigade (which he now commands) in a heroic night attack on 25 April 1918.
Michael Caudle is currently the Head of Society and Environment and Languages at Margaret River SHS and has worked his entire 24 year teaching career in regional Western Australia. As well as a current member of the Board for the Western Australian College of Teaching, he is a district trainer for the new History Course of Study, was part of the Curriculum Council_s Post Compulsory review consultative team and is a published author of both text and resource packages. Michael has won an Outstanding Teacher Award and was also selected to be included in the Department of Education and Training_s 2006 publication TEE (History) Case Studies of Effective Practice in the Senior Years of Schooling.
By instigating, organising and leading over thirty interstate and overseas educational excursions to NSW, Victoria, Sydney, Canberra, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia Michael has accumulated extensive experience in travelling with student and staff groups. In addition, as part of the national Simpson Prize 2001, he was selected to co-lead a group of students from each state and territory to partake in the ANZAC Services and other related activities at the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey.
His grandfather, Sydney James Caudle, a farm hand from Beverley, enlisted in the AIF at Blackboy Hill in 1916 and was a member of the 25th Light Horse and then the 44th Battalion, serving and later wounded on the Western Front.
Rosinda Seara completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1987, majoring in History. On completing her teaching qualifications in 1988, Rosinda worked as a secondary classroom teacher until being appointed Head of Society and Environment at Hamilton Senior High School in 2006. Her teaching responsibilities include Society and Environment, TEE History and TEE Geography.
Rosinda has travelled extensively and appreciates the value of knowing one_s own History. Consequently, engaging students in the study of 20th Century Australian History is her passion. Rosinda_s students are regular participants in the Sir Charles Court Young Leaders program, the National History Challenge and the ANZAC Student Tour competition. Rosinda actively encourages student involvement in ANZAC Day commemoration events within her school and community.
Rosinda is highly experienced when it comes to extended excursion management. She regularly coordinates many school-based excursions and camps, and in addition has supervised student tours to Sydney, Canberra, Malaysia and New Zealand. As an Emergency Services Cadet instructor, she is regularly involved in hiking the Bibbulmun Track with the Cadets, as well as in supervising week-long camping adventures to the South West. Each year, Rosinda takes great pride in the role that she and the Emergency Service Cadets play at various school and community ANZAC Day parades and ceremonies.
Liz Di Giovanni is joining the ANZAC Student Tour in 2008 as the media officer. After completing university, Liz honed her skills as a journalist in Perth on suburban and metropolitan daily newspapers. She interviewed everyone ranging from ordinary people who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances, to celebrities, politicians and royalty. Later, Liz was the Perth correspondent for several national magazines and a regular contributor to international publications.
For the past nine years Liz has worked as a senior media advisor to several State Government agencies. She now heads up the Department of Education and Training Media Unit where her role allows her to meet and promote the talents of students in WA public schools. Liz said she expects the ANZAC Student Tour to be inspirational and very moving. Her uncle Halford Pye was a Flying Officer (Air Bomber) in the Royal New Zealand Air Force and served in 115 (R.A.F) Squadron in WWII. He was killed in 1943 at the age of 23 when his plane was shot down. He was laid to rest in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.