Gifted children can think, feel and experience the world with an intensity that can be exhausting. When your mind can conceive of a story that is as long as a novel, but you are still trying to remember how to hold your pencil and write letters, writing can be frustrating. When you can intellectually understand the ramifications of a natural disaster or worry about climate change but emotionally aren’t ready for that burden, it can be challenging. In this session, we will explore the intensities of gifted children, and what they mean for the adults who support and love them.   

Since 2005, Sandi Wollum has served as head of school at Seabury School, a child-centered independent school serving gifted children in prekindergarten – 8th grade in Tacoma, Washington. Prior to Seabury, Sandi spent nearly 20 years in public schools, including teaching in a self-contained elementary gifted program and serving as a district gifted program coordinator. Sandi is a passionate advocate for gifted children and for educational programs that serve the whole child. Sandi is the mom of a grown gifted son, a member of NAGC (National Association for Gifted Children), and a former board member of the Washington Association of Educators of the Gifted and Talented (WAETAG).  She has been part of the Child-Centered Gifted Consortium, an international group of educators that came together through Dr. Linda Silverman and the Gifted Development Center during the pandemic and is dedicated to developing and supporting child-centered gifted programs and educational leaders. She is a proud member of Tacoma Rotary 8 and an American Leadership Forum senior fellow.