Small Group Mathematics Tuition For 2009

Available @ Tower 46 The Quintet!
December 2008 - November 2009

Dear Parents

We are pleased to announce that the head start Mathematics programme for the academic year 2009 will commence in December 2008. We conduct Mathematics tutorials for students from Primary 1 to Secondary 4. Our groups are kept small (maximum of 5 students) so that every student can benefit from the lessons in terms of adequate attention given to each student. Within a smaller group, each child is likely to participate more readily.

Our teachers, Mr & Mrs Go, graduated from the National University of Singapore and are former NIE-trained teachers. Mr Go has 12 years of teaching experience and was a Head of Department in a secondary school. Mrs Go has more than 10 years of teaching and tutoring experience (in government school, tuition centres and private tuition).

We believe that every child is unique and can achieve given the right guidance and support. We strive to work closely with our students’ parents in order to bring about a successful outcome for our students. We desire to provide quality tuition at affordable fees to the students residing in Yew Tee.

Please call or email us to enquire about the fess and the available timeslots for the various levels and register with us as soon as possible! Thank you and may God bless you!

Faithfulness & Integrity In Service
Mr & Mrs Daniel Go
9172 8817, danarical@yahoo.com.sg
9720 7985, ariantan@yahoo.com

Fees for 4 lessons (Payable by cash/cheque on the first lesson of every month)
Lower Primary - $120 per student
Upper Primary - $130 per student
Primary 6 - $140 per student

Lower Secondary - $150 per student
Secondary 3 - $160 per student
Secondary 4 - $170 per student

There will be no lessons in the 5th week.
Confirmed classes

Rates for clinic sessions (Strictly by appointment)
Lower Primary - $40 per hour
Upper Primary - $45 per hour

Lower Secondary - $55 per hour
Upper Secondary - $60 per hour

The Wonder of The Anointing Oil

On 16 May 2008, I shared that I met Betty, who had suggested that I left the cover of the piano open so that Caleb could practise for his exam on a more regular basis. He took his practical exam on 10 July, at 9.20am.

Before Caleb's exam, my pastor preached on the subject of the anointing oil over a few Sundays in June. I was very excited and I started applying the anointing oil (olive oil that had been prayed over by Pastor Prince) on Caleb's hands every night when he was sleeping. I prayed as I was applying the anointing oil. I even prayed over and anointed his piano!

The night before his piano exam, I faithfully anointed Caleb's eyes, ears and hands and prayed for God's favour to be upon him again while he was sleeping. I believed that when I anointed him with the anointing oil, those areas that were anointed were set apart for God's use and His glory. Though Caleb was a little nervous (to the extent that he had 'butterflies' in his tummy) before he went into the exam studio, I knew that the Lord had taken over control of his eyes (to see the notes correctly), ears (to hear correctly, aural) and hands (to play the pieces skilfully).

This afternoon, when Ms Connie Lim arrived at our home, she broke the joyful news that Caleb had passed the Grade 2 practical exam with a merit! She has not given me the full details yet. Ms Lim was glad and relieved that Caleb had done well for his maiden exam. All glory to God!

God's Beloved

Getting Caleb Motivated

Yesterday, I had the privilege of talking with Betty, one of the mothers, whose children were also studying at Gracefields Kindergarten. I was sharing with her that Caleb's piano examination was drawing near, in July, but he did not seem to be very motivated to practise the piano examination pieces every day. Betty shared with me that her daughter's paino teacher had suggested leaving the cover of the piano open so that Hannah could play it whenever she wanted or wished. And the result was, Hannah played the piano! Even though it was just five to ten minutes, at least, she played!

So, this morning, I deliberately left the cover of the piano open, awaiting for the magical moment to occur. Lo and behold, Caleb hopped onto the bench and started striking the keys! He played for about fifteen minutes on his own accord! And he continued to play in this manner as and when he walked past the piano during the course of the day. This method is so much better than getting him practise at a stipulated, definite time. Thanks, Betty! I really met the right person, at the right place and at the right time.

God's Beloved

Vertical View Versus Horizontal View

Tonight, Daniel and I had the opportunity to bring our Filipino buyers, a very friendly and patient couple, to view two four-room flats at our home ground, i.e. Choa Chu Kang. The first unit that we went to was at a low floor. Daniel remembered very vividly through his 'sowing' (or farming) that one particular owner at that level had indicated that he wanted to sell his flat, but only after the Chinese Lunar New Year. Altogether, Daniel met up with that owner for about three times. So, when we went up to that level, it was truly the same owner who was selling his flat, but through another agent, who happened to be our friend's husband (OK, also my recruiter-cum-manager)!

It may appear that a highly possible opportunity of earning 2% commission had eluded from our grasp (my horizontal view), but we thank our Abba Father that He faithfully and divinely provided us with this lovely Filipino couple. Later, I found out from my friend that the owner's vision was partially impaired due to a viral attack and he and his wife were not working as the latter had to take care of him. No wonder I found it strange that he could not seem to recognise Daniel when we reached his home and only after talking with him for a while, he mentioned that he found Daniel's voice (instead of face) very familiar. They needed to 'downgrade' to a smaller flat in order to use the sale proceeds to finance their daily expenses.

Even though my friend was the one helping the owner to market his property, I still thanked Abba Father that He provided us with a buyer instead. I told Daniel that if we were the ones to help the owner market his property, I would feel terrible if I were to collect 2% commission from him after knowing the couple's plight. My Abba, in all His omniscience and agape love (His vertical view), spared me from that awful feeling.

I also learned from the tele-conversation with my friend that someone was keen to purchase the flat and had made an offer. The owners were not Christians, but my dear friend was touched by the Lord to reach out to this young couple. I was very encouraged by my friend's godly testimony.

The real estate business is not just about selling or buying houses and making good money, but about the people whom you deal with. If agents treat people with love, respect and integrity then we will be treated likewise, though not always and in the same measure. Nevertheless, my trust is in my faithful and loving Abba, Who constantly watches over me and guides me with His righteous right hand. Moreover, I also believe in God's infallible system of sowing and reaping, i.e. you reap what you sow.

"Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Galatians 6:6-10

God's Beloved

Home-Viewing Lovers

I'm beginning to enjoy what I'm doing as a real estate agent. I remember when I was young, I always loved visiting my friends' homes, just to see how they looked like. Now, as an agent, I have the licence to view as many homes as I want to without breaking the law of "No Trespassing"!

Last Sunday, I accompanied Daniel to his viewing appointments in Mei Ling Street and was very privileged to view two units of executive apartments (EA) and one unit of executive maisonette (EM) in two blocks. I was particularly impressed with one of the EA units, where the female owner, who is a homemaker, took great pride in keeping her huge home perfectly immaculate! I was told that the renovation was done twelve years ago ever since the family took possession of the property. I was truly amazed by her quest for excellence in housekeeping as everything about the home looked rather new even after more than a decade of residing in it!

I was also able to strike a meaningful conversation with the wife of one of the sellers. When I entered the couple's home, I saw pieces of children's work pasted on the walls and asked her whether she was a teacher and found out that she was formerly a secondary school teacher, who later resigned from the service to care for her four children. Moreover, I also found out that she knew my aunt and uncle, who are staying at a different level in the same block! She mentioned that she watched my aunt's grandsons, Joel and Jedd, grow up since they were very young. She chortled, "What a small world!"

I thank Abba Father for connecting Daniel and me with other brothers and sisters-in-Christ through our property business. Two of the three homes that we brought our buyers to view yesterday belong to Christian families. Praise the Lord!

If you are interested in properties (EA/EM) in Mei Ling Street, please call me at 9720 7985 or Daniel at 9172 8817.

God's Beloved

Seasons of Life

Ecclesiastes 3:1 says, "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." King Solomon, the person who recorded that was called the wisest man who ever lived. He affirmed that there is a time, a 'season' for everything in life, including a season to work and a season to refrain from working.

God has designed seasons in a woman's life and family. Employment is more appropriate in some seasons than others. There are typically four seasons to parenting. Each one has its own opportunities, challenges, demands and pleasures. Not surprisingly, the responsibilities change a bit as the seasons change, especially for the mother. As her children grow up, her priorities shift and employment outside the home becomes more appropriate or less appropriate, depending on the season.

Spring - Birth to Beginning of Formal Schooling

Summer - Primary School to College

Autumn - National Service, Poly/University to Working

Winter (The Empty Nest) - Children get married and leave home

Whatever the season that you are in and how old your children are, if you do consider working, try thinking of ways to make money at home (especially when your children are still young). When Caleb was younger, I tutored students under the CDAC Tuition Programme in a nearby school, at a tuition centre and at home. My hours were short, about one and a half to four hours a day (though not every day) and the income was quite lucrative considering that I was only working part-time.

The following are some ideas for home businesses:
(1)Day care for young children
(2)Teaching cooking, music or art (classes or one at a time)
(3)Word processing and desktop puplishing
(4)Editing newsletters, free-lance writing or technical writing for local businesses
(5)Handcrafted toys, dolls, bears, etc.
(6)Pottery, needlework, wreaths, ornaments, etc.
(7)Designing and producing jewelry, bows, headbands, T-shirts
(8)Custom sewing, alterations, etc.
(9)Beauty consultant (facial treatment and make-up)
(10)Food : catering, specialty cookies, wedding and birthday cakes
(11)Gift baskets (e.g. Tupperware)
(12)Gardening : fresh and dried herd products
(13)Bookkeeping and accounting
(14)Income tax preparation
(15)Designing or refinishing furniture
(16)Marketing : selling clothes or other products through sample sales or parties (e.g. network marketing)
(17)Free-lance graphic artist
(18)Telemarketing
(19)Insurance (except for appointments with clients and training)
(20)Real estate (except for appointments with clients and training)

If you have more to add on to my list, please write to me. : )

God's Beloved

To Work Or Not To Work?

Yesterday, my friend, Jessie, called me up to ask me about breastfeeding. She had just come back to Singapore to work after her two-month maternity leave. She had left her two months old newborn to her mother's care in Malaysia. She shared that during the first week of work here, she kept crying whenever she looked at her baby boy's photos. She missed her baby terribly and even toyed with the idea of resigning from work. However, the family's commitments (housing and car loans, especially) prevented her from making this bold step! This is what I call the "dual income syndrome" when a working mother is emotionally, physically and mentally torn between fulfilling her roles as a wife, mother and employee. And how do I spell working mom? G-U-I-L-T! Very often, a working mother feels guilty of not spending enough time with her husband and children, and of not keeping the house in order.

Many people say that it is quality time that counts. However, if a working mother has a full-time job, then it is really hard to have quality time with your children at the end of the day. And the daily grind of life outside and inside home often leaves the working mother completely exhausted!

I believe most mothers would agree with me that the developmental years of a child are the most crucial and he is better off when the mother stays home and does not work. However, too many young couples, especially, are trying to embrace the good life too quickly. They want it all, and they want it now. They marry and establish their standard of living based on two incomes. Many spread themselves extremely thin with mortgages, car payments and credit card debt. Then one day, when the first child comes along, and the wife's maternal instincts take over, she would like to quit work for a while, but she CANNOT - not without causing major stress on the finances and, ultimately, on the marriage. She feels trapped. It is no longer a question of whether she can work, but that she must work.

All of this may or may not mean that a wife should not work. Even if as a couple you decide the wife should work, it is advisable to avoid using her income for the basic support of the family, if at all possible. In other words, learn to live on the husband's income alone. I know that sounds drastic for our culture. But the alternative - dependence on two incomes - has equally drastic implications.

In his fascinating book His Needs, Her Needs, William Harley analyzed thousands of interviews with men and women about their needs in marriage. Regarding women who work outside home, he reported:

Whatever women say in public about their willingness to share the burden of making a living, in private I hear something entirely different. Married women tell me they resent working if their working is an absolute necessity. Even part-time work irritates them if their income has to help pay for basic living expenses.

I believe that most working mothers would choose to stay home and look after their children if money were not an issue. Do you agree?

"the older women ... teachers of good things - that they admonish the young women to love thier husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to thier own husbands, that the Word of God may not be blasphemed." Titus 2:3-5

God's Beloved