Archive for November, 2009

-by Wilson Chan-

As a coach:

We are packed with coaching. Everyone knows that. However, I encountered one student who asked me what am I busy with…
well, A LOT …

Being a normal coach, we participate in coaching aspects. Minimum administration, a little bit of interaction..

Being an AdvoCoach, we:

• excel in marketing (we are the brand)
• have deep rapport with students and parents
• organise outings and games
• create fun environment
• create strong trust between coaches and staff
• wash toilets, etc..

We do all the things that is required as a person, not just a coach!

We are the POWER coaches who:

• run HIGH benefit workshops
• are passionate about what we are delivering, adding value to people, shifting mindset of students, inspiring and empowering students to be peak performers!

Life As AdvoStudents:

• relieve stress
• have fun to create results for ourselves easily!
• have snacks at AdvoCafe
• We enjoy the closeness between everyone in the centre!

Life in Advo for parents:

We are very glad to get constant feedback about our children regularly from dedicated AdvoCoaches. We are amazed at Advo’s way of transforming results. They do it so FAST!!
We are happy that our children become better after going through TurboCharge!

Life as an associate of Advocators:
I feel so blessed to be part of the family. Advo works as a team that builds us to see results in life.
Life in Advo is MARVELOUS!!

-by Seik Yee-

Childhood memories are special for everyone. I have a very happy memory of my childhood. I was born into a big family which included my parents, and my 4 siblings. Although we were not rich, however, we enjoyed our life in general. I have a lot of fun memories of me and sisters playing in our backyard, playing hide-and-seek, climbing trees, going to park and beaches. When playing hide-and-seek, I was always the one hiding. We and our neighbour could play hide-and- seek and cops-and-robbers for hours on end. There were a lot of games and activities that we played during our childhood life, but now those games seemed to have vanished. The game that I miss the most is the “Pepsi Cola 123”.

When I was young, I will wait patiently for my father to come home from work. When the time he reached home, excitement will just jumped throughout my whole body. I will run over and gave him the biggest hug. My father liked to take us around to play, I and my sister will be very excited, and the excitement will always last for few days. As we grew older, we don’t even have much time to accompany them, sometimes we will be annoyed by their repetitious questions. When I think back, guilt will rise inside of me and I will be upset with my behaviour.

When I was young, all I wanted to do was be an adult or act like an adult. I liked to act like someone older like a teacher or doctor. It was once my childhood dream. When I am getting older, the desire to get back my childhood life becomes stronger and stronger. The childhood memories I remember as it was happened yesterday. I was once a mischievous girl, I was once a talkative girl, and I was once an active athlete…

While we are a child one would always only remember the good things in life. Only later one would remember the bad. If I have a time machine, I would like to take a tour back and have my childhood life once again.

-by Xinyi-

Title: The Success Principles – How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

Author: Jack Canfield (with Janet Switzer)

This great book contains 64 principles that enable individuals to achieve success in all areas of their life. I bought this book mainly because of the title. It wasn’t the words “Success Principles” which caught my attention; rather, it was the fact that this book could tell me “how to get from where I was to where I want to be”. It was just what I needed.

Canfield starts the book off with the Fundamentals of Success, urging readers to take 100% responsibility of their lives. Most of us are so inclined to blame something outside of ourselves for the parts of our life we don’t like. Dear Advo-Students! Who is to be held responsible when you get a poor grade for your paper? Not your school teacher, not your coaches, not your parents, not your friends, not your study environment, it’s you! You and me alike, have to learn to give up our excuses and justifications and come to terms with the results we’re producing. Only after you’ve agreed to take 100% responsibility of your life should you even flip to the next chapter.

In another wonderful chapter, “Practice Uncommon Appreciation”, Canfield talks about auditory, visual, and kinesthetic appreciation. You may ask, ‘What does appreciation have to do with success?’. Actually, oftentimes when we’re in a state of appreciation and gratitude, we’re in one of the highest emotional states. We’re in a state of abundance! We’re appreciating what we do have instead of giving attention to what we don’t have. Because the law of attraction states that like attracts like, we will attract more abundance. For instance, don’t you realize that the more grateful people are for the things we do for them, the more inclined we are to do even more for them?

After reading the many principles of success, the author ends the book with the section “Success Starts Now”. There is no perfect time to start. Quit waiting until you’re perfectly ready. The fact is that you will never be! With that said, hesitate no more and buy or borrow your copy of “The Success Principles”. You and you alone are responsible for taking the actions to create the life you have always dreamt of.

-by Jean-

我加入这个大家庭已经有两个多月了，我对这里也渐渐有了感情。就从我第一次到这里面试说起吧！我在这里认识第一个人是Pey，她很友善，也没有歧视我这个“外国人”。她很有耐心的听我说话。那时我就想在那么好的一个人能够在这里工作，那这中心一定是很温馨的。除此之外，从谈话中我也能深深地感觉到她是个对教书很有热诚的人。第二次的时候，就没那么好了咯，这次由三个“严肃“的管理层人员面试我。不过最终，我还是顺利通过了。太高兴了！哈哈。

经过这段日子的相处，我发现他们不是那种超严肃的人。其实，他们都是很有趣的人哦！可能，当时是要决定聘请中心的coach，这对中心来说很重要，决不马马虎虎，所以三位的脸都是那样的。这里的人都很友善，对教书很有热诚。大家的目标都是一致的，那就是要学生相信他们是做的到！让他们认为自己是可拿到好成绩的（虽然可能他们每次都不及格），可是经过coaches细心的教导，鼓励，他们真地做到了。现在他们对自己也开始有信心。我想有时候成绩是其次，最重要的是他们开始相信自己的能力，渐渐地对自己，对父母都有责任感。当一个人有了信心，他会知道自己想要什么，也会知道要用什么方法去实现。当然，光是相信自己能够做到也是不够的，因为，当面对现实的成绩，表面上的信心也会慢慢消失。好成绩好还是需要有效的学习方法，正确的解答方式，理解其中的含义。

这些ADVO & ISUN都做到了，学生对学习的态度改变了，对自己的能力有信心，成绩也进步神速了。我想这些改变都让大家觉得欣慰吧！我们的努力没有白费。好吧！大家一起加油！

-by Audrey-

I caught Astro Boy last weekend. All along I know there is this cartoon character yet I never know the origin of it.

Let me give you brief background information about Astro Boy.
His “father” is a scientist. One day the scientist’s son ventured into the laboratory while they are having a dangerous experiment. The experiment went wrong and the boy was sacrificed. Out of grief, the father “cloned” a robot with the memory and appearance of his son, in the hope of replacing his son. Soon he found that Astro Boy is just another robot who can’t replace his son. He is too perfect to be true. Devastated, he chases his ‘son’ away from home. Astro Boy was heartbroken.

Astro Boy is powered by blue energy. This is highly limited and sought after by the government against warfare. Hence, Astro Boy is being hunted down and the father is supposed to remove the blue energy from Astro Boy, which literally means ending his life!

The story ended on a happy note. Astro Boy found his purpose in life (to save the world) and the father finally recognized Astro Boy as his son.

One thing I learnt from this show: Many times we tend to make impulsive decisions that we may regret later. Yet the decision actually creates an impact on others, which we must be responsible for. This really serves as a reminder to think twice and weigh the consequences before we act.

Overall, I think it’s a nice show worth watching. Good computer graphic with storyline. Touching scenes reflecting struggle between father-child relationships. I would give it 4 stars out of 5.

-by Pey-

There is this interesting story told of one young man who asked Socrates how he could get wisdom. To this request, Socrates replied, “Come with me.” With that, he brought the young man to a river. Without any warning, Socrates pushed the young man’s head underwater and held the young man’s head till the latter struggled desperately for air. At this moment, Socrates let him go.

When the young man regained his poise from the uncalled-for incident, Socrates asked him, “What did you desire most when your head was underwater?”

“I wanted air.” was the reply.

Socrates nodded and said “When you want wisdom as much as you wanted air when you were immersed in the water, you will receive it.”

* * *

We all want to work towards brilliant results, yet how honest have we been with ourselves on how much we want it?

I had learnt that it is vital to know both – of what we want and how much we want it. That will bring about an intense and wholehearted desire to work out a solution-based path, overcome blocks and generate momentum to pursue the course to get what we want.

If you think you want your straight A1s – think – how much do you want it. Be honest. Do not think yet about how you are going to get it, (I am sure the young man does not care how he is going to get air, HE JUST WANTS IT). First think how much you really want it! Feel it. That will bring about the strength and determination to propel you forth to entertain any possibilities. When that is in place, the “how” will come.

-by Jiahe

For the P6 students, the Games Day on 14^th Nov 2009 will be the closing chapter of the time they had in ISUN. All the coaches wish them the best in the next stage of their academic life and look forward to seeing them again with Advocators. The coming school holiday is an exciting period for ISUN. The Science section is conducting the first ever workshop for the public. The one-day workshop will equip students with the ultimate answering technique in Section B. Students will also master the skills in reading and analyzing questions, solving the most challenging in the shortest time. Stretching all the way into 2010, ISUN will be launching a series of programmes which draws on the essence of our academic coaching.

The end of the year is also a time when ISUN will reflect on the past one year and seek to improve in all areas. One of key in this area is the development of our very own guide book. Sticking to our philosophy, the book will deliver Science in an interesting, innovative, simple, and yet effective way.

The Math section strives to continue the successful transition programme for the introduction of calculator in the P6 syllabus. Moving forward, powerful strategies for all types of questions will be formalized to help students achieve the perfect score.