Fen Tutors

New year 3 class on Saturdays in term 3!

Location: Leeming

Please refer to poster for details and contact 0410193154 through WhatsApp or Messenger.

Well done to the year 5 students for trying this competition for the first time and congratulations to the following upper primary students who have achieved a Distinction!

Xavier
Christopher
Benjamin
Gregory

We hear you, so we’ve added a new year 4 class in term 3.

Please see poster for details.

Location: Leeming
Max. no of students: 8

Please enquire at 0410193154 (WhatsApp) or through Messenger.

Opinion Piece - The mighty ‘d’ word

The important ‘d’ word stands for discipline.

It is not every day that we wake up in the morning, all ready for the day ahead. However, we need to have the discipline to get out of bed to fulfil our responsibilities for the day.

This discipline is what drives every work, be it big or small. Whether it’s getting the kids ready for school or preparing for an important task at work, we need this discipline in our life every day.

Children too, need to learn discipline. They need it when completing a task, or preparing for any sort of challenge. And the younger they learn discipline, the better it is.

The difference between a good athlete and a successful athlete is the discipline in training. The difference between a good musician and an accomplished one is the discipline in practising.

No matter how talented a child is, without discipline, he can’t reach his full potential.

There may be struggles in the process, or it can be painful at times, but the importance of discipline will not diminish.

So is tutoring necessary, I hear you ask. Though it’s all about individual preferences, a good learning environment can allow children to build up the discipline they need by having them attend classes regularly and motivating them to complete tasks on time. Children may not feel like attending classes all the time, but sometimes they just need the extra push that can be provided by someone else other than their parents.

Attending classes is not just about acquiring knowledge and skills, it’s also about building up of the discipline that a child needs. For example, a child needs to have the discipline to complete the homework that has been assigned.

The process of building up discipline, in my opinion, is far better than doing well for any challenging test and qualifying for any top school, as a child can reap its benefits for a lifetime.

We have obtained permission to share more children’s results from our two year 6 classes. All of these students will be eligible for the top selective school Perth Modern. Well done to them and thanks to the parents for their wonderful support! There are others who do not wish to share publicly and we would like to congratulate them nonetheless for the excellent results obtained.

Some students are preparing for interviews for specialised programs in other top GATE schools. We wish them all the best!

The students from our two year 6 classes have also obtained private school scholarships from the following prestigious private schools.

- Methodist Ladies College
- St Hilda’s Anglican School x 2
- Scotch College
- Wesley College
- Aquinas College
- Trinity College

So proud of all the students for their efforts!

Due to sensitivity of scholarship offers, we have taken down the posts of offer letters from these schools, but will share achievements with announcements instead. We will update the post when we know of more offers.

Some good news of the GATE results freshly released this afternoon! Huge congratulations to our students! More to come 🤩

Opinion piece - Private or Public high school?

As we eagerly anticipate the release of GATE results, this is one question parents often have.

As a parent whose children have been to 3 different private schools and 2 different public high schools (including Perth Modern), many parents have asked me that question. Let me share my thoughts.

Firstly, what are you most concerned about? If it’s purely academic results, it’s an easy decision - just choose a high-achieving public school.

However, as parents, we are often not just concerned about our children’s academic performance, but their overall well-being and development.

Private schools have more resources, newer facilities, better teacher-to-student ratio and specialised staff which will cater to varied students’ needs. You can generally expect your child to be more supported in emotional, psychological and other needs if they are in private schools.

Different private schools have different strengths - some have a superb sports program which cater to your young athlete, while others have a fantastic music program which will delight your musically-inclined child. There are prestigious private schools that have multiple excellent support and extension programs. Whether the private fees you end up paying is well worth the availability of these resources and the seemingly higher quality programs is a question each family has to answer, as each family has a different budget.

On the other hand, public schools with specialised GATE programs also provide quality programs at a fraction of the cost of private school fees. If your child gets into a public school GATE program that he likes and in which he is well-suited, why not just send him there?

Secondly, what group of children would you like your child to be with?

Undoubtedly, children in public and private schools come from different demographics. Students in GATE classes, especially in Perth Mod, tend to be more motivated, particularly ‘pushed’ by academically informed parents. The peer pressure to perform may motivate your child to aim for better results. However, for a child who is adverse to unnecessary stress, he may not ‘fit in’, and may even fall behind.

Students in private schools may be more well-rounded, balancing academic work with other co-curricular activities. They are generally more contented, since they have a plethora of activities to choose from and they are involved in activities based on their interests.

Thirdly, how does your child feel?

It’s paramount to consider your child’s feelings in the choice of schools. Do not allow even a little resentment in your child if he does not get to choose which high school to go to, since he, and not you, will be there for 6 years. Bring the child along for school tours and have a feel of the school culture. Search the school website to check if the missions and values align with your family’s. Hear the experiences of others who have been in that school. Most importantly, listen to your child and be attentive to his needs.

Finally, choose with your mind, and also with your heart. Parents have a special intuition, knowing what’s best for your child, as you know your child best.

A child cannot be in two schools at one time so once you have decided, don’t look back and allow your child to be fully involved in the school of choice. Children should enjoy their time in school, navigating, exploring, studying, discovering, learning and also be allowed to make mistakes while in their precious teenage years.

All the best to the students who are looking forward to entering high schools soon! We can’t wait to hear where you will go, and wherever it is, soar high and pursue your dreams!

This Math Olympiad class is starting very soon this term and it’s for children who are very keen in Math competitions and enrichments. Expression of interest is needed before confirmation of a spot.

The teacher for this class is teacher Jing Quan, who has vast experiences in Math competitions. He has achieved multiple prizes in Australian Math Competition (AMC). He has also obtained medals in International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) Maths and was previously featured in an ICAS video clip for being a 10-times ICAS medal winner. Additionally, he has represented Australia in Southeast Asia Math Olympiad (SEAMO) and obtained a Silver medal.

Please enquire on WhatsApp at 0410193154 or through Messenger.

We are looking for qualified and experienced teachers to teach small group classes of very motivated students.

Please send your enquiries to [email protected]

We have received more great news from parents regarding scholarship offers. 🎉

Thanks to the wonderful parents who gave permission for us to share their children’s offers, and due to the sensitivity involved, we will celebrate these children’s hard work and achievements with just announcements here.

We rejoice with them as they have been attending classes regularly and completing their tasks faithfully, and their achievements are testament to great efforts put into their work.

To date we have students with offers from

- Methodist Ladies College
- St Hilda’s Anglican School for girls
- Scotch College
- Wesley College
- Aquinas College
- Trinity College

A note that not all of our 20 year 6 students have applied for private school scholarships. We are of course still awaiting their GATE results.