Kolbecast
Kolbe Academy
Subscribe
The official podcast of Kolbe Academy. We discuss matters relating to home and distance education.
Available episodes
Newest first
Oldest first
4 days ago
174 Kolbe’s Chiaroscuro with Anthony D’Ambrosio
AMDG. Our patron St. Maximilian Kolbe is known for the heroism of his final days, but those acts were the culmination of the virtuous life he lived before his internment at Auschwitz. In this episode, visitor to the Kolbecast Anthony D’Ambrosio shares his special perspective on St. Max, which is based on his work developing the film Kolbe’s Passion and the intimate connection he forged with the saint during his own time of crisis. Anthony, Bonnie, and Steven discuss the relationship between suffering and faith, the grappling with despair and disillusionment that is inescapable in modern life, and the creative considerations involved in adapting St. Max’s story to a cinematographic format. And in case that virtuous life of St. Max’s we mentioned sounds dry, we have two words for you: fire truck.
Head to the Kolbe’s Passion website to watch the proof-of-concept film and find out how to support the production of the full-length film.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 100 In the Beginning with Mrs. Dianne Muth
* 134 For Tinkerers of All Ages
* 168 The Adventure of a Lifetime featuring Melissa Dee of the Saints Alive podcast
* 172 A Gift-Laden Voyage with Philip Kosloski of Voyage Comics
Other relevant links:
* Anthony’s father, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, aka “Dr. Italy”
* Beatidudes podcast
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Sep 20, 2023
173 A Deeper & Greater Joy
AMDG. Good Catholic priests come from good Catholic men, and many good Catholic men begin as little boys with lots of energy. Kolbe alumni Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi and Dcn. Charles Ohotnicky visit with Bonnie and Steven in this episode about their Kolbe educations and their vocations. From standout memories of their Kolbe years to the current lives they lead, today’s guests share their insights on men laying down their lives for the love of God and His Church. They also offer thoughts on the complementarity between parochial schools and homeschooling families along with pragmatic advice on how to encourage vocations without demanding them.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
* 170 A Spiraled Art featuring Fr. Ambrose’s mother Mrs. Beth Dobroszi
* 31 Veteran Homeschoolers with Jon & Chris Bates, Kolbe staffers who have homeschooled their children while serving in the military
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Sep 13, 2023
172 A Gift-Laden Voyage with Philip Kosloski of Voyage Comics
AMDG. Keeping young minds wondering, active, and curious can sometimes feel like a struggle. With pop culture always debuting new ways to capture attention, strewing our homes with examples of the good, the beautiful, and the true is one of the best ways to raise well-rounded young adults who are in the world without being of it. In this episode, writer Philip Kosloski—often found on Aleteia.org or in his series The Voyage Comics—visits with Bonnie, Steven, and Josh about discerning our charisms, the specific gifts God calls us to, subtle parallels to Catholicism in pop culture, and his work bringing inspiration from the saints into modern media.
Find Philip and his work on the Voyage Comics website and at Aleteia.org.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic Illustration
* 146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on Our Call to Holiness
* 170 A Spiraled Art
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Sep 6, 2023
171 Forming Financial Disciples with Jonathan & Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin
AMDG. Many of us aren’t familiar with what the Catholic Church teaches on money, finances, and possessions. We think of missionaries as being poor, but that isn’t always the case—from hair shirts to heiresses, the saints have had a wide range of financial situations and gifts. In this episode, Jonathan and Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin join the Kolbecast crew to discuss handling money virtuously. From discerning how we can best use our resources and give them back to God with increase to the idea of “maximum fruitfulness,” the Teixeiras share how helping young people say yes to God’s call in their lives includes financial literacy.
Episodes of The Catholic Money Show mentioned in the conversation:
* 3 More Saints for Financial Help
* Sts. Louie and Zélie Martin – Catholic Entrepreneurs Par Excellence
* 3 Saints to Pray to in a Financial Pinch
* Heiress to Religious – The Story of St. Katherine Drexel
* Holy Disinterest with St. Louis Martin
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
* 96 Adults in Training
* 121 Roots & Wings
* 146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on our Call to Holiness
* 166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, including the “Life after Kolbe” tag, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Aug 30, 2023
170 A Spiraled Art
AMDG. Thinking well is important. Communicating those thoughts well is too. As the school year kicks off, English and Literature department teachers Kim Crawford, Amanda Hayes, and Beth Dobrozsi share insights and tips for helping students learn to put thoughts to paper. They describe the progression of writing approaches and skills throughout various grade levels, challenges for students with ADD or ADHD, and the importance of physicality in writing. Their encouragement and tricks, coupled with the Kolbe support options they describe, are a launch pad for developing nuance, style, and clarity.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 61 Middle Ground with Amanda Hayes and Alex Pischke
* 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
* 87 Home Base featuring homeroom teachers
* 160 A Legendary Occasion, highlights from Kolbe Academy’s in-person 2023 commencement
* 164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial
* 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources
Writing resources recommended by our guests:
* Kolbe Academy’s new Writing and Style Guide is now available!
* Purdue OWL
* Guide to Grammar and Writing from Capital Community College
* The Excelsior College OWL
* Writing@CSU (Colorado State University)
* The Writing Center at UNC (especially the tips & tools section)
* Grammarly
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Aug 23, 2023
169 No Made-Up Answers
AMDG. Kolbe teachers educate their students, sure, but their bigger role is to help their students’ formation. Today mathematics chair Wes Stratman and theology teacher Brendan Murphy share their own roads to Kolbe and how those roads prepared them to help their students explore for themselves rather than check boxes in class. Along with their teaching philosophies and a few favorite stories, Wes and Brendan also share tips for getting the school year off to a good start.
Relevant links:
* Kolbecast episode 132 Monday Morning Assembly featuring Wes Stratman and others affiliated with Kolbe’s Monday morning schoolwide gatherings
* It’s Back to School Time from the Kolbe blog with links to several Kolbecast episodes that might be helpful as the school year gets underway
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Aug 16, 2023
168 The Adventure of a Lifetime featuring Melissa Dee of Saints Alive
AMDG. If the saints have ever felt inaccessible or unrelatable to your family members, hearing their stories in a different format may help them come alive. In this episode, Melissa Dee—homeschool graduate, mother, and producer of the Saints Alive podcast—joins the Kolbecast to share how she, her husband Alex, and their team produce episodes that she describes as watching a movie in your mind. Melissa highlights the heart of each saint’s mission and explains how learning about the holy individuals who came before us is a way to learn about virtue played out and real-life role models.
This episode includes a brief reference to self-harm in the context of challenges current teenagers face.
Visit the Saints Alive website for resources corresponding to each episode and ways to get involved with the Saints Alive mission.
Kolbecast episodes relating to St. Maximilian Kolbe:
* 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
* 134 For Tinkerers of All Ages
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Aug 9, 2023
167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom
AMDG. How we respond to meltdowns and dysregulation is as crucial to family life as praying together, eating together, and extracurriculars. Catholic licensed professional counselor Johanna Seagren visits the Kolbecast on this episode to describe the importance of emotions and the Interior Kingdom program that she developed to co-regulate emotions in parents and children. The conversation highlights how God created emotions, how the morality of emotions is not in the feelings themselves but in the actions growing out of them, and how happiness is not our goal—peace within ourselves based in the peace of Christ is. Johanna also offers practical tips on fight/flight/freeze mode, addressing test anxiety, and developing both playfulness and safety.
Use coupon code Kolbe15 through August 31, 2023, for 15% off the Interior Kingdom program.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 45 Grace Perfects Nature
* 136 Cura Personalis – The Sequel
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
playlist_add
Aug 2, 2023
166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly
AMDG. John Cuddeback, a philosophy professor at Christendom College, family man, and homesteader, visits with Bonnie and Steven this episode about relationship, friendship, and home life. With the insight of an ethics professor and the experience of a family leader, Dr. Cuddeback describes the importance of living well together, the distinction between education and academics, and the richness of our common stock of stories, images, and questions. From Aristotle to agriculture, today’s episode highlights the expansion of experience and the experience of wonder available to families.
Check out Dr. Cuddeback’s musings, videos, and courses at his website LifeCraft.
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life of faith, or the intersection of the two? Send your questions to podcast@kolbe.org and stay tuned for answers. You may hear them answered in an upcoming Kolbecast episode!
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org
playlist_add
Jul 26, 2023
165 Now I Know God
AMDG. The conversations we started at Kolbe’s commencement events in Atlanta a few months ago continue to yield fruit. Today’s guest, Jennell Kvistad, joins us to continue one of those conversations today. The group first discusses helping teenagers and newly 18-year-old offspring ease into adulthood. From there, Jennell shares both her family’s road to homeschooling with Kolbe and her personal road to joining the Catholic Church just last year. With vivid specifics, plenty of humor, and even a bit role for the Kolbecast itself, Jennell’s conversion story is profound and encouraging.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 158 The Gift of a Mind (speeches from Commencement 2023)
* 159 Now We See in Part featuring the Kolbecast cohosts live from Atlanta
* 160 A Legendary Occasion Kolbe alumni and parents recorded live in Atlanta
* 118 Odysseys in Catholicism featuring the conversion stories of two Kolbe administrators
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life of faith, or the intersection of the two? Send your questions to podcast@kolbe.org and stay tuned for answers. You may hear them answered in an upcoming Kolbecast episode!
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org
playlist_add
Jul 19, 2023
164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial
AMDG. Today an experienced Kolbe parent named Lindsey, mother to four sons between eleventh grade and kindergarten, shares the reasons behind her loyalty and enthusiasm. Speaking from her decade of ups and downs (but mostly ups), she describes the pragmatic and profound benefits her family has seen from Kolbe, how she juggles schedules for students in multiple grades, and the factors involved in balancing schoolwork with athletics. Lindsey, Bonnie, and Steven also discuss hands-on tips for enrollment season and the beginning of the school year, as well the value of the sacrifice that homeschool parents make.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 120 Substance Matters with Classic Learning Test (CLT) founder Jeremy Tate
* 127 Forging a Path with CLT Director of Homeschool Partnerships Kimberly Farley
* 143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab
* 86 The Rivendell of the Newman Guide with Dr. Ryan Messmore of Magdalen College
* 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources detailing Kolbe’s expanded Student Support Services program
* 103 Above and Beyond with Nancy from the Kolbe bookstore
* 76 Study Buddies with National Honor Society students
* 148 Engage & Apply discussing Kolbe’s core, honors, and AP course offerings and how to decide among them
Other Kolbe resources mentioned:
* Kolbe summer reading program
* Student Support Services webinar
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast!
What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life of faith, or the intersection of the two? Send your questions to podcast@kolbe.org and stay tuned for answers. You may hear them answered in an upcoming Kolbecast episode!
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org
playlist_add
Jul 12, 2023
163 Postcards from France
AMDG. Our three-part series on language study wraps with a delectable flourish and an insightful conversation as Jenni Mammola, Kolbe’s language department chair and online French instructor; Therese Prudlo, Kolbe’s history department chair and online history instructor; Megan Lengyel, Kolbe’s chief academic officer; and Mary, incoming co-president of Kolbe’s French club, reminisce about a recent trip to France. We also get to hear from several Kolbe students who traveled with them. From trilingual lunch discussions to experiencing firsthand the close connection between France and Catholicism to the difference between being a traveler and a tourist, our discussion paints a beautiful picture of the value of language study, travel, and Catholic community.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
* 161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness
* 162 Let Latin Conquer You
* 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
* 108 Time Stood Still
Kolbecast episodes cover a range…
playlist_add
Jul 5, 2023
162 Let Latin Conquer You
AMDG. In the second installment of our linguistic trifecta, Bonnie and Jordan revisit a conversation begun long ago on the Kolbecast, and Steven and Maggie Hayden join in. More specifically, Jordan and Maggie share their enthusiasm for and expertise in Latin: what drew them toward the language, the hidden benefits of learning it, the practical benefits of knowing it, the correlation between studying it and standardized tests, the clarity of thought and writing it brings, and more.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 7 Et Tu, Iordane?
* 161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps us reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread th…
playlist_add
Jun 28, 2023
161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness
AMDG. In this first of a three-part series on language study, Kolbe advisor and alumna Agostina Cavasotto, whom Kolbecast listeners met in episode 154 Passport: Argentina, returns to discuss her love of languages, the connections she makes among them, the value of studying a language in depth, and the way language study helps cultivate a habit of thinking that serves a person well in many facets of life. To help with the practical aspects of language study for homeschoolers, she offers many suggestions and refers to a rapidly growing section of the Kolbe website filled with helpful articles on a range of subjects relating to homeschooling and Kolbe Academy. (Check out the Academics and Advising section.) The conversation broadens to include discussion on lifelong learning and the discoveries Agostina has made about the many and varied ways to learn at any age and in any context.
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic educ…
playlist_add
Jun 21, 2023
160 A Legendary Occasion
AMDG. Newly minted alumni, siblings, and parents shared their time and thoughts with us at graduation in Atlanta, Georgia on May 25, 2023. This episode features some of their excitement, wisdom, and insight as they describe different perspectives and common experiences. Topics range from why it was important to make the trip to Atlanta to conversion stories, with themes of loving learning, finding closure, and preparing for next steps.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 158 The Gift of a Mind
* 159 Now We See in Part
* 132 Monday Morning Assembly
* 108 Time Stood Still
* 26 Truth in Person
* 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/player, we'd be so grateful to you for leaving a rating and review. That helps…
playlist_add
Jun 14, 2023
159 Now We See in Part
AMDG. A podcaster, a Latin teacher, a development director, and an attorney walk into the same room... It’s not a joke, although there’s plenty of joking—it’s a live-recorded episode from Kolbe’s commencement festivities in Atlanta, GA! Bonnie, Jordan, Steven, and Bonnie’s sister Hope (original Kolbecast host, current behind-the-scenes podcast crew member, and Kolbe alumna) gather around one mic to describe and explore the experience of meeting to celebrate newly minted alumni. They give listeners some context on the schedule of events, describe the ambiance and value of a virtual school’s in-person commencement, and forecast a bit of what’s next for the caretakers of Kolbe.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 158 The Gift of a Mind (speeches from Commencement 2023)
* 39 Reclaiming the Territory, 40 Windshield Time, and 78 The Kolbe Man with Dr. Don Prudlo
* 111 What Treasures Remain with Dr. Carl Hasler and Therese & Don Prudlo
* 44 Student Spotlight…
playlist_add
Jun 7, 2023
158 The Gift of a Mind
AMDG. Kolbe celebrated its class of 2023 in person in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 25, 2023. During the commencement ceremony, four individuals spoke: two graduating seniors, Ellen Foreman and Peter Prudlo; faculty member Dr. Carl Hasler; and keynote speaker, University of Dallas President Dr. Jonathan Sanford. Today we bring you their speeches, recorded live during the event. Ellen reflects on the importance of progress over awards and describe the concept of ikigai as the reason for being. Peter describes the pursuit of knowledge in service to God, not ourselves, and includes special shout-outs to fellow students and teachers. Dr. Hasler emphasizes that all of us are called to be saints and that thinking is the best way to travel. And Dr. Sanford challenges graduates and other listeners to reflect on two questions--where have you been and where are you going—while highlighting five virtues to carry into the future: gratitude, docility, humility, magnanimity, and compassion.
Relevant K…
playlist_add
May 31, 2023
157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly
AMDG. Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society rejoins us to discuss renewal and reform in Catholic education during the 30th anniversary year of the Newman Guide. He describes the aspects of competition and emulation he sees in Catholic schools, examples of God’s providence at work, and the missing foundation in most secular education. He also shares with enthusiasm the ideas that everything in nature has a cyclical effect and the four pillars of his taskforce for Eucharistic education: literacy, liturgy, devotion, and living. Listen through the end for pragmatic thoughts on dual enrollment and demonstrating college readiness.
Kolbecast episodes referenced and related:
* 84 The Essence of Catholic Education
* 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne of The University of St. Thomas
* 127 Forging a Path with Kimberly Farley of Classic Learning Test
Links mentioned:
* Kolbe’s College & University Partners
* Dual Credit Opportunities at Kolbe Academy
* My Fut…
playlist_add
May 24, 2023
156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve
AMDG. This episode continues our thread from last week on military service. Erica and Kevin Treat, Chris Bates, and Erik Duhn discuss their reserve and active-duty experiences, describe how discipline can be come about both innately and through teaching, and give guidance on discerning between various branches of the armed forced. They also share insights and advice on family life considerations, sacrifice, and the resilience of military children. Finally, they give some pragmatic pointers for students considering applications.
Erik Duhn references a presentation he created for high schoolers. To see the slides that are part of the presentation, click here.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve
* 115 The Kolbe Chimera
* 113 At the Kolbe Table
* 31 Veteran Homeschoolers with Jon & Chris Bates
* 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
For more information about Kolbe’s self-paced and self-paced plus programs, start here…
playlist_add
May 17, 2023
155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve
AMDG. Students interested in potential military service after their homeschooling days may wonder what qualities they bring from their Kolbe education and what experiences await in the armed forces. In this first episode of a two-part series on military service, Krysten Pizzurro and Jon Bates speak of their experience in the Coast Guard and Army, respectively. Jon describes military service as both problem-rich and opportunity-rich, Krysten describes benefits of military training, and both describe the opportunities available for students who are willing to tackle big questions with physical and intellectual strength. They also touch on how the military is historically informed and what practicing your faith looks like during military service.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 31 Veteran Homeschoolers with Jon and Chris Bates
* 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
Kolbecast episodes are available on most podcast apps and cover a range of topics relating to s…
playlist_add
May 10, 2023
154 Passport: Argentina
AMDG. We’re adding another stamp to our Kolbecast passport in this episode with Kolbe alumna and advisor Agostina Cavasotto. Agostina joins us from Buenos Aires, Argentina, to share her experience and perspective from both sides of the lesson plans, such as routines that served her well when she was studying with Kolbe and advice she gives to families in her current role. She also describes a bit of the culture of her area, from perspectives on homeschooling in Argentina to its signature flavors and music.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 103 Above & Beyond with Nancy Nelson of the Kolbe bookstore
* 104 World Tour of Homeschooling
* 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
* 107 Wander & Wonder
* 125 Call the Advisor
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. If you listen to the Kolbecast via a podcast app/play…
playlist_add
May 3, 2023
153 How Diversity Relates to Humanity with Adam Seagrave
AMDG. Our Catholic identity puts us in touch with the deepest questions and truths of our existence, particularly the truth that every single human being is formed in the image and likeness of God. Kolbe alumnus and current Arizona State University professor Adam Seagrave, Ph.D—a graduate of Notre Dame and Thomas Aquinas College—joins Bonnie and Steven today to discuss his expertise in race and American history. Dr. Seagrave describes how the struggle to abolish slavery and overcome racism are an important and illuminating key factor in understanding what it means to be an American; how there has been a change from problematic neglect of history to problematic ways of teaching history in recent times; and how a Catholic understanding of the dynamic between fall and redemption provides resources to process past injustices. Also listen for his take on critical race theory, W.E.B. Du Bois’ connection with the classics, and advice for hesitant parents.
Find out more about Adam and h…
playlist_add
Apr 26, 2023
152 Join the Conversation
AMDG. We love hosting visitors from across the Kolbe and wider communities, but sometimes it’s nice to take a breather and check in with each other. In this episode, Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan do just that. They honor the memory of the incomparable Mrs. Dianne Muth, Kolbe co-founder, voice of wisdom, and skydiver; they talk about Jordan’s recent writing projects and Steven’s work in highlighting Kolbe’s mission; and they reflect on taking the long view on things to nurture a love of learning and truth over the course of a lifetime.
Recordings with and about Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
* Kolbecast ep 100 In the Beginning
* Interview with Dianne Muth (1934-2023)
* Celebrating the Life of Dianne Muth
* Rosary for Mrs. Dianne Muth
* Mass of Christian Burial for Mrs. Dianne Muth
Related links:
* Kolbecast ep 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known, the most recent cohost confab in which Jordan shares his Fr. Franz Reinisch story and project
* Jordan’s artic…
playlist_add
Apr 19, 2023
151 Joyful Discoveries for Preschoolers
AMDG. As the toddler years turn into preschool years, children develop big ideas, big feelings, and big opinions. On this episode, Nicole O’Connor and Maggie Hayden discuss how Kolbe’s new preschool program helps channel little ones’ energy and enthusiasm into a lifelong foundation. They talk about how games teach manners, safety, and following directions; how playtime can help budding trailblazers learn teamwork; and how preschool is both one of the easiest and most complicated learning seasons. Also included: a description of the books involved in Kolbe’s new program, along with the optional online lab and monthly parent meetings, plus tips on how to tell when little ones are ready to participate.
Links mentioned & relevant:
* new Preschool Program webinar
* information on Kolbe’s website about the preschool program
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you c…
playlist_add
Apr 12, 2023
150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
AMDG. Mother of 10 and liturgical living guru Kendra Tierney joins us today to chat about embracing both the fasts and the feasts of our faith. Kendra speaks with years of experience from simultaneously homeschooling and running Catholic All Year, an outreach that brings people in. She shares how many families are already liturgically living without giving themselves credit, describes her family’s tradition of celebrating three special days, and highlights the role of hospitality in evangelization. Ultimately, this episode demonstrates how focusing on the challenges of our faith are an incomplete picture of life with Christ—challenges abound, but so do beautiful celebrations, festive food, and good humor.
Visit Kendra online at https://catholicallyear.com/ and check out her show on FORMED.org.
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just wh…
playlist_add
Apr 5, 2023
149 Faith-based Play with Chantal Baros of Shining Light Dolls
AMDG. We’ve talked before about filling our environments with things that help young children encounter their faith in a tangible way. In this episode, homeschool mom, fellow podcaster, and owner of Shining Light Dolls, Chantal Baros, visits with Bonnie and Steven. They talk about how play-based learning can help little ones internalize tenets of our faith and experience the global community of cultures, how big emotions like grief can be processed through play, and how Chantal runs a small family business while also homeschooling.
Links mentioned & relevant:
* Check out Shining Light Dolls (affiliate link) and look for the Saint Stories for Kids podcast in your favorite app! Use Promo Code "KOLBE_ACADEMY" to receive 10% off your order.
* Bonnie refers to the St. Maximilian Kolbe doll that’s visible on the new preschool program page.
* Listeners may find Kolbecast episode 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic Illustration to be of interest.
Kolbecas…
playlist_add
Mar 29, 2023
148 Engage & Apply
AMDG. Every Kolbe student gets a rigorous experience, so how can high school parents best decide between core and honors courses? That’s the topic of the day with Everett Buyarski, Megan Lengyel, and Tony Guzzaldo. The group describes qualitative and quantitative differences between the various course offerings (spoiler alert: there are a lot more of the former than the latter), highlights how simply giving students more to read doesn’t automatically increase academic rigor, and gives practical recommendations on how to challenge students without overburdening them. Also listen in for details on student awards, National Honors Society eligibility requirements, and dual enrollment considerations.
Mrs. Lengyel describes the awards established to recognize student achievement in their courses of study at Kolbe Academy. Detailed information about the awards is available here.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 76 Study Buddies with members of Kolbe’s National Honor Society chapter…
playlist_add
Mar 22, 2023
147 Building Blocks for Reading Success
AMDG. Learning to read is different for every child and every family, but there are resources and helpful hints that can reduce frustration and bring joy to the process. Elementary teachers Sarah Lee and Kristen Crook share some of those resources and tips today, including how to incorporate small things into your home environment, the benefits of phonics and tactile involvement, and some little-known but important facts about letters and their sounds. They also discuss when reading intervention might be appropriate, the Orton-Gillingham technique, and tech options for enrichment.
For more discussion on the early elementary years, check out these Kolbecast episodes:
* 82 Move & Groove with Sarah Lee & Eileen Duryea
* 122 Bridge Year with Colleen Goodwin, Marissa Piñon, and Nicole O’Connor
* 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary with Sarah Foulkes, Anna Havens, and Emily Thibideaux
Resources & recommendations from Kristin and Sarah:
* ABC Mouse
* Starfall
* Bob…
playlist_add
Mar 15, 2023
146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on Our Call to Holiness
AMDG. The call to be perfect as your heavenly father is perfect can be intimidating, but God doesn’t ask us to live in a pressure cooker. Today Bobby Angel—writer, speaker, youth minister, and homeschooling dad—joins Bonnie, Steven, and Kolbe’s communications and marketing director, Josh Beckman, to talk about answering the call to holiness in everyday life. Bobby describes how to live differently from the culture in a way that doesn’t turn people off; how to bring gifts, quirks, and personality to the table as part of God’s plan for life in abundance; and the all-important part of life of just being human together. The group also reflects on parents’ call to holiness in their families, including rupture and repair as well as emotional attunement. In sum, Bobby’s message to podcast listeners is that the call to be holy is a call to be whole.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
* 138 Stories to Treasure Togeth…
playlist_add
Mar 8, 2023
145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources
AMDG. Kolbe is committed to classical education, the western canon, sacred tradition, and academic rigor. As the breadth and needs of students develops, we work to identify new needs and areas to support families so we can adapt to changing kinds of students while remaining committed to our core values. Karen Allgood, Megan Lengyel, Tony Guzzaldo, Nicole O’Connor, Kelly Powers, Ashley Massey, and Elizabeth Hoxie visit with us today about the new Student Support Services program coming soon to Kolbe families. They discuss identifying gaps and struggles, providing resources for special education and learning disabilities, offering multiple levels of support for customizable help, and the availability of accountability mentors for homeschool students.
Links mentioned and relevant:
* details about Kolbe’s Student Support Services
* Feb 2023 Schoolwide Address
* Student Support Services webinar
* K-12 Online Program webinar
* new Preschool Program webinar
* upcoming Shadow…
playlist_add
Mar 1, 2023
144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
AMDG. The Gospel of John begins by describing the Word of God. What does it mean to use words to study the Word—what joys, responsibilities, and opportunities lay in store? Mark Brumley, president of Ignatius Press and president of the Kolbe board of advisors, shares his thoughts and experience with us today. The discussion covers Mark’s longtime familiarity with Kolbe, the idea that Jesus as capital-W Word should shape our use of lowercase-w words, and the various features of spoken, written, and printed words. Mark highlights the obligation to be clear where we can be in learning and teaching, the importance of humbly recognizing our limitations as knowers and understanders, and the benefits & tradeoffs of paper books versus eBooks. Listen all the way through for advice and encouragement for students and parents both!
Links mentioned and relevant:
* More about Mark Brumley on the Ignatius Press website
* Ignatius Press Podcast (also available in podcast apps)
* Brandon Vo…
playlist_add
Feb 22, 2023
143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab
AMDG. The harmony between education’s tangible and intangible features is our focus today as Soren Schwab of the Classic Learning Test joins us. Soren shares some comparisons and contrasts between German and American education, discusses the hyper-specialization seen in some modern education, touches on the concept of school choice, and describes how the infrastructure to support and provide classical education has grown in the past decade. He also highlights the proper relationship with standards or metrics as part of education.
Links mentioned:
* Kolbe’s Dr. Jordan Almanzar on CLT’s Anchored podcast
* Return to the Classics and The K-12 Education Renaissance by CLT founder Jeremy Tate
* Information about the new CLT exams for grades 3-6
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 120 Substance Matters with CLT founder Jeremy Tate
* 127 Forging a Path with Kimberly Farley, CLT’s Director of Homeschool Partnerships
* 83 This Is Only a Test with Kolbe testing specialists Jon…
playlist_add
Feb 15, 2023
142 Kolbe Kiwis
AMDG. Visit the Southern Hemisphere with us today as we get to know Mieke Byerley, a Kolbe alumna and homeschooling mother with a Dutch background and 30 years of residence in New Zealand. Mieke shares her experience transitioning to homeschooling as a high school student, including the conflict she had with her parents at first and the way her perspective has changed in the time since. She describes how homeschooling fosters the ability to make sense of things that aren’t at all apparent at first sight, builds a systems thinking perspective, and offers opportunities for failure and experimentation. She also discusses her husband’s initial reluctance to homeschool, the mutual symbiosis of learning and growth, and the logistics of homeschooling in a different country with a different calendar from a curriculum provider like Kolbe.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
* 35 An Atmosphere of Opportunity with Kolbe mom Carola in Spain
* 104 World Tour of Homeschooling with Kolbe moms Amy i…
playlist_add
Feb 8, 2023
141 From Homeschooling to The Night Train with Peter Atkinson of The Merry Beggars
AMDG. Who am I, what is excellence, and what am I called to do here? These are three foundational questions here at Kolbe. Today homeschool graduate and entertainment professional Peter Atkinson of Relevant Radio’s The Merry Beggars visits with Bonnie and Steven about his experience, his calling, and his direction. Peter shares how growing up homeschooled nurtured him an atmosphere of creativity, discovery, and wonder; what his college transition was like; and how he lives out his wonder and love of education today as a young husband, father, and professional. Turning to his current projects with The Merry Beggars, Peter reflects on the danger of measuring success by external accomplishments, the unexpected road of divine providence, and his focus on inspiring lives of virtue and showing families that virtue is lively.
Links mentioned and relevant:
* https://www.onthenighttrain.com/
* Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death
* Kolbecast ep 49 Revealed through Story with Jo…
playlist_add
Feb 1, 2023
140 Burnout Happens
AMDG. After making the choice to homeschool, it can be difficult to admit when hard days arrive. After all, we signed up for this, right? It’s easy to forget that every road comes with bumps and leads to blisters sometimes. As the school year stretches on and the excitement of the holidays dissipates, Therese Prudlo, Amanda Hayes, and Krysten Pizzurro share their experiences with burnout: what it is, what it feels like, what it tells us we need, and what can make it better. The group discusses ways to address and mitigate burnout, the reassurance of community and vulnerability, the importance of asking for help when you need it, and the power of silence and rest.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 61 Middle Ground with Amanda Hayes and Alex Pischke
* 124 In This Together and 125 Call the Advisor with Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat
* 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and 37 Take a Moment with Therese Prudlo
* 29 The February Staredown
Other resources:
* This blog pos…
playlist_add
Jan 23, 2023
139 Glorifying God through Film with Daniel Bielinski
AMDG. Storytelling is foundational to the human experience, and the more new media develop, the more options are available for families to select from. Today filmmaker, homeschooling dad, MFA graduate of Columbia University, and chair of the dramatic arts department at the University of Mary Daniel Bielinski joins the Kolbecast to talk about making films that celebrate faith, perseverance, courage, grit, and redemption. He describes his focus on telling good stories from the get-go and creating projects which are intrinsically Catholic but not preachy or stereotypical. He also shares his perspective on approaching big questions and difficult matters of being human. Together, the group discusses the daily unglamorous work that goes into grand productions—from movies to parenting.
Mentioned in this episode:
* Canticle Productions
* Kolbecast ep 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
* How to watch Sanctified as part of Kolbe’s Catholic Schools Week financial aid fundr…
playlist_add
Jan 18, 2023
138 Stories to Treasure Together with Kathryn Swegart
AMDG. Come along with author, storyteller, and Kolbe mother Kathryn Swegart today as she shares her experience of homeschooling with Kolbe from 1998 to 2008 and her life after homeschooling. She describes standout memories, the freedom and efficiency she found in home education, and how she balanced expectations and incentives with her three children. She also describes her transition away from the season of homeschooling and the path to her current role as an author of children’s stories drawn from the treasury of the Catholic faith.
Links relevant and mentioned:
* Visit Kathryn online at kathrynswegart.com.
* Kolbe Academy’s Recommended Reading List
* Kathryn’s articles on CatholicMom.com
* Kathryn also writes for Magnificat.
Support Kolbe Academy at no extra cost when you shop on Amazon by designating Kolbe as your intended beneficiary in the Amazon Smile program. Here’s a link to set that up.
Suggestions from Kathryn:
* Honey for a Child’s Heart by Gladys H…
playlist_add
Jan 11, 2023
137 Remember Your Whys
AMDG. As the doldrums of January and February set in, we turn to one of the most important topics for homeschooling families: encouragement. Karen Allgood, Julie Meyers, Jamie Coelho-Kostolny, and Maggie Hayden join us to share their whys for homeschooling, the highs and lows they see in their own families and their Kolbe families, and some affirming moments they've experienced that brought peace and reassurance during days of struggle. If you’re in a time where some disasters are obvious and some solutions aren’t quite visible, or if you’re just feeling the weight of some cold short winter days, this episode is for you.
Previous Kolbecast episodes featuring today’s contributors:
* Karen on 124 In This Together and 125 Call the Advisor
* Jamie on 94 A Boy, a Book, and a Library Mouse
* Maggie on 83 This Is Only a Test and 113 At the Kolbe Table
Other relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 9 with Kolbe alumna Monnica Prudlo
* 15 It’s Greek to Me
* 17 Secure to Explore…
playlist_add
Jan 4, 2023
136 Cura Personalis - The Sequel
AMDG. Today we continue a conversation we started with Elizabeth Hoxie in Episode 112 on the Ignatian tenet of care for the whole person. Far from being a trendy #selfcare fad, cura personalis captures the truth that what we do with ourselves during each day—our intellect, emotions, and bodies—forms us into the saint God wants us to be. Through intentionality in approaching each day and recognizing that God didn’t make us to be frantic, cura personalis can help us avoid the temptation to over-commit regarding some things while under-committing to others. In this way, we can live out the reality that we are created to love and be loved, to flourish and not just to live symptom-free. With all this in mind, Elizabeth shares her concern for special needs students and gives us a glimpse of how she homeschools.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned in this conversation & relevant:
* 112 Cura Personalis: The Intro with Elizabeth plus Therese Prudlo and Everett Buyarski
* 110 Choosing the G…
playlist_add
Dec 28, 2022
135 Hidden Holiness Made Known
AMDG. In this special Christmas break episode of the Kolbecast, Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan gather for a catch-up over coffee. Jordan describes where he found inspiration for a new line of essays published in Prime Matters and gives listeners a preview of some of his future works in store. The group reflects on the question of what life and virtue were like before the incarnation compared to after, as well as how Kolbe invites students into the discussion of this central part of our history. They also discuss being known by saints, encountering their former selves’ writings along with the perspective that brings, and the changing of times from the ancient world to the current apostolic age.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 116 Things I Would Tell My Students
* 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
Jordan’s articles in Prime Matters:
* The Hidden Origins of Victim Culture
* The Enemy Next Door
Other relevant links:
* From Christendom to Apostolic…
playlist_add
Dec 21, 2022
134 For Tinkerers of All Ages
AMDG. Most people listen to podcasts like ours on their cell phones or other portable electronics, but how many of us actually know and appreciate how the devices in our pockets work? Today, Kolbe dad and ham radio operator Chris Ranck joins Bonnie and Steven to talk about the geography, cross-generational communication, math, science, abstract concepts, and practical applications involved in the ham radio medium. He highlights St. Max Kolbe’s engagement with media developments of his time, shares his own experience of how hobbies provide a way to explore learning as a family, and touches on the importance of mastering communication media rather than being mastered by them.
To learn more about ham radio, Chris tells us the best place to start is the ARRL website.
He also recommends checking out
* Maximilian Kolbe Net
* Young Amateurs Communication Ham Team
* Youth on the Air
* Long Island CW (morse code) Club
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 100 In the Beginning with Mr…
playlist_add
Dec 14, 2022
133 An Audience of One
AMDG. Pope Saint John Paul II was simultaneously a visionary and a devoutly orthodox leader (among many other saintly attributes), and a university bearing his name has a lot to draw inspiration from in his example. Today students at John Paul the Great Catholic University join us to share their experience of their education and formation. Students Bailey and Alan (a Kolbe alum) discuss the uniqueness of JPCatholic’s three-year program, particularly its fidelity to the Magisterium lived out through hands-on creative arts, digital media, and business education with a Catholic liberal arts foundation. Listen for a snapshot of their daily lives along with some things Kolbe students could expect from JPCatholic.
JPCatholic links:
* John Paul the Great Catholic University
* Student Showcase
* Bailey’s radio show/podcast Letter to Artists is on Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play.
* Here’s where to find JPCatholic on Instagram and YouTube.
Relevant and referenced Kolbecast…
playlist_add
Dec 7, 2022
132 Monday Morning Assembly
AMDG. Kolbe students form connections and community through online interactions. While many of these interactions happen through online classes, extracurricular activities are rich in opportunity for friendship and formation as well. Today, student leaders from two online groups—the Spiritual Life Club and the Kolbe News Show—and some of their instructors and mentors join the Kolbecast to describe how clubs, assemblies, and other extracurricular projects work in a digital forum. They describe how the liturgical life of the Church becomes integrated into students’ days, share some of their favorite memories and club events, and highlight their favorite study strategies as finals season nears. Plus tune in to hear a sample of the Kolbe News Show and the backstory of students’ favorite special silent co-host.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 22 Imagine Being Homeschooled
* 87 Home Base
* 76 Study Buddies
* 36 Embrace the Fifth Day
As mentioned in the episode…
playlist_add
Nov 30, 2022
131 It’s All about Relationship featuring Danielle Bean
AMDG. Voice of experience and wisdom Danielle Bean joins the Kolbecast today to share insights from her path. From being a self-described reluctant homeschool to describing homeschooling as the biggest, best, and hardest thing she’s ever done, Danielle describes the changing seasons of life that come with parenthood. She, Bonnie, and Steven reflect on building a family culture, teaching by example, and embracing the season where you are. Struggling to hang in there with your stage of family life? Make sure to listen through the end for Danielle’s encouragement!
Danielle’s website and podcast Girlfriends
* podcast episode with Kolbe’s own Dr. Jordan Almanzar: Learning and Growing with Your Kids
Encouragement from Danielle
* Three Positive Reasons Why We Homeschool
* My Annual Homeschool Freak Out
* Is Homeschooling Right for You?
* How to Cope with Hard Change
* How to Make Schooling Choices for Your Kids
Catholic College Conversations episodes mentioned
* ep…
playlist_add
Nov 23, 2022
130 The Gifts We Have with Emily Stimpson Chapman
AMDG. Author, mother, and gracious example of hospitality Emily Stimpson Chapman joins us today. Emily has written on topics from encyclicals and Theology of the Body to good food and good socializing, and our conversation covers a little of everything: living in a way that deeply reverences the dignity of the human person, opening our homes to welcome people in, how it's in saying no to things that we’re able to say yes to God wants, and more. She also highlights some of her recent and upcoming publications that make tenets of our faith accessible for audiences of children, skeptics, and everyone in between.
Check out Emily’s Linktree for links to her ebooks and Substack, info about her upcoming Christmas book, social media presence, etc.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noelle Crowe
* 14 We Do Not Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean
* 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
* 15 Asparagus Moments
Kolbe…
playlist_add
Nov 16, 2022
129 Windshield Time (replay)
AMDG. In this replay of a conversation from April 2021, Bonnie and her sister Hope visit with Dr. Don Prudlo to discuss the specifics of college visits and college transition. We talk about how to look under a college’s hood, so to speak, beyond what admissions counselors pitch, as well as a few things to consider when discerning what size and type of school is best for individual students. Dr. Prudlo emphasizes Kolbe’s college preparatory curriculum and also reminds students not to be so rigorous that they forget to be human.
The conversation references ep 9 with Don's daughter Monnica and ep 39 Reclaiming the Territory, the precursor to this episode when it originally aired. In the interim, the Kolbecast has covered a lot more ground relating to “Life after Kolbe,” with episodes including
* 59 The Secret Whiteboard
* 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
* 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
* 109 A Lifetime Venture
* 127…
playlist_add
Nov 9, 2022
128 Living in Community
AMDG. Join us on a virtual college visit today to The Collegium, a unique Catholic college in Hagerstown, Maryland, with Dean of Students William Stover. He shares how the Collegium and its innovative model provide a small, newly-opened liberal arts program grounded in the Catholic tradition and providing both education and formation. He also discusses the integration of spiritual, academic, and social aspects of life at the Collegium, as well as the vision that brought about the curriculum and the growth in confidence, maturity, and initiative that result from it.
More about and from The Collegium Sanctorum Angelorum:
* website
* recent Kolbe webinar
* presentation at Kolbe's November 2021 college fair
* Collegium founder Dr. Edward Schaefer on Square Notes Podcast: Paleography, the Semiological Approach to Singing Chant, and the Work of Dom Eugène Cardine
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Usin…
playlist_add
Nov 2, 2022
127 Forging a Path
AMDG. It's never too early to think about what life after Kolbe looks like. Today, Kimberly Farley—director of homeschool partnerships for the Classic Learning Test—joins Bonnie and Steven with her background in homeschooling and her expertise in college preparation. They discuss easing stress levels when approaching college prep, constructive understandings of standardized testing, and how to use testing as a tool for understanding. Plus, they touch on considerations for dual enrollment, including both tangible and intangible benefits and drawbacks.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
* 120 Substance Matters with CLT founder Jeremy Tate
* 83 This Is Only a Test
* 59 The Secret Whiteboard
* 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne
* 40 Windshield Time
* 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
Resources and offers from CLT:
* Listen in for a discount code on all test registrations just for Kolbe families
* CLT test dates and deadlines for the full suite of exams…
playlist_add
Oct 26, 2022
126 Digital Citizens
AMDG. Teaching students responsible ways to use the internet is more important now than ever. Today Kolbe’s chief academic officer Megan Lengyel and her husband Craig, a cybersecurity specialist for some of the world’s largest tech companies, visit with the Kolbecast team about computer safety. Craig describes how prevention and education are key, emphasizes the importance of ongoing conversations with children about what’s appropriate and what’s not online, and shares some practical tips. Megan describes Kolbe’s proactive digital management, from monitoring live online classes to fostering safe searching when students are assigned research projects
Links mentioned and helpful:
* Using the Schoology Directory to connect with other Kolbe families
* Life360 app
* Bark app
Kolbecast episodes mentioned in this conversation:
* 58 Mystery Machines
* 69 Temperature Check
* 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Nicolai & Cathy Lund
Kolbecast episodes cover a range…
playlist_add
Oct 19, 2022
125 Call the Advisor
AMDG. Kolbe academic advisors and homeschooling mothers Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat are back in this episode to continue the conversation started last week on their insights about the day-to-day of homeschooling reality. In this episode, they answer listener questions about the challenges and joys of having frequent family togetherness. They touch on how to keep school days running smoothly, how to help siblings love each other well, and how to go about special needs advocacy. The wisdom and encouragement these ladies share has something for everyone, new and experienced homeschooling parents alike.
Check out episode 124 in This Together for more about Krysten, Karen, and Erica.
Academic Dean Erica Treat can be heard on these other Kolbecast episodes:
* 43 The Grade Examen
* 59 The Secret Whiteboard
* 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
* 113 At the Kolbe Table
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and…
playlist_add
Oct 12, 2022
124 In This Together
AMDG. Kolbe academic advisors and homeschooling mothers Krysten Pizzurro, Karen Allgood, and Erica Treat had so much wisdom to share that we turned our conversation into a two-parter of episodes. In the first half, they talk about how Kolbe’s academic advising department is here for the duration to accompany families and what that looks like on a day-to-day basis. The ladies share their experience of taking work phone calls while toddlers live their best lives in the background, respond to the frequently-heard concern of parents that they aren’t patient enough to homeschool their own children, and encourage communication early and often. They also bring words of affirmation: give yourself permission to do what’s best for your family.
Listen in next week for the second episode in the series, where Krysten, Karen, and Erica answer listener questions and continue the conversation on how to find the balance of comfort zone and growth in homeschoooling.
Krysten refers to Jon and Chr…
playlist_add
Oct 5, 2022
123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
AMDG. Today Msgr. James Shea, President of the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, joins Bonnie and Steven to discuss the transition to adulthood and the beginning of life’s adventures that transition brings. Msgr. Shea talks about the ambient culture, the modern mind’s romance with utopias, and the good news that this is an age where Kolbe families can shine. He also describes the apostolic moment in which we live, the words of encouragement he has to parents who feel shame or fear about their children leaving the Church, and some of the features of UMary that provide an accessible Catholic education with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Resources mentioned and related
* Prime Matters
* From Christendom to Apostolic Mission
* UMary’s Online Education for the Catholic Professional
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the new filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find jus…
playlist_add
Sep 28, 2022
122 Bridge Year
AMDG. The Church recognizes a turning point for young ones around the age of seven as children begin to reason. In our school structure, age seven roughly corresponds to second grade—a watershed year in its own right and a bridge to new worlds of comprehension and formation. Today, Nicole O’Connor, Colleen Goodwin, and Marissa Piñón visit with Bonnie and Steven about the mixture of enthusiasm and docility second graders have, the importance of memory work, and the process of preparing for First Reconciliation and First Communion while balancing homeschool and parish expectations.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary and 82 Move and Groove
* 113 At the Kolbe Table
Here is a playlist of the virtue videos that are sent to the entire Kolbe community on a monthly basis.
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the new filters on our website, you can sort the epi…
playlist_add
Sep 21, 2022
121 Roots & Wings
AMDG. Voice of experience and mother of eight children ages 12 to 26, Michele Resuta, joins the Kolbecast today to share some of the wisdom she’s developed through 21 years of homeschooling with Kolbe. The conversation covers everything from practicalities like bulk cooking and daily Mass to big questions of building strong foundations and the value of responsible stewardship. Michele talks about catering to students’ strengths and weaknesses, describes some of her tried-and-true methods for finding extra oomph to be patient on hard days, and tells of edifying moments with adult children. Those in the thick of it, take heart—this episode is a pep talk and motherly advice rolled into one.
Michele references the Militia of the Immaculata, the association founded by our patron St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned in this conversation:
* 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
* 103 Above & Beyond with Nancy Nelson…
playlist_add
Sep 14, 2022
120 Substance Matters with CLT’s Jeremy Tate (replay)
AMDG. In this replay of a conversation from April 2021, Jordan and Bonnie visit with Jeremy Tate, president of the Classic Learning Test. He explains how high-stakes tests drive and dictate academic focus in America, how he decided to go up against the behemoth that is the College Board in designing a different kind of college admission test, and how he’s challenged the societal status quo that excludes great thinkers like C.S. Lewis and John Paul the Great from the literature that test takers must examine. The group also discusses the immense time spent in test prep and what messages are sent by the materials studied in that time. Jeremy describes how the goal of classical education isn’t to make people better employees—it's to make them better humans—but how the best humans often end up being the best employees, too. He reminds listeners that tests give a snapshot into key academic areas at a given point in time but say nothing about the kind of person that a student is. And…
playlist_add
Sep 7, 2022
119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noëlle Crowe
AMDG. While the universality of the Church is beautiful, its immediacy is just as profound. Today Tom and Noëlle Crowe of the American Catholic History podcast join us to share how we don’t need to cross an ocean to find people who did amazing things for Christ. They describe the breadth and depth of amazing Catholic individuals in this country, highlight contributions of Catholics to American history in every aspect of society from milking cows to landing on the moon, and emphasize the importance of “getting to know your own saints” as a key part of developing a strong foundation and identity.
Links to check out:
* Pilgrimages led by Tom & Noëlle Crowe
* their Conversations series
* The American Catholic Almanac by Brian Burch and Emily Stimpson with research assistance by Tom Crowe
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant
* 94 A Boy, A Book, and a Library Mouse about Catechesis of the Good Shepherd
* 36 Embrace the Fifth Day
A sampling of the American Catholic…
playlist_add
Aug 31, 2022
118 Odysseys in Catholicism
AMDG. Everett Buyarski and Chrissy Almanzar are familiar voices to anyone who’s called Kolbe or listened to the podcast. Today they share a more personal side of themselves, though: their stories of conversion and being led toward grace and the Catholic Church. With candidness and wisdom, Everett, Chrissy, Steven, and Bonnie discuss how their experiences of faith have led them to progress from confusion to peace, to seek understanding through surrender, and ultimately to love because we are loved first.
Kolbecast episodes cover a range of topics relating to school at home, the life of faith, and Catholic education. Using the new filters on our website, you can sort the episodes to find just what you're looking for. You can also find the Kolbecast in most podcast players, so subscribe in your favorite app to never miss an episode! If you have a moment, please leave a rating and review, which will help the Kolbecast reach more listeners.
What questions do you have about homeschooling…
playlist_add
Aug 24, 2022
117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally
AMDG. Science facilitates wholeness and the abundant life God wants for us, but it also prompts a lot of questions—everything from how to teach complex concepts in homeschooling to how to approach ongoing national discussions on the beginning and end of life. We delve into these dynamics today with Dr. Andrew Mullally, a second-generation physician, first-generation homeschool alumnus, current homeschool father, and host of the award-winning Catholic Medical Association podcast Doctor, Doctor. The conversation touches on how to teach science on micro and macro levels, how homeschooled students defy stereotypes with their confident communication skills, and how nothing is insurmountable if it’s what God calls you to pursue.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes and those mentioned in this conversation:
* 88 Built for Battle with The Catholic Woodworker Jonathan Conrad
* 95 Conversation Starters with the Sock Religious/All Set for Sunday podcast guys
* 84 The Essence of Catholic Educat…
playlist_add
Aug 17, 2022
116 Things I Would Tell My Students
AMDG. Jordan Almanzar is familiar to podcast listeners as a voice of experience related to podcast hosting, teaching, and public relations, but today we get to hear a different side of him: Jordan as scholar. He discusses some of his recent and not-so-recent writings with Bonnie and Steven, including reflections inspired by marginalia in his Latin books and the contrast between classical brutality and Christian compassion. The team also discusses what it means to be neighbors, enemies, artists, or infants.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned or relevant:
* 111 What Treasures Remain, day 3 of the 2022 Kolbecast Convention
* 79 Doors to Your Memories
* 7 Et Tu, Iordane?
* 102 A Great Commission featuring Ellen Finnigan and other speakers at Kolbe’s 2022 graduation
The Kolbecast has covered a lot of ground in its 100+ episodes. Our website's new filters make it easy to find episodes organized by topic. Head to Kolbe.org/podcast and scroll down to choose episodes on a particular subj…
playlist_add
Aug 10, 2022
115 The Kolbe Chimera
AMDG. Kolbe offers an array of options for types of learning: fully homeschool, fully online, and two in-the-middle offerings called self-paced and self-paced plus. We focus on those middle options today with Chrissy Almanzar and Everett Buyarski. What is a self-paced online course? What’s the “plus” in self-paced plus? How do both options help take a load off parents, increase engagement for students, and maintain flexibility while providing a lot of access to content? Listen and find out.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes & other links:
* Recordings from Kolbe’s recent open house
* 113 At the Kolbe Table
* 58 Mystery Machines (describes Kolbe’s tech tools including Schoology, the learning management system)
* 87 Home Base
* 38 Pro Omnibus Contendit
The Kolbecast has covered a lot of ground in its 100+ episodes. Our website's new filters make it easy to find episodes organized by topic. Head to Kolbe.org/podcast and scroll down to choose episodes on a particular subje…
playlist_add
Aug 3, 2022
114 Kolbe Past, Present, and Future
AMDG. Kolbe’s Executive Director Mary Rowles visits with Bonnie and Steven today about Kolbe's origins, evolution, and outlook. As she describes how Kolbe has grown from a family business and apostolate and its response to rise in demand during the pandemic, Mary’s openness to service is clear—as is her innate leadership, with a tone that brings out the best in people and an emphasis on putting values to practice.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
* 72 Participatory Citizens
* 100 In the Beginning with Mary’s mother Mrs. Dianne Muth
* 103 Above and Beyond with Mary’s sister Nancy Nelson
* 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with the Holy Heroes parents
The Kolbecast has covered a lot of ground in its 100+ episodes. Our website's new filters make it easy to find episodes organized by topic. Head to kolbe.org/podcast and scroll down to choose episodes on a particular subject or to see the entire catalog of episodes.
What questions do you have about homeschooling, the life…
playlist_add
Jul 29, 2022
113 At the Kolbe Table * Convention Day 5
AMDG. Homeschool conventions offer the opportunity for curriculum providers to take their shows on the road, but this week we’ve brought the show to you. Listen to this year’s convention finale for insights, updates, and wisdom from Megan Lengyel, Everett Buyarski, Nicole O’Connor, Chrissy Almanzar, Tony Guzzaldo, and Maggie Hayden. The discussion includes the various enrollment options Kolbe offers, advice for getting back in the school state of mind, and an exclusive code for podcast listeners to avoid late enrollment fees.
This is Day 5 of the 2022 Kolbecast Convention. Previous episodes include
* Day 1 with Dr. George Harne
* Day 2 with Matt and Erin Ingold of Metanoia Catholic
* Day 3 on the treasures of the ancient Greeks and their relevance to us today
* Day 4 on the Ignatian principle of care of the whole person, its role at Kolbe, and how it applies to all of us
For more in-depth information about some of Everett’s points, check out these links:
* high sc…
playlist_add
Jul 28, 2022
112 Cura Personalis - The Intro * Convention Day 4
AMDG. The great commandment to love your neighbor as yourself begins from a place of loving yourself well. Today Everett Buyarski, Elizabeth Hoxie, and Therese Prudlo introduce the Ignatian education tenet of “cura personalis” or “care of the whole person”—a pragmatic yet profound discipline that forms students into the men and women they are designed to be. The group discusses how repetition, rest, food, sleep, and exercise contribute to unity of mind, heart, and soul; encourages the idea that good is of God wherever it happens to appear; and suggests ways for families to reflect on what they give attention to and what sort of fruit it bears.
Links Elizabeth mentioned:
* Characteristics of Jesuit Education.pdf (jesuitinstitute.org)
* *Ignatian Pedagogy (JI Edition 2013).pdf (jesuitinstitute.org)
Here’s where to get your copy of Implementation of Ignatian Education in the Home.
This is Day 4 of the 2022 Kolbecast Convention. Previous episodes include
* Day 1 with…
playlist_add
Jul 27, 2022
111 What Treasures Remain * Convention Day 3
AMDG. If we made a list of FAQs about the Kolbe curriculum, the top question would likely be why Kolbe begins high school with Greek history, literature, and philosophy. Today’s episode explores that question through a roundtable discussion with some of our resident experts: Kolbe history chair Therese Prudlo, philosophy professor Dr. Don Prudlo, former college philosophy professor and current Kolbe instructor Dr. Carl Hasler, and Kolbe literature teacher Michelle Kim. Highlights of the conversation include how early Christian thinkers had to appeal to the Greek intellect, how a classical education combats the American tendency toward collective forgetfulness, and how students find themselves enthralled by and eager to engage with primary sources despite the time gap between Ancient Greece and Generation Z.
Related Kolbecast episodes
* 102 A Great Commission featuring the 2022 graduation speeches, Ms. Ellen Finnigan’s among them
* 60 Mission: Possible
* 17 Secure to Explore…
playlist_add
Jul 26, 2022
110 Choosing the Greatest Good with Matt & Erin Ingold * Convention Day 2
AMDG. The universal call to holiness is a call to excellence in every person’s given state of life, but it can be daunting to take this abstract commission and live it out in a practical and fun way. Catholic mindset coaches Matt and Erin Ingold visit with us today about exactly that. The Ingolds speak from a background in a variety of sacred and secular wisdom—from St. Thomas Aquinas to cognitive behavioral therapy—to share their insights on how parents and families can structure their thinking and their lives to experience more of the things they value. They also touch on division in marriage, how to handle worries of inadequacy as a homeschool parent, and the ongoing nature of discerning the best education for your children.
Check out Metanoia Catholic, Matt and Erin’s Catholic coaching company, and their podcast The Catholic Coaching Podcast, available on podcast apps and on YouTube. Bonnie references this decision-making video in the conversation.
Relevant Kolbecast epis…
playlist_add
Jul 25, 2022
109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne * Convention Day 1
AMDG. The pursuit of human flourishing in this life and the next takes a clear understanding of what it means to be human. Today, Dr. George Harne, Executive Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences and Associate Professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, joins Bonnie and Steven to discuss the distinctive ins and outs of classical education. Describing a classical curriculum as “more than old dusty books,” Dr. Harne vividly describes the way this kind of education fosters understanding of both personhood and purpose. He also explains how studying organized bodies of knowledge and sequences of learning leads to self-knowledge, critical skills, and wisdom borne from wonder.
Check out Kolbecast episode 16 It’s All Greek to Me with George’s daughter, Kolbe alumna Sophia Harne.
Dr. Harne’s episode is the first of the 2022 Kolbecast convention. The 2021 Kolbecast convention includes these episodes:
* 47 Among the Pots & Pans
* 48 Because It Rings True
* 49 Reveal…
playlist_add
Jul 20, 2022
108 Time Stood Still
AMDG. Our world tour continues with a conversation featuring several intrepid Kolbe students—Martina, Bea, and Katie—who recently toured Greece and Italy along with classmates, parents, and teachers. They share some of the logistics that went into coordinating a distance school’s international voyage, their favorite geographic and culinary highlights of the trip, and their reflections on the similarities and contrasts between Pagan and Catholic wonders. As they describe their trip of a lifetime, our guests today contemplate everyday ancient life and the ways it strengthened their faith, relationships, and connection with the past and with each other.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 76 Study Buddies with Martina and other NHS students + Mrs. Jenni Mammola
* 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Kolbe parents Nicolai & Cathy Lund
* 97 Advocates and Bridge Builders with Mrs. Kelly Powers
* 106 Goals in Mind with Katie’s mom Anna Havens and another Kolbe mom and athletic…
playlist_add
Jul 13, 2022
107 Wander & Wonder
AMDG. The flexibility of homeschooling offers families the opportunity for enrichment and adventure outside the house. Traveling during the traditional school year is one way to capitalize on this flexibility. Kolbe moms Nicole Shaffer—author of the blog Army Wife, Homeschool Travel Life—and Vanessa Delgado discuss learning on the road with Bonnie and Steven today, from rolling with the unexpected to exploring your own back yard. They also touch on combining grade levels of subjects to teach “family-style,” the logistics of participating in Kolbe online while traveling, and how to embrace opportunities that may be disruptive to schedules.
Follow Nikki's family's adventures and get her travel tips here.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and 37 Take a Moment with Therese Prudlo
* 31 Veteran Homeschoolers with Jon & Chris Bates
* 35 An Atmosphere of Opportunity with Kolbe mom Carola in Spain
* 104 World Tour of Homeschooling with Kolbe moms Ria in t…
playlist_add
Jul 6, 2022
106 Goals in Mind
AMDG. For some homeschooling families, St. Paul’s adage about running the race is mostly allegorical, but for the athletically minded among us, it has a literal side too. Today's episode features Faye Starvaggi and Anna Havens, moms of a Kolbe-graduate NCAA swimmer and a Kolbe-student competitive gymnast respectively, as well as Kolbe’s academic services director and go-to guy Everett Buyarski. The group discusses both the philosophy and the paperwork of student athletes: from the discipline and obedience of striving for goals to the requirements for eligibility at the college level.
Mrs. Anna Havens can be heard on Kolbecast episode 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary. Check out episode 36 Embrace the Fifth Day for more about Kolbe’s four-day school week and the ways to make the most of the flexibility that plan affords.
The campus ministry at Texas A & M University comes up in this conversation. Have a listen to episode 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries for an inspiring a…
playlist_add
Jun 29, 2022
105 Not Just for Special Occasions
AMDG. Small business owner, Kolbe homeschooling mother, and etiquette expert Rebecca Czarniecki--known professionally as Mrs. B--joins Bonnie and Steven today to discuss the significance and dividends of manners, social graces, and interpersonal connection. Mrs. B explains with mirth and elegance how meaningful interactions and nonverbal communication honor human dignity, provide internal development, and restore kindness bit by bit in our world. She also touches on the realities of simultaneously homeschooling and running a small business.
Check out Mrs. B’s website and YouTube channel for more information about all her lovely offerings and a sampling of her lessons! Her book is available for purchase here.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode. If you have a moment to leave a ratings and review, that will help the Kolbecast reach more listeners.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
In…
playlist_add
Jun 22, 2022
104 World Tour of Homeschooling
AMDG. “Catholic” means universal and one of the lesser-known aspects of Kolbe's Catholic identity is its international presence and families. Today Bonnie and Steven visit with moms from two of those international families, Ria in the Philippines and Amy in Nigeria. They talk both big picture and day-to-day in homeschooling from another hemisphere: the combination of studying Catholic classical roots and their own cultural roots, applying what students are learning in Kolbe courses to current events in local communities, Western/Eastern dynamics, and learn how to just be with others. Along the way, they also touch on how attitudes to homeschooling are evolving in various countries, the fun of getting to know local saints, and the way flexibility in curriculum timing serves families in both societal seasons of the year and family seasons of life.
Amy and Ria refer to the flexibility of homeschooling when it comes to timing school to family life. Check out Kolbecast episode 36 Embra…
playlist_add
Jun 15, 2022
103 Above & Beyond
AMDG. Just about anyone who has ordered books from the Kolbe bookstore has encountered the kind and resourceful Nancy Nelson. In this episode, she graces us with stories of Kolbe history, tips for savvy book ordering, and a dose of inspiration based in common sense and experience. Stick around for the entire episode for a special offer!
Check out Kolbecast episode 100 with Mrs. Dianne Muth, Nancy’s mother, for more Kolbe history.
Nancy refers to Nicole O'Connor, Kolbe Academy's Elementary Online Learning Director, who can be heard on these Kolbecast episodes:
* #14 We Don't Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean
* #30 Guiding the Ship
* #69 Temperature Check
* #98 Stewards of the Mission
For more information about Kolbe Academy’s summer 2022 and 2022-23 school year offerings, click here.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode. If you have a moment to leave a ratings and review, that will help the Kolbecast reach more…
playlist_add
Jun 8, 2022
102 A Great Commission
AMDG. The culmination of a Kolbe formation is a joyous occasion not only for students, but for their parents, instructors, and administrators who have played parts in the symphony of the scholastic experience. Recently Kolbe families, faculty, and administration from all over gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, for a graduation ceremony and celebration of the class of 2022. The ceremony featured speeches by two graduating seniors: Catherine Ma and Anna Prostejovsky; longtime Kolbe online instructor Ms. Ellen Finnigan; and Dr. Ryan Messmore, president of Magdalen College and guest on Kolbecast episode 86.
With gratitude and service as key features of their approach to what’s on the horizon, the graduating seniors reflect on their Kolbe experience, acknowledge those who have helped them reach this milestone, and look ahead with hope. Ms. Finnigan reminisces with delight on her time with the students, many of whom she has known for several years, and bids them farewell with love and laughter…
playlist_add
Jun 1, 2022
101 Turn of the Century
AMDG. Around our milestone episodes, we like to catch our breath, check in with each other, and share some behind the scenes lingo and lore. Today Bonnie, Jordan, and Steven do just that. They talk about the ins and outs of podcast production: the nerves leading up to recordings, the ways we strive to make guests welcome, the surprising things that caught them off guard, the emotionally moving moments, the technology. And they talk about the context of this whole project: the gift of living in the time that we do, the challenge and hope of educating the leaders of the future, and the gift of seeing things slowly come together all in God’s time.
Other Kolbecast episodes mentioned in this episode:
* #92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Cathy and Nicolai Lund
* #99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed with Everett Buyarski, Joseph Caro, and Veronica Foreman
* #100 In the Beginning with Mrs. Dianne Muth
Jordan references Kolbe’s “three ways to educate.”
Check out Kolbe’s cou…
playlist_add
May 25, 2022
100 In the Beginning with Mrs. Dianne Muth
AMDG. Wisdom, humor, perseverance, encouragement…these are just a few of Kolbe co-founder Dianne Muth’s many attributes. On our centennial episode, we’re thrilled to be joined by Mrs. Muth as she shares the story of Kolbe’s founding, the big and small ways God provided and fostered Kolbe’s growth, and the formation of adults prepared to interact with and sanctify today’s world as a hallmark of Kolbe’s future. Listen to the end of the episode for a special throwback to the beginning of the revamped Kolbecast, too.
Here's more about Kolbe Academy’s History.
Look for the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app, where you can subscribe and never miss an episode. If you have a moment to leave a ratings and review, that will help the Kolbecast reach more listeners.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
May 18, 2022
99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
AMDG. When children excel ahead of their grade level, it brings both opportunities and difficulties. In this episode, current Kolbe parents Veronica Foreman and Joseph Caro join Bonnie, Steven, and Kolbe Academic Services Director Everett Buyarski to talk about the days and years of educating a child who might be referred to as “gifted” if enrolled in a brick-and-mortar school. The group discusses why formation of the whole human person is crucial, the areas for growth that academic success can sometimes mask, and the beautiful flexibility of Kolbe’s course offerings where students can be challenged and enriched at whatever level they need.
For more information about Kolbe’s customizable program, visit these pages on the Kolbe Academy website:
* Why Choose Kolbe Academy?
* Kolbe’s Educational Philosophy
* The Principle of Subsidiarity Applied to Home Education
* Kolbe Academy Online Conceptual Framework
* Homeschool FAQ
Check out these related Kolbecast episodes:…
playlist_add
May 11, 2022
98 Stewards of the Mission
AMDG. Last week, we heard from the deans. This week, we visit with the metaphorical bosses upstairs: Chief Academic Officer Megan Lengyel and directors Nicole O’Connor and Tony Guzzaldo. With both reflection on the past and excitement for the future, the group discusses their love for Kolbe’s mission, the roles of various academic officers, how teachers are selected and what formation they participate in once within the Kolbe fold, and how Kolbe has responded to the challenges any growing organization faces as it expands. They also share a few exciting announcements about department chairs for next year as part of their goal to foster an online learning environment infused with the faith and alive with community and friendship.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes to check out:
* Episode 97 Advocates and Bridge Builders with Deans of Students Ashley Massey, Kelly Powers, and Elizabeth Hoxie
* Tony mentions his discovery of the Cardinal Newman Society in his quest to determine what a p…
playlist_add
May 4, 2022
97 Advocates & Bridge Builders
AMDG. With growth come both opportunity and challenge. As Kolbe Academy has grown, so too have the needs of the community. Part of the way Kolbe is addressing these needs is through the appointment of deans for the elementary, middle, and high school divisions. In this episode, we visit with familiar voices Ashley Massey, Elizabeth Hoxie, and Kelly Powers to find out what they as deans do for Kolbe and how families benefit from these advocates who are working to bring the Kolbe family together.
This episode touches on Kolbe’s revamped and expanded homeroom program, which listeners can hear about in more detail on Kolbecast episode 87 Home Base.
Previous Kolbecast episodes featuring today’s guests:
* Ep 21 To Live Fully Alive with Elizabeth Hoxie
* Ep 33 Show Your Work with Kelly Powers
* Ep 47 Among the Pots and Pans with Kelly Powers and Chris Bates
* Ep 66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe with Ashley Massey and Kim Crawford
* Ep 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty with Ashley Massey a…
playlist_add
Apr 27, 2022
96 Adults in Training
AMDG. Have you ever contemplated the idea that you’re not raising children, you’re raising adults? Katherine O’Brien, a certified college planning specialist and homeschooling mother of six (most now in adulthood), joins Bonnie and Steven today to discuss how to be intentional with opportunities for high schoolers to learn the logistics of life. Topics in the conversation include practicalities of parenting teenagers, the difficult but necessary discipline of giving kids space and affirmation when making mistakes, and preparing for tough conversations with the anchoring phrase “I love you. How can I help?”
Sign up here for Kolbe’s spring Virtual College Fair on Friday, April 29, 2022. After the event, look for recordings of the presentations on the Kolbe Academy YouTube channel.
For more information about Katherine O’Brien, check out
* her company Celtic College Consultants
* her blog College Prep Answer Guide
* her radio program The Quo Vadis Show
For videos of…
playlist_add
Apr 20, 2022
95 Conversation Starters
AMDG. Imagine yourself in a queue of people awaiting some event. Your eyes land on someone sporting an image of St. Padre Pio with the words “Hakuna Matata” juxtaposed near the saint’s likeness. Or maybe you arrive at your next meeting only to notice a colleague sporting some socks that initially might pass for snazzy but upon closer inspection reveal flowers and images of St. Therese of Lisieux. Moments like these have been catalysts to conversations that serve as conduits of evangelization and connection. Who would’ve thought to create and market such products? The folks at Sock Religious, including co-founder Scott Williams and operations director Jeff Traylor – our guests on this episode. Listen in for what got the quirky, punny idea got off the ground, how they make it work, and what motivates them to operate the business the way they do. We also hear about their podcast All Set for Sunday, a weekly show for – as they say – “busy or distracted parents to be a littl…
playlist_add
Apr 13, 2022
94 A Boy, a Book, and a Library Mouse
AMDG. The one area of life where gravity doesn’t quite apply is head knowledge and heart knowledge—in formation, even for young children, the heart is the most important piece. Today Joan Claire FitzPatrick, Jamie Leatherby, and Michelle Kim join Bonnie and Steven to discuss how Catechesis of the Good Shepherd uses beauty and child-led engagement to bring children to God. The ladies explain how CGS uses an “atrium” as part of its approach for children to gain discipline in their bodies while learning to care for themselves and their environment. They illustrate the theological and historical significance of the program and the goal of evoking joy and peace. And if all of this sounds a bit unattainable or precious, fear not: they also touch on ways to take stress off parents and make the program fit your family.
Relevant links:
* For more information about this program, visit the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd website.
* A is for Altar, B is for Bible by Judith Lang Main…
playlist_add
Apr 6, 2022
93 Good Thinking
AMDG. What do jazz music, Thomas Aquinas, and Nietzsche have in common? Listen to this week’s episode and find out as Dr. Carl Hasler and current Kolbe students Hannah, Luke, and Teresa talk with Bonnie and Jordan about Kolbe’s philosophy course and club. They share their insights on why the philosophy course and club are worthwhile even though philosophy is woven throughout Kolbe’s history, literature, and theology classes; describe how enriching a basis in philosophical discourse can be; and touch on what distinguishes the philosophy club from a debate club.
If you’ve already enrolled for next year and would like to add the philosophy course to your schedule, use this course change form. Information about the PTA club will come from Kolbe next school year.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
* Hasler’s Kolbecast debut on episode 64 Stricken by Ideas with Kolbe history instructor Mrs. Therese Prudlo
* Kolbecast Ep 91 Kernels of Truth with Kolbe theology instructors Mrs. Chris…
playlist_add
Mar 30, 2022
92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
AMDG. If you’re a hesitant homeschooler or unconvinced parent considering homeschooling, put this episode at the top of your playlist. Today Cathy and Nicolai Lund—parents of two Kolbe alumnae and one current Kolbe high schooler—join Bonnie and Steven to share their experience with candor, humor, and encouragement. They share their rough start: how Cathy felt unequipped, how Nicolai undermined his wife, and how people told them they would destroy their children if they chose to homeschool. And they share the bounty that they have experienced from homeschooling: the ways it fostered growth in marriage and family life, the travel the Lund family was able to do with their flexible schedules, and the foundation that homeschooling with Kolbe built for their daughters to go out into the world to find answers and truth. The conversation also touches on positive college experiences at non-liberal arts schools such as Berkeley as well as the ever-present socialization question.
* Meet…
playlist_add
Mar 23, 2022
91 Kernels of Truth
AMDG. We’ve talked before about the distinction between learning theology as a school subject and learning to be a faithful Catholic in our current world. We explore this concept in greater nuance on today’s episode as Chrissy Almanzar and Nicholas Senz discuss Kolbe’s new world religions course, which surveys religions from Hinduism to Shintoism to the Abrahamic faiths and more. Chrissy and Nick discuss finding elements of truth in these world religions and how that connects to the fullness of truth contained in the Catholic faith. They also explain how engaging other ideas leads to a more nuanced discussion of our own faith, why fear of studying other religions is misplaced, and the way commonalities across religions point in a certain direction while leveling the playing field.
Three Church documents to be used in the World Religions course which parents might find helpful as a preview:
* Ad gentes - on the mission activity of the Church
* Nostra aetate - declaration on…
playlist_add
Mar 16, 2022
90 Vocations Here, Now, and Eventually
AMDG. The longings put there in your heart are meant to lead you to your personal vocation. That can be easier said than lived, though, right? Today Adam and Pamela Castor join Bonnie and Steven to discuss vocations and discernment in an approachable, pragmatic conversation. The Castors share their thoughts and guidance on bringing the faith alive at home, how family life is the church in miniature, and how frequenting the sacraments and a life of prayer are the keys to figuring out a vocation.
Relevant links:
* Steven refers to Sherry Weddell, author and creator of the Catherine of Siena Institute’s Called and Gifted Discernment Program.
* How to make lilies for St. Joseph’s Day using kids’ handprints
* Fr. Stephen Gadberry on "Pints with Padre" during 2022 Catholic Schools Week
Kolbe's 2022 Vocations Retreat speakers included (among several others)
* Fr. Robert Spitzer of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith, home of Credible Catholic
* The Dominican Sisters of S…
playlist_add
Mar 9, 2022
89 The Master Blueprint
AMDG. Science is a body of knowledge that’s constantly in flux, and students and parents alike may approach science—especially in the upper grades—with misconceptions or concerns. Today, Kolbe science teachers Elizabeth Hoxie, Katie Bradley, and Ann Still join Bonnie and Steven to discuss how science does not need to be watered down or diluted to be palatable to Catholics. Our guests share their own experiences of how being scientists has positively affected their faith lives, how they see beautiful microcosms in the created world, and how there is an eminent rationality to belief in a creator. They challenge the narrative that all scientists are atheists and talk about why Catholic families don’t need to go on the defensive when it comes to science. They also discuss Kolbe’s reliance on secular science textbooks and why it’s an important part of the curriculum here.
Resources compiled by our guests and related:
* Brilliant: 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, and S…
playlist_add
Mar 2, 2022
88 Built for Battle with Jonathan Conrad, the Catholic Woodworker
AMDG. We’ve talked before about the importance of the physical spaces where homeschooling and general life happen. Today, Jonathan Conrad of The Catholic Woodworker joins Bonnie and Steven to discuss the benefits of surrounding ourselves with physical, beautiful sacramentals to remind us of who we are, who God is, what we’re doing, and why we’re doing it. Jonathan shares some of his background and emphasis on evangelization, discusses what spiritual warfare is and isn’t, and explains how people can bring dignity to their work in both sacred and secular dimensions.
Find Jonathan’s writings and online storefront at The Catholic Woodworker.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned:
* Ep 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic Illustration
* Ep 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with the Holy Heroes Parents
Books and resources mentioned:
* The Little Oratory
* The Catholic All Year Compendium: Liturgical Living for Real Life
* Henry Kutarna, the Catholic…
playlist_add
Feb 23, 2022
87 Home Base
AMDG. As enrollment season arrives, we’re taking a look at the opportunities Kolbe Academy middle and high school students have to take homeroom, a course that’s come a long way since it was first offered and now combines opportunities for academic support, community, and personalized guidance from Kolbe’s devoted, resourceful teachers. This episode features four of those marvelous homeroom instructors – Kim Crawford, Brittany Doucette, Michelle Kim, and Jenni Mammola – and offers a glimpse into their clever, compassionate approach to providing a home base for Kolbe middle and high school students regardless of how many courses the students take online. We also hear about the bonds that have been forged through the homeroom courses and how families can connect with each other outside of class.
Links mentioned and helpful:
* School-wide address with announcements about the 2022-23 school year
* Sign up for Shadow Week starting March 7, 2022
* 2022-23 Summer Courses
*…
playlist_add
Feb 16, 2022
86 Magdalen College, the Rivendell of the Newman Guide
AMDG. To flourish as a human being is to think well, love well, discern well, work well with others, and so much more. Today, Magdalen College president Dr. Ryan Messmore joins Bonnie and Steven to discuss how Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in Warner, New Hampshire, provides an atmosphere where every day is designed to shape young people to do just that. Dr. Messmore describes the blend of new and old, fresh and classic, that guides students as they wrestle with the biggest ideas in the world. The group also discusses the role of trust in education, the idea that community life is the most powerful mode of transforming education, and the telos of the human being. As a bonus, listen in to find out which Kolbe teacher recently built a homemade Zamboni.
Links mentioned and helpful:
* Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts
* Magdalen College’s podcast From the Summit
* Dr. Messmore interviews Jordan about When the Earth Was Flat
* Dr. Jordan Almanzar’s custom Zamboni can…
playlist_add
Feb 9, 2022
85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
AMDG. Our Life after Kolbe series continues as Steven and Bonnie hear from Mark Knox, campus minister at St. Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas; Monica Conrow, a Kolbe homeschooling mom and youth minister in Oregon; and Elise Athman, another Kolbe mom and former FOCUS missionary, about the vibrant Catholic student ministries on a growing number of state and secular campuses. In the spirit of Cardinal John Henry Newman, whom we encountered in last week’s episode, these campus ministries are reaching out to students, giving them places to call home away from home in more ways than one, and accompanying them on their walk into adulthood. The group also addresses concerns families may have about state or secular colleges and the potential detrimental effects on the faith life of the students attending; speaks to the fear factor that is a common experience of many families at this juncture; and offers suggestions for ways to identify dynamic Newman Centers as part of the c…
playlist_add
Feb 2, 2022
84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly
AMDG. The fundamental question of defining education is one of our favorite and most frequent topics. Today, president and founder of the Cardinal Newman Society, Patrick Reilly, joins Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan to discuss education beyond the K-12 years. Patrick proposes the idea of education as a window into God’s mind and explains how this perspective—along with a healthy dose of frustration—led him to look deeply at the state of Catholic education at the college level. He also elucidates some the difference between Newman Guide schools and schools with Newman Centers (stay tuned for an upcoming episode on the latter).
Links mentioned and helpful:
* Cardinal Newman Society, publisher of The Newman Guide
* Playlist of presentations at Kolbe’s Virtual College Fair Oct 2021, including Patrick Reilly’s Keynote Address
related Kolbecast episodes
* Episode 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat
* Episode 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo…
playlist_add
Jan 26, 2022
83 This Is Only a Test
AMDG. The words “standardized testing” may induce anxiety in parents and students alike, but today’s episode is all about a calm and competent approach. Jon & Chris Bates join Bonnie, Steven, and Steven’s wife Maggie to speak with experience as both homeschool parents and academic advisors. The group discusses why and what to test, paper and online options, and the information that testing can and cannot highlight. They also touch on environmental considerations for testing, how to navigate and mitigate student panic over tests, and how to approach test scores as a healthy assessment tool while keeping your unique students in mind.
Links mentioned and helpful:
* Kolbe Academy’s testing services
* Episode 62 Due Diligence with Darren Jones of the Home School Legal Defense Association
* Episode 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty with Celeste Cuellar and Ashley Massey
* Episode 80 The Journey That Is with Margaret Walsh of Secret Garden Educational Pathways
* Episode 31 V…
playlist_add
Jan 19, 2022
82 Move and Groove
AMDG. Last week’s elementary school tour continues today with meeting two of Kolbe’s lower elementary teachers, Eileen Duryea and Sarah Lee. These ladies share their expertise and enthusiasm for teaching Kindergarten through second grade students in Kolbe’s unique hybrid platform. They explain how limited online time and plentiful movement keep students physically and mentally engaged, how they foster fine motor development and a love of reading, and how parent involvement is a crucial component for success.
Links mentioned and related:
* Kolbecast Episode 81: The When and the How of Online Elementary with 3 teachers from Kolbe’s upper elementary online program
* Classical Education in the Elementary Years, a presentation by Sarah Foulkes during Catholic Schools Week 2021
* The Classical Approach at Kolbe Academy, a webinar hosted by Nicole O’Connor, director of the Online Elementary Program
Look for the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and subscribe for effort…
playlist_add
Jan 12, 2022
81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
AMDG. Tour the metaphorical halls of Kolbe’s elementary program today with teachers Sarah Foulkes, Anna Havens, and Emily Thibodeaux. These ladies discuss with Bonnie and Steven the practicalities of the parent-teacher partnership that helps young students thrive. From the hybrid combination of homeschooling and online education to the highlights of what the Kolbe elementary program is and is not, the discussion is a microcosm of Kolbe’s ancient and cutting-edge approach.
Links mentioned and related:
* Classical Education in the Elementary Years, a presentation by Mrs. Foulkes during Catholic Schools Week 2021
* Ep 7 Et Tu, Iordane? in which the newly-launched online elementary program is discussed
* Ep 61 Middle Ground
* Ep 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service discusses rubrics, which Mrs. Thibodeaux mentions among her suggestions
* The Classical Approach at Kolbe Academy, a webinar hosted by Nicole O’Connor, director of the Online Elementary Program
Look for the Kol…
playlist_add
Jan 5, 2022
80 The Journey That Is
AMDG. What causes a learning disability or difficulty and how can we help a student exercise that part of their mind? Margaret Walsh of Secret Garden Educational Pathways joins Bonnie and Steven today to discuss the Ignatian idea of cura personalis, or care of the whole person, in the context of special education. Margaret shares how she draws on both her liberal arts degree from Thomas Aquinas College and her advanced specialized training in special ed to provide accessible support through remediation and education therapy. Topics touched on today include strengthening students’ capabilities, the 13 categories of learning needs, how to distinguish diagnosable struggles from emotional immaturity or stubbornness, and the hesitance and stigma surrounding diagnoses.
Links referenced:
* Secret Garden Educational Pathways, Margaret’s company
* Margaret’s Facebook Friday presentation
* org, which Margaret says is “an amazing resource for easy reading and exploring different s…
playlist_add
Dec 29, 2021
79 Doors to Your Memories
AMDG. A familiar voice rejoins Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan today: Bonnie’s sister Hope, originally one of the relaunched Kolbecast’s co-hosts and now a frequent behind-the-scenes collaborator. As the quartet gathers in the space between the old year and the new, we hear about Jordan’s newly published book and Hope’s introduction to Kolbe, as well as the long slow road of conversion and the significance of routines.
Referenced in this episode:
* Jordan’s book When the Earth Was Flat
* The Screwtape Letters
* Kolbecast Episode 7 Et Tu, Iordane?
Look for the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and subscribe for effortless episode delivery.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Dec 22, 2021
78 The Kolbe Man Show
AMDG. Four of Kolbe’s wisest guys—Jordan, Steven, Everett, and Don—gather for a virtual men’s night on this week’s episode. Their discussion is one for the ages, spanning stories of childhood role models and adult cross-country moves before settling into a reflection on what strength is and isn’t. With sacrificial love and the golden mean as their foundation, the gentlemen talk about virtues to encourage in young men, how the idea that “boys will be boys” works against healthy masculinity, the commonalities between Marcus Aurelius and Marvel, the revolution of Christian leadership, Augustine’s idea that those who give orders are the servants of those whom they appear to command, and so much more.
* The impetus for the Buyarskis’ move to Tulsa: Ep 50 Backstage (Cast Party)
Articles mentioned:
* How to Be on the Right Side of History by James Hankins in First Things
* John Hardon, SJ, on the importance and necessity of homeschooling
Dr. Don Prudlo can be he…
playlist_add
Dec 15, 2021
77 The Road Less Traveled
AMDG. Today Celeste Cuellar rejoins the Kolbecast to discuss non-college paths—trades, military service, religious life discernment, and more. Celeste, Bonnie, and Steven muse on how God doesn’t require saints to have college degrees, how many of the activities and interests we’re drawn to indicate our paths, and how the preparation for life is indirect. Along with these profound and accessible topics, they touch on personality and skill assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, what gap years are and aren’t, and reckoning parents’ experience within themselves as their children grow to the age of adventuring beyond the nest.
Celeste can be heard on these other Kolbecast episodes
* Ep 12 Phone a Friend
* Ep 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty also with Ashley Massey
Also referenced:
* Ep 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski & Erica Treat
* Highlands Ability Battery
* The Myers & Briggs Foundation
* Labor Day Statement by Bishop John Barres of Roc…
playlist_add
Dec 8, 2021
76 Study Buddies
AMDG. With the arrival of a new liturgical year and the culmination of the first semester comes finals week. That prospect might provoke some trepidation, so we call upon four ladies who address that uneasiness with sage, pragmatic advice on all things finals. In this episode we meet the student officers and lead advisor of Kolbe’s newly-formed chapter of National Honor Society and hear how the organization is already serving the Kolbe community through the peer tutoring program while actively seeking other ways to be of use. These wise ones cover all sorts of ground in signature Kolbe style. Thanks to Martina, Josephine, Claire, and Mrs. Mammola for offering their experience and advice on everything from study tips to self-care to maintaining perspective on these exams and what we can learn from them beyond letter grades.
* Recommended in this episode: Quizlet
Kolbecast episodes referenced and that might be helpful:
* Ep 43 The Grade Examen with advisors Everett Buyarski and…
playlist_add
Dec 1, 2021
75 Minor Victories
AMDG. Today is all about minor victories--those day brightening graces and breaks in the clouds that give us reassurance and motivation on the homeschooling journey. And to celebrate our 75th episode since the Kolbecast relaunch, we wanted to celebrate you, our listeners! Bonnie, Steven, Brigid, and Lauren share their own minor victories as well as those sent in by parents, students, and teachers through our social media channels. Cheers to figuring out nap schedules, transitioning between brick-and-mortar school and homeschool, finding a rhythm, seeing independence and collaboration develop, growing in confidence and trust, and so much more. As a bonus, continuing the tradition of our 25th and 50th episodes, listen past the closing of the episode for a blooper reel.
Kolbecast episodes referenced and others that might be helpful:
* Ep 12 Phone a Friend with Celeste Cuellar
* Ep 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty with Celeste Cuellar & Ashley Massey
* Ep 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit with…
playlist_add
Nov 24, 2021
74 Special Teams–Kolbe Dads
AMDG. Experienced dads Mike Drapeau and Greg Simia – each the father of eight children – join Jordan and Steven to talk about a father's contribution to the homeschooling dynamic. The group discusses roles as both support parent and primary homeschooling parent, the help dads can provide with things like cooking dinner and driving kids to activities, and ways for fathers to deepen their involvement with homeschooling while working or traveling a lot. They also touch on words of advice and encouragement for reluctant dads, the influence fathers have on their children’s faith lives, and the way coaching sports teams can bring an additional level of influence and involvement.
Greg’s recommended links:
* Secret Garden Educational Pathways
* Home School Astronomy
* Quizlet.com
Other links that might be helpful:
* Kolbecast Ep 12 Phone a Friend with Celeste Cuellar
* Kolbecast Ep 66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe with Ashley Massey & Kim Crawford discussing (among other things) t…
playlist_add
Nov 17, 2021
73 Through Beauty and Technology
AMDG. Early in the podcast comeback, we talked with Kolbe drama teacher Dolores Mihaliak about the timeless significance of dramatic arts and timely capabilities of technology. Dolores rejoins Bonnie today to have a conversation about a new way to experience the Camino de Santiago, a pilgrimage route in Spain which dates back to the days of the apostles. Homeschool graduate and current Ave Maria University student Leila Castillo tells Bonnie and Dolores more about this cinematic pilgrimage, as well as how she honed her communication and media skills while homeschooling and how she chose to rise to opportunities in her path.
Learn more about the movie and Ahava Productions via these links:
* "Santiago: THE CAMINO WITHIN" -- watch the trailer and rent the film (English & Spanish)!
* ECHO series (2016) on the US Catholic Catechism for Adults that Leila assisted with (English & Spanish)
* Music that Moves the Soul
* Consider hosting a Pilgrim Party to enjoy the film with friends…
playlist_add
Nov 10, 2021
72 Participatory Citizens
AMDG. Kolbe history teachers Anne Angstenberger and Erin Anderson join Bonnie and Steven today on a discussion of civilization from the annals of ancient Greece to the halls of modern sorority houses. As the group takes a deep dive into Kolbe’s high school history curriculum, they explore our emphasis on developing the skills of looking at context, engaging with primary sources, and being able to both ask and answer open-ended questions. They examine high schoolers’ awareness of the overlaps between history and daily life regarding challenges to authority or the status quo, protection of human rights, globalism, and politically charged societies. And they reflect on ways to develop civic responsibility and generosity in the home from field trips to relationships.
Links mentioned and helpful resources:
* National Archives
* National Constitution Center
* Catholic Textbook Project's This Week in History
* The Smithsonian
* National Geographic Education
* Kolbecast episo…
playlist_add
Nov 3, 2021
71 A Sight for Sore Eyes
AMDG. Plato once observed that true beauty is a healthy shock, and Kolbe's recently-debuted “Mary and Max” logo is a striking example of evocative illustration. Today Bonnie and Steven visit with the logo’s creator: Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic Illustration. Chris describes the symbolic connection of proclaiming and defending the truth through artistry; the idea of graphic design as both problem solving and storytelling; and the way art is a conduit for hope and conversion. He shares the road he’s traveled to develop a masculine, reverent, modern, realistic style in his artwork, as well as the challenges and rewards of transitioning from secular graphic design to full-time sacred subjects. Ultimately, the group reflects on the idea of creativity as a search for God and the idea that a new renaissance is developing as the world longs for beauty.
Links referenced and that might be helpful:
* Kolbe Academy on Instagram and Facebook
* art contest winners
* Duncan Stroik…
playlist_add
Oct 27, 2021
70 First Draft – A Parent In-Service
AMDG. We talk a lot on the podcast about the importance of eloquence for people regardless of whether they’re in the liberal arts, STEM, or other professions. With that in mind, writing is an important part of the Kolbe curriculum across subject areas in keeping with principles of Ignatian pedagogy that listeners can learn more about on the Kolbe blog (see below). So how do we develop that art on a day-to-day basis? Bonnie and guest co-host Erica Treat (a Kolbe advisor and friend of the Kolbecast) endeavor to answer that today with the help of Kolbe instructors Chrissy Almanzar and Michelle Kim. We also hear more about Kolbe’s Homeschool Plus and Self-Paced Plus programs and get a preview of the Kolbe Academy Virtual College Fair on Friday, October 29, 2021.
Kolbe Academy blog posts referenced:
* The Basics of Ignatian Pedagogy and subsequent posts in a six-part series by Stacey Jarzynka
* ‘Mottoes’ by Willa Ryan
Sign up here for Kolbe’s Virtual College Fair on October…
playlist_add
Oct 20, 2021
69 Temperature Check
AMDG. The change in seasons brings a great time to stop and look at how things are going with the new school year. Today we do just that, with Bonnie and Steven joined by Everett Buyarski, Megan Lengyel, and Nicole O’Connor. The group discusses midterms season, organization for elementary schoolers, Kolbe’s new National Honor Society chapter and the service opportunities involved, the similarities and differences between this school year and last year’s pandemic year, and the ever-expanding menu of club options available to Kolbe students. Listen to the end for a preview of the Christmas concert too.
Sign up here for Kolbe’s Virtual College Fair on October 29, 2021.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and related:
* Ep 11: Truth, Wisdom, and Virtue with Everett Buyarski
* Ep 14: We Don’t Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean with Nicole O’Connor
* Ep 21: To Live Fully Alive with Elizabeth Hoxie
* Ep 30: Guiding the Ship featuring Megan, Everett, and Nicole
*…
playlist_add
Oct 13, 2021
68 Grace for the Nitty-Gritty
AMDG. At this midpoint of the first semester, Steven and Bonnie seek the wisdom and guidance of Kolbe Academy’s deans Celeste Cuellar and Ashley Massey. From time management to adjusting expectations to executive function, these advisors offer advice for the both the forest and the trees plus perspective on how the hiccups, obstacles, and frustrations can work for the good of everyone in the family.
Resources mentioned:
* Angela Duckworth’s TED Talk and book about grit.
* Lumosity.com brain training
Kolbecast episodes that might be helpful:
* Ep 12 Phone a Friend with Celeste Cuellar
* Ep 60 Mission: Possible about the ninth-grade year
* Ep 66 with Ashley Massey and Kim Crawford
* Ep 23 Family Is the Center which covers one Kolbe family’s experience with dyslexia
* Ep 10 In the Driver’s Seat
Look for the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and subscribe for effortless episode delivery.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at p…
playlist_add
Oct 6, 2021
67 Mission Driven
AMDG. We’re thrilled to introduce a new cast member/podcast co-host: Steven Hayden, Kolbe’s new Development Director. Steven joins us with a voice of experience and a wealth of knowledge from experience in both the secular corporate world and the Catholic homeschool world. He discusses a range of topics in this introductory episode with Jordan and Bonnie, such as the camaraderie and goals Kolbe fosters as an organization, the importance of identifying people’s strengths and systems’ flaws, and possibilities for philanthropy and outreach moving forward.
Look for the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and subscribe for effortless episode delivery.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Sep 29, 2021
66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe
AMDG. The people who serve as Kolbe Academy administration and faculty are a dedicated, highly-skilled group of Catholics committed to the pursuit of holiness, which for them includes serving Kolbe families as advisors, instructors, and sounding boards. They also serve each other in a spirit of collegiality as fellow pilgrims on the path to heaven.
In today’s episode Bonnie converses with Ashley Massey, an academic advisor and one of the deans of students, and Kim Crawford, a beloved instructor and department chair. They canvass the ways they approach building community and relationship across the miles to meet the needs we all have for connection. They also consider the concept and importance of families living as “domestic churches.”
Episodes that might be helpful:
* Ep 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit with Deana Muth
* Ep 61 Middle Ground concerning middle school
* Ep 60 Mission: Possible about the ninth grade year
Kim Crawford can also be heard on Episode 50: Cast Party and…
playlist_add
Sep 22, 2021
65 Working Breakfast
AMDG. When we asked Kolbe students which of their teachers they’d most like to hear on the Kolbecast, Melissa Johnson was high on their list. Melissa joins us today to talk about what life looks like for her teaching middle and high school English while raising eight children. With equal parts humor and candor, she describes her background, her experience with the many personalities present in a large family, and her openness to embracing lively chaos of the day to day.
Melissa references Holly Pierlot’s A Mother’s Rule of Life, also available on FORMED.org. Jordan draws upon some advice related by three Kolbe students in Episode 22: Imagine Being Homeschooled given to them by another beloved Kolbe teacher.
For effortless episode delivery, subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Sep 15, 2021
64 Stricken by Ideas
AMDG. Professor, teacher, and all-around wise person Dr. Carl Hasler is our featured guest today, along with our dear friend and Kolbe teacher Therese Prudlo. Together, they and Bonnie discuss the little moments that take us through life and the necessity of being open to God’s grace in them. Dr. Hasler shares his background from working in a record store and telling his parents he wanted to study philosophy to his experience with international adoption. He also describes how his conversion story involved encounters with Catholic thinkers and the young woman who would become Mrs. Dr. Hasler. The group brings things home with a discussion of Kolbe’s new philosophy course, the differences in definition between the word “liberal” as it is used in the current liberal/conservative political dichotomy compared to how it is used in the liberal arts, and the power of music.
Among several other courses, Dr. Hasler teaches the live online version of Kolbe’s new philosophy course. He r…
playlist_add
Sep 8, 2021
63 The Saints Speak for Themselves
AMDG.
Holy Heroes founders Ken and Kerri Davison—themselves the parents of a Kolbe homeschooling family —join Bonnie and Jordan on this special episode of the Kolbecast released on the Blessed Virgin Mary’s birthday, September 8. The Davisons share wisdom on homeschooling while running a family business as well as on fostering strong, devout commitment to the sacraments and the saints. They discuss how homeschooling parents have discretion to plan their weeks and lives based on what their families need rather than on what a school demands, and they encourage liturgical living through celebrations of baptismal days, confirmation days, and name days as well as birthdays. They also have insight into the passive and active listening involved in video and audio entertainment, how important early formation is for children, and the challenge and joy of doing hard things. Finally, the Davisons share how homeschooling makes it easier to incorporate children into the running of the home s…
playlist_add
Sep 1, 2021
62 Due Diligence
AMDG. Senior counsel with the Home School Legal Defense Association, Darren Jones, joins Bonnie today. A litigation attorney and homeschool graduate himself, Mr. Jones helps HSLDA member families resolve legal difficulties related to homeschooling. During the conversation, he describes four areas of HSLDA’s work: legal defense, consulting, legislative tracking, and charitable outreach. He also sheds light on how diverse state laws in the United States are regarding homeschooling, as well as how states’ written requirements and general temperature toward homeschooling may vary from each other. Along the way, Mr. Jones shares insight into participating in local homeschool groups and dads’ involvement in the homeschooling process. Ultimately, the conversation illustrates how HSLDA is there to help with the legal side of homeschooling so that parents can focus on the fun part: teaching the kids. For more information about HSLDA, visit http://hslda.org/.
For guidance getting your gro…
playlist_add
Aug 25, 2021
61 Middle Ground
AMDG. There’s a lot going on in a person’s middle school years, and it takes a special teacher (or several) to inspire and guide this formative period. Kolbe middle school teachers Amanda Hayes and Alexandra Pischke are two of those experts, and they join Bonnie today to share their insights. Together, they discuss the developmental stages of middle school, the combination of childhood silliness and maturing purpose they see in their students, and how they try to model good study and organizational habits for sixth through eighth graders to use at home and online.
Episodes and other links that might be helpful
* Kolbecast Ep 33: Show Your Work with Math Department Chair Mrs. Kelly Powers
* Ep 58: Mystery Machines (technology & tech support)
* Kuta math software and worksheets
* Ep 21: To Live Fully Alive with Mrs. Elizabeth Hoxie
For effortless episode delivery, subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast t…
playlist_add
Aug 18, 2021
60 Mission: Possible
AMDG. High school is an epic transition, especially for Kolbe ninth graders. Current student Xavier joins Bonnie and Jordan today to share his insight on the trials and triumphs of freshman year. The group discusses the biggest changes between eighth and ninth grades, some of the time management and workload strategies Xavier has found success in, and how to tell when a teacher thinks a topic is important. The conversation also encompasses overcoming shyness in giving class presentations, participating in class, and the hijinks of the Kolbe Latin club.
Episodes that might be helpful:
* Ep 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and Ep 37 Take a Moment with Therese Prudlo
* Ep 59 Mystery Machines with Lauren Hoang (tech support)
* Ep 22 Imagine Being Homeschooled with three Kolbe tenth graders
* Ep 33 Show Your Work with Mrs. Kelly Powers
* Ep 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit with Mrs. Deana Muth
For effortless episode delivery, subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player.
Have a…
playlist_add
Aug 11, 2021
59 The Secret Whiteboard
AMDG. When the Kolbe years come to an end, students have big decisions to make. With that in mind, Kolbe’s academic services director, Everett Buyarski, and Erica Treat, who works as an academic advisor at Kolbe, return to the Kolbecast to consider the big picture, the discernment process of a student’s post-Kolbe options, the complexities that accompany that process, and the particulars for crafting noteworthy college applications.
Resources:
Links on Kolbe.org:
* transcript request
* letter of recommendation request
* advising appointment scheduling
Additional Resources:
* Ep 38 Substance Matters
* Ep 40 Windshield Time
* NCAA core course worksheet
* Newman Guide
* secular colleges with great Catholic presence
* Newman Connection
For effortless episode delivery, subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visi…
playlist_add
Aug 4, 2021
58 Mystery Machines
AMDG. Kolbe Academy Technical Assistant Lauren Hoang shares five takeaways about the technology that makes it possible for families all over the world to utilize Kolbe Academy’s materials and services. Beyond the specs and hardware, Lauren highlights how the technological dimension offers ample opportunity for growth in virtue and holiness. She has practical suggestions to help families and students set up their workspaces and get the most out of their tech tools, and she pulls back the curtain on some exciting developments and improvements to the school’s support services.
Mentioned in this episode:
* Episode 41 Backstage: Social Media with Lauren Hoang and Brigid Tebaldi
* Episode 35 An Atmosphere of Opportunity with Carola, a Kolbe mom who works in the tech industry
* Lauren’s vocation story
* Episode 4 Homeschool Workspaces
* Kolbe career opportunities
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
Have a suggestion o…
playlist_add
Jul 28, 2021
57 Seeking the Kingdom
AMDG. The Faias are longtime members of the Kolbe Academy family. Their youngest child is a 2021 alumna. In this episode, Mrs. Margaret Faia shares both the long view and the detailed approach she took to educating her 14 children at home. Consider her a mentor to anyone seeking to keep God at the center of family life while tending to the temporal needs of everyone involved.
Mrs. Faia references The Story of a Soul and The Story of a Family: The Home of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jul 21, 2021
56 Home but Not Alone
AMDG. Maria and her family were among many who turned on a dime in response to the pandemic-related impact on their schooling choices. This episode details the path that led Maria and her family to Kolbe and how her daughter’s experience in the inaugural year of the online elementary program went. With candor and grace, Maria shares how she and her husband worked through sticking points, how they as a family adapted to the new school structure, and what their plans for the coming school year.
Maria is featured in this video, among others, on the Kolbe Academy YouTube channel. For more information about the online K-5 program, check out this Facebook Friday webinar.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jul 14, 2021
55 Humor & Humility
AMDG. Heather, a longtime Kolbe Academy homeschooling mom, takes Bonnie back in time to the start of Heather’s family’s homeschooling experience. Along the way, Heather shares some of the struggles and sorrows they encountered. With much humor and compassion, Heather offers her pragmatic suggestions on how to deal with the opinions of others about family educational choices, when spouses aren’t on the same page, and criticism. She underscores the importance of prayer and of asking for help, and she cautions against falling into the comparison trap. Listen in for an engaging dose of inspiration and a generous helping of laughter.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jul 7, 2021
54 Pro Omnibus Contendit
AMDG. Kolbe Academy’s Curriculum Development Manager Deana Muth sits down with Jordan and Bonnie to underscore the accessibility – and relevance – of Kolbe’s high caliber liberal arts curriculum to everyone, the principle of subsidiarity in the service of homeschooling families, and the role of Kolbe’s dedicated, skilled advisors in helping families customize and implement curriculum choices.
Check out Kolbe Academy Online's conceptual framework, which includes references to subsidiarity as applied to homeschooling.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jun 30, 2021
53 Q, A, and Encouragement
AMDG. In this episode, Jordan, Bonnie, and Brigid are fielding questions and addressing common homeschooling sticking points. From looking back in time to trace how we got to the point of thinking parents aren’t qualified to teach their own children to demystifying the day-in, day-out homeschooling experience, this conversation covers a lot of ground and delivers a hefty dose of encouragement to homeschooling families and those who are considering the homeschool life.
Ep 11 Truth, Wisdom, and Virtue recounting Kolbe Academy history
Ep 41 Social Media with Brigid and Lauren
Ep 43 The Grade Examen concerning documentation, grade reports, and paperwork
Ep 34 A Beauty-Linked Life with Professor Carol
HSLDA – the Home School Legal Defense Association
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jun 23, 2021
52 Through a Catholic Lens
AMDG. Longtime Kolbe Academy online instructor and chair of the English and Literature Department Kim Crawford shines a light on the philosophy of Kolbe’s literature curriculum, which employs four attitudes and a four-fold test to construct a lens through which to evaluate any piece of literature, from the timeless classic to the latest beach read. Kim and Bonnie also discuss the true meaning of critical thinking, ways to both cultivate a love of reading and work through resistance or reluctance, the importance of enlisting help along the way for challenges such as dyslexia and anxiety, and the consequences of cancel culture as seen in recent removals of time-tested texts from the canon.
Mentioned in this episode (bolded words are links):
Episode 14 We Don’t Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean with Nicole O’Connor
Great Illustrated Classics
Episode 23 Family Is the Center with Beth Gath featuring suggestions for addressing and working with dyslexia
Episode 24 Ris…
playlist_add
Jun 16, 2021
51 Made for Adventure
AMDG. This episode of the Kolbecast features the speeches from Kolbe Academy’s 2021 live-streamed graduation ceremony with an opening prayer offered by Ryan Ma. Student speaker Caroline Painter, faculty speaker Wil Frey, and commencement speaker Bill Donaghy address the Kolbe Academy community with eloquence, wit, and sagacity. From the purpose of education to the importance of reflection on the true, the good, and the beautiful, our speakers honor and challenge Kolbe’s Class of 2021 to use the gift of their Kolbe formation as they step out into the deep.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jun 10, 2021
50 Backstage (Cast Party)
AMDG. Hats off to our 50th episode! Tune in today to hear the more casual side of the cast as we welcome back some of the guests we’ve had the pleasure of having on the show during our first rebooted season. We let our hair down, reminisce about the past year, and sketch out big dreams for the next. Ever heard the Socratic method applied to Star Wars combat walkers? Listen in and you will. On this episode, we also bid farewell to Hope, who’s temporarily stepping back from being on air as she starts a new day job.
references & links
Ep 11 with Everett Buyarski
Ep 25 Backstage
Kolbe careers and job openings
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Jun 9, 2021
49 Revealed Through Story with Joseph Pearce
AMDG. We are thrilled to welcome the keynote speaker of our portable homeschool convention: Joseph Pearce. With clear enthusiasm for the subjects he teaches, Joseph describes how God conveys the greatest lessons to us--theological, philosophical, moral, and historical--in terms of story and literature. He explains how humility gives us a sense of gratitude, gratitude opens the eyes in wonder, wonder leads us to contemplation, and contemplation dilates the mind and soul into the fullness of reality. And he reassures parents who may not have a classical education themselves: don’t be daunted and think you’re not worthy to educate your children. Resources and opportunities abound for parents to learn themselves, which in turn unites children and parents and brings their family closer together. Ultimately, Joseph explains how to have an education in the humanities is to become more fully human.
Resources (Bolded text below denotes links.)
jpearce.co
Classical Education and the Futur…
playlist_add
Jun 8, 2021
48 Because It Rings True
AMDG. Today Chrissy Almanzar, theology department chair and Jordan's wife, shares her experience of the richness of grace and faith as a convert to Christianity and intercultural theology scholar who is now a high school teacher. We discuss head knowledge versus heart knowledge of religion, why Kolbe’s high school theology curriculum does not use a catechetical approach, the connection between history and theology, and the idea of giving students something to love instead of something to recite. Chrissy also describes how she answers doubts from her students with enthusiasm because, as she says, if there’s a question in your mind, it’s because God wants you to know its answer. If you have high schoolers asking hard questions, this is the episode for you.
Hope references Kolbecast Episode 8 with Colleen Carroll Campbell.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app for effortless episode deliver…
playlist_add
Jun 7, 2021
47 Among the Pots and Pans
AMDG. Gather around our metaphorical kitchen table as Kelly Powers and Chris Bates re-join Bonnie and Hope to talk about their shared love of cooking—both their own experience in the kitchen and the highs and lows of cooking with kids. We cover adapting meals to food sensitives and allergies, kids’ capabilities in the kitchen at various ages, safety habits for teaching children to work with knives and stoves, the joy of having music and dancing in the kitchen, and the idea of food as service for others. In the background of all of this is cooking’s marvelous way of fostering independence, generosity, creative thinking, sequencing, and confidence.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Jun 2, 2021
46 Language Lab with Mme. Jenni Mammola
AMDG and bonjour! Today, language department chair and French teacher Madame Jenni Mammola joins the cast to share her enthusiasm and insight into the field. She takes on the idea that French can have a reputation as a superfluous or overly romantic “elective” and describes how the language is set to be the third-most spoken language in the world, is important in a variety of industries (including technology), and has had huge influence on how the English language has developed. Madame also talks about the practical side of language learning, from being silly with accents to having unstructured time where academic knowledge can become conversational. And stay tuned, s’il vous plait, to the end of the episode for a special version of the Kolbecast Litany.
Madame Mammola’s tips for increased listening and practice in the home:
*** Parents should always examine resources before sharing with their children. *** Bolded words below are links:
* Use YouTube for free episodes of…
playlist_add
May 26, 2021
45 Grace Perfects Nature
AMDG. Today’s episode title comes from St. Thomas Aquinas by way of clinical psychologist Peter Malinoski, who joins us today along with registered clinical counselor Jody Garneau to discuss mental health and homeschooling. Dr. Peter and Jody speak from years of experience as both mental health practitioners and homeschool parents themselves—he, the father of seven children and she, the mother of four. Among today’s topics are human formation as foundation for spiritual formation, the importance of parents’ mental health when homeschooling, and how to broach the topic of mental health where there might be resistance or fear. Perfectionism and scrupulosity also come up, as does spiritual bypassing: the tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks.
Jody’s practical tips for homeschool families are to prioritize:
* Help forming feelings into words
* Parts awar…
playlist_add
May 19, 2021
44 Student Spotlight–Newsletter Team
AMDG. Last fall, we heard from three young men who are current Kolbe students. Today, we hear from three young women—Elena, Ellen, and Emily—who are active both in Kolbe academics and in Kolbe’s online clubs. They talk with Bonnie and Hope about their roles in putting together the monthly Kolbe Chronicle newsletter, as well as what they like and dislike about being homeschooled and what they spend their time doing when they’re not doing school.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
May 12, 2021
43 The Grade Examen
AMDG. Are you staring down a pile of paperwork? Or maybe that pile feels more like an avalanche? Take a breath, cue up this episode, and listen in as Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat share with Bonnie and Hope what’s really necessary for grade reporting and record-keeping. With some insights from advisors who write letters of recommendation and tricks for PDF creation and viewing, the group discusses bringing the year home and reviewing what all you have to show for it. Hang in there—the end of the school year is closer than it appears.
Links & resources mentioned
* Welcome Packet for Enrolled Families
* To request transcripts: Parchment.com
* Video tutorial on different methods to scan and email student documentation submissions
* Kolbecast Ep. 26 with Aviva Lund Truth in Person
* Facebook Friday webinar on grade reporting
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortle…
playlist_add
May 5, 2021
42 Let Them Tinker
AMDG. Today, voice of experience and mother of four Kolbe graduates Louise Deal visits with Bonnie and Hope about homeschooling with space for life to happen. She shares how she and her husband, who both have engineering backgrounds, chose Kolbe for their children and where those children are now, including one who is a Ph.D. student in robotics and another who is a Ph.D. student in philosophy. Mrs. Deal describes how her family organized their homeschooling days, how the days differed when her children were different ages, and how she found Kolbe both rigorous and adaptable. The group also discusses why classical education is particularly important for students planning to go into STEM fields, the importance of focus on basic concepts and abstract thought, and the anchors of both family traditions and seeking support from others.
During the conversation, Mrs. Deal discusses the merits of AP coursework. She sent along this note of clarification after recording: “Learning the content…
playlist_add
Apr 28, 2021
41 Backstage (Social Media)
AMDG. The Kolbe employees who make the social media magic happen join us today to discuss outreach and evangelization in the digital realm. Brigid Tebaldi and Lauren Hoang share their insights and experiences about reaching families and fostering community through various platforms, developing healthy interactions with social media, and using the internet to share the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Links mentioned:
* Lauren’s Vocations Week talk
* Kolbe Academy on Facebook
* Kolbe Academy on Instagram
* Kolbe Academy Alumni Facebook Group
* Kolbe Academy Homeschooling Families(unofficial)
* Cal Newport’s book Digital Minimalism
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app for effortless episode delivery or find the Kolbecast on YouTube.
playlist_add
Apr 21, 2021
40: Windshield Time
AMDG. After an enlightening conversation on higher education generally last week, Dr. Don Prudlo joins us again to discuss the specifics of college visits and college transition. We talk about how to look under a college’s hood, so to speak, beyond what admissions counselors pitch, as well as a few things to consider when discerning what size and type of school is best for individual students. Dr. Prudlo emphasizes Kolbe’s college preparatory curriculum and also reminds students not to be so rigorous that they forget to be human.
The Newman Guide by the Cardinal Newman Society
Choosing the Right College (eBook) by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app for effortless episode delivery or find the KolbeCast on YouTube.
playlist_add
Apr 14, 2021
39: Reclaiming the Territory
AMDG. Dr. Don Prudlo, Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa and way cool Gen X’er, joins the cast today to discuss higher education and human formation. We start with Dr. Prudlo and Jordan comparing their Ph.D. experiences through discussion of small Catholic schools and large research universities. From there, the group discusses how students can make a good impression on their professors, finding community at large schools, the richness of studying world religions, the need to defend reason in the classroom when much of current discussion focuses on power relations, and what college classes are like with Gen-Z students. Dr. Prudlo also shares a bit about his current research on integrating virtue and leadership through case studies of saints.
University of Tulsa article about Dr. Prudlo
Christendom College article about Dr. Prudlo
Dr. Prudlo’s presentation to the Alcuin Institute: “St. Thomas and the Incarnation”
playlist_add
Apr 7, 2021
38: Substance Matters
AMDG. While standardized testing often elicits groans from students and anxiety from parents, what if it didn’t have to? Today Jordan and Bonnie visit with Jeremy Tate, President of the Classic Learning Test. He explains how high-stakes tests drive and dictate academic focus in America, how he decided to go up against the behemoth that is the College Board in designing a different kind of college admission test, and how he’s challenged the societal status quo that excludes great thinkers like C.S. Lewis and John Paul the Great from the literature that test takers must examine. The group also discusses the immense time spent in test prep and what messages are sent by the materials studied in that time. Jeremy describes how the goal of classical education isn’t to make people better employees—it's to make them better humans—but how the best humans often end up being the best employees, too. He reminds listeners that tests give a snapshot into key academic areas a…
playlist_add
Mar 31, 2021
37: Take a Moment
AMDG. Last week, we visited with Therese Prudlo about structuring school weeks to reflect care of the whole person. Today, Therese rejoins us to go deeper on the need for refreshment and reflection. What does it mean that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath? What is the practice of “going to your desert” in the middle of busy family life? How do the movies Elf and Babette’s Feast both relate to the rhythm of our days? It all comes back to the idea of living our days as the gifts that they are, with a healthy dose of reality that it’s often harder to receive gifts than to give them.
Jennifer Fulwiler – The Courage to Rest Screwtape Letter 15 (Narrated by John Cleese) Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the show in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Mar 24, 2021
36: Embrace the Fifth Day
AMDG. Ever wonder why Kolbe elementary and middle grade course plans are set up with four days, not five? Struggling to figure out how to divide up high school weekly course plans? Therese Prudlo rejoins the crew today to talk about how, yes, it’s important to get your work done, but it’s even more important to protect the margins of the day. Reflecting the Ignatian tenet of care of the whole person, the group discusses the importance of leisure and unstructured time, the idea of “schedule busting,” and the need to take a moment. Not only is it okay—it's important.
playlist_add
Mar 17, 2021
35 - An Atmosphere of Opportunity
AMDG. Today Bonnie and Hope visit with Carola, a current Kolbe mom from Spain whose family started homeschooling during the pandemic. While sharing insights from her own Princeton University education, Carola discusses how she’s found in homeschooling an opportunity to teach both her children and herself. She also talks about balancing time with toddlers in the house, navigating working from home while simultaneously schooling from home, adapting expectations throughout the year, and how sometimes, students would just like to show what they’ve learned and get a nice cheer.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Mar 10, 2021
34: A Beauty-Linked Life
AMDG. Today Bonnie dons her concert blacks for a visit with Dr. Carol Reynolds, “Professor Carol” as she’s widely known. She’s the creator of a host of art appreciation and music history offerings and a luminary on the classical education speaker circuit. From discussing Discovering Music, Professor Carol’s music history curriculum for high school students, to visiting about how the devil is in the details, the conversation is enriching and—dare we say it—harmonious with our goals as Kolbe educators and families. Also listen in for topics including how to feel more at ease teaching music appreciation, the need for friends and colleagues to provide much needed perspective, and the wisdom of knowing and enforcing your own limits. At the end of the day, even if the day has gone off the rails, if you’ve read, created, or gone outside with your children, you’re doing just fine.
Resources:
The Professor Carol website, home to the offerings discussed in the episode
Articl…
playlist_add
Mar 3, 2021
33: Show Your Work
AMDG. Kolbe mathematics chair Kelly Powers joins the conversation today to share the awesomeness of mathematics and the awesomeness of God. On the math side, she talks about how she reassures parents who say they can’t teach math, the tricky middle school years’ developmental stage where students most resist showing their work, and the art of judicious calculator use. On the faith side, she talks about the importance of being around people who lead us to our vocations and how living out your vocation involves passion, love, joy, and the opportunity to lead by example. We also discuss “learning in the extra moments,” the benefits of playing board games, the necessity of strong reading and writing skills for STEM students, and the overarching idea that mistakes make you much stronger if you give yourself the opportunity to grow and build on them. Mrs. Powers brings it home with enthusiasm about all of the coolness that mathematics has to show – it is out there, and if you let i…
playlist_add
Feb 24, 2021
32: Reflections of His Light
AMDG. In this special Vocations Week edition of the Kolbecast, we visit with Sister Margaret Mary and Sister Anne of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa. With a sparkle in their tone, the sisters share their homeschooling experiences growing up from daily Mass to drivers’ ed. They also discuss the otherworldly life they now live, including their vocation stories and the ever-ancient, ever-new life of faith. In the end, their reflections come back to the guidance, “Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).
Kolbecast Episode 30 referencing the Marian Sisters
The Sisters will be moving to a new convent soon.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Send it to podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Feb 17, 2021
31: Veteran Homeschoolers
AMDG. Jon and Chris Bates join us today to share their experience as a homeschooling military family and the insight they bring to their new roles as Kolbe academic advisors. The group talks about local history and Smithsonian field trips; tailoring curriculum to fit each individual student (including the Bates’ experience with giftedness, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and the autism spectrum); necessary habits for parents to bring themselves consistency and mental clarity in the middle of homeschooling; and the uniqueness of every family.
Along with several other Kolbe academic advisors, Jon and Chris appear in A COVID Christmas Story.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Send it to podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Feb 10, 2021
30: Guiding the Ship
AMDG. Familiar voices Everett Buyarski, Megan Lengyel, and Nicole O’Connor join the crew today for a review of the past year and a preview of the next. They discuss the challenges that came with Summer 2020’s amazing growth in enrollment, as well as the increased service and support infrastructure they’ve developed. They also share exciting developments for 2021-2022, including improvements to the elementary grade scheduling, expanded AP class offerings, Kolbe’s new National Honor Society chapter, and the addition of Homework Hangouts. We bring it home with how the Kolbe team has seen the benefits of the Kolbe Difference in their own homes.
* Kolbe admissions events, including webinars and shadow week
* Kolbecast Episode 11 featuring Everett Buyarski discussing Kolbe’s history, mission and philosophy
* Kolbecast Episode 14 featuring Nicole O’Connor
* Kolbecast featuring Megan Lengyel
* Are you (or do you know) a Latin teacher? Kolbe is hiring!
* Kolbecast Episo…
playlist_add
Feb 3, 2021
29: The February Staredown
Ep 29 The February Staredown
AMDG. The weather’s bad, we’re tired of pushing through, we can’t quite see the end of the year yet, and yet we’re already thinking about next year. Jordan, Bonnie, and Hope muse today on how we can honor the needs for both rest and progress in these winter (or winter-like) conditions. They discuss tangible markers of progress, the idea of learning to rest but not quit, the benefits and differences of internal and external motivation, how they gear up for a new year, and more.
We’d love to hear how families stay the course and make the best of a long-haul season. Send your strategies to podcast@kolbe.org.
Mentioned in this podcast:
* Josef Pieper’s book Leisure, the Basis of Culture
* Kolbecast Ep 17 Secure to Explore
* Kolbe admissions events
* Are you (or do you know) a Latin teacher? Kolbe is hiring!
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
playlist_add
Jan 27, 2021
28: Pessimist with Hope: A Conversation with Anthony Esolen
AMDG. On this very special episode of the Kolbecast, Dr. Anthony Esolen joins the crew to provide advice to families who are intrigued by but have no idea where to start with classical education. Dr. Esolen begins by explaining how the imagination is the driver of the person. From there, he preaches encouragement—don't be afraid to teach your children!—and describes how formation of the human person through classical education contrasts with the “lackadaisical utilitarianism” prevalent today. We don’t shy away from the big questions, either. Is classical education too rarefied for those on the path toward blue collar jobs, and why or why not? If we’re called to be salt and light, should children instead be evangelizing within public schools around them? And what about the ~socialization question~? Listen in and find out.
Content warning: Dr. Esolen’s direct and vivid style includes some analogies and language that, depending on your fa…
playlist_add
Jan 20, 2021
27: An Appreciation of Wonder
AMDG. Today Kolbe alumnus Gregory, a current student at Wyoming Catholic College, reminds us of both the richness of books and the importance of getting outside and reading the book of creation. In conversation with Bonnie and Hope, Gregory reminisces about his favorite Kolbe courses, reflects on lessons he learned through experience with the alluring artifice of procrastination, and recounts with disarming candor his path to college. By his endearing yet understated enthusiasm, Gregory invites us to encounter the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity, attentive to our commission as stewards of nature and open to the path toward holiness.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Jan 13, 2021
26: Truth in Person
AMDG. Kolbe 2019 graduate Aviva Lund joins us today with insatiable curiosity and infectious enthusiasm. A current neuroscience major and philosophy minor at Notre Dame, Aviva shares stories and insights ranging from an internship at Yale Medical School to her family’s experience with the Homeschool Legal Defense Association. She describes the way sciences and humanities interlace and addresses the specifics of interviewing at Ivy League colleges. Ultimately, Aviva’s far-flung adventures come from two foundational ideas. First, a guiding tenet: when you give time to God, he’ll give time to you tenfold. Second, a question: what are you going to do with the present moment?
Aviva’s 2019 Kolbe graduation address
Ecuadane, Aviva’s family’s shop
Homeschooling Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
http://www.guaranteed4.com
https://www.ecuadane.com
https://medicine.yale.edu/obgyn/discovery/education/internships/hs/
playlist_add
Jan 6, 2021
25: Backstage
AMDG. On this special edition of the Kolbecast – released during the 12 Days of Christmas and marking our 25th episode since this school year’s relaunch – fix some popcorn (if Bonnie’s picking the snack) or some cheese and crackers (if Hope is) and settle in for a behind-the-scenes tour of the podcast. The team talks about how the idea to collaborate developed, what Jordan’s recent promotion to Director of Public and Alumni Relations entails, how episode titles come about, and more. Listen all the way through for a preview of the spring episodes and a little Christmas gift from us to you: a blooper reel.
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Dec 30, 2020
24: Rise and Shine
AMDG. Last week we talked to Beth Gath, veteran homeschool mom of six and Kolbe parent ambassador. Today we talk to her eldest two children, Anthony (a junior at Ave Maria University) and Clare (a freshman at Wyoming Catholic College). They share their experience being homeschooled, the way they helped younger siblings, and the connections they developed through extracurriculars such as swim team and the Kolbe newsletter, of which Clare was editor-in-chief. Anthony and Clare also reflect on doing class on a cruise ship, their college application process, and the experience of moving geographically far away from home for college. Along the way, topics including the logical similarities between mathematics and the classics, the importance of encountering nature as well as academics, and building rapport with teachers and professors.
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Dec 23, 2020
23: Family is the Center
AMDG. Veteran homeschool mom of six and Kolbe parent ambassador Beth Gath joins Bonnie and Hope today to discuss her experience with various seasons of homeschooling. From starting first grade with her eldest when she and her husband also had a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and newborn twins to now having multiple college students and high schoolers in the family, Beth discusses what a typical day has looked like at various points; how she’s mixed online, self-paced, and homeschool courses to meet her family’s needs; and the benefits of older children helping younger children. Beth also discusses tailoring homeschooling to fit the needs of her twins, who are dyslexic, such as the reading programs and accommodations she’s used, as well as what their preparation for college looks like. Finally, we talk about the community aspect of Kolbe and what the behind-the-scenes work of supporting and building the Schoology discussion groups looks like.
Make sure to tune in next week when w…
playlist_add
Dec 16, 2020
22: Imagine Being Homeschooled
AMDG. So far this season we’ve met instructors and parents, directors and alumni, but today we meet three current Kolbe students. Aidan, Jameson, and Peter are sophomores in high school. After surmounting the learning curve of freshman year, they’re well on their way to building habits of truth, wisdom, and virtue. In the episode, they discuss learning how to manage their own schedules, the adaptability they’re developing as they learn the styles of various online academy teachers, and the trials and triumphs of doing school at home.
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Dec 9, 2020
21: To Live Fully Alive
AMDG. Today’s episode is about life and life in abundance, from the molecular to the cross-county road trip. Science chair Elizabeth Hoxie joins Bonnie and Hope to discuss the foundational needs to live a healthy life—physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual—and how Kolbe’s science curriculum teaches students the Ignatian concept of cura personalis or care of the whole person. Topics also include why all Kolbe science classes use secular textbooks, how Kolbe course plans empower parents to have discussions with their children on topics that can be sensitive or tricky, and how Kolbe students graduate with a profound reverence for their bodies.
Content warning: This episode includes a brief discussion of suicide in context of addressing various mental health concerns.
Websites:
* Daughters of St. Paul
* Souls and Hearts
Books
* The Mindful Catholic
* Emily Stimpson Chapman’sThese Beautiful Bones
Podcasts
* CFR Poco a Poco
* Souls and Hearts: Be with…
playlist_add
Dec 2, 2020
20: Head, Heart, and Hands
AMDG. Today’s episode is a crossover between Homecoming and curriculum deep-dives as Kolbe teacher and alumna Rebecca DeVendra describes how she’s lived out the idea that, if you’re challenged by something, it’s probably worth buckling down and learning the self-discipline to pursue. From writing “I hate Latin” in her high school textbook to earning a classics degree and from learning how to properly sharpen a pencil to her work as a representational artist, Mrs. DeVendra discusses both her own experience and how she teaches current Kolbe students. Ultimately, the conversation centers on the idea to never sell students short. By inviting them into discussions of primary sources and surrounding them with artistic mastery, we develop their senses of both curiosity and dignity.
Resources discussed:
Art Renewal Center
Cast Drawing Using the Sight-Size Approach
Drawing the Head and Hands
Options for prints of Da Vinci’s Last Supper
Options for prints of Bouguereau painti…
playlist_add
Nov 25, 2020
19: Wherever He Wants You to Go
AMDG. Take heart, those with fractious high schoolers! It’s okay to not be okay sometimes. Today, we talk to Fr. Paul Hedman—the Diocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis’s current youngest ordained priest—and his mom Sharon, who used Kolbe to educate Fr. Paul and his three siblings. They describe Fr. Hedman’s early days serving and playing Mass while homeschooled, the friction between parent and child in his high school years, the way marking events of his vocation, and his current ministry both in parish life and in providing Last Rites to those dying in the pandemic. Together with Bonnie and Hope, the Hedmans also discuss the drama of the liturgy, Advent traditions, and social media.
Toy Mass kit
Anointing Corps ministry article
Past Productions by St. Paul Seminary Theater Program and Spotlight Family Theater
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Nov 18, 2020
18: Homer and The Hunger Games
AMDG. Alumnus Charlie Mihaliak, a current University of Dallas junior, joins us today to discuss how he relies on his Kolbe education in pursuing the pragmatic and the creative, the athletic and the artistic, the collective human experience and the unique individual self. Charlie reminisces with Jordan about the powerful experience of meeting friends in person after relationships developed through online classes without physical proximity. He and Hope discuss the strong sense of individuality that comes from balancing friend groups with varying interests rather than associating with one particular identity in high school. And he and Bonnie talk about the catharsis of encountering timeless big questions in drama and literature. Along the way, Charlie describes how the best opportunities to grow in college come when you acknowledge the fact that you have maturing to do, the importance of enhancing reality rather than escaping it, and what he would say to his tenth-grade self.
University…
playlist_add
Nov 11, 2020
17: Secure to Explore
AMDG. Homecoming season continues with alumna and classical violinist Sarah Thomas. On this episode, she visits with Bonnie and Hope about her experience of timelessness in homeschooling, her state’s requirement for homeschooled students of yearly evaluations with a state-certified teacher, and the skill of developing friendships with people of all ages. Sarah discusses how the security she felt being homeschooled was a foundation for her collegiate and post-collegiate travels, such as studying abroad in Austria and walking the Chartres pilgrimage in France. She also describes how her Kolbe education informed her experience working in underprivileged public schools. We wrap it up with some thoughts on the sacramental nature of music and the importance of “feeding your soul” time.
Sarah’s website
Bowdoin International Music Festival Q&A with Sarah
Sarah’s master's degree recital performance of Brahms Sonata No. 1 in G Major for Violin and Piano, Op. 78
Sarah’s bachelor…
playlist_add
Nov 4, 2020
16: It’s All Greek to Me
AMDG. In this episode, Jordan interviews Magdalen College sophomore and former Kolbe student Sophia Harne. They discuss language acquisition in general and how a strong background in Latin can help one learn any language more easily. As she indicates in the conversation, Sophia has been learning Latin since the time she learned to read English. Now, her linguistic focus is on Greek, a language that has some unique features that can’t be replicated by nor translated exactly into other languages. Underpinning the conversation is a shared journey of linguistic and educational history that began in Germany back in 2014. Enjoy the show!
Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts.
Latin Flashcards.
Greek Flashcards.
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Oct 28, 2020
15: Asparagus Moments
AMDG. Taking another deep dive into the Kolbe curriculum, we visit with Therese Prudlo, who teaches history and homeroom for Kolbe’s Online Academy. She describes how, by orienting our study of history from the Incarnation, we see evidence of God’s guidance of the universe in its “state of journeying (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it.” (CCC 302). And we discuss how Kolbe’s chosen treasury of primary sources and textbooks with a narrative but rigorously accurate treatment offers Kolbe students a rich and thorough grounding in history with practical applications to everyday life. Therese offers several suggestions for approaching all subjects through the lens of history, including virtual tours, travel, and living history ideas, to underscore the idea that “history is ultimately hope.”
Virtual tours:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY)
The Vatican Museum
National Gallery of Art
The Louvre
Google maps: cataco…
playlist_add
Oct 21, 2020
14: We Don’t Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean
AMDG. In this episode we visit with Nicole O’Connor, veteran Kolbe Academy online instructor of classical subjects, about her experience teaching logic and rhetoric. While the term “rhetoric” can have an untrustworthy connotation in common parlance, Nicole deftly describes how it is a powerful and positive thing when rightly ordered. Similarly, logic is an integral area for both formation of the individual and participation in society—all the way from coherent discussion to computer coding. As two of the three parts of the Trivium (and courses in the Kolbe high school English curriculum), both logic and rhetoric are forces for good that help us relate to each other and convey truth. What could be more noble?
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Oct 14, 2020
13: The Next Generation
AMDG. In this episode, we kick off Homecoming season with Kolbe 2010 graduate Alex and his wife Alex, herself a Catholic homeschool graduate (and, no, we didn’t have a typo there—they're both named Alex). Mr. Alex discusses his experience as a chemistry major, law student, and Wisconsin Supreme Court judicial clerk, and Mrs. Alex discusses her experience as a pre-nursing student, massage therapist, and seamstress. Together, they’re raising a four-year-old, a two-year-old, and a babe on the way. Do these two homeschool graduates plan to homeschool their children? Listen in and find out!
Mrs. Alex’s shop
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Oct 7, 2020
12: Phone a Friend
AMDG. Learning disadvantages and special needs are the topics of the day as Dean of Students Celeste Cuellar joins us. Her background includes teaching every age between preschool and college as well as mental health and career counseling, and she serves Kolbe families by finding ways to meet students’ individual needs. Along the way, Jordan discusses the college professor side of working with students who have learning challenges, Bonnie references a few of the many resources Celeste has compiled, and Hope draws from both C.S. Lewis and Ferris Bueller about the undulations and nervous moments of life.
Celeste on FB Live
Understood.org
Catholic Homeschooling with Dyslexia and Other LDs
Screwtape Letter 8, read by John Cleese: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcXMwlZi8hk
Susan Barton’s Bright Solutions for Dyslexia
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Sep 30, 2020
11: Truth, Wisdom, Virtue
AMDG. Everett Buyarski, Kolbe’s Director of Academic Services, joins the crew this episode to discuss Kolbe’s history, mission, and philosophy. He discusses what “classical in content,” “Ignatian in method,” and “principle of subsidiarity” mean in the context of a Kolbe education; describes how the University of Paris in the 1500s and the University of Kansas in the 1970s both directly influence Kolbe’s rigorous curriculum; and turns the tables on Jordan, Bonnie, and Hope, putting each of them on the spot in Socratic form.
Harold Bloom’s The Western Canon: The Books and School of the Ages
Everett’s recent Facebook Live detailing these topics
What can you do with a degree in Philosophy? Everett’s January 2019 conversation with Jordan
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
playlist_add
Sep 23, 2020
10: In the Driver’s Seat
AMDG. Feeling the shine (or enormity) of a new school year wearing off and a sense of "why haven’t we figured this out yet?” setting in? You’re not alone. On Episode 10 of the Kolbecast, Jordan, Bonnie, and Hope talk about how getting into a routine can be elusive but how building the habit of finishing strong is always on the curriculum around here, the concept and execution of mastery as opposed to mechanistic schooling, students’ responsibility to actively participate in acquiring knowledge, what exercises are “essential” versus actually essential, and the importance of not taking things too seriously.
“As you know, the task of a teacher is not simply to impart information or to provide training in skills intended to deliver some economic benefit to society; education is not and must never be considered as purely utilitarian. It is about forming the human person, equipping him or her to live life to the full – in short it is about imparting wisdom. And true wisdom i…
playlist_add
Sep 16, 2020
9: Interview with Kolbe Grad Monnica Prudlo
AMDG. In Episode 9, we visit with 2019 Kolbe alumna Monnica Prudlo. She regales us with her recollection of writing her student graduation address for the 2019 Kolbe graduation ceremony and reminisces about her Kolbe experience, including how she cultivated friendships by participating in the clubs and talent show, and how her Kolbe formation has helped prepare her for her university studies. Monnica is studying abroad this semester, so we hear about the preparations she’s made for that in light of the pandemic along with what she’s looking forward to while in Rome. She has some words of wisdom for current Kolbe students as well.
(Hope would like it noted that she misspoke and meant Razumikhin, the noble best friend, instead of Raskolnikov, the nihilistic main character, when she referenced Crime and Punishment).
playlist_add
Sep 9, 2020
8: Great Expectations with Colleen Carroll Campbell
AMDG. Homeschooling is often a magnifying glass for the intersection between our expectations and reality. On today’s episode, award-winning author, journalist, and former presidential speechwriter Colleen Carroll Campbell visits with Bonnie and Hope about spiritual perfectionism and white-knuckling it through what you think you need to do to be holy; the benefits of incorporating the Ignatian examen into your day; guiding children with perfectionist tendencies; and devotion to the Sacred Heart.
Colleen’s website: https://colleen-campbell.com
Colleen’s newest book, The Heart of Perfection, now available in paperback: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Heart-of-Perfection/Colleen-Carroll-Campbell/9781982106171
Sarah Mackenzie’s book, Teaching from Rest: https://readaloudrevival.com/rest/
Ignatian examen: https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Examen-Prayer-Card.pdf
playlist_add
Sep 2, 2020
7: Et Tu, Iordane?
AMDG. Although we met Bonnie and Hope in our first episode of the relaunched Kolbecast, we didn’t get to hear much from Jordan, who is himself a homeschool alumnus, a homeschooling dad, and a teacher of homeschoolers via Kolbe Academy’s Online Academy. In this episode, we get to know Jordan a little better.
Links:
Jordan’s talk at the 2020 Virtual Homeschool Conference
Replay of Jordan’s talk "An Unexpected Adventure: How Learning Languages Changed the Way I Think"
Latin for Adults Registration The class will meet on Thursday evenings from 7:00PM-8:00PM ET from September 10th until December 10th, with Thanksgiving being the exception.
Jordan interviews his mom
Some of Jordan's Kolbe blog posts here and here.
Be on the lookout for Jordan’s forthcoming memoir!
playlist_add
Aug 26, 2020
6: Off and Running
AMDG. As the school year kicks into gear, the day-to-day of homeschooling is the topic of the day. Bonnie and Hope offer a range of suggestions free for the taking or leaving about daily rhythms or practices, walking through school days, navigating when someone hits a figurative wall, regrouping when the wheels fall off an entire day, managing sick days, reframing the sometimes-daunting idea of being a “teacher” to the monikers of being a facilitator or air traffic controller (among others), trusting the Kolbe structure and process, and a few other big-picture thoughts.
Circadian rhythm article: https://hbr.org/2015/01/the-ideal-work-schedule-as-determined-by-circadian-rhythms
Sheet pan pancakes recipe: https://www.thekitchn.com/sheet-pan-pancakes-recipe-23059380
I (Bonnie) use 2 ¼ cups AP flour and don’t stir in anything that would provide texture such as fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips. I also preheat the pan while mixing together the ingredients. When the ingredients are r…
playlist_add
Aug 21, 2020
5: Planning on Paper and Online
AMDG. Developing a family and homeschool calendar can be daunting, but Bonnie and Hope break it down this episode of the Kolbecast. They talk about the pros and cons of paper planners and online calendars, the Schoology online platform’s various options, keeping family members up to date on meal plans and commitments, and how fostering use of a planner can be a prayerful act of both responsibility and surrender.
Bonnie’s simple planner: this cover design but 8.5” x 11”
Hope’s hourly and to-list planner: Simplified daily edition
Completely customizable build-a-planner option
playlist_add
Aug 20, 2020
4: Homeschool Workspaces
AMDG. Developing a workspace for homeschooling is one of those things that is specific and personal, and yet it’s almost impossible to get a foothold without knowing what works for other people. In this episode, Bonnie and Hope discuss their own homeschooling workspaces, things that worked and didn’t work for them in putting those workspaces together, how paperwork organization fits into their space, and the flexibility of being able to take schoolwork on the go.
Letter tray organizer: https://www.amazon.com/SimpleHouseware-Desktop-Document-Letter-Organizer/dp/B01K07MYA6/
playlist_add
Aug 19, 2020
3: Dramatic Arts with Dolores Mihaliak
AMDG. The dramatic arts are a profound combination of the spoken word and the human person, where actors embody fundamental ideas of creation along with significant literary and production components. In this episode, Kolbe Online teacher (and alumna!) Dolores Ann Mihaliak visits with Bonnie and Hope about these ideas and Kolbe’s new Drama Portfolio and Advanced Dramatic Arts classes, including how Kolbe’s curriculum addresses questions of humanity and relationships in context and the Zoom theater online creative endeavor developing in quarantine.
Dolores’s upcoming online production of As You Like It: https://www.richmondcatholictheatre.com/
@TheInitiativeTheater on Facebook and Instagram
playlist_add
Aug 12, 2020
2: Patron Saints
AMDG. Kolbe Academy was founded by three families in 1980, named for a 20th Century Polish Franciscan priest on his way to sainthood, and built upon the foundation of the Ignatian method of education. The feast days of these saints are just a few weeks apart: St. Maximilian Kolbe’s is celebrated on August 14th, while that of St. Ignatius Loyola is on July 31st. In this bonus episode of the Kolbecast, we offer a brief history of Kolbe Academy’s origins and an introduction to its patron saints.
https://blog.kolbe.org/kolbecast-with-kolbe-academy-founder-dianne-muth/
https://kolbe.org/about-us/about/our-history/
https://kolbe.org/about-us/philosophy/ignatian-method/
Music: Postcards by Scott Holmes
playlist_add
Aug 10, 2020
1: Kolbecast Relaunch
In this episode, Jordan, Bonnie and Hope talk about their experiences with Kolbe Academy and give a preview of future episodes.
Bonnie and her family are starting their fourth year of homeschooling with Kolbe. She's a liturgical musician, podcast fanatic, and heavy library user, as well as a Kolbe Parent Ambassador.
Hope studied communication theory and philosophy in college, then went to law school. Now she's a complex litigation attorney, an avid home cook, and the fun aunt to Bonnie’s kids.
Bonnie and Hope are sisters whose perspectives complement each other: Bonnie is living out the day-to-day homeschooling reality with four bairns in grades between fifth and tenth, while Hope is relying on her Kolbe formation in a phase of life after being a student and before being a parent.
https://kolbe.org/
playlist_add