Kolbecast: Recent Episodes
Kolbe Academy
The official podcast of Kolbe Academy with lively discussions on home & distance education, Kolbe Academy, and our Catholic community.
AMDG. Today, Kolbe Advisors Michelle Koechle, Jennifer Thomas and Sarah Turley join the Kolbecast to discuss approaches to homeschooling and what a day of homeschooling might look like.
From schedules and spaces to adjusting to moves and when the unexpected comes up, our guests give us some models for what this can look like and some wisdom on how we can adjust.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy’s Family Advising Services
- Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- Advisor series:
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- 313 Preparing for a Stellar School Year
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- 319 Tapestry in the Making
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- 320 College Considerations
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- 321 Building a Strong Extracurricular Profile
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Student Support Services
- 232 Part of the Family: Parents & Advisors as Partners
- 269 Resources and Roadmaps
- 203 Guided Freedom (Classical Composition)
- 256 An Education that Reflects God’s Beauty with Nicole O’Connor and Maggie Hayden
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, we bring to you the speakers from the 2026 Kolbe Commencement.
Kolbe Academy’s senior enrollment director Jon Bates serves as Master of Ceremonies, introducing Fr. Raymond Pendelton, who gives the invocation, and Kolbe Academy’s chief academic officer Megan Lengyel, who gives the welcome address. Then we hear from student speakers Laura Hill and Holden Mora, Kolbe instructor and theology chair Nick Senz, and Dr. Stephen Minis, president of Benedictine College.
We hope that you enjoy the words of wisdom from all of these individuals, however, if you’d like to jump to a particular speaker, here are the timestamps for each speaker:
- Invocation by Fr. Raymond Pendleton: 01:16
- Welcome address by Mrs. Megan Lengyel: 02:41
- Laura Hill: 04:36
- Holden Mora: 12:03
- Nicholas Senz: 31:14
- Stephen Minnis: 53:41
Relevant links & Kolbecast episodes:
- Kolbecast episodes with faculty speaker Nick Senz:
- 300 The Gift of the Sacraments with Brendan Murphy discussing Nick’s book on the sacraments
- 91 Kernels of Truth with Chrissy Almanzar
- Watch the entire 2026 commencement ceremony here.
- Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, is one of Kolbe Academy’s college partners.
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, Kolbe advisors Pam Castor, Abby Ehlers, and Krysten Pizzurrro join the Kolbecast to discuss extra-curricular activities in homeschooling. Homeschooling is certainly about educating the minds of our children, but we’re always striving to bring about the well-being of the whole person. Activities outside of schooling can play an important role in this, with activities such as sports, serving in the parish, and groups such as scouting.
These advisors give us some examples of how this can be done and provide us with advice on how to find balance.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Articles from the Academics & Advising section of the Help Center:
- Scheduling Recommendations
- Cultivating Friendships and Enriching Social Activities for Homeschool Students
- Scheduling the Elementary and Middle School Day
- Extracurricular Activity Tracker
- High Academics, Non-Academics, and Activities
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 258 Seeking, Finding, and Building Community - Groups and Extracurriculars
- 313 Preparing for a Stellar School Year
- 320 College Considerations
- 125 Call the Advisor
- 284 Flexibility and Structure for the Early Years with Pam Castor and Emmanuelle Wilhelm
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe Academy advisors Cecilia Byers and Elyse Williams return to the Kolbecast in a conversation about preparing students for college.
From early preparations to discerning what might be the right field and the right college, Cecilia and Elyse provide great advice on how to navigate this journey and also how our Kolbe families can lean on them as advisors to help them along the way.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Career Guidance and Discernment section of Kolbe’s Help Center website
- Interest & Ability Tools article
- High School Graduation Plan Progress article
- College Planning section of Help Center
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 313 Preparing for a Stellar School Year
- 230 A Multi-Pronged Approach to College Prep
- 296 Tips for Testing Success
- 241 Renew, Resolve, Reengage with Elyse, which discusses various types of career and aptitude testing
- 84 The Essence of Catholic Education and 157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
- Episodes with the College Partners and Life after Kolbe tags on the Kolbe.org/Podcast page
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, Kolbe Advisors Rylan Buchanan and Sarah Howard join the Kolbecast to offer some tips and advice on homeschooling. They also remind us of how Kolbe’s family advisors can help our parents effectively navigate their homeschooling journey.
As Sarah points out, homeschooling can be a bit like making a tapestry. When you’re in the thick of it you can see the knots and it can look messy, but when you turn it around, you can see the beautiful work that has been done.
Advisors like Rylan and Sarah help our families with that homeschooling work and can also encourage us to see the beautiful progress when we’re in the thick of it.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy’s Family Advising Services
- HSLDA.org
- Help Center articles
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- Grade Level Course Selection Guides
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- 6th-12th Grade Math & Science Sequence
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- High School Graduation Plan Progress and Fillable Graduation Planner
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- Scheduling Your Elementary and Middle School Day
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- Scheduling Your High School Day
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- Monitoring & Verifying Store Credit
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Student Support Services
- 232 Part of the Family: Parents & Advisors as Partners
- 269 Resources and Roadmaps
- 243 Drawing Distinctions - Classical Education, Liberal Arts, and Liberal Education
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe’s own Neva Hernandez joins Bonnie and Steven to welcome Dr. Matthew Mehan to the Kolbecast. Dr. Mehan is a best-selling author and the Associate Dean and Professor of Government at the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College’s Washington D.C. campus.
As we come to our country’s 250th birthday, we discuss history, poetry and Dr. Mehan’s new book The American Book of Fables.
This new book explores our country and its history through the eyes of American animals and has materials for “Littles”, “Middles” and “Bigs” and with its beautiful illustrations can be enjoyed by the whole family.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- The American Book of Fables by Dr. Matthew Mehan
- Trailer for The American Book of Fables
- Mr. Mehan’s Mildly Amusing Book of Mythical Mammalsand The Handsome Little Cygnet,also written by Dr. Matthew Mehan and illustrated by artist John Folley
- Dr. Mehan is @mtmehan on Instagram and X
- Watch trailers for Dr. Mehan's books on YouTube
- Dr. Gerard Wegemer of the Thomas More Studies program at the University of Dallas
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 192 Kitchen Doings, Neva’s Kolbecast debut
- 175 A Both-And Approach with Dr. Jonathan Sanford, president of the University of Dallas
- 312 Educating for Liberty with Dr. Tom Harmon
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. We are joined by mother, grandmother, author, speaker, and podcaster Lisa Hendey. Many parents, or at least their children, will be familiar with Lisa’s Chime Travelers series of books, which explore children who travel through time to meet saints who help them solve problems in their own time. The books have recently been made into an animated television series. We discuss the origins of the series and the process of bringing these wonderful stories on screen. We also visit about Lisa’s wide-ranging writing and speaking for audiences of all ages.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Chime Travelers website
- Chime Travelers trailer
- Lisa’s website
- Lisa’s Substack
- Holy Cross Family Ministries
- Lisa’s books
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- Chime Travelers series
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- The Handbook for Catholic Women
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- The Grace of Yes
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- Jesus Every Day, Jesus Every Way
- Danielle Bean’s Substack
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 303 Hallow and the Road Home
- 308 Understand, Live, and Share the Faith with The Augustine Institute
- 131 It’s All about Relationship with Danielle Bean
- 133 An Audience of One with Kolbe Academi alumni turned students of John Paul the Great Catholic University
- 73 Through Beauty and Technology with Leila Castillo and Dolores Mihaliak
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we are joined by Kolbe homeschooling fathers Scott Patterson and Tony Guzzaldo.
As we know, homeschooling can take all sorts of forms, and today we hear how two fathers work to make homeschooling successful in their families.
We hear how their children are thriving in Kolbe’s homeschooling program and how homeschooling has enriched their relationships with their children along the way.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 181 Chef Dad with Tony Guzzaldo
- 263 Exploring God’s Cosmos: Astronomy for Everyday People
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You with Steven’s wife Maggie Hayden and Dr. Jordan Almanzar
- 62 Due Diligence with Darren Jones of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we are joined by Rebecca Dougherty. For many years, Rebecca put her master's degrees in theology and education to work in teaching high school theology, but these days she’s putting her gifts to work homeschooling her own children and providing insight and knowledge via her podcast.
Additionally, she and her brother Fr. Gregory Pine are set to release a series of podcasts through Ascension Press’ Catholic Classics podcast covering Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection’s The Practice of the Presence of God.
We are able to get some insight into homeschooling from Rebecca and also get a preview about the writings of this 17th century monk and the wisdom they contain.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- More about Rebecca Dougherty
- Trailer and Facebook group for Ascension’s presentation of The Practice of the Presence of God
- Rebecca on Godsplaining
- Catholic Light podcast
- Fr. Gregory Pine discussing Pope Leo’s new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas
Social media handles:
- Instagram: @ascensionpress, @catholiclightpodcast
- Facebook: @AscensionPress and @rebecca.raintreehoa
- X: @AscensionPress
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd, the translator of Ascension’s edition of The Practice of the Presence of God
- 222 Something No One Has Understood Before and 278 The Compatibility of Catholicism and Evolution with Dr. Daniel Kuebler
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we are joined by Kevin and Mary O’Neill, authors of the Building Blocks of Faith series which utilizes Lego blocks and figures to explore and explain the faith.
Kevin and Mary tell us about the origins of this series and the steps that go into creating the scenes and stories in the books.
We also explore typology and how the figures and stories of the Old Testament are images of the coming of our Lord and the Paschal Mystery.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Power of Prayer
- Building Blocks of Faith Series by Kevin & Mary O’Neill
- Upon This Block, the O’Neills’ website
- Born Fundamentalist, Born Again Catholic by David Currie
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 287 Emily Stimpson Chapman Sees the World through Catholic Eyes
- 252 The Timeliness of Fulton Sheen with Cheryl Hughes
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we are joined by three Kolbe academic advisors and veteran homeschool moms to get some advice on how to make a good start to homeschooling in general and specifically homeschooling with Kolbe Academy.
Krysten Pizzurro, Jennifer Thomas, and Elyse Williams have years of homeschooling experience. They discuss everything from finding your homeschool space, preparing for a new year to different ways to structure your day. All with an eye to making homeschooling fruitful for the whole family.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Principle of Subsidiarity Article in Kolbe website Help Center
- Welcome Packet
- Sarah Mackenzie’s Teaching from Rest
- Bookstore section of Kolbe Help Center
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 124 In This Together, Krysten Pizzurro’s Kolbecast debut
- 207 A Privilege of a Lifetime, introducing Elyse Williams
- 211 Continuity & Community: Homeschooling on Base with Jennifer Thomas & Krysten Pizzurro
- 103 Above and Beyond featuring now-retired Kolbe bookstore manager Nancy Nelson
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we are joined by the University of St. Thomas’s Dr. Tom Harmon, who catches us up on the many good things happening at UST but also tells us about the recent grant that the university received from the National Endowment for the Humanities to promote the strengthening of civic life.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- More information about UST’s NEH grant
- The University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX, one of Kolbe Academy’s college partners
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 72 Participatory Citizens
- 119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noelle Crowe of The American Catholic History Podcast
- 290 There is No Neutral with Brett Salkeld
- Office Hours with Clara Davison of Holy Heroes
- 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne, formerly of UST/currently of Christendom College
- 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. As the end of the school year approaches and Kolbe Academy prepares to graduate another class of students, we combine a college visit with an alumnae meet up when Kolbe graduates and Belmont Abbey students Hannah Feeney and Lily Robinson join the Kolbecast.
Hannah and Lily give us a virtual tour of this Newman Guide college in North Carolina and share their experiences of their life there.
We also reminisce on their Kolbe days and talk about how their Kolbe experience prepared them well for their life as students after graduation.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Belmont Abbey College
- Kolbe Academy’s College Partnerships
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 93 Good Thinking, Hannah’s Kolbecast debut
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Many of our listeners will be familiar with today’s guest. Dr. Greg Bottaro is a Catholic psychologist, founder of the CatholicPsych Institute, host of the Being Human podcast, author, husband and father of eight children who are all presently under the age of 12.
Dr. Bottaro joins the Kolbecast to discuss integration and what that means and Catholic anthropology. We also discuss his new book: The Power of Listening Well. This new book shares important information for everyone but is especially an excellent resource for parents who are learning to help their children with difficult problems and to have difficult conversations.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- CatholicPsych and the Being Human podcast
- Dr. Greg Bottaro on Substack
- Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
- Gaudium et spes
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- Dr. Brett Salkeld on episodes 290 There Is No Neutral and 298 Educating for Freedom
- 270 Dr. Peter Kreeft on Joy, Suffering, Conversion, and Truth
- 146 Our Call to Holiness and 196 Greatness Awaits with Bobby Angel
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today we welcome author, speaker and podcaster, Emily Stimpson Chapman back to the Kolbecast!
It seems that Emily is becoming a regular on the podcast, and with good reason. She’s been busy with even more new books and joins us to discuss them and to share her wisdom.
Her new book is Joseph, Keeper of the King, a children’s book about St. Joseph and his role as the father of our Lord.
This is part of a collection of books that she’s worked on with Scott Hahn and illustrator Tricia Dugat through Emmaus Road Publishing.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- St. Joseph, Keeper of the King
- The entire ‘God’s Word for God’s Children’ set by Emily Chapman and Dr. Scott Hahn will be available at 20% off from April 7–30, 2026.
- Journey through Scripture series
- The Story of All Stories
- The Visitation Sessions podcast
- Study with Emily Stimpson Chapman in Austria May 2026
- St. Paul Center
- Emily’s website
- Emily’s Substack Through a Glass Darkly
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 130 The Gifts We Have, Emily’s Kolbecast debut, and 287 Emily Stimpson Chapman Sees the World with Catholic Eyes
- 291 Good St. Joseph, Keeper of the Mystery with Fr. Serafino Lanzetta
- Poetry
- 168 The Adventure of a Lifetime featuring Melissa Dee of the Saints Alive podcast
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, Steven and Bonnie are joined by Erik Hesla, director of curriculum at the Augustine Institute.
In addition to sharing a bit about the history of the Augustine Institute, Erik tells us a bit about all of the great things that are happening over there!
Whether it is their graduate program, their books and formation materials, the Formed platform, or the Amen app, it’s wonderful to hear about all of the amazing things that are happening in the educational apostolate of the Augustine Institute!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Augustine Institute
- Formed.org
- Amen app
- Handing Down the Faith by Amy Adamczyk and Christian Smith
- Word of Life series
The Homer Encyclopedia
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, Bonnie and Steven are joined by Kolbe teachers Olivia Knuffke and Carl Hasler to discuss music and music theory. They begin with a discussion of the importance of music and its place in a classical education and follow with an account of music from the perspective of Plato. We also discuss the role of the Church in understanding music and the role of music in the life of a Christian.
We discuss how the understanding of music theory helps to open our minds to the beauty that we hear in music, and the classes and resources that Kolbe offers to help students come to this understanding.
Be prepared for a litany of musical puns as you join us in this conversation.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy course catalog for more information about the Music Theory course
- Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Artists
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 186 Full Circle of Fifths and 201 The Soundtrack of Life, the first two conversations in this musical series
- 242 Finish line in Sight with (among others) Ignatius, student co-founder of Kolbe’s St. Cecilia music club
- 263 Exploring God’s Cosmos: Astronomy for Everyday People
- 34 A Beauty-Linked Life with Professor Carol Reynolds
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. As someone who deals with chronic pain, author, speaker, mentor, and proud hockey mom Megan Hjelmstad shares her insights on redemptive suffering and talks about her book Offer It Up: Discovering the Power and Purpose of Redemptive Suffering. Whether it’s dealing with a cold, a broken water heater, or chronic pain, we can all be reminded of the benefits of joining our suffering to Our Lord’s and offering it up.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Megan’s book Offer It Up: Discovering the Power and Purpose of Redemptive Sufferingand accompanying study guide
- Megan’s website
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Steven and Bonnie are joined by Laura Kelly Fanucci. They discuss her new book Living Easter: 50 Days to Practice Resurrection and how we can live out the joy of Easter in our lives and homes. They don’t limit themselves to Easter but talk about how we can live each season of the Church in a way that fully allows us to enter the season rather than creating just another checkbox for us to complete.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Living Easter by Laura Kelly Fanucci
- Laura’s website · Substack · Instagram
- Laura on the Votive Podcast discussing Advent
- The Tale of the Three Treesby Angela Elwell Hunt
- The Road to Easter Day by Jan Godfrey
- Tomie de Paola’s Let the Whole Earth Sing Praise
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe Academy’s Maggie Hayden and Jordan and Mara Matteoli join the Kolbecast for a conversation about classical languages. They discuss the benefits of studying classical languages, especially Latin, and how we can begin with learning the roots at a young age. We learn some helpful teaching tips and find out about new Kolbe books and courses to help students along their way.
Relevant links & Kolbecast episodes
- Ways to earn college credit via Kolbe Academy
- 271 Building a Literary Foundation featuring Mara Matteoli
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You with Maggie Hayden
- 161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “The desire to help the world pray is at the heart of what we do.”
Hallow’s Director of Children’s Content Ashley Lenz joins the Kolbecast to share the behind the scenes of the world’s most popular prayer app, the inspiration behind the Pray40 Lenten Challenge, and her guidance on where to start as a new member.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Hallow prayer app
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 168 The Adventure of a Lifetime with Melissa Dee of the Saints Alivepodcast
- 301 Dr. John Bergsma Brings the Catholic Faith Alive
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Standardized testing is often a miserable experience, but it doesn't have to be. Student Services Director Karen Allgood and Lower Elementary Department Chair Christina Davin reveal the testing opportunities for lower grade levels and discuss the powerful benefits of testing early and often. In addition, the duo shares practical advice about how to talk to your child in a way that builds confidence rather than anxiety. With Karen and Christina's advice, choosing the right test for your child is easy.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy testing services
- Standardized testing article in Kolbe’s Help Center
- Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) with information about testing requirements by state
- State Educational Funding information from Kolbe Academy website
- Getting started at Kolbe Academy
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox and 269 Resources and Road Maps with Karen Allgood about Kolbe Academy’s student support services
- 182 Festive Holidays Ahead and 189 Fit Mind, Fit Body with Christina Davin
- 296 Tips for Testing Success
- 83 This Is Only a Test
- 38 Substance Matters with Jeremy Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test (CLT)
- 143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab
- 127 Forging a Path with CLT’s Kimberly Farley (now VP of Operations)
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Author, speaker, and Franciscan University theology professor John Bergsma joins the Kolbecast for a discussion you won’t want to miss. From his conversion from Protestant pastor to Catholic theologian, to the stunning revelations that have emerged since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Dr. Bergsma brings the Catholic faith alive.
We ask Dr. Bergsma about the new wave of Catholic scholarship, the Essene Jews, St. John the Baptist, the origins of the Jubilee Year, and so much more. Whether you have followed Dr. Bergsma’s work for years or are hearing his name for the first time, you are sure to learn something new about your faith in this episode!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. John Bergsma’s website, including a shop with his writings and talks
- Jesus and the Dead Sea Scrolls: Revealing the Jewish Roots of Christianity
- Jesus and the Jubilee: The Biblical Roots of the Year of God’s Favor
- Bible Basics for Catholics
- A Catholic Introduction to the Bible
- The St. Paul Center
- Dr. Brant Pitre
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 251 A Year of the Lord’s Favor with Joan Watson
- 287 Emily Stimpson Chapman See the World through Catholic Eyes
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe theology instructors (among many other things) Nicholas Senz and Brendan Murphy return to the Kolbecast. Nicholas Senz is the author of Kolbe’s new 10th grade text Mystery and Grace. We discuss this new book and its development and get to hear both Nick’s and Brendan’s wisdom in teaching students about the sacraments.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Mystery & Grace: The Sacramental Lifeby Nicholas Senz
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 91 Kernels of Truth, Nick Senz’s Kolbecast debut
- 169 No Made Up Answers, Brendan Murphy’s Kolbecast debut
- 218 The Questions behind the Questions with Nick Senz, Brendan Murphy, and Dan Angel
- 265 Chosen to Be a Saint, speeches from Commencement 2025 including the faculty address by Brendan Murphy
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care from Kolbe Academy Press
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. As Lent begins, Pat and Kenna Millea of the Martin Center for Integration and the This Whole Life podcast return to the Kolbecast – together this time! -- and talk about making Lent a fruitful season, even if it isn’t always pleasant. They also talk to us about their participation as participants in the Lenten program Crux, which is available from Ascension Press. If you need a little support and motivation for Lent, this episode is the place to start!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Ascensionpress.com/Crux
- Crux Trailer Video
- Pat and Kenna’s website: martincenterforintegration.com
- Searching For and Maintaining Peace by Fr. Jacques Philippe
Social media accounts to follow
- Instagram: @ascensionpress and @thiswholelifepodcast
- Facebook: @AscensionPress and @thiswholelifepodcast
- X: @AscensionPress
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 238 Pat Millea on Accompaniment, Hope, Integration, and Resilience
- 250 Made for Relationship featuring Kenna Millea
- 224 Forming Apostolic Hearts with Msgr. James Shea
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow, a conversation on the classical temperaments with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 283 Temperament, Will, Grace, and Virtue with Dr. Ryan Hanning
- 270 Dr. Peter Kreeft on Joy, Suffering, Conversion, and Truth
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today theologian, author, speaker, podcaster, and homeschool father Brett Salkeld rejoins us on the Kolbecast. Brett joined us on episode 290, but we couldn’t get to everything we wanted to talk about, so he graciously returned to continue our conversation. In today’s episode we discuss the differences between education and indoctrination, formation versus information, and explore the theme of redemption in learning.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbecast episode 290 There Is No Neutral, Dr. Salkeld’s Kolbecast debut
- Brett’s Making Every Class Catholic Substack
- Thinking Faith podcast
- Pope Leo’s apostolic letter “Drawing New Maps of Hope”
- The Joy of Being Wrong: Original Sin through Easter Eyes by James Alison
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic clinical psychologist, author, TV and radio host Dr. Ray Guarendi joins the Kolbecast to discuss parenting, the advantages of homeschooling, and his recent and upcoming books. This episode will leave you laughing hard and thinking deeply– don’t miss it!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. Ray Guarendi’s website drray.com
- How to Get Along with (Almost) Everybody
- Drama-Free Discipline
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 55 Humor & Humility with Kolbe mom Heather, who mentions Dr. Ray as instrumental in her decision to homeschool
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Standardized testing is a minefield for parents and students, but it does not have to be. Kolbe alum Colin and current Kolbe senior Tobias join the Kolbecast to share their firsthand experiences taking the ACT, SAT, CLT, and PSAT. The duo explains the differences between the tests, breaks down how scoring works, and shares the study strategies that helped them succeed. Whether you are a parent guiding your child through the testing process or a student preparing for your first exam, this episode is a must-listen.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Taking the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a Kolbe student
- College Entrance & AP Exams article in Kolbe Academy Help Center
- Career Guidance & Discernment section of Kolbe Academy Help Center (including college planning)
- College Planning Timeline
- College Planning section of Kolbe Academy website
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 265 Chosen to Be a Saint, Commencement 2025 speeches including from Colin Lengyel and Brendan Murphy
- 163 Postcards from France
- 193 STEM, State Schools, and Sibling Dynamics
- 38 Substance Matters with Classic Learning Test founder Jeremy Tate
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe Alumna and Holy Heroes brand manager Clara Davidson joins the Kolbecast to share how homeschooling served her both personally and professionally, her experience working in a family business, how to talk to children about complex topics, and what is next for Holy Heroes. Don’t miss this insider’s look into a beloved Catholic company!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Holy Heroes
- St. Kateri Tekakwitha Glory Story with Clara’s interview of Jake Finkbonner
- Very Young Catholic series
- Kolbecast episode 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with Ken and Kerri Davison, the Holy Heroes parents
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Steven and Bonnie are joined by Kolbe’s Megan Lengyel and Leslie Spencer to discuss physics. Physics can be a course that many find intimidating in the high school years, yet it provides an amazing look into the modern natural sciences while exploring the theories behind everything from motion to electricity and light. In this episode, we discuss the place of physics in a classical curriculum, the challenges to including physics in a homeschooling program, and the benefits of undertaking the challenge.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy Graduation Requirements and Awards
- College Planning information from Kolbe Academy
- Academics & Advising section of Help Center
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 237 Unearthing a Broader Worldview with Mrs. Leslie Spencer
- 114 Kolbe Past, Present, and Future with Kolbe Academy executive director Mary Rowles
- 263 Exploring God’s Cosmos: Astronomy for Everyday People
- 278 Daniel Kuebler on the Compatibility of Catholicism and Evolution
- 290 There Is No Neutral with Brett Salkeld
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Today, following this Jubilee Year of Hope, we welcome Joan Watson back to the Kolbecast. We’ve talked about pilgrimages in the past, but with the release of her new book Making a Pilgrimage, a Companion for Catholics, we’re able to focus a bit more on approaching life as a pilgrim. We also take the opportunity to live vicariously through Joan’s experiences on pilgrimages throughout the years.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Making a Pilgrimage: A Companion for Catholics
- Follow @stpaulcenter @emmausroadpublishing and @joan.m.watson on Instagram
- Opening the Holy Door
- Joan’s website
- Pilgrimage to Poland and Lithuania with Joan Watson October 2026
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage and 251 A Year of the Lord’s Favor with Joan Watson
- 183 Gratuitous Gifts: Charisms with Sherry Weddell
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Many people know Dale Ahlquist through his television show, his many writings, or through his work as the president of the Society of Gilbert Keith Chesterton. Today Steven, Bonnie, and Kolbe Academy marketing director Josh Beckman get to hear more about G.K. Chesterton, both as a man and about his writings. So whether you’re a longtime Chesterton fan or new to his work, you’re sure to enjoy this conversation about the Apostle of Common Sense.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- I Also Had My Hour: An Alternative Autobiography of G.K. Chestertonby Dale Ahlquist
- Books about G.K. Chesterton by Dale Ahlquist in the Chesterton Society online store
- The Chestertons and the Golden Key by Nancy Brown
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 252 The Timeliness of Fulton Sheen with Cheryl Hughes
- 49 Revealed through Story and 253 Classical Literature Appetizers with Joseph Pearce
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Any time is a good time to meditate on the life of St. Joseph. Fr. Lanzetta gives us many insights into the life of this extremely important saint and how, through a devotion to St. Joseph, this wonderful saint will lead us to the Blessed Mother and Our Lord.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Silent Witness of Nazarethby Serafino Lanzetta
- Radio Immaculata
- Marian Franciscans
- Kolbecast episode 280 St. Maximilian Kolbe and Marian Consecration with Dave VanVickle
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Theologian, podcaster, and author Dr. Brett Salkeld wants to make every class Catholic. Brett contends that faith and science are complementary. Though the two fields answer two fundamentally different questions, their conclusions are inseparably intertwined.
In this lively episode, Brett discusses his experience as a homeschooling parent, his background as a diocesan theologian, and how he approaches complex topics with his own children.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Making Every Class Catholic has links to Dr. Salkeld’s various online offerings
- Thinking Faith podcast
- Dr. Salkeld’s Substack
- Educating for Eternity: A Teacher’s Companion for Making Every Class Catholic
- Dr. Daniel Kuebler on the Thinking Faith Podcast
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 222 Something No One Has Understood Before and 278 On Compatibility of Evolution and Catholicism with Dr. Daniel Kuebler
- 52 Through a Catholic Lens with Kim Crawford
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Homeschooling parents often feel the pressure to do it all. But sometimes what they need most is a lighter load. In this continuation of our conversation with Curriculum Project Manager Erica Treat, we explore the range of additional support available to parents. Whether you want access to supplemental lectures from our skilled teaching staff or want to have a teacher on call for grading support and questions, Kolbe has something for you.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 288 The Homeschool Compass Part 1
- 281 Beauty through Words: Classical Reflections on Poetry
- 285 Joy, Light, Sorrow, and Glory – The Way of the Rosary with Shannon Wendt
- 260 Flow & Connection through Learning and 261 Make It about Relationship with Lisa Popcak
Visit kolbe.org/podcast and click the “liturgical living” tab for more episodes featuring discussion on liturgical living
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Curriculum Project Manager Erica Treat joins the Kolbecast to walk parents through the many resources available in Kolbe's course plans and how to implement them for a successful homeschooling year. Not only has Erica helped Kolbe create and refine these course plans, but she has also used them in her own home with her children. Erica discusses how the course plans are modified to meet your family's unique needs and offers strategies for balancing the demands of parenting and teaching. Whether you have used Kolbe's course plans for years or are new homeschooling, this episode is sure to provide you with a wealth of inspiration for your journey.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Information about Parent Partnership Meetings
- The Kolbe Academy Blog
- The Academics & Advising section of the Kolbe Academy Help Center
- Blog post corresponding to this topic coming soon!
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 281 Beauty through Words: Classical Reflections on Poetry
- 156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve with Erica and her husband Kevin as well as other Kolbe military families
- 29 The February Staredown
- 243 Drawing Distinctions: Classical Education, Liberal Arts, and Liberal Education
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Best-selling Catholic author Emily Stimpson Chapman returns to the Kolbecast to discuss the launch of her three newest books: Around the Catholic Table: 100+ Simple Recipes for Family and Friends, The Story of All Stories: A Story Bible for Young Catholics, and Sacred Wine: The Holy History and Heritage of Catholic Vintners.
Around the Catholic Table began as an e-book fundraiser to raise money for Emily's second adoption. From there, it grew into an all-in-one guide to hosting, providing recommendations for everything from cleaning to decorating to cooking for guests with food allergies. Emily's 20-year experience as a Catholic writer prepared her for her second project, a story bible for Catholic readers of all ages. Her final book-- Sacred Wine -- tells the story of Catholic winemakers. "Catholicism is like honey," Emily comments, "It gets all over everything."
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbecast episode 130 The Gifts We Have, Emily’s Kolbecast debut
- Around the Catholic Table
- The Story of All Stories
- Sacred Wine
- The Visitation Sessions podcast
- Study with Emily Stimpson Chapman in Austria May 2026
- St. Paul Center
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Iconographer Joseph Bremer invites you to discover the “real presence” of the saints in icons. Joseph discusses the rich history of iconography— from its roots in Egyptian art to the separation of eastern and western traditions— and the profound religious significance of iconography. For Joseph, iconography is not just art; it is devotion.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Romanesque Icons by Joseph Bremer
- Joey’s article in New Liturgical Movement
- Joseph’s icon for the Boethius Conference at The University of Tulsa
- Andrei Rublev’s Holy Trinity icon
- Painting the LIght YouTube channel
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 9 Interview with Monnica Prudlo, Joseph’s wife
- 23 Imagine Being Homeschooled and 158 The Gift of a Mind featuring Peter Prudlo
- 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and 140 Burnout Happens with Therese Prudlo
- 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo
- 111 What Treasures Remain with Don & Therese Prudlo and Dr. Carl Hasler
- 259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art
- 198 The Sign of Our Salvation with Dr. Gilbert Lavoie
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Do you struggle to pray the rosary deeply or even to pray it at all? Chews Life founder and author of The Way of The Rosary Shannon Wendt discusses how she went from not praying at all to praying the rosary every day. After a series of tragic pregnancy losses, Shannon found herself in a crisis of faith. Out of her crisis came reconversion, and Shannon was inspired to create a product to help busy parents to embrace the rosary in their daily life. Shannon wants everyone to know that praying the rosary is worthwhile, “even if it’s messy and imperfect.”
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Chews Life shop
- The Way of the Rosary book
- The Way of the Rosary collection
- The Way of the Rosary podcast
- Rosary resources for the whole family from Ascension Press
Learn more about Shannon, her book, Chews Life, and Ascension Press via these social media accounts:
- Instagram: @ascensionpress and @chewslifeshannon
- Facebook: @AscensionPress and @ChewsLifeShop
- X: @AscensionPress
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 280 St. Maximilian Kolbe and Marian Consecration with Dave VanVickle
- 255 Family Life as Liturgy with Dr. Greg Popcak
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What does homeschooling look like in First Grade? Kindergarten? Pre-K? Advisor Pam Castor and resource teacher Emmanuelle Wilhelm share practical tips that you can implement today to set your youngest students up for success in the home.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 90 Vocations Here, Now, and Eventually with Adam & Pam Castor
- 269 Resources and Roadmaps
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox – Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services program
- 151 Joyful Discoveries for Preschoolers
- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
- 82 Move and Groove
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. We all want to grow in virtue, but how do we get there? Dr. Ryan Hanning breaks down how to create a personalized approach to growing in virtue in his new co-authored book, The Willpower Advantage. Dr. Ryan explores what it means to be happy, how different temperaments interact with the virtues, and the universal appeal of virtue.
A professor of historical philosophy and theology, Dr. Hanning has 25 years of experience in homeschooling and runs a homestead farm.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. Ryan Hanning’s website
- The WillPower Advantage: Building Habits for Lasting Happiness by Tom Peterson & Ryan Hanning, Ph.D.
- Mary College, a partnership between the University of Mary and Arizona State University
- Fraternus
- Walker Percy’s Lost in the Cosmos
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
- 199 Jason Craig: Do Good Work and Read Good Work
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow and 254 Freedom from Anxiety with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James P. Shea
- 240 Entry Points for Evangelization – Jimmy Mitchell’s Let Beauty Speak
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Bonnie and Steven are joined by professor and author, Dr. Michael Pakaluk. They discuss Dr. Pakaluk’s family's homeschooling experience his new book, The Shock of Holiness; and his thoughts about St. Maximilian Kolbe.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. Pakaluk’s new book The Shock of Holiness
- The Appalling Strangeness of the Mercy of God by Ruth V.K. Pakaluk & Michael Pakaluk
- Recent piece on St. Maximilian Kolbe and the saint’s impact on Dr. Pakaluk
- HSLDA episode with Dr. Catherine Pakaluk
- Dr. Pakaluk’s piece on Fr. John Tracy Ellis
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 174 Kolbe’s Chiaroscuro with Anthony D’Ambrosio, writer and producer of Triumph of the Heart
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Andrew Abela
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Poetry is a cornerstone of many homeschooling parents’ education plans— but why? Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden, Curriculum Project Manager Erica Treat and her son, Eben, join the Kolbecast to break down the reasons that poetry should be an integral part of any well-rounded education. “The children who had done poetry when they were young liked to read when they were older,” Maggie comments, “and they could read harder things.”
Learn more about Kolbe Academy’s poetry resources and preview a poetry course via this blog post: Poetry for the Classical Catholic Homeschooler.
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 175 A Both-And Approach at the University of Dallas with Dr. Jonathan Sanford
- 156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve featuring Erica and her husband, among others, discussing military life and homeschooling
- 271 Building a LIterary Foundation with Maggie Hayden & Mara Matteoli
- 277 The One and Only Shakespeare
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic evangelist and podcaster Dave VanVickle is “obsessed” with St. Maximilian Kolbe and Marian consecration, and you should be too. In his background aiding exorcists, Dave discovered that “Mary is the lynch pin in almost every case.” Since then, Dave dove deeply into Marian consecration, inviting everyone to “give your life to Our Lady.” He discusses what Marian consecration really is (hint: it doesn’t have to be 33 days long), how to approach the prayer, and why we should not view it superstitiously.
Dave found devotion to St. Maximilian Kolbe through his research into Marian consecration. “This was a man who fell so deeply in love with our lady,” Dave comments, “He was doing theology that was high level… He desperately needs to be studied.”
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dave’s website The Catholic Truth about Angels, Demons, Ghosts, Exorcisms, and Hauntings
- Every Knee Shall Bow podcast
- The writings of St. Maximilian Kolbe and more information on Marian Consecration via the Militia Immaculata website
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 174 Kolbe’s Chiaroscuro with Anthony D’Ambrosio about his film on St. Maximilian Kolbe Triumph of the Heart
- 134 For Tinkerers of All Ages highlighting St. Maximilian Kolbe’s engagements with media developments of his time
- 168 The Adventure of a Lifetime with Melissa Dee of the Saints Alive podcast
- 268 Pilgrimage & Jubilee with Our Lady of Champion featuring Kolbe Academy alumnus Fr. Nathan Mudd
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic author Susan Peek joins the Kolbecast to discuss her mission: bringing the stories of lesser-known saints alive for teens and young adults. Susan found herself frustrated searching for morally-sound but still engaging stories for teenagers: “the plots might be exciting, the writer might be excellent— and yet there’s so few things that we can give to teenagers to read.”Her first novel began as a movie script about Saint Camillus, whose struggle of conversion (and reconversion) has inspired many young readers. Today, Susan’s collection of books for teens includes Saint Cloud of Gaul: The Prince Who Trades Kingdoms, St Dymphna of Ireland: The King’s Prey, and Crusader King: A Novel of Baldwin IV and the Crusades, among many others. If you are already a fan of Susan or are just hearing her name for the first time, this episode is a must-listen for parents of Catholic teens!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Susan Peek’s website
- Catholic Writers Guild
- Catholic Teen Books
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care from Kolbe Academy Press
- 267 Time Traveling through History: Bringing the Past to Life for Young Learners
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. How can evolution be compatible with the Catholic faith? Professor of Biology at Franciscan University of Steubenville Daniel Kuebler argues that Catholic students should embrace the theory of evolution. Dr. Kuebler answers several objections to evolutionary theory, grounding his answers in the Catholic doctrine. The professor explains why we shouldn’t be surprised by apparent conflicts (“The truth is bigger than our brains,” he says) and cautions students about two common pitfalls people fall into when discussing faith and evolution.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. Kuebler’s new book Darwin and Doctrine
- Society of Catholic Scientists and the podcast Dr. Kuebler hosts
- Dr. Kuebler on the Thinking Faith podcast part 1 and part 2
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 222 Something No One Has Ever Understood Before -- Dr. Kuebler's Kolbecast debut
- 89 The Master Blueprint
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Literature teachers John Turrentine and James Endres want you to love Shakespeare as much as they do. The duo dives deeply into the classic works you’ve heard of before, giving a fresh perspective on well-known plays, and introduces some of Shakespeare’s plays that you may never have heard of before. With their combined 25 years of experience, John and James address Shakespeare readers of all levels. Whether you are picking up a play for the first time or re-reading an old favorite for the thousandth time, this conversation will have something to teach you.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Medieval Shakespeare Study Guide Set
- Shakespeare The Sonnets
- Books in Kolbe’s Roman Literature course, including Julius Caesar
- Books in Kolbe’s Era of Christendom course, including Richard III, Macbeth, and The Tempest
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 266 New Voice, Handy Catalog with Gwynith DeMonte
- 177 Tabletop Theology with Alexi Sargeant
- 3 Dramatic Arts with Dolores Ann Mihaliak
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe podcast team member and teacher Gwynith DeMonte knows exactly what episodes you should be listening to during the back-to-school season. Whether you’re simply curious about homeschooling or are a homeschool student yourself, Gwynith has the perfect catalog of episodes to give you all the information you need.
In addition to offering her Kolbecast recommendations, Gwynith discusses her experience growing up in a homeschooling household, including the courses that have (unexpectedly!) served her the best in her college and post-college life. Lastly, Gwynith gives some advice to new students, sharing her takeaways from this year’s teacher training and her hopes for the Asynchronous courses this year.
Enjoy the episode,
Gwynith
Learn more about Kolbe’s asynchronous courses.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 238 Accompaniment, Hope, Integration, and Resilience with Pat Millea
- 250 Made for Relationship with Kenna Millea
- 256 An Education That Reflects God's Beauty and 257 Integrated Catholic, Classical Education in Middle & High School
- 258 Seeking, Finding, and Building Community
- 247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers
- 227 Sensory Awareness & Problem Solving with occupational therapist Caitlin Russ
- 230 A Multi-Pronged Approach to College Prep
- 244 Summer School Memories and other episodes about college and with our college partners
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Superhabits author Dr. Andrew Abela
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
- 235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage with Joan Watson
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow and 254 Freedom from Anxiety with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 255 Family Life as Liturgy with Dr. Greg Popcak
- 260 Flow & Connection through Learning and 261 Make It about Relationship with Lisa Popcak
- 236 Next Steps & New Chapters with Belinda Terro Mooney
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety wth Dr. Kevin Majeres
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The McMahon family lives by 4 H’s: Homeschooling, Homesteading, 4H itself, and Home births. The McMahon parents Ted and Cindi discuss how they have utilized Kolbe’s offerings for their children; every child needs something different and Kolbe has been there to help. The family reveals their homesteading and 4H operations, and how they’ve balanced running a small farm with their homeschool education. Lastly, Cindi walks through her home birth journey and what prompted her to opt out of the hospital-birth norm. As a bonus, recent Kolbe graduate Jeremiah discloses the results of his college debate between UMary or Christendom.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy’s college partners
- Dr. John Cuddeback
- National 4-H website
- Catholic Land Movement
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 244 Summer School Memories
- 159 Now We See in Part
- 213 This Is a Beginning
- 166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly
- 272 Healthy Mom, Healthy Family with Dr. Chris Stroud
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. You don’t want to go to a state university, but you don’t want to spend private university money. Where do you go?
Catholic International University’s Chair of Education and Liberal Arts Ann Brodeur, PhD, has an innovative solution for students who want to opt out of the traditional university approach. Catholic International University is an entirely online program, designed for students who want a college degree that they can pursue anywhere, anytime. For students who want to work more hours than a traditional college program allows or for parents who want to continue their education, Catholic International University has solutions.
Catholic International University is a partner of Kolbe Academy, allowing students to earn college credit during high school. For more information, explore the links below.
Relevant links:
- Learn more about Catholic International University
- Ann Brodeur, PhD
- Liberal Arts & Education
- Emerging Technologies
- CIU dual enrollment courses (more info for Kolbe students on this page of the CIU website)
- The Newman Guide
- Dr. Brodeur on the Classic Learning Test’s podcast Anchored
- Catholic International University’s president Dr. Maria Sophia Aguierre on the Cardinal Newman Society’s podcast
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast
AMDG. What if you could listen to incredible keynote speakers at a conference, without even leaving your home? With the Kolbecast Conference, now you can!
The Kolbecast Conference is a three-day program of curated episodes covering a range of topics from classical education, homeschooling, faith, mental health, childhood emotional regulation, and so much more. Enjoy lectures from keynote speakers such as University of Mary president Msgr. James Shea, Harvard psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Majeres, as well as writer and translator Dr. Anthony Esolen. Explore breakout-session sessions with guest speakers including the hosts of the "More2Life" podcast and founder of Catholic Counselors Greg Popcak and Lisa Popcak; authors of "The Temperament God Gave You" Laraine and Art Bennett, L.M.F.T.; Catholic podcaster Bobby Angel and his brother Dan; occupational therapist Caitlin Russ; and many others.
Listen to the episodes all at once or browse them at your own pace; at this conference, you control the schedule!
Click here for Day 1 of the 2025 Kolbecast Conference.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 1 Kolbecast Relaunch
- 221 A Survey and a Starting Point
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol, Stasha, and Stephanie from the Kolbe Academy publishing team
- 32 Reflections of His Light
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. "I went to medical school because I knew I couldn't get into law school."
Catholic board-certified OB-GYN and host of the podcast Doctor Doctor Chris Stroud, M.D., wants more Catholics in medical school. "Catholic students are running as fast as they can away from pediatrics," Chris explains. Controversial life and gender issues have led many Catholic students to seek other professions. "People think, 'I'm going to be confronted with contraception on the very first day-- no thanks.’" Potential medical students are afraid that they will be forced to choose between job security and their values, but Chris is here to paint an entirely different picture of a Catholic in the medical field.
Chris began his career as a music major. After transitioning to medical school -- for an unexpected reason-- Chris also experienced a major transition in his spiritual life. A few years later, Chris's family made the jump from public school to homeschooling and never looked back. "It felt like overnight we were one of those crazy homeschooling families," Chris laughs. Today, Chris runs his own practice in Ft. Wayne, IN, focusing on women's health. Chris’s clinic addresses every issue women experience “from homeschooling to personal training,” in his words.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Dr. Stroud and his medical practice Fertility & Midwifery Care Center
- All Things Women’s Health podcast
- Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy with Nicole Bobay
- Brain Death, Abortion, and the Adriana Smith Case
- Doctor, Doctor podcast
- MyCatholicDoctor.com
- Catholic Medical Association
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally
- 189 Fit Mind, Fit Body
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Are you looking for the perfect book to take your child’s reading to the next level? Look no further than Kolbe’s newly updated Literature & Catholic National Reader program for elementary students!
Originally published in 1895, the Catholic National Readers became a staple in many Catholic homes. “We started with the idea of just redoing them, making the font size appropriate and following standards,” Senior Curriculum Developer Maggie Hayden explains. But the project quickly developed into something more.
Under the artful guidance of Curriculum Developer Mara Matteoli, the classic texts blossomed into a fully-fledged reading and literature course, integrating comprehension with hands-on activities and a workbook of unique exercises.
With beautiful pages, engaging and uplifting stories, and an individualized reading pace, this course meets young readers where they are and guides them to the next level. "The children aren't even going to know they are working!" Maggie promises.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol Gilpin of Kolbe Academy’s publishing department
- 267 Time Traveling through History
- 247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy recommended reading list
- Catholic National Readers and related materials in the Kolbe Academy bookstore
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “It’s almost as if I pity God because he has to choose between giving us more sufferings and making us sorrowful but wiser or giving us less sufferings and making us happier but more foolish.”
Professor of Philosophy at Boston College and author of over 100 books Dr. Peter Kreeft shares his reflection on today’s academic culture, emphasizing the importance of the Socratic method and a sturdy foundation in Thomistic philosophy. Dr. Kreeft dives deep into the themes of faith, happiness, and truth as he shares his conversion story, retold in his book From Calvinist to Catholic.
Relevant links:
- A few of Dr. Kreeft’s books:
- From Calvinist to Catholic
- The Mystery of Joy
- Jesus Shock
- Socratic Logic textbook in the Kolbe Academy bookstore
- Dr. Kreeft on the Being Human Podcast with Dr. Greg Bottaro
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
- 93 Good Thinking
- 166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “Catholic schools should help all students— we should serve you and help you.”
How can Kolbe Academy help a child who has learning disabilities? Student Services Director Karen Allgood and special education teachers Karen Painter and Emmanuelle Wilhelm share their experiences as parents, teachers, and mentors of students with learning differences. The trio provides a step-by-step guide for parents hoping to utilize Kolbe's services, from interpreting assessment results to individualized course planning and tutoring services. Whatever level of support you need, Kolbe has options. See the link below to learn more.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbe Academy's Student Support Services
- Webinar: Setting Up for Success: A Guide for Homeschooling Special Needs Students
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 137 Remember Your Whys
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
- 247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers
- 190 The School of Patience
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Have you ever wanted to see a Marian apparition site? You don't even have to leave the country to do so-- Champion, WI, is home to the only approved Marian apparition site in the U.S.
Fr. Nathan Mudd, chaplain at Our Lady of Champion Shrine, shares the story of Our Lady of Champion and Adele Brise, a woman Fr. Mudd hopes to see canonized soon. Fr. Mudd discusses his life as travelling missionary and how his background as a Kolbe graduate influences him today. As a member of the Fathers of Mercy, Fr. Mudd has devoted his life to bringing souls back to God and inviting people to experience a spiritual resurrection. In his missionary work, Fr. Mudd lives out Mary’s calling at Champion: “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation.”
Learn more about the National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion:
- Website: championshrine.org
- Shrine Newsroom for images, history timeline and more
- On social media
- Instagram: @championshrine
- Facebook: @ChampionShrine
- X: @ChampionShrine
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChampionShrine
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 119 The Hope Throughout with Tom and Noelle Crowe of The American Catholic History Podcast
- 235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage with Joan Watson
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Fathers of Mercy
- Kolbe Academy Recommended Reading List
- Episode of the American Catholic History about Our Lady of Champion
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. How do you teach history to elementary school students? Kolbe’s new elementary history program has everything you need and more!
The developers and editors of the elementary history course, Stephanie Foley and Heather Griffin, want the stories of history to come alive in your living room, creating a spark of lasting wonder in every young reader.
An integrative and interactive course, Kolbe’s elementary history helps students contextualize major historical events using familiar Bible stories and encourages students to draw connections between historical characters and their own lives.
The history texts cater to a variety of topics and interests, including art, architecture, culture, and geography, with immersive activities to engage young students.
Check out the reading materials for elementary grades in the Kolbe Academy bookstore.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care from Kolbe Academy Press and 259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art with Stephanie Foley
- 259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What did people know in the Middle Ages that we are only now rediscovering?
Blogger of “Like Mother, Like Daughter” Substack contributor, author, and podcaster Leila Lawler joins the Kolbecast to discuss the new book, “St. Hildegard’s Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul.” Prompted by pharmaceutical shortages, Leila asked herself: “What did people do before ibuprofen?” Leila began researching and creating her own homeopathic remedies, drawing inspiration from St. Hildegard’s work. Leila shares some of the most efficacious remedies she has tried, the flaws in the modern medical system, and what St. Hildegard can teach us about a healthy and whole-person approach to medicine and mental health.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- St. Hildegard’s Garden: Recipes and Remedies for Healing Body and Soul by Paul Ferris with an introduction by Leila Marie Lawler
- God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage by Victoria Sweet
- Blog post on Like Mother, Like Daugher about curing UTIs
More from and about Leila Lawler:
- Like Mother, Like Daughter
- on Substack
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- Happy Despite Them
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- The School for Housewives
- The Home Front podcast with husband Phil Lawler
- Mrs. Lawler’s books:
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- The Little Oratory and Summa Domestica
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- God Has No Grandchildren
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 112 Cura Personalis: The Intro
- 136 Cura Personalis: The Sequel
- 117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The Kolbe Academy Class of 2025 has graduated, and it’s time to celebrate! Kolbe Chaplain Fr. Charlie Archer, Executive Director Mary Rowles, Kolbe teacher Brendan Murphy, President of Walsh University Dr. Tim Collins, and three accomplished Kolbe graduates take the stage to share their reflections on Kolbe’s education and their rousing exhortations for the Class of 2025.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 132 Monday Morning Assembly and 242 Finish Line in Sight featuring student speakers Dhilan Matthews & Colin Lengyel
- Episodes with Brendan Murphy: 169 No Made-Up Answers and 218 The Questions behind the Questions
- Episodes with Elizabeth Hoxie: 89 The Master Blueprint, 112 Cura Personalis: The Intro, 136 Cura Personalis: The Sequel, 213 This Is a Beginning, and 21 To Live Fully Alive
- 159 Now We See in Part
Other relevant links:
- Watch the entire 2025 commencement ceremony here.
- More about Dr. Tim Collins, president of Walsh University
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “Sister, is God a person for you, or an idea?”
Diocesan priest, author, and former hermit Fr. Wayne Sattler joins the Kolbecast to share his life-story from high school teacher to almost-married to hermit; his two books, which originated in his notes from years leading spiritual retreats; spiritual direction, or as he prefers to call it, “spiritual friendship”; relating to God as a person, not as an idea, which is the theme of one of his books; and so much more. Fr. Sattler’s humor, hope, and humility shine through every story he tells, and his words reflect the wisdom he has gained from his years of experience counseling others.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Books & articles by Fr. Wayne Sattler:
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- Remain in Me and I in You – Relating to God as a Person, Not an Idea
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- And You Will Find Rest: What God Does in Prayer
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- Wasting Time with God, an article on Catholic Exchange
- Other books:
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- The Four Cardinal Virtues: Prudence, Justice, Fortitude, Temperance by Josef Pieper
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- Seeking Spiritual Direction by Rev. Thomas Dubay S.M.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 183 Gratuitous Gifts: Sherry Weddell on Charisms
- 123 A Change of the Ages, 213 This Is a Beginning, and 224 Forming Apostolic Hearts with Msgr. James P. Shea
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. In Kolbe’s new astronomy program, the sky’s the limit of what students can learn. Astronomy teacher Antonia Castro and course developer Vanessa Delgado are here to discuss the third quadrivium subject and Kolbe’s updated astronomy program. The duo examine why astronomy is the “mother of the scientific field” and explain their efforts to bring students a foundational experience in applied mathematics and physics, while also sparking wonder at the grandeur of God’s creation. “Everything is difficult if you don’t know what it is,” Antonio reflects. “But once you start looking into it, step by step, it’s easy,” he promises.
From building telescopes to mapping relative distances, this astronomy course has something for the most theoretical mind to the most practical learner.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Exploring the Heavens: Kolbe Academy's High School Astronomy Course with link to free download/preview of text and course materials
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham
- Vatican Observatory podcast
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 107 Wander & Wonder and 241 Renew, Resolve, Reengage with Vanessa Delgado
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care from Kolbe Academy Press
- 259 Seeing the Story: Classical Reflections on Art
- 114 Kolbe Academy Past, Present, and Future featuring Kolbe Academy Executive Director Mary Rowles
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “Don’t feel like it’s too late— you can pick this up and study and learn about it anytime you want.”
Author of the brand-new book We Have a Pope Katie Bogner and Kolbe kindergarten teacher Kimberly Wolf join the Kolbecast to share their experience talking to young students about the new pope and papal election process. Katie explains the inspiration behind her new book, how she simplified her explanation of a papal conclave to make it appropriate for young readers, and what her writing process looks like (“They have all actually started as really detailed spreadsheets,” she notes). Kimberly shares stories of watching the papal election with her students and the questions they asked, as well as how she used Katie’s resources in her classroom. The duo reflects on avoiding politics in the midst of papal news and the importance of continuing celebration. “Ride this wave as Catholics,” Katie says, “Keep celebrating.”
Related links:
- We Have a Pope published by the St. Paul Center & illustrated by Kortnee Senn of Studio Senn
- Follow @stpaulcenter @emmausroadpublishing and @katherine.bogner on Instagram.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 184 Hope & Wonder and 248 Intentionality & Purpose for Lent & Holy Week with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken
- Spotlights on Kolbe Academy’s online elementary program:
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- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
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- 82 Move & Groove
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- 122 Bridge Year
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. In a continuation of last week’s episode, Lisa Popcak shares her advice for new homeschooling families, including what aspects of education matter most and what worked in her own family. “I had promised her… you will be 100% fine,” Lisa recalled. “And sure enough, she got recruited by her college… and got almost a full ride to be a pre-med student.”
Lisa reflects on her children leaving the home for college, navigating hard seasons in the home, liturgical living, and so much more.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 260 Flow & Connection through Learning, the first part of our conversation with Lisa Popcak
- 255 Family Life as Liturgy with Dr. Greg Popcak
- 131 It’s All about Relationship with Danielle Bean
- 62 Due Diligence with Darren Jones of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
Related links:
- CatholicHOM (Households on Mission)
- CatholicCounselors.com
- More2Life Radio & podcasts
- Books by Dr. Greg & Lisa Popcak
- Momfidence podcast
- BeDADitudes podcast
- Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers by Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté
- Books by the Popcaks mentioned in this conversation:
- Discovering God Together: The Catholic Guide to Raising Faithful Kids
- Parenting Kids with Grace (birth to age 10)
- Parenting Your Teens and Tweens with Grace
- Once upon a Lifetime Podcast
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic podcaster and co-founder/vice-president of CatholicCounselors.comLisa Popcak shares her wisdom on homeschooling and raising children in the faith. Lisa advocates for “flow” rather than structure in the homeschool day and paints a picture of what a rich— but achievable— prayer life looks like in a busy home. “We have to get away from the idea that our prayer life has to be rigorous,” Lisa says. “If our children are called to a rigorous monastic life, God will give them the grace for that. We have many saints who were… and many saints who went a different way.”
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 255 Family Life as Liturgy with Dr. Greg Popcak
- 131 It’s All about Relationship with Danielle Bean
Related links:
- CatholicHOM (Households on Mission)
- CatholicCounselors.com
- More2Life Radio & podcasts
- Books by Dr. Greg & Lisa Popcak
- Momfidence podcast
- BeDADitudes podcast
- Hold On to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More than Peers by Gordon Neufeld & Gabor Maté
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “I always knew I liked these things and I knew they were beautiful, but now I know why.”
In a special sneak peek episode, Kolbe Academy team members Carol Gilpin, Stephanie Foley, and Therese Prudlo join the Kolbecast to discuss the brand new art history and architecture book. The trio discusses the layout of the new art book, revealing the thought process and design work that went into the new text. “It’s like we’re having a conversation with that artist… a real human connection,” Stephanie reflects.
Whether you are considering purchasing this book for your children or interested in picking up a beautiful, readable art book for yourself, this episode is a must-listen!
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepherd
- 249 Stories Crafted with Care featuring Carol Gilpin, Stephanie Foley, and Stasha Becher
- 186 Full Circle (of Fifths) and 201 The Soundtrack of Life with Carl Hasler and Olivia Knuffke on the topic of music
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Pope John Paul II’s Letter to Artists
- Art History text
- The “Not-Artistic” Parent’s Guide to Art Appreciation with free download/preview of artist spotlights
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Do you worry about finding a strong community for your children outside the home? Homeschooling moms Dee-dee and Krysten join the Kolbecast to share about their homeschool communities. Filled with practical advice and anecdotes from their years of experience, Dee-dee and Krysten’s conversation makes building a thriving community feel accessible to anyone.
Dee-dee started her own homeschooling group after moving to an area that didn’t have a strong homeschooling community. What started as a small gathering in Dee-dee’s household snowballed into a huge community of homeschool families. “The most successful groups are the ones that grow organically,” Deedee notes. Her homeschool group now offers copious enrichment activities such as drama, theatre, and a brown bag lunch program for the needy in the community.
Krysten runs the largest homeschool group on a military base in the nation. Krysten addresses the ins and outs of running a homeschool non-profit organization, from cautionary tales to inspiring successes in evangelization. “God will open the doors that need to be open,” Krysten says. “Lean into what God is calling you to do.”
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 214 A Long View with Charles & Dee-dee Mihaliak
- 155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve and 156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve with and about homeschooling military families
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions addressing socialization
- 3 Dramatic Arts and 73 Through Beauty and Technology with Dolores Mihaliak
- 208 A Mosaic of Experience and 246 Orientation toward the Eternal with Kolbe Academy alumnus Charlie Mihaliak
Relevant links:
- School & Co-op Partnerships with Kolbe Academy
- Adoro Te, the homeschool group that Dee-dee and her family helped found
- Cultivating Friendships and Enriching Social Activities for Homeschool Students from the Kolbe Academy Help Center
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What do parents need to know before their children enter middle school or high school? Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden and Principal Nicole O’Connor are back once again to discuss classical education at the 6-12 grade level.
Maggie and Nicole share their years of expertise working with students, outlining what parents and students can expect both developmentally and academically as they transition from elementary school to middle school and from middle school to high school. The duo emphasizes the importance of exploration, curiosity, and integration; explains why literature and grammar are the focal point of the middle school years; and details why the Classical Composition course is so highly recommended through middle and high school. Next, Maggie and Nicole turn their attention to high school, discussing the methodology behind Kolbe’s program, the “big questions” the program centers around, why “religion” becomes “theology” when studied in high school, and so much more.
Related links:
- Summer Reading Program
- How to Get Started at Kolbe
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant
- 243 Drawing Distinctions – Classical Education, Liberal Arts, and Liberal Education
- 256 An Education That Reflects God’s Beauty
- 61 Middle Ground with middle school teachers Alex Pischke & Amanda Hayes
- 203 Guided Freedom with Classical Composition teachers Sarah Foulkes & Grace Berg
- 14 We Don’t Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean with Nicole O’Connor discussing the classical subjects of Logic & Rhetoric
- Kolbecast Humanities series:
-
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
-
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
-
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
-
- 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White
-
- 239 Divine Plot Twist
-
- 245 The Odyssey’s Allegorical Outlook
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “They are children of God and they are worthy of an education that reflects God’s beauty.”
What does a classical education even look like in grades K-5? Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden and Principal Nicole O’Connor join the Kolbecast to answer just that question. Maggie and Nicole explain how they rebuilt the Kolbe elementary curriculum to reflect classical methodology and principles of Ignatian education. “We were looking at what things the little kids have to know in K-2 to be able to do third through fifth, then sixth through eighth grade, and up to high school,” Maggie explains.
Maggie and Nicole discuss what goals are appropriate at each grade level, and areas of concern to watch for; break down the reason behind the recent curriculum development and the Catholic, classical methodology that inspired Maggie and Nicole’s work; dismantle misconceptions about classical education; give sneak peeks at new materials coming soon; and pack in dozens of helpful tips for parents of K-5 students.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant
- 243 Drawing Distinctions – Classical Education, Liberal Arts, and Liberal Education
- 248 Intentionality & Purpose for Lent & Holy Week with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken (guest cohost: Maggie Hayden)
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 247 Lightbulb Moments for Young Readers
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Student Support Services
- 203 Guided Freedom, a conversation about Classical Composition
Other relevant links:
- Implementation of Ignatian Education in the Home by Kolbe Academy co-founder Francis Crotty
- Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
Learn more about Kolbe’s early education programs by reading the posts below—and download a free week-long preview of each program to explore for yourself:
- Nurturing Little Hearts – Read about Kolbe Academy’s Preschool Program + Download the Preschool Preview: A Week to Explore
- Welcome to a Year of Wonder – Read about Kolbe Academy’s Kindergarten Curriculum + Download the Kindergarten Preview: A Week to Explore
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Host of EWTN’s More2Life podcast, founder of CatholicCounselors.com, and developer of the CatholicHÔM app Greg Popcak joins the Kolbecast to share his wisdom on making your home into a living, vibrant domestic church. “What does a domestic church spirituality even look like,” Dr. Popcak asks, “that would treat family life— the craziness, the busyness, the scatteredness of family life— as a feature, not a bug, of Catholic spirituality?”
In today’s episode, Dr. Popcak reveals his insights from years of counseling homeschooling families and parents, including some common pitfalls to beware of; explains what an “emotional bank account” is, and how to make sure your children’s stay full; analyzes the scientific data on how to raise your children into faithful, Catholic adults; reveals where burnout comes from -- and how to treat it; unpacks what we mean by a “domestic church,” and how you can make your home into one; and shares his advice for those interested in pursuing a counseling career.
Whether you’re a homeschooling parent looking to deepen your family connection and faith, or a student considering a future career in counseling, this episode has something for you.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- CatholicHOM (Households on Mission)
- CatholicCounselors.com
- More2Life Radio & podcasts
- Books by Dr. Greg & Lisa Popcak
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
- 250 Made for Relationship with Kenna Millea
- 66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe, which features a discussion on domestic church
- 254 Art & Laraine Bennett Offer Freedom from Anxiety
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Clinical counselor Art and psychologist Laraine Bennett join the Kolbecast to discuss anxiety and mental health, the temperaments, their recent publications, and so much more.
Art and Laraine talk about how anxiety can manifest dramatically differently in different people, and how to identify it in your life or in the lives of your children; explain what anxiety is and how to approach it; break down what NOT to do if you recognize anxiety in your children, and present helpful strategies you can implement in your home today; and the tie between scrupulosity and anxiety.
Links mentioned & related:
- Anxiety: a Catholic Guide to Freedom from Worry and Fearby Art & Laraine Bennett and Lianna Haidar
- The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
- The Happiness Trap by Dr. Russ Harris
- The Coddling of the American Mindby Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela
- 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
- 238 Accompaniment, Hope, Integration, and Resilience with Pat Millea
- 250 Made for Relationship with Kenna Millea
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Author, editor, and professor Joseph Pearce joins the Kolbecast to introduce his new book, Classic Literature Made Simple: 50 Great Works of Literature in a Nutshell. Joseph’s new book is an excellent introduction to classic literature for any Kolbe student, or the perfect all-in-one guide for parents who want to be able to discuss great works of literature with their students, without having to set aside hours from their busy schedule to read the books.
Joseph discusses his work as a publisher, including advice for Kolbe students who are interested in having their writing published someday; reveals his one “must-read” book, and a book you might be surprised to see on his list of 50 great works; shares his insight on how to read great works of literature, and how to respond if your children push back against the great works. He also gives a behind-the-scenes look at his writing process and hints at his newest project: Great Books for Good Men.
Visit his website jpearce.co and check out his podcast The Authority.
Joseph Pearce’s books mentioned in this conversation:
- Classic Literature Made Simple: Fifty Great Books in a Nutshell
- The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful
- The What Every Catholic Should Know series
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 49 Revealed through Story with Joseph Pearce
- 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela
- Kolbecast Humanities series:
-
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
-
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
-
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
-
- 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White
-
- 239 Divine Plot Twist
-
- 245 The Odyssey’s Allegorical Outlook
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG.
“When I get to heaven, I’ll ask him.”
“What if he’s not in heaven?”
“Then you can ask him.”
First introduced to Fulton Sheen through her research on his famous converts, historian Cheryl Hughes tells the fascinating story of Fulton Sheen’s life. Dr. Hughes brings history to life with hilarious anecdotes and touching narratives. Listen in to hear facts such as the surprising connection between Fulton Sheen and Frank Sinatra; his Emmy acceptance speech, including the writers he credited for his success; Sheen’s opposition to secularism and communism; his friendship with Pope Saint John Paul II, who learned English through listening to Fulton Sheen; the miracle attributed to Fulton Sheen, and the current status of his beatification process; and details such as Sheen’s real height, Irish Catholic upbringing, and more.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, Convert Makerby Dr. Cheryl Hughes
- Steven refers to when Archbishop Sheen helped launch Thomas Aquinas College
- Chautauqua character studies
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “Go be a pilgrim of hope! There’s somebody in your life who needs the story of hope.”
Pilgrimage leader, author, and catechist Joan Watson joins the Kolbecast to share everything you need to know about the Jubilee Year of Hope. Joan explains the biblical and historical roots of the Jubilee Year, and how the laity were the impetus behind the first Jubilee. She dissects the imagery behind the special Jubilee doors opened only once every twenty-five years and reveals ways to receive indulgences this year without even leaving your hometown. Joan gives her advice for those traveling to Rome, the must-see pilgrimage sites she visited this year, fasting recommendations for the Jubilee Year, and so much more.
Links mentioned & relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- Joan’s book Opening the Holy Door
- Opening the Holy Door small group discussion guide
- Kolbecast episode 235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage
- Kolbe 2025 Commencement site named an official pilgrimage church in Georgia
- Kolbe Academy 2025 Commencement registration form
- Kolbecast episode 160 A Legendary Occasion, reflections and observances from those who attended Kolbe Academy’s 2023 Commencement
- Pope Francis’s letter Spes Non Confundit ( “Hope Does Not Disappoint”)
- Pope Benedict’s encyclical Spe Salvi (“On Christian Hope”)
- Katie Bogner’s blog post on the Holy Door on her blog Look to Him and Be Radiant
- Kolbecast episodes 184 and 248 with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken
- John Bergsma’s book Jesus and the Jubilee: The Biblical Roots of the Year of God’s Favor
More about and with Joan:
- website
- Substack
- YouTube channel
- In Via podcast by Verso Ministries
Other related links:
- US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website feature on Jubilee 2025
- Vatican Jubilee 2025 website: Iubilaeum 2025
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Clinical Director and Co-Founder of the Martin Center for Integration and host of This Whole Life podcast Kenna Millea joins the Kolbecast to discuss the ins and outs of relationships under a Catholic lens. “If you don’t like relationships here,” Kenna comments. “I think heaven’s going to be a big bummer— because that’s what it’s going to be.”
Kenna offers her expert insight into common challenges in family dynamics, from the relationship between the spouses to how parents interact with children. She unpacks how our relationships with others can impact our relationship to God and how the sacraments can impact our social life. Kenna shares her advice for those interested in pursuing a career in Catholic therapy and explains the differences among the types of mental health fields. Finally, Kenna suggests a selection of mental health books for families looking to strengthen their relationships with one another and build a happy, holy home.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Martin Center for Integration
- Hold Me Tight by Sue Johnson
- The Whole Brain Child and other books by Dr. Daniel J. Siegel
- The Reed of God by Caryll Houselander
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 238 Accompaniment, Hope, Integration, and Resilience with Pat Millea
- 227 Sensory Awareness & Problem Solving with occupational therapist Caitlin Russ
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “When a child opens a book, I don’t want him to be overwhelmed by what’s on the page. I want him to open the book and be excited.”
Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at Kolbe’s publishing branch? Kolbe team members Stasha Becher, Carol Gilpin, and Stephanie Foley bring you an insider perspective on Kolbe’s publishing program, from development to product review. The group discusses why Kolbe launched their publishing branch; how they integrate classical principles into their books, even at a Pre-K level; the science behind their font size and word count choices; advice for people who want to become copy editors or graphic designers; and a glimpse into their upcoming and past projects.
Relevant links:
- Kolbe Academy bookstore
- When the Earth Was Flat: One Boy’s Life at the Edge of the Millennium by Dr. Jordan Almanzar
- Kolbe Preschool Program
- Preschool and Kindergarten Look & Learn books
- Kolbe’s Art History text
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 103 Above & Beyond with Nancy Nelson of the Kolbe Academy Bookstore
- 83 This Is Only a Test, 137 Remember Your Whys, 162 Let Latin Conquer You, 248 Intentionality & Purpose for Lent & Holy Week with Maggie Hayden
- 59 The Secret Whiteboard, 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service, 124 In This Together, 156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve, and 230 A Multi-Pronged Approach to College Prep with Erica Treat
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “Advent is all cozy and sparkling lights… but Lent on the other hand, kids do not look forward to as much.”
Looking for a new way to engage your children during this Lent? All About Advent and Christmas author Katie Bogner and illustrator Shari Van Vranken join the Kolbecast to announce their new book, All About Lent & Holy Week: Sharing the Seasons of Repentance & Salvation with Children. Their new Lenten guide is suitable for students of all age levels, with multiple layers of content for students to engage with. “That is something I very rarely see in a book,” Curriculum Director Maggie Hayden comments, “I feel like it just met the whole group at a level where they are interested.”
The group’s conversation ranges over a wide variety of liturgical topics, including Lenten practices, such as prayer, fasting, and almsgiving; each member shares their family’s Lenten practices, providing a wide variety of inspiration to draw from. The group also discusses the feast days in Lent, both how we should celebrate them and why. Finally, the group discusses all things Holy Week, and strategies to engage children of every age level in the holiest week of the year.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Get your copy of All about Lent & Holy Week here!
- Katie & Shari’s first book: All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope & Wonder with Children
- Katie’s blog Look to Him and Be Radiant, which has a wealth of resources suitable for home, parish, or school use for Lent/Easter and many other aspects of liturgical living and catechesis
- Shari’s website Catholic Paper Goods
- Catholic Paper Goods on Etsy
- Follow @stpaulcenter, @emmausroadpublishing, @katherine.bogner, and @catholicpapergoods on Instagram.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 184 Hope & Wonder with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken
- 192 Kitchen Doings
- 194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepard
- 198 The Sign of Our Salvation with Dr. Gilbert Lavoie
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Reading is a daunting topic for many homeschooling parents. Luckily, Kolbe teachers and Master’s Level Education Specialists Kristi Cramer and Jenny Todesco are here to help.
Kristi and Jenny answer the most-asked questions about reading, providing easy-to-digest answers and actionable steps that you can begin today. Tune in to learn how to assess your child’s reading ability at home; when your child should begin reading; common difficulties to watch out for and when to reach out for help; and the resources available in Kolbe Academy for struggling readers. “In education, there’s a rule of thumb,” Jenny comments, “if by third grade, a student is struggling in reading… [that] is when you would start looking at some interventions.”
This episode is the all-in-one guide for homeschooling parents embarking on the journey to literacy, filled with a wealth of knowledge and practical tips you can implement today.
Related Kolbecast episodes & relevant links:
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
- 124 In This Together
- 125 Call the Advisor
- 147 Building Blocks for Reading Success
- Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Alumnus and CVS health general management program developer Charlie Mihaliak steps on stage to share an inspiring message about the importance of education in the current cultural moment. "What we're facing right now," Charlie declares, "is an idolatry of this farce of limitless freedom as the key to happiness." Charlie reminisces on his own journey to happiness, from his own Kolbe graduation to becoming a business major-- a major he quickly switched, choosing theater as his focus instead. Charlie reflects on the lessons he learned during this chapter of his life; why he considers theatre as "three-dimensional metaphysics"; the challenges facing students today; and why more choices equates to less happiness.
Kolbe Chief Operations Officer and grandson of the founders Chris Rowles then takes the spotlight next to share an inspiring reflection on the development and growth of Kolbe Academy from its earliest days in the 1980s. "They didn't have the internet to find each other, but somehow they still did," Chris remarks. Chris advocates for Kolbe families and discusses Kolbe's fundraising initiatives aimed at providing accessible education to all. "With your help," Chris adds, "we can ensure that our students are prepared not just academically, but spiritually and morally for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
To learn more about or contribute to Kolbe Academy’s financial assistance program, click here.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 213 This Is a Beginning, speeches from 2024 Commencement in Atlanta
- 224 Forming Apostolic Hearts, a speech given by Msgr. James Shea to those in attendance at the dinner where Charlie’s and Chris’s remarks were recorded
- 18 Homer and the Hunger Games and 208 A Mosaic of Experience featuring Charlie Mihaliak
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. From sea monsters and magic spells to archery contests and family reunions, this book has something for everyone. Join Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan as they dive into the great Homeric epic, the Odyssey. The group discusses major themes to watch out for in the Odyssey, including family life and wisdom; considers the must-ask questions, like whether Odysseus changes throughout the story; and provides you with a complete summary in easy-to-digest pieces.
Whether you’re reading the Odyssey for yourself or just want to know what to ask your children about, this is the episode for you. Don’t miss it!
Related links & Kolbecast episodes:
- The Odyssey and related study materials in the Kolbe Academy bookstore
- Kolbecast Humanities series:
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
- 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White
- 239 Divine Plot Twist
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. College decisions have you feeling overwhelmed? Join Kolbe students Bella, Jeremiah, and Gianna as they share their experiences attending Newman Guide colleges’ summer programs. The students discuss the ups and downs of navigating college decisions, providing insight into their thought processes along the way. Experience Benedictine’s and Christendom’s summer programs vicariously through their eyes and get ready to be inspired in your own college journey.
Relevant links:
- Benedictine College’s Catholic summer youth camps early bird discount ends 1 Feb 2025!
- Christendom College’s Best Week Ever
- The Cardinal Newman Society
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & related:
- 84 The Essence of Catholic Education and 157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
- 185 Developmentally Appropriate Independence with Joshua and Alyssa from The Pines Catholic Camp
- 233 Incarnational Education at Wyoming Catholic College
- 61 Middle Ground
- 166 Dr. John Cuddeback on Dwelling Together Richly
- 123 A Change of the Ages and 213 This Is a Beginning with Msgr. James Shea
- 171 Forming Financial Disciples with Jonathan & Amanda Teixeira of WalletWin
- 243 Finish Line in Sight
- 235 The Disposition of Pilgrimage with Joan Watson
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What is classical education, exactly? Join Steven and Bonnie as they delve into the founding principles of Kolbe Academy and reveal surprising facts about classical education, including why history is not part of the liberal arts; the differences between classical education, liberal arts, and liberal education; why classical programs reject textbooks; why no one can be classically educated without being a disciple; and so much more.
If you ever wondered about the why behind the Kolbe curriculum, or you just want to know more about classical education, this is the episode for you.
Related links & Kolbecast episodes:
- Thomas Aquinas College’s “Blue Book”
- 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 240 Entry Points for Evangelization: Jimmy Mitchell’s Let Beauty Speak
- 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne, who now serves as president at Christendom College
- 93 Good Thinking
- 111 What Treasures Remain
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions – Rebecca Czarnecki on socialization
- 2024-25 Humanities series:
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
- 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White
- 239 Divine Plot Twist
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe seniors Ignatius, Dhilan, and Agnes join the Kolbecast to share an insider look at life as a Kolbe student. From their honor society activities to aerial acrobatics and magic, these students keep their schedules packed. The students share a range of experiences of homeschooling life, from taking music lessons at the University of Notre Dame to life on the road. What do all the students have in common? An impressive list of accomplishments and a love for learning that shines through in every sentence.
Listen to hear about the challenges and successes these students have met with in their senior year, their advice for Kolbe students, and their future plans.
related Kolbecast episodes & links:
- 132 Monday Morning Assembly
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
- 163 Postcards from France
- 241 Renew, Resolve, Reengage
- 186 Full Circle (of Fifths) and 201 The Soundtrack of Life with Dr. Carl Hasler and Mrs. Olivia Knuffke
- 196 Adaptable Asynchronous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options
- 148 Engage & Apply
- 141 From Homeschooling to The Merry Beggars with Peter Atkinson
- 24 Rise & Shine with Anthony & Clare Gath
- 124 In This Together and 125 Call the Advisor
- Cultivating Friendships and Enriching Social Activities for Homeschool Students
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What questions should homeschool parents be asking halfway through the academic year? Homeschooling moms and Kolbe employees Vanessa Delgado and Elyse Williams join the Kolbecast to talk about what to do— and not do!— if you’ve fallen behind; how to deal with burnout and unmotivated kids; when you should change courses and how to do it; when to start planning next year’s courses; the role of ability tests; and so much more.
Vanessa and Elyse will leave you feeling understood and encouraged, ready to take on second semester.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 107 Wander & Wonder with Vanessa Delgado & Nikki Shaffer
- 207 A Privilege of a Lifetime with Elyse Williams
- 232 Part of the Family: Parents & Advisors as Partners
- 29 The February Staredown
- 140 Burnout Happens
- 83 This Is Only a Test
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 183 Gratuitous Gifts: Charisms with Sherry Weddell
- 59 The Secret Whiteboard
- 214 A Long View
- 74 Special Teams: Kolbe Dads
Related links:
- Articles from the Kolbe.org Help Center:
- Late & Mid-Year Enrollment
- High School Planning folder
- High School Graduation Planner
- Interest & Ability Tools
- Grade Reporting
- Standardized Testing
- Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation aptitude testing
- Scripture readings for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. “This is about making heaven crowded.”
Assistant principal at Jesuit High School and author Jimmy Mitchell shares his many years of experience evangelizing in his new book, “Let Beauty Speak.”
Jimmy reveals how to identify the right individualized approach to talk to someone about the faith as well as the role of beauty in conversion. He discusses his life story, from joining the seminary to traveling the world.
“At the age of thirty-eight, I feel like I’ve lived three lives,” Jimmy muses, “there’s very few things I haven’t done.”
Tune in to hear inspiring anecdotes from Jimmy’s ministry work; his favorite story about St. Ignatius; when music becomes immoral; the coming renewal in classical architecture and music; and Jimmy’s experience as a Catholic entrepreneur and music manager in Nashville.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Let Beauty Speak by Jimmy Mitchell
- Jimmy’s website
- The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise by Cardinal Robert Sarah with Nicolas Diat
- The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
Kolbe Academy’s Let Beauty Speak series
- Session 1: Introduction, Wonder & Freedom
- Session 2: Friendship & Prayer
- Session 3: Leisure & Work
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 27 An Appreciation of Wonder
- 34 A Beauty-Linked Life with Professor Carol Reynolds
- 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Join Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan as they unpack the famous Greek play, Oedipus Rex. The tragic play slowly unravels the story of the downfall of the infamous king, Agamemnon. From murder to unexpected Biblical connections, there is no shortage of material to cover. The team reveals everything you need to know about Oedipus Rex, from historical context to major plot points, including must-ask questions and conversation starters to share with your children or think about on your own. The team discusses what you should learn in a liberal arts education and the tools you can develop in high school to keep you a step ahead; the surprising subjects that aren’t classical; how one saint changed the game in classical education; “the blue book” and what it teaches; and why the Humanities Series is the perfect segue into the Christmas celebration. Listen to the end to hear a special sneak peek into the next Humanities episode, introducing a classical epic that completely subverted the expectations around Greek culture and social views.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Five Misconceptions about the Liberal Arts from the CLT Journal
- René Girard, Theology, and Pop Culture, to which Jordan Almanzar contributed a chapter
- Conversations about Jimmy Mitchell’s Let Beauty Speak
- Session 1
- Session 2
- Session 3
- Implementation of Ignatian Education in the Home by Kolbe Academy co-founder Francis Crotty
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- in this Humanities series:
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
- 234 Adding Color to What Is Black & White
- 221 A Survey and a Starting Point
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
- 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic youth minister and podcaster Pat Millea joins the Kolbecast to share his journey from parish work to beginning an integrated Catholic therapy center. Pat explains what “integration” means; how a good therapist should sit with their clients; what “admonishing the sinner” really looks like; why parents shouldn’t protect their children from failure or suffering; how to guide children through discernment; the real meaning of self-care; why telling someone to “offer it up” can be unkind; how our day to day suffering can still be redemptive; and advice for beating the holiday stress. Listen to the end for a few special insights from Pat’s years of ministry experience!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Martin Center for Integration
- Episodes of the This Whole Life Podcast
- Jonathan Heidt’s The Anxious Generation
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 227 Sensory Awareness & Problem Solving with Caitlin Russ
- 21 To Live Fully Alive
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
- 206 Loaves & Fishes
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Kolbe science teacher of almost 30 years Leslie Spencer has stories to tell. Before she joined the Kolbe team, Leslie lived in a yurt in China while working as an English teacher. More recently, Leslie traveled to Athens and investigated recent archeological discoveries. Leslie reveals details about what the team uncovered that you have never heard before! Leslie discusses the greatest discoveries of the last 100 years; shares her wisdom on educating high school students, including advice for students who are afraid of being wrong or speaking in front of others; advises parents on how to teach science at home and have fun doing it; and unveils the two reasons why everyone should study science— spoiler alert: they are probably not what you think!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Prayer to the Holy Spirit and article about the prayer's author, Cardinal Mercier
- American School of Classical Studies at Athens
- photo from Mrs. Spencer's trip to the Malcom H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science at The American School of Classical Studies
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 97 Advocates & Bridge Builders with the Kolbe Academy deans
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
- 89 The Master Blueprint featuring Kolbe Academy science instructors
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. From social work to homeschooling to becoming a published author, Belinda Terro Mooney has done it all. In a heartwarming episode, Belinda shares the lessons she learned raising and homeschooling her seven children; navigating the challenges of ADD and ADHD in her own home; leaving behind a successful career to homeschool; reentering the work force to support her family after her husband’s death; and how her personal journey with God and the saints carried her through good times and bad. Belinda will leave you feeling understood in your struggles and inspired to take the next right step in your journey, whatever that may be.
Belinda’s books:
- Pray with Us: A Saint for Every Day (also available on Amazon)
- A Look at Life: Poetry for Reflection
- Christ the King: Lord of History: The Continuing Story by Anne Carroll & Belinda Terro Mooney
More about Belinda:
- website
Belinda’s recommended links:
- Amen App
- Formed.org
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Student Support Services
- 38 Pro Omnibus Contendit
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
- 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with the Holy Heroes parents Ken & Kerri Davison
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
- 214 A Long View with longtime Kolbe parents Charlie & Dee-dee Mihaliak
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Looking to deepen your relationship with God this holiday season? Join our conversation with Catholic pilgrimage leader and podcaster Joan Watson to discuss her experience in Catholic ministry. Joan shares impactful stories from her pilgrimages, including her transformative trip to Rome at age 15; explains the difference between a pilgrimage and a vacation; teaches us how to make a pilgrimage at home; lays out everything you need to know before taking a pilgrimage; and reveals details about her upcoming book and Jubilee year pilgrimage opportunities. Tune in for uplifting stories and transformative insight to inspire you in your faith.
More about and with Joan:
- website
- Substack
- YouTube channel
- In Via podcast by Verso Ministries
Joan’s book Opening the Holy Door will be available on Dec 6, 2024.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 73 Through Beauty and Technology
- 108 Time Stood Still
- 163 Postcards from France
- 191 A Windown into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina
Other relevant links:
- US Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website feature on Jubilee 2025
- Vatican Jubilee 2025 website: Iubilaeum 2025
- The Catholic Traveler website & podcast
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The Humanities Series is back! Join Bonnie, Jordan, and Steven for the grand finale of The Iliad. This episode covers everything you need to know about The Iliad, from the significance of burying the dead to the role of women in the Ancient World. The team breaks down the answers to complex questions, like what the afterlife meant to the Greeks and the deeper meaning behind Achilles’ shield. Each topic starts with a synopsis, so you can follow along even if you have not read The Iliad before. Finally, don’t miss the unexpected connection between The Book of Job, J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and The Iliad!
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Jordan’s recent appearances
- Trending with Timmerie
- Morning Air
- Jordan’s most recent article on PrimeMatters.com
- Register here to view recordings from the Newman Guide/Kolbe Academy College Fair 9 Oct 2024.
- Let Beauty Speak by Jimmy Mitchell
- Let Beauty Speak discussions
- Session 1
- Session 2
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- in this Humanities series:
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
- 123 A Change of the Ages and 224 Forming Apostolic Hearts featuring Msgr. James Shea
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You
- 111 What Treasures Remain
- 212 Portable Treasure
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Trying to find the right college for you? Join Wyoming Catholic College President Kyle Washut and alumna Catherine Mershon for a virtual tour of campus life. President Washut reveals a connection between Wyoming Catholic and the Marian apparition site in Green Bay, Wisconsin; discusses the divine call to educate the youth in the wilderness; shares his personal journey from working in coal mines to becoming president of Wyoming Catholic College; explains why the Wyoming Catholic school year starts with a backpacking trip; and proposes the benefits of Wyoming Catholic’s technology policy.
Kolbe graduate and Wyoming Catholic alumna Catherine shares what inspired her to leave South Carolina to come to Wyoming Catholic College; introduces Wyoming Catholic’s PEAK program; suggests what every student needs for PEAK week; reveals her perspective on the no-phone policy; and suggests why horsemanship is beneficial for anyone’s formation.
To find out more about Wyoming Catholic College:
- request more information
- Discover Wyoming Catholic College webinar
- Wyoming Catholic College presentation at Kolbe Academy’s Spring 2024 College Fair
- Founders’ Scholarship
- PEAK Summer Program
- The Eucharist Podcast with President Washut at Dr. Jeremy Holmes
- The After Dinner Scholar podcast
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 24 Rise & Shine and 27 An Appreciation of Wonder featuring Kolbe alumni who went on to Wyoming Catholic College
- 2024 Humanities series on ancient Greek literature and history
-
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
-
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
-
- 229 Take a Note from Homer
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. What exactly is a Kolbe advisor? Advisors Rylan Buchanan and Krysten Pizzurro join the Kolbecast to share an insider-look at how the academic advisor team collaborates with parents and students to meet their academic goals, from course selection to college planning. Rylan and Krysten talk about their backgrounds in homeschooling and their journeys to becoming Kolbe advisors; how the advisor role developed into what it is today; the services available to families; the questions everyone should ask their advisors; and some surprising ways your advisor might be able to help you in your homeschooling journey.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Help Center article on parent partnership meetings
- 2024-25 parent partnership meeting schedule
- Grade Reporting section in Kolbe.org Help Center
- Scheduling the Elementary and Middle School Day article
- Principle of Subsidiarity article
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 228 No Holding Back
- 151 Joyful Discoveries for Preschoolers
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Student Support
- 61 Middle Ground
- 230 A Multi-Pronged Approach to College Prep
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Amb. Eduard Habsburg, archduke of Austria and ambassador of Hungary to the Holy See, joins the Kolbecast to discuss his brand-new book, Building a Wholesome Family in a Broken World. Amb. Habsburg expresses the difference between American and European attitudes towards homeschooling, faith, and family life; gives a glimpse into his life as a Catholic, homeschooling father and ambassador; lays out the historical view of homeschooling; breaks down the principle of subsidiarity in American vs. European politics; and shares his guide to building a happy, fulfilling marriage and family life, including practical tips for young adults to implement now. Listen in for thought-provoking– and at times, countercultural– insights into today’s family life.
Books by Eduard Habsburg:
- The Habsburg Way
- Building a Wholesome Family in a Broken World
- Dubbie: The Double-Headed Eagle
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
- 226 Cultivating Habits of Excellence with Andrew Abela
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
Follow Amb. Habsburg on X (Twitter).
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Applying to college is no easy feat. From PSATs to transcripts, college visits, and gap years, it can feel like the decisions are endless. In this episode of the Kolbecast, we break down every stage of the college application process, from building a strong transcript to choosing the right college for you. Returning guest Erica Treat and academic adviser Cecilia Byers join the Kolbecast to share their insider expertise and easy hacks you can implement now to set yourself or your child up for success in the college world.
Timestamps
7:45 college visits
12:10 the college planning you should do BEFORE high school
15:20 signing up for the PSATs
16:40 how to organize your college planning approach
21:33 building a well-rounded transcript
26:20 advice for those who are not going to college; how to optimize your gap year for your future
35:05 help center & college resources
38:27 action items for high school seniors
44:50 better questions to ask at college visits
Links mentioned & relevant:
- Kolbecast page on the Kolbe Academy website with filters for sorting through the catalog of episodes
- College Planning landing page on the Kolbe Academy website
- Sections of the kolbe.org Help Center:
- College Planning
- Career Guidance & Discernment
- College Planning Timeline
- Kolbe’s college partners
- Register here to view recordings from the Newman Guide/Kolbe Academy College Fair 9 Oct 2024
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 118 Odysseys in Catholicism in which Steven shares his conversion story
- 59 The Secret Whiteboard discussing discernment for life after Kolbe
- 175 A Both-And Approach with Dr. Jonathan Sanford of The University of Dallas, one of Kolbe Academy’s college partners
- 77 The Road Less Traveled
- 40 Windshield Time
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Wishing you could engage with your kids on their Greek literature course? Or trying to read the Iliad for the first time yourself? Bonnie, Jordan, and Steven are here to help. In this installment of the humanities series, the group unpacks the first six books of the Iliad and breaks down the essential takeaways, including the role of the gods; how fate acts in the story; the view of women in Ancient Greece; why the real hero might not be who you think; and why we should read the Iliad in the first place. This episode will walk you through everything you need to know to have a deep, meaningful discussion with your children about one of the greatest works of literature in the Western World.
This recording contains some spoilers.
previous Kolbecast episodes in this series:
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 225 On the Same (Greco-Roman) Page
- 15 Asparagus Moments
- 226 Habits of Excellence with Dr. Andrew Abela
- 111 What Treasures Remain
- 212 Portable Treasure
Texts & resources referenced:
- Werner Jaeger’s Early Christianity and Greek Paideia
- The Iliad
- The Histories by Herodotus
- The Scapegoat by René Girard
- Fr. Laux’s Introduction to the Bible
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Kolbe Classics Conference - Greek Era
- Catechism in a Year by Fr. Mike Schmitz and Ascension Press
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. When COVID-19 broke out, Kathleen decided to enroll her daughter in Kolbe Academy until the pandemic ended. Four years later, Kathleen’s daughter is still a Kolbe student and almost two years ahead of her peers in school— and she’s not slowing down any time soon. Kathleen discusses how she navigates being a homeschooling parent while maintaining her full-time job; adjusting the course plan to meet her daughter’s interests; maximizing the flexibility of Kolbe’s program; the benefit of sports for competitive students; and gives an intimate look at what day-to-day life can look like for a Catholic homeschooling family.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 82 Move & Groove with Eileen Duryea & Sarah Lee
- 124 In This Together and 125 Call the Advisor
- 61 Middle Ground
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
- 164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Why do my kids always fidget during school? Why am I always overstimulated by loud noises? Why does my house feel tense right now? Occupational therapist and mom of five Caitlin Russ has the answers to these questions and more. Caitlin breaks down occupational therapy and emotional regulation; easy steps to optimize your homeschool environment for learning; how to emotionally regulate yourself as a parent; how to help your child understand and reframe their own behavior; and why you need to see an occupational therapist right now.
Throughout the episode we reference This Whole Life episode 50 Senses & Regulation.
Caitlin mentions the below resources:
- Raising a Sensory Smart Child by Lindsey Biel and Nancy Peske
- The Whole Brain Child by Daniel Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson
- Balanced and Barefoot by Angela J Hanscom
- Sensory Integration and the Child by A. Jean Ayres
- Zones of Regulation the concept of labeling regulation levels at green, yellow, red, blue
- The OT Butterfly, a website for a pediatric OT who has great resources for families to try
- The Sensory Connection Program another helpful website talking about sensory
- American Occupational Therapy Association, helpful for any aspiring OTs
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 188 Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Do you want to build your own “super habits”? Founding dean of CUA business school and Forbes contributing writer Dr. Andrew Abela promises that “super habits” are the secret to a successful—and happy— life. He reveals the three steps to building “super habits;” highlights the connection between neuroscience and virtue; argues that good ethics are the most effective business practices; and paints an entirely new picture of classic virtues and success. Stay tuned to the end to hear details about Dr. Abela’s upcoming book, Super Habits: The Universal System for a Successful Life.
Links mentioned & related:
- Dr. Abela’s book Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life
- Catholic University of America
- Dr. Abela references Pope Saint John Paul II’s encyclical Centesimus Annus
- St. Thomas Aquinas on the virtues
- A Latin-English Dictionary of St. Thomas Aquinas by Roy J. Deferrari
- Follow Dr. Abela on Forbes.com, Substack, and Linkedin
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow -- Art & Laraine Bennett and the Temperaments
- 84 The Essence of Catholic Education and 157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society, publisher of the Newman Guide
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Join Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan for the next installment in their continuing conversation about the humanities, sprinkled with fascinating tidbits of history and their best advice on reading The Iliad with your children or even on your own! The group discusses their own progress reading The Iliad with their families; the benefit to seeing a time before Christ; why we approach the gods differently than early Christians; the relationship between ancient history and myth; what to look for when reading The Iliad and what to talk about with your children. Whether you’re a student, homeschooling parent, or just a history buff, there is something in this conversation for you.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity (the first episode in this series)
- 196 Adaptable Asynchronous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options
- 102 A Great Commission, featuring former Kolbe teacher Ellen Finnegan
Texts referenced
- Fr. Laux’s Introduction to the Bible
- The Catechism of the Catholic Church
- The Iliad
- Greek Reader
Other relevant links:
- Dr. Mary Mumbach on Reading Big Books
- The Pillar Post 27 Aug 2024 discussing (among other things) the pronunciation of St. Augustine’s name
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Monsignor James Shea, president of the University of Mary, spoke to Kolbe supporters and friends at the Leaders in Catholic Education event the night before 2024 commencement. Listen in to Msgr. Shea’s speech in this episode, where he describes the apostolic work on the forefront of Catholic secondary education as we live in the first post-Christian society, the scheme of self-initiated salvation, and the way we can be converted even more deeply.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. Shea
- 213 This Is a Beginning, speeches from Commencement 2024
Monsignor Shea’s books:
- From Christendom to Apostolic Mission: Pastoral Strategies for an Apostolic Age
- The Religion of the Day
- Other books and works published by U Mary Press
Related links:
- Support Kolbe Academy and our families
- The Synthetic Impulse in Catholic Life by Most Rev. Daniel E. Flores
- Tolkien quotes:
- https://aleteia.org/2018/03/25/j-r-r-tolkien-turned-to-this-during-his-darkest-hour
- https://www.catholic.com/magazine/online-edition/jrr-tolkien-three-amazing-quotes
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Jake Weidmann knows the science behind his art. With a background in psychology, Jake is now a professional artist and calligrapher. On today's episode, he shares the history of calligraphy and why it is so important to human beings; explains why you should turn off autocorrect; breaks down the psychological impact of sending hand-written letters; advocates for starting handwriting young; and divulges his best tips and favorite resources for calligraphy beginners.
More information about Jake & the resources he mentions:
- Jake’s website
- The International Association of Master Penmen, Engrossers, and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH)
- 3.5 minute penmanship video
- Penmaking video
- Why write? Ted talk
- A Craftsman's Legacy TV episode
- Michael Sull
- Brian Goulet of The Goulet Pen Company
- John DeCollibus
- F. B. Courtney and Louis Maderasz
Kolbe Academy bookstore penmanship offerings
- Spencerian Handwriting Course
- Writing Our Catholic Faith instructional series
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 216 Searching for Something We’ve Forgotten with Trae Bailey
- 143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. PhD biologist and stem cell researcher Dr. Daniel Kuebler wasn't always a science major. Dr. Kuebler began his academic as an English major at Catholic University of America before transitioning to biology for his master's and doctoral degrees. Now a professor of science at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Dr. Kuebler educates a new generation of students on biology and the "big questions," from evolution to the latest developments in cell research to the history of science itself.
Dr. Kuebler discusses the benefits of a well-rounded education, citing his background as an English major; reveals what inspired him to become a scientist; shares his cure for "boring" science classes; gives insight into the impact of faith on cell research; and drops hints about his forthcoming book, podcast and current scientific research.
Links mentioned & related:
- Purposeful Universe, of which the Purposeful Lab podcast is a part
- Magis Center
- Society of Catholic Scientists
- Kolbe Academy college partnerships
- Pope Pius XII’s encyclical Humani Generis
- Pope Benedict XVI’s book In the Beginning
- Bishop Robert Barron video Is Religion Opposed to Science? at ReasonFaithScience.com
- Fr. Robert Spitzer of the Magis Center speaking to Kolbe Academy students on the Four Levels of Happiness
- Fr. Spitzer’s talk to Kolbe Academy students: Eucharistic Miracles
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities
- 89 The Master Blueprint
- 21 To Live Fully Alive
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Looking back on four years and more than 220 episodes of the Kolbecast since its relaunch in August 2020, Jordan, Steven, and Bonnie reminisce on many memorable conversations and guests. Longtime and new Kolbecast listeners alike will find something of interest and inspiration from the array of episodes covered today.
To sort through the library of Kolbecast episodes, visit this page on the Kolbe website and use the filters to find what you’re looking for. Send your episode suggestions to podcast@kolbe.org
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 1 Kolbecast Relaunch
- 28 A Pessimist with Hope: A Conversation with Dr. Anthony Esolen
- 198 The Sign of Our Salvation: Dr. Gilbert Lavoie on the Shroud of Jesus
- 191 A Window into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities and 219 The Upside of Anxiety with Dr. Kevin Majeres of Optimal Work
- 167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom
- 204 Habits of Ownership with Jacob Imam of The College of St. Joseph the Worker
- 175 A Both-And Approach with Dr. Jonathan Sanford of The University fo Dallas
- 84 The Essence of Catholic Education and 157 Renewal, Revival, Variety, and Unity with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea of The University of Mary, who is also featured on ep 213 This Is a Beginning
- 183 Gratuitous Gifts with Sherry Weddell
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- Daniel Bielinski on 139 Glorifying God through Film and 217 Spoilers of a Sort
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Cathy & Nicolai Lund
- Charlie Mihaliak on 18 Homer and the Hunger Games and 208 A Mosaic of Experience as well as ep 213 This Is a Beginning
- 3 Dramatic Arts with Dolores Ann Mihaliak
- 8 Great Expectations with Colleen Carroll Campbell
- Dr. Don Prudlo on ep 39 Reclaiming the Territory, 40 Windshield Time, 78 The Kolbe Man Show, and 111 What Treasures Remain
- 36 Embrace the Fifth Day with Therese Prudlo, who also appears on several other Kolbecast episodes
- 74 Special Teams: Kolbe Dads
- 214 A Long View with Dee-dee & Charlie Mihaliak, parents of five Kolbe grads
- Dr. John Cuddeback on ep 166 Dwelling Together Richly
- 199 Do Good Work and Read Good Work with Jason Craig of Sword & Spade
- 60 Mission: Possible
- 61 Middle Ground
- 164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial with Kolbe mom Lindsey
- 190 The School of Patience with Tricia Kavanagh, another Kolbe mom
- 209 Kolbe Kids Give Gems of Information with three of Tricia’s sons, one of whom also appears on ep 213 This Is a Beginning
- 173 A Deeper and Greater Joy with Kolbe alumni transitional Dcn. Charles Ohotnicky and Fr. Ambrose Dobrozsi
- 215 New School Year Starter Kit with Dean of Admissions Jeanne Anne Ford and Customer Support Supervisor Colleen Pilon
- 118 Odysseys in Catholicism
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski and Jody Garneau
- Mrs. Elizabeth Hoxie appears on several episodes including 21 To Live Fully Alive, 89 The Master Blueprint, 112 Cura Personalis: The Intro, 136 Cura Personalis: The Sequel, and 213 This Is a Beginning
- 140 Burnout Happens
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noelle Crowe
- 134 For Tinkerers of All Ages with Kolbe dad and HAM radio enthusiast Chris Ranck
- Kolbe Advising Manager Mrs. Ashley Massey’s Kolbecast debut was episode 66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions with small business owner, Kolbe homeschooling mother, and etiquette expert Rebecca Czarniecki--known professionally as Mrs. B
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You
- 220 Decoding Mythology to Reveal Christianity
- 32 Reflections of His Light with two Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa who are Kolbe alumnae; one tells a sweet story of leaving some “Easter eggs” for her younger sibling to find.
- 207 A Privilege of a Lifetime with Kolbe mom turned advisor Elyse Williams
- 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with the Holy Heroes parents (also Kolbe parents) Ken and Kerri Davison
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
- 116 Things I Would Tell My Students with Jordan Almanzar
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Like many Kolbe Academy parents, Jordan will be embarking on a trip through the Kolbe ninth-grade Greek history and literature courses this school year with his daughter. To chronicle that odyssey, he, Steven, and Bonnie are starting a new series of episodes to discuss the various texts and themes encountered along the way. Listen in as the group makes ready to set sail by defining terms, musing on the humanities in general, and drawing upon René Girard and his book The Scapegoat.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 60 Mission: Possible
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You
- 102 A Great Commission, featuring former Kolbe teacher Ellen Finnegan
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Dianne Muth
- 191 A Window into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
- 183 Gratuitous Gifts: Charisms with Sherry Weddell
- 202 A Great Conversationand 210 Firm Grounding with Kolbe mom Deirdre Mundy
Links mentioned & relevant:
- The Scapegoat by René Girard
- René Girard, Theology, and Pop Culture, featuring a chapter by Dr. Jordan Almanzar
- Jordan’s writings at PrimeMatters.com, including this newest article What ‘Christian’ Really Means
- Bishop Barron on René Girard
- Robert Barron – Jesus and the Scapegoat (2002)
- Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the Worldby Tom Holland, discussed in Kolbecast episode 191 with Mike Aquilina
- I See Satan Fall Like Lightning by René Girard
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Catholic psychiatrist Dr. Kevin Majeres rejoins the Kolbecast for a discussion on anxiety: one of the most common, but also most misunderstood, emotions. Working from the definition that anxiety is an urge to avoid challenge, Dr. Majeres describes how he helps his clients live by ideals that they freely commit to rather than living under the control of their past; explains how you don’t defeat things by forgetting them, but by building new things; and alludes to how mindfulness plus metaphysics equals contemplation.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges as Opportunities
- 185 Developmentally Appropriate Independence discussing summer camp
Related links:
- Optimal Work
- Jonathan Heidt’s The Anxious Generation
- Dr. Russ Harris’s The Happiness Trap
- Dr. Eli Lebowitz’s Breaking Free of Child Anxiety and OCDand other resources
- Dr. Donna Pinkus’s Growing Up Brave
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The high school years are formative as teenagers develop autonomy and independence in the world. In this episode, theology teachers Dan Angel, Brendan Murphy, and Nick Senz share their experiences of and perspectives on teaching apologetics, morality, and more to high schoolers. The conversation includes discussions of open question boxes and cultural references in class, connecting on an interpersonal social level with their students, and how they respond to resistance and skepticism from their students about cultural and societal big questions.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 195 Greatness Awaits with Dan & Bobby Angel
- 169 No Made-Up Answers with Brendan Murphy & Wes Stratman
- 91 Kernels of Truth with Nick Senz & Chrissy Almanzar
- 151 Joyful Discoveries for Preschoolers discussing Kolbe Academy’s preschool program
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd, which briefly discusses Kolbe Academy’s twelfth grade theology course
Related links:
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- YOUCAT and YOUCAT for Kids
- St. Mary’s Press bibles for children and youth
- Ascension Press
- Fr. Mike Schmitz
- Bishop Robert Barron at Word on Fire
- Jesus of Nazareth trilogy by Joseph Ratzinger
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The art of storytelling involves decisions about perspective, themes, and emphasis, and good storytelling goes on to inspire questions and discussions. Dan Bielinski rejoins the Kolbecast on this special bonus episode to describe storytelling decisions and discussions related to his feature film, End of the Rope available for Kolbe families to stream as a financial aid fundraiser. In the context of moviemaking and movie-watching, he, Bonnie, Steven, and Maggie Hayden discuss discerning family viewing choices, questions of justice and community, and the phenomenon of anger begetting anger.
contains spoilers If you’re considering watching the film and don’t want to hear spoilers, stop the recording at 23:50 until you’ve seen the film, then come back to hear discussion about some of the plot points.
To sign up for Kolbe’s special End of the Rope viewing event 9-18 August 2024, complete this form
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and relevant:
- 139 Glorifying God through Film with Daniel Bielinski of Canticle Productions discussing his movie Sanctified
- 162 Let Latin Conquer You with Maggie Hayden, one of a three-episode series on language including 161 Fostering a Linguistic Consciousness with Agostina Cavasotto and 163 Postcards from France
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. We’re all searching for something we’ve forgotten. Today’s guest describes his search for reintroduction to reality through both foundational texts and sense experiences. Trae Bailey, currently Director of Residence Life at Belmont Abbey College and formerly Dean of Student Life at Magdalen College, highlights familial and societal dynamics that are important conduits for the fullness of reality, describes the importance of students taking on responsibility of their education, and emphasizes the importance of wonder.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 27 An Appreciation of Wonder
- 188 Dr. Kevin Majeres Sees Challenges As Opportunities
- 212 Portable Treasure with Abigail Palmer
Hear more from Trae onThe Classical Education Podcast and read his writing on Substack
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Jordan mentions leading a book club discussion about Fr. Gereon Goldmann’s memoir Shadow of His Wings
- Trae hosted a few episodes of Magdalen College’s From the Summit podcast, which is still available on podcast platforms.
- The conversation includes a reference to a conversation with Autumn Kern on her podcast The Commonplace
- News article on the origins of the Integrated Humanities Program at the University of Kansas
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Just enrolled? Considering enrolling? Returning but feeling overwhelmed? Today’s episode is for you. Dean of Admissions Jeanne Anne Ford and customer support supervisor Colleen Pilon share their go-to guidance on organization and inspiration for a new school year, from answering the top questions they get on repeat to tips and tricks they recommend on the regular. Together with Bonnie and Steven, they provide practical pointers on balancing structure and flexibility.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions, concerning socialization
- 103 Above & Beyond with Nancy Nelson from the Kolbe Academy bookstore
- 32 Reflections of His Light with Kolbe Academy alumnae Sister Margaret Mary and Sister Anne of the Marian Sisters of Santa Rosa
- 211 Continuity & Community with advisors who discuss ways that Kolbe advisors can help that families might not have thought of
Links mentioned & related:
- The chat feature that Colleen mentions is accessible on the Kolbe Academy homepage.
- Schedule an appointment with a Kolbe advisor via the Academic Advising services page
- Course selection support page
- Welcome Packet including how to submit grade reports
- Academics & Advising articles, including Scheduling Recommendations and Organizing the School Year
- Kolbe Bookstore’s Buy Back Program
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. As parents of five Kolbe alumni, Charlie and Dee-Dee Mihaliak have a wealth of experience with Kolbe and home education. They visit with Bonnie and Steven in this episode about how homeschooling grew from a project to a lifestyle for their family. The Mihaliaks describe their delight at the dinner table conversations their grown children now have, give an unvarnished account of challenges they faced, and highlight the intergenerational dynamics that developed through the flexibility of defining your own family’s schedule.
Check out the Mihaliaks’ Domestic Monastery shop here.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 18 Homer and the Hunger Games
- 208 A Mosaic of Experience, featuring the Mihaliak’s son Charlie and two other Kolbe alumni
- 3 Dramatic Arts with Dolores Ann Mihaliak
- 73 Through Beauty and Technology, featuring guest co-host Dolores Ann Mihaliak
- Charlie’s speech at Commencement 2018
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Our 2024 commencement ceremony featured voices of experience ranging from new graduates and experienced teachers to ancient philosophers and modern novelists. Listen in on this episode to those speeches, including student speakers Aiden Jagrowski and Jacob Kavanagh, faculty speaker Elizabeth Hoxie, and keynote speaker Msgr. James Shea.
Timestamps for the speeches:
- 01:05 Msgr. Shea’s invocation
- 02:09 introduction of and remarks by Kolbe Academy Executive Director Mrs. Mary Rowles
- 04:09 Aidan Jagrowski
- 12:38 Jacob Kavanagh
- 19:55 Mrs. Elizabeth Hoxie
- 26:24 Msgr. James Shea
Kolbecast episodes featuring this year’s commencement speakers:
- Student speaker Jacob on episode 209 Kolbe Kids Give Gems of Information
- ep 123 A Change of the Ages featuring Msgr. James Shea
- Mrs. Elizabeth Hoxie on ep 21 To Live Fully Alive, 89 The Master Blueprint, 112 Cura Personalis: The Intro, and 136 Cura Personalis: The Sequel
Other relevant links & Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 114 Kolbe Past, Present, and Future with Kolbe Academy Executive Director Mrs. Mary Rowles
- By the Babe Unborn by G.K. Chesterton
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. We live in unprecedented times—or do we? Can a classics degree set you back in the job hunt? What do you do when primary sources seem daunting? Longtime friend of Kolbe Academy Abigail Palmer joins Bonnie and Steven to talk about these big questions and more. She describes how lack of familiarity with history leads to fear and how being fearful leads to being malleable, she explains how studying antiquity gives perspective, and she highlights overlaps between Latin and classics on one hand and coding and tech innovation on the other.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 175 A Both-And Approach at The University of Dallas with Dr. Jonathan Sanford
- 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley of Ignatius Press
- 61 Middle Ground
Links:
- Abigail’s website
- Abigail’s book Faelan and the Miracle Machines
- Kolbe Classics Conference complete set
- Carry On, Mr. Bowditchby Jean Lee Latham
- Genevieve Foster’s Augustus Caesar’s World
- Tanglewood Tales by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Christine MIller’s All through the Ages
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Families who homeschool in various states or countries during military service have all the complexities of “regular” families and then some. Kolbe moms and advisors Krysten Pizzurro and Jennifer Thomas share the wisdom they’ve gained from their lived experience of homeschooling on base. They highlight what questions to ask your advisors and when, the benefits and unique needs of military families, and how to make connections and build community while frequently moving.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
- 31 Veteran Homeschoolers
- 107 Wander & Wonder
- 155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve
- 156 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve
- 62 Due Diligence
Other relevant links
- Kolbe Academy’s academic advising services
- Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
- Missoula Children’s Theater
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Experienced Kolbe mom Deirdre Mundy joins Bonnie and Steven in this second half of a two-part conversation on the lessons and insights she’s gained from homeschooling her eight children. She explains the ways her family has taken advantage of Kolbe’s flexibility, talks about developmental milestones and the changes in dynamics that come as kids grow into greater independence, and puts things in context with raising children to take on their own relationship with God as they mature.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 202 A Great Conversation, the first part of this conversation
- 200 Transition Years
- 60 Mission: Possible
- 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
- 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit
Links mentioned:
- QuestBridge
- Classics Conference recordings & guide
- Kolbe Academy Homeschooling Families unofficial Facebook group
- National History Day
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Current Kolbe students and brothers Jacob, Gabriel, and James visit with Bonnie and Steven today about their day-to-day lives, their experiences with Kolbe, and their insights for their fellow students. Highlights include their various extracurricular activities and how they juggle their commitments through various time management styles, how they prepare for graduation, what it’s like for younger siblings to watch older siblings navigate high school, what it’s like to use an American-designed curriculum in Canada, and their parish life participation.
Meet the boys’ mother Tricia in Kolbecast episode 190 The School of Patience.
Other relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 76 Study Buddies
- 79 Doors to Your Memories, which showcases Jordan Almanzar’s memoir When the Earth Was Flat
- 160 A Legendary Occasion, featuring student and parent participants at Kolbe Academy’s 2023 commencement festivities in Atlanta
Links mentioned:
- Advanced Placement (AP) courses via Pennsylvania Homeschoolers
- When the Earth Was Flat: One Boy’s Life at the Edge of the Millennium by Dr. Jordan Almanzar
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. In this episode, we gather alumni in various stages of life post-graduation to discuss the dividends their Kolbe education is now paying. One-year alumnus Ian describes his transition to college life; five (ish)-year alumnus Charlie describes the ways his Kolbe formation serves him both in the work world and in his growing family; and ten (ish)-year alumna Hope describes the integrated worldview she brings to her adult life. The three alumni also share some of their favorite memories of homeschooling, provide words of encouragement and advice to current and prospective families, and let listeners in on the things they’d do differently if they could do it all again.
Related links & Kolbecast episodes:
- Charlie on 18 Homer and the Hunger Games
- Ian on ep 160 A Legendary Occasion
- 87 Home Base about Kolbe’s online Homeroom courses
- 175 A Both-And Approach with Dr. Jonathan Sanford of the University of Dallas
- Charlie’s speech at Commencement 2018
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Tune in to our newest two-parter of episodes last week and this, where we visit with longtime Kolbe moms recently hired on as Kolbe employees. Elyse Williams puts the day to day of homeschooling life into perspective of the bigger picture to be seen as she visits with Bonnie and Steven. She highlights the differences in various seasons of parenting, from elementary school to high school; provides reassurance and encouragement; and describes the beauty of the mind encountering God day in and day out through homeschooling.
Click here for more information about Kolbe’s academic advising services.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 206 Loaves and Fishes
- 197 Tools in a Toolbox: Kolbe Academy’s Student Support Services
- 100 In the Beginning with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 160 A Legendary Occasion, voices from the 2023 commencement festivities in Atlanta
- 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
- 202 A Great Conversation
- 100 In the Beginning, a conversation with Kolbe Academy co-founder Mrs. Dianne Muth
- 125 Call the Advisor
If you are a Kolbe family, we’d love to hear how you’ve chosen which of Kolbe’s three ways to educate suits your needs at present. Let us know by recording a voice memo on your phone and sending it to podcast@kolbe.org or emailing us at the same address!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Tune in to our newest two-parter of episodes this week and next, where we visit with longtime Kolbe moms recently hired on as Kolbe employees. Margaret Malek joins Bonnie and Steven today to share her experience with peaceful, confident homeschooling through Kolbe and getting the important pieces done around being on the go. She discusses identifying priorities, trusting God to multiply resources, and her family’s three big goals: love God, love each other, and love learning. She also touches on persevering through the feeling of being a failure, managing school with littles around, and riding the wave of chaos and survival.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 155 Mission Intent: Formed to Serve
- 156 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve
- 103 Above & Beyond
- 202 A Great Conversation
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Actor, writer, homeschool alumnus, husband, and dad Kaiser Johnson joins Bonnie and Steven today for a conversation on the love story of creation. Starting with sharing his experience of deepening faith as an adult, Kaiser discusses how he lives out his desire to love more like God loves while having a career, a job, and a vocation all at once. He highlights the importance of doing the work set before you and the skill of “learning how to learn” that homeschooling developed in him.
Related links:
- Kaiser’s website
- Kaiser’s books Grit & Glory: Cross Training Your Body and Souland How to Be Miserable and Alone (Or Discover a Life That Truly Matters)
- Catholic Central on YouTube
- Family Theater Productions, creator of Catholic Central
- Catholic Momcast
- Kolbecast episode 133 An Audience of One
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Education rightly formed helps students see and serve God in a practical way while both sustaining this current life and preparing them for the next. Oxford graduate and VP of Finance for the College of St. Joseph the Worker, Jacob Imam, visits with Bonnie and Steven about how structural flaws in current higher education tend to cause an “ongoing adolescence,” how the College’s innovative program of combining book learning with the skilled trades is designed to bring a different approach, and how the changing nature of our understanding of work is behind both problems and solutions.
Links mentioned & relevant:
- College of St. Joseph the Worker
- The Workshop
- Fr. Mike Schmitz on Training vs. Working Out
Related Kolbecast episodes:
- 191 A Window into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina
- 199 Do Good Work and Read Good Work with Jason Craig
- 72 Participatory Citizens
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. In this episode, we bring back a style of podcast we haven’t done in a little while: a deep dive into part of Kolbe’s curriculum. We focus on classical composition with instructors Sarah Foulkes and Grace Berg, who explain how classical composition is a curriculum which seeks to educate students to think logically and develop rhetorical skills for both writing and speaking; how the middle school years when classical comp is offered are sometimes forgotten but full of opportunity; and how boys in particular respond well to the structure and toolbox that classical comp provides.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
- 61 Middle Ground
Check out this article in the Kolbe Help Center for more information about Kolbe’s curriculum, including classical composition.
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Experienced Kolbe mom Deirdre Mundy joins Bonnie and Steven in this first half of a two-part conversation on the lessons and insights she’s gained from homeschooling her eight children. Deirdre shares reasons why her family chooses for traditional homeschool options and year-round school rather than online classes and summer breaks; advice for families where the parents do not have a classical education themselves; and opportunities for scholarships. She also highlights the importance of allowing your kids to see you try, fail, and try again in learning new things, as well as the distinction between schedules and rhythms.
Links mentioned:
- QuestBridge
- Classics Conference recordings & guide
- Kolbe Academy Homeschooling Families unofficial Facebook group
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 200 Transition Years
- 60 Mission: Possible
- 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service
- 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. Join us for the second in our multi-movement reflection on music. Carl Hasler and Olivia Knuffke visit with Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan about how music can be a kind of beauty that stretches your soul; the way that “classical” music can build stamina, attention, and the ability to sit with something new—but also the way that “classical” music can be a misnomer; reminiscences of the first time each of them heard various pieces; and the ongoing exchange between what a piece of music brings to you and what you bring to it.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 186 Full Circle (of Fifths), part 1 of this conversation
- 194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepard
- 28 A Pessimist with Hope featuring Dr. Anthony Esolen
- 191 A Window into the Ancient World with Mike Aquilina
- 36 A Beauty-Linked Life with Dr. Carol Reynolds
Other resources mentioned:
- Anthony & Debra Esolen’s Word & Song Substack
- Hymn suggestions in Faith & Life teacher manuals
- Laudate Listening Guide from Kolbe bookstore
- Dr. Hank Reynolds’s Friday Performance Picks on the blog at ProfessorCarol.com
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. In the 200 episodes since we rebooted the Kolbecast, we’ve heard from a lot of significant voices. In this episode, we hear from two of the most significant Kolbeans: our students. Ninth graders Noah (who does a hybrid of self-paced and online classes) and Caleb (who does all online) visit with Bonnie and Steven, where the real-life long-distance friends share about their typical school days, their happy and cautionary memories, the lessons they’re learning about both diligence and rest, the effort they invest in their education and formation, and the things they like to do when they’re not working on school.
Noah and Caleb utilize Kolbe offerings in different ways. Here’s more information about the three ways to educate with Kolbe Academy.
To hear the talks given at the 2024 Call to Holiness Retreat, check out this YouTube playlist. Speakers include Fr. Robert Spitzer, Msgr. James Shea, Mr. Dan Angel, Fr. Charles Archer, and Sr. Mary Rose
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
- 195 Greatness Awaits with Bobby & Dan Angel
- 196 Adaptable Asynchronous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options
- 60 Mission: Possible
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
- 5 Planning on Paper and Online
Kolbe families can utilize the Schoology directory to contact each other. Here’s information from the Kolbe website’s help center.
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. If you want to make boys into men, it requires a brotherhood of men to set a disciplined example. Jason Craig joins the Kolbecast today to visit about calling men to conversion and brotherhood. He, Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan discuss disorders of loneliness in today’s society, the imbalanced emphasis on mothers to the exclusion of fathers in various homeschooling discourses, and the necessity of living out mercy and community locally. He also compares and contrasts centripetal and centrifugal forces in current life, shares about the organization Fraternus, and describes his experience of homesteading. All in all, his message is that the classical world is a lived culture that requires men as well as women.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 79 Doors to Your Memories, featuring Jordan discussing his book When the Earth Was Flat: One Boy’s Life at the Edge of the Millenium, to which Jason refers
- 111 What Treasures Remain
- 116 Things I Would Tell My Students
Learn more about Fraternus here. Catch the first couple of episodes Till and Keep here and look for it in your favorite podcast app soon!
Jason’s books:
- The Traditional Virtues according to St. Thomas Aquinas: A Study for Men
- Leaving Boyhood Behind
- The Liturgy of the Land: Cultivating a Catholic Homestead
Jason also mentions a forthcoming book on localism to which he contributed: Localism: Coming Home to Catholic Social Teaching
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
AMDG. The Shroud of Turin—a burial cloth evidencing Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection—has become a research focus for Dr. Gilbert Lavoie, a physician who’s been practicing medicine for many years. In this episode, Dr. Lavoie takes an unflinching, clinical, and forensic approach to recount how he used his medical training in service of examining and understanding the Shroud. He discusses with Steven, Jordan, and Bonnie the process he went through to reveal the sign of our salvation hidden in the Gospel of John that awaits us.
Listener note: the topics discussed include clinical descriptions of the sufferings of Jesus evident from the Shroud.
Relevant links:
- Dr. Lavoie’s book The Shroud of Jesus and the Sign that John Ingeniously Concealed
- Kolbecast episode 194 Visual Literacy with Amanda Shepard
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
AMDG. Children don’t come with instruction manuals, so having resources to help road map out various challenges can benefit everyone in a family. In this episode, Karen Allgood and Krysten Pizzurro join Bonnie and Steven to describe the vast array of services available through Kolbe’s student support services and special education offerings. They describe the individualized attention they provide and the confident communication they foster in situations where families may be uncertain they can fulfill a child’s need. They also touch on the importance of documentation and accommodations, the concerns about being labeled or just needing to try harder, and the importance of the fact that each child is exactly how God willed him or her to be.
Helpful links
- Student Support Services page on the Kolbe website
- Student Support Services webinar
- 2024 Schoolwide Address, including information about the new Foundations courses
- Information about Kolbe’s financial aid options
- Kolbe’s testing services
Related Kolbecast episodes
- 196 Adaptable Asynchonous & Dynamic Digital Homeschool Options
- 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources
- 140 Burnout Happens
- 188 Challenges as Opportunites with Dr. Kevin Majeres
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
AMDG. Today’s episode demystifies the self-paced program and describes upcoming changes that will streamline and improve Kolbe’s asynchronous course offerings. Chrissy Almanzar, Bonnie, and Steven discuss how self-paced classes fit into Kolbe’s three ways to educate; weaknesses in the older versions of self-paced courses that Kolbe is currently revising; and ways the upcoming changes support parental autonomy, accountability, and practicality for families.
Check out the webinar about the asynchronous program for more details.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 118 Odysseys in Catholicism
- 38 Pro Omnibus Contendit, containing a discussion on the principle of subsidiarity
- 29 The February Staredown
- 140 Burnout Happens
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
AMDG. Brothers Bobby and Dan Angel visit with Bonnie and Steven today about how the human soul is meant to be challenged toward greatness. Through a discussion ranging from video games to running marathons, they touch on ideas such as the fact that we’ll never grasp the fullness of truth in this life; the call the humans feel toward adventure, fellowship, and community; and the importance of anchoring ourselves in body and soul reality.
For more information:
- Bobby’s book Gaming and the Heroic Life
- JackieandBobby.com
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on the Universal Call to Holiness
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd
- 148 Engage & Apply
- 177 Tabletop Theology with Alexi Sargeant
- 193 STEM, State Schools, and Sibling Dynamics
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
AMDG. This episode is all about the accessibility of art history. Friend of the Kolbecast Therese Prudlo and co-host of the Catholic Art History Podcast Amanda Shepard (also the vice president of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art) visit with Bonnie and Steven about experiencing art and introducing it to children. Topics along the way include the sacramentality of creativity, the conversation modern art engages in with its predecessors, ways to approach sensitive subject matter, and Kolbe’s new art history course offering.
Links mentioned & relevant:
Books:
- Beauty in the Light of the Redemption – Dietrich von Hildebrand
- On Beauty and Being Just – Elaine Scarry
- How Catholic Art Saved the Faith – Elizabeth Lev
Art
- Lamentation over the Dead Christ (various versions on this theme)
https://www.uffizi.it/en/artworks/lamentation-over-the-dead-christ
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jacopo_Tintoretto_-_Lamentation_over_the_Dead_Christ_-_WGA22469.jpg - Christ in the House of His Parents
https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/millais-christ-in-the-house-of-his-parents-the-carpenters-shop-n03584 - The Penitence of St. Jerome:
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/437261
https://www.nortonsimon.org/art/detail/M.2009.2.P/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Jerome_in_Penitence_%28Titian,_1531%29
Not mentioned in the podcast:
All-ages, visually rich painting to ponder any time:
- The Finding of the Savior in the Temple:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Finding_of_the_Saviour_in_the_Temple - A perennial favorite, La Pieta
https://michelangelo.ace.fordham.edu/exhibits/show/vatican-pieta/item/26
Museums:
- Detroit Museum of Arts
- Fort Wayne Museum of Art
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 20 Head, Heart, and Hands
- 111 What Treasures Remain
Find the Catholic Art History Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms.
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, spread the word about the Kolbecast!
Have questions or suggestions for future episodes or a story of your own experience that you’d like to share? We'd love to hear from you! Send your thoughts to podcast@kolbe.org and be a part of the Kolbecast odyssey.
AMDG. We cover a trifecta of topics today that homeschooling parents tend to fret about: STEM, state schools, and sibling dynamics. Kolbe alumni Erin and Michael O’Donnell visit with Bonnie and Steven about their experience with Kolbe and how they transitioned to college, the tradeoffs that come with various kinds of college settings, and how the adjustments for a homeschooled college freshman overlap with those for a brick-and-mortar-schooled freshman. They also talk about the shift in workload from Kolbe to college, how they practice and explain their faith in a setting where Catholics are a minority, and what they would say to homeschooling parents.
Erin and Michael make reference to Chi Rho, Raider Catholic’s service fraternity.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 189 Fit Mind, Fit Body
- 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Cathy & Nicolai Lund
- 170 A Spiraled Art highlighting Kolbe’s writing approach
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Creativity and frugality, experimentation and reflection, community and solitude, fasting and feasting...the kitchen is a place for all of these pairings and more. Today’s episode invites Kolbe online instructors Neva Hernandez and Chelsea Plesko into conversation with Bonnie and Steven about feeding family. With voices representing multiple stages of parenthood, from toddlers waving in shopping carts to teenagers readying to fly the nest, the group’s discussion reflects the liturgical year and the practicalities of daily living.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 182 Festive Holidays Ahead: Preparing, Adapting, Delighting
- 181 Chef Dad
- 178 Cultivating Kitchen Stewards with Katie Kimball
- 47 Among the Pots and Pans
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Mike Aquilina—vice president of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, author of more than 50 books, homeschool father, and expert in Church history—joins Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan today for a discussion about the pre- and post-Incarnation world. The conversation includes lessons to be drawn from the apostolic fathers, the Church’s indispensable role in the development of charitable institutions, and the idea that to learn history is to cease to be a protestant. Along the way, Mike’s references and connections range from the philosopher Nietzsche to the rock and roll hall of famer Dion.
Links:
- Mike Aquilina’s website
- The St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
- Catholic Books Direct
- Way of the Fathers Podcast
Two of Mike’s many books mentioned during the conversation:
- A History of the Church in 100 Objects
- How the Choir Converted the World: Through Hymns, With Hymns, and In Hymns
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 184 Hope & Wonder with Katie Bogner & Shari Van Vranken
- 130 The Gifts We Have with Emily Stimpson Chapman
- 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known
- 187 The Impact of the Incarnation
- 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known
We’d be grateful for your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us via this Kolbecast survey!
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Today’s guest speaks from fourteen years of homeschool experience raising eight boys. Tricia Kavanagh joins the Kolbecast from Ontario, Canada, to share her approach, insights, and outlook on both work and rest. She, Bonnie, and Steven discuss homeschooling in times of both acute and chronic illness as well as the learning and formation that parents develop alongside their homeschooled children. They explore the idea of balancing parents being the primary educators of their children with outsourcing—or in Steven’s phrase, subcontracting—to enrich children’s education in areas where parents feel they have weaknesses. And they share a few comebacks to comments like “I would homeschool, but...” or “You must be so patient.”
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 111 What Treasures Remain
- 182 Festive Holidays Ahead (includes discussion of food sensitivities)
- Episodes tagged with our “international,” “curious/skeptical,” “parents,” and "practicalities" filters
The Kolbecast inaugural survey awaits your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us using this link.
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. St. John Paul the Great had a great love for the integration of physical activities and virtues. That passion is built into Kolbe’s approach to and curriculum for physical education. In this episode, Chris Bates and Christina Davin visit with Bonnie and Steven about how physical movement can be a daily source of joy for homeschooling families. From getting the wiggles out during class to staying active in times of year when the weather isn’t hospitable, the group discusses the importance of intentionality and opportunities to build fitness, find satisfying activities, and occasionally inconveniencing ourselves for the betterment of the whole. They also touch on how movement and activity can provide quiet time for introverts, the importance of nutrition, and the dynamics of physical limitations and adaptations.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 182 Festive Holidays Ahead with Christina Davin and Laura Roselli Insall
- 164 This Is Not a Kolbe Infomercial with Lindsey, a Kolbe mom who worked with Kolbe staff to develop a physical fitness plan for her student with physical limitations
- 47 Among the Pots and Pans
- 178 Cultivating Kitchen Stewards with Katie Kimball
- 106 Goals in Mind
Other relevant links:
- Kolbe high school graduation requirements
- The Kolbecast inaugural survey
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. In this episode, Dr. Kevin Majeres, Catholic psychiatrist and co-founder of Optimal Work (among many other things), brings words of wisdom for the start of a new calendar year.
Dr. Majeres explains that many truths in psychiatry and neuroscience are in line with our Catholic faith, in particular how some of the concepts of reframing, mindfulness, and challenge are important steps in our lives of walking with Christ. These ideas can be applied to the many facets of daily life to help us accept and meet challenges, grow in holiness and virtue, and help ourselves and each other along the way.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 26 Truth in Person and 166 A Legendary Occasion with Kolbe alumna Aviva Lund
- 92 Prepare, Guide, Protect, Empower with Aviva’s parents Cathy & Nicolai Lund
- 175 A Both-And Approach with Dr. Jonathan Sanford of The University of Dallas
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski & Jody Garneau of Souls & Hearts
- 117 Figureoutable with Dr. Andrew Mullally of the Doctor, Doctor podcast
For more information about Dr. Majeres and his offerings, visit
- the Optimal Work website. Find his podcast of the same name in any podcast app.
- His own website
- purityispossible.com
The Kolbecast inaugural survey awaits your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us using this link.
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Tune in to this episode for our hosts’ yearly Between the Years conversation—part retrospective, part preview of what’s to come. Bonnie, Steven, and Jordan talk about the apocalyptic side of Advent, share favorite Christmas and New Years family traditions, and talk about some of the things they’re looking forward to on the horizon of 2024.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 34 A Beauty-Linked Life with Dr. Carol Reynolds
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd
- 186 Full Circle (of Fifths)
- 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources highlighting the Student Support Services program
- 78 The Kolbe Man Show
- 100 In the Beginning with Mrs. Dianne Muth + a brief bit about our patron saints Maximilian Kolbe & Ignatius of Loyola
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
- 160 A Legendary Occasion: voices from Commencement 2023 in Atlanta
Previous Between the Years episodes:
- 25 Backstage
- 79 Doors to Your Memories
- 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known
Episodes mentioning Jordan’s forthcoming book on Fr. Franz Reinisch:
- 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known
- 179 Translation Tug of War with Dr. Matthew Minerd
The Kolbecast inaugural survey awaits your feedback! Please share your thoughts with us using this link.
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. A harmony of voices joins together on today’s episode to discuss music. Bonnie, Steven, Dr. Jordan Almanzar, Dr. Carl Hasler, and Kolbe alumna-turned-teacher Olivia Knuffke share their musical backgrounds and memories, reflections and pedagogy. With topics such as the discipline and work ethic required of both music and a Kolbe education and the formative music of folks’ teenage years, the conversation ultimately centers on the lessons learned from music (whether listening to it or making it!) and the richness it imparts to life.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- Et Tu, Iordane?
- 64 Stricken by Ideas with Dr. Carl Hasler
- 34 A Beauty-Linked Life with Dr. Carol Reynolds
- 158 The Gift of a Mind
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. This episode debuts in the dreary days of American wintertime, but our topic is far sunnier: summer camp. Bonnie and Steven visit with Josh Wattenbarger and Alyssa Wollums of The Pines Catholic Camp about the highs, lows, benefits, and burdens of the camping experience both at The Pines itself and more generally. The conversation ranges from fun and games to unhealthy socialization like cliques and bullying, family dynamics to handling homesickness, and overall, the developmentally appropriate independence that camp fosters.
Check out The Pines Catholic Camp here.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
- 92: Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
- 155 Mission Intent: Pathways to Serve
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Advent is a time of active waiting, preparation, and reflection. In this episode, guests Katie Bogner and Shari Van Vranken share their educational and artistic perspectives on Advent drawn from their professional backgrounds and their recent authorial collaboration in All About Advent and Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope and Wonder with Children. The group discusses how experiences across public, parochial, and homeschool settings; how saints and symbolism factor into Advent; and the value of stepping back from daily routines into yearly traditions.
Links to check out:
- Katie & Shari’s book All about Advent & Christmas: Sharing the Seasons of Hope and Wonder with Children
- Katie’s website Look to Him and Be Radiant
- Shari’s website Catholic Paper Goods
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Think about the idea of being the answer to someone else’s prayers. Does that seem humbling or overwhelming, frightening or appealing...or maybe a mix of all of those? In this episode, Sherry Weddell of the Catherine of Siena Institute visits with Bonnie and Steven about the idea of charisms. These gifts are different from sanctifying graces in that they are given to us for us to give away. Sherry explains how every baptized person receives at least one charism, how all the charisms are evangelizing and healing, and how charisms spring to fruitfulness from a lived relationship with God.
Links mentioned:
- Catherine of Siena Institute
- Forming Intentional Disciples Forum on Facebook
- Fruitful Discipleship book
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 176 The Agenda Is to Grow with Art & Laraine Bennett
- 172 A Gift-Laden Voyage with Philip Kosloski of Voyage Comics Philip relates how his experience with Called and Gifted impacted his life.
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Last week, you heard from a few Kolbe-connected dads about their kitchen adventures. The theme continues this week as Kolbe instructor moms Laura Roselli Insall and Christina Davin join us to talk about cooking, upcoming holidays, and kids in the kitchen. The conversation covers vegetarian and food allergy accommodations, the utilitarian and joyful aspects of cooking, make-ahead meal strategies, and repeating traditions for holidays versus trying new things each year.
Links mentioned:
- The Little Christmas Angel by Peggy Barron
- Laura’s eggless sheet pan pancakes Laura usually cuts the sugar in half, uses regular milk with about a Tbsp of apple cider vinegar added instead of buttermilk and uses half coconut oil and half butter (or almond milk with vinegar added and all coconut oil if she’s making for someone who can't have dairy).
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 181 Chef Dad
- 122 Bridge Year
- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
- 82 Move & Groove
- 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with Ken & Kerri Davison, the Holy Heroes parents
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
AMDG. Gather in our metaphorical kitchen with Bonnie, Steven, Tony Guzzaldo, Everett Buyarski, and Craig Lengyel as the men don their oven mitts and talk food and cooking. From stories of learning to cook early in marriage to discovering the chemistry of cooking, the group muses on how the kitchen can be a place of socializing or of solitude, the importance of feasting as a foil to fasting, and the connection between an abundant table and the goodness of creation. They also share a few favorite memories and current go-to recipes.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 78 The Kolbe Man Show
- 74 Special Teams: Kolbe Dads
- 88 Built for Battle with Jonathan Conrad of the Catholic Woodworker
- 146 Stepping into the Arena: Bobby Angel on Our Call to Holiness
- 150 A Family Apostolate: Liturgical Living with Kendra Tierney
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Family dynamics understandably influence the day to day of homeschooling. When crisis comes—be it separation or divorce, job loss, health emergencies, anxiety and depression, relationship issues, or other trauma—feelings of isolation and stigma can cause ripple effects in a family. In this episode, Bonnie and Steven visit with homeschool alumni mother Anne DeSantis of the St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation, which offers prayer, priestly consultation, podcasts & videos, and programs & events for families in crisis. They touch on a variety of topics, such as the benefits of seeking help from someone outside of a normal social sphere for greater confidentiality and specialization, how people can become marginalized by family crisis issues, the importance of both boundaries and being perceptive to where other people are, and how healing is never once and done.
Links mentioned & relevant
- The St. Raymond Nonnatus Foundation for Freedom, Family, and Faith
- Rose Sweet
- Order of Mercy (Mercedarian Friars USA)
- The Nonnatus Foundation’s YouTube channel
- Virtual marriage enrichment series presented by Anne with Robert LeBlanc
- Anne’s personal website featuring information about her writing and other work
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Professor and translator Dr. Matthew Minerd joins Bonnie, Steven, Jordan, and Everett in this episode about making connections across rites, languages, and disciplines. Starting with a discussion of various Eastern rites of Catholicism, the group explores the blend of traditions throughout the Church, the art of finessing words from one language to another in translation, and the endeavor of teachers to stir up a love of learning in their students.
Dr. Minerd’s works available from Ascension Press
- Made by God, Made for God: Catholic Morality Explained
- translation ofIntroduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales, which is featured in season one of the Catholic Classics podcast
- translation of The Confessions of St. Augustine, subject of Catholic Classics season two
Other relevant links:
- Dr. Minerd’s wife Dr. Courtney Minerd was a key contributor to a Facebook Friday event focused on mental health hosted by Kolbe Academy’s Elizabeth Hoxie.
- Jordan refers to a translation project he’s been working on. Learn more about that in Kolbecast episode 135 Hidden Holiness Made Known.
- Check out this episode of Catholic Stuff You Should Know for more information about Ruthenian Catholicism.
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Kids in the kitchen can be enriching or unnerving for all involved. In this episode, Katie Kimball of Kitchen Stewardship and the creator of the Kids Cook Real Food course shares her passion and expertise for collaboration among family members in feeding and nourishing a household. Building from her four pillars of health and nutrition, time, budget, and environment, Katie highlights some of her best tips for meal planning, budgeting, and preparation. She also talks about good times to teach children new cooking skills, how to accommodate and incorporate food sensitivities in a menu, and how anxious parents can encourage their children’s autonomy.
Kolbecast listeners are invited to subscribe to Katie’s free Monday Missions e-course.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes:
- 47 Among the Pots & Pans
- 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves with Ken & Kerri Davison, the Holy Heroes parents
- 121 Roots & Wings
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Writer, theater maker, game designer, and alumnus of Kolbe and Yale University Alexi Sargeant joins the Kolbecast in this episode to discuss community and storytelling in the past, present, and future. He speaks with experience as both a student and a teacher about encountering Shakespeare and other dramatic works meant to be spoken, highlights the intersection of theology and culture, and nerds out with Steven and Everett Buyarski about the role of the fantastical in a life of formation.
Alexi’s wife Leah Libresco Sargeant spoke at Kolbe Academy’s 2023 Call to Holiness Retreat. Leah’s presentation is available here.
Saintly Creatures: 14 Tales of Animals and Their Holy Companions, Alexi’s new book, is available now!
Links mentioned and relevant:
- Doxacon, the convention bringing together faith, truth, fantasy, and science fiction, happening November 3 & 4, 2023, in Arlington, VA
- Games that Alexi has built
- Alexi converses with Word on Fire’s Haley Stewart about his new book Saintly Creatures
- Kolbecast episode 172 A Gift-Laden Voyage with Philip Kosloski of Voyage Comics
A sampling of Alexi’s writing:
- Winter’s Tale: The Icy Pang of Contrition and the Gift of Thawing Grace
- Men of Fidelity
- God and the Gamemaster
The Kolbecast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and most podcast apps. By leaving a rating and review in your podcast app of choice, you can help the Kolbecast reach more listeners. The Kolbecast is also on Kolbe's YouTube channel (audio only with subtitles). Using the filters on our website, you can sort through the episodes to find just what you're looking for. However you listen, 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.
AMDG. Personality encompasses both nature and nurture, from biological traits and education to family of origin and cultural background. Temperament is one important piece of personality. In this episode, Art and Laraine Bennett describe the four classical temperaments, their long Catholic tradition, and their pragmatic applications for homeschooling families. Working from the foundation that temperament is God’s way of kickstarting a personality without putting anyone in a box, Art and Laraine explain how understanding temperaments helps homeschooling parents understand what doors will be easier to open and what doors will take more work when educating their children. They also touch on managing reactions, learning styles, mental illness, and appropriate discussions about temperament for various ages of children.
Relevant links:
- Check out the Bennetts’ websitefor more information about their books, the Know Thyself game, and their other offerings.
- Take their temperament quiz here.
- Catholic Therapists online directory
- Character Buildingby David Isaacs
- No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned & relevant:
- 167 Sanity & Sanctity with Johanna Seagren of Interior Kingdom
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski and Jody Garneau
- 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
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.
AMDG. University of Dallas president Dr. Jonathan Sanford joins Bonnie, Steven, and Chief Academic Officer Megan Lengyel in this episode to discuss how students flourish at UD, particularly when they have a Kolbe foundation. Dr. Sanford describes how the school is a thoroughly Catholic university with a bigger set of offerings than most and how multiple charisms present on campus help preserve and further UD's Catholic identity. He also shares insights on scholarships and standardized test strategies; distinguishes the humanities from the broader liberal arts; and highlights preparation for med school, law school, and market-relevant business opportunities. With a kind of fatherly care, Dr. Sanford illustrates how UD serves the idea that the best education for the best student is the best education for every student.
Links to topics of discussion:
- Use this link to sign up for Kolbe’s special Odyssey Days II.
- Mrs. Lengyel references this article in Crisis magazine that mentions The University of Dallas.
- Sr. Josephine Garrett, CSFN, tells Jackie & Bobby Angel about her experience – and conversion – at UD. Bobby Angel is a guest on Kolbecast episode 146 Stepping into the Arena.
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 158 The Gift of a Mind, the commencement speeches (including Dr. Sanford’s) at Kolbe Academy’s 2023 commencement ceremony
- 9 Interview with Kolbe Academy and UD alumna Monnica Prudlo Bremer (quoted in the article about Odyssey Days)
- 18 Homer and The Hunger Games with Kolbe Academy alumnus Charlie Mihaliak, who went on to study at UD
- 120 Substance Matters with Classic Learning Test (CLT) founder Jeremy Tate
- 127 Forging a Path with CLT’s Kimberly Farley
- 143 Partners in a Liberal Arts Renewal with CLT’s Soren Schwab
- 163 Postcards from France recounting the trip to France that Megan references
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.
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 Passionwebsite to watch the proof-of-concept film and find out how to support the production of the full-length film.
Alas, this recording was plagued by some technical foibles which make the audio difficult to understand at times. We’ve tried to mitigate those as best we can, so we hope you’ll stick with it through the rough spots. The message of love is loud and clear.
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.
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.
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.
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 Wallet Win 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 with Katherine O’Brien
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
Related Kolbecast episodes:
-
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.
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.
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
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
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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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 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
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: Newsletter Team with Ellen Foreman
- 22 Imagine Being Homeschooled with Peter Prudlo
- 76 Study Buddies and 108 Time Stood Still with Martina Lund
- 26 Truth in Person with Aviva Lund
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Cathy & Nicolai Lund
- 22 Imagine Being Homeschooled
- 60 Mission: Possible (9th grade)
- 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Catholic
- 152 Join the Conversation, in which Jordan describes his work about Fr. Reinisch
- 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources discussing Kolbe’s expanded student support services
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
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 Kolbecast episodes
- 144 The Word Made Known with Mark Brumley
- 64 Stricken by Ideas, 93 Good Thinkingand 111 What Treasures Remain with Dr. Carl Hasler
-
44 Student Spotlight: Newsletter Team with Ellen Foreman
-
22 Imagine Being Homeschooled with Peter Prudlo
- 9 Interview with Kolbe Alumna Monnica Prudlo
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
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 Future, My Faith Magazine published by the Cardinal Newman Society
- EBook 5 Ways of Teaching Young Catholics to Love the Eucharist by Dr. Daniel Guernsey
Articles from the Kolbe blog written by Kolbe alumni who’ve gone on to Newman Guide schools:
- A Reflection on Life at The University of Mary
- How The Collegium Eased My Transition from Homeschooling to College
- How Kolbe Academy Prepared Me for Film Studies at JPCatholic by Alan Hewitt, who can be heard on Kolbecast episode 133 An Audience of One
- Q & A with Catholic Book Illustrator and Kolbe Alumna Elizabeth Kuss
Kolbecast episodes are available on most podcast apps and 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! Subscribe in your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode!
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
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.
Kolbecast episodes are available on most podcast apps and 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! Subscribe in your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode!
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
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 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! Subscribe in your favorite podcast app to never miss an episode!
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
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/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
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 his work with the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism and his Race and the American Story project here.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned:
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea of the University of Mary
- 119 The Hope Throughout with Tom & Noelle Crowe of American Catholic History
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
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 articles in Prime Matters:
- The Hidden Origins of Victim Culture
- The Enemy Next Door
- Jordan and Steven refer to this manual by Kolbe co-founder Francis Crotty for implement Ignatian education in the home.
- Kolbecast ep 145 Subsidiarity, Support, and Resources discussing new and improved offerings
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
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 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
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 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
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 and look for the Saint Stories for Kids podcast in your favorite app!
- 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.
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.
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
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
- 109 A Lifetime Venture with Dr. George Harne, which features a bit about Kolbe’s dual enrollment partnership with The University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas
- 120 Substance Matters with Jeremy Tate, founder of the Classic Learning Test, with some discussion about AP and College Board
- 127 Forging a Path with CLT’s Kimberly Farley, who offers some more food for thought about dual enrollment
Enrollment for the 2023-24 school year is now open! Here’s where to start.
Kolbe Academy webinars which may be of interest or assistance to families considering enrolling:
- K-12 Online Program webinar
- new Preschool Program webinar
- Student Support Services webinar
Experience Kolbe’s live online classes by registering for an upcoming Shadow Week.
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
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 books
- Learning at the Primary Pond
- The Phonics Song
- Learning Letter Sounds song
- another Letter Sounds song
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
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 Together with author (and Kolbe mom) Kathryn Swegart
- 131 It’s All about Relationship with Danielle Bean
Visit JackieandBobby.com for more information about them and their ministry, projects, and offerings.
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 broaden the reach of the podcast. 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
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 Weeks
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 broaden the reach of the podcast. 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
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 Vogt writing about Platitudes Undone by G.K. Chesterton
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
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 and Chris Bates and curriculum director Maggie Hayden
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
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 in Nigeria and Ria in the Philippines
- 107 Wander & Wonder with Nikki in Germany and Vanessa in her RV
- 103 Above and Beyond with Kolbe bookstore manager Nancy Nelson
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
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 Joseph Pearce
- Aardman Studios, creators of Wallace & Gromit
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
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 post about mottoes might be helpful right about now.
- Schedule a call with your Kolbe advisor.
- How to connect with Kolbe families via the Schoology directory
- org Help Center
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
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 fundraiser
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
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 her website.
- 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 Hunt
- The Read-Aloud Family: Making Meaningful and Lasting Connections with Your Kids by Sarah Mackenzie
- Jim Trelease’s Read Aloud Handbook
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
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
- 18 Homer and the Hunger Games
- 24 Rise and Shine
- 26 Truth in Person
- 27 An Appreciation of Wonder
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions
Other resources mentioned in the episode:
- How to connect with Kolbe families via the Schoology directory
- Kolbe.org Help Center
- Kolbe blog, including this article about mottoes
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
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 Greatest Good with Matt & Erin Ingold
- 21 To Live Fully Alive, Elizabeth’s Kolbecast debut
- 45 Grace Perfects Nature with Dr. Peter Malinoski and Jody Garneau
- 31 Veteran Homeschoolers with Kolbe staffers Jon and Chris Bates
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.
Resources from Elizabeth:
- Family Examen: Daily Examen Storybook for Families - Catholic Sprouts
- The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives by Today by Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV
And two books on Ignatian discernment:
- Discerning the Will of God: An Ignatian Guide to Christian Decision Making by Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV
- What Do You Really Want?: St. Ignatius Loyola and the Art of Discernment by Jim Manney
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
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 Mission by Msgr. James Shea and friends
- Jordan’s book When the Earth was Flat
- National Catholic Register’s review of the movie A Hidden Life
- Franz Reinisch - A Martyr of Our Time
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
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 Mrs. Dianne Muth, one of Kolbe Academy’s founders, and a post-script about St. Maximilian Kolbe and St. Ignatius of Loyola
- 42 Let Them Tinker with Kolbe mom Louise Deal
- 105 Not Just for Special Occasions with Kolbe mom Rebecca Czarnecki of Tea with Mrs. B
- 126 Digital Citizens
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
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 episodes:
- 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
- 123 A Change of the Ages with Msgr. James Shea
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
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, Here’s more information about how to sell textbooks back to the Kolbe bookstore.
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
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 2 Dr. Jordan Almanzar (stay tuned for another episode coming soon!)
- ep 4 with Dr. Anthony Esolen and The Acid Bath of Modern College Culture
Relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 110 Choosing the Greatest Good with Matt & Erin Ingold
- 28 A Pessimist with Hope featuring Dr. Anthony Esolen
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
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
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
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 Forging a Path
Other resources mentioned:
- The Newman Guide by the Cardinal Newman Society
- The Intercollegiate Studies Institute
The filters on the Kolbecast landing page - including one called Life after Kolbe - can help you find episodes on a wide variety of topics. 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 the podcast reach more listeners. However you listen, please spread the word about the Kolbecast by sharing the social media posts or links or by old-fashioned word of mouth! We welcome your feedback and episode suggestions as well. Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
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. 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
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
- Journey through the Author Bank seminar series, a free webinar with a scholar from a partner college discussing an author from CLT’s author bank
- CLT’s podcast Anchored episode with Kimberly
Other links from the episode:
- Kolbe graduation requirements and diploma programs
- Dual Credit Courses via Kolbe Academy’s partnership with The University of St. Thomas
- Dual credit webinar recording
- College planning webinar recording
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.
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 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, 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.
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 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, 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.
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 Chris Bates, who are featured on episode 31 Veteran Homeschoolers and 83 This Is Only a Test. Chris also appears on episode 47 Among the Pots and Pans.
Other relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 36 Embrace the Fifth Day
- 12 Phone a Friend
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, 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.
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 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, 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.
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 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, 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.
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 of the Kolbe bookstore
Some of our other episodes with Kolbe parents (use the filters on our website to find more):
- 23 Family Is the Center
- 42 Let Them Tinker
- 55 Humor and Humility
- 56 Home but Not Alone
- 57 Seeking the Kingdom
- 63 The Saints Speak for Themselves
- 74 Special Teams – Kolbe Dads
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
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, 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.
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 he distills his goals into a succinct call to action: read good books, read them a lot, and enjoy them.
Kolbe families always receive 50% off CLT exams by using the code KOLBE50. Additionally, CLT partners with colleges to sponsor CLT10 tests. For more information, check out this page on the Kolbe website.
Relevant links:
- Classic Learning Test (CLT) website
- CLT test dates and deadlines for the full suite of exams: https://info.cltexam.com/test-dates-deadlines
- CLT’s Journey through the Author Bank seminar series, a free webinar with a scholar from a partner college discussing an author from CLT’s author bank
- Anchored podcast
- Interview with CLT rep Brittany Higdon on Kolbe blog
- Student Spotlight: Interview with Kolbe Academy Student Meghan Rohatgi
- Kolbecast ep 83 This Is Only a Test regarding standardized testing for K-12 students
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, 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.
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 History episodes and offerings referenced in this episode
- Ark and Dove
- Blandina episode 1 and 2
- The Catholic Saviors of Thanksgiving
- Founding Fathers category of episodes
- Julia Greeley
- Margaret Haughery
- Gene Kranz
- Joyce Kilmer
- Ponce de Leon and the First Mass
- Miriam Stimson
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, 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.
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, 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.
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 Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
- 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat
Check out the Doctor, Doctor podcast here or in your favorite podcast app.
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, 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.
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 subject or to see the entire catalog of episodes.
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!
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode. If you have a moment, please leave a rating and review, which will help the Kolbecast reach more listeners.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 subject or to see the entire catalog of episodes.
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!
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 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!
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org
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 school planning webinar
- school-wide address
- graduation requirements
Check out Kolbe’s brand new third grade history text Stories of a Changing World!
Our recent Open House included an opening prayer and talk by friend of the Kolbecast Michelle Kim and presentations on several aspects of Kolbe’s offerings. Here’s the entire playlist.
relevant Kolbecast episodes
- 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary
- 82 Move & Groove
- 83 This Is Only a Test
- 87 Home Base
- 103 Above & Beyond
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.
Have a suggestion or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 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
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.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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
- 26 Truth in Person
This is Day 3 of the 2022 Kolbecast Convention. Listen here to Day 1 with Dr. George Harne or Day 2 with Matt and Erin Ingold of Metanoia Catholic.
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.
Check out Michelle Kim’s opening talk and prayer at Kolbe’s recent Open House.
Members of our panel today can be heard on these other Kolbecast episodes:
- 15 Asparagus Moments, 36 Embrace the Fifth Day and 37 Take a Moment with Therese Prudlo
- 64 Stricken by Ideas with Dr. Carl Hasler and Therese Prudlo
- 39 Reclaiming the Territory, 40 Windshield Time, and 78 The Kolbe Man Show with Dr. Don Prudlo
- 93 Good Thinking with Dr. Carl Hasler and students
- 70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service, 87 Home Base, and 94 A Boy, a Book, and a Library Mouse with Michelle Kim
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 episodes:
- 10 In the Driver’s Seat
- 34 A Beauty-Linked Life
- 53 Q, A, and Encouragement
- 55 Humor & Humility
- 56 Home But Not Alone
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, including filters for the curious and discerning. Head to Kolbe.org/podcast and scroll down to choose episodes on a particular subject or to see the entire catalog of episodes.
This is the second episode of the 2022 Kolbecast Convention. Use the “convention” filter to find other episodes in this series, including Day 1 with Dr. George Harne.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 Revealed through Story with Joseph Pearce
- 50 Backstage (Cast Party)
Other links referenced
- Harne’s keynote talk at Kolbe’s Spring 2022 college fair
- UST podcast Spelunking with Plato (also available in podcast apps)
- Dual Credit opportunities at Kolbe in partnership with The University of St. Thomas
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.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 athletics and homeschooling
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 the Philippines and Amy in Nigeria
- 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Kolbe parents Nicolai & Cathy Lund
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 and uplifting conversation about the good things happening there.
Recurring “cast member” Mr. Everett Buyarski lends his voice and expertise to these other Kolbecast episodes:
- 11 Truth, Wisdom, Virtue
- 30 Guiding the Ship
- 43 The Grade Examen
- 50 Backstage: Cast Party
- 59 The Secret Whiteboard
- 69 Temperature Check
- 78 The Kolbe Man Show
- 99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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 Embrace the Fifth Day for a great discussion on this very idea.
Below is more information about the local saints discussed in this episode:
- Blessed Benedict Daswa (South Africa)
- Blessed Michael Iwene Tansi (Nigeria)
- Lorenzo Ruiz (Philippines)
- The Heroically Ordinary Life of St. Lorenzo Ruiz
- Lorenzo Ruiz and Companions
Amy shared these articles about homeschooling in Nigeria and as a family in the Foreign Service:
- Homeschooling Journeys in Africa
- The Home Study Option
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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:
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14 We Don't Think Those Words Mean What You Think They Mean
-
30 Guiding the Ship
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69 Temperature Check
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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 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.
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. Dr. Messmore sharpens the focus to what this formation is all about: the call to love and, ultimately, to become saints.
Check out Kolbe’s course catalog for summer 2022 and 2022-23 school year offerings.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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:
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92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Cathy and Nicolai Lund
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99 Gifted, Graced, and Formed with Everett Buyarski, Joseph Caro, and Veronica Foreman
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100 In the Beginning with Mrs. Dianne Muth
Jordan references Kolbe’s “three ways to educate.”
Check out Kolbe’s course catalog for summer 2022 and 2022-23 school year offerings.
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.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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:
- 52 Through a Catholic Lens with Kim Crawford
- 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit with Deana Muth
- 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty with Ashley Massey and Celeste Cuellar
- 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower with Nicolai and Cathy Lund
- 93 Good Thinking with Dr. Carl Hasler and students
- 98 Stewards of the Mission with Megan Lengyel, Nicole O’Connor, and Tony Guzzaldo
Everett mentions the Art of Problem Solving math curriculum. His previous Kolbecast episodes include
- 11 Truth, Wisdom, and Virtue
- 30 Guiding the Ship and 69 Guiding the Ship with Megan Lengyel and Nicole O’Connor
- 43 The Grade Examen and 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Erica Treat
- 50 Backstage: Cast Party
- 78 The Kolbe Man Show with Dr. Don Prudlo
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.
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 proper Catholic education looks like. Society founder Patrick Reilly is featured on episode 84 about that very topic.
- Lengyel announces some more appointments for next year. Some of those have been Kolbecast guests:
- Therese Prudlo on episodes 15 Asparagus Moments, 36 Embrace the Fifth Day, 37 Take a Moment, 64 Stricken by Ideas
- Katie Bradley on episode 89 The Master Blueprint
- Nick Senz on episode 91 Kernels of Truth
- Episodes 81 The When and the How of Online Elementary and 82 Move and Groove go in depth on the online elementary program and how parents can partner with teachers.
Check out the online academy’s conceptual framework. For more information about career opportunities at Kolbe, click here.
To learn about or apply for financial assistance from Kolbe Academy, click here. For the 2022-23 school year, apply by May 15, 2022.
There are several ways to support Kolbe financially, including
- designating Kolbe Academy, Napa CA, as your Amazon Smilerecipient – a percentage of all your Amazon purchases will go to aid Kolbe in its mission.
- matching gifts from employers – email Kolbe’s Development Director (and Kolbecast co-host!) Steven Hayden for more information.
- one-time gifts or monthly contributions – use this link
Mrs. Megan Lengyel and Mrs. Nicole O’Connor have graced Kolbecast episodes 30 Guiding the Ship and 69 Temperature Check with Mr. Everett Buyarski and can be heard on Ep 50 Cast Party along with Therese Prudlo and several others.
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.
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 and Celeste Cuellar
- Ep 89 The Master Blueprint with Elizabeth Hoxie, Ann Still, and Katie Bradley
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.
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 the 2021 fall Virtual College Fair, start here. The keynote speakers for that event have also been guests on the Kolbecast:
- Ep 38 Substance Matters with Jeremy Tate of the Classic Learning Test
- Ep 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
Other Kolbecast episodes related to college and life after Kolbe:
- Ep 39 Reclaiming the Territory and Ep 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo
- Ep 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski & Erica Treat
- Ep 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
- Ep 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
- Ep 92 Protect, Guide, Prepare, Empower
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.
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 little more prepared for Sunday Mass.” Many of us can relate.
Check out Sock Religious for yourself.
Kolbe deeply appreciates the donation Sock Religious made during Catholic Schools Week to Kolbe’s financial assistance program. There are other ways to support Kolbe financially, including
- designating Kolbe Academy, Napa CA, as your Amazon Smilerecipient – a percentage of all your Amazon purchases will go to aid Kolbe in its mission.
- matching gifts from employers – email Kolbe’s Development Director (and Kolbecast co-host!) Steven Hayden for more information.
- one-time gifts or monthly contributions – use this link (
For more information about or to apply for financial assistance from Kolbe Academy, click here. For the 2022-23 school year, apply by May 15, 2022.
Kolbecast episodes mentioned in this episode:
- Ep 88 Built for Battle with Jonathan Conrad, the Catholic Woodworker
- Ep 71 A Sight for Sore Eyes with Chris Lewis of Baritus Illustration
- Ep 90 Vocations Here, Now, and Eventually
- Ep 94 A Boy, A Book, and a Library Mouse
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.
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
Michelle can be heard on Kolbecast episode #70 First Draft: A Parent In-Service with Chrissy Almanzar and on episode #87 Home Base with fellow homeroom instructors Kim Crawford, Jenni Mammola, and Brittany Doucette.
Joan Claire and Jamie were instrumental in the success of the 2022 Vocations Retreat, selected sessions of which are available here.
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 rating 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.
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. Chrissy Almanzar and Mr. Nicholas Senz
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode! While you’re there, please leave a quick rating and review to help other listeners find the Kolbecast.
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.
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 daughters Aviva in Kolbecast episode #26 Truth Is a Person and Martina in episode #76 Study Buddies.
- Kolbe academic advisors can help families navigate the NCAA guidelines for homeschooled students. Set up an advising appointment via this link.
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode! While you’re there, please leave a quick rating and review to help other listeners find the Kolbecast.
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.
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 the relation of the Church to non-Christian religions
- Unitatis redintegratio - decree on ecumenism
If you’ve already enrolled for next year and would like to add the course to your schedule, use this course change form.
Links mentioned and relevant:
- recent presentation by Mrs. Prudlo & Mrs. Hayes on Ukraine
- Jordan and Chrissy Almanzar on Kolbecast Ep 48 Because It Rings True
- Find writing by Nick Senz on Aleteia and Catholic World Report, among other publications
- A sample of the World Religions textbook to be used in the course
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode! While you’re there, please leave a quick rating and review to 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.
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 St. Cecilia
- Amy Rodriguez Art
- Ruach Ministry
- Fr. Stephen Gadberry
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode! While you’re there, please leave a quick rating and review to help other listeners find the Kolbecast.
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.
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 Supersmart People
- Particles of Faith: A Catholic Guide to Navigating Science
- Would You Baptize an Extraterrestrial?...And Other Questions from the Astronomer's Inbox at the Vatican Observatory
- The Inner Life of the Cell
- The Society of Catholic Scientists
- In the Beginning…': A Catholic Understanding of the Story of Creation and the Fall
- How to Get Started with Nature Journaling
- Zero to Einstein in 60 by B.K. Hixson, Mrs. Still’s go-to experiment book using common household items
- Vatican Observatory Website and Podcast
Kolbecast episodes mentioned and related:
- Elizabeth Hoxie’s first Kolbecast episode, To Live Fully Alive
- 42 Let Them Tinker with Kolbe mom Louise Deal
- Ep 26 Truth in Person with Kolbe alumna Aviva Lund
Links to related Kolbe content:
- Fr. Stephen Gadberry speaking on evolution at the recent “Pints with Padre” live event
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode. While you're there, please rate and review the show to help spread the word about the Kolbecast!
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.
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 CEO
- Exodus 90
- Matt Fradd, author, speaker, and host of Pints with Aquinas
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode!
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.
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
- How to connect with other Kolbe families (for enrolled families only)
- Kolbe Admission Events
related Kolbecast episodes:
- Ep 3 Dramatic Arts with Dolores Mihaliak
- Ep 33 Show Your Work with Kelly Powers
- Ep 46 Language Lab with Jenni Mammola
- Ep 49 Revealed through Story with Joseph Pearce
- Ep 53 Through a Catholic Lens, Kim Crawford’s Kolbecast debut, and Ep 66 Bonhomie à la Kolbe with Kim and Kolbe advisor Ashley Massey
- Ep 50 Cast Party
- Ep 60 Mission: Possible with tenth grader Xavier on the 9th grade year
- Ep 61 Middle Ground with middle school teachers Alex Pischke and Amanda Hayes
- Ep 70: First Draft: A Parent In-Service featuring Michelle Kim along with Chrissy Almanzar & Erica Treat
- Ep 76 Study Buddies with Jenni Mammola and officers of Kolbe’s National Honor Society chapter
Subscribe to the Kolbecast in your favorite podcast app and never miss an episode!
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.
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 be seen on the Magdalen College Facebook page (scroll to the post of 13 Jan 2022).
- Dr. Messmore’s introduction on the Magdalen College podcast From the Summit
- Kolbecast Episode 28 A Pessimist with Hope featuring Dr. Anthony Esolen
- Cardinal Newman Society feature on Magdalen College
- Kolbe Academy’s College Partners
Other Life after Kolbe episodes:
- Episodes 39 Reclaiming the Territory and 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo
- Episode 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat
- Episode 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
- Episode 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
- Episode 85 Vibrant Campus Ministries
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.
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 college search.
Links mentioned and helpful:
- 50 Best College Newman Centers (Best College Reviews)
- Mary’s Catholic Center in College Station, Texas
- The Newman Center at Oregon State University
- John’s Newman Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Arizona State University’s partnership with U Mary, a Newman Guide school
- FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students
Other Life after Kolbe episodes:
- Episode 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat
- Episode 40 Windshield Time with Dr. Don Prudlo
- Episode 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
- Episode 84 The Essence of Catholic Education with Patrick Reilly of the Cardinal Newman Society
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.
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
- Episode 77 The Road Less Traveled with Celeste Cuellar
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.
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 Veteran Homeschoolers – the Kolbecast debut of Jon and Chris Bates
- Episode 47 Among the Pots and Pans with Chris Bates and Kelly Powers
- Episode 50 Cast Party
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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 struggles, symptoms, testing questions, etc. for families to use. Their platform and website is far easier to follow than many other "special education" websites.” Articles on that Margaret selected to go with this episode:
- How to Get a Free or Low-Cost Evaluation for Your Child
- The Difference between Tutors and Educational Therapists
- 13 different IDEA disabilities
- https://www.mindware.orientaltrading.com/, according to Margaret, “has some great games to use to build skills. Often the students don't even realize they are doing something challenging, because they are more focused on the game.”
- Kolbecast Ep 68 Grace for the Nitty Gritty with Kolbe advisors Ashley Massey and Celeste Cuellar
- Kolbecast Ep 74 Special Teams: Kolbe Dads, during which Greg Simia recommends Margaret’s services
- Kolbe's Special Needs Support
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.
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.
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 heard on these other Kolbecast episodes:
- Ep 39 Reclaiming the Territory
- Ep 40 Windshield Time
- Ep 50 Backstage (Cast Party)
Kolbe Academy’s Academic Services Director Everett Buyarski is featured on these other Kolbecast episodes:
- Ep 11 Truth, Wisdom, Virtue
- Ep 30 Guiding the Ship and Ep 69 Temperature Check with Megan Lengyel and Nicole O’Connor
- Ep 43 The Grade Examen and Ep 59 The Secret Whiteboard with Erica Treat
- Ep 50 Backstage (Cast Party)
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.
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 Rockville Center, NY
- Harmel School of the Trades in Grand Rapids, MI
- Kateri College of the Liberal and Practical Arts in Gallup, NM
- Vocations week Ep 32 Reflections of His Light with Sr. Margaret Mary & Sr. Anne
- Discerning a Path after High School section in Program Support Guide (in Welcome Packet)
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.
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 Erica Treat
- Ep 46 Language Lab with Jenni Mammola
- Ep 22 Imagine Being Homeschooled
- Ep 44 Student Spotlight: Newsletter Team
- Ep 60 Mission: Possible
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.
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 Deana Muth
- Ep 61 Middle Ground with Amanda Hayes and Alex Pischke
- Ep 25 Kolbecast Backstage
- Ep 50 Kolbecast (Cast Party)
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.
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) the domestic church
- Facebook Live presentation by Margaret Walsh of Secret Garden Educational Pathways
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.
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, relatives, and parishioners!
Follow Ahava Productions on Instagram @ahava_productions
Follow Ahava Productions on Facebook @AhavaProductions
Videos Leila produced with her siblings in 2020:
- "The Five First Saturdays Devotion" and "Visiting Jesus!" Documentary (Scroll to the bottom, under "Castillo Kids CK101 Channel)
- "Visiting Jesus!" Documentary also found here (first video on this page)
Other relevant links:
- Kolbecast Episode 3 with Dolores Mihaliak
- Camino pilgrimage page on Google Arts & Culture
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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 episode 15 Asparagus Moments with Therese Prudlo
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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
Related Kolbecast episodes and appearances
- Ep. 20 Head, Heart, and Hands with Rebecca DeVendra (art and drawing)
- Ep. 2 Patron Saints
- Kolbecast Convention Finale FB Live with Chris Lewis & Jordan Almanzar
Get your own Mary & Max sticker in the Kolbe bookstore.
Check out the Baritus Catholic website and shop.
Christopher Columbus (Lives of Catholic Heroes and Heroines Volume 1) by John O’Kane Murray and Phillip Campbell, cover art by Chris Lewis
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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 29, 2021. Check out this blog post for how to prepare for the day. Related Kolbecast episodes include
- Ep 38: Substance Matters with CLT Founder Jeremy Tate
- Ep 40: Windshield Time with Dr. Donald Prudlo of the University of Tulsa
- Ep 59: The Secret Whiteboard with Everett Buyarski and Erica Treat
For more information about Kolbe’s career planning services or to connect with an advisor, click here. Kolbe is proud to partner with a number of authentically Catholic colleges and universities to aid in the post-secondary school discernment process.
For more information about Kolbe’s grading services, check out this section of the Kolbe website. To sign up for Homeschool Plus or Self-Paced courses, contact your child’s grade level advisor. Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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
- Ep 33: Show Your Work with Kelly Powers
- Ep 38: Substance Matters with CLT founder Jeremy Tate
- Ep 43: The Grade Examen and Ep 59: The Secret Whiteboard with Everett and Kolbe advisor Erica Treat
- Ep 47: Among the Pots and Pans with Chris Bates and Kelly Powers
- Ep 50: Backstage (Cast Party) with Everett and Megan in attendance
- Ep 64: Stricken by Ideas with Dr. Carl Hasler
- Ep 68: Grace for the Nitty-Gritty with Kolbe advisors and deans Celeste Cuellar and Ashley Massey
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.
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 podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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 Episode 52: Through a Catholic Lens. She appears on this Facebook Live about Kolbe’s AP courses. Ashley Massey leads this Facebook Friday session on grade reporting.
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.
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.
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 references Josef Pieper’s Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power, Great Dialogues of Plato, and Frederick Copleston’s nine-volume A History of Philosophy.
Therese Prudlo first joined the Kolbecast in Episode 15: Asparagus Moments. She can also be heard on Episode 36: Embrace the Fifth Day and Episode 37: Take a Moment as well as on Episode 50: Backstage (Cast Party).
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.
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 since children can gain a greater appreciation of what really needs to be done throughout the day and can live lives that have far more dimensions than just schoolwork. To see the array of Holy Heroes offerings, check out https://holyheroes.com/.
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? Visit kolbe.org.
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 group organized and off to a great start or to receive the handout of ways dads can be active participants in homeschooling, drop a line to Mr. Jones at groupservices@hslda.org.
From the Kolbe Welcome Packet: Kolbe Academy recommends joining the Home School Legal Defense Association. HSLDA’s primary goal is to bring together a large number of homeschooling families so that each can have a low-cost method of obtaining quality legal defense.
- Home School Legal Defense Association Application
- For U.S. membership, Kolbe’s discount number, which must be provided on the application, is #295160.
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? Visit kolbe.org.
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 team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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
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Ep 33 Show Your Work with Mrs. Kelly Powers
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Ep 54 Pro Omnibus Contendit with Mrs. Deana Muth
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? Visit kolbe.org.
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? Visit kolbe.org.
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 or question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Rise and Shine with Beth’s children, Kolbe alumni Anthony and Clare
Kolbe Recommended Reading List
Bethlehem Books
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.
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.
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.
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 Future of Civilization
Graduation 2018: Reflections from a Kolbe Family
Are Homeschools Serving as Newman Guide Prep Schools?
2018 Graduation
Literature: What Every Catholic Should Know
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.
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 delivery.
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.
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 children’s cartoons in French, such as Peppa Pig and Caillou * Select “French language” dubbing on most Disney movies. You can do this on DVD but also on Disney Plus.
- Access free children’s audio books in French online.
- Animated stories from history in French
- Web site full of classic fairy tales as well as children’s songs in French
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Watch the news in French. This web site edits the news for young people, complete with animated explanations of current events
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France 24 - world news in French and English
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TV 5 – bilingual world news as well as free French lessons
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Listen to French music! There are many free French playlists available on Amazon Music and Spotify. This link takes you to a playlist with 600 French songs.
- Free online books organized by reading level
- Explore masterpieces of art free online by going directly to the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay
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Watch French films kids might enjoy like Le Petit Nicolas (also a book series) and Le Petit Prince (2015 film has both a French and an English-speaking version).
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Listen to podcasts. There are many, many podcasts aimed at people who are learning French. A few suggestions (again, review first for any content you don’t want your children hearing): One Thing in a French Day; News in Slow French; Coffee Break French; Duolingo French Podcast
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Useful apps for your phone or iPad:
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Wordreference (best French dictionary)
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Verb2Verbe (conjugate any verb)
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Cook! Learn French recipes! Try watching cooking tutorials in French.
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Incorporate French traditions into some of your Catholic feast days, for instance, bake a galette des rois for Epiphany, serve crepes on La Chandeleur (Candlemas), or try a buche de noel at Christmas. Read about Poisson d’Avril on April Fool’s.
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.
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 awareness
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Scheduling quiet time
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Grounding (simple enough for kids)
Links mentioned and resources:
- Souls & Hearts, Dr. Peter’s online outreach with Dr. Gerry Crete
- Souls and Hearts courses and shows
-
Dr. Peter visits with Adam Cross, LMFT, on The Catholic Therapist’s episode The Roots of Scrupulosity.
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Mrs. Elizabeth Hoxie, science department chair and creator of Kolbe’s health course, recently hosted a Facebook Live on the subject of mental health which featured psychologist Dr. Courtney Minerd and one of Mrs. Hoxie’s students.
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.
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.
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 effortless episode delivery.
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 of an honors or AP Chemistry, Physics and/or Calculus course is great preparation for college STEM, but taking an AP exam and trying to get college credit for it is not. If [parents] want to get a jump on college credits with a high-achieving student, it would be better to just take an online or in-person local course from an actual, accredited college that would transfer to the college [the student] plan[s] to attend. That would need to be verified ahead of time, so if [parents] don't know where [their] child will be going to college there would be some risk of the course not being accepted.”
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.
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.
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.
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”
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 at a given point in time, but say nothing about the kind of person that a student is. And he distills his goals into a succinct call to action: read good books, read them a lot, and enjoy them.
https://www.cltexam.com/home
Anchored podcast
Interview with CLT rep Brittany Higdon on Kolbe blog
Student Spotlight: Interview with Kolbe Academy Student Meghan Rohatgi
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us: podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
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.
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.
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.
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
Articles of interest by Dr. Reynolds:
- Studying Music the Classical Way
- My Approach to Composer Studies
- Students Older than Average
Our go-to post on encouragement: “Get Thee behind Me: A Note on Discouragement” by Kolbe co-founder Dianne Muth
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.
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 it find and amaze you, it’ll win you over.
Kelly Powers and Jordan Almanzar discussing distance education
“Slow and Steady Wins the Race” by Kelly Powers on the Kolbe blog
Mandelbrot set
Homeschool math helps:
- Azul board game
- Skyjocard game
- Catan
- Monopoly
- Ticket to Ride
- any game with money
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast player for effortless episode delivery.
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.
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.
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 Episode 18 Homer and the Hunger Games featuring Charlie Mihaliak
- Kolbecast Episode 4 Workspaces
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.
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.
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 family, may make this episode most suitable for listening when little ears are not around.
John Senior’s book list
Horatio Hornblower series
Bishop Barron on evangelizing through beauty
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.
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/
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.
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.
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 we visit with Beth’s eldest two children, Anthony and Clare!
https://diannecraft.org/
https://learningally.org/
https://bartonreading.com/
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
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 the Word
- Coronavirus Crisis Carpe Diem
- St. Dymphna’s Playbook
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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 paintings
Bouguereau’s The Elder Sister
Artists of note (alive and painting today!) trained in Atelier Schools
Mrs. DeVendra’s studio
Katie G. Whipple
Gwyneth Thompson Briggs
William Nathans
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
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 of Dallas Fall 2020 production of Love’s Labour’s Lost
2018 Graduation recap
2018 Graduation pictures
Jordan’s graduation address
Charlie’s graduation address
Patricia Kolakowski’s graduation address
The McCormick family’s graduation reflections
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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’s degree recital performance of Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
Sarah references Josef Pieper’s book Leisure, the Basis of Culture.
Have a question for the Kolbecast team? Write to us at podcast@kolbe.org.
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.
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: catacombs of St. Priscilla in Rome
Chartres restoration; article on New Liturgical Movement
Catechism of the Catholic Church #302 Creation has its own goodness and proper perfection, but it did not spring forth complete from the hands of the Creator. The universe was created "in a state of journeying" (in statu viae) toward an ultimate perfection yet to be attained, to which God has destined it. We call "divine providence" the dispositions by which God guides his creation toward this perfection:
By his providence God protects and governs all things which he has made, "reaching mightily from one end of the earth to the other, and ordering all things well". For "all are open and laid bare to his eyes", even those things which are yet to come into existence through the free action of creatures.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 is inseparable from knowledge of the Creator, for ‘both we and our words are in his hand, as are all understanding and skill in crafts.’ (Wis 7:16).” Pope Benedict XVI’s 2010 Address to Teachers and Religious.
Jordan’s blog post on ship building - https://blog.kolbe.org/roles-and-models-in-education/
Jordan’s blog post on educating at home, especially in these times
Deschooling Society by Ivan Illich on Goodreads and Bookshop.org
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).
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
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!
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 ready to be baked, I remove the pan from the oven and line it with parchment paper that I then brush with melted butter before pouring in the batter. Last time we made this recipe, we did without the powdered sugar topping. No one missed it. For festive occasions we serve bacon and scrambled eggs with the sheet pan pancake.
One Pan Wonders cookbook: https://www.americastestkitchen.com/guides/one-pan-wonders
Morning offering coffee mug: https://roseharrington.com/products/morning-offering-mug-bright-white-14-oz
Morning offering static cling: https://www.studiosenn.com/product-page/morning-offering-static-cling
One example of a family litany: https://www.etsy.com/listing/775792338/family-litany-of-saints-family-prayer?ref=shop_home_active_11&pro=1&frs=1
St. Maximilian Kolbe coffee mug: https://beaheart.com/collections/lifestyle/products/maximilian-kolbe-16oz-travel-mug
St. Thomas Aquinas’s prayer for students: https://aleteia.org/2017/11/21/a-students-prayer-by-st-thomas-aquinas/
St. John XXIII’s bedtime prayer: https://aleteia.org/2019/03/31/when-falling-asleep-pray-this-prayer-to-rest-in-peace/
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
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/
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
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
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/