Kolbecast

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...

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 th...

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 everythi...

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 consideration...

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...

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 b...

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...

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 K...

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 trailbla...

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 fami...

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 o...

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...

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...

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 differe...

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, a...

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...

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 cla...

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 desc...

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,...

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...

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, coura...

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...

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 peac...

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 recogni...

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 aft...