Kolbecast

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, W...

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. ...

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 highligh...

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...

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 ro...

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...

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...

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 stud...

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...

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, find...

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...