Kolbecast

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

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 [email protected].

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

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 [email protected].

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 

Other links that might be helpful: 

• Kolbecast Ep 12 Phone a Friend 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 [email protected]. 

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)! 

• 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) 

Other relevant links: 

• Kolbecast Episode 3 with Dolores Mihaliak  

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 [email protected]. 

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 

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 [email protected]. 

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  

Related Kolbecast episodes and appearances 

• Ep. 20 Head, Heart, and Hands with Rebecca DeVendra (art and drawing) 

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 [email protected]. 

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).

Kolbe Academy blog posts referenced: 

• The Basics of Ignatian Pedagogy and subsequent posts in a six-part series by Stacey Jarzynka 

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 

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 [email protected]. 

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

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 [email protected]. 

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.

Kolbecast episodes that might be helpful:

• Ep 12 Phone a Friend 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 [email protected].

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 [email protected].

Interested in Kolbe Academy’s offerings? Visit kolbe.org.