Kolbecast

302 Standardized Tests as Snapshots

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! 

301 Dr. John Bergsma Brings Catholic Faith Alive

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! 

300 The Gift of the Sacraments with Nicholas Senz & Brendan Murphy

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 Life by 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! 

299 Lent with Crux Ambassadors Pat & Kenna Millea

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! 

298 Educating for Freedom with Brett Salkeld

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! 

297 A Dose of Encouragement from Dr. Ray Guarendi

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! 

296 Tips for Testing Success

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! 

295 Office Hours with Clara Davison of Holy Heroes

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!