Kolbecast

27: An Appreciation of Wonder

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.   

26: Truth in Person

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/ 

25: Backstage

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.  

24: Rise and Shine

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.   

23: Family is the Center

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.   

22: Imagine Being Homeschooled

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. 

21: To Live Fully Alive

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.   

20: Head, Heart, and Hands

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.