iPray

Kansas City, Andrew Pudewa, and High School

I saw this over at the 2009 Kansas City Catholic Homeschool website and just had to share:

Be sure to check out the "High School Essay Intensive" seminar presented Andrew Pudewa. This special seminar will be held both on Thursday (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at St. James Academy in Lenexa) and Friday (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM at Savior Pastoral Center). Cost per teen is $50. To register for either seminar session go to http://www.excellenceinwriting.com/events or call (800) 856-5815. For more details refer to the PDF file.

This is way too cool. I would love to have Andrew Pudewa teach my kids how to write. Too bad it's a 12-hour drive from Michigan!

Homeschooling Architecture - Help

I have a 13-year old son who wants to be an architect. With five years until high school graduation, his mind could change before college. However, this has been on his heart for quite a while now and I'd like to help him along in discovering all things architecture.

My first inclination was to pull out my copy of Nancy Nicholson's High School of Your Dreams from Catholic Heritage Curricula. My guess is that this subject is well covered in there. Unfortunately, I can't find it anywhere. I don't know if it got lost in the move or if I lent it out. (I do have a bad habit of lending out my favorite stuff and then forgetting who I lent it to.)

So, until my copy (hopefully) shows up, does anyone have ideas for me? Tips? Advice? Favorite resources? I'd love any input!

Dayton Catholic Homeschooling Conference

For those who live anywhere around Ohio, make sure to check out the 5th Annual Dayton Catholic Homeschool Conference July 10 & 11, 2009.

I hear they are very pleased to welcome their new Archbishop Dennis Schnurr. He'll say Mass for conference attendees Saturday July 11 at 8:30am.

Wouldn't it be awesome to pack the house with lovely Catholic home educators to welcome Archbishop Schnurr to Ohio? It's a great opportunity to not only enjoy speakers and cruise the vending hall, but to let the archbishop see what a jewell he has in the Catholic homeschooling community.

Complete conference information and registration is available at www.daytonhomeschool.com .

PSN5: A Guy's Guide to the Good Life

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: A Guy's Guide to the Good Life: Virtues for Men
Author: Robert P. Lockwood
Publisher: Saint Anthony Messenger Press
Date Published: April 2009
ISBN-10: 0867168676
ISBN-13: 978-0867168679
Price: 13.99 (10.97 Amazon)

Reviews:
Mike Aquilina: Guy Talk

Babies, Love, and Life

On this beautiful Sunday, please remember this beautiful mom in your prayers.

Hi, My Name is Maureen and I'm a Curriculum Addict

The new Emmanuel Books catalog is here, the new Emmanuel Books catalog is here! Don't bother trying to reach me anytime soon, I've got catalog cruising to do.

PSN5: Angels of God

If you're like me, you're sick of hearing and seeing promotions for Ron Howard's Angels and Demons. Well, I've discovered an antidote: Go out and buy Mike Aquilina's Angels of God. And, while you're at it, have your library buy it too!

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: Angels of God: The Bible, the Church and the Heavenly Hosts
Author: Mike Aquilina
Publisher: Saint Anthony Messenger Press
Date Published: March 2009
ISBN-10: 0867168986
ISBN-13: 978-0867168983
Price: 12.99 (10.13 Amazon)
Comments: As the catalog says: forget the sweet-faced cherubs of popular culture, and brace yourself for a far more potent reality: powerful heavenly beings who play a significant role in the drama of your daily life. Our fellowship with the angels (says Aquilina) is “not an ornament on our religion; it’s a life skill.”

RUSSELL SHAW: “Angels of God is a learned, readable and ultimately inspiring account — based on Scripture, the teaching and worship of the Church, and the real-life experience of many individuals — of the role played by these heavenly friends of ours in God’s providential plan and in our lives. If you want to get to know your guardian angel, start here.”
MARCUS GRODI: “… by far one of the most thorough and helpful books I’ve ever read about angels. Michael’s book remains safely within the boundaries of Sacred Tradition and gives readers a clearer understanding of ourselves, in relation to God and his heavenly realm.”
FATHER T.G. MORROW: Everything you ever wanted to know about angels and never asked. Another big hit for Mike Aquilina.”

Online Summer School

Because there is just so much to write about regarding Homeschool Connections these days and because it has virtually taken over my personal blog, I started a Homeschool Connections blog. So, head over there right now and check it out.

I've posted all of the summer course offerings and you don't want to miss that (you'll need to do scroll down to see it all). They are amazingly cool, totally righteous, and mind-blowingly awesome. Really.

Oh, and please tell all your friends. (Courses are not restricted to homeschooled students.) You don't want great news like this to go unheard.

The instructors of the courses are Catholic college professors who are carving out time from their summers to serve Catholic high school students. I'm really excited about having these two gentleman teaching for Homeschool Connections.

We use webinar technology for our online courses. The students can see and hear the professor via a webcam and microphone. In turn, the students can communicate with the professor through the chat room or their own microphone. There is also a Power Point presentation that is viewable on the same screen. The kids love the technology.

Note that the courses are not so lofty as they sound -- both of these gentlemen have experience teaching high school students in addition to their college and adult students.

This is an awesome opportunity to keep teens engaged and learning over the summer. These particular courses have been designed for summer time with no or light homework. Also, all classes are recorded so if you're away on vacation for a week or two, and can't access the Internet, you can simpley watch the recorded event later. In fact, registered students have access to the recorded classes for 6 months. This is a great value for the price!

Quick Links:
Beowulf and Christ with Henry Russell, Ph.D
The Catholic Shakespeare: MacBeth with Henry Russell, Ph.D
The Space Trilogy and C. S. Lewis with Robert Gotcher, Ph.D
Catholic Living for Young People with Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Writing for College Preparatory with Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
Short Stories by J. R. R. Tolkien with Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.
The Mass Explained for Young People with Robert Gotcher, Ph.D.

Homeschooling Beowulf

Have you all missed me? Blogging has been quite light but I have a good reason. I've been scheduling summer school courses for you and your teens. You won't believe the awesome professors and course offerings Homeschool Connections has put together! I hope you're all up to keep the learning going over summer because you won't want to miss the seven online classes we'll be offering to you.

For now, I'm just going to share the first class since it starts in only two weeks. Yes, you heard that right -- only two weeks.

I'm swamped today with Michele's webinar Time Management for Moms, Fr. Pacwa's webinar tomorrow, and homeschooling the kids but I promise to have all the other courses posted within the next 24 hours.

In the meantime, here is the information on that first course:

Course Title:
Beowulf and Christ

Course Description:
This great mini epic will be explored as an allegory that teaches the Anglo-Saxon world how to transform pagan heroic ethos into a pattern for Christian heroism and how to re-envision blind Fate as Godly Providence. The Charles Kennedy translation is suggested. Be careful not to get a web version that cuts out the Christian elements. This is a book that lies behind J.R.R. Tolkien’s depiction of Edoras as well as the warlike virtues of Gondor. Suitable for any high school student who can read the poem and enjoy it. It is preferred that student have pre-read the poem before the first day of class. There will be no homework assigned for this course.

Professor's Biography:
Dr. Henry Russell is Headmaster of the St. Augustine's Homeschool Enrichment Program founded with his wife Crystal. The program began in Fall 2005 with 20 students in two living rooms and now tutors more than 70 students.

A graduate of Princeton and South Caroline (M.S.), Dr. Russell completed his graduate work at Louisiana State University.

Formerly the Chairman of Ave Maria College's Department of Literature, he has also been a professor at Franciscan University of Steubenville and Wake Forest University. He is a founding faculty member of the St. Robert Southwell Creative Wiiting Workshop held in Mahwah, New Jersey.

Dr. Russell's works include The Catholic Shakespeare Audio Series. He was the Associate Editor of The Formalist from 1990-2004 and his writings have been published in various journals. He was honored to edit Dr. Alice von Hildebrand's groundbreaking volume, The Privilege of Being a Woman.

Fee:
Four-week course for $60.

Dates and Time:
Classes will begin Monday, June 1, 2009 and meet every Monday through June 22, 2009. The time will begin 10:00 AM Eastern and end at 11:15 AM Eastern.

Enrollment Period:
Enrollment is currently open and will close when the class is filled. (Maximum 25 students.)

Course Materials:
Beowulf, preferable the Kennedy translation.

Equipment requirements:
Students are required to have high-speed internet and a headset with microphone. If you do not own a headset, you can find them for a reasonable price at Amazon.

Course Access:
All Homeschool Connections courses are recorded and available to registered students for up to six months.

If you want a peek at the other courses, here are the links. I'll post more detailed information soon.
http://tinyurl.com/catholicmacbeth
http://tinyurl.com/spacetrilogy
http://tinyurl.com/catholicliving
http://tinyurl.com/collegewriting
http://tinyurl.com/tolkienfairystories
http://tinyurl.com/massexplained

Prayerfully Approaching Organization and Planning

Wednesday's live webinar Homeschool Organization 102 was fantastic. The audience was great -- participating to the fullest, sharing their best tips, advice, and websites.

The event was recorded and you may view it for free at Homeschool Organization 102. Enjoy.

Thank you to the sponsors of this event who make it possible for Homeschool Connections to bring it to you for free:
Ecce Homo Press
Love 2 Learn
Living Math

On another, but similar note, one thing that I really need to remember to discuss in future organization webinars is the importance of prayer. I just read about a homeschool group that recently held a Day of Reflection for moms in preparation for planning the next school year. This is an awesome idea!

They developed a self-evaluation survey for the mothers to complete beforehand. They were to do so prayerfully, preferably in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The questions covered personal spirituality, successes and struggles from this year, and goals for the next year.

This is to be done before you sit down and plan for next year, to help put things in perspective, and is something they encouraged the mothers to take to their Holy Hours and spend several weeks completing. It was a tremendous blessing to all involved.

This is the Catholic homeschooling community working together at it's best. We are here to build one another up and support each other in our vocation.

You can read more here: Heart of a Mother: Day of Reflection for Homeschooling Mothers

Survey Monkey: Homeschool Connections Courses, Seminars, and Webinars for Students and Parents

Walter and I are spending the month of May scheduling courses, seminars, and free webinars through the end of 2009. We'd like your help if you don't mind. In fact, this is a great opportunity for you, as you will have a direct input on what we schedule.

Click Here to take survey

Our goal is to serve the homeschool community and prayerfully this survey will help us do just that. Please feel free to pass this link onto other homeschoolers.

Thank You

Thank you Mary Ellen for the kind words about the math and science webinar!

2009 Catholic New Media Awards

The 2009 Catholic Blog Awards are now the 2009 Catholic New Media Awards. They are currently taking nominations. Let them know about your favs.

What happened to the Catholic Blog Awards?

As Catholics we recognize that technology changes everyday - that includes the methods we use to evangelize others. The Catholic Blog Awards were created to recognize those who were using technology to further the cause of Jesus Christ. With this in mind it only seemed natural to progress to not only recognize blogs but podcasts and other forms of new media as well!

Nominating will take place the entire month of May and voting will take place the entire Month of June.

Would be great if they recognize webinars too!

Homeschooling Moms: I Will Survive

Home From New Jersey Safe and Sound

The New Jersey conference was wonderful. Even though I'm entering my fifteenth year of officially homeschooling (unofficially, my twentieth year since I figure I've been homeschooling since my first born left the womb) I still need that shot in the arm that you get from conferences. Just being in the same room with hundreds of Catholic homeschoolers gives me the reassurance I need to get through the next year.

Of course, I got to meet and chat with Danielle Bean, Susie Lloyd, Margot Davidson, and Rachel Watkins which was awesome. The Catholic homeschooling community is blessed with so many faithful and dedicated women that it really warms my soul, as well as humbles me. I heard that Danielle's talk was fabulous. I just went to the CHAPLET website to order her tape but I don't see them there for sale yet. I'll email the conference organizers for ordering information and let you all know how to do that. It's nice to have a few conference tapes in the car when you need a shot in the arm.

Also fun was meeting a few blog readers and webinar attendees (Hi Noelle!). It's neat to be able put names with faces. The biggest surprise was getting to visit with my friend MacBeth Derham. I had mentioned to MacBeth that I'd be at the conference but I didn't really expect her to come all the way from New York! It took me a minute or two to realize who she was as she stood there in front of my table. It was so unexpected.

The best may have been hanging out with my dear, old friend Monica. Old as in we've been friends for 13 years. Not old as in our age -- we're still very young. Well, at heart anyway. It was great to meet Monica's family for the first time as well as her menagerie of animals, including the indoor chicken. Though, somehow, I didn't get to meet the pet rats. What a shame.

Monica and I decided that CHAPLET should invite me back next year so I can fly in a few days early and I can see the sites. I have to go back at least so I can get my picture next to the Liberty Bell and eat real Philadelphia cheesesteak . . . and meet the pet rats. (Though the conference is in NJ, I flew into Philly.)

The only bad thing is that there just is never enough time to visit with all these great homeschoolers and friends. Well, there is one other bad thing -- one of the little people who live in my house misplaced my camera the day I left for the conference so I have no pictures to share with you. So, I guess I really do have to do this all over again next year!

PSN5: Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice

To read past library recommendations, or to join the email list, visit: Pope Saint Nicholas V.

Check to see if this title is already in your library's catalog. If it is, put a hold on it and check it out. If not, fill out a patron request form right away. This can usually be done online at your library's website.

Title: Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice
Author: Rev. Joseph F. Classen
Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor
Date Published: March 2009
ISBN-10: 1592764762
ISBN-13: 978-1592764761
Price: $14.95 Softcover (10.17 Amazon)
Review: (If you know of any online reviews of this book, please leave a comment and I'll put it here.)

Product Description:
When you read Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice . . . you ll [be] entertained by a master storyteller, an everyman who's dedicated his life to serving God.
-- Kathy Etling, Outdoor Author

Whether you are looking for a better understanding of nature, or a deeper understanding of God s plan as well as His love for us, I highly recommend Tracking Virtue, Conquering Vice.
-- Jay Houston, Author and Founder of The Outfitter Network and ElkCamp.com

Father Joe Classen, author of the popular Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord, will be your guide on a new expedition where deep love for the great outdoors and good humor intersect with spiritual truth, in a manner that will appeal to you regardless of your faith tradition.

Drawing upon a wealth of stories from his experience as a hunter and angler, Classen provides powerful and insightful connections between real life and God s plan. Whether he is connecting the dangers and pitfalls of the outdoors with the many obstacles that can derail your faith life or providing clues on tracking your own path through unchartered wilderness, Classen is an entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable guide in this must-have book for any sportsman or nature lover!

About the Author
Father Joseph Classen was ordained to the priesthood in 2003 and is serving in the St. Louis Archdiocese. Along with his priestly ministry, Fr. Classen is an accomplished and passionate outdoorsman, which was the inspiration for his first book, Hunting for God, Fishing for the Lord Encountering the Sacred in The Great Outdoors.

Celiac Disease and the Eucharist

The National Catholic Register did a very nice article on celiac disease and the Eucharist. They interviewed me because, as many of you already know, I have a son with celiac disease. I think the author did a very nice job.

When Gluten Won't Work

Something for all of us to reflect upon as we go to Mass today. How many of us take for granted the Body of Christ?

Christopher West: The Language of the Body

I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane

I'll be leaving in a few hours for the CHAPLET conference in New Jersey. I hope to see some of you there. Not only will I be there, but so will Danielle Bean, Susie Lloyd with her new book, Rachel Watkins of Little Flowers Girls Club, and Margot Davidson of mater et magistra.

There are a good number of Catholic homeschooling conferences this weekend. Please pray for all those attending, volunteering, speaking, traveling, and so on.

I will not have my computer with me so I'll be out of touch until Sunday. Though I did pre-post one more Christopher West YouTube for tomorrow. I hope you like these and I pray that Christopher and Ascension Press continue to make them. Theology of the Body may be the greatest gift given to us by Pope John Paul II.