Survey: Your Input on Catholic College Information

I need your input. Remember a few days ago I mentioned Catholic College Month? Well, the response has been terrific. I've been notified by a large number of good Catholic colleges and universities over the past few days who would like to participate.

Here's how you can help: I need to know what topics and what colleges you want to hear about. Please take a couple of minutes to complete this survey: Catholic College Webinars. There are only four questions to complete, but I can't tell you how much that would help everyone involved in this ever growing project. Please tell all your friends!

Thank you!

Catholic College Month Coming Up In October

One of the things I'm working on at Homeschool Connections (and keeping me from blogging) has been Catholic College Month. We're going to dedicate the month of October to free webinars to help Catholic parents and students with that ever scary topic of college. Well, scary for me at least. But I'm sure I'll be comfortable with it by the time I get to child five or six. Or, perhaps, after I attend all these wonderful free webinars!

I'm really excited to tell you that the very first college to sign up is Franciscan University in Steubenville. As you all know, I'm a bit partial to Steuby since my oldest son is an FUS student (Studying in Austria this year).

We also have Katherine O'Brien scheduled to give a webinar on navigating the financial waters. Now, this is THE scary topic for me but after talking to Katherine I understand the process better and am relieved to know there are people out there like her to help me. If you don't know Katherine, she owns a company called Celtic College Consultants in addition to being a Catholic homeschool mom. Very cool!

We have a number of Catholic colleges lining up to participate in Catholic College Month but we don't have dates set in stone yet. Until then, here are links and information on the FUS and Katherine webinars:

How to Pay for College Without Going Broke
http://tinyurl.com/affordcollege
Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, 8:30 PM Eastern
Presented by: Katherine O'Brien of Celtic College Consultants
http://www.celticcollegeconsultants.com/


Franciscan University of Steubenville Catholic? Absolutely! Typical? Not Even Close!
http://tinyurl.com/meetfus
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009, 3:00 PM Eastern
Presented by Margaret Weber and Joel Recznik of the Admissions Dept.
http://franciscan.edu/

What's the Best Preschool or Kindergarten Curriculum

"I need your help. I'm at my wits end looking for just the right curriculum for my girls!"

"How old are they?"

"3 and 5."

I can't tell you how many times I've had this discussion with new homeschoolers. The best homeschool wisdom I ever heard was from my friend Becky when she told me 15 or so years ago, "I don't do kindergarten."

Since those early years, I've grown more and more fond of the Better Late than Early philosophy. As a homeschooler, I do not strive to imitate school. Instead I strive to instill a love of learning in my children that will live well into their adult years.

With that in mind, I try to keep learning as natural as possible in those early years. My experience has been that putting a 3 or 4 year old down at a table with formal lessons backfires in the long run. Oh, they may learn to read at an early age but are you killing their natural desire to explore and learn on their own? I think so.

It's been a lot of years since I read the Moores' book on this subject but, if I recall correctly, studies show that early learning does not translate into academic success later on. They maintain that it is better to wait until 8 or even 10 to begin formal studies. It is enough that they are in a loving and supportive home.

That doesn't mean that you chuck education and watch TV all day. Instead, I think, it means creating an educational yet inviting environment in your home. In those preschool and kindergarten years we just play and explore leaving formal schooling for later. We focus on the joy of discovery.

For example, instead of formal reading lessons I might naturally introduce letter sounds when sitting on the floor building blocks with my littles. "Oh, look! An "M" that says mmm like Mommy." Or we might count/add/subtract blocks in place of a math book. Instead of a science program, walks in the woods or park and observing animal and plant life.

I read aloud a lot so that when we do get around to formal phonics lessons, they are so in love with the written word that they are excited about reading lessons so they can read their own books. Think Charlotte Mason and living books.

I try to make learning an enjoyable and natural process. For preschool that means lots of play at our house. And kids do learn a lot at play. They learn to share, follow rules, logic, small & large motor skills and more.

Does it work? There have been times over the years when I've wondered whether my pedagogical approach was too off the wall. But now that I have adult children, I doubt it far less. Look at my oldest son. I didn't begin formal science lessons with him until high school. Up until then science was real books, exploring, nature studies, etc. Yet, he scored a perfect ACT score in science. A 36 out of 36. He is definitely an example of a Better Late than Early child. He did not take off reading until he was 10. And yet again he did great on his ACT -- a 35 out of 36 in reading.

So, if you're totally stressing over just the right curriculum for your 6-year old, take a deep breath, grab a ball and head out to the park to play with her.

2009 Steubenville Youth Conference

My teens and many of their friends have attended these conferences sponsored by Franciscan University of Steubenville. The kids love them; they are absolutely amazing. My teens come home totally on fire about all things Jesus and all things Catholic. Not only are they life changing but loads and loads of fun. Just watch the YouTube and you can see the joy in the faces of the kids.

Franciscan University offers these youth conferences all over the country throughout the summer. For more information visit: Franciscan Youth Outreach. See if your parish or a nearby parish is organizing a bus. If not, then why not organize your own group?

Notre Dame and Alumni Donations

There has been a lot said over the past week about President Obama's acceptance of Notre Dame's invitation to speak at graduation and accept an honorary doctorate. Therefore, I won't bore you with my own rantings. I will however offer some suggestions on how to spend your money in light of the controversy.

A good number of alumni and others have publicly stated that they will withhold future donations to Notre Dame University in protest. May I suggest that you give that money to another Catholic university or college?

Of course, my favorite is Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. Having seen firsthand the Catholic culture that permeates the FUS campus, I'd love to see Franciscan flooded with donations earmarked for tuition reduction and scholarships so that other families can send their children there. I am happy to say that my son is getting a rock solid education, has access to sports, and most importantly has his soul well cared for at Franciscan. You can donate online or mail donations to: 1235 University Blvd., Steubenville, OH 43952

Even if you don't give to Notre Dame, go ahead and send Steubie a check. Send a message to Notre Dame by flooding faithful universities with your donations. It'll speak volumes. Trust me.

Here are a few other Catholic universities worth your dollar:

• Ave Maria University (Florida)
• Belmont Abbey College (North Carolina)
• Christendom College (Virginia)
• John Paul the Great University (California)
• Magdalen College (New Hampshire)
• Thomas Aquinas College (California)
• Thomas More College (New Hampshire)
• University of Dallas (Texas)
• University of St. Thomas (Texas)
• Wyoming Catholic College (Wyoming)

And feel free to suggest other Catholic institutions of higher learning in the comments that I've missed.

Also, even more important, pray. Pray for the conversion of Barack Obama. Pray that our president will come to recognize the sanctity of Life from conception to natural death. And pray for Fr. Jenkins and Notre Dame University.

Spring Break

Christian is coming home today for spring break and I'm so excited. It's funny how much you miss them when they go away to college. Even if they are just one of seven.

This is an interesting season in a mother's life. I have a child with one foot at home and the other out the door. Every time he comes home from Steuby he's more grown up and yet he is still my little guy. Yes, he's over 6 feet tall but I still think of him as the one who snuggled in my lap, whose tears I dried, whose boyhood joys I've shared, whose dreams I've tried to make come true. When I see him tonight I will see a man child. An adult who is making his own decisions, fulfilling his own dreams, yet is still dependent upon his parents. Yes, it is an interesting season in my life but then again it is an interesting season his life too.

Facebook, Cats, and Straws

Facebook is a great way to keep up with friends and family. For example, I read on my kid's Facebook yesterday, "Christian resuscitated a dead cat with a STRAW."

Ahh, the life of a Franciscan University nursing student.

Famous Singers and College Towns

Did you know that a famous crooner is from Steubenville. They even have a street named after him. Leave your guess in the comments and I'll let you know if you're right.

Male Nursing Student Numbers

The female - male ratio at Steubie for nursing students is 12-1. Of the 60 students in Christian's pre-nursing program, 5 are men. If my nursing student son ends up in the priesthood instead of the married life, I will be able to honestly say that it was meant to be!

Send Your Young Men to Franciscan University

Christian tells me the female to male ratio at FUS is 4 - 1. Four to one! If you're a guy looking for just the right girl, Steuby may be just the place for you!

Franciscan Students for Life

Christian is part of this group (you can see him at about 1:10) at FUS. The students go to Pittsburgh on Saturdays to pray in front of an abortion clinic. As one who has lead a teen pro-life group and prayed with them in front of clinics, I was really touched by this short video. It gives one so much hope to see those teens grow up into young adults and carry on the mission of promoting the sanctity of life. And on their own. I'm really proud of Franciscan Students for Life.

The Dating Scene at Franciscan University

Steuby students also have too much time on their hands, as well as a good sense of humor.



Hat tip: My kid

Steubie U, Scott Hahn and Bible Study

Christian writes:

"Scott Hahn has a bible study on Sunday nights"

I want to go to Steubie! Why do the kids get to have all the fun?

Common Steuby Names

Can you guess what the most common girl's name is at Franciscan University in Steubenville? How about the most common boy's name? Guess and then check the comments for the answer.

Tears of Joy and Sorrow

Our weekend at Franciscan University Steubenville was one filled with joy and sorrow.

The accidental death of Kelly Roggensack on the previous Tuesday was felt throughout the campus. We of course prayed for her during the masses and she was remembered at many of the presentations we attended. Franciscan is special in that it is a small university and it is immersed in spirituality. The death of a student there is felt deeply by the entire community. Tears were shed in sadness for her loss and yet, as Christians, a certain joy that she will be joining our Heavenly Father.

And amongst the tears for Kelly were tears of mothers and fathers leaving their children behind. Tears of joy as we were all leaving our children in good hands. We left them in a place where they will be fed spiritually, academically, and physically. But there were also tears of sadness as we will miss our children. They have taken that first real step into the world of grownups. We won't be there to help iron out their problems, remind them to eat their vegetables, or make sure they keep their rooms tidy.

Almost nineteen years of mothering was left on the doorstep of Francis Hall. Hopefully, I gave him a strong enough foundation upon which he can build a life that is fulfilling to him and pleasing to God.

For the record, I did turn out to be the Rock of Gibraltar after all. I didn't break down into a river of tears as predicted by all my friends and family. Though I should admit it is only because I did not speak when it came time to say goodbye. When Christian told me goodbye, I only nodded. As he walked away and looked back to say goodbye again, I only waved. If I had opened my mouth, I wouldn't have been able to stop the tears to make the 5-hour drive home.

Franciscan Spirituality

The Seven Basic Franciscan Values

1. Conversion to and love of Jesus Christ, His Gospel and His Church.

2. A Christocentric theology accenting the primacy of love.

3. An Incarnational emphasis as seen in the crib, cross and the Eucharist, and our Lady’s participation in this mystery.

4. Lived experience of the Triune God in prayer and contemplation.

5. Hope, optimism and the goodness of God and His creatures.

6. Fraternity and peace through Reconciliation with Christ and one another.

7. Solidarity, as lesser brothers and sisters, with, among and in service to the Poor.

Nuns, Dolls, and Little Girls

If you are a sweet little girl all of 8-years old and you play with and love on your St. Therese doll everywhere you go, you are sure to attract the attention of every nun within a mile.

Yesterday, Princess Rose was feeling a little under the weather and so, in an effort to raise her spirits, I bought her a one of those soft dolls, Faith Filled Friends. I had promised a souvenir anyway and she was so very excited to receive the gift. She held onto that doll all day with dear life. Between St. Therese and Tylenol, Princess got through the busy day of getting her brother settled into college without serious incident.

The neat part is that the doll made Princess a nun magnate. They'd see her clutching onto that doll and couldn't resist asking for a peek. Each was thrilled to find out that they only at to go to the university bookstore to find one of their own. I think we met and visited with every nun on campus, and that's a good number. In fact, Princess is now the pen pal of a Franciscan sister.

The admiration was mutual. We happened to sit in front of a group of nuns in Mass yesterday. Princess could not keep her eyes off of them. I finally gave up on reminding her to turn around and listen to the bishop. She was mesmerized. She has declared, without a doubt, "I'm going to be a nun when I grow up!"

Inspiration in Preparing for College

In visiting Vive Christus Rex, I found this letter from Msgr. James McDonald, the Rector of The Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, NY. It was published in the church bulletin a few years back to young people going off to college. For those of us sending kids off to college this weekend, it is perfectly timed. Email to your kids if you already dropped them off.

Dear Friends:

There will be a lot of high school graduations this weekend and many of our Catholic High Schools have already conducted theirs. Now there is that last summer at home and the preparation for the big move in late August or early September. I thought in this letter I would like to talk realistically to our new graduates and soon-to-be freshmen. You have serious responsibilities to yourself and your parents and certainly to Christ.

Those of you who are going away will be entering a far different world. You will have to make adjustments and compromises with roommates; in short you will have to learn to live with people other than members of your own family. Some of these people may be great but others can be annoying and definitely unpleasant. I'm hoping that you get a roommate who is a decent, considerate human being. And by the way, be that kind of roommate yourself. You represent your family and all the values you have been taught in your home.

That very different world of college has very definite moral problems. Often enough, the atmosphere is poisoned by immorality. Practically every school considers itself a big drinking school and there is enormous pressure to fit in with an established pattern of drinking that is a considered a part of college life. Don't! Any dope can be a drunk in college - it takes no ability and is an indication of a lack of moral backbone.

Drunkenness kills and if it doesn't do that immediately, it destroys lives through the tragedy of alcoholism. You are a follower of Jesus Christ and not a follower of the world. Be different! You will find others who share your same point of view.

The sixth commandment, which forbids all sexual activity outside of marriage, is not suspended by God during the four years of college. No matter how lonely you may feel or romantically inclined you may be, you are expected to be a living image of Christ at all times. Your parents brought you up with distinct and definite moral values. Please don't disappoint them! Happy marriages do not begin with college immorality.

You have a definite responsibility to go to Mass each and every Sunday or Saturday evening. I'm counting on you to go even if an awful lot of others don't. I urge you to participate in the campus ministry program and make yourself known to the chaplain. Help prepare for Mass if you are fortunate enough to have Mass on campus. Try to participate in the ministry programs. You should meet some wonderful people there.

Finally, you are in college to study. Do it! And, oh yes, use that cell phone to call mom and dad very, very frequently. They will be missing you more than you'll ever know.

In Jesus and Mary, Monsignor James M. McDonald

We Made It to Steuby

As we walked into J C Williams Hall, Princess Rose lit up like a Christmas tree and exclaimed, "Mama, Mama, they have nuns here!" Later in the cafeteria, we would sit and chat with a sweet Franciscan sister who asked Princess Rose to commit to pray for her. Sister also promised to pray for us. Princess Rose, all decked out btw in her Princess in Disguise T-shirt, was in Heaven.

I think the nuns who have given up their habits have done a great disservice to little girls everywhere. Princess would've missed out on a good bit of joy had yesterday's sisters been in everyday pantsuits. She also would've missed out on a good prayer opportunity.

Princess late into the evening told me, "I want to go to school at Steuby. The people here are so nice!"

On a previous visit, Buster shared that he would also like to call FUS home someday. Though his reasons are different from Princess, being he's a 12-year=old boy as opposed to an 8-year-old girl. Oh yes, his reason is so much more mature. From the horse's mouth, "I'm going to school here! The cafeteria is awesome!" Yes, Steuby got to his heart through his stomach.

Move-in day went well. Things were so well organized. We pulled up to the front of the hall and a horde of students appeared, ready to take all our boxes up to the room. We didn't have to carry a single thing. Well, except for the two boxes that got sent to the wrong room. But that wasn't so bad as it still saved us a flight of stairs.

Christian got everything unpacked and organized pretty quickly, but then there wasn't much to unpack. It's dorm life -- 100 square feet of living space. You don't want to bring too much. In fact, Christian and his roommate Dustin are planning on turning the beds into a bunk bed to free up space. Maybe they'll be able to even hang their legs off the sides of the bed then.

I had the chance to chat briefly, very briefly, with Father Scanlan. He is such a sweet man. I could see right away how his leadership, along with God's intervention, brought this school back to life all those years ago.

Well, I must get my day going here. There are lots of planned activities plus we have a scheduling snafu and few other little problems to iron out.

Oh, in case you're wondering, I haven't broke down in tears yet. Though my eyes did well up a wee bit when we first pulled up to the school and the enthusiastic students greeting us exclaimed, "Welcome to Franciscan University!" Yes, I'm like the Rock of Gibraltar.

Almost On Our Way

Christian and I leave for Steuby in the morning. The car is all packed and everything. My car is acting up, so I used my negotiating skills to get a deal on a rental (half price and unlimited miles!). We'll be going in style. It even has a CD player so we got a BOT from the library to listen to on the long drive.

I had it all set in my mind that there would be no tears. Then my sister sent this email to me today:

Have fun tomorrow Maureen. Just soak in everything. The way he looks, the room,
the weather. Really imprint the memory. Trust me you'll need it. I love you!!
You've done good. Now you can only pray. I am thinking of you. Blessings Chrissy

Gosh, just cutting and pasting it is making my eyes well up. Guess I better grab a box of Kleenex on my way out the door after all.

Please pray for our safe travel.