Explore every episode of the podcast Scholé Sisters: Camaraderie for Classical Homeschooling Mamas
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| SS #182: Towards a Philosophy of Busyness | 06 Nov 2026 | 01:07:49 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss busyness. Is it always bad? Is it a good thing? How can we know? Let's talk about it! You're going to love this conversation! *** Our fall mentorship is going on NOW inside the Scholé Sistership. This year's mentorship is a little different from past years. We've created a whole Scholé Every Day course that you will LOVE! Think of it as a companion to our book that digs into all the practical questions you have had. We're also leading you through one of our favorite books, The Intellectual Life by AG Sertillanges. Come and study with us! Go to scholesisters.com/join and select the Sophie plan. *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss182 Buy our book: https://amzn.to/4yg00zr Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #181: To a Thousand Generations (with Johann Kurtz!!) | 23 Oct 2026 | 00:49:27 | |
Our guest today is Johann Kurtz. Mr. Kurtz is a legacy adviser and succession strategist, helping individuals and families arrange their affairs towards lasting good. His Substack, Becoming Noble, covers philosophy, theology, and history and is a bestseller read by tens of thousands each week. We highly recommend his book, Leaving a Legacy: Inheritance, Charity, & Thousand-Year Families. In today's episode, Mystie and Brandy talk with Johann Kurtz about what power women may have in handing a rich heritage down to their children. You're going to love this conversation! *** Our fall mentorship is starting NOW inside the Scholé Sistership. This year's mentorship is a little different from past years. We've created a whole Scholé Every Day course that you will LOVE! Think of it as a companion to our book that digs into all the practical questions you have had. We're also leading you through one of our favorite books, The Intellectual Life by AG Sertillanges. Come and study with us! Go to scholesisters.com/join and select the Sophie plan. *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss180 Buy our book: https://amzn.to/4yg00zr Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #180: Pusillanimity: The Unpronounceable Vice Holding You Back | 02 Oct 2026 | 00:57:10 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the vice of pusillanimity (and remind each other how you say it). Are we being held back (or holding our children back) due to a false humility or fear? Let's talk about it! You're going to love this conversation! *** Registration is still open for our annual fall retreat! Come and join us for the first installment of our new virtue series. We will be talking all about the virtue of PRUDENCE. Register now at scholesisters.com/prudence . *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss180 Buy our book: https://amzn.to/4yg00zr Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #179: Scrappy Adulthood (with Hans Winckler!!) | 21 Sep 2026 | 01:01:25 | |
Our guest today is Mystie's eldest son, Hans Winckler! Hans is a father of two, has been married to his wife Faith for 3 years, and works in real estate sales ... all in spite of being a college dropout. In today's episode, Mystie and Brandy talk with Hans about adult life without a bachelor's degree. Is it possible to be successful in life without one? You're going to love this conversation! *** Registration is still open for our annual fall retreat! Come and join us for the first installment of our new virtue series. We will be talking all about the virtue of PRUDENCE. Register now at scholesisters.com/prudence . *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss179 Buy our book: https://amzn.to/4yg00zr Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #178: Diversity is Not Your Co-op Strength | 04 Sep 2026 | 01:11:16 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy talk straight about diversity. We are told again and again that diversity is our strength, but what if diversity is actually undermining the success of your co-op? You're going to love this conversation! *** Registration is still open for our annual fall retreat! Come and join us for the first installment of our new virtue series. We will be talking all about the virtue of PRUDENCE. Register now at scholesisters.com/prudence . *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss178 Buy our book: https://amzn.to/4yg00zr Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #177: Build Real-Life Community (with Hayley Beck!!) | 31 Jul 2026 | 00:38:15 | |
Our special guest today is someone whose name you may know: Hayley Beck. Hayley was born and raised in Australia, and has been married to her husband, Randy, for 28 years. They lived in California for the first 23 years of their marriage. She and Brandy became real life friends back in 2012 when Hayley attended Brandy's Charlotte Mason book club. These days, the Becks live in Montana with their 7 children. Hayley has been the administrative assistant for Scholé Sisters for, well, we don't know how long exactly, but since at least 2018. In today's episode, Abby and Brandy sit down with Hayley to discuss group retreats, why we encourage them so much, and how sometimes you have to just do it. You're going to love this conversation! *** Registration is now open for our annual fall retreat at Early Bird prices! Come and join us for the first installment of our new virtue series. We will be talking all about the virtue of PRUDENCE. Early bird pricing ends of August 17 so register now http://scholesisters.com/prudence . *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss177 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #176: Prudence: Queen of the Virtues | 17 Jul 2026 | 00:48:22 | |
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy introduce the new virtue series of retreats, why we're doing it, and why we're beginning with the virtue of prudence. We also explain why the annual retreat is so awesome! You're going to love this conversation! *** Registration is now open for our annual fall retreat at Early Bird prices! Come and join us for the first installment of our new virtue series. We will be talking all about the virtue of PRUDENCE. Early bird pricing ends of August 17 so register now http://scholesisters.com/prudence . *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss176 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #175: Real Human Wisdom in an AI World (with Cindy Rollins!!) | 22 May 2026 | 01:09:16 | |
Our special guest today is the one and only Cindy Rollins! Cindy homeschooled her nine children for over 30 years using Charlotte Mason's timeless ideas from the beginning. She is the author of Mere Motherhood: Morning Time, Nursery Rhymes, and My Journey Toward Sanctification and others, including Morning Time: A Liturgy of Love and her latest Beyond Mere Motherhood: Moms Are People Too. She hosts The New Mason Jar Podcast and runs an active discipleship group at patreon.com/cindyrollins. Her heart's desire is to encourage moms. She lives in her mostly empty nest in the Lexington, Ky area with her husband Tim. She loves interacting with her 18 grandchildren. In addition to a social media presence on both Facebook and Instagram, you can find Cindy and her newsletter, Over the Back Fence, at her website: https://morningtimeformoms.com/ In today's episode, the Scholé Sisters talk with Cindy Rollins about artificial intelligence, its dangers and how to avoid them, and also how to interact with it prudently. You're going to love this conversation! *** It's just about time for our annual Scholé Sisters Summer Swag!!! This year is an especially good year. If you are a Sophie-level member of the Sistership continuously throughout all the summer months, you will receive a Scholé Sisters book bag! Make sure you get yours by becoming a member at scholesisters.com/join. *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss175 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #174: Machine Culture | 08 May 2026 | 01:11:55 | |
Today's episode is a conversation about machine culture a la Paul Kingsnorth's book Against the Machine, but we managed to tie it to government funded homeschooling and online learning. It was a wild ride. You're going to love this conversation! *** John Muir Laws — artist, author, and nature enthusiast — is teaching our Spring Training Sessions this year. Come join us and embrace the practice of nature notebooks for every age. The first session was this week and it was AMAZING. You can get the replay and then join us live for Session 2 on May 12th. Come and develop some skills that will help you forge a deeper connection with creation. Go register now at scholesisters.com/nature *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss174 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #173: Think for Yourself | 24 Apr 2026 | 01:17:04 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the importance of independent thought (versus depending on gurus, for example). You're going to love this conversation! *** John Muir Laws — artist, author, and nature enthusiast — is teaching the Scholé Sisters Spring Training Sessions this year. Come join us and embrace the practice of nature notebooks for every age. Session 1 is on May 5th at 12:30 pm Pacific and will cover nature notebooks with children. Session 2 is the next week on May 12th at the same time and will cover nature notebooks for teens and adults. Come and develop some skills that will help you forge a deeper connection with creation. Go register now: scholesisters.com/nature *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss173 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #172: Maximize Motivation (with Dr. Ben Merkle!!) | 10 Apr 2026 | 00:54:29 | |
Today's guest is Dr. Ben Merkle! Dr. Merkle is the President of New Saint Andrew's College. He has served as a minister at Christ Church, Moscow and also a part-time campus minister with Collegiate Reformed Fellowship, a campus ministry of Christ Church. Dr. Merkle is the author of The White Horse King: The Life of Alfred the Great. Mystie and Brandy decided they need to ask Dr. Merkle whether New Saint Andrew's College is hard on purpose and whether that counterintuitively provides a lot of motivation for young men (and develops initiative). You're going to love this conversation! *** The Sistership's annual Spring Training Sessions are coming up soon, which means now is the time to upgrade your membership from the free level to the Sophie level. This year's coach is none other than John Muir Laws who will be talking with us about all things nature study and nature journalling. It's going to be amazing. Spring Training can be bought separately, but more importantly (and more affordably!) it is included as part of our Sophie membership level. Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up! *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss172 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #171: The Vice of Envy | 20 Mar 2026 | 01:14:00 | |
Today's episode is a continuation of our ongoing conversation about vices – about the seven deadly sins. We're using the chapter of Rebecca Deyoung's book Glittering Vices to discuss ENVY. You're going to love this conversation! *** Have you bought the Scholé Sisters' new book, Scholé Every Day yet? It is getting great reviews. If you are trying to get a book club off the ground, make this book your first reading assignment because convincing moms that it's okay to read — that they should be reading and thinking — is a large part of what the book does. Scholé Every Day will help cultivate the passion for reading that you want to see in your book club members. Go here to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Scholé-Every-Day-How-Thinking/dp/B0FRHPS3R5/ *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss171 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #170: Saturation Love | 06 Mar 2026 | 01:09:04 | |
Today, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the essay "Saturation Love" by Jim Wilson. And yes! They remembered to discuss the tough questions that naturally arise when reading the essay. You're going to love this conversation! *** Have you bought the Scholé Sisters' new book, Scholé Every Day yet? It is getting great reviews. If you are trying to get a book club off the ground, make this book your first reading assignment because convincing moms that it's okay to read — that they should be reading and thinking — is a large part of what the book does. Scholé Every Day will help cultivate the passion for reading that you want to see in your book club members. Go here to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Scholé-Every-Day-How-Thinking/dp/B0FRHPS3R5/ *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss170 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #169: Our 10th Anniversary Extravaganza (with Sarah Mackenzie and Pam Barnhill!!) | 20 Feb 2026 | 01:23:22 | |
Our guests today are our dear friends Sarah Mackenzie and Pam Barnhill! Sarah is the author of Teaching from Rest and The Read-Aloud Family. She's the host of the Read-Aloud Revival podcast, which has been downloaded 16 million times in more than 167 countries. She makes her home in the Northwest with her family, where she reads, homeschools, and runs Waxwing Books, a boutique publishing house dedicated to making timeless read-alouds. Pam is an award-winning educator and homeschooling mom who has helped thousands of families simplify their homeschool without sacrificing relationships. She is the author of Better Together: Strengthen Your Family, Simplify Your Homeschool, and Savor the Subjects that Matter Most and Plan Your Year: Homeschool Planning for Purpose and Peace. You may remember her from her many years cohosting this very podcast! You may have surmised from today's lineup that this is the 10th anniversary episode you've been waiting for! Pam and Sarah are here to reminisce with us and share with you the scoop on how Scholé Sisters came into being in the first place. You're going to love this conversation! *** We encourage you to go and join the free area of our Sistership community where you can discuss ideas with your friends just like we were doing over a decade ago. Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up! *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss169 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #168: Your Child is Behind? | 06 Feb 2026 | 01:09:33 | |
Welcome back! Today is the beginning of our spring season and we're kicking off with a discussion on being behind – how do we know if our child is behind? Some say being behind isn't even a thing! And is it important to have standards? Can't my child just develop at his own pace? You're going to love this conversation! *** It's our birthday and we're giving you presents! Come join us in the Scholé Sistership ASAP because we have a giveaway every day of the week leading up to our 10th anniversary episode. You could win sticker packs, Scholé Sisters T-shirts — even a copy of the most-mentioned book from all of our episodes so far. The Scholé Sisters podcast began in February of 2016 and we think 10 years is a pretty big accomplishment. Come and celebrate with us! Just go to https://www.scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** Go here to access today's show notes: https://www.scholesisters.com/ss168 Go here to join the FREE area of the Sistership: https://www.scholesisters.com/sistership/ | |||
| SS #167: The Causes of Christmas | 12 Dec 2025 | 01:03:40 | |
Today's episode is what you've been waiting for. That's right! It's our annual Christmas episode. This time, we used a different approach, talking through aspects of Christmas and celebration using Aristotle's Four Causes. You're going to love this conversation! *** Our new book — Scholé Every Day — is now out and available! If you want to help us promote it, head on over to Amazon and buy it ASAP — early sales are important on Amazon! Also, leaving a positive review is always appreciated. If you want to discuss the book, head over to the Sistership – just go to scholesisters.com/join and start a conversation thread. *** Click here to access today's show notes. Click here to join the FREE area of the Sistership.
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| SS #166: Artificial Intelligence (with Jami Marstall!!) | 21 Nov 2025 | 01:22:06 | |
Our guest today is Jami Marstall. Jami has been homeschooling for almost 20 years with Charlotte Mason's rich, living methods. She and her husband John have four children, three of whom have graduated. Jami is not particularly looking forward to homeschool retirement when her youngest graduates. She firmly believes that mothers are born persons and have minds which hunger for ideas too! Her personal reading stack usually includes works of educational philosophy, history, biography, literary classics, and a detective novel. In this episode, Abby, Jami, and Brandy discuss AI – yes, Artificial Intelligence. We talk about cheating in co-ops and what is lost as a person and as a community when you substitute a machine's work for your own work. You're going to love this conversation! *** The release date for new upcoming book Scholé Every Day is THIS TUESDAY, November 25th!! That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book . *** | |||
| SS #165: Book Club Joy | 07 Nov 2025 | 00:58:30 | |
This is the fall episode recorded each year at the retreat. As usual, the Scholé Sisters apologize for the decline in sound quality. They feel like it is worth it that they get to record all togheter in the same room! Today they're talking about all the nitty gritty details of book club. You're going to love this conversation! *** The Scholé Sisters fall mentorship — Feminism Detox — kicked off on Monday October 27th. It's not too late to join! Participants are reading three books together and discussing them in a variety of ways — there are discussion threads where you write out your thoughts, Faculty of Friends gatherings where Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss themes and others participate in the chat, and zoom-style meetups where everyone gets a chance to chime in. The Scholé Sisters mentorships are always a rich experience. Join in by becoming a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join *** The expected release date for our upcoming book Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #164: Teaching Courage | 24 Oct 2025 | 01:05:28 | |
Today's episode is a continuation of our ongoing discussion of virtues and vices. Brandy, Mystie, and Abby contend that if classical education is supposed to form virtue, courage and fortitude have to be covered. What does THAT look like? Listen up because they talk all about it! You're going to love this conversation! *** Are you ready for the Scholé Sisters fall mentorship? The new mentorship — Feminism Detox — kicks off on Monday October 27th. We're reading three books together and discussing them in a variety of ways — there are discussion threads where you write out your thoughts, Faculty of Friends gatherings where Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss themes and you participate in the chat, and zoom-style meetups where all participants get a chance to chime in. Our mentorships are always a rich experience. Join in by becoming a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join *** The expected release date for our upcoming book Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #163: You Should Have an Opinion on These Things | 03 Oct 2025 | 01:04:17 | |
Charlotte Mason says our young adult daughters ought to develop their opinions rather than being tossed around by circumstance or culture. Ought a well-raised young lady have an opinion? Brandy, Abby, and Mystie are here to discuss it! You're going to love this conversation! *** Don't forget to register for our annual retreat! There are many possibilities: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to our zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction, or host or attend an in-person local retreat and enjoy discussion in real life with women from your local community. Either way, you'll find this year's topic inspiring! Just go to scholesisters.com/curriculum to register. *** The expected release date for our upcoming book Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #162: Classical Preschool: Gymnastic | 18 Sep 2025 | 01:09:01 | |
Is classical preschool even a thing?? In today's episode, Abby, Mystie and Brandy talk about gymnastic and explain how you can start training the body in the preschool years. You're going to love this conversation! *** Don't forget to register for our annual retreat! There are many possibilities: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to our zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction, or host or attend an in-person local retreat and enjoy discussion in real life with women from your local community. Either way, you'll find this year's topic inspiring! Just go to scholesisters.com/curriculum to register. *** The expected release date for Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #161: Feminism Detox (Announcing the Fall Mentorship!!) | 05 Sep 2025 | 01:01:18 | |
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are discussing feminism and the view of women found in Herman Bavinck's book The Christian Family. You're going to love this conversation! *** Don't forget to register for our annual online local retreat! There are many possibilities: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to our zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction, or host an in-person local group and enjoy discussion in real life with women from your local community. Either way, you'll find this year's topic inspiring! Just go to scholesisters.com/curriculum to register. *** The expected release date for Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #160: We Did a Thing (Announcing Our Book!!) | 08 Aug 2025 | 00:44:12 | |
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are announcing a secret project they've been working on for over a year. It's pretty exciting!! *** Don't forget to register for our annual online local retreat! There are many possibilities: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to our zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction, or host an in-person local group and enjoy discussion in real life with women from your local community. Either way, you'll find this year's topic inspiring! Just go to scholesisters.com/curriculum to register. *** The expected release date for Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** | |||
| SS #159: Curriculum Is More Than Something You Buy | 25 Jul 2025 | 01:03:44 | |
In today's episode, Abby, Mystie, and Brandy are geeking out about curriculum, which is the topic of this year's annual retreat. Did you know? Curriculum is something you buy, and also something you can't buy. You're going to love this conversation! *** Today is the day! We are opening early bird registration for our annual online local retreat. This retreat is one of our favorite things in the whole world. There are many possibilities: watch live in the comfort of your home and get access to zoom room discussion groups for fruitful interaction, or host an in-person local group and enjoy discussion in real life with women from your local community. Either way, you'll find this year's topic inspiring! Just go to scholesisters.com/curriculum to register. *** | |||
| SS #158: Postmodernism Wants Your Kids | 23 May 2025 | 01:15:24 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy explain exactly why they chose this topic for the 2025 Spring Training Sessions and why they think it's important for us to prepare our kids for the world we're launching them into. You're going to love this conversation! *** The annual Scholé Sisters Spring Training just happened, and replays are now available! Dr. Glenn Sunshine did a great job teaching us about the disenchantment and renchantment of the world around us. Coming up on Tuesday, June 4th at noon Pacific, we are having a live meetup to discuss what we learned from Spring Training. Our annual Spring Training is always included in the Sophie level Sistership membership. Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #157: Reward Systems in Sunday School? | 09 May 2025 | 01:14:25 | |
In today's episode, Brandy, Mystie, and Abby revisit the topic of rewards and prize systems – specifically what to do when one is implemented at church. This was a chance to try and apply our principles to a real life situation where we don't want to be perfectionists and we DO want to be peacemakers. You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time! Our annual spring training is coming up in just a couple weeks and you do NOT want to miss it! Dr. Glenn Sunshine will talk with us about the Resurrection of the Enchanted World. In session 1, Dr. Sunshine will explain how the world was disenchanted – how we lost a supernatural worldview. In session 2, Dr. Sunshine will describe how the world is being reenchanted (whether we like how that's happening or not) and what the Bible has to say about it all. Our annual Spring Training is always included in the Sophie level Sistership membership. Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #156: Wonderfully Inconvenient Motherhood (with JoAnn Hallum!!) | 25 Apr 2025 | 01:21:44 | |
Our guest today is JoAnn Hallum! JoAnn is a first-generation homeschooler from the Central Valley of California who has been teaching her four boys for about 10 years. She loves to read and to tell people at parties they should read Charles Dickens. With a fine art degree in Printmaking, she discovered she loved writing when she became a stay-at-home mom. She now writes on Substack and Instagram, and sometimes Commonplace Quarterly. Her extracurricular activities include serving on the board for her local Youth Orchestra, hosting a local Nature Club, and hunting for used books. You can find her as funnyostrich on Instagram or under her name, JoAnnHallum, on Substack. In today's conversation, Abby, JoAnn, and Brandy talk about the inconveniences of mothering teenagers and what a wonderful blessing it is. You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time! Our annual spring training is coming up in just a few weeks and you do NOT want to miss this! We are having Dr. Glenn Sunshine on to talk with us about the Resurrection of the Enchanted World. In session 1, Dr. Sunshine will talk about how the world was disenchanted –how we lost a supernatural worldview. In session 2, Dr. Sunshine will talk about how the world is being reenchanted (whether we like how that's happening or not) and what the Bible has to say about it all. Our annual Spring Training is always included in the Sophie level Sistership membership. Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #155: Improving Conversation | 11 Apr 2025 | 01:12:01 | |
Today's episode is a discussion about conversation. Or maybe it's a conversation about discussion?? No matter, the point is that Isaac Watts has some helpful advice for us if we want to have fruitful interactions with others. You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! Next week, we're hosting a live workshop with Elsie Iudicello on a white board tool called Closing Board that is as scrappy as homeschool can get – it's the tool you never knew you needed. To attend the workshop, and so much more, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #154: Discussion is Part of a Classical Education (with Everett Vencel!!) | 28 Mar 2025 | 01:10:29 | |
Our guest today is Brandy's son, Everett Vencel. Everett recently graduated from New College Franklin and now works as an audiovisual engineer at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church and as a personal assistant to the owner of a water heater company. In his spare time, he reads anything he can get his hands on and is studying Information technology. He and his wife, Emily, are expecting their first baby in June. Today's conversation is all about DISCUSSION. What place (if any) should it have in a classical education? What are some common objections to using discussion in the classroom? You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! The live replay of the workshop Abby did with Jami Marstall on teaching literature co-op classes for teenagers was absolutely FANTASTIC. To get the replay and so much more, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #153: You Probably Think This Episode is About You | 14 Mar 2025 | 01:14:13 | |
Today's conversation is a discussion about the vice of vainglory. The sisters have been reading a book by Rebecca DeYoung called Vainglory: The Forgotten Vice and it's so good! You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! The live replay of the workshop Abby did with Jami Marstall on teaching literature co-op classes for teenagers was absolutely FANTASTIC. To get the replay and so much more, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #152: Freedom Isn't Free (with Lauren Scott!!) | 28 Feb 2025 | 01:42:43 | |
Our guest today is Lauren Scott! Lauren and her husband Nathaniel, a second generation homeschool dad, have enjoyed home educating their two sons from babyhood to the teen years. Lauren holds a degree in history, is a leader in her local homeschool community, and often finds herself vacillating between "brown thumb" and "crazy plant lady" when caring for her large flower and vegetable garden. You can find her writing at keptandkeeping.com , where she encourages Christian women to Rest in Grace and Labor in Love. Today, Lauren, Mystie and Brandy discuss the school choice issue, consequences of government involvement in private education, and principles YOU can use to judge programs like these. We chose this topic months and months ago and had no idea how timely it would be. You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! The live replay of the workshop Abby did with Jami Marstall on teaching literature co-op classes for teenagers was absolutely FANTASTIC. To get the replay and so much more, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** Click here to access today's show notes. Click here to join the FREE area of the Sistership.
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| SS 151: Death of the Scrappy Homeschooler | 14 Feb 2025 | 01:12:29 | |
Welcome to Season 26 of Scholé Sisters! At the risk of sound like grumpy old ladies, we are kicking off this season with a conversation about homeschool history and how you can tap in to some of homeschool culture's strengths. You're going to love this conversation! *** If you've considered upgrading your Sistership membership from FREE to Sophie level, now is the time to do that! Our 2025 book clubs are underway and they are fantastic! Modern Times, Norms and Nobility, Bleak House, and more! There is something for everyone. And in March, Abby, along with Jami Marstall, will be teaching a workshop on leading homeschool co-op classes that you do NOT want to miss. To join us, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #150: 'Tis the Season of Joyful Sacrifice | 13 Dec 2024 | 01:17:28 | |
Today's episode is our annual Christmas episode! Mystie, Abby, and Brandy are discussing one of their favorite Christmas books, The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree by Gloria Houston. You're going to love this conversation! *** It's time for the Sophie Christmas gift! Every year, we give a little something to our Sophie members to say thank you and offer them a bit of encouragement. This year, we're having we're having Heather Lloyd from Concordis Education give her excellent talk "Culturing Olive Trees: Families that Bear Fruit." Mystie and Abby predict that you are going to LOVE IT! This live event will take place TODAY, Friday December 13th, at 2:30pm Central time. If you would like to join us live, or catch the replays, all you have to do is make sure you are a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com slash join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #149: Reimagining School | 22 Nov 2024 | 01:11:05 | |
Today's episode is our annual retreat recording! We love recording when we are all together (even though the sound quality suffers). This episode is basically a follow-up in which we give Mystie a soap box and encourage her to talk more about de-institutionalizing classical education. You're going to love this conversation! *** The Stable and Steadfast mentorship inside Sistership is taking next week off for American Thanksgiving. It's 10 weeks long with break weeks for Christmas as well, which means it's not too late to jump in and join the conversation! If you would like to read up on the subject of God-given rights, that you might be better able to think through the news you read, go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #148: De-Institutionalizing School (featuring Heather Olsson!!) | 08 Nov 2024 | 01:19:08 | |
Our special guest today is Heather Olsson! Heather is wife to Dr. Phil Olsson, mother to seven, and Mimi to 14 grandchildren. She educated her children at home for 20 plus years. The Olsson family moved in 2020 from Green Bay, WI to Moscow, Idaho, where Heather has taught and been a Dean at The Jubilee School. She just began her second year as Head of School at Jubilee and also trains teachers through Concordis Education Partners. In today's episode, Heather teaches Mystie and Brandy about Prussian education and how many of our so-called classical forms are coming from the Prussians rather than the tradition we claim. You're going to love this conversation! *** | |||
| SS #147: Strong Mothers, Special Needs (with Adelaide Garner!!) | 01 Nov 2024 | 01:31:54 | |
Our special guest today is Adelaide Garner. Adelaide is wife to Ben, and mother to four little treasures. They are Reformed Evangelical Christians. She was a pastor's wife for many years, but their family has moved into Ben owning a small business. Adelaide and Ben are second generation homeschoolers and use Charlotte Mason's principles. They live in a 120-year-old farmhouse on several acres outside of Houston, Texas. Six years ago, Adelaide, after many years of struggling with her own health. decided to become a certified health coach. When she learned to ask better questions, she found better answers for her health and the health of her family. She enjoys helping women find a grateful, sober-minded, and non-anxious approach to caring for the wellbeing of their families, to the Glory of God. We had a few audio issues during this recording, so you'll have to forgive us for the handful of snags you hear along the way. With that said, today's conversation was fascinating because it combines a book we all read for last year's mentorship, A Failure of Nerve, by Edwin Friedman, with issues surrounding autism and other special needs. *** The live kickoff for our newest Scholé Sisters mentorship took place a couple weeks ago. Our mentorships are for Sophie-level Sistership members. However, our kickoff was for everyone, even those of you on our free plan. If you are not yet in the Sistership but want to watch the replay of the live kickoff for the Mentorship (which we've named Stable and Steadfast: Standing on Your God-given Rights), go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up! *** | |||
| SS #146: Education — Training Religious Habits | 11 Oct 2024 | 01:23:37 | |
Today's episode is the fourth and final in our series exploring Charlotte Mason's chapters on habits from her book School Education and so Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss one of the most off-limits topics: religion. You're going to love this conversation! *** The live kickoff for our newest Scholé Sisters Mentorship will take place on Friday, October 18th at 1:30 PM Pacific. Our mentorships are for Sophie level Sistership members. However, our kickoff is for everyone, even those of you on our free plan! If you are not yet in the Sistership but want to participate in the live kickoff for the mentorship (which we've named Stable and Steadfast: Standing On Your God-Given Rights) go to scholesisters.com/join and sign up. *** | |||
| SS #145: Why Latin? (with Angela Reed!!) | 27 Sep 2024 | 01:10:25 | |
Today's guest is Latin teacher extraordinaire, Angela Reed! Angela has been a student of lingua Latina and classical civilization for over twenty-five years. She started on this path in high school when she took her first Latin class and, for extra credit, joined the Latin club. Angela has been enthusiastically carrying a classical torch ever since. When she first encountered the educational philosophy of Charlotte Mason, it was not long before she began to study how Latin fit within it. This research led to some surprising insights, experimentation in the classroom, and a new direction for her teaching: Living Latin Lessons—live online classes offering a Charlotte Mason approach to Latin. Angela and her husband live in Florida and share a life of books, music, and outdoor adventures with their five children. In today's episode Mystie and Brandy talk with Angela about defending the study of Latin and how a person's reasoning changes as they get older and become more experienced. You're going to love this conversation! *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year's topic is attention, because without attention, we cannot learn. Join us LIVE NEXT SATURDAY on October 5, 2024 for a full day of refreshment as we look deeply into this topic. We cannot wait to spend time with you all! Go to scholesisters.com/attention and register today! *** | |||
| SS #144: De-stress With Natural Consequences | 13 Sep 2024 | 01:22:50 | |
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss the idea of natural consequences with a perspective shift that can really de-stress your motherhood. You're going to love this conversation! *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year's topic is attention, because without attention, we cannot learn. Join us LIVE on October 5, 2024 for a full day of refreshment as we look deeply into this topic. We cannot wait to spend time with you all! Go to scholesisters.com/attention and register today! *** | |||
| SS #143: If You Build It, Moms Will Come | 02 Aug 2024 | 00:59:29 | |
In today's episode, Mystie, Abby, and Brandy dig into the history of the Scholé Sisters annual retreat, giving you a behind-the-scenes glance at our decision making that we've never shared before. *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year's topic is ATTENTION, because without attention, you cannot LEARN. Join us LIVE on October 5, 2024 for a full day of refreshment as we look deeply into this topic. We cannot wait to spend time with you! You can grab a hostess kit or individual registration by going to scholesisters.com/attention. *** | |||
| SS #142: Attention is a Homeschool Essential | 19 Jul 2024 | 01:07:33 | |
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss ATTENTION, because it's the topic of the 2024 Scholé Sisters retreat. They do this using a chapter on solitude from AG Sertillanges' book The Intellectual Life. You're going to love this conversation! *** Are you ready for our annual Homeschool Essentials retreat?? This year's topic is ATTENTION, because without attention, you cannot learn. Join us LIVE on October 5, 2024 for a full day of refreshment as we look deeply into this topic. We cannot wait to spend time with you all! Early bird registration is open now and only lasts until July 31st, 2024 so don't delay! Register today by going to scholesisters.com/attention – that's scholesisters.com/attention. *** | |||
| SS #141: Raising Children Who Love to Learn | 17 May 2024 | 01:02:38 | |
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss what it means when we say we want to raise kids who love to learn. What are the implication of this goal? Does it affect how we teach? You're going to love this conversation! *** It's not too late to catch the replays of our annual Spring Training Sessions! The second session was just on MONDAY! Our coach this year was Andrew Zwerneman from Cana Academy. Andrew taught two sessions on history. The first session gave us a classical view of history. The second session proposed a method for teaching history. It was so great and we got amazing feedback from everyone who attended. To catch the replays, just go to scholesisters.com/history to sign up. *** | |||
| SS #140: Rewards and Motivation | 03 May 2024 | 01:24:45 | |
In today's episode Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss rewards and how to connect them to intrinsic rather than extrinsic motivation. *** Don't forget to register for our annual Spring Training Sessions! This is happening SOON! Our coach this year is Andrew Zwerneman from Cana Academy. Andrew is going to teach two sessions on history. The first session will help us get away from Marxism and adopt a classical view of history. The second session will propose a method for teaching history. It's going to be so great! To register just go to scholesisters.com/history to sign up. *** | |||
| SS #139: A Classical College Education (with Andy Patton!!) | 19 Apr 2024 | 01:10:50 | |
Our guest today is Andy Patton. Andy Patton has held various roles in healthcare technology and venture capital. As an entrepreneur in the healthcare space, he built and successfully exited his first company. He has also started and currently owns a company in the construction industry. Before going into business, Mr. Patton spent his early career as a high school teacher of Latin, Greek, music, and math. He joined New College Franklin as President of the College in 2023. Prior to that, he served for nine years on the Board of Directors, including the last five years as Chairman of the Board. He has taught courses on Dante as well as Economics. In today's episode, Mystie and Brandy discuss classical college education with Andy Patton. Is there a difference between attending a classical college and being a classics major at a "regular" college? Can the classically educated get jobs after they graduate?? You're going to love this conversation! *** We are pleased to announce that registration for our annual Spring Training Sessions are now open! Our coach this year is Andrew Zwerneman from Cana Academy. Andrew is going to teach two sessions on history as a classical subject. The first session will help us get away from Marxism and adopt a classical view of history. The second session will offer us a method for teaching history. It's going to be so great! To register just go to scholesisters.com/history to sign up. *** | |||
| SS #138: A Little More Conversation, Please (with Andrew Zwerneman!!) | 05 Apr 2024 | 01:10:47 | |
Our guest today is Andrew Zwerneman. Andrew J. Zwerneman serves as President and Master Teacher at Cana Academy. For 40 years, he has taught and consulted in secondary schools that emphasize classic humanities. For 19 years he headed schools — 2 at the public charter school, Tempe Preparatory Academy in Tempe, Arizona, 17 at Trinity School at Meadow View in Falls Church, Virginia. Andrew has degrees from both Notre Dame AND St. John's University, and he has authored two books: History Forgotten and Remembered and The Life We Have Together: A Case for Humane Studies, A Vision for Renewal. In today's episode, Brandy and Mystie are peppering Andrew with questions about seminar-style teaching: what it is, where it comes from, how it fits into the classical tradition, and more. You're going to love this conversation! *** We are pleased to announce that registration for our annual Spring Training Sessions are now open! In fact, one reason why we asked Andrew to be here today is because we hired him as this year's coach. Andrew is going to teach two sessions on history as a classical subject. The first session will help us get away from Marxism and adopt a classical view of history. The second session will offer us a method for teaching history. It's going to be so great! To register just go to https://scholesisters.com/history to sign up. *** | |||
| SS #137: Fairy Tales are True (with Vigen Guroian!!) | 25 Mar 2024 | 01:14:38 | |
Today's guest is Vigen Guroian. Until his retirement in 2015, Dr. Guroian was Professor of Religious Studies in Orthodox Christianity at the University of Virginia. He is now a Permanent Senior Fellow of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, Senior Fellow at the Center on Law and Religion at Emory University, Distinguished Fellow of the John Jay Institute, and Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum. He also is on the faculty of Memoria College online. Most importantly for our purposes, he is the author of a book we love and highly recommend: Tending the Heart of Virtue: How Classic Stories Awaken a Child's Moral Imagination. Today's episode was such a delight to record. Abby and Brandy had a great time discussing with Dr. Guroian truth and how it relates to fairy tales. You're going to love this conversation! *** Did you sign up to do the 5x5 reading challenge this year? If so, you need to join the Sistership as a Sophie membership and get the accountability you need and the support you want. With weekly check-ins and quarterly zoom-style meetups, you will be encouraged to continue in good reading habits as well as get fun advice on which book to read next. Just go to scholesisters.com/sistership and join as a Sophie. *** | |||
| SS #136: Moral Training with Charlotte Mason | 08 Mar 2024 | 01:17:10 | |
Today's episode is the third in our four part series on Charlotte Mason's chapters from School Education that cover the training of physical, intellectual, moral, and religious habits. Today, we're discussing the training of MORAL habits. You're going to love this conversation! *** Did you sign up to do the 5x5 reading challenge this year? If so, you need to join the Sistership as a Sophie membership and get the accountability you need and the support you want. With weekly check-ins and quarterly zoom-style meetups, you will be encouraged to continue in good reading habits as well as get fun advice on which book to read next. Just go to scholesisters.com/sistership and join as a Sophie. *** | |||
| SS #135: Unit Studies Are Overrated | 23 Feb 2024 | 01:07:00 | |
Today's episode is on unit studies and why Charlotte Mason disapproved of them so much. You're going to love this conversation! *** Did you sign up to do the 5x5 reading challenge this year? If so, you need to join the Sistership as a Sophie membership and get the accountability you need and the support you want. With weekly check-ins and quarterly zoom-style meetups, you will be encouraged to continue in good reading habits as well as get fun advice on which book to read next. Just go to scholesisters.com/sistership and join as a Sophie. *** | |||
| SS # 134: What is the 5x5 Reading Challenge? | 12 Jan 2024 | 00:21:00 | |
It has come to our attention that while we discuss and refer to the Scholé Sisters 5x5 Reading Challenge regularly, we've never actually done an episode on it. Today, we remedy that problem! We discuss the history of the challenge as well as how it works. Today's episode is hosted by Abby Wahl (because Brandy is in the middle of a cross-country move). Her ever-faithful cohost is, of course, Mystie Winckler. To join the 2024 5x5 Reading Challenge, go to scholesisters.com/5x5 and sign up! *** | |||
| SS #133: Mom is the Magic of Christmas | 15 Dec 2023 | 00:55:08 | |
Today's episode is our annual Christmas episode. We begin by revisiting the theme of our very first Christmas episode, Don't Be the White Witch. We continue with a discussion of generosity and tradition-making that you will love. *** Every year, we give our Sophie members a special Christmas gift. This year, our Sophie members are receiving a workshop on book selection that Mystie and Brandy filmed with Dr. Christopher Schlect from New Saint Andrews College. In a world of woke, how do we go about choosing books? If you want access to this Christmas gift, don't delay! Christmas gifts always disappear after Epiphany. Just go to scholesisters.com/sistership and join as a Sophie. *** | |||