What could possibly be more fun than teaching science? Indeed, you have an entire Creation to work with! If you accept that all parts of His Creation have a story to tell, then teaching science is all about telling stories. What child doesn’t like to hear stories? For this reason, teaching science is no different from teaching other subjects. It might be easier than you think.
If you have watched a Hollywood movie lately, as I’m sure most of you have, you probably think that Americans don’t have any “traditional family values.” You may think that in America commitment means going on a second date. You may think that every couple in the U.S. lives together. You may think that those few who do get married, quickly get divorced. You may think that most American children are born into broken homes. You may think that most young people are too busy demonstrating against Wall Street to worry about getting an education, or a job.
Parents are ordinarily the primary channels of grace for their children. This primacy as channels of grace for the children comes through the sacrament of Matrimony. The sacrament confers two graces: first, the grace for husband and wife to love one another faithfully, even until death; second, the corresponding grace as parents to be channels of grace for their children. The purpose of marriage therefore is to rear families indeed here on earth, but to rear families for Heaven—nothing less. And, I would say: there can be nothing more. All of this is most certain by our Faith.
If you have ever seen a teacher’s manual, there are always plenty of suggestions, but the teacher uses what he or she thinks is important for the students. Seton writes lesson plans which we believe will help most students, but some students may be able to learn the lessons by doing less. It is up to the parent to decide how much work is necessary in each subject for each child. A student in 5th grade may need to do every problem in the book to reinforce the concepts, while another student—even in the same family—may learn the concepts so quickly that doing fewer problems is sufficient.
The Church calls us each Christmas to reflect on that Baby lying in the manger, the Innocent Child, the Son of God. He was willing to bear the poverty, the cold, the hardships, and the rejection of the world in order to redeem us from our sins. He also wants to remind us that He is with us in this world, that He understands our suffering in this world, and does not simply abide in far-off heavenly heights.
1. The “door of faith” (Acts 14:27) is always open for us, ushering us into the life of communion with God and offering entry into his Church. It is possible to cross that threshold when the word of God is proclaimed and the heart allows itself to be shaped by transforming grace. To enter through that door is to set out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. It begins with baptism (cf. Rom 6:4), through which we can address God as Father, and it ends with the passage through death to eternal life, fruit of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, whose will it was, by the gift of the Holy Spirit, to draw those who believe in him into his own glory (cf. Jn 17:22). To profess faith in the Trinity — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is to believe in one God who is Love (cf. 1 Jn 4:8): the Father, who in the fullness of time sent his Son for our salvation; Jesus Christ, who in the mystery of his death and resurrection redeemed the world; the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church across the centuries as we await the Lord’s glorious return.
I hope you don’t mind that I’m emailing you directly, but I wanted to reach out to you, as head of Seton, to tell you a little bit about my own experiences with the program, and what I am up to now.
Seton Home Study School is pleased to announce that the speaker for our 2012 high school graduation will be Johnnette Benkovic. Johnnette is widely-known from her frequent appearances on EWTN, including hosting The Abundant Life and Women of Grace. She is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences and retreats around the country. We know that our families will appreciate her message of inspiration and grace.
In homeschooling, aim at a certain academic excellence. I claim that is the bonus that is always thrown in. If you seek first to defer harm, if secondly you permeate the situation with a Catholic atmosphere, the easiest part is the academic subjects.
Simone Weil, a noted Jewish philosopher, remarked, “Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvelous, intoxicating.” Whereas many Hollywood films offer this imaginary glamour of evil and dullness of virtue, Hans Christian Andersen’s genius as a storyteller captures the glorious, adventurous drama of a real life of goodness that is filled with wonder and marvels. In stories like “The Little Mermaid,” “The Snow Queen,” and “The Traveling Companion,” Andersen captures the essence of goodness as a small seed buried in the earth—a seed that in time produces a bountiful harvest that surpasses all expectations. The doer of a good deed should forget it, but it is not forgotten because it accompanies him like a best friend.
