Kolbe Academy?

[dsacco]

I am looking at doing something more structured for my sanity and my dh's.

 

Kolbe is classical in nature and I wanted to know if anyone has used them before and had good results.

 

Right now it's between Kolbe or Seton (which is used by a lot of other Catholic families around here but I don't feel it is "enough")

 

DH is saying I can supplement and still use Seton which is very true. DS is very much like DH and NOT into school whereas dd love the stories and books that can accompany history.

 

Thanks

[Mama2two]

The good thing about Kolbe is that they are more flexible, you can substitute something and still get the advantage of their transcript/diploma. i think their curriculum is excellent.

[Mari]

The good thing about Kolbe is that they are more flexible, you can substitute something and still get the advantage of their transcript/diploma. i think their curriculum is excellent.

:iagree:

 

I'm going with Kolbe next year for both of my children. I had also considered Seton but just couldn't let go of the classical model that Kolbe seems to provide. Also, their literature program is wonderful and unique among other Catholic providers.

 

I have always heard that Seton is rigorous so I'm not quite sure why you feel it's not "enough." What exactly would you want to supplement fom there?

 

Good luck deciding.

[dsacco]

My friend's daughter graduated from Seton last year and is SERIOUSLY struggling with writing papers in college and that makes me nervous. However it could just be her personality.

 

But my original thought was to supplement with good literature. Seton just doesn't seem to have as much reading as I would like - but then as my husband says he's read MAYBE 10 books since I have known in (20 years) and I have to remember my son is like that. I would like to add in Latin from my 7th grader. So it's toss up for me.

 

I have to research this next week because next Friday is the Catholic Conference here and both will be there.

[Just Another Jen]

We school year round and so have just started our year with kolbe. My middle kids are in 5th and 8th grade. So far 3 weeks in- we all like kolbe better than Seton. I too am a huge fan of the Lit program!

 

We had some issues getting the right plans sent out- but they resolved the problem quickly for me.

[dsacco]

Here is another thing (I just saw this).... Seton doesn't do Latin until 10th grade... and it's the books I just bought for DS who is in 7th! Also some of the books Kolbe uses in 7th aren't used until 9th+ in Seton.

 

I'm just feeling a little more flexibility and such with Kolbe at the moment.

 

And to think - this whole thing started because I received our Saxon Math yesterday and kicked myself for not doing it earlier - it is perfect for my kids!!

[unsinkable]

Here is another thing (I just saw this).... Seton doesn't do Latin until 10th grade... and it's the books I just bought for DS who is in 7th! Also some of the books Kolbe uses in 7th aren't used until 9th+ in Seton.

 

I'm just feeling a little more flexibility and such with Kolbe at the moment.

 

And to think - this whole thing started because I received our Saxon Math yesterday and kicked myself for not doing it earlier - it is perfect for my kids!!

 

You can start a language with Seton anytime you want. You just have to report the grades & give an example of the work.

 

You can start a different lang. as a 9th grader, like Span. or French.

 

IMO, I think that literature analysis and writing are Seton's strongest points. The point of the lit. choices in HS are to facilitate learning how to anaylyze literature.

 

In 9th gr., students take English (which includes analysis & research reports) and Grammar & Composition (which includes writing about 7 short papers).

 

Maybe this helps?

[dsacco]

That does help..... I am still leaning towards Kolbe as I continue reading. I love some of the Seton materials and love some of the Kolbe... so it's a mixed review. I do like that Seton will grade the papers which is a big plus for me....

 

Cost though is another issue - I know it sounds strange but we HAVE some of the books for Kolbe and the church provided the Religion books required in the kids CCD class. SOOO enrollment and books are about $300 less with Kolbe. Most of the Literature books I can get from the library and since I have the book order form I was able to find the books cheaper than their listed price.

 

Of course, I don't like their science or the price - LOL.... but I could deal with it for 9th grade and higher but we aren't there yet.....

[unsinkable]

That does help..... I am still leaning towards Kolbe as I continue reading. I love some of the Seton materials and love some of the Kolbe... so it's a mixed review. I do like that Seton will grade the papers which is a big plus for me....

 

Cost though is another issue - I know it sounds strange but we HAVE some of the books for Kolbe and the church provided the Religion books required in the kids CCD class. SOOO enrollment and books are about $300 less with Kolbe. Most of the Literature books I can get from the library and since I have the book order form I was able to find the books cheaper than their listed price.

 

Of course, I don't like their science or the price - LOL.... but I could deal with it for 9th grade and higher but we aren't there yet.....

 

I went through this last summer. My dd was starting high school & I narrowed it down to between Kolbe & Seton. I finally chose Seton.

 

There are Seton & Kolbe yahoo groups. Would those help?

[dsacco]

What was your turning point for Seton?

 

The problem I am having is that I have to see this from DH's view because I am a book-freak plain and simple :) I love reading and so I see so much in reading good literature and learned so much from it. DH read a book called "The Jeep" and left it at that - never read a classic in his life and doesn't want to. I would LOVE my son to love literature and learning like I do - but I don't see it happening as much. My daughter will probably be a book lover like me once she reads better and she is trying very hard to do so.

 

I do like the teacher availability of Seton and that they grade the papers which lifts some responsibilty off me.

 

I might look into the yahoo groups..... this is stressing me out more honestly..... I feel like I'm waffling along with this and I'm having a hard time seeing it from a different view.

[Tiramisu]

I've been enrolled in Kolbe for two years. I love their flexibility. The advisors have also been wonderful. We deviate from their course plans more than we stick to them because we attend a coop. What we have used we have liked. Kolbe is very rigorous and not all kids are ready for what Kolbe does at a given grade level, but the advisors will help you modify the course plans or you can substitute a different grade level.

 

I have a dc starting high school next year and we have decided to enroll in Kolbe again, but I will use Seton for English. After researching and talking to many moms over the last year, I've decided that this is the best path for our circumstances. I need the flexibility of Kolbe because dd really needs the coop, and I know the Kolbe courses we will use will be excellent. But the consensus seems to be that Seton guides students into literary analysis and teaches writing like no other program.

 

I will also have dd do another writing class through Home2Teach. I love Eileen's instruction, the immediate feedback, and how it has taught dd to revise her work independently. I've seen a big difference after one class in the speed at which dd can churn out a good paragraph.--Not what you asked for but thought I'd plug Home2Teach anyway.:tongue_smilie:

[Peggy in Va]

You may have already seen this thread re: using Seton & MODG (it includes a lot of information on Kolbe) in high school, but if not, perhaps it will help.

 

I have not used either Kolbe or Seton for high school, so I really can't offer any insight. However, I did find this thread very interesting.

 

There have been several threads on Seton and Kolbe, so you might try searching the boards for additional posts.

 

HTH

 

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54423&highlight=kolbe

[unsinkable]

What was your turning point for Seton?

 

The problem I am having is that I have to see this from DH's view because I am a book-freak plain and simple :) I love reading and so I see so much in reading good literature and learned so much from it. DH read a book called "The Jeep" and left it at that - never read a classic in his life and doesn't want to. I would LOVE my son to love literature and learning like I do - but I don't see it happening as much. My daughter will probably be a book lover like me once she reads better and she is trying very hard to do so.

 

I do like the teacher availability of Seton and that they grade the papers which lifts some responsibilty off me.

 

I might look into the yahoo groups..... this is stressing me out more honestly..... I feel like I'm waffling along with this and I'm having a hard time seeing it from a different view.

 

For me the plusses of Seton (over Kolbe) were:

 

--It was grab & go. Everything we needed was in the box. :D

--They have a graduation ceremony. Seems silly but it is nice as a possibility.

--It is flexible, to an extent. Each quarter there are parent-graded assignments & Seton-graded assignments. You can choose to do the parent-graded assignments or not.

 

I LOVE literature myself. When you are homeschooling you can ADD anything you want to your child's education. If Seton's literature isn't enough, you can add whatever you want.

 

My dd loves movies so I got the book Movies as Literature and I plan on working through that with her for fun and maybe for a course on her transcript. I'll have to see if we move beyond the discussion stage to the writing about the movies we watch!

 

My dd had epilepsy. She takes a looooooong time to finish her work. With Seton, she sees exactly what needs to be done. And it's for a diploma, not for "Mom."

 

There have been many nights (and days) when I have prayed for peace about our family's high school decisions.

[4wildberrys]

The BIG differences between Seton and Kolbe are that Seton is traditional Catholic school, and Kolbe is Classical. It also looks VERY rigorous and hard. But Seton is definitely "enough"! I have never signed up for a complete program with either, but have used certain things from both. I prefer Seton over Kolbe so far simply because of the structure of Seton. Have you see the additional reading lists for the high school English classes? Lots of books. I know both schools have flexibility, but it looks to me like Seton works more at the 'childs' level, and Kolbe's choices for grade level seem to be kind of over the top for the average child.

[iwka]

This is very interesting review of Catholic Programs:

http://www.classicalliberalarts.com/library/whyclaa.htm

[4wildberrys]

This is very interesting review of Catholic Programs:

http://www.classicalliberalarts.com/library/whyclaa.htm

 

But it seems to be one big sales pitch for their program :confused: They basically just 'bashed' all of the other Catholic programs in favor of the one they are 'selling'..........

[asta]

For me the plusses of Seton (over Kolbe) were:

 

--They have a graduation ceremony. Seems silly but it is nice as a possibility.

Kolbe has a graduation ceremony every year for homeschoolers at their CA brick and mortar school.

 

--It is flexible, to an extent. Each quarter there are parent-graded assignments & Seton-graded assignments. You can choose to do the parent-graded assignments or not.

 

Kolbe has a "graded" program as well. There is a fee per quarter, or a slightly lower one per year. (the standard program is all parent graded)

 

I LOVE literature myself. When you are homeschooling you can ADD anything you want to your child's education. If Seton's literature isn't enough, you can add whatever you want.

 

Egads. One of the reasons we AREN'T doing Kolbe right now is because there is too much literature for kiddo to get through. The Kolbe site does have a forum where people can ask questions about the program. The people are very kind and informative.

 

P.S. I'm glad you have found a program that works for you (Seton); I wish I could find one (for now anyway) that works for DS. He just isn't a big enough reader to make it through a Kolbe year for HS. I'm hoping that, by the end of 10th grade, he'll magically want to read more...

 

a

[unsinkable]

Thanks, Asta, for the additional info.

 

We are east coast so I probably mentally filed the Seton graduation as "we can to drive to it." :001_smile:

 

In terms of the amount of work...My dd is on pace for a 5 year program!

 

I won't be adding literature any time soon, but I was just pointing out that it is possible to add what you want to any program.

 

For us, there is not time at this point.

[dsacco]

See I'm bouncing..... I also heard that if we adopt in VA (where we live - oh and we are 45 minute to 1hour away from Seton) I can homeschool the kids if they are enrolled in Seton. This is a rumor at this point but a big one for us as we are working towards adopting from the foster system.

 

I dove deeper into Seton at the higher levels and did see the extra literature so that might push me....

 

I also like the "school in a box" theory :) ugh.....

[Mari]

See I'm bouncing..... I also heard that if we adopt in VA (where we live - oh and we are 45 minute to 1hour away from Seton) I can homeschool the kids if they are enrolled in Seton. This is a rumor at this point but a big one for us as we are working towards adopting from the foster system.

 

I dove deeper into Seton at the higher levels and did see the extra literature so that might push me....

 

I also like the "school in a box" theory :) ugh.....

 

Well, technically, if you buy everything all at once from Kolbe it will be "school in a box." LOL!

 

I think your decision might be easier if you figure out what you prefer, classical or traditional, especially in the high school years. I know that played an important role for us to go with Kolbe next year. My kids are young but I really want them to experience the continuity of one program.

[Peggy in Va]

See I'm bouncing..... I also heard that if we adopt in VA (where we live - oh and we are 45 minute to 1hour away from Seton) I can homeschool the kids if they are enrolled in Seton. This is a rumor at this point but a big one for us as we are working towards adopting from the foster system.

 

I dove deeper into Seton at the higher levels and did see the extra literature so that might push me....

 

I also like the "school in a box" theory :) ugh.....

 

 

This is probably not a rumor. Seton happens to be one of two or three distance programs that is accredited by the organization that accredits private/parochial/correspondence schools for Virginia.

 

If someone enrolls with Seton, and then decides to transfer into a VA ps, they have to accept the credits the same way they would if one were transferring from a private school that is accredited by the state. I only know this because I have been researching this until my head is about to explode.

 

It is because of this, that I will be enrolling one of my ds with them for Algebra this coming year. Because Alg. is a high school level course and he will only be in 7th grade, I want to ensure that he receives credit for it should he ever go back to ps.

 

HTH

[dsacco]

Thanks everyone... it's not only what I like unfortunately, it has to work for my kids and my husband says that Kolbe would have killed him, he STILL wouldn't be able to get through some of it..... a workbook is sometimes fine for him.

 

Me - I could sit and read and research all day long and be a happy camper :) Leave me in my own world...

 

It's good to know about Seton and the VA school system.... that's a big deal to me as I have a hard time imagining bringing a child here and tell them "ok you go to school on a bus while we work here - see ya!" Definitely an issue :)