St. Thomas More Academy podcast

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Zone-2 Your Life: Integrated Excellence with St. Teresa of the Andes and Servant of God Francisco Garcés Humanities Instructor Mr. Rob Kirkendall discusses how to pursue virtuous excellence in all domains given our human limitations and high spiritual calling. He looks to profound examples in the lives of a young Chilean Carmelite nun and an early Franciscan explorer and missionary to the American Southwest. More about St. Teresa of the Andes : More about Servant of God Francisco Garcés St. John Henry Newman's meditation, "A Short Road to Perfection:"…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#44 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 2) 1:00:27

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Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, Mr. Charles McCants, and Mr. Rob Kirkendall continue discussing the idea of "Classical Education," and our collective reflections on what it is and isn't from years of experience. Part two of a two part conversation.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#43 Classical Education: What It Is and Isn't (Part 1) 46:20

acum 45 weeks46:20

46:20

Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, Mr. Charles McCants, and Mr. Rob Kirkendall discuss the idea of "Classical Education," and our collective reflections on what it is and isn't from years of experience. Part one of a two part conversation.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#42 Purpose and Care 46:50

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46:50

After a four month (unplanned) hiatus, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants dust off the podcast equipment and talk about Purpose and Care.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#41 Gratitude 43:03

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As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving as a nation, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the virtue of gratitude. Short video with the voice of Br. David Steindl-Rast on gratefulness.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#40 Five Attributes of Outstanding Students 33:04

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In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants try something a little different. Before recording we each listed what we believe are five attributes of outstanding students - those all around 95th percentile students we've had the pleausre of working with over our careers in education and formation. During the episode we share our attributes and why we think they're important. Book mentioned in the podcast- The Attributes: 25 Hidden Drivers of Optimal Performance .…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#39 Mr. Bob Luddy, STMA Founder and Chairman 55:35

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55:35

Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants are joined today by Mr. Bob Luddy, Founder and Chairman of STMA, for a conversation about culture, standards, and integrity among other points of discussion. We remain ever grateful for Mr. Luddy's vision, leadership, and tremendous generosity in support of our mission at STMA, as well as his ongoing efforts aimed at the restoration of culture and the education/formation of young people to the greater glory of God.…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#38 Self-Discipline 39:56

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In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of self-discipline as it relates to student outcomes.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#37 Holy Obedience 54:16

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In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of Holy Obedience as it relates to our faith and lives, especially in connection to the young people we are working to form to the greater glory of God.

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#36 Adriana Watkins lecture - "The Life Is Given Eventually: Joseph Dutton’s Story” 31:50

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This episode features the story of Joseph Dutton, an American veteran who spent the last half of his life working with leprosy patients in Molokai, Hawaii. This lecture by Ms. Adriana Watkins was given to students at STMA in April 2023. Dutton’s life is a beautiful example of the way God’s Providence follows us through strange turns of fate, and even through our own mistakes. Some very helpful resources made this lecture possible, including: The Joseph Dutton Guild’s reissuing of an old Dutton biography: https://www.josephdutton.org/product-page/dutton-prayer-card-1 “The Soul of Kalaupapa,” a documentary about the colony: https://vimeo.com/113259515 A collection of the only few of Dutton’s letters available online: https://www.jstor.org/stable/44209102?seq=3 "…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#35 Robert Kirkendall lecture: Becoming Prayer: Adoration and the Life of St. Titus Brandsma 41:50

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This episode features Mr. Rob Kirkendall, Instructor in the Humanities, delivering a lecture to the student body titled “Becoming Prayer: Adoration and the Life of St. Titus Brandsma.” St. Titus, canonized a year ago by Pope Francis, was a Dutch journalist, educator, Carmelite priest, and mystic who was martyred in Dachau by the Nazis for coordinating resistance Nazi policies in the Netherlands. Mr. Kirkendall showcases how much we can learn from St. Titus about the life of prayer: beneath his vigorous apostolic work was a life nourished by intense prayer, especially adoration of Christ in the Eucharist. It is our special ambition at St. Thomas More Academy to form students in academic, spiritual, and moral excellence, above all nourished by an integrated relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, to the greater glory of God. May St. Titus’ example inspire us to pursue authentic prayer and work, true adoration and real virtue, fervent action and deep contemplation. Below are sources Mr. Kirkendall consulted for research, including three books and a web-page. Encountering God in the Abyss: Titus Brandsma’s Spiritual Journey by Constant Dolle, trans. John Vriend Truth in Love: The Life of Carmelite St. Titus Brandsma by Fernando Millan Carmelite Spirituality: The Way of Carmelite Prayer and Contemplation by Cardinal Anders Arborelius OCDF Web-page devoted to St. Titus Brandsma…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#34 Girls On The Edge 59:48

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In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants shift the discussion from Boys Adrift to the topic of girls and young women as related to Dr. Leonard Sax's book, Girls on the Edge: Why So Many Girls Are Anxious, Wired, and Obsessed - and What Parents Can Do. A main point of emphasis for this conversation is the high levels of "anxiety" we see every year in a small number of female students over the years. The students themselves were usually at a loss for the precise cause for their anxiety. Parents and therapists were also unable to offer clues. Or hope is that this conversation might offer some helpful insights we have gleened from years of working with students. We also mentioned another helpful podcast episode: Art of Manliness: Generations - The Surprising Truths and Persistent Myths…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#33 Boys Adrift (part 2) 34:56

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Apologies, for some reason the recording of this podcast cut off at the 33 minute mark, and we didn't realize it until later. In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants continue discussing the topic of boys and young men that struggle (or more appropriately, don't) with positive engagement in life and arrested development. Over the years we've had more than a few conversations with parents about sons that seem to lack any and all motivation to work hard and apply themselves to tasks at hand. It's a difficult topic, because there are no quick and easy solutions. After years of reading, watching, and listening to countless resources on the subject, we are really no closer to "solving" the problem than we were over a decade ago. As we often say, it's more an issue of a death by a thousand little cuts than it is one huge "cut" that would be easier to correct. So while we don't have a simple solution, we have become a little better at assessing the problem and have a few insights ordered to better outcomes. We share our thoughts in this episode which is part 1 of a longer conversation. Boys Adrift is the title of a book by Dr. Leonard Sax.…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#32 Boys Adrift (part 1) 39:54

acum 2 years39:54

39:54

In this episode, Deacon Brad Watkins, Dr. Jake Noland, and Mr. Charles McCants discuss the topic of boys and young men that struggle (or more appropriately, don't) with positive engagement in life and arrested development. Over the years we've had more than a few conversations with parents about sons that seem to lack any and all motivation to work hard and apply themselves to tasks at hand. It's a difficult topic, because there are no quick and easy solutions. After years of reading, watching, and listening to countless resources on the subject, we are really no closer to "solving" the problem than we were over a decade ago. As we often say, it's more an issue of a death by a thousand little cuts than it is one huge "cut" that would be easier to correct. So while we don't have a simple solution, we have become a little better at assessing the problem and have a few insights ordered to better outcomes. We share our thoughts in this episode which is part 1 of a longer conversation. Boys Adrift is the title of a book by Dr. Leonard Sax.…

St. Thomas More Academy Podcast

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#31 Paying Attention 34:00

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