Consider This...Podcast (The Wilberforce School)

How can we adapt to the shifting landscape of college admissions?

What do locust have to do with sharing gospel truths with your children and grandchildren? Surprisingly, Marty Machowski explores the story in Exodus 10 of the plague of locusts in Egypt, to reveal God’s redemptive plan throughout history. His story is for your children and grandchildren ...for the generations. Listen in as Marty encourages parents, helps us laugh, and gives us fresh vigour to tell the story.

Browse Marty’s books here,.

Listen in as Head of School, Howe Whitman, and Bible and Theology Department Chair, Danielle Sallade, discuss what happens in Middle School Bible class when the topics of love, marriage and sex come up in Scripture. Hear how our Bible and Theology Departments is helping equip parents to talk with their children about these topics from a biblical perspective.

Middle School Bible & Theology Course 

Tips for Talking To Your Kids About Sex

Stan and Brenna Jones books

For many parents when it comes to talking with your children about the “birds and the bees,” you long for better resources to equip you for these meaningful conversations. Listen in as we talk with April Readlinger, executive director of Canavox; find out about resources available right now and tips for how to engage with your children at all ages on these essential topics. 

Canavox.com - find out more here and access JV Groups, Curriculum and more

Tips for Talking with your Kids about Sex

Join our group at Wilberforce 

Get the inside scoop on the college admissions process from Princeton Review's John Moscatiello. 

We are probably quite incapable of measuring the religious receptivity of children. Nevertheless, their fitness to apprehend the deep things of God is a fact with which we are called to ‘deal prudently,’ and to deal reverently…Charlotte Mason, Home Education Vol 1

What does Spiritual Formation look like in The Wilberforce Lower School? Listen in on a conversation with several Lower School teachers, and hear about the many ways teachers are developing student's hearts as well as their minds.   

Every school is a religious school. What is your school worshiping?

Listen in as Ed MacQueen shares what makes school at Wilberforce unique and what this means for our children’s future. What is this higher purpose?

What are the essential skills needed to be successful in the modern workforce and are schools equipping students with these skills? Are our nations "best" schools in fact good enough for our children's future? Listen to what author Tony Wagner discovered when researching these questions, and how Wilberforce measures up.  Are Wilberforce students ready for the future? 

Listen in and discover lessons learned from the life of Betsey Stockton - America’s first, single woman foreign missionary. Born a slave in Princeton, Betsey Stockton became an educator and community activist whose impact we still experience today.

Former Princeton Tiger and NFL defensive lineman Caraun Reid spoke to our Middle & Upper School during our Wilberforce Day Chapel this year. In addition to worshiping with our students, he encouraged them to answer the questions "what is in your hand" and how can you be diligent with what God put there. Listen to his exhortation to be diligent with all you have been given. 

Hear from Head of School, Howe Whitman, as he talks with student Collin Frisch about two different ways of teaching and absorbing a subject. What are your students feasting on at school? A bolus or a bagel? 

It is said that there are no original thoughts, only the reassembling and reordering of pre-existing thoughts. Your ability to reorder thoughts in an original and unique way is dependent upon your ability to recall what you know on any given topic. With the barrage of data, information, and stimuli we experience every day there is value in the practice of meditating deeply on ideas-but to do so you must be able to recall what you know. Erasmus, the great 16th century philosopher reminds us “There are always those kinds of people who hold a great many things in their mind, but when it comes to speaking and writing they are wonderfully destitute and bare." Wilberforce students are taking advantage of an old practice to avoid having their minds being wonderfully destitute and bare when called upon, and you can too...listen in and find out more.

Join Dr. Tedd Tripp, author of Shepherding a Child’s Heart, and Head of School, Howe Whitman, as they address what it means to have a gospel-centered versus a child-centered home. Find out how you can be the loving and grace-filled authority in your child’s life.

We all know that technology is forming us and our children in ways that we long to change. Now is a key cultural moment to shape our relationship with technology as individuals, families, and Christian communities. We want to embrace the good while turning from the evils of technology. Listen in as Justin Earley shares thoughtful practical practices for individuals, homes, and communities to reorient our hearts towards God in relation to how we use technology. Consider this…

Learn more about The Hang 10 Movement here.

An inspiring hallmark of the Wilberforce community is the number of families that have chosen to pursue foster care and adoption. Hear Wilberforce moms share their stories, and celebrate this Mother’s Day how God brings families together in His own way. Consider what God is doing in our community.

”Isn’t this what we ask God every day, ‘What are you doing in the world today and how can I help?’ This has got to be the bedrock of Christianity.”

Can friendships make or break your life? Justin Earley claims that friendship is literally a matter of life or death, both physically and spiritually. He also shares what this means for you and what the keys to practicing the art of friendship are. Listen in and hear how you can truly “save your life."

Listen in to hear Katy share with our parents tips for how to talk with your children about sex. Katy reminds parents about the “No Flinch Rule”.  Don’t freak when your child brings up a difficult topic. When it comes to difficult questions, be the safest person in your child’s life.

What is the best conversation you have had with your child lately, Katy can help you get started on one!

Social graces and a social life—we want our children to have both. At Wilberforce, we regularly state that education is formation—the importance of teaching the whole child. Our school’s culture is deliberately faculty-led, meaning faculty come alongside students in life—not only inviting them into the great conversation but also modeling how to live, think, and relate to others as mature Christians. This requires social graces to be successful. Listen in as Dr. Ahern and Dr. James discuss why manners matter, why we have dances, and how manners impact our social lives.

Jonathan Haidt’s latest book The Anxious Generation has elicited a lot of attention and reaction. His conclusions are clear, and give hard data to what most parents are already experiencing with their children. Head of School, Howe Whitman, processes through Haidt’s claims and talks with parents about where to go from here. Listen in to Consider This…

Tedd has developed and teaches materials that encourage the people of God to understand gospel hope for the ways that human beings are pushed and pulled by the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Tedd is known around the world for the best-selling child rearing book, Shepherding a Child’s Heart, and as the presenter of Shepherding a Child’s Heart Ministries.

Who is Charlotte Mason and what does her influence look like at Wilberforce? Listen to Admissions Director, Kerry Wilson, share a little bit about the who, what, and why of Charlotte Mason. If you are looking to find out more read the new Karen Glass book Vitale Harmony.

The “Junior Project" is a marquee experience in the Wilberforce Upper School. Each junior chooses a project they are passionate about or a specific area of interest. Students are paired with a faculty advisor who work alongside the student as he or she labors on the project for several months. Projects range from engineering to the arts to service and entrepreneurship. The project gives students an opportunity to dive deep into an area of interest and discover if it is a possibility to pursue for college and a future career. It is a maturing experience requiring students to develop a product they are proud of. Please listen and hear some of the unique and impressive Junior Projects from this year, which range from sketch comedy to documentaries on beauty standards, to original architectural design for a new Wilberforce athletic facility.  

Don’t miss seeing the videos here on our website.

If you missed our guest speaker, Dr. Keith McCurdy, hear him share how we as parents and educators develop perseverance in our children so they become mature and complete. Keith McCurdy shares stories to illustrate how healthy struggle is the engine to maturity and growth. 

What do 16,000 hours at The Wilberforce School look like? What impacts are made, what memories cherished, which teachers have changed? Listen in on four Wilberforce veterans preparing to graduate after having spent their entire academic career here at Wilberforce. Join their conversation, and hear their perspectives of four campus’, one school, and treasured friendships.

Karen Glass, educator, author, and Charlotte Mason expert visited our campus last week. She spent time with our parents and faculty sharing both the philosophy and practical methodology of Charlotte Mason. Karen dives into the essential questions of “What is education doing?” and “Who is being educated?” and applies Charlotte Mason’s philosophy to these questions. Join her as she shares with us how to make education joyful and a lifelong habit for ourselves and our children.

Summer is a unique time, it is a time for quiet, a time for decision, and time for new experiences, friendships and challenges. Summer is unique especially in the lives of students. This podcast shares some insights, ideas, experiences for summer, and even how one summer changed Howe Whitman's life. If you want more ideas of how to redeem your child's summer, check out our Summer Opportunities Page.

It is hard to avoid challenges, disappointments, and struggles in life, but you can determine how you respond to them, and how they shape you. Join Keith Grant and Howe Whitman, as they discuss how parents can see challenges, difficulties, and struggles in their children’s lives as opportunities to grow in maturity and become more like Christ.

Dr. John Rose, former Wilberforce faculty member, and Duke University professor, delivers the 2019 Commencement Address to graduating seniors. 

In response to a thought provoking-article, The Post COVID Classical Education Boom and the webinar Why Study the Classics hosted by The James Madison Institute with Dr. Anika Prather (co-author of the article) - we asked a few Wilberforce parents “Why a Classical Education?”

Listen to the parents' responses and consider your own - why a classical education? If you missed the article or webinar, check them out - you might be surprised to discover what the “boom” is all about!

Attorney General Bill Barr’s recent address at Notre Dame, and the reactions that followed, highlight the importance of equipping our youth with a firm foundation in the biblical Truth. 

How do we prepare students today to stand firm in their faith; ready to defend their faith with clarity, creativity, and conviction. How do we transmit gospel truth to the next generation so they are willing to stand firm, even when it requires standing alone.   Three Wilberforce teachers share with us what they are doing to help sustain faith and practice in students at Wilberforce.

Listen in as Justin Whitmel Earley, author, speaker, and lawyer, shares about how we become our habits and our children become us. Justin’s new book Habits of the Household challenges us to think about how we are far more shaped by our habits than by our dreams.

Discover what new habits you might begin to form.

Books still available for $20 - contact Jennia Axelson 

Listen to faculty member Ben Schellack as he shares with us who William Wilberfore was and how his life calls us to reflect on our own. In the words of Wilberforce “When we are summoned to give an account of our stewardship we shall be called upon to answer for the use which we have of our nature, invention, our judgment, our memory, for our employment of every instrument and opportunity."

Head of School, Howe Whitman Jr., charges the graduating Class for 2019 with words of encouragement and wisdom to close out the Commencement Celebration. 

Listen in as Julie Lowe shares stories and principles for addressing anxious children. She reminds us that healthy relationships are vital for anxiety; especially a relationship with YOU the parent. Ultimately God offers Himself to meet our children in their anxiety - His presence is the answer to our children’s anxiety. 

Justin Whitmel Earley, author of The Common Rule, shared with our school this week how habits are shaping our lives consciously or subconsciously. Justin challenged us to recognize how our habits reflect what we believe and worship. Listen in, and hear Justin share the theology and neurology behind our habits as well as challenging us to new habits.

Clara Whitman delivers the 2019 Valedictory Address as one of the two recipients of the Cum Laude award. Clara reflects on her 14 years at Wilberforce and how it shaped her to go boldly out into the world. 

If you missed guest speaker and author, Dr. Leonard Sax, listen here as he speaks to our parents about his research in evidence-based parenting and the different challenges facing our children in the 21st century.

A tradition at Wilberforce is the Class Eight speeches given every winter during Lower School chapel.   Class Eight students share with the Lower School what they have learned during their Middle School years. Hear from our Middle School Deans and Class Eight students about running the race, not being a cow, and how hitting your friend can teach you a lot. What can you learn from an eighth grader?  I discovered a lot.  

If you would like to read these three speeches in full, click here. 

Listen to Director of College Guidance, Julia Wilson, speak about what eighth, ninth, and tenth grade students should be thinking about and focusing on now, what impact is the Covid Crisis is having on their college admissions, and what is "a year of wonders"?

Interview with award-winning author and former New York Times reporter, Alex Berenson after the release of his newest book, "Tell Your Children". Revealing links between teenage marijuana use, mental illness, and violence- this is something you don't want to miss!

Author and pastor Marty Machowski shares from Psalm 103, and encourages parents to consider how God cares for His children. Marty reveals how God’s actions towards His children, being slow to anger, forgiving, and willing to teach-can be our first response to our children as well. Listen in and be reminded how, through God’s grace, you too can respond to your children as God responds to His.

A long-time goal for our school is to develop a program where student initiatives and entrepreneurial enterprises are developed, and shared. Listen to our latest podcast, as junior Annie Whitman describes the “Entrepreneurship Incubator” she is implementing here at Wilberforce. A platform to showcase and grow Wilberforce’s increasing number of young entrepreneurs. Annie is joined by a couple other enterprising young students who have successfully launched their own businesses.

Along with reading great books and solving big problems in physics in class, outside of class these innovative young women are learning the creative problem solving skills of starting a new business. 

Listen in as our Head of School, Howe Whitman, parent Alice Kim, and College Admissions Director John Moscatiello discuss what we at Wilberforce envision when we talk about your child reaching their full potential. What does it mean, from a Wilberforce perspective, to be prepared for college and beyond? As a school, we have expressed the answers to these questions in our Portrait of a Graduate. Find out more—listen now.

Links:
Wilberforce Portrait of a Graduate

Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic, Jennifer Wallace

The Self-Driven Child: The Science and Sense of Giving Your Kids More Control Over Their Lives,William Stixrud PhD, Ned Johnson

 "What did you do this summer?" is a universal question asked of most students by friends, teachers, and even college admissions officers. How should high school students be answering this question? Even with snow on the ground, the beginnings of summer plans are starting to form. Listen to several of our Wilberforce seniors share their summer job experiences and the impact it had on them.

Read an article from "Aiming Higher Consultants," on how summer jobs can not only impact college admissions, but also "forge self-respect, confidence, time management, frugality, and an old-fashioned work ethic."