Insightful homeschool veterans and inspiring Catholic speakers

The best in Catholic homeschool curricula and materials

A chance to meet the Catholic homeschoolers in your area

GinnySeuffert

Fr. ShannonCollins

Prof. JosephPearce

Fr. JeffreyKirby

Date:Friday, June 24th, 20169:00am to 9:00pm

Saturday, June 25th, 20169:00am to 4:30pm

Location:Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center2371 Carl D. Silver ParkwayFredericksburg, VA 22401

www.IHMConference.org

Immaculate Heart of Mary Homeschool Conference Sponsors

Admission is free, but if you are able to offer a donation, we suggest $20 per person or $30 per family.

10:00 - 10:45 A.M. Celeste Behe

Do you ever feel as though you were “faking it” as a mother? Are you afraid that others will discover that you aren’t half the mom they thought you were? Do you often find yourself second-guessing your decisions as a parent? Recovering Mompostor™ Celeste Behe shows how you can defeat self-doubt, take back your vocation, and save the world!

Beating Mompostor Syndrome:How to Defeat Self-Doubt

10:00 - 10:45 A.M. Shak Hill

After two children of their own, Shak and Robin faced a significant pro-life decision that ended leaving Robin unable to have more children naturally. Wanting a large family, Shak and Robin became foster parents. Now, 46 children later, in this entertaining and fast-paced presentation, Shak shares what he learned, and why it matters to you.

3 ½ Lessons I Have Learned Raising46 Foster Children

11:00 - 11:45 A.M. Ginny Seuffert

This talk takes 14 themes found in expensive private prep schools to place kids in positions of power and influence (identified by John Taylor Gatto), and adapts them to apply to homeschooling families so you can prepare your children for leadership in society, business, and government.

Your Children Can Change the World:How to Prepare Them for Leadership

11:00 - 11:45 A.M. Fr. Shannon Collins

The Holy Rosary is a scourge that beats back our enemies, filled with small stones that knock down any Goliath. It is a saving rope and chain that lifts us to heavenly heights. But the Holy Rosary is not just essential equipment for dark times, but also a sure means of ushering in an age of peace.

The Most Holy Rosary: A SpiritualWeapon for Homeschool Families

Noon - 2:00 P.M. Vendor Area Opens/Lunch (Vendor Area remains open for the rest of the conference)

9:00 A.M. Registration/RosaryWest Ballroom Parent Track East Ballroom Parent Track

2:00 - 2:45 P.M. Dr. Bill Thierfelder

Bring greater joy and success to your homeschool by living, loving, working, playing, and praying in the present moment. Find out why distractions and expectations often lead to discontent and poor performance and what you can do to overcome them. Learn the secret to peace and happiness that will double your talents as a teacher or student.

Being Present: Creating the BestHomeschool Experience

2:00 - 2:45 P.M. Fr. Gregory Pendergraft

It is necessary that education be firmly rooted in the teaching of the Catholic Church, and every Catholic parent should be working toward the same goal--to raise children who know and love the Holy Faith and who have an education in the liberal arts and sciences which will enable them to rebuild a Catholic society.

Catholic Education: The Role of the Family and the Church

3:00 - 3:45 P.M. Fr. Andrew Fisher

By laying down their lives for Christ, these men and women testify to the truth of our faith and inspire us. Hear eyewitness accounts of the holy martyrs, see how they inspired the Church to continue its work of evangelization, and how the Church honors these saints in her liturgy and devotions.

The Blood of the Martyrsis the Seed of the Church

3:00 - 3:45 P.M. Kathleen Wilson

For many years, Kathleen did not embrace her faith or celebrate the Mass and Sacraments. Through some entertaining events and many prayers, Kathleen came back to the Church, went on to be the mother of 12 children both biological and adopted, to homeschool, and to found Mary’s Shelter, a ministry for homeless, pregnant women.

Living Faith, Marriage, Motherhood,Homeschooling, and Ministry!

4:00 - 4:45 P.M. Laura Berquist

Acquiring the cooperation of your children, in the right way, becomes a matter of grave importance. Without cooperation, the goals of homeschooling cannot be achieved. Discover ten techniques that can help you gain this vital cooperation.

Ten Things That Really Make aDifference in Homeschooling

4:00 - 4:45 P.M. Phillip Campbell

So you and your stay-at-home wife have decided to homeschool, but you work 40+ hours a week; what exactly is your role, and how can you be an integral part of the homeschooling experience in spite of your busy schedule? This talk will examine various ways that working fathers can be involved in the day to day activities of homeschooling to ensure that the effort is truly a joint endeavor of love.

The Role of a Homeschooling Father:What am I Supposed to be Doing?

5:00 - 6:30 P.M. Vendor Sales/Dinner Break

Audio recordings will be available after the

conference season.

Confessions will be heard at various times both days.

info@ihmconference.org(540) 636-1946

Friday Schedule

Friday Schedule continued

6:30 - 7:15 P.M. Ginny Seuffert

Some of the toughest hurdles in homeschooling can be corrected with calm and confident parenting. This talk offers some insight into just what might be holding us back and how some easy, common sense adjustments will make all the difference.

Overcoming the Hurdlesof Homeschooling

6:30 - 7:15 P.M. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby

We all know that we are supposed to pray, and many of us want to pray. Oftentimes, we try and then things come up and our prayer life slips away. This workshop provides practical steps on how to pray (and keep praying). It gives a theology from the trenches and is aimed to help us all become better people of prayer.

5 Simple Steps to Improve Your Prayer Life

7:30 - 8:15 P.M. Prof. Joseph Pearce

We live in an age in which many people profess no religion and believe in no God. Professor Pearce exposes the shallow arguments of atheism and shows the rational foundation for faith.

The Sense of Catholicismand the Nonsense of Atheism

7:30 - 8:15 P.M. Kelly Mantoan

We all have bad days. In this talk, Kelly shares how she tries to burnout-proof her school year beginning in August, and what can be done if burnout rears its ugly head anyway. Through humorous examples, Kelly talks about how she keeps a bad day from turning into an awful week, and how to avoid joylessly plodding through your school year.

How to Keep a Sense of Humor WhenYour Child Forgets Long Division... Again

9:00 P.M. Conference Ends

9:30 - 10:15 A.M. Fr. Shannon Collins

This talk is a discussion of the doctrine of Purgatory, as well as the importance of praying for the dead, especially through the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Furthermore, it is an investigation of the phrase, “doing your Purgatory on earth,” as being most beneficial to one’s spiritual life, especially for homeschool moms, dads, and children, who have embraced a difficult vocation.

Homeschooling: Doing YourPurgatory on Earth

9:30 - 10:15 A.M. Prof. Joseph Pearce

Tolkien described The Lord of the Rings as a “fundamentally religious and Catholic book.” Discover how his earlier book, The Hobbit, is equally Catholic. Prof. Pearce, author of Bilbo’s Journey, unravels the hidden Christian meaning of this classic tale of good and evil in Middle Earth.

The Catholicism of The Hobbit

10:30 - 11:15 A.M. Fr. Jeffrey Kirby

This talk describes the story of salvation history from the perspective of God’s mercy. The covenant and the drama of humanity’s relationship with God throughout time is described within the scope and passion of God’s goodness and mercy.

Mercy and the Drama of Salvation 10:30 A.M. - 12:15 P.M. College Fair

Admissions representatives from Catholic colleges around the country will be giving 5-minute presentations about their respective institutions. This is perfect for teens and parents. Our participating colleges include:

College Fair

11:30 A.M. - 12:15 P.M. Tara Brelinsky Staring out my window, the beauty of the view seems obscured by the dozen little smudgy fingerprints on my glass. But what if those smudges are really there to help me look more closely at the wonder inside my home? What if God planted those tiny prints to remind me that whenever we serve one another in our daily duties (e.g. schooling, housework) we are serving Him.

Finding God’s Fingerprintson Your Dirty Windows

12:30 - 2:00 P.M. Lunch Break/Vendor Sales

West Ballroom Parent Track East Ballroom Teen Track9:00 A.M. Registration/Rosary

Saturday Schedule

Saturday Schedule continued

2:00 - 2:45 P.M. Gary Zimak

One of the biggest challenges facing homeschooling parents is the feeling that they aren’t doing enough for their children. When is it time to step back and let the Lord take over? In this talk, Gary will offer practical advice for learning how to do your best and then let God do the rest!

Am I Doing Enough? 2:00 - 2:45 P.M. Fr. Mark Rutherford

“I can do and be what I want, how I want, whenever I want!” True freedom, right? Wrong. The cafeteria is closed! You have a mind, there is truth, Jesus is the Truth that sets us free, and He has something to say about your life, love, gender, studies, future and family.

The Most Important Talk You Will NeverHear: Cultural Issues Facing Teens

3:00 - 3:45 P.M. Prof. Mary Stanford

Giving our children authentically personal communication skills in our shameless, technology-mediated culture can be a daunting challenge. By examining the biblical foundations of human communication, we will witness the formative power of embodied encounter in the life of each person, and discuss ways of creating a culture at home that will truly nurture our children’s gifts.

Helping Our Kids Converse, Concentrate,and Create in a Culture of Distraction

3:00 - 3:45 P.M. Phillip Campbell

Why do so many people say they love history but hated history class? If teaching history to your homeschooler seems daunting, this talk will guide you through inculcating a love and understanding of history in your child, emphasizing the narrative nature of history coupled with a theme-based approach. The talk will also explore why modern-secular attempts at teaching history are doomed to failure.

History as if People Mattered

4:30 P.M. Conference Ends

A Lost Sheep Catholic StoreABCatholicAmerican Life LeagueAquinas CollegeAquinas LearningArma DeiArx PublishingBehold PublicationsBelmont Abbey CollegeCatholic Heritage CurriculaCatholic SchoolhouseCeleste BeheChesterton PressChristendom CollegeDemme Learning (Math-U-See)Discovery ToysEWTNFr. Shannon CollinsFranciscan University of SteubenvilleGary ZimakGinger Himes Art Lessons

Hillside EducationHoly Family PressHoly Family ResourcesHoly HeroesHomeschool ConnectionsHSLDAIlluminated InkInstitute for Excellence in WritingJohn Paul the Great UniversityKeller BooksKelly MantoanKolbe AcademyMichele QuigleyMother of Divine Grace SchoolMy Little Felt FriendsNancy Larson ScienceNortheast Catholic CollegeOur Lady of Victory SchoolOur Lady Seat of WisdomPhillip CampbellPortico Ministries

Priestly Fraternity of St. PeterProf. Joseph PearceProject NazarethProud Catholic CompanyQueen of Heaven AcademyRightStart MathematicsSacred Heart Books and GiftsSeton Home Study SchoolSeton Testing ServicesSeton Used BooksSt. Gregory’s UniversityStone Tablet PressTAN Books/Saint Benedict PressTeaching TextbooksThomas Aquinas CollegeThomas More College of Liberal ArtsUniversity of DallasUsborne Books and MoreVintage Holy Statues

www.IHMConference.org

Vendors

The Vendor Area opens at noon on Friday and remains open for the rest of the conference.