SPRING Courses
Scripture -Ms. Felicita Rich
This course will be using “Venture: The Bible Timeline,” by Ascension Press.
From the Ascension Press website:
Venture: The Bible Timeline for High School introduces teenagers to the “big picture” of salvation history in a way that is simple to understand and easy to teach. It uses the revolutionary Great Adventure Bible Timeline® Learning System that hundreds of thousands of Catholic adults have used to learn the Bible. This eight-lesson program will get teens to open their Bibles and learn the story of salvation history—from Genesis to Revelation—with a focus on God’s covenants and biblical characters. Once teens understand the Bible, their faith will become a relevant and indispensable part of their lives.
ABOUT MS. RICH
Felicita Rich is the Parish Secretary at St. Joseph, Morganza and the Evangelization & Communication Coordinator at St. Michael, Baden. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a double minor in Politics & International Affairs and Italian at Wake Forest University.
History of the church- Fr. martino choi
This course will be using “Heroes and Heretics of the Reformation” by Phillip Campbell.
From the Tan Books website:
Not since the birth of Christ has an event shaken the foundations of the Western world like the Reformation. Now, 500 years after Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door at Wittenberg—the sound of which served as the thunder presaging the storm to come—Phillip Campbell, author of The Story of Civilization, casts fresh eyes on that
tumultuous time and its most influential characters.
It was truly a tumultuous time, filled with heroes, heretics, and some who were a little bit of both. It was a time of destruction and rebuilding. Some sincerely sought reform, while others sought merely to profit by it, and some—perhaps too few—used the events of the time to become saints.
In these pages meet as you’ve never met before:
• Martin Luther: The tortured Augustinian monk whose act at Wittenberg called forth the storm.
• Thomas Müntzer: The radical who, inspired by the new way of thinking and his own apocalyptic views, sought to use the sword to usher in the reign of God; he would feel the sting of Luther’s words and the bite of the executioner’s blade.
• The queens: Mary and Elizabeth Tudor, who were at different times bastardized and delegitimized by their father Henry VIII, but who each reigned during this period of upheaval. One is known to history by a derogatory epithet, while the other, “bloodier” still, has an epoch named in her honor.
• The popes: Paul III and Pius V, each of whom sought to save what could be saved of Christendom, one through the calling of the Council of Trent, which codified an authentic Catholic Reform, and the other through the calling of a new crusade to fend off the ever-threatening Turks.
• St. Peter Canisius: The man who lived a life of sanctity as he tried to reconcile those who had drifted away back to the Church.
Through the lives of those above and others, dramatically unfolded in Campbell’s stirring narrative, learn how the heroes and heretics of the tumultuous sixteenth century shook the world, for better or for worse.
ABOUT FR. CHOI
Father Martino Choi is the administrator of St. Michael and St. Dominic. His undergraduate degree was in Government and Politics at the University of Maryland. He studied philosophy and theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and is currently working on a degree in Liturgical Studies at the Catholic University of America.
Oil painting- MRS. rosa patterson
High School Oil Painting: Faith and Form
This course invites students to explore the expressive power of painting while deepening their appreciation for the artistic heritage of the Catholic Church. Through hands-on practice, students will learn foundational techniques such as color theory and composition, with opportunities to study sacred art, religious symbolism, and masterworks that reflect Christian values. Emphasis will be placed on understanding and incorporating the basic Elements and Principles of art. Guided by both technical instruction and spiritual reflection, students will develop personal projects that honor the human search for the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. No prior experience required.
ABOUT MRS. PATTERSON
Rosa Patterson is a mom of 5 (earthside) children. She earned a dual degree in Studio Art and Education at the University of Maryland and spent 4 years teaching in a professional setting before beginning her homeschool journey in 2016. She founded the St. Michael’s Homeschool Co-op in 2020, and St. Michael’s Tutorial in 2025.
american literature- DR. siobhan benitez
2025-2026 American Literature: Fighting & Freedom (AP Prep)
Designed to prepare homeschool students for college applications, this course will cover American Literature from the 1800s-today, focusing on the themes of fighting and freedom. Students will read a variety of literature, including poetry, short stories, plays, and novels. In addition to other assignments, students will write at least two multi-draft essays over the course of the academic year, hone their skills in peer review, and consider the “big ideas” that serve as a foundation for the AP Literature and Composition exam: character, setting, structure, narration, figurative language, and literary augmentation.
This course is designed as part of a 4-year sequence for homeschoolers attending St. Michael’s Homeschool Tutorial:
(A) American Literature (AP Prep)
(B) AP Literature & Composition
(C) British Literature (AP Prep)
(D) AP Language & Composition
This course will not prepare a student to take the AP exam in May 2026. Instead, this course lays the groundwork for students to undertake serious literary analysis and build their writing skills. Senior students eager to take the AP exam in May 2026 must approach Dr. Benitez at the beginning of the school year to request advice and support for preparing the exam. Succeeding in AP exams requires a skillset beyond subject mastery.
ABOUT DR. BENITEZ
Siobhan Benitez holds a PhD in Catholic theology from the Pontifical Faculty at The Catholic University of America. She has taught everything from Kindergarten catechesis to doctoral level Seminary and won awards for her teaching in college freshman writing and analysis courses. Currently, her most important teaching adventure is homeschooling her four children. Dr. Benitez is very excited to share her love of literature and writing with the young people of St. Michael’s Homeschool Tutorial.
literature and poetry- MRS. PAHOLA PAUGH
This course will be using “The Treasure Trove of Poetry and the Art of Understanding It” by Catholic Heritage Curricula
8th and 9th grade students may choose to take this course in lieu of American Literature (AP Prep course).
From the CHC website:
Lead your student to understand and love poetry with this in-depth, Catholic program! This fifth level of The Treasure Trove of Literature series guides the student through three forms of poetry: lyric, epic, and dramatic. Students will not only read timeless poems from various eras but will also master the art of appreciating and analyzing poetry. They will learn how poets use techniques such as rhyme, meter, metaphor, and irony as a “secret code” to communicate their meaning more powerfully.
ABOUT MRS. PAUGH
Pahola Paugh holds a Master of Arts in English Literature and Language from the University of Texas at El Paso. She taught secondary students in Texas for fourteen years before relocating to Maryland in 2024, where her homeschooling journey with her two children began.
One of her professors once told her, “You read and share poetry with the people you love.” She is grateful for the opportunity to share her love of poetry with the young homeschoolers of St. Michael’s Homeschool Tutorial, fostering a joy for language, imagination, and expression.
