Schedule

Activities will be provided ages 3-18. Kids will have opportunities to learn more about our faith while engaging in rich activities on a variety of topics—and connecting with other Orthodox homeschool kids!

Speakers

Personal Bio: Bishop Thomas (Joseph) was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1953. He attended John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson, graduating in 1970. He went on to college at William Paterson College, graduating in 1974. After college, he worked in the Department of Community Improvements in Paterson, then served as a teacher for the Paterson Board of Education.

Church Ministry: Bp. Thomas was recruited by Fr. John Namie to serve as one of the original camp counselors at Antiochian Village from 1979 to 1982. In 1979 he began studies at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary. He continued his studies until the spring of 1983, and on August 28, 1994 he was ordained to the priesthood. Bp. Thomas was elevated to the rank of archimandrite, and on December 5, 2004, he was consecrated to the episcopacy in Damascus, Syria. Bishop Thomas was enthroned as Bishop of Oakland and the East at St. George Cathedral in Pittsburgh on May 6, 2005. He has been chair of the Assembly of Bishops Committee for Youth since its inception in 2010.

Educational/Professional Background: In August of 2006, Bp. Thomas graduated summa cum laude with a Doctorate in Education from California Coast University. He sits on the editorial board of the journal Christian Bioethics, which is published by Oxford University Press.

Dr. John Mark Reynolds (plenary speaker) is the President of The Saint Constantine School and a member of the Board of Directors of Orthodox Christian School Association (OCSA). He is also a faculty member at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, a Fellow of the Center For Science and Culture at The Discovery Institute, and the former provost of Houston Christian University. He was the founder and director of the Torrey Honors College, the Socratic, great books-centered honors program at Biola University. He received his Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Rochester, where he wrote his dissertation analyzing cosmology and psychology in Plato’s Timaeus. Dr. Reynolds is the author of numerous books, including When Athens Met Jerusalem: an Introduction to Classical and Christian Thought and is the editor of The Great Books Reader. He is a frequent blogger and lecturer on a wide range of topics including ancient philosophy, classical and home education, politics, faith, and virtue.

John Mark attends St. George Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas. An avid technophile, the lights, thermostat, speakers, and computers in his house can all be controlled by his phone and voice control, to both cool and disastrous effect. He loves Disneyland, Star Trek, and the Green Bay Packers. John Mark and his wife Hope have four adult children: L.D., Mary Kate, Ian, and Jane.

Kh. Gigi Shadid is a mother of three and an award-winning educator. Gigi received her Master's in Theology with a specialization in Youth Ministry at the Antiochian House of Studies. Her experience includes teaching in public and private schools as well as working as a full-time Orthodox Youth Director. She has been involved in summer church camping programs since 1992 and helped in the founding and formation of three Orthodox summer camps. Gigi is the founder of Music Learn, an educational music company, and has produced six albums, including the new 2023 release “Thine Own” as well as “Fight the Good Fight,” ”Fruits of the Spirit,” “Celebrate the Feasts,” “Middle School Math Music,” and “The ABCs of Orthodoxy.” Kh Gigi will spend some time talking to us about Teaching with Joy.

Matushka Natalia Wooten has been homeschooling since 2010 and has taught in a variety of schools, public, private, charter, and online. She lives in San Antonio, Texas, where her husband has been the priest at St. Anthony the Great Orthodox Church for over 6 years. She currently homeschools her youngest child in the Charlotte Mason tradition, teaches classes at St. Athanasius Homeschool Academy (online), and helps to post content on Nourishing Souls, a website for providing Orthodox supplementary materials and suggestions to homeschool families.

Talk: “Joy as a Fruit of the Spirit” - As Christians, we have a deep and reverent belief in the Trinity, but perhaps we forget at times that we have recourse not only to the Father and to the Son, but also to the Holy Spirit, the "Light of Truth and Spiritual Joy" (as referred to in the Akathist to the Holy Spirit.) Mka. Natalia shares from the teachings of the Holy Fathers, the hymns of the Church, and her experience of how important it is for us to have faith in the working of the Holy Spirit within our children.

Cornelia (Lia) Pirvulescu is a homeschool mother of two who has 20 years of experience in education. She has taught from kindergartners to adults. Lia has served in Sunday School for almost as many years in roles ranging from teacher, catehist as well as curriculum writer and program director. Visit with Lia if you want to learn more about Homeschooling basics and how Saint Emmelia Ministries can be of support.

Summer (Sophia) Richards has homeschooled since 2014. She has 7 children (plus one more in heaven) and has been involved in birth work since 2019, first as a doula, then as a student midwife, and now as a midwife. She has always taught her neurodivergent children amidst the instability of birth work and having a wide range of ages (from teens to newborns) and has experience finding joy in the challenges of loss, learning disabilities, and dysregulation.

Summer will share lessons learned from the lives of Saints and how those guided her both as a mother and as a midwife. She will have ample time for Q&A so we can all learn from her and each other.

Elizabeth Lewis is a homeschool mom of three. Before she decided to stay home to homeschool, she taught gardening, math, and science at The Saint Constantine School in Houston for 8 years. She attends St. Thekla’s Orthodox mission in Richmond, TX, where she teaches catechesis of the Good Shepherd level 1 and sings in the choir. Elizabeth enjoys many hobbies, including gardening, baking, and many other handicrafts.

Tatiana Merry is a mother, wife, and cybersecurity professional with over 10 years of experience in the field. Passionate about reducing cyber risks, she focuses on changing human behavior to enhance digital security. In recent years, she has applied her expertise to help parents protect their children from online dangers, while also promoting a healthy relationship with technology. Tatiana, her two children, and husband attend St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cedar Park, TX. 

This year Tatiana will talk to us about how parenting has changed. Today’s kids grow up online, and parents are expected to guide them through a digital world that didn’t exist when we were young. From social media and gaming to AI and lasting digital footprints, the challenges can feel overwhelming. This presentation offers practical guidance, realistic expectations, and conversation-based strategies to help parents support their kids’ online safety with confidence, not fear.Tatiana, her two children, and husband attend St. Mary Orthodox Church in Cedar Park, TX.

Leilani Mueller is a California native and Texas transplant. Homeschooled and then educated at a Great Books program, which included a year abroad, she was introduced to Orthodoxy during that time. Now an Orthodox Christian and homeschooling mom of five, you will find Leilani teaching, reading, and talking about books. You might also find her welcoming college students into her home with her professor husband (he teaches at Saint Constantine College), writing (her first book came out in 2025), or thinking about stories and how they can lead us to a deeper understanding of the beautiful world God made for our salvation.