Visiting with a St. Joseph’s alum

Greetings from South Dakota!

First of all, our thoughts and prayers are with those in the Midwest who experienced such awful weather over the weekend.  The loss of life and destruction are truly tragic.

Chamberlain High School presented their annual play this past weekend, Father of the Bride.  Two of St. Joseph’s high school students were in the cast and four were part of the stage and lighting crew. As an added bonus, St. Joseph’s students Amber and Ashley created the set designs! In Dramatic Arts class, the director divided students into teams of two and let them come up with design ideas for the play. Amber and Ashley’s design was chosen – way to go, girls!

Basketball season is underway at St. Joseph’s, and the Lakota girls in 4th through 8th grade have taken to the hardwood courts.  On Saturday, the 4th, 5th and 6th graders played their counterparts from Chamberlain Elementary.  There was a good turnout of family and friends on both sides to cheer them on.

The Chamberlain girls had some tall players, but St. Joseph’s girls had some real spunk and a ‘never say die’ attitude that helped them come back from early deficits and secure victory in the 4th and 6th grade games by one point each.  The 5th graders, unfortunately, came up just 4 points short.  This week, all our teams will be on the road playing schools in the local area.

I had a nice surprise during the basketball games on Saturday. I got to visit with the mother of a current student who was a student here herself in the late 1990’s.  Fancee was a star basketball player at St. Joseph’s. Now, she is married with four children and works as a police detective on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

She shared that her time at St. Joseph’s Indian School really prepared her for working with the Native American youth whom she now encounters in her profession.  It was truly great to visit with her and hear how her years at St. Joseph’s helped her prepare for the future!

I hope each of you has a great week and that God’s blessings remain with you. Pilamayathank you – for your concern and generosity towards the Native American students at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Know that you and your intentions have been remembered in our Novena of Masses, November 11-19.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future.

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