I went back to the Lower Brule Indian Reservation for the sad funeral of a 24-year-old man who died on the icy roads. Another car lost control and slid into the vehicle he was riding in. Besides knowing him from junior high when I was Lower Brule’s pastor, his mother was our parish secretary and dad very involved in the tribe and community. Austin was starting to make a name for himself in rodeo as a bronc rider, and had just started competing in the PRCA circuit. Sometimes people don’t picture Native American Indians as cowboys, but the Lakota were historically very good with horses. Many tribal people here ranch and rodeo and still spend a good amount of time in the saddle. The community turned out in big numbers to support his family. I was in the middle of the procession of cars going to the burial site, and as I reached the top of a hill I could see two miles of cars ahead of me, and a mile of cars behind me. Such a sad day, but incredible support.
The students did an excellent job of communicating the material and opening up about their struggles.
This evening the high school performed their one act play “We Wear The Mask”. It will be presented again Wednesday in Pierre, South Dakota at the regional competition. Tonight’s performance was for family and friends. The students themselves created the content from real life situations and journal entries, dealing with some of the most difficult issues teenagers face. They vividly made everyone more aware of the tough issues of drug and alcohol abuse, peer pressure, depression, and the whole angst which comes when you are trying so desperately to fit in and be loved for who you are.
Three of our St. Joseph Indian School students, Jatonne on guitar and Erica and Chris in acting roles, contributed to the show’s success. I was moved to tears of sadness a few times at the emotions and feelings expressed about their high school world. Appreciated is probably a better word than enjoyed, to measure my feelings and reaction at the performance. The students did an excellent job of communicating the material and opening up about their struggles.
Hey everyone! Jona here, from the Development office.
As you know from our other bloggers, St. Joseph’s Christmas celebration was a huge success – thank you so much!
In my role, I get to play a big part in Christmas on campus. I start by collecting wish lists from our Native American students in the fall.
As Christmas approaches, I am the lucky one who opens the boxes of gifts as they arrive. I check to see that nothing has been damaged in shipping (broken Christmas presents are no fun) and send the boxes on to the appropriate houseparent to be wrapped for the boys and girls. I am continually amazed at how thoughtful and generous you are with our students.
It seems corny to say that your work brings you joy but, year after year, it is this task that truly puts the Christmas spirit in my heart.
After the celebration, thank you notes from the students are sent to me, and my Christmas joy is renewed again! My desk is stacked with lovely notes from grateful children, drawings of their favorite toy and pictures of the celebration.
In the mail they go to those who made St. Joseph’s Indian School a special part of their Christmas tradition.
So many notes from the children are brutally honest,
“if not for you, I would have gotten nothing for Christmas.”
But also so unabashedly appreciative,
“I’m so happy there are people like you.”
As one second-grade girl wrote,
“I pray for an angel to bless you every day.”
She couldn’t have said it better. We pray for angels to bless you every day. Thank you for making our Christmas celebration so special!
The kids have learned that studying hard pays off in the long run!
Today at school, academic certificates and attendance awards for the first semester at St. Joseph’s Indian School were handed out. We have a very large number of our Native American students who get perfect or outstanding attendance, since they all live on campus within a few hundred yards of the school. We try not to be guilty of grade inflation and the academic honor role is somewhat challenging to make. In fact, for this grade level, only one girl, 8th grader Jalynn, maintained straight A’s. As each student received their certificate, they also got to choose a little memento – a gel pen, ring or hacky sack.
Sometimes it’s the simple little things that bring a smile to a kid’s face.
Our Junior Miss St. Joseph selected at our last St. Joseph’s Indian School’s annual powwow has gone back to her home on the Indian reservation to live with her family and attend school there. While we miss the students who move on, we are pleased when they are able to make a successful transition back home. At the awards presentation, Mary, the runner-up Miss St. Joseph’s, was called to the front of the assembly and presented with the beaded crown and banner she will now proudly wear. Mary will now represent St. Joseph’s Indian School at other powwows and events. When we have visiting dignitaries, we usually ask our royalty to be among the first to welcome them.
Congratulations to this year's chili cook-off winners!
Cold weather has returned to our area and St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Human Resources organized our annual Chili Cook Off today. About 15 staff members made their best chili or soup and judges decided who gets bragging rights for the next year. It’s a fun, cold weather activity. By the time I arrived in the skate room, the three award-winning crock-pots were empty. But there were plenty of other samples to treat for the taste buds. Our dining room prepared its own hearty chili, and Wisconsin Cheddar soup to make sure no one went away hungry. The crowd of staff who gathered lingered long to talk, eat and raise each others’ spirit.
In the evening, I was invited to the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls). Ironically, what was on the menu? Chili dogs! But that was also balanced by fruits and vegetables. After supper, I listened to the children read for a while. A houseparent with 12 students to supervise may not have the ability to sit down with one or two students like that and the girls relished the individual attention. While we deal with a number of children, it’s our goal to make each feel valued and special.
In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate and kick off the beginning of our new strategic plan. Aaron is filming a video to give some visual images about our mission, vision and core values. Graduation is one of our highest values, and we gathered up the 8th graders who will be receiving their diplomas in just a few months. They got excited as they put on cap and gown and mugged for the camera. They dreamed about what will be the next goal they set their minds to. A few of the American Indian students were here as tiny first graders when I first started here eight years ago.
The actual filming took only a couple of minutes. The set up, with lighting and equipment took much longer. And before the setup, Aaron had to have an idea of what he wanted to show and get everyone’s schedules arranged to be together at that particular time. It reminded me that so often in life, preparation time we put in beforehand really determines if something we do will be successful or not.
I stopped in for supper at the Crane Home (high school girls). It’s hard to find a night when most of the high school students are home at the same time, but Wednesday’s the local schools don’t schedule evening activities so the churches in the community can have religious education time. Still, I visited the young women in shifts as they came and went from other activities – basketball practice, play practice and tutoring appointments. A few of the students are preparing to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation soon, and had scheduled interviews with Fr. Anthony. They ate in shifts, and I did get a little time with each of the students. The time with any individual was too brief. I just hope that being present and letting them know I’m interested in how school and life is going, builds a rapport for a time when they might want to talk or share more.
We have finally gotten our expected winter snows and cold spell. The schools in town had a two-hour late start, but with all our Native American students right here on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, we began as usual. While most of us grumble at the cold and endure, the kids who got new sleds for Christmas are very excited and were out in force on the slope leading down to the football field after school today.
When I stopped by Religion Class for the 1st grade, Basil asked me,
“Do you walk in heaven?”
I replied,
“Not yet, but hopefully one day.”
I’m never sure what kind of images go through the mind of a seven-year old. At least they’re not embarrassed to ask the questions that do come to mind, which is refreshing and prompts me to look more closely at my beliefs.
We had 12 of our 39 high school students make the first semester honor roll at Chamberlain High School. Many others came close and certainly improved their GPA from last year. Congratulations to the students who put in the study hours, and those staff who’ve worked so hard to point (and sometimes push) them in the right direction.
We’re starting to work on budgets, and one of the first tasks is to look ahead at all the building and maintenance issues that would be included in capital expenses. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able make changes on campus each year. We always do regular upgrades and maintenance, but every year need to discern what buildings and equipment have been fixed and repaired so often that they need either replacement or a total renovation. We start out with a big wish list, then have to prioritize and make some decisions based on the rest of our programs budgetary needs.
While we just started the new semester two weeks ago, we’re already working ahead and trying to firm up next year’s school calendar. What makes it tricky is that while our high school students attend the Chamberlain public school, we are never quite on the same schedule. We have more days of school, trying to give our students more time for mastery of their academic subjects. We don’t take off many federal holidays during the school year. Even during the breaks and vacations, we often have break homes to accommodate students who want or need to stay on campus. Luckily Karla is an able administrator able to keep up with those details and give us some solid drafts to consider.
The Fisher Home after opening their presents … notice the smiles.
Christmas time is always a blast if you are a houseparent at St. Joseph’s Indian School. You get to be there as the students open their presents and see the joy on their faces. While some students don’t get exactly what they want, most get what they want and more.
These boys are the current eighth grade boys in the Fisher Home. They got basketballs which was a big hit because each one of these boys is convinced they are the next, Lebron James … which in relation to my basketball skills, they might be!
The day in the Fisher Home started off with church, which was hard for the students to sit through. The fact that they were opening presents immediately following church did not escape their minds.
After the boys opened their presents they played bingo which was a big hit for the young gentlemen. They had a chance to win hacky-sacks, quarters, soda and basketball cards. For the evening activity, the boys went swimming and got to have various treats the houseparents brought from their own homes.
The day was an awesome opportunity for me to remember why Christmas is special. It was a chance for us to show the important people in our life feel special.
Thanks to all the donors who helped us make these kids feel special.
Our American Indian youth love playing these games!
Hey, did you know that on Wednesday nights St. Joseph’s Indian School has a night of activities for the homes called “Enrichment Night?” That’s where we get two homes from each community, for two hours that night and either teach them a new game or revive an old game for fun. We work on teamwork and certain skills. We also have “Enrichment Swims” going on at the same time for different homes.
Most recently, at our 6:00 pm time slot, we had our 1st – 3rd grade homes (Raphael & Afra) for our Enrichment Night Activities. They played a game that some of you might know from TV, “Minute To Win It.” One game we played was call “Loner” which is when one person has to roll one marble at a time to knock down a pencil standing 15 feet away in one minute!
Savannah did a good job in the “Bite Me” game and Trinity and Jarrett were excellent in their games as well. Even the houseparents were involved in some of the games as well. Thanks to Aleece, Leonard and Christine and Mike for all their help. We also played, “Stack Attack” and “Movin’ On Up,” which are plastic cup games.
The 7:15 pm time slot was with the 6th – 8th grade homes (Rooney & Fisher) who were involved as well last night. They were involved in a different night of activities. We called them “Tag Games.” “Swatter Tag” was a big hit with Josh and Adrian and the game called “Dead Ant” was a smash with the boys as well. Jeremiah and William were really into the game “Frogger.” These are games that build teamwork and are fun at the same time. Thanks to houseparents Tony and Roman for their help.
Next week for Enrichment activities at 6:00pm, we will have the 4th and 5th grade homes (Cyr and Perky) and at 7:15pm we will have the 6th – 8th grade girl homes (Mathias & Stevens).
Everyone had a great time at St. Joseph's Indian School's donor luncheon.
We arrived back home this evening after a lovely weekend trip to Napa, California for donor appreciation luncheons. Mia (8th grade) and Zoey (7th) took their first airplane flight, which was just the beginning of exciting new experiences and wonderful people we met along the way.
We flew in and out of San Francisco. Once we landed, we made our way to the edge of the Pacific Ocean so Mia and Zoey could get their feet wet and see the majesty and vastness reaching forever into the horizon. The waves were tall, and sent spray high into the air as they crashed onto the rocky coast. At first the girls were reluctant to approach the waves. After I made a couple of dashes and Denise kicked off her shoes and waded into the foam at the edge, they got up the nerve to venture out. Once they did, giggling and fascinated, they didn’t want to leave.
We crossed the Golden Gate Bridge, which is an awesome experience in itself and visited the Carmelite Sisters in San Rafael. They have been praying for our Lakota (Sioux) students for a long time and when they learned we would be in the area, invited us to stop for dinner and a visit. A life of prayer, hermitages and long periods of solitude is so different from what most of us experience, but testifies so strongly to each of us being able to deepen a real and sustaining personal relationship with God. The sisters showed great joy and hospitality as we sat down to a tasty meal in a dining room still vibrant and colorful with many Christmas decorations.
Our donors drove in from a wide circle, some as far as two hours away. A few have gotten the chance to visit South Dakota, but the vast majority only know us through the mail or internet, and were pleased to put some real people to the pictures they’ve seen. For me it’s also a great opportunity to say pilamaya – thank you in a more personal way than through a letter. We ran into two donors who were totally surprised. One woman from Illinois was in the area for vacation and happened to be staying at the hotel. She was tickled to meet us. At the hotel reception desk, we found out that one of the workers there is also a St. Joseph’s Indian School donor. While we set up for the luncheon our two students went back to the front desk and presented her with a cloth St. Joseph tote bag and a powwow booklet as a way of saying thanks to her.
The kids had a great time sightseeing too!
After the luncheons on Saturday, we took a short drive through the area countryside. Even though the vines are not blooming right now, there is still such a beauty on the slopes and hills. The site our students, however, were most interested in, was the mall, where they got shop for souvenirs for family and some clothes for themselves.
Sunday evening we were back in San Francisco and stopped in at Fisherman’s Wharf, which is such a colorful, active place. Watching the girls delight in seeing Sea Lions was one of those priceless moments for me. We walked to Ghirardelli Square and of course sampled some chocolates. The line to the cable cars was quite long, so we just looked and took our picture by one of them. Kory was bold and did drive us up and down some of the famous hills of San Francisco as we wove our way back to the airport. Lots of good people and good memories.
I have the privilege to share with you what has been happening here at St. Joseph’s over this past weekend since Fr. Steve, several of our Native American students and some of our staff have been on a donor luncheon in the Napa Valley area of California.
Basketball is one of the favorite pastimes for our Lakota (Sioux) youth!
From the students’ point of view, the biggest thing on campus is the start of the boys’ basketball and the girls’ intercity basketball seasons. The boys kicked off the season against Lyman here at the rec center and St. Joseph’s came out victorious with the 7th and 8th grade teams, but our 6th graders came up a few points short. The 7th & 8th grade teams also had the honor of being invited to attend a recent Chamberlain High School (CHS) basketball game, on which several St. Joseph students are playing, and sit behind the varsity bench and visit the locker room. This came about since the CHS team had been able to use our gym to do some practicing and the coach came up with this as a way of saying thanks. The girls’ intercity began this past Sunday with young ladies from the Chamberlain, South Dakota area joining with 6th, 7th and 8th grade students here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. They are divided up into four teams. Their season will run through the start of March. You may recall that when the boys had their season they had a special five-minute quarter for those who were 6th graders so they had the chance to play a bit; but the girls are trying out a different wrinkle in that each player has to play in each quarter. The coaches are trying to sub so that each plays about 3 minutes per quarter. The purpose of the intercity is to give the young ladies a chance to get to know each other so that when they meet up in high school they will already know something about the new classmates.
Another sports activity, geared to give our students something to do during the months that there should be snow outside, is our bowling program. Again this is offered to the students in the upper grades on Saturday afternoons with staff serving as team captains and coaches. The students enjoy it since there are quarters to be won for strikes and picking up the various splits that occur. The local alley also offers a choice of free drink or nachos if one of the participants gets a strike when a special pin is the head pin. To keep things on an even keel, each bowler has a handicap so that extra pins are given to make it as even as possible at the start.
The Native American children had such a great Christmas at St. Joseph's Indian School!
The weather finally turned a bit winter-like. We received some snow and cold temperatures mid-week which allowed the students to hit the slopes and try out their sleds and ski boards received when they opened their ‘Christmas gifts.’ They enjoyed being out of the homes going up and down the hills. The joy they experienced reminds me to again say,
‘Pilamaya – thank you’ for your generosity towards our students.
It was amazing how generous you were and how excited the students were to be pulling apart paper and ribbons to see what else “Santa” brought them. Fr. Steve and I enjoyed having the chance to go to the various homes on campus to see the excitement.
However, the change in weather also brought some tragedy to the local Chamberlain community. Since we have had such a mild winter, the arrival of snow and ice did cause a few accidents. One especially, touched many here in Chamberlain as the pastor of the local United Church of Christ, Rev. Gregg King, was killed as he and his wife were taking their daughter to the airport in Sioux Falls. He lost control, crossed the meridian and hit an on-coming vehicle. Several of our staff are members of that local Faith community. We ask that you keep Reverend King in your prayers.
The new Bishop of Rapid City, South Dakota, the Most Rev. Robert Gruss, is scheduled to take place next week. He has just recently been installed as Bishop. The Diocese of Rapid City covers all the state of South Dakota west of the Missouri River. As many of our students come from West River areas, Bishop Gruss is their shepherd.
May the Great Spirit continue to bless and reward you for your generosity towards St. Joseph’s. I hope each of you have a great day and that your new year is offer to a wonderful start. Am happy to have had this chance to share with you some of what is happening here on campus. Looking forward to the next time I can share with you.
