Month: June 2012

Guest Blogger: Julie H

Hello!  Can you believe that summer is in full swing?  Things here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, although it is summer, continue to move along swiftly!

My name is Julie and I have been here at St. Joseph’s Indian School for over 10 years.  I currently work as a Family Service Counselor.  During the school year, I stay busy seeing students for individual counseling, group counseling, and enrichment activities.  But what does a counselor do in the summer when most of the kids are gone?  Well, that is a good question!

As a Family Service Counselor at St. Joseph’s Indian School, part of my duties in the summer include traveling to see the students and families with whom I work during the school year.  We visit with the students and families to make sure their summer is going well and to see if there is anything we can help with while the students are at home.  Most of the time, this is just a check in and a great time to visit with students and families.

So far this summer, I have been to Eagle Butte to visit with one of my students.  This week will take me to on two or three more trips and the rest of the summer is filling up with travel as well!  Though many of our students are from the nearby Indian reservations of Fort Thompson and Lower Brule, we also travel as far away as Pine Ridge and Nebraska to visit Native American students.

Another thing the Family Services Counselors do during the summer is work on student admissions. Of course, we need to fill the first grade class with new students and other grades may have openings as well.  Part of the admissions process includes going to the prospective student’s home to meet them and their family.  A short interview is conducted to gain some background information on the student, and this is a great time to start building a strong relationship with the student and their family.

Interspersed with all of the travel, the Family Service Counselors work on getting consent forms signed for the next school year, finish up paperwork and start preparing for the kids to return.  Summer is also a good time to attend workshops to keep us up to date on the current trends and best practices in counseling.

The best part of the summer is getting to go out and see our students and their families, as well as meeting new families.  Although most of the kids were ready for summer to get here, they sure seem happy to see us when we visit! 🙂  And many times the first question they ask is,

“When do I get to come back to St. Joe’s for school?”

I hope you all have a blessed and safe summer! – Julie H

Guest Blogger: Laura

Hi, I am Laura from the Development office.  Some of you may have talked with me over the phone or even met me while attending a Donor Luncheon!  Part of my job is to set up and organize these events.

I just got back from a luncheon in Oklahoma City. Dean and RJ were able to talk to donors who attended and tell them what life is like here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Dean and RJ were with donors of St. Joseph's Indian School.
Pilamaya – thank you for your generous contributions!

We had a wonderful time and met some very special benefactors while we were there!  This couple has been donating for over 50 years.  What a joy it was to meet them!

The highlight of the trip was all the famous sports people we saw.  These two high school boys were in heaven.

While checking into our hotel we saw the Oklahoma University girls’ fast-pitch softball team. They played great while we were there and were going to be in the championships games.  RJ, who is going to be a sophomore in the fall, has an interest in being a NBA referee someday. He was thrilled when we saw that Ken Mauer, Ed Malloy and James Capers were also staying at our hotel.  They were there to officiate the Thunder and Spurs game.

While greeting our wonderful guests for the luncheon, Stephan A. Smith from ESPN asked me for directions.  Little did I know who he was until Fr. Steve and the boys told me!

The luncheon was a great time and the boys did really well talking in front of a group of people.

Later that evening, on our way back from church, we saw a group of people in a crowd and went to check it out.  We found that it was the San Antonio Spurs getting ready to board the bus for the game!  We added several more basketball stars to our list of celebrity sightings, including Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Boris Diaw to name a few.

After dinner we went and walked around the Chesapeake Energy Arena where the Thunder and Spurs would play their game.  We saw Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson shooting TNT’s “Live in the NBA.”

We all got to shake their hands as they went into the stadium.

I better not forget to mention the Thunder cheerleaders.

Boys with the Thunder cheerleaders.
The boys were happy to smile for a picture with the Thunder cheerleaders!

Sunday we spent time at the Chickasaw Cultural Center in Sulphur, Oklahoma, which is a beautiful place.  The boys enjoyed learning about a different tribe.  On the way back from the Cultural Center we stopped by Oklahoma University and showed the two boys around the campus.  What a huge place it is.  Our last stop was the football field, where we happened to run into Bob Stoops – the head football coach!  He offered to take a picture with the boys.

This is a weekend these two young men will never forget and I am so happy to have been able to share it with them.  It really was an amazing time with good friends and good luck!

We hope to get to meet you at a luncheon in the near future to thank you for all you make possible!

Bob Stoops stopped for a picture with the boys.
Bob Stoops and the boys.

Please check our luncheon schedule at www.stjo.org/luncheon to see if we will be in your area to make more wonderful memories for the Lakota boys and girls of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Thanks!

Laura H.

Donor Relations Assistant

This week at St. Joseph’s day camp …

As of today, over 400 Native American children have attended St. Joseph’s Rising Eagle Day Camp!

It’s been a great week to spend with kids from the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation.

Monday was sunny and hot day, which was great for playing outside! We picked up some toys from Central Receiving, including toy trucks and cars for the sand box, walking stilts and pogo sticks. We also found an assortment of different balls and camp staff taught the kids to play 4-square and hopscotch.

Two Native American boys learning about a boat!
Day Camp is going great!

Tuesday we had the Water Safety Course as our morning activity. The children really enjoyed riding around on the water and steering the small boats. Many thanks to our local Game, Fish & Parks office and the Army Corps of Engineers for their presentation.

Wednesday, there were 47 children waiting for the camp bus, plus five dogs and some puppies. They even tried to get on the bus!

Back at St. Joseph’s, we had one little girl who was upset and wouldn’t tell us what was wrong. Thanks to some TLC from Mary Jane, she was soon eating lunch and joined her group outside at the playground. Thanks Mary Jane!

Each child received a toothbrush and toothpaste as they get off the bus to go home today.

Thursday was another beautiful, hot day! We had lots of fun with our usual activities – playing outside games, swimming and crafts. Everything went great.

Next week, we’ll head to the Lower Brule Sioux Reservation to pick up day campers!

Guest Blogger: Scott

Hello blog world!  My name is Scott and I am a family service counselor.  I work with 6th-12th grade boys and will begin my 19th year at St. Joseph’s Indian School (SJIS) this fall.  During the school year, I help provide individual and group counseling services to the boys and also act as a go-between for the school and the children’s families.

Right now, though, it’s summer and I’m adjusting to a little more life on the road.  I’ll be traveling this month to visit families and students I work with here at SJIS.  It’s a nice way to connect with all of them.  I enjoy seeing the beautiful landscapes of South Dakota and getting to see the home turf of the kids.  They always enjoy showing off their towns and telling stories connected to their home environment.  It’s a great way to continue to build the relationships we work on during the year.  Plus, it’s laid back because they aren’t stressed out by the rigors of homework and other scheduled activities, like we have during the school year.

I also travel to conduct interviews with potential students when we have vacancies in our homes.  I always enjoy meeting new children and new families and I look forward to establishing new connections with them when the school year begins.

In the last few years, I have had quite a few more kids remain on campus in June as summer programming increases for the age group that I work with – especially in the high school age group.  I have many older boys who are still here for awhile, working summer jobs, attending the high school transition program and officially learning how to drive.

I enjoy the pace of the SJIS summer routine and also look forward to time off in the summer to re-charge and prepare for the next school year.

Guest Blogger: Karla

Fr. Steve stopped in my office and asked if I would perform #13 on my job description – be a guest blogger and write today’s blog.  And of course, without thinking, I said “sure.”

To explain, #13 on my job description reads ‘Performs other responsibilities as required by the Executive Director.’  🙂

Then all I thought was “yikes!”

A little anxiety set in as I thought “I am not a blogger … and besides, my job might seem boring for people to read about …”

All that aside – Hi! I am Karla, the Executive Assistant.

First, I must say that I love my job and have been doing it for almost 19 years.   My work includes more ‘behind the scenes’ kind of detail.  Working with the Executive Director of Child Services (Mike, my boss), I have the opportunity to assist Child Services with all the different programming taking place on campus for our students.  My job consists of the usual duties like taking notes, setting up meetings, filing student information, etc.  In a nutshell, it’s kind of like a jack-of-all-trades.  I do enjoy multi-tasking, however, and the busier our office is the better I like it.  Currently I am getting the calendar together for the 2012-2013 school year, as well as filing end-of-year student information.

St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus is a different kind of busy now that school is out.  Summer day camp is taking place; the high school summer program is up and running, as well as activities for the students in grades 1-8 staying in the summer home.  Construction, cleaning, moving and general maintenance are in full gear in preparation for the new school year.  Keeping the office organized some days can be quite eventful, as you never know what might come up, or who may show up, so we never expect a humdrum kind of day.

I just heard some little people laughing and walking outside my office going to the playground.  That means the summer day camp bunch has arrived …  seeing the smiles and hearing the laughter … that is what brings satisfaction to my job and warmth to my heart.

Thanks to all of you that support our mission and give us the opportunity to provide for the students and families we serve.  If you get to Chamberlain, visit our campus, visit our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center and see for yourself why St. Joseph’s Indian School is an awesome place!

Gotta go … my boss is calling!