A day at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Today I spent time touring campus. The loading dock by the Development Office needs some major concrete and drainage work done. The building is 20 years old. While the work on the homes makes the campus look new and different, there is a lot of infrastructure work just to maintain the campus that our crew has to stay on top of.

I ate super with the Raphael Home (1^st-3^rd grade boys). They were full of energy after getting back from a hike around campus. You’d think it would calm them down, but still they were excited and had lots of stories to share. Being a guest, I had lots of requests of youngsters who wanted to sit next to me. Alas, there are only two chairs on either side, so I can only say yes to the first two to ask.

Afterward, I listened to and helped the readers along. The first graders had an 8 page book, with about a dozen words repeated in every possible combination. “I am Sam. Matt sat on a mat.” I remember having to start at that level too, once upon a time.

Becky and Chantel inventoried the safe and found some older coins that had been donated and stored for safe keeping. We decided to get them appraised and found that we could earn about $12,000 by selling them, so that was a nice day’s work.

Erica is a freshman in high school and I walked by a meeting with her family service counselor Julie. “Did you ever hear of a high school student who missed the rules so soon – after just one week?” Erica was telling Julie what she missed was the group structure of the junior high homes, where everything including homework time was done in common. In high school you have to organize your own time – an important task we all must learn.

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. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School