Every Tuesday for the next few months, we will be highlighting one of our 20 homes on St. Joseph’s campus.
Here at St. Joseph’s, we provide nationally-accredited home-away-from-homes for Native American children in grades one through twelve.
There are no dorms at St. Joseph’s. Children live in one of our campus homes with two specially-trained houseparents. They live and play together as any family would. The boys and girls learn life skills and enjoy spending time with their ‘St. Joseph’s family’.
St. Joseph’s Cyr Home is one of our 4-6 grade boys’ homes on campus.
Theresa and Odis 6-day houseparents. Theresa has an interesting story and has been at St. Joseph’s since the fall of 1986. Here is what she shared:
“I have been here since the fall of 1986. When I came in ’86, I re-started the yearbook program and was the editor for a number of years. Through this process, I got to know everyone on campus!
Throughout my time at St. Joseph’s, I have been a houseparent, houseparent trainer, director of religious education, religion teacher and then back to being a houseparent. I enjoyed all my positions, but with houseparenting you get to know a smaller group of kids better than when I was a teacher and had all of the children in my classes.
I found out about St. Joseph’s when I was in Canada working as a houseparent for a high school program in British Columbia. A couple I knew from there had come to work at St. Joseph’s after leaving Canada.
I like to garden, and in August when the boys come back to school I usually have cantaloupe growing – they help me water it and really enjoy helping me eat it. J
Why I enjoy the work I do? I wouldn’t enjoy it if I didn’t have great partners. It really does take two of us to do the work and still have time to enjoy doing things with the kids. Of course I also enjoy the kids – it is fun to watch them mature and working with them keeps me young.” Continue reading “Cyr Home- Spotlight”
The Chamberlain Cubs are the #2 seed in the tournament this year and played in their first game last night. Two players on the team, two cheerleaders and the mascot are St. Joseph’s students! Please keep them in prayer- that they’ll play their best and that no one is injured. 
Luisa and Jachin are the David Home 6-day houseparents. They do a fantastic job with the young girls in our care here at St. Joseph’s!
As the calendar keeps rolling along, sports and other activities change and our students take turns trying new things. Since the weather had been so nice, they are enjoying a variety of great options!
St. Joseph’s Speyer Home is one of our 7-8 grade boys’ homes on campus.
Recently, ‘Flat Francis’ was borrowed by Rachael and the girls of Stevens and Mathias Homes so he could be part of a prank they pulled on the boys of Rooney and Speyer Homes. 
Mike has been at St. Joseph’s for 14 years. In addition to being a houseparent, he coaches 4-6 grade girls basketball, oversees the Campbell’s Labels for Education program and facilitates different staff training opportunities. In his free time, he enjoys anything athletic- like playing golf- in the summer. He has also refereed high school and college basketball for the past 33 years.
Kimberly, one of our newest houseparents, has been at St. Joseph’s for approximately two months. She is originally from Columbus, Ohio. Her favorite winter activity is ice skating and when she is not at St. Joseph’s she enjoys drawing, running and playing board games.
Mary and Peter are the Dennis Home 6-day houseparents. Mary has worked at St. Joseph’s for 20 years, 10 of them as a houseparent. Peter has worked at St. Joseph’s for 10 years as a houseparent. They find their work with the Lakota children in our care “very rewarding”!