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.

IT’S BACK!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain — Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain

IT’S BACK!!!! Just when we thought we might be getting over the snow, the third storm in three weeks nailed us. Interstate 90 was closed from Chamberlain to Rapid City– a stretch of about 200 miles.

The big event this past weekend was the Student Christmas Store! The store is a yearly tradition that allows our students to “shop” for their loved ones before Christmas break begins. Our students come with their lists and circle the store a few times before they make their final decisions!

Staff was on hand to help our students pick out just the right gift for their loved ones at home. Once their shopping was complete, they moved to the skating room where other staff members helped them wrap their treasures.

There was also time for goodies and pictures with Santa!

Members of the National Honor Society and students in the Raphael and David Homes got into the spirit of helping others. The NHS students recently sponsored a bake sale to raise money for the food bank here in Chamberlain and the Homes sold handmade tree decorations to support a fundraiser on behalf of Fighting Hunger in South Dakota. The goodies at the bake sale were delicious, and the decorations caught everyone’s fancy and sold out quickly!

Recent bad weather kept pushing our Healing Camp back, but we were able to hold it this past Monday and Tuesday. St. Joseph’s Healing Camp is open to any student and their family members who are dealing with a recent loss of a loved one. There are various activities they take part in to help them talk about their feelings and emotions.

The yearly camp ends with a traditional wiping of the tears ceremony by a local elder. It is one way for St. Joseph’s to show support and encouragement as our students deal with the passing of a loved one who now walks the Holy Road.

Our grade school students have recently been given chance to experience the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Their religious education teacher, Joe, and I set it up so the students could come to the Sacrament during their religious education class time. Fr. Bernard Rosinski, SCJ was available to assist as well! The students were given the chance to receive either the Sacrament (if Catholic) or a blessing (if not Catholic).

We know everyone gets so excited about getting the externals—gifts, cards, etc.—ready for Christmas but sometimes we forget to get ourselves ready. This was an opportunity for them to make sure there will be room in their hearts to welcome the Christ Child.

100_3100 — St. Joseph’s Spelling Bee Winners!

Just as I finished with the last class, the spelling bee began as a way to determine who will represent St. Joseph’s in the state spelling bee in Mitchell, South Dakota. The three students pictured will be representing St. Joseph’s! If they perform well enough, their spelling skills could eventually take them to the National Spelling Bee in Washington, DC!!

Our students left for Christmas Break last Friday and are enjoying spending time with family and friends at home. We hope your plans give you the opportunity to be with your loved ones as we celebrate the birth of the Prince of Peace.

Happy Holidays!!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

What if?

Mike, St. Joseph's President — Mike, St. Joseph’s President

It was one of those moments that you are fortunate to experience… like so many others over the past 30 years. I am frequently reminded that the mission at the heart of our work at St. Joseph’s Indian School is truly a blessing for all who are open to it!

It started with our yearly Christmas Store, held on December 12 this year. Like many other caring staff, I volunteered to assist as our students select Christmas gifts for their family members. The Christmas Store comes about because of the generosity of so many. Students are able to select gifts for their siblings and family members. It is an opportunity to give someone a present that they might not otherwise have.

Throughout the day, some staff help students pick out gifts. Others, like me, volunteer to help wrap presents. There’s music playing and Santa Claus is here. St. Joseph’s high school students even assist the younger students. It is a lot of fun!

After assisting a couple of students in wrapping their presents, there was a short break between groups… And there it sat on a table full of wrapping paper.

It was a letter to Santa Claus.

I was not sure where it came from, but it had all the magic that a letter to Santa should have. It had a few misspellings and imperfect penmanship, just as a child’s letter should. But it was magic nonetheless. It asked for gifts for her siblings, and she had drawn a few pictures.

But mostly, I was struck by the spirit of the letter! Simply stated, this child was given the opportunity to ‘Believe’ in the magic of Christmas.

With this being the Christmas Season, I find there are a number of Christmas movies that give one perspective. In the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” George Baily sees a world without himself in it! This led me to the question, what would the world be like without St. Joseph’s Indian School? What if we did not have so many generous supporters? What kind of Christmas would our students and their families have?

How would their lives be impacted?

Thirty years ago, my wife and I were fortunate to come to St. Joseph’s Indian School. Back then, the plan was to take a year and see if we could make a difference. And what we have 30 years later is a lifetime full of memories and many instances where the Mission impacted us far more than we impacted the Mission. So what George Baily realized, I too realized. How truly lucky I am to be part of this wonderful Mission that is St. Joseph’s Indian School.

That student letter was a simple reminder of the magic that is in the hearts of our students, their families, the staff and our supporters. It is you, our supporters, and your generosity that allows the Spirit of the Mission to thrive each and every day on our campus. And it is during this important Christmas Season that your generosity is most apparent in the eyes of the children we serve!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! The Spirit is alive! God Bless!

Mike, St. Joseph’s President

What a week!

What a week here at St. Joseph’s! You may recall we were hit with over six inches of snow a week ago Monday and now we are wondering where it all went! The snow was on the ground for several days, but when area temperatures began to rise, it melted quickly. However, do not fear… the students were able to get some sledding in, snowballs thrown and snow forts built!

To help those in Dancing Dolls and Dudes have enough time to get ready for their big recital debut on Sunday, we moved our normal Sunday morning Mass to Saturday afternoon. At the end of Mass, St. Nicholas, St. Joseph’s own President, Mike, stopped by to visit with the children and pass out goodies to those who could answer some questions he had. Everyone was excited seeing Saint Nick, knowing he’ll soon be making his rounds on Christmas Eve.

The Dancing Dolls and Dudes recital went well! The Dolls were divided by age and each group performed two or three dance numbers. The young men taking part all danced together. A few days later, at the end of the Mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we had our dancers stand and took a moment to congratulate them on their performance with a round of applause.

The Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center was recently honored by the South Dakota Department of Tourism with the South Dakota Great Service Star for 2015. This is an award given to tourist spots within the state that give exceptional customer service. We want to extend our congratulations to Dixie and her team at the museum for their efforts! They truly do a fantastic job.

Some of our sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys participate in the local Explorers group with young men their age from the local public school. Every year, the young men ‘take to the town’ and perform odd jobs as a way to raise funds for a worthy cause. This year, they began their quest to raise money to assist in purchasing an automated external defibrillator (AED) for the Chamberlain Middle School. After they began saving their money, they became aware of someone many of the boys knew who had just been diagnosed with cancer and decided to make that person the main focus of their money raising efforts! They will still be making a donation for the AED, but the boys are all excited to give back to someone who means a lot to them!

President Mike dressed as St. Nick! — St. Nick (President Mike) visited the students this past Sunday!

With Christmas getting closer, various decorations are going up around campus. The nativity scene was put up where the tipi stands just outside the Akta Lakota Museum. Several of the Homes have also gotten into the holiday spirit and the rest will get busy this weekend so they’ll all have everything in place by the time Christmas break arrives.
I hope your time of preparation for Christmas is moving along smoothly. While it is nice to get all the externals—baking, cards, gifts and decorations—going, may we take a moment to get ourselves ready so there will be room in our hearts when the Prince of Peace comes. Have a great week.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Oh, the snow!

What a mess! The Chamberlain area was recently hit with over six inches of snow! The storm caused over thirty students and several staff members to be caught away from campus after the Thanksgiving break. Everyone had the option to be back either Sunday or Monday– those who came back on Sunday made it with no problems, but those who waited were stuck. Mitchell and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, set new records with over seven inches of snow!

St. Joseph’s students enjoyed sledding and making snowmen!

The snow caused various activities to be canceled — our healing camp for students who have lost a loved one recently; several basketball games and the initial basketball practice for the high school teams, to name a few. The storm also prevented some of our students from taking part in a skype interaction with some of our benefactors in France. They had written a poem they wanted to share.

8284745188_7d43041529_o — St. Joseph’s students enjoyed the recent snowfall!

I greeted the students on their first day back at school after the holiday. In talking with the students, it seems everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

During the break, I had the opportunity to go up to Ft. Thompson on the Crow Creek Reservation and celebrate mass with several of our SCJ priests who are stationed in the area. After mass, we joined with the parishioners and took part in a lovely Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings prepared by Sr. Charles. When I returned to campus, I stopped in to visit with the staff who were not able to get away for the break. They, too, had a delicious meal and good fellowship.

When I was in the school library for the interaction with our French Benefactors, the librarian pointed out that the theme for this month is ‘ask a question’. Our librarian is working hard to develop investigative reading skills with our students. If they have a question—all they have to do is pick up a book on the topic and READ!

You may recall that a few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Ambrose Home went to St. Joseph’s Church in Ft. Thompson as part of their social outreach activity but forgot to bring goodies to share. You can see in the photo that they did come up with some nice treats and got them to Sr.

20151121_152802 — St. Joseph’s students enjoyed ‘paying it forward’!

Charles so that they could be shared with the parishioners! Houseparents Jennifer and Katy divided the boys up into four groups who each made something special. They had a great time doing it! Their outreach is one of the ways we show gratitude for the generosity our benefactors show to us.

Since we are facing some real challenges with all the snow, it might be a good time to remind you that our next donor luncheon is in a warmer climate, Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the weekend of January 16-17, 2016. We are sending two of our high school girls to share their insights on St. Joseph’s. If you would like to attend, please give us a call at 1-800-584-9200.

Continued thanks for your support of the programs here at St. Joseph’s. Your generosity helps to make holidays like Thanksgiving so meaningful for our students. We hope you, your family and your friends had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Happy Thanksgiving Week from St. Joseph’s!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Though we tried to hold off as long as we could, winter has ‘arrived’ here on the banks of the Missouri River. We were on the cusp of the recent storm that swept out of the Rockies. We got an inch or two of snow, and then the storm unloaded on eastern South Dakota. Snow kept right on falling across Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois. I have a sister living in Janesville, Wisconsin, and they were in the neighborhood of 20 inches!

Looking across the river as the sun rose was a beautiful sight. The sun reflecting off the windows and the newly fallen snow made it look like the Christmas villages many will be putting under their trees soon. Our students weren’t able to enjoy the snow for very long before temperatures rose and melted it all.

The biggest excitement last week was on Wednesday night, our annual Family Night at St. Joseph’s. All students gathered in the Rec Center to take part in a variety of ‘minute to win it’ type games with their siblings and extended family. It seemed like mass chaos, but it all ran rather smoothly and it was so much fun!

After the games, it was off the dining room for a turkey dinner. As the students waited for the serving to start, they had the chance to reflect on the people and things they were grateful for and create a centerpiece to share with friends and family over the holiday. Several students have headed home already, but the majority will be going on Wednesday just ahead of the next storm that is predicted to move into the area.

You may recall that I mentioned the elementary students were honored a week or so ago for their academic achievement. Last week’s local paper published a listing of high school students who made the Honor Roll at Chamberlain High—seniors Martina, William and Trey; juniors Danielle and Liliana; sophomores Reyna, Chandler, Hope and Camron, and freshmen Listella and Nathaniel. We want to congratulate them on their success!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at St. Joseph’s!

These past few days I’ve had the chance to play ‘undercover boss,’ …but my disguise has not been too good since people recognized me! ‘Undercover Boss’ is a television show where the boss of a company works among his employees to see how things are going. I had the chance to help out at the Development Office sorting mail. It was an interesting experience. As I was sorting and looking around at others doing similar work, I kept offering up quick prayers of thanks to all our many Benefactors for their generosity.

One thing the staff kept mentioning was to check to make sure each envelope was for St. Joseph’s since sometimes our envelopes get used to return other bills—phone, cable TV, house payments, etc., but they come to us due to the bar code on the envelope. We forward them to the right address as soon as possible so that you will not lose any service.

I want to take a moment and wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. I hope you are able to celebrate with family and friends. Some of our houseparents who work far from home will be gathering together to celebrate the day. No matter where or with whom you celebrate, may each of us be able to express our thanks to God for all the blessings He sends our way.

Know that we value and cherish you. We are grateful for your interest and support of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

What a great week at St. Joseph’s!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School! We had another busy weekend filled with a variety of activities for our students to take part in.

The high school students had the opportunity to attend the Sioux Falls’ Diocesan Youth Conference in Brookings, South Dakota. There was a two-fold purpose: to invite students on the margin of their Faith to have an encounter with Jesus, and to deepen the commitment of those who have had an initial conversion. There were about 1,500 students and adults in attendance. The keynote address was given by Fr. Leo Patalinghug, star of EWTN’s ‘Grace Before Meals.” He gave a cooking demonstration as he shared his message with the youth.

Chamberlain High School’s presentation of the “Wizard of Oz” showed on Friday and Saturday night. It was performed before a literally ‘standing room only’ crowd. Several of St. Joseph’s high school students were in the cast, choir and the stage crew working behind the scenes. They did a wonderful job and everyone enjoyed their journey over the rainbow.

Producers visited with Lakota (Sioux) students at St. Joseph's. — Rising Voices visited St. Joseph’s campus!

You may have heard that some indigenous languages are in danger of being lost. The older generations are passing away and the younger are not picking up the language. St. Joseph’s hosted the director and producer of a PBS production, RISING VOICES/Revitalizing the Lakota Language. The two have been taking the film around the state showing it to different schools and groups to show how steps are being taken to encourage people of all ages to deepen their awareness of the Lakota language. The film is being shown around the nation. Check their website to see if there is a showing near you! www.risingvoicesfilm.com.

Many of the people interviewed in the film stated it helps them feel more Native American if they can become more fluent in the language. It was an affirmation of the Native American Studies program we offer at St. Joseph’s.

Our girls’ basketball seasons are underway. Last week, all the grades played their Chamberlain counterparts. The girls all put forth a great deal of effort! The City of Chamberlain will be hosting a basketball tournament for fourth, fifth and sixth graders this coming weekend at various spots around town. St. Joseph’s will be hosting the sixth grade teams.

St. Joseph's Lady Braves are busy playing in the Recreation Center at St. Joseph's! — St. Joseph’s Basketball season is underway!

One of Chamberlain’s weekly papers, THE SUN, came out with an article on how many records were set or tied by this year’s football team. Three players raising the bar were St. Joseph’s students—Jeremy, Davis and Kyle. Jeremy was selected All Conference Linebacker and set five records—most assisted tackles for the season, total tackles for the season, most defensive points in a game, season and career. Davis was named All Conference Receiver and set a new record for most receiving yards in a game. Kyle tied the record for most forced turn-overs for the season and was also honored as All Conference Offensive Tackle. The team had a great season and we are thankful that some of our students were able to help bring about that success!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, our students will be gathering this evening to take part in the National Family Day Project Night. They’ll first start in the Rec Center playing various ‘minute to win it’ type games. Then they’ll move to the dining hall for a turkey dinner while making decorations to take home to their families for Thanksgiving.

Students will also be reminded about the food box they’ll be taking home for Thanksgiving, as well as a voucher for a local grocery store. Thanks to your generosity, St. Joseph’s is able to help families have enough resources to make sure no one goes to bed hungry over the holiday weekend.

We are grateful to you for your support that enables us to gather the needed supplies. We hope you have a wonderful week and that God’s blessing may be upon you.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Greetings from Chamberlain, South Dakota!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

It’s another lovely day in the neighborhood… although the evil word SNOW has been mentioned on the weather reports! We have yet to see any and are thankful for mild fall weather.

Since the Lakota (Sioux) youth have begun second quarter, we recently held an awards ceremony for quarter one. The rewards for A and B honor rolls and perfect attendance are a certificate and a WalMart gift card. If a student is on the honor roll with perfect attendance next quarter, the award may increase in value! We also have a contest between age groups to see which class can achieve the highest GPA (Grade Point Average). The one with the highest average gets a pizza party and hangs the award plaque in their classroom.

Lakota (Sioux) students with their teacher. — Ron’s 5th grade class won the award for the highest cumulative GPA for Quarter One!

We honored all veterans and those actively serving our country during Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. THANK YOU just isn’t enough for their sacrifices.

Last Saturday, the Chamberlain Science Club hosted the 1^st Annual Hot Chocolate 5K Walk/Run, and it began here on St. Joseph’s campus. It was a way to celebrate Native American Month and learn about the importance of exercise all year long. Sanford Hospital set up an informational booth and there were baked goodies and warm drinks for all those taking part.

Students are in the process of learning to sing two Christmas carols in the Lakota language — Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Aside from what they are learning in class, singing songs is a nice way to keep developing the Lakota language skills of our students.

This week, St. Joseph’s is honored to welcome Mr. Lawrence Diggs, our current Artist in Residence. He is helping our students express themselves through poetry!

St. Joseph’s was honored to have one of our Native American Studies teachers, Allen, give a presentation on historical trauma in American Indian History to a college class at Dakota Wesleyan University. He shared how early boarding schools tried to negate Native American culture and heritage and ‘mold’ them into the white culture by cutting their hair and not letting them speak their native languages. He also spoke about high rates of unemployment, suicide and sexual assaults currently present on the reservations.

Tree in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel — St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Tree of Remembrance

He also shared positive notes about how the reservations are working hard to combat suicides and offer resources to those who are struggling. Change will not happen overnight, but he is happy that steps are being taken to get things headed in the right direction and he is proud to be part of that process. Read more in the article that appeared in the Mitchell Daily Republic!

We hope you have a wonderful week. Say pilamaya – thank you – to a veteran and let them know you are grateful for their service to our country.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

PS: The picture shows our tree of remembrance in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel with the names of our Beloved Dead whom we are keeping in prayer this month.

What a weekend to be a child!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

What a weekend to be a child! Our students made the rounds trick-or-treating on campus Friday and then had the chance to dress up again on Halloween itself and make the rounds in Chamberlain. There were a wide variety of costumes and I had a hard time judging my favorites! The weather cooperated as well.

Several of the high school homes made the trip to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to take part in haunted houses and scary corn mazes. On Friday, the National Honor Society students sponsored a dance for the 7^th and 8^th graders from St. Joseph’s and the Chamberlain community. The price of admission was a non-perishable food item to be donated to the local food pantry.

Lakota (Sioux) students walk around St. Joseph's campus. — Our Lakota students enjoyed dressing up!

St. Joseph’s National Honor Society has been busy helping local Special Olympics athletes during bowling practices and will be traveling with them this Friday to Aberdeen, South Dakota for the final bowling tournament of their season.

Each of our St. Joseph’s homes are asked to do some sort of outreach every year. The Ambrose Home (boys in grades 1-3) decided to go to St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Fort Thompson and help pass out coffee and treats after the Mass. They enjoyed the fellowship, as did the parishioners!

As the year continues to roll by, new sports and activities commence for the Lakota students to enjoy. The girls’ basketball season opens this week as we host PILC (Pierre Indian Learning Center) and then travel to Crow Creek later in the week.

The intercity basketball program for 6^th, 7^th and 8^th grade boys is also underway. St. Joseph’s students combine with Chamberlain area kids to learn the basics of basketball and get some experience on the court. Coaches from both St. Joseph’s and the Chamberlain school district are assisting.

Lakota (Sioux) students at St. Joseph's Indian School — Our students participated in a costume contest!

Other activities for our Lakota (Sioux) youth include martial arts, wrestling, archery and swimming lessons. Several of our older students are practicing their skills in Lakota Hand Games. You might remember that our hand games team took first place at the annual Lakota Nation Invitational last year. They are practicing twice a week for this year’s competition. We’ll keep you informed about how they do this year!

At our Mass on All Saints Day at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel, we had a tree at the front of the chapel decked out with red ribbons. These ribbons bear the names of family and friends who have passed away and are now walking the Red Road. It is our way of keeping them in prayer, asking the Great Spirit to have mercy on them and welcome them into the Heavenly Kingdom. We’ll have the tree up all month as we keep the dearly departed in mind.

Hope you’ll have a wonderful month and that you did not overdo it on any Halloween candy you gathered. May God’s blessings continue to be with you, and thank you for your ongoing support of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Exciting happenings at St. Joseph’s!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The weather has gifted us with several sunny, beautiful fall days. This past weekend was an exciting time for the Chamberlain area.

On Saturday, I went to Sioux Falls to watch the State Cross Country races because Ella, a Chamberlain High School freshman and daughter of one of our grade school teachers, was a favorite in Class A and the Lower Brule boys’ team had great success in their Region to qualify for State. Ella dominated from the start and won by 20 seconds, becoming Chamberlain’s first girls’ cross country champion. The Lower Brule boys came in 5 out of 16 teams.

On Sunday, 21 young people received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. James Parish, the Catholic Church in Chamberlain, from Bishop Paul Swain.

Here on St. Joseph’s campus, the students have all been preparing for Halloween! Several homes went to a local pumpkin patch and picked out pumpkins—some of which will be decorated and entered into a contest! To celebrate Halloween, St. Joseph’s students participate in a Grand March of costumes on Friday after the local trick or treating around campus and a trip through the haunted hallway in school.

Wendy, the lady in charge of our distribution center, is the most popular person on campus during Halloween! She has access to the room where all the necessary ingredients for putting the perfect costume together can be found.

Lakota (Sioux) students dressed up. — The Dennis home is dressed for halloween at school today!

A few weeks ago, two of our senior girls, Mia and Katie, attended the Siena 8^thAnnual Take Charge Conference in Tucson, Arizona, which is a program for Native American youth. The featured speaker was Matene Jerome from Littleton, Colorado who stood up to elected officials and fought to keep the topics of slavery and treatment of Native Americans in school curriculum.

St. Joseph’s students are taking part in Red Ribbon Week, the oldest and largest drug prevention campaign in the country. The program serves as a vehicle for communities and individuals to take a stand for the well-being of children through drug prevention programs, education and personal commitments to live drug free. The program commemorates the ultimate sacrifice made by DEA Special Agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, who died at the hands of Mexican drug traffickers while fighting against illegal drugs.

Each day of the week has a different theme. Students wore pajamas to class, tie red ribbons around campus and wore crazy caps and mismatched or loud socks while also taking part in trivia contests. St. Joseph’s kicked off Red Ribbon Week last Friday with a Sobriety Carnival complete with inflatables and obstacle courses.

I hope you and yours have had a great week and a wonderful and exciting weekend. Know we are praying for you and your special intentions as our way of saying pilamaya—thank you— for your support of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

What a great time we had!

Hello from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

My name is Odis. Theresa and I currently serve as houseparents in the Cyr Home, working with boys in grades 4-6.

We want to tell you about the trip we took to the South Dakota State Fair this year! The bus trip to Huron, South Dakota took about an hour and a half. Upon our arrival, the boys ran to the carnival rides! The Zipper and the Ring of Fire were the most popular rides– we were surprised to see how brave our fourth graders were as they all went on the scary rides.

After several hours of enjoying the carnival, it was time to see the livestock barns and petting zoo.

The Lakota(Sioux) students enjoyed feeding the camel. — One of St. Joseph’s students in front of a camel!

At the petting zoo the boys fed camels, lamas and other exotic animals. Some of them had never seen a cow being milked and the dairy farmers were more than willing to show us how it worked and where our milk comes from.

We also went through the swine, horse, goat and rabbit barns. The rabbit barn is always a favorite. We then took the boys to Farm Implement Row! Even though they are always anxious to get back to the rides, we had to pull them away from trying to climb on and sit in every tractor and combine.

After walking through some of the exhibit tents, we went back to the rides and the fair food. One courageous soul even gave the mechanical bull a try! All the other boys were impressed, but did not want to brave it themselves.

South Dakota State Fair day is one of the highlights of the year for our home! The Cyr Home would like to thank you all for your support. Know that we and the Cyr boys pray for you every day.