Each summer, we offer a 3-week exchange program with our sister school – also founded by the Priests of the Sacred Heart – in Handrup, Germany. Yesterday, eight of our Native American high school students interested in applying for consideration had their chance to make a power point presentation to a the staff of St. Joseph’s High School program.
They were honest about their fears: lost luggage, not understanding much German, how would they get along with the host families. They also spoke of what they hoped to gain from the experience: a different sense of history, the self-confidence that comes from trying new adventures, appreciation of another culture, and preparation for college.
One girl said that, while both of her parents are Sioux, one of her great grandfathers was a German Homesteader, and she would be fascinated with exploring that connection.
I enjoyed each of the presentations. I was there for moral support, and am glad I’m not the one who has to make the final determination on who goes. Most of the students were juniors, but a couple are still sophomores, so if not selected this year, they will have the chance to try again.
Our younger Lakota students are taking computerized standard testing called MAPS. They’ve proven to be patient throughout the sometimes trying process. One benefit for them is that homework is light this week due to the tests.
After school, many headed to the football field to take advantage of sledding. The sun came out and warmed the ground above melting. Once the sun went down, the slopes refroze and created conditions for long and fast runs down the hill.
As I called it a day, and came past on my way home, the squeals of delight rang in my memory.
Dylan let fly from the side to score the winning basket!
Yesterday St. Joseph’s fifth and sixth grade boys opened up their basketball season with a pair of wins in front of the home crowd!
Our fifth graders jumped out to a big lead and never looked back. The sixth grade game went back and forth with many ties, and was a great team effort. Our opponent’s taller players had an advantage close to the basket, while our smaller unit passed it around well to get good shots.
With the game tied and only 30 seconds left on the clock, our tiniest player, Dylan, let fly from the side and hit the go ahead and eventual game winning shot.
I happened to be sitting near his grandparents, who were so delighted and excited to be able to share in that special moment with him.
Though small, he sure walked tall after that memorable moment!
The Lakota children were excited to receive gifts from their wish list.
While most people took their Christmas decorations down long ago, today was our big day to celebrate with the Lakota students at St. Joseph’s Indian School. At liturgy, one of our fifth grade classes volunteered to act out the Nativity Story. The cast included the Holy Family, Magi, Kings and even a Star to help it come more alive. We try to encourage (exhort, plead!) students to fully participate each Sunday by singing with some gusto. Because our songs today were all well-known and loved Christmas classics, it was not a problem.
After mass, students returned to their homes for a family-like Christmas celebration that included opening the presents that our donors so generously provided. Our kids received a good mix of fun items, toys and games, and clothing they need for school or sports. I was able to spend a little time in each of our homes.
William (4th-5th grade girls) – I was invited to pass out presents, and see the smiles as the girls saw colorful winter hats and fuzzy animal slippers.
Rooney (6th–8th grade boys) – A giant Christmas stocking held the presents as each boy dug deep for presents like footballs and basketballs.
Speyer (6th-8th grade boys) – The boys sat in a circle around the Christmas tree as Sue, their houseparent, gave them instructions on keeping track of gift tags so they would be able to properly thank those who sent them gifts.
Matthias (6th – 8th grade girls) – The girls were opening their presents one at a time, while houseparent Daniel took lots of pictures. They were most excited about clothing and lotions.
Stevens (6th– 8th grade girls) – Presents were all opened by the time I arrived. One of our athletes was so excited with a new volleyball she received, that she talked her roommate into going outside to practice – and the temperature was a chilly 9 degrees!
Pinger (6th– 8th grade girls) – These girls were also finished by the time I stopped by. The girls were doing their homework and getting ready for Monday classes. They were already wearing some of the sweatshirts they’d received.
Fisher (6th– 8th grade boys) – One smaller present the boys all received in their stockings was a wooden paddle with rubber ball and string attached. Carol and Dick, their houseparents, were organizing a competition to see who could keep theirs going the longest.
Cyr (4th-5th grade boys) – The boys had the contents of their stockings laid on the kitchen counter before them. They were most fascinated by the plastic pencil sharpeners and were all busy trying them out on a pile of pencils, and capping the end of with Angry Bird erasers. To create atmosphere, the TV screen carried a video of a roaring fireplace.
Perky (4th and 5th grade boys) – These boys opened part of their presents and were preparing to eat. They had attractive platters of cookies and other goodies that Wendy, their houseparent, had helped them create.
Summerlee (4th and 5th grade girls) – The girls took turns showing me their mood rings and asking me to guess what it said about how they were feeling. I also had to answer quiz book challenges about presidents and the states. They were very excited about roller blades they received and had plans to break them in later in the afternoon.
Afra (1st-3rd grade girls) – The girls were gathered around the dining room table with houseparent Luisa, who was teaching them how to paint Christmas cookies with different colored frosting. Some looked like works of art (but not too good to be spared eventual eating).
Raphael (1st-3rd grade boys) – The boys were enamored with the play action figures of wrestlers, and were staging bouts with sound effects all across the playroom.
Ambrose (1st-3rd grade boys) – The boys received legos and a few mechanical toys with “some assembly required”– if they could only concentrate that well on their schoolwork, they would receive many scholarships!
Dennis – (1st-3rd grade girls) – These young ladies were engaged in introducing their new dolls to one another.
Crane (HS girls) – Our older students are mostly into music and many had scooted off to their rooms to play new CD’s. While I was there, a call came from the upstairs boys’ home asking them to tone it down a little!
Girls from the Crane home say pilamaya – thank you – for the Christmas gifts!
Giles (HS boys) – The guys received a set of drums as a big group present. I came across them running around campus looking for clues in a scavenger hunt as to where to find it.
Carola (HS boys) – This home was quiet as many of the guys were watching NFL playoffs or getting in a weekend nap.
Hogebach (HS girls) – Besides individual presents, these ladies showed off some of their home presents when I stopped in – a new waffle maker and other kitchen supplies.
Sheehy (HS boys) – These guys are into sports and music, and showed off some new jerseys, balls and posters they received.
Some homes had sit-down meals, others had fancy snacks and finger foods to share as different staff members stopped by to share in the festivities. While each home had their own unique traditions of celebrating, it was a festive and fun day all around.
I am working the Carola Home and just received a call from a donor. It was a little awkward at first but turned out to be a good one. He asked if this was St. Joseph’s Indian School. I said yes and asked how I could help him. He just started sending money to the Lakota children and wanted to check to see if it was the real deal. I told him yes, in fact, I was a houseparent, that I loved my job and that it was a wonderful program. I told him that it was the weekend, but if he called on Monday, he would have a better chance of speaking with someone that could put his mind at ease. He said that he just wanted to make sure that his money was going to a real and good cause. I am not sure how donations work, but I think that if you were able to follow up with him he would feel better. . .”
It’s great to have staff that love their jobs, which makes it so much easier to tell people about the programs we have. Of course, I also complimented her on making a donor feel appreciated and part of something worthwhile.
The Speyer home boys sort the box tops together in an effort to earn to earn items for their home.
After a long day of meetings, I wanted to spend time connecting to the Lakota students, so I joined Speyer Home (6th- 8th grade boys) for supper. They talked about their break activities, from playing tackle football in the snow to helping cook some of the holiday meals to babysitting younger siblings.
As a group, these boys hang around the table longer than most of the other homes, which I enjoy and appreciate. There’s a nice banter going back and forth. Jim, the houseparent, tried out a desert with the texture of ice cream but none of the sugar. These growing boys are hungry and can indeed put away the food, but they are trying to become more conscious of better nutrition. While it wasn’t as luscious as a rich bowl of ice cream, it was tasty and satisfying, and all the bowls were empty. They politely thanked the cook for his efforts.
After supper, the boys gathered around the dining room tables to help sort Box Tops for Education for a half hour. Many of St. Joseph’s donors send in Box Tops for Education, and we get 10 cents for each one we turn in to General Mills.
It is a bit of work cutting and sorting the small squares of paper. The high school kids refer to the labels that are already trimmed as “gravy,” because they can go fast with those.
The Speyer boys and I sorted the box tops into piles by expiration dates. Some run into 2016, so we don’t have to rush to turn those in, but some have already expired. I found the oldest one in the pile, which expired in 2005.
It seems like a small thing, but all those dimes add up and help us to purchase good equipment for the school and homes. The boys decided to save the Campbell’s soup labels for another time, and headed out for recreation before reading time.
Now that all our staff is back full time, we’ve begun another round of our strategic planning. We have a plan in place that we’re already working on. We started holding small group meetings to discuss how the goals and strategies are coming along. We also answered questions about different areas of St. Joseph’s Indian School and how the plan is progressing, so staff members can be aware of progress across the board.
From our first rounds, staff seem most excited about our efforts to expand collaboration with other area schools and communities on Indian Reservations. They offered many suggestions as to how that might happen. Questions came about the challenges all schools face about better parental support and involvement. That’s especially tricky here because families may live far away without reliable transportation. Also, a good number of our students are here because their families are already struggling with a variety of issues like poverty and safe housing.
One of our hopes is to increase the presence of alumni on campus. A fascinating exchange came from one of our alumni who has worked here for the past four years. When he worked back home on his reservation, his job security was so tenuous.
Every two years, there is a tribal election. When one administration ends, so do most of the tribal jobs. Everyone has to reapply and, in his experience, who you know or who you are related to was valued more than experience and ability, which hampers progress and development. That led to insights and lots more discussion about that reality among the group.
All our homes opened at noon yesterday and we welcomed our younger Lakota students back to campus yesterday. When I started the rounds to the homes right after lunch I only saw a few kids in each home, which gave them a good chance to visit with houseparents about their Christmas break.
As students arrived, houseparents checked bags and helped younger students mark their names on new clothes or toys they brought back. Some received a fair amount at Christmas; others came back with very little. Next weekend, we’ll try to make it nice for everyone when we pass out the presents people have so generously sent us for the children.
After the initial check in, it was off to the health center to see about any bumps or scrapes or medical needs. The houseparents were especially pleased if the nurses sent a blue pass back with the child meaning all clear. By suppertime, our homes were mostly full. We’re glad to have the kids back, excited about what the new semester will hold!
Today I made the rounds at school. I met three of our new students and started working to engrave their names and faces in my memory. We do admissions throughout the year and expect a few more to join us in the next few days.
The sixth graders were practicing for the upcoming spelling bee. I took the list and asked them to spell words that even I didn’t know the meaning of! I sat in with the third graders as they learned about Neptune’s larger than earth moon, “Triton,” with its ice spewing volcanoes. It’s good for us adults to get refresher courses on all we’ve forgotten over the years, and learn a few new things as well.
At the end of the school day we held an all school prayer service to start the third quarter. Several students were recognized for their efforts and attitude over the past quarter and came forward to receive a certificate. As always, we asked God’s help and blessing on the New Year and new semester.
I heard tell of a Lakota tribal official visiting the Apache Tribe in Arizona. They teased him “in the mountains we’re much closer to the Great Spirit.”
He replied, “Yes, I understand, but on the vast South Dakota prairie we can see God coming for three days, and have time to get ready!” Sheetrock is up in the William Home! The facilities crew is now working on outlets and ventilation.
While other folks are taking down their Christmas decorations, we’re still getting ready to celebrate when all our students return. Last weekend two school groups, one from Barrington, Illinois and one from Watertown, South Dakota brought out some wonderful clothes and toys they’ve been collecting. As the houseparents return, we’ll check sizes and wish lists to find good matches for our students’ needs.
While many of our child services staff have had vacation time, staff in the development office have been faithfully answering mail and phone requests. The facilities crew has used this quieter time for projects like touch-up paint jobs and preventative spraying for bed bugs, which are jobs best done when the homes are empty.
They’ve been moving full speed ahead on several projects. The Summerlee Home renovation is almost complete, and those fourth and fifth grade girls should be moving back in a couple of weeks. The William Home will take a few more months, but the dry wall is up and the crew is working on the behind the scenes (and walls) items like electrical outlets and ventilation.
Fewer students means fewer vehicle trips over break. The school bus was in the garage getting a check up to make sure it’s fit for ball games and school trips once the semester gets going next week. St. Joseph’s bus gets a tune up before second semester begins.
We have had a half dozen high school students on campus this past week taking part in basketball practices. Today, the rest of the crew of 42 filtered in. Cars pulled up to one of our five high school homes and kids carried suitcases or slung plastic bags full of clothes over their shoulder and started getting ready for second semester.
I spent a little time at each of the homes, welcoming students back. I always hope for happy news. Many of the students had good memories of their time with family, but a few had family struggles and drama over the break. Our houseparents and counselors will help them talk it out and process the disappointments and hurts, and hopefully get them off to a good start here.
Our school semester came to an end at 2:00 today and students headed home for a two-week break!
Several students left early to participate in the Lakota Nations Invitational (LNI) tournament in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Our knowledge bowl team started strong with a win, but dropped the next two closely contested rounds. Our scholars will also take part in individual academic tests.
Our Lakota Hand games team faced their first actual competition against much more experienced teams. They didn’t win, but enjoyed being able to participate. If experience is indeed a teacher, they learned where and how they need to practice harder to improve.
Our archers were awesome! Two boys finished in the top ten. Our three middle school girls, however, totally rocked! The trio finished eighth, third and FIRST! Kaitlyn and Aleece will bring home nice trophies to show off for their first and third place results.
After the students left for break came time for staff to relax with one another during our staff Christmas party. We had a social and buffet supper, with plenty of Christmas door prizes and crazy costumes.
Since this is the date the Mayan calendar suggests the world may end, our theme was “Going out in style.”
We had a few folks show off their wedding tuxes and formal dresses. Others wore gaudy but fun Christmas sweaters. Different groups of staff (Maintenance vs. Houseparents, Health Center vs. Development) competed against one another in some hilarious rounds of “Family Feud.”
Our child services staff will enjoy a break along with our students. However, lots of the other ongoing activity around campus will keep going so we’re ready for a strong start to the next semester.
19 students are learning to play an instrument!Our Development office took a break from the rush of mail pouring in to socialize with one another over a potluck Christmas party. People are such good cooks, and outdid themselves with the variety of holiday goodies. If that wasn’t enough, most of the door prizes were also food related!
This afternoon, Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel rang out with a variety of holiday music during our students’ Christmas Concert . Groups of students led us in many of the traditional hymns like Joy to the World and O Come All Ye Faithful.
We also have 19 students are studying instrumental music for the first time – drum, flute, guitar, piano and clarinet.
I remember how nervous I was at my first piano recital in grade school.
I felt sympathy and excitement for the kids as they performed very basic and simple renditions of Jingle Bells and Good King Wenceslas before the whole audience. But, despite their nervousness, every effort was met with hearty cheers and clapping.
I hope most of the children get the music bug and keep it up, for music adds so much to our lives.
Tonight our grade school boys who are learning to wrestle had an opportunity tonight to show off their practice and training in matches against one another.
Our coaches did a great job of matching the wrestlers evenly.
As a kid, I was a basketball player, who only wrestled in Phys. Ed. Class. I was one of the smallest seventh graders in our middle school, and the only other boy my size was our local wrestling champion. Paired up against him my chances were slim and none. Personally, I can’t say I enjoyed wrestling, but I have enjoyed watching the intense competition.
I compliment the coaches for pairing off the kids in very even matches. There were very few pins or lopsided scores, but lots of energetic struggles that played out until time ran out. The bleachers hosted a lively crowd, and some of the Afra Home girls (1st – 3rd grade) even led impromptu cheers on the sidelines.
Tyler, our custodian, was a wrestler through High School and lent his services as referee. The 2-2-1 minute rounds passed by like lightning. One match was scored 21-20 with constant lead changes until a reversal at the end.
The most entertaining match of the night was saved until last when our two “heavyweights” battled through four overtime periods before a winner was decided! I did notice a few of the boys teary eyed about losing. Learning to cope with disappointment and still struggle to succeed is an important life lesson. Win or lose, all of them had the resolve to keep learning and practicing, and hit the mats again!
