Category: Fr. Anthony

If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes

It has been said, ‘if you don’t like the weather in South Dakota, wait a few minutes.’  That was reality in Chamberlain last weekend. Monday’s newspaper mentioned that

Fr. Anthony is St. Joseph’s Chaplain
Fr. Anthony with the Lakota children

we had the highest reported wind gust at 64 mph in the state on Sunday.  The storm brought a bit of everything, starting with rain followed by snow accompanied by high winds leading to blizzard conditions, punctuated by short spats of clear sunny skies.

Monday and today, we dealt with sub-zero conditions.  This type of weather brings its own challenges, even without additional snow.  Keeping the children inside all day at school and then again all evening requires the staff to be extra creative to keep our Lakota boys and girls from getting stir-crazy.

On a positive note, the pool has re-opened! A mechanical issue caused the pool to be closed for nearly a week. It was nice to see our Native American students filling the rec center Sunday afternoon, some participating in girls’ inter-city basketball and others heading for the pool.  Your generosity allows us to operate the recreation center and offer many fun, healthy activities for the Lakota children year round.

All week, St. Joseph’s is celebrating National Catholic School Week with some special activities.  There was breakfast for school staff yesterday morning; today was ‘adopt a department’ day. The students will visit different departments here on campus to say pilamaya – thank you – for their work. On Wednesday there will be a prayer service; Thursday students will take part in academic games and Friday we will wrap up with a special treat for all the students.

The Chamberlain High School Theater Production group presented The Afghan Women over the weekend, based on a play by William Mastrosimone.  The group, which includes five St. Joseph’s high school students, will perform at the state one act play competition on Wednesday in Pierre, South Dakota.

The story is about an American-Afghani woman who returns to her family estate and finds it has become a refuge for orphaned children.  She feels she must stay and help, and is joined by three widowed Afghan women who stumble upon her home seeking refuge.  A local warlord and his troops come on the scene looking for supplies and potential fighters as they take over the orphanage.  As the play unfolds, various characters relate dramatic events that have taken place over the years of fighting the country has endured.

We wish the cast and crew the best as they perform on Wednesday!

We hope you all have an enjoyable week and are able to stay warm and safe.  Thank you again for your generosity. We continue to keep you and your loved ones in our prayers.

 

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Crazy weather, Canada geese & a Chance of Meatballs

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The Chamberlain community is home to hundreds of Canada geese.
Hundreds of geese have taken up residence in Chamberlain’s marina.

The weather in South Dakota cannot make up its mind – wind, snow, wind, cold temperatures, wind, sun and more wind!  It has really been blowing these past few days and has taken the temperature down with it.  Yesterday, I had to make a quick run to downtown Chamberlain and the wind decided to blow some falling snow into a mini blizzard.

As I cross the little bridge from downtown back toward campus, I feel like I’m on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Several hundred Canada geese are still on in an inlet of the river that has not frozen over.  They are everywhere!

Two of our high school girls just returned from a donor luncheon in southern California.  They said there was a BIG difference in temperatures! Our Lakota students enjoy having the chance to travel – some of them for the first time – and visit with benefactors who support St. Joseph’s.

It is a great way for members of our tiyospaye – extended family – to see firsthand how they directly help Native American children.  Our next luncheon will be in Cocoa Beach, Florida on the weekend of February 22-23, and then Atlantic City, New Jersey on the weekend of April 5-6.   If you wish to attend, you can find more information here.

Three of our high school girls recently took part in campus visits to schools they might like to attend after high school. Stewart School of Beauty in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offered a Senior Day experience.  The girls were able to explore the world of cosmetology, tour the campus and were treated to pedicures or manicures at the end of the day. Pam, St. Joseph’s Transition Specialist, said two of the girls feel this could be a good fit for them.

Visits to colleges and technical schools are an important part of preparing our students for the future, and your support makes this possible.  Pilamaya – thank you!

Monday held a special treat for St. Joseph’s students. Our teachers had an in-service day. While most schools would not be in session, it’s a little different at St. Joseph’s because of our residential setting. Instead of going home, students took a trip to the local movie theater for a screening of ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: 2.’ 

Hope each of you has a wonderful week and are able to stay warm! Thanks again for your generous support and prayers on behalf of our Native American students.  May God’s blessings continue to be with you and your loved ones.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Celebrating Christmas at St. Joseph’s

Greetings from the banks of the Missouri River!

This past weekend was a busy and exciting one for the Lakota children.  Since they are home for Christmas break, we celebrate Christmas when they return to St. Joseph’s Indian School after the first of the year.

This past Sunday was that day!

Some of the students act out the Nativity and the visit of the Magi during the Sunday Mass. Afterwards, everyone heads to their campus homes to open gifts. It is exciting to see the sheer joy that comes over the children’s faces as they tear packages apart to see what Santa –  through your generosity – has brought them.  We were blessed with nice weather on Sunday, so several students were able to go outside and enjoy their remote controlled cars. The onset of spring and warmer weather will give others the chance to use new footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

You can see more photos here.

On Saturday, St. Joseph’s spelling bee winners traveled to Mitchell, South Dakota (about 70 miles from campus) to take part in the annual Corn Palace Regional Spelling Bee. St. Joseph’s had nine spellers participate!

The Lakota children participated in a spelling bee.
St. Joseph’s had nine spellers participate in an advanced spelling bee.

Two of our students captured 3rd place in their age group and all were in the top ten at their grade levels.  Congratulations everyone!

You may recall that a team of high school students was going out to Rapid City to take part in the Lakota Nation Invitational’s (LNI) Knowledge Bowl.  One member of our team, a 9th grader named Liliana, took top honors in the geometry and grammar categories of the individual competition. Congratulations Liliana!

The boys’ basketball season got underway Monday with our 7th and 8th grade teams taking on Kimball – a small community just east of Chamberlain.  Unfortunately, the Braves came up short this time but look forward to improving throughout the remainder of the season.

We are looking forward to starting the girls’ inter-city basketball league this Sunday.

I hope everyone has a great week!  Let’s keep those dealing with the water contamination problem in West Virginia in our prayers that it all gets resolved quickly.

Thanks again for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

The Lakota children are back from Christmas break!

Dear Benefactors,

Sadly, as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end… and it did here at St. Joseph’s, with a thud!  Sunday was the end of the Christmas break, but also the outset of extremely cold weather.

While we have not gotten the snow other parts of the country have, we are getting a taste of the Polar Vortex that is keeping the temperature down along with the wind chill, which sent the temperatures plunging.  Many of our students were not able to make it back on time and most schools in the state were closed Monday.  On campus, we even used the school bus to ferry the students to class from their campus homes.

Christmas Break was enjoyed by all.  Students and staff had the chance to enjoy family and friends.  I was able to visit my mother in Texas for a few days and was blessed with good weather going down and coming back.  All the Lakota students were able to enjoy Christmas at home, though members of the boys’ and girls’ high school basketball teams had to come back to campus early in order to take part in the scheduled games over the break from school.  This is a tough aspect for the team members, but they seem to be facing the challenge, as both teams are 4-1.

We look forward to getting all the students back and kicking off third quarter with a prayer service.

St. Joseph’s fifth graders are taking part in a program called “Star Base” which aims to develop an interest in science. The classes and experiments involve building robots, shooting model rockets and, Friday, will culminate with a trip to Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota.

We received a visit from an alumnus last week! KP graduated in 2012 and then completed an automotive vocational course in Wyoming. He then worked in the Rapid City area prior to enlisting in the military.

He is excited about the prospect of preparing for Special Forces as he heads to Ft. Benning, Georgia, aware that a tour in Afghanistan is a real possibility.  KP shared that his time at St. Joseph’s Indian School helped him to focus on the things that go into making such an important decision.

His former houseparents and several other staff expressed their pride in KP’s decision, and the fact that he has a plan and seems to be sticking with it.  We wish him well in his future and ask the protection of the Great Spirit on him!

KP, a former St. Joseph’s student, came back to visit with his teachers and houseparents while on leave from the military.
Craig (teacher), KP and Patrick (houseparent) catch up.

Now that it is cold outside, the students are getting ready for all sorts of indoor activities. The boys’ basketball teams have begun practices and the girls’ inter-city league will be underway in a week or two.  Aside from basketball, there will be archery, bowling, cheerleading and tumbling.  Of course, swimming is also a big hit with our Native American students, too.

We hope that you and yours had a very special holiday  season and that the New Year is off to a great start.  May the Great Spirit bless and reward you for your generosity toward the Lakota boys and girls!  As you look at the blank pages of the new calendars around your home, remember God is already there waiting for us to catch up with Him.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

P.S.  The local movie theater is setting the tone for the weather outside as it is currently showing the new Disney movie ‘FROZEN.’

Visions of sugarplums?

Dear Benefactors,

I’m not sure if ‘visions of sugarplums danced in their heads,’ but the eyes of our Lakota students were wide and happy last weekend as they came to the Christmas Store to pick out gifts for their family members at home.

St. Joseph’s Christmas store allows the Lakota children to share a gift with their families.
Shakia found stuffed animals for her younger siblings!

Each year, St. Joseph’s receives items that can’t be used on campus for one reason or another, or we have enough to go around – things like baby clothing, stuffed animals, knick-knacks or blankets. These items can be ‘purchased’ by the students during our Christmas Store.

With guidance from an older student or staff member, they find their treasures and volunteers help wrap. Students have their pictures taken with Santa and there are goodies for everyone. It’s a wonderful day!

We are so grateful for your generosity in providing gently used gift items! Your kindness allows us to teach our students to be kind and generous to others. The children are so thrilled to be able to share a gift, and that is a lesson that truly lasts a lifetime. We wish you could have seen the joy! Read more about the Christmas Store.

As Christmas draws closer and preparations for presents and parties are made, we also remember the reason we celebrate – the birth of Jesus. St. Joseph’s pastoral staff is offering an Advent Reconciliation Prayer Service to give our students the opportunity for the Sacrament of Confession or – for those who are not Catholic – to have the chance to talk about their relationship with God if they wish.

We try to remind our students that Advent is a time of preparation – not just making plans for Christmas but also getting ourselves ready inside so that there will be room for the Christ child in our hearts.

On the sports front, we had the end of the girls’ basketball season as the 7th and 8th grade girls’ teams journeyed to Miller, South Dakota last night. The 7th graders won in overtime and the 8th graders fell by 4.

Wrapping presents and Christmas treats finish out the day!
Older students and staff volunteers helped the Lakota children wrapped their gifts.

High school basketball has started and there are 14 St. Joseph’s boys on the Chamberlain High School basketball team this year! Last week, they held a Red & White scrimmage at St. Joseph’s gym for everyone to come and watch.

The coach is very excited about the commitment of St. Joseph’s players. He spoke to our younger Native American students, urging them to focus on their studies and basketball skills so they too might be part of the team someday. The high school basketball season kicks off tonight with a trip to Gregory, South Dakota – Go Cubs!

This past Sunday was also the end of the boys’ inter-city basketball league. Inter-city is a mixture of players from St. Joseph’s and the local Chamberlain area.  The championship game was a nail biter! It came down to the final seconds with the victors winning only by one point. There will be an inter-city season for the girls after Christmas break.

Weather permitting, I hope to be able to head to Texas to visit my mother for Christmas, so this may be my last blog for a week or so. I want to take this opportunity to extend best wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a blessed, healthy and Happy New Year to you and yours from all the students and staff at St. Joseph’s Indian School! May the Great Spirit reward and bless you all for your generosity!

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Cold weather has arrived!

What a difference a week makes! You may recall how I was saying it was still nice weather-wise here at St. Joseph’s. However, the bottom fell out this past week.

Fr. Anthony and the Lakota children.
Fr. Anthony spends time with St. Joseph’s students.

We got over 5 inches of snow and the temperature went down, down, down…

The Daily Republic, a daily newspaper in Mitchell, South Dakota (about 70 miles from Chamberlain), leads off the news the other day with an article on how the area has set low temperatures that broke a 105-year-old record.

Chamberlain was even mentioned on the radio when we hit 14 degrees below zero. The cold has had an effect on some of our water lines and has brought about a drip in the rec center ceiling.  Our Lakota students do not seem to mind, however, and love to be out sledding as long as they can.

A big thank you goes out to our maintenance crew on campus! They are quick to clear paths so our students can get to school and staff can get to work when we have snow.

We moved our regular Sunday Mass to Saturday evening so the Dancing Dolls & Dudes had Sunday morning to get ready for their recital in the early afternoon.  There was a great turnout for the dance presentations, which includes kids from the Chamberlain and surrounding communities; dancers as young as 3 and 4 year olds up through sixth graders took part.

When I drove up to the National Guard Armory, where the performance was held, I felt like St. Joseph’s Indian School was a visiting basketball team. So many of our Native American students were participating and watching, we had our large yellow bus and one or two of our smaller buses parked in from of the Armory!

Seems hard to believe, but our girls’ basketball season is drawing to a close.  Our last home games for our younger grades are this week.  Last Saturday, the 8th grade girls hosted their annual basketball tournament.  The snow prevented some of the teams from coming, but the rec center hosted a round robin tournament and we came in third.

Hope you all have a great week and that you are able to take advantage of the Advent Season and prepare the way of the Lord.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Another wonderful week in the neighborhood

It has been another wonderful week in the neighborhood – the weather has been great!

The campus was very quiet this weekend since the Lakota students and St. Joseph’s staff were on Thanksgiving break.  I helped chaperone the bus that took the students to their homes in Eagle Butte and Pierre, South Dakota.  It was good to meet some of the students’ families and everyone seemed very upbeat to be home for the holiday.

St. James Parish and Fr. Guy Blair, SCJ, hosted their second annual Thanksgiving meal open to anyone in the community.  It was an outstanding success and served over 400 people. They had over a 150 takeout orders for people unable to leave their homes.  It was nice to see that a wide variety of locals join together to help others.

Friday after Thanksgiving kicked off the Christmas season with the annual Parade of Lights in downtown Chamberlain.  Some very bright and inventive floats brought out a lot of oohs and aahs from spectators who braved the chilly evening.

St. Joseph’s Indian School was blessed with the presence of a bald eagle that sat high in a tree along the banks of the Missouri River.  It was a majestic sight.  Deer hunting season opened recently in our area, which may explain why I’ve seen seven deer on three separate occasions within the last 10 days or so.  They seem to know there will not be any shooting on campus.

This coming weekend will be the Dancing Dolls & Dudes program.  St. Joseph’s students have been involved in this over the last few years.  It will definitely be one of those Kodak moments!

Hope you have a great week and that God’s blessings will be with you throughout the new month as we prepare for the birth of the Prince of Peace.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Getting ready for Thanksgiving

Dear Benefactors,

From all the students and staff here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, best wishes to you and yours for a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Each of us has so much to be grateful for. May you have the chance to share the day with family and friends!

The Native American children at St. Joseph’s celebration Family Night every year.
The Lakota boys and girls made “trees of thanksgiving” to take home to their families.

St. Joseph’s students are getting in the Thanksgiving spirit as they took part in the National Family Week project this past Wednesday.  They joined with siblings and cousins to make decorations to take home for their families on Thanksgiving.  You can see our photos on Facebook!

They created a “tree of thanksgiving,” with leaves the students wrote messages on, expressing what they are grateful for.  Thanks to a grant from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community in Minnesota, each family receives a gift card for their local grocery store to help provide food for the Thanksgiving meal.  In the past, students took food boxes home with them, but the new system works wonderfully.

Three of our Lakota (Sioux) students had the chance to visit Washington, D.C. last week. Their family was honored by the United States for the role their great-grandfather played as a code-talker during World War II. As you might know, during that time Native American radio operators spoke in their native tongues so that German or Japanese troops listening would not understand what military information was being passed from one unit to another.

While these students were in Washington, D.C., another group of our students and staff were in the Houston, Texas, area to take part in a donor luncheon this past weekend.  Kayla and Hope, two of our eighth graders, made the trip to share the impact St. Joseph’s has had on their lives.  Our next two luncheons are January 18-19 in Los Angeles, California and February 22-23 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. If you would like to attend, you can register here.

I attended an ecumenical Thanksgiving prayer service held at St. James Catholic Church in downtown Chamberlain.  It was nice to gather with others and be thankful.  On Thanksgiving Day, the parish will host a Thanksgiving meal for anyone in the Chamberlain area who wishes to attend.

On Friday night, the day after Thanksgiving, there will be a presentation on Thanksgiving from a Native American viewpoint. The presenter will be Deacon Bud Jetty’s son, who is an educator from Montana. Deacon Bud serves on St. Joseph’s Board of Directors, and he and his wife are long-time friends of the school.

Last week we received word that 129 visitor-related businesses in South Dakota had been awarded the Great Service Star.  The program is sponsored by the South Dakota Department of Tourism to recognize South Dakota businesses that show exceptional customer service to guests, customers or visitors.  I am happy to inform you that St. Joseph’s Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center received the award.  Visit their Facebook page to congratulate them!

Have a great Thanksgiving! May the holidays bring many blessings to you and your loved ones!

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Visiting with a St. Joseph’s alum

Greetings from South Dakota!

First of all, our thoughts and prayers are with those in the Midwest who experienced such awful weather over the weekend.  The loss of life and destruction are truly tragic.

Chamberlain High School presented their annual play this past weekend, Father of the Bride.  Two of St. Joseph’s high school students were in the cast and four were part of the stage and lighting crew. As an added bonus, St. Joseph’s students Amber and Ashley created the set designs! In Dramatic Arts class, the director divided students into teams of two and let them come up with design ideas for the play. Amber and Ashley’s design was chosen – way to go, girls!

Basketball season is underway at St. Joseph’s, and the Lakota girls in 4th through 8th grade have taken to the hardwood courts.  On Saturday, the 4th, 5th and 6th graders played their counterparts from Chamberlain Elementary.  There was a good turnout of family and friends on both sides to cheer them on.

The Chamberlain girls had some tall players, but St. Joseph’s girls had some real spunk and a ‘never say die’ attitude that helped them come back from early deficits and secure victory in the 4th and 6th grade games by one point each.  The 5th graders, unfortunately, came up just 4 points short.  This week, all our teams will be on the road playing schools in the local area.

I had a nice surprise during the basketball games on Saturday. I got to visit with the mother of a current student who was a student here herself in the late 1990’s.  Fancee was a star basketball player at St. Joseph’s. Now, she is married with four children and works as a police detective on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

She shared that her time at St. Joseph’s Indian School really prepared her for working with the Native American youth whom she now encounters in her profession.  It was truly great to visit with her and hear how her years at St. Joseph’s helped her prepare for the future!

I hope each of you has a great week and that God’s blessings remain with you. Pilamaya – thank you – for your concern and generosity towards the Native American students at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Know that you and your intentions have been remembered in our Novena of Masses, November 11-19.

Thank you to our Veterans

Good afternoon from a snowy South Dakota!

We had a little dusting of snow early this morning.  With the leaves still on the ground, it makes for a slippery situation.  I’m sure the students were not in mad dashes across St. Joseph’s campus today.

First of all, Happy Veterans Day!  A big pilamaya – thank you – to all who made the commitment to serve in the Armed Forces of our country to keep us protected and free.

There is a Veterans’ Day powwow in Lower Brule today.  LaRayne, our Native American Studies teacher, took 10 drummers and 5 dancers to take part.  The Summerlee Home (4th and 5th grade girls) went up yesterday to join in the festivities and enjoy a meal with the community.

Friday night, several of our staff represented St. Joseph’s Indian School in a fundraiser for the Chamberlain School District Foundation.  It was loosely based on an Old Fashioned Community Spelling Bee.  Nine different teams took part in the event at the city civic center, which was recently rebuilt.

It was an open house for the new facility and a chance to raise some money for an outdoor classroom for the Chamberlain school system.  The teams had fun as they competed in spelling, puns, scrabble and penmanship.  While the MC stated ‘this might be the first and last spelling bee,’ it seemed everyone had fun and even the audience was able to take part.

I hope you all have a great week.   We continue to keep you in our prayers, asking God to bless and reward you for your generosity to the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain