Guest Bloggers – Page 11 – St. Joseph's Indian School

Soaring to new heights at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

THEY’RE BACK!!

St. Joseph’s school year is off to a flying start! The beginning of the year theme is ‘Soar to New Heights’ and each student was given a glider airplane to stress the point.

After final calculation, this year’s enrollment is 218. We have 54 students enrolled in our High School Program and the remainder attend school on St. Joseph’s campus in grades 1-8.

On Sunday, our Family and Student Engagement Team hosted a ‘welcome back picnic’ for our students and their families. Over 300 hot dogs were grilled and passed out as families arrived on campus.

During all staff orientation, we held a prayer service that had a special twist. Instead of just offering prayer and song, the prayer became a two or three day effort to visit five prayer spots set up around campus.

Two girls hug on the playground — Making new friends is one of the best parts of the new school year!

At one station, there was a Prayer Labyrinth. The Labyrinth gave staff an opportunity where they could slow down, walk and count their blessings, let go of distractions, listen for an insight, wisdom or gift of the Spirit, resolve an issue or even find new strength to fulfill responsibilities.

Another station gave you an opportunity to select up to three Lakota students to “Mantle” during the upcoming year. This is a commitment of at least three intercessions per week for each child: prayer, a random act of kindness, lighting a candle or offering a message of encouragement. Aside from signing the child’s name on a poster that decorates the school hallway, everything is done in secret.

A third station allowed each staff member to write a prayer and stick it on a poster board that is hung in a location where our students can see.

A fourth station offered the opportunity to make a Lakota prayer tie while listening to a Lakota ceremonial song. The prayer ties will be used by the students during the year at their traditional ceremonies.

The last station dealt with forgiveness. This station urged reflection on a past hurt or painful memory. Staff were asked to write down a word or phrase that expressed the desire to forgive or be forgiven and then place their paper in water and watch it dissolve.

The prayer stations were a wonderful way to center ourselves for the start of the school year!

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

This coming weekend is our first donor luncheon of the school year. Staff members and two students will be in San Diego, California on August 15 and 16. Our next luncheon will be in Dallas in early October. We would love to have you join us! Please visit our website or call us at 1-800-584-9200 for more information.

May God continue to bless you for your support of the Lakota students attending St. Joseph’s Indian School. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin a new school year. Go with peace and know the students pray for you daily.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

St. Joseph’s takes the cake!

Hello from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Colton gives two thumbs up for the camera. — Colton, HR Intern

My name is Colton, and I am an intern in the Human Resource Department here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. My major is Business Administration and I am specializing in Human Resource Management.

To me, it was a no brainer to intern at St. Joseph’s. The intern position fit perfectly with my major and my family lives in Chamberlain. Growing up, I witnessed the “community within a community” atmosphere at St. Joseph’s and I wanted to experience it for myself. Everyone is so friendly and always has a smile on their face and it is extremely rare to drive by a fellow employee and not get a warm smile and a wave from them. You get a sense of family whenever you work and interact with your co-workers.

All staff members also make sure to do everything they can to give the kids the absolute best place possible to call home during the school year. You don’t even have to question what St. Joseph’s “mission” is… if you ever have an opportunity to visit campus and see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they play and learn, or see the tireless work being completed by the houseparents , grounds crew, etc. There truly is a ‘bigger purpose’ at St. Joseph’s and I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow in the future.

Two girls create a heart shape with their hands on the playground — Our Lakota (Sioux) children are at the heart of everything we do.

As for my internship, I have gotten the same exact feeling from everyone in the HR department. They let me know if I ever have any questions to not hesitate to ask. They are very accommodating to everything going on in my life. I’ve learned far more than I could ever learn in a classroom setting and I am not even done interning! It has been a great experience thus far and I know that I made the right choice in coming to St. Joseph’s.

I have worked in several different places and by far St. Joseph’s takes the cake. Pilamaya—thank you—for supporting St. Joseph’s and the mission we all serve.

Colton

Back in session at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota!

The buzz of motorcycle traffic heading west for the 75^th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is no match for the buzz of campus as staff eagerly anticipate the beginning of the school year on August 10!

Excitement is growing as we begin All Staff Orientation Week. Around St. Joseph’s campus, this is a time of great anticipation. The orientation process gives new and veteran staff the chance to get to know one another, share insights and ask/answer questions. On Wednesday, all staff will come together for our traditional beginning of the year kickoff. We will begin the day with a prayer service in the Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel and culminate with lunch and an all-staff meeting.

The last of our student applications are being processed. It looks like we will start with over 200 students again this year. We eagerly anticipate their arrival this upcoming Sunday!

A female student works on her homework assignment. — Our Lakota (Sioux) Students start school at St. Joseph’s on Monday, August 10!

We are also getting ready to host our next donor luncheon in San Diego, California on August 15 and 16. Iyung and Haille are looking forward to the trip and would enjoy the opportunity to meet you if you are in the area. Please call 1-800-584-9200 for more information or to reserve your spot. . If you are not able to join us in San Diego, our next luncheon is in Dallas, Texas on October 3 and 4.

Since St. Joseph’s Indian School starts classes a few weeks ahead of our local public school, our high school students will enjoy a few more days of summer vacation. The high school students who participate in golf, football, volleyball and cross country will arrive this weekend to participate in preseason practices, while the remainder will return to campus for orientation on August 24 and 25. Classes at the public high school begin August 26. We are excited about a new program for our seniors geared toward preparing them for college through an independent lifestyle program. I will keep you informed on this program as it unfolds.

Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we prepare for the arrival of our Native American students. Your support allows us to collaborate with one another to offer our students and their families the best programs possible! Pilamaya—thank you.

May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity. We keep you in our prayers.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Transitional Living for HS students at St. Joseph’s

Hi, my name is Bob. My wife Angela and I are high school houseparents here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, working with girls in grades 9-12. At St. Joseph’s, the high school

students live on campus but attend Chamberlain Public High School. They participate in sports, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. It’s a great way to stay involved with the community!

Houseparents normally have summer off. This summer, however, we stayed on campus to work in one of the break homes. But not just any break home… this one was special – the Transitional Living Program for our oldest students.

Two homes were open to offer this opportunity to St. Joseph’s upperclassmen – one for the girls and one for the boys. Each student was ready to see what

a dorm-style, away-from-home lifestyle would be like. It was designed to be much like they will experience in college.

The program had several ground rules:

Student had to have a job and provide their own transportation to and from that job.
Each student was responsible for their own preparation of meals, laundry and housekeeping.
Those who had the privilege of driving St. Joseph’s cars (which most of them did) were responsible for their own gas and oil as needed.
Each student could come and go as they chose, provided they let the on-duty staff know where they were going and when they planned to return. They also had to check in by phone from time to time.
They had to return by curfew and could not leave the Chamberlain area.
Sunday morning all students attended church services on campus. If they were working, they attended Mass elsewhere during a time they were not working.
At Chamberlain High School, St. Joseph’s students participate in sports, extra-curricular activities and more.

Our eight students had various jobs, both on St. Joseph’s campus and in the Chamberlain community. We had students work in the restaurant field, at a car dealership and at a hotel.

After the six-week program concluded, the students went home to finish their summer vacation and spend some time with their families. Hopefully, they went with a better understanding of work ethic and independence that will help them in the future.

We had a great group of students and really enjoyed spending some of their summer with them. We saw some real life changes in this group of wonderful, mature, young adults and hope the experience will impact their future in a positive way.

Thank you for the support you give St. Joseph’s Indian School to make these opportunities possible for the Lakota students!

Bob, Houseparent

New staff arrive at St. Joseph’s Indian School

And so it begins!!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School where the school year is beginning to take shape. New staff orientation began this week and all staff will be next week. August 9 will see the student homes open and Monday morning, August 10, school will get underway.

I must commend our Human Resources Department for their hard work this summer. They seem to have filled all the slots needed to keep our programs running smoothly and make sure the Lakota (Sioux) children have everything they need when they arrive on campus. We look forward to the skills and abilities our new staff will bring to enhance the skills of our veteran staff.

As some of you may be aware, I was away to attend my niece’s wedding in Colorado Springs. It went well and I enjoyed the chance to catch up with my siblings and their families. One of my brothers accompanied me on the drive back and we hit Yellowstone, the Little Bighorn Battlefield and Devil’s Tower. The drive was truly breathtaking; we encountered wide open vistas in Wyoming, towering peaks in Grand Teton National Park, the big splash of Old Faithful going off right on time and the ruggedness of Yellowstone’s terrain.

Join the Lakota children for St. Joseph’s annual powwow September 19! — St. Joseph’s annual powwow will be Sept. 19. We hope you can join us!

The Little Bighorn Battlefield had several informative Rangers who related facts about the battle. Since my last visit, they have erected a monument to the Native Americans who took part in the engagement. In coming out of the park we turned East on US Highway 212 and headed to Devil’s Tower which, when you draw near to it, resembles a shark fin above the trees. It is truly magnificent. In Lakota tradition, this mountain tells the story of several young girls who were saved from bears.

My brother and I ended the trip with a swing through the Badlands, starting at the western entrance near Wall, South Dakota. We came out at Cactus Flats where there is a Minute Man Guided Missile display. We had hoped to be able to tour, but there were no tickets left for admission.

I hope you have been able to take some time off this summer and enjoy exploring our great country! One word of advice if you are over 62 and planning a trip: be sure to get a “$10 senior pass” which is good for life at all National Parks, except Mt. Rushmore.

Sturgis, South Dakota is gearing up to host the annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally celebrating the 75^th anniversary of the gathering. Even though the ‘official’ start isn’t until next week, many are coming early. They are expecting a million people!

We won’t have quite that many at our annual powwow celebration on September 19, but we are looking forward to it nonetheless. All St. Joseph’s powwow events are open to the public – we’d love to have you join us! To learn more about our celebration or to register, call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow.

May God’s blessings continue to be with you and those you love.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

A busy time for St. Joseph’s Facilities Crew

Good morning! My name is Sandi and I work with the Facilities

Sandi, Facilities Administrative Assistant

Crew at St. Joseph’s, helping plan and keep projects on track.

The dog days of summer are flying by! When you’re busy, times flies, and our facilities crew is busy! While the Lakota (Sioux) children are gone for these few short weeks, they are working on numerous projects.

In order to better prepare our students for living on their own after high school graduation, we have remodeled one of our buildings into a High School Transition home where four senior girls will live this fall. Here, they will experience a little more independence than the traditional high school home, but still have houseparents close by for anything that might come up.

The health center has also been remodeled this summer; the increased space will accommodate the increasing number of student and staff medical appointments.

The kitchen in our dining hall kitchen also received an upgrade. In order to meet regulations, new cabinetry was installed, as well as new elevator to replace the old.

We love our spot along the Missouri River, but the shifting ground causes issues with buildings that need to be monitored constantly. Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel had some problems due to settling, so repairs were done on doors and ceilings.

Tuck-pointing is the process of repairing mortar joints in brick masonry walls by replacing old mortar with new mortar. This is a continual process on St. Joseph’s campus because of our older brick buildings. This summer, spots on 10 different buildings received this work.

In order for our students and staff to be safe and secure, new lights are replacing old unstable lights along our main street coming into campus, playground, and school parking lot. We are replacing them with LED lights, making them more efficient and requiring less maintenance.

New cameras were put in the school and radon testing was done in buildings throughout campus.

St. Joseph’s students have enjoyed the pool for many, many years. Because of the pool’s age, it was due for some upgrades. The concrete was repaired and a liner installed. A new filtration system was added which greatly reduces the use of chlorine, and making it safer to operate as well as swim in.

Many student homes received new, more efficient appliances this summer to help prevent breakdowns and save on energy costs. All the homes had carpets cleaned, so they are fresh and ready for the students’ arrival on August 9!

All of this was more than enough to keep the Facilities Crew busy, but Mother Nature had other ideas and sent two wind storms our way in June. The storms, one on a Friday and the next on Sunday, gave the crew more than a week’s worth of work just cleaning up.

I’d like to say a big THANK YOU to all of our donors for making all these projects possible and working together to create a beautiful school and campus for the children and families we serve. God bless you for your kindness!

Sandi,

Facilities Administrative Assistant

All’s quiet at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Things are quiet on St. Joseph’s campus; summer programs have ended and there are no Lakota students on campus, if only for a few weeks. Our facilities crew is finishing up a variety of projects, getting the campus in shape for the new school year which starts August 10.

This year, we’re very excited to have our seniors in high school participate in a new independent living program. Students will have more responsibilities and more freedom to help prepare them for their next step in life – college, tech school, the military or the workforce.

Next week, we’ll be starting to hit the bricks for the upcoming school year. New staff will be on campus to begin their orientation and training. The first week in August, all staff return. Our students will come in on August 9 and classes will begin August 10. Our high school students, who attend Chamberlain Public High School, will begin sports practices. The new school year is almost here!

As mentioned last week, I am in Colorado for my niece’s wedding. It all turned out well and most of my family was able to attend. My brothers and I went golfing. I had some good shots and interesting putts, but I know how Tiger feels concerning his British Open experience. The altitude in Colorado Springs, at the base of Pike’s Peak, does affect you. I would tee the ball up and then have to pause a moment to give my head the chance to clear.

Leaving Colorado, I am heading across Wyoming to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. I will also visit to the Little Big Horn battlefield and then Devil’s Tower. I’m also going to try and work in a trip to a Minuteman Missile Site near Wall, South Dakota before reaching Chamberlain. One of my brothers, now retired, is going to join me.

I hope that any of you who are taking vacation trips will also have a great time and safe travels. Perhaps some of you are saving your vacation to come out to our annual powwow on September 19. We would love to have you visit St. Joseph’s Indian School!

May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity towards the ministry taking place at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Summer programs wrap up at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The weather has continued to make for an interesting summer in central South Dakota. Last Sunday, several areas around us hit 100+ degrees. Added to the heat was smog from the fires burning in Canada. Though it has been hot, the landscape looks beautiful from all the rain we have been blessed with. Green is still the predominate color. Hopefully, we’ll continue to receive rain so the crops and grass flourish.
The campus is quiet now as the summer programs for our Lakota (Sioux) students are coming to an end. The younger students’ home finished this past Wednesday, and the high school home will end on Friday.
Next on the agenda will be orientation for St. Joseph’s new staff starting July 27. All staff will gather the week of August 3 for various meetings. The students will return August 9 and classes begin on August 10! Where has the summer gone?
Last weekend was special for some of those working in extended ministries supported by St. Joseph’s.
On Sunday, there was a special Mass in Marty, South Dakota to honor the Native American ministry in the Sioux Falls Diocese (which is celebrating its 125th anniversary). At the Mass, Deacon Steven McLaughlin gave an address. St. Joseph’s provided some transportation for parishioners from St. Joseph’s parish in Fort Thompson, South Dakota, which is staffed by members of the Priests of the Sacred Heart. That is the parish Deacon Steven is assigned to, but he also works at the other six parishes on the Crow Creek and Lower Brule Indian Reservations.
On Monday I was at a board meeting in Eagle Butte, South Dakota, where we have the women’s shelter and the youth residence. At the end of the meeting, Mr. John Lemke was honored for his 21 years of service as a board member. He is still active in the ministry as the treasurer.
I’ll be heading out this week to take part in my niece’s wedding in Colorado Springs this coming weekend. Sounds like most of my brothers and sisters are going to make it with their families, so it will be a mini-family reunion as well.
I hope you all have a great week. As a way of saying thanks for your generosity and many kindnesses, you will be remembered in our Monthly Novena of Masses, the 11th through the 19th.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Fr. Anthony, Fr. Joe and Mike were present when John received his award for years of service. — Fr. Anthony is pictures with Fr. Joseph Dean, SCJ pastor of the SCJ team covering the six parishes, Mr. Lemke, and Mr. Mike Tyrell, St. Joseph’s President.

CAUTION: Our spontaneity is showing!

The thesaurus offers such synonyms to spontaneity as naturalness,

freedom and impulsiveness. What a way to describe the summer break home at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The structure of time is different. Routines are missing but not missed. There is plenty of unscheduled time to fill with spontaneous adventure: riding bikes and then ditching them and running into the woods to build (or add to) teepee-like forts – one for the boys and one for the girls. Finding a dead bird while playing outdoors becomes a search for the perfect burial spot complete with prayer and a homemade headstone. Walking to town to go swimming may include rolling down grassy hills at Barger Park or stopping at the Derby for a cookie. For now, there is no “have to.”

One of the children’s favorite things to do (still) is to go out to the new playground at St. Joseph’s. One recent afternoon, there was a noticeable shift in mood on the playground.

It could have been because of sun shining too brightly… or just being tired. Instead of mirth and mischief there were complaints and grouchiness. The decision to move on from the park was simple. On to the next thing!

Except no one could agree on anything… We moved to a grassy area and just sat. We talked about what they were experiencing and the next moment throwing handfuls of grass in random directions. “Random” meaning in my direction…

I was covered in green and laughter! Then Scott, one of St. Joseph’s Family Service Counselors, appeared and invited us to be part of a prayer circle with the high school students. Within moments, the children went from feeling restless, to rolling around in the grass, to actively praying. No planning necessary.

I am partial to spontaneity and the idea of being open to “Divine Appointments.” One afternoon a student, I’ll call him R, appeared to be very unhappy. I asked him if he would be willing to help carry some things back to another home.

“No!”

His response seemed more like a test than just a “no.”

I turned away and then heard a quieter “Ok – sure.” I must have passed the test.

So I gathered up the supplies while R enlisted the help of his younger brother A. I let them lead the way, which seemed important, even though I would have preferred staying away from the mosquito-infested grass. Moving quickly, wanting to complete this chore and move on to the next unplanned activity, I almost missed our divine appointment.

“LOOK CATHY!”

A baby bird was perched on the back of the bench. I turned and saw R and the bird, starting at each other with no more than two feet between them.

Why isn’t this bird flying away?

Something important was happening.

A and I stopped at a distance and watched in awe at the connection happening between R and this delicate-looking bird.

“Look we are both the same!” exclaimed R.

Both R and the bird had a bit of white hair on top of their dark heads. The boy and the bird seemed taken with each other.

Then, perhaps because of the awkward load we were carrying, all of us started walking again. I wish we hadn’t. A spell seemed to have broken. The bird continued to watch as R walked away.

He wondered out loud if the bird would still be there after we finished. It was. This time A cautiously approached and the bird quickly flew away.

Something then dawned on R and a smile brightened his face. He turned to face me, his gaze saying “See I am special. This bird that looks like me told me so.”

A tear fell as the purity of this moment hit hard. It transformed this child with his very bad mood, into feeling something very extraordinary.

To have correctly experienced this natural, unplanned and unprompted event, you kind of had to be there. It loses something in the written delivery. Thinking of it, even now, brings up emotion. I hope R clings to this spontaneous and significant moment forever…

He really is exceptional. A bird that looks like him told him so.

Cathy

Houseparent

In the summer break home at St. Joseph’s, there’s free time for ice cream breaks and relaxation. — The Lakota children in the summer break home enjoy a spontaneous stop for ice cream on a warm afternoon.

An action-packed Fourth of July

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable 4^th of July. The Chamberlain-Oacoma area was jammed with a lot of visitors, taking in the festivities and enjoying the Missouri River. The day began with something for the young and the young at heart – a 5K obstacle course/inflatable run. Participants had to run the course and climb over, under or through various inflatable obstacles and then keep going to the next one.

The parade was well-attended and began with the VFW honor guard presenting the colors, followed by a National Guard truck filled with veterans. The spectator’s warm applause welcomed them.

Some of the cars that would take part in the Show & Shine classic car rally also took part in the parade — several Mustangs and Stingrays. Local businesses had floats expressing Independence Day greetings and most threw candy to the children.

Participants had to run the obstacle course, climbing over, under or through various inflatables. — Independence Day celebrations in Chamberlain began with something for the young and the young at heart – a 5K obstacle course/inflatable run.

There were lawn mower racers from Pukwana, South Dakota and several motorcycles, which reminded people this year is the 75^th anniversary of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. They are predicting nearly a million people for the week-long celebration in August!

In the afternoon there was a rough stock rodeo that featured saddle bronc, bareback and bull riding. The Lakota boys and girls in St. Joseph’s summer break home enjoyed a portion of the rodeo, but the muggy weather got to them and they headed back to cool off in the air-conditioning.

After a rest, they were ready to go again when the ‘Rock the Bluffs’ fireworks lit up the sky later that night. It was beautiful watching the fireworks explode over the Missouri River. They brought many ooohs and aaahs from those watching and even inspired Mother Nature to take part. As the fireworks show came close to its endings she decided

One float in the parade had a “Summer fun” theme, complete with squirt guns to cool off the crowd. — Chamberlain’s Fourth of July parade included all kinds of floats from the community.

to impress the spectators with a thunder and lightning display. The brief rain caused many to head for shelter, but when the official show was over, those who brought their own fireworks began shooting them to continue the celebration.

Mother Nature put on another show the next day when severe weather was in the area again. As it came across southern South Dakota, it took a little jog to the northeast and put Chamberlain in the crosshairs. Reports indicated a possible tornado with the radar showing some circular movement, but there was no report of anything touching down. Thank goodness! We dealt with high winds, lightening and rain for about an hour on Sunday evening. A few more branches were down on campus Monday morning, but nothing serious like the previous weekend.

Congratulations to the USA women’s soccer for bringing home the World Cup. It was an amazing game!

I hope your 4^th of July was memorable as well!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain