Our high school Lakota Nation Invitational Knowledge Bowl Team travelled to Rapid City, South Dakota on December 14th to compete in the 40th Anniversary of the Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI).
With the expectation of a snow storm and below zero temperatures, we decided to head to the competition a day early and were able to beat the storm. The next day, the storm worsened and halted travel for our Archery and Hand Games Team, who were still on campus at St. Joseph’s Indian School. This left our Knowledge Bowl Team as the sole representative of St. Joseph’s.
St. Joseph’s team- consisting of Lily, Justin, Danielle, Alyssa and Taelonna- began the competition with a ‘victory’ over Pierre Riggs High School on a forfeit, due to the declining weather conditions and their inability to make it to Rapid City.
Our next match was with Pine Ridge, which we won convincingly. We started out tentative, but in the end won by a score of 9-2.
Now all we had to do is wait our next opponent, White River, a perennial powerhouse in the competition … Continue reading “St. Joseph’s 3rd Place Finish at the 40th Annual LNI Knowledge Bowl!”
Since St. Joseph’s students are away from campus for Christmas spending time with friends and family, we celebrated Christmas here the first Sunday after they returned (January 8). I was wondering what we should call the day and a young student came up to me and said, ‘happy St. Joseph’s Christmas!’ It is as good a name as anything else! 
Since it has been rather quiet on campus, I want to take this chance to bring you up-to-date on various activities our students were engaged in this month. In mid-December, the students took part in the annual Christmas program, where those who have been practicing musical instruments get the chance to share their newfound skills with staff and their peers. Each class also recited a poem or sang a song.
‘Flat Francis’ was a guest of Summerlee Home recently and enjoyed having the chance to share a meal or two and take part in the video game JUST DANCE. In the one picture, it looks like his hand raised in blessing is right in line with the reaching for the sky move the girls next to him are doing.
Over Christmas, our Religious Education teacher Joe has been fixing him up a bit due to some nicks and bruises he has picked up in the process of being passed from home to home. He’ll be in great shape once the students return and is anxious to see what his next adventure will be!
Our Knowledge Bowl participants headed out on Thursday, so they were able to compete over the weekend. St. Joseph’s team earned 3rd place overall! Lily and Justin, two of our high school students, were awarded 1st place
Girls on the Run is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to creating a world where every girls knows and activates her limitless potential and is free to boldly pursue her dreams.
The temperatures had dropped and the wind had come up the day before, which made for a chilly blessing for our new outdoor basketball court, donated by a benefactor from the Chicago area. The court will be a new spot for our students to develop their skills and have some fun. 
With the recent time change, the sun is now setting over the river just as the school/work day comes to an end and we are seeing some glorious sunsets reflecting off the water and highlighting the few leaves that are still on the trees. It has even been so nice out that many fisherman are taking advantage and getting in some last casts. 