Do you know that you help provide so much more than a standard education to the Lakota boys and girls?
Pam, St. Joseph’s Personal Living Skills teacher.
St. Joseph’s eighth graders have been working hard developing the skills needed to maintain a personal checking account. First, they learned about checking account basics and then actually write checks, make deposits, keep records, and reconcile the monthly statement. Special banking services such as pre-authorized payments, wire transfers, mobile banking, making loan payments and ATM transactions are also incorporated.
This not only teaches our students an important aspect of money management, but also develops good habits for the future.
At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we are privileged to work with our students not just during the school day, but after hours as well. When they are not in school, our houseparents care for the children in their campus homes 24 hours per day.
St. Joseph’s eighth graders are working hard developing the skills needed to maintain a personal checking account.
That means that, even when school is out, students are learning important life skills – social skills, caring for themselves and their homes, and more!
My name is Pam and I teach Personal Living Skills (PLS) and P.E. at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Pam, St. Joseph’s Personal Living Skills teacher.
As the year comes to an end, St. Joseph’s eighth graders are starting to think not only about high school, but their future career options as well. In our Personal Living Skills class, the Lakota (Sioux) students are getting a better understanding of themselves and how their interests and skills will relate to real-world academic and career opportunities.
They have been using the website SDmylife.com to research, select and plan their careers. To find a good match, students started by taking a career interest survey. As they explored the options, their questions answered by professionals working in a particular field. Students researched which school subjects would help them prepare for their career match.
We have several students looking at pursuing careers in the medical field and criminal justice, as well as joining the military. As our eighth graders continue to mature over the next four years of high school, they will be able to expand their search with ability assessments and create a portfolio that will assist them in their future endeavors.
Thank you for your support!
St. Joseph’s eighth graders are ready for high school!
St. Joseph’s students are back from break and will celebrate Christmas this Sunday!
Before Christmas break, St. Joseph’s students got into the Christmas spirit by getting busy in the kitchen! In Personal Living Skills class, students baked cookies, made our famous Oreo truffles and peanut butter balls. They had a fun time decorating and using lots of sprinkles!
Christmas is a lot more than baking and exchanging gifts though. It is about giving and being thankful for what we have and being with the ones we love the most.
Sadly, there are many people who cannot be with their loved ones during the holidays or some who cannot provide for their families at Christmas because of different circumstances. The seventh graders worked on a community service project to try and give back to people in need.
After some discussion, they decided that making baby blankets and donating them to the Chamberlain women’s shelter would not only keep babies warm, but would warm many hearts, too.
Being a part of this community service project was an excellent way for our students to give back this Holiday season and was a great addition to the food drive put on by the Student Leaders at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Wopila tanka – many thanks – for the generosity you show the Lakota children which allows them to show generosity to others!
School is not over yet…especially not without the end-of-the-year fun days at St. Joseph’s Indian School! Earlier this week, our sixth, seventh and eighth graders enjoyed a day away from textbooks and got to spend a day of fun with their
Older students enjoyed bowling in downtown Chamberlain.
classmates and teachers.
The Lakota students started the day off with Monte Carlo bowling at the Chamberlain Bowling Dome. We had lots of laughs and witnessed some amazing bowling talent. One student hit a split that a professional bowler would not be able to knock down! That accomplishment won her a $15 cash prize.
We gave 40 prizes away to students that hit a strike with a colored pin showing. The music and pizza made the morning even more memorable! The afternoon consisted of a movie at the State Theatre downtown. We watched “Crooked Arrows.” Students cheered for this feel-good sports thriller about Native Americans playing lacrosse and learning about loyalty to their tribal heritage.
Younger students played team games in the gym.
St. Joseph’s younger students enjoyed the morning with some bingo, team challenges, and inflatables. The inflatables will not be forgotten! The kids had a blast with Extreme Basketball, Jurassic Bouncer, Giant slide, and Jumbo Course inflatable. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun!
Students got quite a workout and were ready for lunch. We ended the afternoon with a trip to the State Theatre to see the movie, “Rise of the Guardians.” Students were excited about the movie; popcorn and a soda only added to the excitement.
The Lakota children got quite a workout playing on the inflatables!
The day was a great success and students finished their year out at St. Joseph’s with something to remember until we see them back when the new school year begins!
Things have been heating up in Personal Living Skills (PLS) class this last month! St. Joseph’s sixth, seventh and eighth grade Lakota students have been busy in the kitchen, planning menus, and preparing foods.
We put lots of emphasis on how to plan nutritious meals, making wise food choices when shopping, and how to store foods properly.
Our Native American students also learn how to follow recipes, which includes reading food preparation directions and measuring ingredients. Then, of course, we give it a try! Some of their favorite labs have been pizza Stromboli, fry bread, donuts, pumpkin French toast, Butterfinger cake, and fruit smoothies.
A great meal also includes proper table etiquette. Setting the table is an important part of meal preparation, especially in a formal setting. When our students are faced with the dilemma of three forks, they will know which one to use!
Learning to read a recipe and measure ingredients are important first steps.The flour can get away from you if you’re not careful!
Hello – my name is Pam and I teach “Personal Living Skills” here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Have you ever heard someone say,
“My checkbook won’t balance?”
This is a frustrating and time-consuming experience for not only adults but for St. Joseph’s students as well! Eighth graders have been busy keeping a checkbook in their Personal Living Skills class. Students are learning the responsibility of managing money through a checking account. Students keep a record of every check written to make sure that they don’t spend more money than they have!
They use a debit card for purchases, do balance transfers online, ATM transfers and withdrawals, and pay by phone/internet banking, too. Once they have opened up their checking account, the bank sends them an account statement showing their bank balance and outstanding checks.
It is never fun when the bank statement doesn’t match your own check register. This is when our eighth graders go and search for outstanding checks … They have to balance their account to the penny before moving on to the next month. At the end of the unit, students will purchase a car and have to make the loan payment to the bank on the first of every month.
This Personal Living Skills unit will give students a better understanding of the more important aspects of a checking account and responsible economic practice in the real world.
