Good afternoon tiyospaye – extended family,
The pheasant hunting season opened in South Dakota over this past weekend and it sounded like the hunters were out doing their best. I heard several shots across the river as we finished Mass Sunday morning.
We are in a period of transition at St. Joseph’s Indian School now, as the fall sports wrap up and the students get ready for the indoor basketball season. Yesterday, the girls in fourth through eighth grades signed up for their basketball teams.
The boys will start having their inter-city league on Sundays. This program blends students from Chamberlain with St. Joseph’s Lakota students on teams that are made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade boys. It is a way for the students to make new friends before they meet up as classmates in high school. The first game will be Sunday, October 27. The girls will have their inter-city season after the holidays.
Several of our seventh and eighth grade boys have joined the local Explorers Club in Chamberlain, which gives them the opportunity to be part of a service group. They do various community projects throughout the year to raise money – raking leaves, shoveling snow and a car wash, to name a few. Then, the boys decide as a group who or what cause would be a worthy recipient of the funds. Last year they donated their money to several local people who were dealing with cancer.
They also remember to have some fun! The group has taken trips to a Minnesota Vikings football game and a Colorado Rockies baseball game.
Students who are new to St. Joseph’s are taking part in a program called ‘co-pilot,’ which matches them with another student to help them belong, enjoy and develop relationships at St. Joseph’s. It parallels our big brothers/big sisters program.
From my office, I can see the students playing outside after school. Kids will be kids, and it warms my heart to see them play games like Red Rover, Red Rover and tetherball. With Halloween just around the corner, many students are also busy getting their costumes ready.
Hope you all have a great week.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
