On November 20, St. Joseph’s celebrated the gift of family with staff and students. In a years-long tradition, the school gathered in groups of siblings and thiyóšpaye — extended family — for an evening of games and good eats. At St. Joseph’s, thiyóšpaye is a concept of pride and reverence, and whether a child attends the school for one day or many years, they are considered a member of the school’s family.
Good-natured competition is characteristic of the celebration where family units compete in Minute-to-Win-It style games. “Cookie Face,” is a perennial favorite on the game roster. In this 60-second challenge, competitors use only their facial muscles and the force of gravity to move a cookie from forehead to mouth without dropping it. “Balloon Blowdown,” a challenge where students inflate a balloon and use the air to move a cup across the table, debuted this year to great excitement.
Students expressed a variety of reasons for enjoying the evening. Third-grader Kaiden preferred the Balloon Blowdown Challenge. Sixth-grader E’Mariyon favored Cookie Face. For her classmates, Jacob and Kendrick, the highlight of the evening was when eighth-grader Kellen pied Student Coordinator Jennie in the face. Perhaps sixth-grader Lai’La had the best reason for appreciating the event: spending time with her family.
For more than 45 years, the week of Thanksgiving has been proclaimed National Family Week. This observance was the idea of Mr. Sam Wiley, a teacher, basketball coach and school administrator in Indiana who observed the stark difference in children who came from strong, supportive families. He conceived of the idea to set aside a time during Thanksgiving – when families traditionally gather to give thanks for their many blessings – to recognize the important role family plays in our society.
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