No home

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

At our Child Service Team meeting we went over plans for which students will be in the break home, which opens the day after Christmas. Many of the High School students who are in sports will be back to take part in practices and games scheduled between now and the start of the school year. Sadly, there are also a few students who wrote down “no home” as their reason they need to stay. We especially want to accommodate the kids who might not have a good situation to go home to over the holidays or during other school breaks. It’s always sad to hear of families who are struggling.

On the brighter side, we again heard from a student who graduated high school when I first arrived at St. Joseph’s six years ago. JT finished a tour of duty with the Navy, then went back to school. He just completed his two year degree in Commercial Heating and Air Conditioning. He plans to continue his education in mechanical engineering, and we wish him all the best. We are trying to steer all of our students into some form of higher education and career path.

After school, we gathered in the Rec Center to announce the fall sports awards. Some of the students had great intentions when the season began, but didn’t stick to it; the coaches put in a plea for perseverance. I was happy for the students who did finish what they started and did it well – many of them added some hardware to their desk or bookshelf by taking home a trophy to proudly show their families at break time.

Besides the day-to-day activities, our management team started dialogue with a facilitator about strategic planning. Where do we hope to be five years from now? I can’t exactly say, but that’s what we will try to figure out over the course of the next year. It’s important not just for our young people, but for us as a group, to identify where we want to go. With a vision, then we can figure out ways to get there.

Author: St. Joseph's Indian School

At St. Joseph's Indian School, our privately-funded programs for Lakota (Sioux) children in need have evolved over 90 years of family partnership, experience and education. Because of generous friends who share tax-deductible donations, Native American youth receive a safe, stable home life; individual counseling and guidance; carefully planned curriculum based on Lakota culture and individual student needs and tools to help build confidence, boost self-esteem and improve cultural awareness. All of this helps children to live a bright, productive, possibility-filled future. View all posts by St. Joseph's Indian School