Nourishing desire and faith

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Like any community, some of our staff are dealing with sickness, while others are stressed or struggling. As we become aware of these we work to provide what support we can. Personnel work takes up a  lot of our time as administrators, but is so important. We want to be there for our staff, so they can be there for the kids and one another. Besides whatever help we can offer in the workplace, I  also keep in mind those people in prayer.

We had a substantial meeting to discuss our High School program. We covered lots of ground including retention rates, staffing, conditional contracts, academic expectations and student numbers. Our High School students typically have a lot of drama in their lives, and it takes a lot of patience and effort to find ways to get them to talk and work through their issues.

Classes began for students who are preparing to be baptized at Easter. I stopped in to the after school class to visit the 3^rd and 4^th grade session. “What does it feel like when you get baptized? What does the Bread taste like?” I pretended to pour water over one of the students’ heads and took time to answer their questions as best as I could. There’s such enthusiasm at that age. My hope is to keep nourishing that desire and faith, so it becomes a source of strength and direction in their lives.

Our safety and security team met and reviewed what has been accomplished recently. They have added new fire rated exit doors, more security cameras around campus, and wired for new fire alarms. The facilities staff has been very busy. Great job!

With work,  sports and activities the High School girls are hard to catch at home on any given night. In this short lull between volleyball and basketball season, everyone was home at Hogebach, so I joined them for supper. After supper a few of us played a silly, but energetic card game (spoons). Three of the girls from that home have been chosen to compete in an upcoming Knowledge Bowl.  We quizzed each other on the sample questions. I knew my baseball players much better than the deserts of the world. We laughed and had fun and hopefully it will help them (and me) remember those facts when they’re needed.

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