St. Joseph's Indian School

It’s my favorite time of year!

Hello from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota!

My name is Laura and I have been the Donor Relations Officer here at St. Joseph’s for the past fifteen years.

We are reaching my favorite time of year!

St. Joseph’s students are back on campus. They have been in school for a little over a month and are busy with class and extracurricular activities. I am currently busy speaking with donors from all around the United States, sharing information about our upcoming 39^th Annual Powwow.

I had the first donors register for the 2015 powwow during the 2014 event! There are now over 400 donors and friends registered to attend our powwow. They will begin arriving next week to take in all of the fun!

During the powwow festivities, I get to reunite with people who come every year. I also meet lots of new people who are visiting St. Joseph’s Indian School for the very first time!

The powwow is definitely a highlight of the school year here at St. Joseph’s, for students and staff alike. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of work for employees to have campus ready for our visitors, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! Every department on campus pitches in to make the festivities run smoothly .

A Lakota (Sioux) youth dances during St. Joseph's 38th Annual Powwow. — A Lakota (Sioux) youth dances during St. Joseph’s 38th Annual Powwow.

Our 39^th Annual Powwow festivities begin on Thursday, September 17 with guest registration, a reservation bus tour, the powwow royalty crowning ceremony and a meet & greet in the evening. at a local motel.

On Friday, guest registration will continue along with cultural activities, tours of the school, cultural performances and our Tiyospaye Banquet.

Prior to Grand Entry on Saturday, there will be tours of students’ homes and an open house at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Following the powwow, Mass will be celebrated and dinner is served to everyone in attendance.

If you would like additional information about St. Joseph’s powwow or helpful links in planning your visit , please call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow. We would love to have you join us!

For those attending, I would like to wish you all a safe trip out to beautiful South Dakota and St. Joseph’s Indian School.

See you soon!

Laura

Donor Relations Officer

It’s almost powwow time!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain — Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School! I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Labor Day.

The weekend offered a variety of activities for our Lakota students to participate in. The State Fair was underway in Huron, South Dakota and several homes made the trip over to take part in the fair festivities. Another option was to attend the LifeLight Festival in the Sioux Falls area, which is a three day event celebrating Christian music. Several of our staff and high school homes attended. For the homes that decided to stay close to campus, there was the chance to attend the movie PIXELS at the local theater.

Now that Labor Day is behind us, everyone’s focus has turned to St. Joseph’s 39^th Annual Powwow taking place September 17-19. The dancers have been practicing and are also learning a few new moves.

One of our Native American Studies teachers, LaRayne, attended a recent Kiwanis’ luncheon to share information on the various dances that take place at a powwow. The Powwow Royalty Competition took place last night and winners will be announced on Friday, September 18.

Two Lakota(Sioux) girls dressed in regalia await their turn. — Two girls anxiously awaiting their turn during last night’s powwow royalty competition!

We are praying that we’ll have good weather for the powwow so that it will be pleasant for everyone.

I hope that you’ll be able to attend the powwow this year. If you cannot, keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+ pages for photos and videos!

May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity towards St. Joseph’s and the Native American children in our care.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

One of the best jobs around…

Kelli, Development/Child Services Liaison. — Kelli, Development/Child Services Liaison

Hello!

My name is Kelli and I am the new Development/Child Services Liaison here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Although I may be a little biased, I think my job is one of the best jobs around! I get to spend time with the Lakota students and Child Services staff here at St. Joseph’s while still being in touch with our donors through our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Instagram pages.

In one month, I have already gotten to participate in some pretty amazing things.

On the first day of school for the Lakota students, our Lakota Studies teachers held a smudging ceremony outside of Our Lady of the Sioux chapel. Smudging souls is something that has been done for generations in tribal cultures. Smudging helps to rid a person or area of unwanted energies that aren’t helpful as well as bless new areas, items or places so that a fresh start is felt in the heart.

It was a powerful experience to be present during the smudging ceremony. As students and staff walked through the smoke and washed it over their bodies, they emerged with focus, grace and excitement for the year ahead!

Our Lakota (Sioux) students stand behind the Air & Space Museum sign during their field trip. — Our 5th grade students enjoyed their time at the Air & Space Museum!

Shortly after the beginning of the school year, I was invited to participate in STARBASE activities with our 5^th grade students. STARBASE is a program that combines science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) with exciting experiments and hands-on activities to motivate students to explore these subjects as they continue their education.

During one project, the students devised ways to protect an egg strapped into a model space shuttle before the shuttles were launched down a wire into a head-on collision. To culminate the week, the 5^th graders took a field trip to Rapid City, South Dakota to visit the Air & Space Museum at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Although the air conditioner on our bus did not work on the way back home, a great time was had by all!

In mid-August, St. Joseph’s Indian School started their fall sports practices. I have been enjoying spending my evenings working on volleyball skills with our 6-8^th grade girls. Our first game is in about 10 days!

On Tuesday, one of the 6^th grade volleyball girls who has been having a little bit of a tough time adjusting asked me if I would join her during Thursday’s cross country practice. As a 6th grader, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there, so of course I said yes! Since I am not a runner, I would greatly appreciate your prayers and good thoughts today after school!

Thank you for your generosity and support. You are truly making a difference in the lives of the Lakota students here in our care. They are becoming phenomenal young men and women because of YOU!

Kelli Swenson

Development/Child Services Liaison

It’s Officially September!

This past Sunday, we held a Lakota Mass on St. Joseph’s campus to celebrate the arrival of our high school students, who started classes with Chamberlain High School on August 26.

We currently have 50 students in the high school program; our enrollment campus-wide is 213 students.

The local public school staff and teachers visited our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center ahead of the start of their school year. The tour gave the teachers and staff an idea of what to expect when they interact with Native American students living in Chamberlain or coming in from the reservation. The experience also helped the staff to have a better understanding of our high school students’ backgrounds.

A welcome back picnic for our staff and students was held at American Creek park along the Missouri River. There was laughter, kayaking, games, swimming, food and fun galore! Once the sun went down, the good times continued to roll with a bonfire and s’mores.

You may recall I mentioned that our religious community, the Priests of the Sacred Heart from Hales Corners, WI , held an election for a new Provincial and Council due to the election of our previous Provincial (and former Director of St. Joseph’s), Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, to the General Council in Rome. Our acting Provincial, Fr. Ed Kilianski, SCJ, was elected to take on the leadership role. He will be supported by Frs. Quang Nguyen, SCJ; Duy Nguyen, SCJ; Christianus Hendrik, SCJ; Jack Kurps, SCJ; and Br. Frank Presto, SCJ. We ask that you keep them in prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them as they lead the Province into the future.

A Lakota (Sioux) girl dances fancy shawl at last year's powwow. — Our 2014 Jr. Miss St. Joseph’s dances at last year’s powwow.

Now that we have rolled into September, we can officially say that our annual Powwow is close! Our students are practicing twice a week and our drum group, the Chalk Hills Singers, is also preparing for the event. The Chalk Hills Singers played at Mass on Sunday and 24 dancers took part in the entrance rite.

Our 39^th Annual Powwow festivities begin on Thursday, September 17 with guest registration, a reservation bus tour (pre-registration required), the powwow royalty crowning ceremony and a meet and greet with St. Joseph’s alumni.

On Friday, guest registration will continue along with a complimentary breakfast, cultural activities, a tour of the school, cultural performances and our evening Tiyospaye Banquet (pre-registration required).

Prior to the powwow on Saturday, there will be tours of students’ campus homes and an open house at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Following the powwow, we will host Mass and provide a complimentary meal before prizes are awarded.

If you would like additional information about our powwow or more information on planning your visit, please call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow. We would love to have you join us!

May God continue to bless and reward you for your continued support and generosity to the Lakota (Sioux) children.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Keeping busy at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota!

Summer is ‘officially’ over here in Chamberlain. The new city swimming pool is closed for the year and public school started this week.

Our high school students arrived on Sunday and participated in a two-day orientation program before school began on Wednesday. Our high school volleyball, cross country and football teams all have meets and games this week.

I recently attended the football team’s scrimmage and joined the coaches and players when they came out to St. Joseph’s for a team building meal at the Sheehy Home. It was a great night.

You may recall that I recently mentioned our 4-6 grade students can participate in football with the local team. They had their first practice on Tuesday evening. Our students were very excited to try on their equipment and hit the field. St. Joseph’s is honored to be able to host the practices and games as a way to help our students get to know their peers from the Chamberlain community better.

On Saturday morning, some of our students participated in the Chamberlain Youth Triathlon. They were able to swim, bike and run—all on campus. It was a fun experience for all!

A boy dances during St. Joseph's Annual Powwow. — Our Lakota (Sioux) students enjoy learning about their Native American culture and participating in our annual powwow.

We were scheduled to have an inipi— sweat lodge— with our 7-8 grade boys on Saturday afternoon, but the high wind made it too dangerous to have a fire.

Please keep the members of the American Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in your prayers this week. Since our former Provincial, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, was elected to our General Council in Rome, we are gathering this week to elect a new Provincial and Council. May the Holy Spirit guide our deliberations.

Our students are getting ready for our 39^th Annual Powwow on September 19. They have several dance practices scheduled and staff members have been meeting to talk over plans to ensure another successful event. We have even started praying for good weather! We hope you will be able to attend. If you have any questions about the three day event, please feel free to call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow.

Have a great Thursday. May God’s blessings continue to be with you and yours.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Two of her favorite things…

Hello! My name is Claire, and I am the new Librarian at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I am fortunate that I get to work with two of my favorite things every day—the kids at St. Joseph’s and books. We are in the process of updating the library to an automated catalog system, so I spent the summer barcoding, weeding and organizing the collection. I also got to open the boxes of book donations, which was just like Christmas.

“Whoopee! Dragons! Pirates! Polar bears! Newberry Medalists! Sherman Alexie! The kids are just going to love this!!”

I was excited and nervous for the first week of school. Although I worked in a library as a college student, this was my first gig as a school librarian, actually teaching library skills. Also, the previous librarian, a veteran of 39 years, left some really big shoes to fill. She had a great way with the kids, and a knack for helping them to find just the right book. The kids were not sure what to make of me, with my strange new rules and quirks. I gave out a pre-test to assess where their skill levels were, prompting cries of distress. “Library reeks!!”

Connecting the kids with books was definitely the fun part. While battered copies of “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and “Goosebumps” flew off the shelves, other interests took some sleuthing. Scary stories were a popular request—everything from ghost stories to movie monsters to tales of Bigfoot.

Two Lakota students sit on the ground reading a book. — Two students enjoy reading a book together.

Many kids asked for books about basketball—basketball teams, basketball players and stories about kids who play basketball. I loved it when kids asked for books about history and we got to talk about historical fiction versus non-fiction and the different time periods and populations. Animal books were another common request. I was very happy to show one young man a brand new encyclopedia of animals we had just received as a donation. It was an impressive volume with a bright picture of a Mandrill on the cover. His eyes lit up and he paged through the color pages with obvious delight.

Another teen had been waiting all summer for the next book in the “Warrior” series. (A shout out to the generous donors who replaced several missing copies from this series—you are lifesavers!) And finally, I was able to help Mr. Library Reeks discover the “I Survived” series. He gleefully capered about, barely able to decide which two books to take now and which to save for next week.

I grew up in a home filled with books. Unfortunately, many of the kids at St. Joseph’s don’t have a lot of books in their homes and don’t have access to a library over the summer. The school library is their best chance for getting good reading material. My hope is to share some favorite books with them and to guide them in finding favorites of their own. Having an automated system will make it even faster and easier to find just the right book. In the meantime, we’ll work on our library detective skills to discover what treasures lie in store. I am looking forward to it!

I would like to thank our donors for providing good things to read for both our library and our bookmobile . You make such a big difference! Wopila tanka – many thanks!

Claire, Librarian

It’s a busy week at St. Joseph’s!

Good morning from a rainy St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Talk about weather changing quickly. On Saturday we were dealing with 100 degree weather, but today is overcast, cool and rainy.

This week, our 5^th graders are taking part in a STARBASE program. STARBASE is an interactive program that works to motivate young students to explore the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum. On Monday, the students worked in groups to protect their astronaut, Eggbert during his travel on a rocket. In the afternoon, the group launched their ‘Eggbert’ space shuttles down a line to see if their protection was enough for Eggbert the Egg to survive.

Yesterday, the students spent part of the morning shooting rockets while learning about 45 and 90 degree angles. In the afternoon, the students ‘Popped the Fizz.’ This project had the students use an Alka Seltzer tablet and water to see how high they could get the capsule to shoot vertically in a 200cm tube. By tinkering with water and size of the Alka Seltzer, they discovered very quickly that they could adjust the height of their tablet’s journey up the tube.

Young boy sits in cockpit of plane. — Our students always enjoy visiting Ellsworth Air Force Base!

The students will continue doing activities for the remainder of the week. Their week will culminate with a field trip to Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, South Dakota on Friday.

This past weekend, many of the Residential Homes enjoyed American Island Days, sponsored by the local community of Chamberlain. Some of the activities our students took part in were inflatables and carnival games, a car show, laser tag and National Guard boat. The day ended with a showing of JAWS along the river bank so that you could watch on a lawn chair or, for the brave, sit in the water.

The students will have the opportunity to have their hearing tested as a van from the School for the Deaf will be on campus Thursday.

It has been wonderful to see the Lakota students back on campus. We are looking forward to our upcoming powwow on Saturday, September 19, 2015. You can find more about the many activities taking place September 17-19 here.

We hope you have a wonderful week. We continue to keep you in our prayers, thanking the Great Spirit for your generosity that enables our students to benefit from the programs we are able to offer.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

We are all truly part of a great organization…

Mike, St. Joseph's President — Mike, St. Joseph’s President

Time and time again, it has been shown that it is the little things we do every day at St. Joseph’s that have the greatest impact on our students.

Here’s a simple, yet wonderful example.

Today is the fourth day of school for our 1-8 grade Lakota students. After driving across campus, I parked in a spot next to the playground. As I looked over, I noticed that the first grade students were taking advantage of the playground and the sunny weather. In the center of the playground I spotted Abby, our first grade teacher, twirling around on the merry-go-round with one of her students. Both had big smiles.

I commented, “Now that is real learning!”

Abby laughed and replied, “It is good exercise.”

In that simple moment on the playground, I was bolstered in one of the most basic tenets that I have come to know over the years—the understanding that our staff are truly dedicated to the mission of our organization. Each and every day our staff ‘go that extra mile’ to make our students feel safe, welcomed and loved at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The second tenant—we are truly blessed by the support we receive—is bolstered every time I take a few moments to remember how fortunate we are to have many people who provide St. Joseph’s with prayers, encouragement and resources. One of the reflections we try to ask ourselves regularly is “What would our supporters think about this?”

While our supporters provide us with resources, it is our staff who are the ‘hands and feet’ of the mission.

In the case of Abby and her 1^st grade student on the merry-go-round, I have to believe that a supporter would smile, knowing that Abby’s actions made this child feel special and loved.

Two young girls play on the playground — Our staff go above and beyond to make sure our students feel safe and loved.

Our staff perform many similar supportive actions every day here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Though they are not mentioned in this blog, they are truly part of the cumulative effort to develop meaningful relationships with the children we serve.

To those who support our efforts here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we strive to make our mission a reality to our Native American students and their families each and every day. Please know that we truly appreciate your support, thoughts and generosity.

You are an integral part of our mission.

Soaring to new heights at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

THEY’RE BACK!!

St. Joseph’s school year is off to a flying start! The beginning of the year theme is ‘Soar to New Heights’ and each student was given a glider airplane to stress the point.

After final calculation, this year’s enrollment is 218. We have 54 students enrolled in our High School Program and the remainder attend school on St. Joseph’s campus in grades 1-8.

On Sunday, our Family and Student Engagement Team hosted a ‘welcome back picnic’ for our students and their families. Over 300 hot dogs were grilled and passed out as families arrived on campus.

During all staff orientation, we held a prayer service that had a special twist. Instead of just offering prayer and song, the prayer became a two or three day effort to visit five prayer spots set up around campus.

Two girls hug on the playground — Making new friends is one of the best parts of the new school year!

At one station, there was a Prayer Labyrinth. The Labyrinth gave staff an opportunity where they could slow down, walk and count their blessings, let go of distractions, listen for an insight, wisdom or gift of the Spirit, resolve an issue or even find new strength to fulfill responsibilities.

Another station gave you an opportunity to select up to three Lakota students to “Mantle” during the upcoming year. This is a commitment of at least three intercessions per week for each child: prayer, a random act of kindness, lighting a candle or offering a message of encouragement. Aside from signing the child’s name on a poster that decorates the school hallway, everything is done in secret.

A third station allowed each staff member to write a prayer and stick it on a poster board that is hung in a location where our students can see.

A fourth station offered the opportunity to make a Lakota prayer tie while listening to a Lakota ceremonial song. The prayer ties will be used by the students during the year at their traditional ceremonies.

The last station dealt with forgiveness. This station urged reflection on a past hurt or painful memory. Staff were asked to write down a word or phrase that expressed the desire to forgive or be forgiven and then place their paper in water and watch it dissolve.

The prayer stations were a wonderful way to center ourselves for the start of the school year!

This coming weekend is our first donor luncheon of the school year. Staff members and two students will be in San Diego, California on August 15 and 16. Our next luncheon will be in Dallas in early October. We would love to have you join us! Please visit our website or call us at 1-800-584-9200 for more information.

May God continue to bless you for your support of the Lakota students attending St. Joseph’s Indian School. Please keep them in your prayers as they begin a new school year. Go with peace and know the students pray for you daily.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

St. Joseph’s takes the cake!

Hello from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Colton gives two thumbs up for the camera. — Colton, HR Intern

My name is Colton, and I am an intern in the Human Resource Department here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. My major is Business Administration and I am specializing in Human Resource Management.

To me, it was a no brainer to intern at St. Joseph’s. The intern position fit perfectly with my major and my family lives in Chamberlain. Growing up, I witnessed the “community within a community” atmosphere at St. Joseph’s and I wanted to experience it for myself. Everyone is so friendly and always has a smile on their face and it is extremely rare to drive by a fellow employee and not get a warm smile and a wave from them. You get a sense of family whenever you work and interact with your co-workers.

All staff members also make sure to do everything they can to give the kids the absolute best place possible to call home during the school year. You don’t even have to question what St. Joseph’s “mission” is… if you ever have an opportunity to visit campus and see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they play and learn, or see the tireless work being completed by the houseparents , grounds crew, etc. There truly is a ‘bigger purpose’ at St. Joseph’s and I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow in the future.

Two girls create a heart shape with their hands on the playground — Our Lakota (Sioux) children are at the heart of everything we do.

As for my internship, I have gotten the same exact feeling from everyone in the HR department. They let me know if I ever have any questions to not hesitate to ask. They are very accommodating to everything going on in my life. I’ve learned far more than I could ever learn in a classroom setting and I am not even done interning! It has been a great experience thus far and I know that I made the right choice in coming to St. Joseph’s.

I have worked in several different places and by far St. Joseph’s takes the cake. Pilamaya—thank you—for supporting St. Joseph’s and the mission we all serve.

Colton