My name is Laura and I am the Donor Relations Officer in the Development office here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I have been here for 14
Laura, St. Joseph’s Donor Relations Officer
years and I’m a mother of three boys. We are a wrestling family and I look forward to the season every year.
This year, I am lucky to have a son on the Chamberlain high school wrestling team along with a couple of our St. Joseph’s students – one of whom is Jay.
We had our first tournament recently and it was Jay’s first time ever wrestling in a meet! He did great but did not get a win that day. I talked to him afterwards and asked how it went. He said “not good.” I assured him that he will get the moves figured out and encouraged him to keep his chin up!
A week later, we went to another meet and Jay was up to wrestle. I had butterflies in my stomach for him! I found myself yelling and cheering for him like he was my own.
Jay wrestles on the Chamberlain high school team with Laura’s son.
And guess who pinned his first guy for a Win… That is right, Jay!
The look of excitement on his face was priceless. I am so proud of our students for getting out of their comfort zone and trying new things. I feel like St. Joseph’s employees and students are One Big Family – I’m so happy to be part of it!
There is a saying I like: You can never lose – you either Win or Learn. I look forward to seeing St. Joseph’s boys alongside my own Winning and Learning this wrestling season. You can bet I will be there cheering them on the whole way!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa was good to you all. Things are still very quiet here on campus as the Lakota (Sioux) students and much of the staff are away for Christmas break. We have only a handful of students staying in the break home.
We got some additional snow overnight and some VERY cold weather has settled in. Local news stations are predicting wind chills of -30. Brrrr!!
Since there is not a lot of ‘current’ news to share, it gives me a chance to pass along some tidbits that we may have missed in Busy December.
RJ (right) took first place in the individual government test! The team took 3rd place in the LNI Knowledge Bowl.
Right before the Christmas break began, several of our students traveled out to Rapid City, South Dakota to take part in some of the events at the annual Lakota Nation Invitational (LNI). What began as a basketball tournament in the 1970s is now a celebration of Native American arts, culture, language and family. The days-long event includes traditional hand games, a language bowl, knowledge bowl, archery competition and more.
Joseph’s sent a Knowledge Bowl team and they captured 3rd place. After the team contest, there are individual tests in a variety of subjects. One of St. Joseph’s team members, senior RJ, took first place in Government. One of those congratulating RJ was Senator John Thune, who was also the speaker at RJ’s eighth grade graduation. Given his interest in government and politics, this was very exciting for RJ!
One of our freshmen, Kaitlyn, took part in the archery contest and came in 2nd out of 30 shooters.
Joseph’s hand games team took 1st place! Their weekly practices really paid off.
Congratulations to all those who represented St. Joseph’s at LNI. You are a credit to our school and we’re so proud of you all!
Frank, our Residential Coordinator for the seventh and eighth grades, came up with an idea at the start of December to have some Christmas fun. Employing the popular “Elf on the Shelf” story, he added a twist – our elves broke the rules!
Each day, students found the elves somewhere in school breaking a rule! These elves had iPods in class.
Each day, students found the elves somewhere in school breaking a rule! Their job then was to submit their name and the rule being broken for a chance to win a prize. In addition to being a lot of fun, the elves helped students remember to follow the rules in the exciting weeks leading up to Christmas break.
Another noteworthy success for a St. Joseph’s student was achieved by Kyran, a high school senior, who is a member of the Chamberlain FFA Marketing Team. His team recently placed second at the State Fall Leadership CDE’s! Also on the team with Kyran is Connor, who is the grandson of our school secretary, Dianne. Congratulations to everyone!
I hope all of you will have an enjoyable New Year’s celebration and that God’s blessings, love and guidance will be with you throughout 2015.
Campus is quiet and most of the students are home for the Holidays. A handful of our Lakota
Claire, Teacher’s Aide & Houseparent
students arrived back today for the break home, though. High school students on the basketball teams are expected to practice over the break. Unlike their teammates who live in town, St. Joseph’s Indian School students must leave their families back home in order to be able to make practices. This shows an extra level of commitment and sacrifice.
The break home provides some structure and support for our winter athletes. That doesn’t mean that things aren’t festive. The mood over break tends to be pretty relaxed—no school during the day and no homework to be done at night. The high school kids who don’t have early morning practices love to sleep in. Evenings are spent socializing or watching movies.
A few years back, I was working in the break home with Craig and we decided to make the 70-mile trek to the closest “big city” of Mitchell, South Dakota, for a trip to the movies. We loaded up the Suburban with seven kids and off we went. All was going so well—the kids enjoyed the movie and an impromptu trip to Wal-Mart. We were heading home when the engine started making strange noises. And then the transmission blew.
There we were, stuck in first gear and unable to go any faster than 3 miles per hour. It was 9:00 at night, we were an hour from Chamberlain and it was a dangerous 17 degrees below zero. Thankfully, we were right at an exit. A passing Sheriff saw our flashing lights and accompanied us up to the ramp. But even he got impatient and after about 15 minutes of us chugging along, he turned tail and left.
Luckily the kids thought this was great fun. They cheered us on, “Go Craig Go!!” and even leaned forward to help us go faster. We headed toward the closest gas station, picking up a little downhill speed until we were careening along at 4mph. One of the kids had to go to the bathroom. He got out, ran to ahead to the station, used the loo, and still beat us to the parking lot.
The kids weren’t particularly stressed or upset. Maybe it was because the heat and the stereo were working. So we were cozy and had our tunes blasting. Maybe it was because they could see the humor in the situation—Craig talking to the engine, urging her on like a racehorse. But I think mostly because St. Joseph’s is a safe place.
One of the awesome things about working at St. Joseph’s Indian School, is that when disaster strikes, there is always someone to call. We were armed with cell phones and help was immediately on the way. Our on-call supervisor and her husband drove 50 miles from Chamberlain with another Suburban and met us at the gas station. We had just arrived, making the 3 mile drive in just under an hour.
In many ways, St. Joseph’s Indian School provides a safety net for our kids. Sometimes it’s a dramatic sub-zero temperature rescue, but mostly it’s the small stuff—a safe place to spend break, a sympathetic ear when the coach is tough and muscles are sore, a few encouraging words before morning practice.
That safety net can mean a lot, especially when the going gets tough.
If you are reading this, then you are part of our safety net too—pulling for our kids, offering encouragement and keeping them in your prayers. Thank you for all you do to make our kids feel safe and supported.
Hope everyone’s shopping is almost finished as the Season of Advent dwindles down in preparation for the coming of the Prince of Peace on Christmas.
It is quiet on campus today since the students left Friday for the Christmas Break and the weather is icky — rain yesterday and now snow and wind.
On the sports scene this last week, coaches gave out the awards for the girls’ basketball seasons. Those who were most improved, coaches’ choice or team leaders were honored.
About 30 of our younger Lakota students are taking some instruction in wrestling.
After awards, the coaches for the upcoming bowling season met to select their teams. Students in grades 7-12 will hit the lanes on Saturday afternoons once everyone is
back after break.
Last Wednesday evening, about 30 of our younger Lakota students who have been taking some instruction in wrestling hit the mats and showed off their new skills. Before the competition started, I shared with everyone that I had received a phone call regarding a St. Joseph’s benefactor in Illinois whose lung cancer has returned. A friend had called to ask for our prayers for him and while we talked he mentioned the gentleman had been a wrestler. I told him I would ask our wrestlers to dedicate their efforts in his honor.
The Explorers, who meet early each Thursday morning, ended this semester’s activities by donating the money they have raised this year. Two youth in the Chamberlain community, Gabby and Gunner, are the grateful recipients. Both are experiencing health issues related to cancer. The money – $1700 – was split between both families to help with medical expenses.
The Explorers sold “Cub Rolls” which were used to bombard the basketball court when the players came out to warm up.
The other fundraiser undertaken by the Explorers is called “Cub Rolls.” The boys sell rolls of toilet paper which were then used during the Chamberlain Lady Cubs basketball game last week. Those attending the game bombard the court with the rolls as the players came out to warm up. The Explorers are then timed in their clean-up efforts. The boys raised $400 which will be used to cover costs for their trip to the State Capital in Pierre, SD and other club expenses.
Best wishes to all of you for a very Merry Christmas and a grace-filled holiday.
A few weeks ago, the Perky home (boys, grades 4-6) enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner, before school let out for
Stephanie works with Lakota boys in grades 4-6.
break. My fellow houseparents and I decided to make it “extra fancy” and practice some social skills while we celebrated. It was great!
The boys all helped with setting the table and serving. We used the best linens and dining set we could find at central receiving – thank you to the donors who sent it!
The boys enjoyed having coffee with creamer with their dessert, learning how to make a toast for a happy and safe Thanksgiving break for all and even eating by candle light. One of the boys said ‘we’re just like the adults now!’
The boys in the Perky Home enjoyed a “fancy” Thanksgiving dinner before going home for break.
Then school let out for Thanksgiving break, and I also worked the break home and got ready for my second Thanksgiving dinner.
Some of our students don’t have the opportunity to go home for every break. High school students sometimes have obligations through Chamberlain High School (sports practice, for example) and decide to stay at St. Joseph’s instead of going home for break. Whatever their situation, there’s always a place for them at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
The Lakota students who stayed in the break home over Thanksgiving enjoyed dinner together followed by a movie.
Thanksgiving Day, we had students of all ages in the break home, boys and girls. I had already had some practice with our Fancy Dinner, so I had my “Turkey Plan” down pat.
Most of the kids relaxed throughout the morning and early afternoon, watching football and playing games. An intense competition of Just Dance 2014 carried on throughout the morning.
Just like before, students helped prepare our fancy drinks and appetizers, and then helped set the table with our best linens.
And then we stuffed ourselves!
Growing up in my family, the kids were usually shipped off to the movie after Thanksgiving dinner to give the parents a naptime. We thought we would do something similar, so we were on the go to Mitchell for a movie before you knew it. The kids enjoyed having a choice of more than one movie (we love our local theater, but only get one movie in Chamberlain) and the adults enjoyed their first nap of the day in a theatre. We all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and it was fun to be together.
And here it is almost Christmas… Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to you and yours!
My name is Odis and I am a houseparent for boys in grades 4-6. I work in the Cyr Home at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Odis, Cyr Home houseparent
As we prepare to send the boys home for the holidays (and they are excited about their break) I am getting introspective about what we have done so far this year. I thought I would write you a short letter about one of our favorites – the South Dakota State Fair trip!
Of course, the highlight of the fair was the midway – the boys spent hours on the rides! The Ring of Fire and the Octopus seemed to be the favorites. But before the rides, the boys had some other places to check out.
After visiting the Goat Barn, dreams of becoming a farmer were cemented by sitting in the tractors!
They visited the Dairy Barn, Rabbit and Bird Barns and the very popular Goat Barn. We all went to the Goat Barn as a home to see and play with the young goats that are called “kids.” I saw a lot of similarities in the energy levels. Ha ha!
More than a few of the boys wanted then and there to be a farmer. This notion was reinforced with a tour of the farm implement row, where the boys loved having their pictures taken on large and small tractors, giant combines and crop sprayers.
My fellow houseparent then took most of the boys to the rides. I took one of the boys to see his favorite part of the fair…the RV’s. He had to go into every single one. He came away from RV row with a long list of them he wanted to buy and live in.
Only one brave soul tried the mechanical bull – he stayed on for almost 10 seconds!
Oh, and I almost forgot about our brave boy who rode on the mechanical bull! He did awesome and stayed on for about ten seconds. All the other boys were jealous, but not enough to try it for themselves. It was a long, fun day and they are already looking forward to next year’s fair.
The boys would like to thank you all for helping them go to activities like this. We pray for all of you regularly!
Season’s greetings from Cyr Home at St Joseph’s! All twelve boys and the houseparents here – myself, Theresa, Laura and Sean – wish you a merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from the Cyr Home!
Good morning from a snowy St. Joseph’s Indian School!
The Lakota boys and girls are so delighted to be able to give a gift to their families!
After a wonderful weekend, we awoke Monday morning to the white stuff coming down. Several schools in the area closed and St. Joseph’s 7th & 8th grade girls’ basketball game was canceled. Even today, roads are covered in ice.
The big excitement over the weekend was the Christmas Store which gives our Lakota students the chance to select gifts for family members at home. Each student chose from a selection of things sent by generous donors – coloring books and crayons, stuffed animals, hats and scarves, blankets and even nick knacks.
After making their choices, they took them to the skating room. Volunteers were waiting to help wrap their treasures while they had a Christmas treat and a picture taken with Santa. The smiles on the children’s faces say it all – they are so happy to be able to give a gift. Thank you for making those smiles possible!
Pictures with Santa!
Sunday was a very special day for several of our students as we had the Rite of Welcoming to those who are preparing for their Sacraments in April – 24 are preparing for Baptism and 11 are getting ready for First Communion. The Rite of Welcome designates the students as ‘catechumens’ or a person sounding things out. It is a way for the students to let others know they are serious about learning more about Jesus and how they can walk with Him while asking their fellow students to keep them in prayer that their efforts will be successful. We’ll have a Retreat for them and their families in February and they’ll receive their Sacraments on April 12 when we return from Easter Break.
Even though it’s just December, we had the eighth grade graduation picture taken this past week. We have to plan ahead quite a ways to make sure things are ready to be mailed out when the time comes.
Yesterday, I attended the funeral of one of our former employees, Lowell. He and his wife, Connie, served as houseparents at St. Joseph’s for many years. Lowell loved playing tricks, but could always be counted on for a hug when anyone needed one. All the students of St. Joseph’s were listed as honorary pall bearers – the children touched his heart so deeply. His wife continues to help here at St. Joseph’s in the health center, taking students to their appointments with doctors, dentists or optometrists and helps keep the medical records in order. We extend our sympathy to the family.
May you continue to have a beautiful Advent Season and prepare the way of the Lord. We are grateful for your generosity and support. We’ll finish this month’s novena of Masses for you on December 19.
After nearly three years of “silence,” the pipe organ in the choir loft at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel thrilled under
Clare, St. Joseph’s Director of Pastoral Care and Native American Studies
the fingertips of local music teacher and organist Faye S. on December 7, 2014 – the Second Sunday of Advent. It was a special event set in motion by the annual tuning visit of Radanovich & Associates, the company that built and installed the organ. Joseph Radanovich had reminded Aaron (Faye’s son and employee of St. Joseph’s Indian School) that, unlike many instruments that grow out-of-tune by use, the organ must be played.
That reminder led to a collaboration between Faye and me, which resulted in the special Mass. Some 20 students attended a practice with Faye the Wednesday beforehand. The purpose of the practice was not only to polish the Advent music sung only during this season, but also to get past the jitters and excitement of singing from the choir loft – a rare treat.
When Sunday morning arrived, Faye teased powerful, expressive praise from the organ, accompanied by Aaron on the bass. The choir filled the loft with their presence and Our Lady of Sioux with their song: Come, come, Emmanuel; Son of God appear. Heaven and earth rejoice. Salvation is drawing near.
The assembly below bustled with a true sense of rejoicing. Following the celebration, many offered notes and comments of appreciation.
What a joy to have the opportunity to celebrate this season of joyful anticipation in this way! And what a remarkable thing that this organ, which was a gift to St. Joseph’s, can continue to bless and praise through the years.
Of interest: The organ was donated by St. Aloysius Parish of West Allis, Wisconsin, and dedicated on June 22, 1998. Joseph Radanovich was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he is owner of Radanovich & Associates. He lists his heritage as Polish, Serbian, Croatian, Hungarian, Russian and Jewish, with a splash of Swedish, Spanish, Irish and North African just for flavor! A Byzantine Catholic, he follows Native American spirituality as well. Adopted into a Lakota Sun Dance family at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, which straddles North and South Dakota, he is a Pipe Carrier and Traditional Dancer.
I hope your Advent is off to a great start and that we can put into practice the message from Sunday’s scripture, ‘prepare the way of the Lord.’
Last week, we held Healing Camp for those who have lost loved ones recently. My mother passed away in September, so I thought I would take part along with our students and some of their family members. It is always tough to lose a loved one and this process gives participants the chance to deal with entrusting a loved one back to God. You can read more about Opiciye Okizi (Healing Camp) in Claire’s blog post.
We have good news from the basketball court! St. Joseph’s eighth grade girls won their tournament over the weekend. The girls were scheduled to play Lower Brule in the first game, but the team was not able to come, so the tournament shifted to a round robin format. St. Joseph’s beat Miller and then knocked off Pierre Indian Learning Center (PILC) to win the tournament. It was fun watching them play as a team and grow in confidence as their shots began to fall. Congratulations team members and coaches!
Thursday, the Lakota students will have their annual Christmas concert. Each grade has learned a few songs for the event. Some of the students who have been taking band lessons will share their skills on the instruments they are learning to play. Family members are invited to come and enjoy the performance, so hopefully the weather will be good.
The girls in the Dennis Home were ready for their Dancing Dolls recital!
Another display of talent last weekend was the Dancing Dolls and Dudes performance held Sunday in Chamberlain. Many of St. Joseph’s younger students took part. It was a wonderful recital – everyone did a great job!
In closing, I would like to share what I thought was a touching scene I noticed coming back to campus the other day. If you have been to St. Joseph’s, you might recall that you cross a bridge over an inlet which leads out to the Missouri River. Though parts of the river are starting to freeze over, the inlet is still open and there were a large number of geese. This is a typical sight in our little community.
Parked on the bridge was a SUV from Wisconsin with two hunters dressed in camouflage. You could sense their awe as they watched these magnificent birds coming in droves to land in the inlet.
Have a great week! You and your intentions will be remembered in our prayers asking the Great Spirit to bless and reward you for your spirit of generosity.
Last Monday and Tuesday we held our Opiciye Okizi (Healing Camp) for students who are grieving the loss of a loved one. Our Lakota
Claire
students were paired up with an adult—either a relative or a staff person—to accompany them throughout their time in camp. It was a time for using storytelling, ceremony and art to process feelings of loss. We took a holistic approach, addressing the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of grieving. Family members were an important part of camp, and on-campus housing was provided for relatives who were coming from long distances to participate.
Several themes emerged as the camp progressed. One theme was that of heartstrings—the invisible and yet unbreakable connections between us and the people we love. As a group we made the world’s first known human dreamcatcher. We stood in a circle as Clare read the story of how the spirit Iktomi brought the dreamcatcher to the people. All the while, LaRayne wove a web among the members of the group connecting each person to everyone else because – Mitakuye Oyasin —we are all related. Later, we strung all our prayers for our loved ones together by making prayer ties out of red cloth and sage. These were tied together and hung outside in the branches of a pine tree.
The first known human dreamcatcher!
Stories like these were important because they reminded us of who we are, where we came from and where we are going. Another traditional story about the origins of the Milky Way reminded us that we are not alone, and that those we love are always with us. Our Christian stories reminded us that death is not the end, and that we are going to be reunited with our loved ones in God’s embrace.
One underlying theme was the task of accepting things as they are. Nobody cries the same way, and there is no wrong way to grieve. Each person felt their loss in his or her own way and had a unique way of expressing that—laughter, tears, drawing, avoidance, writing, numbing out. As a group, we had to adjust to what worked or didn’t work for each person, and to treat each person’s process with respect. Sometimes that meant letting go of expectations about what an activity would look like, or how a group interaction would take shape.
We ended the day with the Wiping of the Tears, a Lakota ceremony for the end of the mourning period. A Dakota elder said a prayer and sang a song, while helpers offered each participant sage water and a ceremonial combing of the hair and wiping of tears. The ceremony provided a sense of closure to our camp, while reinforcing the sense of support and connection in the group.
I want to thank the people who made this camp possible—the family members and staff who gave of their time and of themselves to our students, the dying mother who requested this for her children back when camp started in 2003, the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center staff who were very gracious with the use of their space, and the many benefactors who support the work at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Wopila tanka, many thanks.
