Isn’t it just amazing how sometimes a plan comes together?! And how quickly it can happen? Don’t you find yourself saying No way!?
Geri, St. Joseph’s Major Gifts Director
St. Joseph’s Development or Business Office had one of those moments this spring when a donor told us a check was on the way to cover 45% of the cost for updating the playground!
We were overwhelmed with gratitude, and we’re so excited the playground project is moving forward!
St. Joseph’s Indian School isn’t simply in the fundraising business. We are in the Making Dreams Come True business – not only for the Lakota (Sioux) students and their families we are privileged to serve, but also our donors.
It’s such a blessing to help people make a difference in the lives of Native American children.
The Lakota children love playing outside at St. Joseph’s!
St. Joseph’s average donation is around $21. We don’t have a large corporation that contributes millions of dollars each year. One by one, people who genuinely care about serving Lakota children and their families make it possible for us to continue our mission year after year.
At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we don’t just provide for the education and basic needs of poverty-stricken Native American children – we help make dreams come true!
You make dreams come true.
Pilamaya – thank you – for your generous support to make a difference in a Lakota child’s life!
Where did the summer go? Monday morning, orientation began for new houseparents, teachers, counselors and support staff. We have 29 new team members for the 2014-2015 school year.
One mentioned she felt God’s call to come and offer her service to St. Joseph’s Indian School. This reflects an attitude many have shared in the past. We are grateful for this spirit of mission and that God calls the right people at the right time to cross paths and serve the Lakota youngsters.
When new staff were asked what qualities they bring to the job, some of the comments included:
Patience
Empathy
Wisdom
Humor
Compassion
Creativity
Love of young people
May the giver of all good gifts, our Heavenly Father, enable them to have many opportunities to share these gifts with everyone around them, students and staff.
All St. Joseph’s staff members have extensive training in working with children.
All staff will be back on campus next week, but final touches for the upcoming school year are still being made. The new playground equipment is being delivered over the next few days and it will be a challenge to get everything bolted and in place by the opening of school on August 11. Pilamaya – thank you – for your continued generosity that allows us to provide a safe environment for the children we serve!
Many guests and visitors have been stopping at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. I hope you and your family will have the opportunity to visit one day soon. It is good to see the museum parking lot filled with vehicles from all over the USA and beyond. Our visitors are impressed by the facility and we have received several great reviews, such as this blog post.
Remember St. Joseph’s annual powwow coming up September 12-13. For more information or to register, visit www.stjo.org/powwow or call 1-800-584-9200.
Please continue to pray for us as orientation continues this week and for the all-staff orientation next week. Together, we will develop a sense of family and provide the best experience possible for our in-coming students. We are grateful to God for your support and encouragement which allows us to have a positive impact on the children’s lives.
I hope your remaining summer is relaxing and enjoyable. Stay safe and may God’s blessings continue to be with you and yours!
Summer is nearly over at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain
I just received a note from Donna, our Human Resources Director – things are looking great for the upcoming school year (which is just around the corner)!
Donna mentioned that our teaching spots have been filled, which is a special accomplishment. Newspapers recently reported that 30% of open teaching positions in South Dakota have not been filled. We even have two new Family Service Counselors hired. The only area still to be filled is for three houseparents. Please keep in your prayers that these openings may be filled with the right people.
See St. Joseph’s available career opportunities here!
New staff orientation started today. All staff orientation begins the first week of August. The Lakota (Sioux) students return August 10 and classes begin August 11. Where did the summer go?
St. Joseph’s students Wankiya and Alan will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio in August for donor luncheons.
Just after school starts, we’ll host our next donor luncheons in Cincinnati, Ohio, August 16 and 17. Two of our students, Alan and Wankiya, will be there with staff to meet you and share their experiences at St. Joseph’s. Register online now or call 1-800-584-9200 for more information. You can also take a look at our event calendar to see if we’re coming to a city near you!
As we continue moving through summer, it’s rodeo and powwow season throughout central South Dakota – fun for all ages! I hope to see you at St. Joseph’s annual powwow on September 13.
Whether you can attend powwow or not, you are always welcome to stop in and visit St. Joseph’s Indian School and see the good you are doing for the Lakota children. Be sure to make time for the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center!
May God continue to keep you in good health. Know we are praying for you in gratitude for your generosity. Pilamaya – thank you!
St. Joseph’s Facilities Crew is always busy and summer is no exception! Some projects are big and noticeable – like the new playground. Others are smaller and less
Thanks to you, the Lakota children have a safe place to learn, play and grow!
interesting… but critical to operations and the safety of the Lakota (Sioux) children nonetheless.
As our programs grow, so does our need for new staff and, consequently, office space. The crew reconfigured space in the school library and in the Kateri Building for three new offices this summer.
The newly installed windows in the Benedictine Building (where boys and girls in grades 1-3 live) are safe and energy efficient – but every one of the 200+ windows needed to be trimmed out. No small task.
While most of the students and teachers are away, carpets get a thorough cleaning.
Painting is a never-ending process, both inside and out.
Many of our brick buildings are decades old, so tuck-pointing is underway to restore the integrity of the brick.
To keep current with government regulations and innovations in the industry, different members of the Facilities Crew take part in training. Recent classes for crew members covered the proper use of respirators, the benefits of a new scrubber in the Rec Center, and features of a computerized preventive maintenance program.
There are multiple other projects underway:
Replacing worn-out carpeting
Repairing concrete
Caulk, caulk, and more caulk!
The repair and upkeep of St. Joseph’s campus is critical in providing our students with a safe, secure environment.
We couldn’t do it without the generous support of our donors – thank you!
Major summer projects are underway and will be completed before the Lakota children return to St. Joseph’s for the new school year.
With orientation for new staff and all staff just around the corner, I have taken a few days to make a quick visit to my mother in the San Antonio area and enjoy some vacation time. Seems hard to believe summer is going by so quickly!
Though I am away from campus, I wanted to take a moment to express some pride in the people who are part of St. Joseph’s Team.
Brock, one of St. Joseph’s fifth grade teachers, was honored for his dedication to community baseball.
Brock, one of our fifth grade teachers, was honored with the Distinguished Professional Achievement Award for his years of service to the Chamberlain baseball program!
He started as a volunteer in 2001 with the Chamberlain High School baseball program. He stepped down last year after spending the last six seasons as head coach. He also served as head coach of the Chamberlain Legion baseball team from 2002-2013.
In addition to coaching, Brock has been groundskeeper at the field trying to encourage others to enjoy this summer sport. He still is active in the baseball program in the area by serving on the Chamberlain Baseball Association Board.
We are proud to have Brock as part of our St. Joseph’s Indian School team!
Deacon Bud and Frances have dedicated their lives to serving the Native American people.
Deacon Alfred “Bud” Jetty and his wife, Frances, are also a vital part of St. Joseph’s Indian School, the local community and the Diocese of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Deacon Bud serves at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain and frequently helps with our Sunday liturgy. He is a positive example to the Lakota students and is also on St. Joseph’s Board of Directors.
Bud and Frances were named Native American Liaisons by Bishop Paul Dudley in 1991. Bud and Frances were both featured in the July 2014 issue of The Bishop’s Bulletin.
Deacon Bud was selected to be State Deputy for the Knights of Columbus (KOC) in 1991 and thus far has been the only Native American to hold the top post in the state. One of his programs was the establishment of a KOC student exchange program giving both Native and other students the chance to experience other worlds. More than 50 such exchanges took place in the first three years and still continue today.
Bud and Frances both take great pride in the canonization of St. Kateri Tekakwitha – the first Native American Saint. Deacon Bud was a representative of the Diocese of Sioux Falls at her canonization ceremony in Rome. Frances and Bud are looking forward to attending the annual National Tekakwitha Conference in Fargo, North Dakota in August.
Congratulations to Bud and Frances! We are honored to have their support and involvement with St. Joseph’s Indian School. We pray their ongoing example of service and dedication is a reminder that each of us is gifted in a variety of ways and are indeed all related and called on to be present to one another as we fulfill Jesus’ command, “love one another, as I have loved you.”
I hope everyone continues to have a safe and enjoyable summer! I look forward to getting back to campus and welcoming new staff to St. Joseph’s Team.
Your prayers are appreciated that orientation go smoothly so staff will be ready to welcome the students as they return for the opening of school on August 11, 2014.
Hello my name is Julie and I’m the Manager of our Personal Care Center. As a Personal Care Specialist I have the privilege of working with our awesome donors, answering any questions they might have about the school or our Native American students, and also just getting to know them a little more which is the best part!
Julie, Personal Care Center Manager
We currently have six people working at the Personal Care Center and they are the best group of people to work with. I love hearing all the conversations everyone is having over the phone with our donors – you can tell we all love what we do!
We always laugh a little when we get into a “thank you war” – when we thank the donor and then the donor thanks us but then we thank the donor…well you get the point.
I guess you could say both the donor and we here at the Personal Care Center are very grateful for what we are able to do for the Lakota boys and girls!
I am actually pretty new to St. Joseph’s and to the Chamberlain area. I moved to South Dakota with my husband and two daughters in January of this year from San Diego, California and started at St. Joseph’s not long after our move.
My husband grew up in Chamberlain, so I had visited a couple times before we moved. However, I was shocked to see this amazing school in such a small town! Having lived here for 6 months now, I couldn’t imagine a better place for our students to be and receive a great education.
Although working as a Personal Care Specialist keeps me pretty busy, I love being able to participate in activities with our students and learn about Native American culture.
My favorite memories so far would be helping out at the gymnastics performance, attending eighth grade graduation, Senior Prayer service, attending the staff Inipi (a traditional Lakota (Sioux) purification/prayer ceremony), and visiting the seventh grade Native American Studies class.
Julie, formerly a gymnast herself, helped with St. Joseph’s gymnastics camp!
I also had the opportunity to have dinner in one of the homes where the students live during the school year. It was so nice to see how well-mannered and polite they were when I visited with them. We had a nice healthy meal made by one of the houseparents and one of the students gave me a tour of their home. She was really excited to show me her Hello Kitty bedspread and decorations in her room!
Being in the home that night made me think of how important our houseparents are and just how loving they are to the students. A thought came to me later about what a great houseparent my mom would be.
And wouldn’t you know – my mom will be moving from San Diego to be a houseparent starting next month!
It’s funny sometimes how things work out.
I feel blessed to be at St. Joseph’s Indian School doing what I’m doing, surrounded by great people, great kids and all the great work we do here.
Yesterday was the Feast Day of St. Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lilly of the
Fr. Anthony with the Lakota children
Mohawks. She is the first Native American to be canonized and holds a special place in the heart of the Native American people. I’ve had the privilege of visiting the village where Kateri grew up in in New York State.
One of the stained glass windows in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel on St. Joseph’s campus is dedicated to Kateri. We ask for her intercession that the Great Spirit will give His blessings and strength to all who seek to follow her dedication and commitment to follow Jesus.
On behalf of all the SCJs, I thank you for your prayers for the success of the recent Provincial Chapter held last week in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. I had the chance to join with Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ and 42 other priests and brothers to discuss various issues to help the members of the Province be supportive of one another and renewed in our dedication to serving the people of God as ‘prophets of love and servants of reconciliation.’
Thanks to your prayers, the Spirit helped move the Chapter in a very positive direction.
We also got to do some celebrating.
Fr. Leonard Tadyszak, SCJ, celebrated the 70th anniversary of his vows. Among Father’s various ministries was his time serving in north-central South Dakota on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
The next day, we celebrated Br. Clay Diaz, SCJ, and his Final Profession of Vows. As part of his training, Br. Clay served at St. Joseph’s Indian School. His next assignment will take him to northern Mississippi.
On a sad note, we received word that Fr. Larry Rucker, SCJ passed away. Fr. Larry had served in South Dakota and many in this area still remember him. Please keep Fr. Larry in prayer.
As we continue moving through the summer, various rodeos and powwows will take place throughout central South Dakota. The powwows at Lower Brule and Fort Thompson will take place in early August. I hope to see you at St. Joseph’s annual powwow on September 13.
Summer greetings from the Human Resources Department at St. Joseph’s Indian School! My name is Allyssa.
Allyssa, Human Resources Associate
It’s hard to believe that summer is half over and soon we will open the doors to our students and staff. Both veteran child care employees and new staff eager to join in our efforts will return at the end of July in preparation to educate the Lakota (Sioux) students for life – mind, body, heart and spirit.
This summer has once again proven to be a busy one in terms of recruitment of houseparents. South Dakota has a low unemployment rate which makes filling positions a challenge. To be strategic about this, we have to go beyond the borders of our state to find caring, qualified applicants.
We’ve had a great deal of success by targeting residents of Michigan. Economic struggles are never a good thing, but issues in Michigan have benefited the students at St. Joseph’s.
Michigan has reduced and cut numerous social programs, leaving too many nurturing individuals without a mission-oriented job. We’re more than happy to hire them to care for our students!
Recruiting employees from such a distance takes greater effort and more financial resources. But thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to fill our houseparent vacancies with well qualified, responsible individuals.
St. Joseph’s seeks out highly qualified individuals to care for the Lakota children from all over the United States.
In addition to recruiting, we continue to focus on employee wellness over the summer. Houseparents and teachers have the summer off for the most part, but there are many other employees who are hard at work all year long!
Our wellness program, Wiconi Waste –literally life good – takes a holistic approach to the topic, rather than simply diet and exercise. We educate staff in six areas of wellness – physical, spiritual, environmental, intellectual, occupational and social.
St. Joseph’s Indian School wishes a “good life” for all our employees, their families, the students and especially for our benefactors.
Greetings from the banks of the Missouri River – a busy spot over the 4th of July weekend. We had boats of all descriptions sailing up and down the river. Even a sleek sail boat went gliding by.
The Chamberlain-Oacoma community kicked off Independence Day celebrations with a parade down Main Street followed by a rodeo, car show and a boat regatta, all before a fireworks show lit up the night sky.
The Lakota children had lots of questions for Senator Johnson.
Saturday morning saw the Race on the River – a 5 or 10k fun run – which began at St. Joseph’s Rec Center. Younger children also had the chance to take part in an obstacle course. The day ended with stock tank races in the marina with 4-person teams.
The highlight of last week was United States Senator Tim Johnson’s visit to St. Joseph’s. He met with younger students in the summer home and they told him about all the fun activities they are doing this summer. High school students met Senator Johnson at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, where they visited about St. Joseph’s high school program and their plans for the future.
Senator Johnson has given 36 years of service as a State Legislator, member of the United States House of Representatives and three terms as Senator. As he retires, he shared that he is looking forward to spending time with his children and grandchildren. We thank Senator Johnson for his years of service and concern for Native American issues. We are grateful he made St. Joseph’s Indian School a part of his farewell tour around the State of South Dakota.
The first spade of dirt has been turned on the playground project. The Lakota students use the playground during recess, after school and every other chance they get! The current slides, swings and basketball courts are showing their age and safety regulations make it necessary to replace them.
On the first day of school (August 11!) there will be new swings, basketball hoops and more for the kids who call St. Joseph’s their home-away-from-home! Their shouts of joy and smiling faces will be their thanks for your generosity.
I have a special prayer request. Members of the United States Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart will be gathering at our headquarters in Hales Corners, Wisconsin this week for a Province Assembly.
These are held every three years and this one is extra special. It will help us prepare for the General Assembly next year in Rome when all the Provinces of the Congregation send representatives to discuss the future direction we’ll take as well as elect a new Superior General. Will you keep us in your prayers? We ask that the Holy Spirit guide us in
the right direction.
Pilamaya – thank you – for your generous support for the education and care of the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I hope you will have the chance one day to stop in and visit. If you are planning a trip, visit www.stjo.org/visit for helpful information!
Have a blessed week.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
St. Joseph’s playground equipment is being replaced to ensure the Lakota children have a safe place to play. Stay tuned for updates!
Hopefully the summer is treating you all well and you are enjoying some sunshine and nice weather! Here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, summer continues to be a busy time. As a Family Service Counselor, I travel to various parts of South Dakota, North Dakota and Nebraska to visit the students and families we work with. It is a great experience being able to travel and see our students and their families.
Summer is also time for admissions work. Every student who comes to St. Joseph’s Indian School goes through an admissions process. The process begins when a parent or guardian submits an application for their child.
Once an application is received, a file is started for the student and the admissions staff begin to gather data for the child. Some of the things we gather for the file are medical records, school records, immunizations, birth certificates and medical insurance information.
Once a file is started, the family will be contacted to set up a time to meet with a staff person for an interview with both the student and the parent or guardian. During this part of the process, we gather information about family life, family expectations, medical needs, behavioral needs, school needs, and psychological needs. This is called the social history.
There are also a few questions for the student to answer:
What is your favorite food?
St. Joseph’s counselors cross the wide open spaces of South Dakota to visit the Lakota students in their homes each summer.
How do you like school?
Do you want to come to St. Joseph’s?
How do you express your feelings?
Once the interviews are completed, staff working on the file will call the child’s previous teacher to ask a few questions. When all the information is gathered and the social history is complete, the student’s file is presented to the admissions board for review.
The admissions board consists of the Residential Director, Residential Coordinators, Family Service Counselors, Principal, Student Coordinator, Special Education Director, and the Pastoral Care Director. The file is reviewed and the board decides if a student can be accepted to St. Joseph’s Indian School.
While we strive to serve the needs of the children who apply, not every student can be accepted.
Why would a student NOT be accepted to St. Joseph’s? That is a good question.
There are several reasons, the first and most frequent reason is that there is no room in a certain grade for the student.
Another common reason is that the student has medical or educational needs we cannot meet.
Students may also not be accepted because they have behavioral or emotional needs that require constant supervision. While students are very carefully supervised at St. Joseph’s, some students need more supervision than we can provide. The safety of the children in our care is our top priority.
The Lakota (Sioux) children who attend St. Joseph’s are enrolled by their parents or guardians.
Additionally, a student may tell the interviewer they do not want to attend St. Joseph’s. If a student – especially an older student – states they do not have an interest in coming to St. Joseph’s, they may not be accepted. We do our best to give every student who wants to come to our school a chance to do so. Unfortunately, circumstances beyond our control sometimes make that impossible.
School starts already on August 11! We are working hard to fill several openings in our homes for the 2014-2015 school year. For the remainder of July, we will be on the road working on files for admissions, visiting families and students, and meeting new people. It is a great time of year!
