Celebrating Sobriety, Shooting Hoops at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good Day! I hope everyone had a relaxing weekend and the week is going great so far.

St. Joseph’s Native American students play basketball and say NO to drugs!
The Lakota students choose basketball and other sports instead of doing drugs!

On Friday, St. Joseph’s students participated in one of our many annual sobriety celebrations. This is a real celebration for the Lakota (Sioux) children, as most have been faced with these adult choices at a very young age in their communities on South Dakota’s Indian Reservations.

The evening began with the children sharing how they have or will turn away from the temptation to use alcohol.  Many mentioned sports, hanging out with friends and playing video games as their safe choice.  The fun was complete with dinner, games, a movie and prizes.

Saturday, St. Joseph’s Indian School hosted Lower Brule, Miller and Pierre Indian Learning Center (PILC) in an eighth grade boys’ basketball tournament. The St. Joseph’s Braves squared off against the Lower Brule Sioux, coming out on top. The Miller Rustlers and PILC Warriors matched up in the second game with Rustlers claiming the win.  The SJIS Braves came up short in the championship game against the Rustlers and the Chieftains secured a third place finish over the Warriors.

The fourth, fifth and sixth grade teams will take part in the Chamberlain tournament this Saturday.  It was great to cheer on the older boys – they are great role models for the up-and-coming players!

You’ll recall that the Chamberlain High School’s one-act play, The Afghan Women, qualified for state competition. They performed this weekend with more than 30 other South Dakota schools this past weekend. Chamberlain High School was one of the four schools to earn a SUPERIOR rating. It is a wonderful compliment to the actors, crew and school staff to achieve this rank again this year.  It reflects a real commitment to the arts and great opportunities for our high school students.

Sunday, four of our students traveled to Highmore, South Dakota to compete in the advancing level of the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest, along with the son of two of our houseparents, Ian.

Four St. Joseph’s students advanced to the regional round of the free throw contest.
St. Joseph’s students advanced to the regional round of the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Contest. Back: Rudy and Richie. Front: Keshaume and Pearl. Not pictured: Ian, son of St. Joseph’s houseparents.

Keshaume and Ian won first place in their age group. Rudy and Pearl came in second in their groups. Richie tied for first, hitting 16 out of 25 but came up short in the shoot-off by just one free throw.  We are proud of our students and their efforts! Keshaume and Ian will progress to the State Finals in the next few weeks.

May God’s blessings be with you this week.  We keep you and your intentions in our prayers.  Thanks again for your generosity.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Prayers of the Lakota children float on the wind

It’s that extraordinary time of year when Mother Nature’s emotions run from the peace and beauty of gently falling snow to the terror of a blizzard to the dreary, chilly

St. Joseph’s students all take Religious Education as part of their regular curriculum.
The Lakota children create prayer flags in their Religion class.

in-betweens when melting snow gives way to drab patches of brown and grey.

Last year, we struck upon an idea to help brighten the winter landscape at St. Joseph’s Indian School – prayer flags. The Lakota (Sioux) students created colorful flags bearing messages of hopes and dreams, grief over lost loved ones, wishes for a better world and any other prayer imaginable.

It was a wonderful success, so we decided to do it again this year.

We begin the process with a short video teaching about how prayer flags originated in Tibet. We also discuss different forms of prayer: petition, intercession, adoration, blessing and thanks.

Our Native American students answer questions about their hopes, dreams and the most important things in their lives. Next, they choose a theme for their flag and draft a pattern on paper. The final flag is painted on fabric using special markers that won’t fade in the weather.

Some interesting flags emerged; some are memorials, many are dreams for the future, many more honor family.

When the flags are finished, they are ironed to set the colors and then hemmed to string on clothesline.

The most treacherous part of the project involves getting out the tall ladders and hanging the flags.

Prayer flags originated in Tibet and are now displayed at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
The prayers of our Native American students float on the South Dakota wind.

Religious Studies Associate Joe bravely mounts the ladder to string the flags from tree to tree along the front walk to the school. There they will fly through May carrying the students’ prayers on the wind.

Clare, Director of Pastoral Care

Super Bowl, Polar Plunge and fun for all!

Greetings from a snowy St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The weather continues to bring excitement in that you never know what will be next…  We had relatively warm temperatures (almost 40) on Sunday and then 4 inches of

With 56 participants and lots of fans, Chamberlain’s Polar Plunge event raised over $29,000 for the South Dakota Special Olympics!
St. Joseph’s Polar Plunge team – the Dunk’n Go Nuts – raised $1,500 for the Special Olympics. Go team!

snow to wake up to Monday.  Ice and wind – plenty of wind – have also been plaguing the South Dakota prairie.

Comedian Steve Martin is noted for saying “I’m a wild and crazy guy” and, this weekend, ‘wild’ and ‘crazy’ things took place at St. Joseph’s.  The ‘craziest’ was the polar plunge that took place before a large crowd on Saturday.  Local communities in central South Dakota have been hosting a ‘plunge’ as a fundraiser for the Special Olympics.

Four of St. Joseph’s staff, calling themselves “Dunk’n Go Nuts,” joined with 56 others to plunge into the Missouri River when the temperature was just 11 degrees with a wind chill of -5! Together, participants from Chamberlain and surrounding communities raised over $29,000.00! The announcer said this is the most money ever raised in this part of South Dakota for a first time event. The good news helped warm up all those polar plungers after their chilly swim!

St. Joseph’s Lakota students enjoy a Super Bowl party.
The Sheehy home hosted a Super Bowl party for our Lakota high school students and eighth graders.

The ‘wildest’ was the Super Bowl party hosted by Sheehy Home (high school boys).  The young men in the home invited staff as well as high school and eighth grade students to come to watch the big game on Sunday and have some fun.

The home is divided into two living rooms. Normally, one is for television and one is for studying or reading. But on Super Bowl Sunday, it was divided into those supporting the Denver Broncos or the Seattle Seahawks! For those who preferred socializing over football, other activities were available, along with good old fashioned chatting.  Of course, there were also great snacks and even a few door prizes! The score may not have come out exactly as everyone hoped, but fun was had by all.

As you may be aware, St. Joseph’s took part in Catholic Schools Week last week. During that time, a video was taken asking our Lakota (Sioux) students what they have

learned so far this year.

Several mentioned they felt safe, some enjoyed learning about their Native American culture and learning that God loves them. Of course, some simply said they have learned to swim and play basketball. But, most often, the Lakota children said they have learned respect – for themselves, others and elders – at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

What wonderful news!

I believe this reflects the positive impact of the Olweus Anti-bullying program that has been implemented on campus this year.

There was also a touch of sadness over the weekend as we received word that one of three remaining students who were part of the founding student body back in 1927 had passed away. Mr. Orville G. Webb was 97 and had been married to his wife, Irene, for 74 years.  Sadly, she had just passed away about a week ahead of Orville. Please keep Orville and Irene in your prayers, and also lift up the family who lost their mother and father in such a short time.  Mary Jane, our Director of Alumni, and I were honored to attend the funeral and represent St. Joseph’s.

Did you attend St. Joseph’s Indian School? Let us know!

Hope all of you have a great week.  Thanks again for your generosity to the Lakota boys and girls!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

P.S.  Chamberlain High School’s one act play, The Afghan Women, qualified for state competition which will take place this coming weekend. Several of our high school students are involved. Break a leg, kids!

Lakota boys hit the basketball court

At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we work to give our Lakota (Sioux) students the same opportunities enjoyed by children in any

St. Joseph’s boys basketball season is in full swing.
St. Joseph’s Braves took on Crow Creek, a school on a nearby Indian reservation.

school. Basketball, volleyball, football and track are a few of the sports teams they can join during the school year.

Our girls’ basketball season wrapped up just before Christmas break. Now, the boys are in full swing and St. Joseph’s Braves have had a busy schedule!

Basketball News from Joe:  The seventh and eighth grade boys traveled to Lower Brule, South Dakota, on Tuesday and played two hard fought games. The boys had fun and split the pair.

The seventh grade displayed toughness on defense and won by a score of 43-26.  Joe, Wankiya, Ben and Cameron all played hard on the defensive end.  On offense, Louie, Alan, Jered, Pat and Ben all contributed to our scoring. It should be noted that Louie scored 29 points! A hard effort overall was displayed by Nathaniel and Duran.   

The eighth grade Braves played a hard fought contest but came out on the losing end with a score of 41-30.  Jay and Trenton led our scoring with 7 points each.  Keayton also scored three baskets. 

Opposing teams jump for the ball at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Team sports teach the Lakota children important leadership and teamwork skills.

Defensively is where these eighth grade Braves excelled.  Ethan and Caden led the defensive attack, which kept us in the game for three quarters. 

We look forward to Thursday and our game against Pierre Indian Learning Center!

Basketball News from Bryan – The fourth and fifth grade basketball teams tipped off their 2014 season this past week.  On January 20, both teams were in action against Chamberlain. 

The fourth grade boys came out in their first game very excited and that showed on the floor. They jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.  The defensive effort was great and the boys showed great presence on the offensive side as well as they won 36-4.  All of the boys contributed in the win and they were proud of their first victory. 

The fifth grade boys also took on the Cubs that day.  They played hard against a good Cubs team, but came up on the short end losing 31-20.  The boys all played well and it was a good learning experience for their first game of the year. 

The fifth grade team was back in action Monday night against Lower Brule and got things rolling early.  The boys jumped up by 4 points right away and held that lead all through the game, winning 20-14. 

St. Joseph’s Braves had several nice assists to contribute to their win.
Looking to pass.

On Tuesday, the fourth and fifth grade teams hosted Crow Creek.  It was the second time the fourth grade took the floor. Once again, they came out pumped up and took care of business, taking control from the tip. The Braves showed great teamwork as several nice assists lead to most of our points. They stayed strong to win 29-6. 

The fifth grade boys were up next and came out a little flat.  Some of the shots weren’t falling that normally do, but the boys hung in there and kept shooting. They came to life in the second half, playing much harder and with great confidence.  Crow Creek was just a little too much, however, and the Braves were on the short end of the score, 38-20.

Overall, the boys have showed steady improvement throughout the season.  They all show up to practice excited and ready to learn.  Great attitudes and cooperation have made the season a success so far!

Thanks to you, Native American youth are learning valuable lessons about leadership, teamwork and healthy lifestyles. Wopila tanka – many thanks – for your support!

If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes

It has been said, ‘if you don’t like the weather in South Dakota, wait a few minutes.’  That was reality in Chamberlain last weekend. Monday’s newspaper mentioned that

Fr. Anthony is St. Joseph’s Chaplain
Fr. Anthony with the Lakota children

we had the highest reported wind gust at 64 mph in the state on Sunday.  The storm brought a bit of everything, starting with rain followed by snow accompanied by high winds leading to blizzard conditions, punctuated by short spats of clear sunny skies.

Monday and today, we dealt with sub-zero conditions.  This type of weather brings its own challenges, even without additional snow.  Keeping the children inside all day at school and then again all evening requires the staff to be extra creative to keep our Lakota boys and girls from getting stir-crazy.

On a positive note, the pool has re-opened! A mechanical issue caused the pool to be closed for nearly a week. It was nice to see our Native American students filling the rec center Sunday afternoon, some participating in girls’ inter-city basketball and others heading for the pool.  Your generosity allows us to operate the recreation center and offer many fun, healthy activities for the Lakota children year round.

All week, St. Joseph’s is celebrating National Catholic School Week with some special activities.  There was breakfast for school staff yesterday morning; today was ‘adopt a department’ day. The students will visit different departments here on campus to say pilamaya – thank you – for their work. On Wednesday there will be a prayer service; Thursday students will take part in academic games and Friday we will wrap up with a special treat for all the students.

The Chamberlain High School Theater Production group presented The Afghan Women over the weekend, based on a play by William Mastrosimone.  The group, which includes five St. Joseph’s high school students, will perform at the state one act play competition on Wednesday in Pierre, South Dakota.

The story is about an American-Afghani woman who returns to her family estate and finds it has become a refuge for orphaned children.  She feels she must stay and help, and is joined by three widowed Afghan women who stumble upon her home seeking refuge.  A local warlord and his troops come on the scene looking for supplies and potential fighters as they take over the orphanage.  As the play unfolds, various characters relate dramatic events that have taken place over the years of fighting the country has endured.

We wish the cast and crew the best as they perform on Wednesday!

We hope you all have an enjoyable week and are able to stay warm and safe.  Thank you again for your generosity. We continue to keep you and your loved ones in our prayers.

 

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Traditional Lakota Values Meet Bullying Prevention

Hello from St. Joseph’s sixth, seventh and eighth-grade homes, where we are working on our Olweus program.  We kicked off our anti-bullying campaign back in

Claire is a houseparent at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Claire

September, and we are currently in full swing.

Once a week, our Lakota (Sioux) students go to their homerooms for a class meeting on bullying prevention.   They have similar meetings in their homes as well. They start off by going over the four rules:

We will not bully.

We will try to help students who are being bullied.

We will try to include students who are left out.

If we know someone is being bullied, we will tell and adult at school and at home.

These simple rules are posted in homes and classrooms as steady reminders of our commitment to making St. Joseph’s Indian School a safe, bully-free zone. Meetings are used to talk about how things are going in the community and to deal with issues as they come up.  They are also times to build skills like recognizing bullying situations and intervening.

I wish I could say that we don’t have bullying at St. Joseph’s, but we do.  Here, as in other schools across the country, we face the challenge of kids with more power antagonizing kids with less power (“power” can mean size, age, status, ability or social skill).  Bullying is a result of our Circle of Courage values getting out of balance.

The Circle of Courage is based on the traditional Lakota values of Belonging, Mastery, Independence and Generosity.  These are the core values we focus on with our students:

  • Beloging – I am loved, I have a place, I am a part of the community.
  • Mastery – I can do things well, I can complete tasks.
  • Independence – I can think on my own, I am reliable.
  • Generosity – I have something to offer, I can share my gifts and talents.

The value of Generosity can become skewed so that one person takes advantage of another.  When the value of Independence gets off kilter, we forget that we need other people and that other people are as valuable as we are.  If we lose sight of Mastery, we don’t work on the skills we need to manage our relationships in a healthy, fair way.   Bullying mostly tears a hole in the fabric of Belonging, where we feel like we are part of something greater than ourselves.

Fostering these values is what will lead us back into right relationships with others.  In home and class meetings, we talk about the subtle signs of bullying and how to tell if another student is having trouble Belonging.

We encourage students to be Independent and stand up for a student who is being bullied.  It takes a lot of courage to do this, especially if the situation is ambiguous or if peers seem to approve of the behavior by laughing or minimizing.   It also takes some skill (Mastery) to know what to do or say when something isn’t right.  Something as simple as saying, “[That behavior] is not ok and it needs to stop!” is hard at first.  It takes a lot of practice before it becomes comfortable.  Role-playing in meetings gives kids a chance to try out skills and get ideas from each other.

Finally, we encourage Generosity, so our students can reach out to each other and include everyone.  “Put yourself in his or her shoes… what would you want someone else to do for you?”

This week’s topic is cyber bullying.  Our junior high students do not have regular, easy access to the internet and cell phones while they are at St. Joseph’s.  However, many of them have access to Facebook and other social media sites when they are “home home” with their families.

Soon, many of them will go on to be part of our high school program, where they will have to deal with the added responsibility and freedom of having a laptop.  Now is a good time to talk about the hazards of over-sharing on the web.  It is so much easier to be cruel in the faceless world of the internet, than it is to be hurtful face to face in real time.  It is also hard to tell when someone is “just kidding” in a brief text or comment, without the benefit of body language, tone or facial expression.

If you are reading this blog post, you are probably cyber-savvy enough to know what I am talking about.  It is a whole different world online.

Thank you for your support of St. Joseph’s and our efforts to make our campus a safe place for Native American youth.  It takes everyone in our community working and praying together to create the kind of school that we all want to be part of.

Pilamaya,

Claire, 6th-8th grade houseparent

Crazy weather, Canada geese & a Chance of Meatballs

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The Chamberlain community is home to hundreds of Canada geese.
Hundreds of geese have taken up residence in Chamberlain’s marina.

The weather in South Dakota cannot make up its mind – wind, snow, wind, cold temperatures, wind, sun and more wind!  It has really been blowing these past few days and has taken the temperature down with it.  Yesterday, I had to make a quick run to downtown Chamberlain and the wind decided to blow some falling snow into a mini blizzard.

As I cross the little bridge from downtown back toward campus, I feel like I’m on the set of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds.” Several hundred Canada geese are still on in an inlet of the river that has not frozen over.  They are everywhere!

Two of our high school girls just returned from a donor luncheon in southern California.  They said there was a BIG difference in temperatures! Our Lakota students enjoy having the chance to travel – some of them for the first time – and visit with benefactors who support St. Joseph’s.

It is a great way for members of our tiyospaye – extended family – to see firsthand how they directly help Native American children.  Our next luncheon will be in Cocoa Beach, Florida on the weekend of February 22-23, and then Atlantic City, New Jersey on the weekend of April 5-6.   If you wish to attend, you can find more information here.

Three of our high school girls recently took part in campus visits to schools they might like to attend after high school. Stewart School of Beauty in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, offered a Senior Day experience.  The girls were able to explore the world of cosmetology, tour the campus and were treated to pedicures or manicures at the end of the day. Pam, St. Joseph’s Transition Specialist, said two of the girls feel this could be a good fit for them.

Visits to colleges and technical schools are an important part of preparing our students for the future, and your support makes this possible.  Pilamaya – thank you!

Monday held a special treat for St. Joseph’s students. Our teachers had an in-service day. While most schools would not be in session, it’s a little different at St. Joseph’s because of our residential setting. Instead of going home, students took a trip to the local movie theater for a screening of ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs: 2.’ 

Hope each of you has a wonderful week and are able to stay warm! Thanks again for your generous support and prayers on behalf of our Native American students.  May God’s blessings continue to be with you and your loved ones.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

What’s a kid to do with cabin fever?

What’s a kid to do?  It’s so cold outside that you can’t stay out very long.  Cabin fever is starting to set in.  The TV is getting boring.  “I know!  Let’s go to the Rec!”

When the Lakota students come to play in the gym, they need to leave their heavy coats in the Rec center hallway.
Here’s what it looks like on a cold winter day when our Lakota students need to leave their outerwear in the hallway before entering the gym!

The Recreation Center at St. Joseph’s is the place to be in any season, but especially during these short winter days in the cold of South Dakota.  The gymnasium and the pool are the most popular destinations, but the Recreation Center offers a whole lot more. In fact, when I started working there this fall, I was amazed at the variety of things to do and services they offer our Lakota (Sioux) students!

Hello, my name is Anita and this is my sixth year at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  For the first five years, prior to my “second retirement” last June, I worked as a houseparent at the Sheehy Home for high school boys.  Before that, my husband and I raised three sons while he worked as a teacher and I as a social worker.  Even though we’d been in our professions for 30 years, we weren’t ready for the rocking chairs!  That’s when we discovered St. Joseph’s and their mission.

But, back to the Rec Center…starting with the gymnasium.  Besides being available for individuals to come down and shoot some hoops, the gym is used on a regular basis for activities for the Lakota children:

  • Boys’ and girls’ basketball leagues, for grades 4-8. Each team is complete with two coaches, uniforms, and a schedule to play schools from nearby communities.  This fosters team play, cooperation, and good sportsmanship.  In addition, the connection to the local communities is very important to fulfilling our mission for the Native American children we serve. We want people to come here to see what we’re about and for our students to interact with other children from other areas.  The girls’ teams finished their season in December and the boys teams are just getting started. In conjunction with boys’ basketball season, some of the girls are now involved in cheerleading.

    The Lakota children have Enrichment each Wednesday night.
    Enrichment night is fun and games for everyone!
  • Wednesday Night Enrichment Activities for everyone in grades 1-8. The groups are lead in an activity appropriate for their age by two of the Rec Center’s staff members, usually Mark and Andy.  Houseparents are on hand to help out if needed.  Our Rec Center staff focuses Enrichment on activities that EVERYONE can participate in (not everyone is a volleyball or basketball player) in order to promote physical and developmental skills, cooperation, exercise and grow a strong body, and to simply have FUN!

We also have a Concession Stand that is open during certain events, like basketball and volleyball games. St. Joseph’s high school students often volunteer to help Rec staff operate the stand during those events.

When the gymnasium is not being used for programmed activities it is available for any of St. Joseph’s homes to use. It is also used for other St. Joseph’s student events such as school dances, Halloween and Valentine parties, sobriety celebrations and powwow.  Plus St. Joseph’s staff utilizes the space often for staff training or gatherings.  There have also been numerous occasions where the local community reserves the gym for an activity, plus the Chamberlain High School athletic uses it for practice when there is a conflict in their facilities.

The Rec center operates a concession stand during games with the help of St. Joseph’s high school students.
Everyone loves the concession stand!

That’s only the gymnasium usage in our Recreation Center!  In upcoming weeks I’ll be updating you on all the other things that we having going on here—stay tuned!

Celebrating Christmas at St. Joseph’s

Greetings from the banks of the Missouri River!

This past weekend was a busy and exciting one for the Lakota children.  Since they are home for Christmas break, we celebrate Christmas when they return to St. Joseph’s Indian School after the first of the year.

This past Sunday was that day!

Some of the students act out the Nativity and the visit of the Magi during the Sunday Mass. Afterwards, everyone heads to their campus homes to open gifts. It is exciting to see the sheer joy that comes over the children’s faces as they tear packages apart to see what Santa –  through your generosity – has brought them.  We were blessed with nice weather on Sunday, so several students were able to go outside and enjoy their remote controlled cars. The onset of spring and warmer weather will give others the chance to use new footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

You can see more photos here.

On Saturday, St. Joseph’s spelling bee winners traveled to Mitchell, South Dakota (about 70 miles from campus) to take part in the annual Corn Palace Regional Spelling Bee. St. Joseph’s had nine spellers participate!

The Lakota children participated in a spelling bee.
St. Joseph’s had nine spellers participate in an advanced spelling bee.

Two of our students captured 3rd place in their age group and all were in the top ten at their grade levels.  Congratulations everyone!

You may recall that a team of high school students was going out to Rapid City to take part in the Lakota Nation Invitational’s (LNI) Knowledge Bowl.  One member of our team, a 9th grader named Liliana, took top honors in the geometry and grammar categories of the individual competition. Congratulations Liliana!

The boys’ basketball season got underway Monday with our 7th and 8th grade teams taking on Kimball – a small community just east of Chamberlain.  Unfortunately, the Braves came up short this time but look forward to improving throughout the remainder of the season.

We are looking forward to starting the girls’ inter-city basketball league this Sunday.

I hope everyone has a great week!  Let’s keep those dealing with the water contamination problem in West Virginia in our prayers that it all gets resolved quickly.

Thanks again for your generosity.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Rewind to the week before Christmas

St. Joseph’s students are back from break and will celebrate Christmas this Sunday!

Before Christmas break, St. Joseph’s students got into the Christmas spirit by getting busy in the kitchen! In Personal Living Skills class, students baked cookies, made our famous Oreo truffles and peanut butter balls. They had a fun time decorating and using lots of sprinkles!

Christmas is a lot more than baking and exchanging gifts though.  It is about giving and being thankful for what we have and being with the ones we love the most.

Sadly, there are many people who cannot be with their loved ones during the holidays or some who cannot provide for their families at Christmas because of different circumstances.  The seventh graders worked on a community service project to try and give back to people in need.

After some discussion, they decided that making baby blankets and donating them to the Chamberlain women’s shelter would not only keep babies warm, but would warm many hearts, too.

Being a part of this community service project was an excellent way for our students to give back this Holiday season and was a great addition to the food drive put on by the Student Leaders at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Wopila tanka – many thanks – for the generosity you show the Lakota children which allows them to show generosity to others!

Pam

Personal Living Skills Teacher