Good morning from South Dakota!
All I can say is ‘God bless whomever invented air conditioning!’
The Chamberlain area is facing some extremely hot weather. Saturday was in the mid-90s, but luckily we had a bit of a breeze to “cool” things down. Sunday was so hot that, when I crossed campus about 1:30 PM, not a single Lakota student was outside! I’m sure the swimming pool was full, and that several St. Joseph’s homes went to American Creek beach to cool off in the Missouri River. It was still over 100 as late as 6:30 PM, and it is supposed to be hot again today.
On Saturday morning, 60 or so youth between the ages of 7 to 15 took part in the 6th annual Chamberlain Youth Triathlon, which involved a swim, bike ride and run. St. Joseph’s Indian School was well represented, with at least one of our Native American students winning medals in each age category. The Raphael Home (1st-3rd grade boys) and Summerlee Home (4th & 5th grade girls) had most of their entrants bring home a medal. We’re so proud of everyone who participated!
The Development Office passed along a number of prayer requests they have received from you and those who have visited our Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. I’ll divide these up and pass them along to our students so they can keep your requests in their home prayers each evening. You are always remembered at our Mass on Sunday as we ask God to bless and reward you for your generosity.
Stay cool and let’s keep the fire fighters who are dealing with all the forest fires in the West in our prayers, that the Lord will keep them safe and provide some beneficial weather to help them get the blazes under control.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Quality Time and Positive Risk-Taking
Can I just say I love working on the weekend? I know most people would hate to come to work on the weekend, so I don’t want to make anyone jealous of my job. But really– I LOVE WORKING ON THE WEEKEND! This is because weekends are full of quality time. I find that, the more quality time we spend with the kids, the less conflict they have and the more positive their attitude is when they have to take care of their daily responsibilities.
This past weekend we were on duty in the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls) and got to bond with our sweet Lakota girlies. We had SO much fun! American Island Days was a little festival in Chamberlain at the American Creek Campground, which is just a few blocks from St. Joseph’s Indian School. We took advantage of all the events taking place. The best part is that they were FREE! With 12 kids, costs are always high when going out. It was such a blessing to have so much fun at no cost. The girls had a blast on the inflatables, zip line, and on the boat rides provided by the South Dakota National Guard.
It was interesting to see our girls’ little personalities. Leave any stereotypes at the door if you come to St. Joseph’s! Our kids are not all the same, that’s for sure. Although, one thing I have noticed since coming here is that many of them fear trying new things. In fact, research shows troubled or at-risk youth can be afraid of the unknown and the new.
Most of them had never been on a boat or had no idea what a zip line was. Jachin and I had our “encouragement switches” on the whole time. The girls needed lots of reassurance and were rather apprehensive. As we waited in line, I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would back out at the last minute. I am delighted to tell you that all girls participated in the boat ride and all but two got on the zip line!
I’ve been doing some reading on positive risk taking. Studies also reveal that young people who take positive risks are more likely to avoid destructive behaviors than are those who do not. They are also more likely to describe themselves in positive terms and to say they often feel happy. This is why this weekend I was especially proud of our girls. I was really proud that they were able to step outside of their comfort zones to take positive risks.
Here’s a video and some pictures highlighting some of the fun we had:
At dinner, we always go around the table and we each share what the best part of our day was as well as the worst part. On that day, nearly all the girls said their best part was the zip line and the boat ride (what they were originally most afraid of). Go figure! They also loved when Jachin was wearing a velcro suit (seen on the video) and he made us laugh. I have to agree. I laughed obnoxiously hard.
P.S: the girls are so excited about our upcoming annual powwow! More on their dancing next time : )
What a weekend!
Activities were taking place all around the Chamberlain area this weekend, as well as on St. Joseph’s campus.
The high school students returned Sunday and are now taking part in an orientation to get them ready for the first day of school at Chamberlain High on Wednesday, August 21. We are excited that we’ll have 50 Lakota students in our program this year. High school sports practices have also begun.
The biggest event of the weekend was the powwow on the Crow Creek Sioux Indian Reservation, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the founding of Fort Thompson, South Dakota. They had a big turnout, with nearly 1,000 people on Saturday alone. Many dancers, singers and drum groups took part in the celebration. A good number of our Native American students come from the Crow Creek Reservation and they were happy to be able to spend time with family and friends.
St. Joseph’s upcoming 37th annual powwow is right around the corner! This week began with a planning meeting for the celebration, which is scheduled for September 21. We hope you’ll have the chance to visit St. Joseph’s Indian School for the event! You can look over our schedule at www.stjo.org/powwow.
Have a great week and enjoy the last remaining days of summer. May God’s blessings continue to be with you, and gift you with health and happiness.
Sincerely,
Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Starting the year off with a Bang!
Hello from the Mathias Home, where we are starting off our new year with a bang! We have eleven Lakota (Sioux) girls in 6-8th grades. Two are new students at St. Joseph’s, and two have moved up from the 4-5th grade homes. On top of that, we have four new staff in the home!
I am new to the 6-8th grade community, but have worked for five years in St. Joseph’s high school program. My partner Cathy is fresh from Chicago. Today is the first day of work for the 6-day house parents, who just arrived in South Dakota this week from out East. We are all going through some changes as we try to figure out who we are, where everything is, and how we are going to work together.
The first week is usually pretty frenetic as we get all of our students checked in, get their medical and clothing needs taken care of, and get their belongings squared away. Once we have the external details in order, we start with the internal ones.
The students need to know if new staff are trustworthy. Do we mean what we say? Are we going to be hurtful? Are we going to give up on them? Are we going to keep them safe? Are we going to stop them if they go too far?
The student’s job is to feel out the limits, and our job is to be very clear where those limits are. Over. And over. And over. And over.
My partner and I are pretty on top of things, so students don’t get confused by conflicting messages. And so the students don’t “confuse” us with conflicting stories.
I have been feeling the learning curve as I learn a new set of rules and expectations, and as I find my way around a new home and a new group of kids. I think I am getting the hang of it.
The other night on duty, I decided to check in with one of my “veteran” students, Jillian, who has been at St. Joseph’s Indian School for several years. She is actively trying to figure out what the limits are in the home, now that there are different staff people here.
I told her I was writing a blog post for the donors and friends of St. Joseph’s, and I could use her help. She seemed to like being interviewed, and took a serious tone that I hadn’t seen from her before. She tried to read me, and give me the “right” answers at times, but mostly she was amazingly candid.
ME: So what is good about being back at school?
JILLIAN: Having a good time playing basketball with my friends [who I haven’t seen all summer].
Anything else? There is always something good to learn.
Like what? Umm. Math…reading. Mostly all my subjects. Anything else? I like when we go on trips. Like Lifelight. [a Christian Music Festival]. There was a girl rapper last time.
Anything else? There is always something good and healthy to eat.
Hm. What have you liked so far? Breakfast pizza!!
ME: Tell me about what is hard about being back.
JILLIAN: I’m used to being with my sisters and brothers.
And you don’t see them as much when you’re here? Yeah…my brother is somewhere else.
But your sister is here, right? [Makes a face.]
Anything else? New house parents. [Makes a face].
ME: Tell me about your dreams for this year.
JILLIAN: Meet new people. Try to get along with everyone in the home. Try to get good grades. Be a good role model. [Pause.] I would like to be Miss St. Joseph’s [for powwow.]
That’s right, you’re a dancer. Fancy shawl, right? Tell me about that. Well, when I dance…it’s like there is no one there. Just me. There is no sound.
Do you feel anything? Just the beat on the ground. Like big horses. Or a big heartbeat. There are no colors. Everything is white. Going in circles. When the drum stops, then everything goes back to normal.
[Dumbstruck.] Whoa. That is so cool. [Shyly] I dance for my ancestors, who have done it in the past.
[Over the summer, Jillian said she lost that feeling of being connected to her ancestors. She seemed pretty sad when she talked about it. I asked if there was someone on campus who could help her with this. Her face brightened when I mentioned LaRayne, her Native American Studies teacher. Yes! LaRayne would know what to do! ]
ME: Anything else you would like to share?
JILLIAN: It is hard living on the Rez! Stay in School. Stay out of trouble! Don’t give up on work!
Anything else? [Pause] I think that’s all.
Thanks for helping me with my homework, Jillian!
Wow. It has been a long week of sorting, folding, washing, talking, telling, urging, cleaning, cooking, mopping, nit-picking (literally), running, walking, shopping, teaching, writing, reminding, consequencing, listening, learning, setting limits, setting limits, setting limits, setting limits…
I am very grateful for these moments when these precious Native American girls – my girls – remind me why I’m really here.
Thanks to everyone who makes these kinds of connections possible. Your support and prayers are making it possible for us to have another great year at St. Joseph’s!
It’s the First Day of School!
Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,
The school bell has rung!!! The Lakota students began arriving yesterday, and some came in early this morning. As the students entered school this morning, the teachers and staff greeted them with leis –the traditional sign of welcome in Hawaii. We have a large number of students this year. It looks like we’ll have 50 high school students and 166 students in grades 1-8, for a total of 216 Native American youngsters! We are grateful for your generosity that makes it possible to welcome in so many students to St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Check out our First Day of School photo album!
As part of our commitment to make sure we can offer a safe environment for the students we serve, our staff has learned about the Olwes Bullying Prevention Program.
It was developed in Norway by Dr. Dan Olwes and has been used here in the United States for about 5 years now. It is a program that encourages all St. Joseph’s staff, not just teachers and houseparents, but anyone who will be in contact with the students, to be alert to any negative actions or words so that someone can step in on the spot to prevent the situation from escalating further.
We have ‘no bullying’ signs up around campus and will have an official kick-off at the start of September to remind everyone that it’s necessary to treat each other with respect and dignity.
We began the monthly novena of Masses for all our benefactors on Sunday, August 11 and it will continue to August 19. We offer this novena each month as our way of saying thanks to you for your support and encouragement.
I hope each of you has a wonderful week and that God’s blessings and strength will continue to be with you.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
St. Joseph’s Indian School
Getting ready for the Lakota students to return
It’s hard to believe that in less than a week I will be seeing 24 adorable little faces! Some will be familiar and others will be new. Either way, it doesn’t take a mathematician to figure out that there will be 48 little eyes watching every move I make. It is a REALLY good thing that I don’t suffer from any form of social anxiety.
As 3-day houseparents, my husband Jachin and I have the privilege of working in both the Afra and Ambrose Homes. This will be our second year serving the Lakota children in the 1st-3rd grade community at St. Joseph’s Indian School. After seeing the progress our kiddos made last year, I can’t help but be excited about what is to come. Among other things, it was so rewarding to witness their academic, emotional, social, and spiritual development.
We don’t just love being a part of the mission at St. Joseph’s Indian School, we believe in it!
Although the kids aren’t back yet, staff members across many departments have been preparing for their return for quite some time. I could write a book about all that has been accomplished by my colleagues, but for now I’ll stick to what I’ve been involved with.
In July, I went to Colorado for a Love and Logic conference and just a couple weeks ago, we were certified in a counseling technique known as Life Space Crisis Intervention (LSCI). Then, all last week, was New Staff Orientation. I had the pleasure of meeting most of the newcomers on campus. My hat goes off to Human Resources – they did a wonderful job at finding lots of really wonderful people from all over the country.
It’s great that St. Joseph’s continues to become more diverse. I happen to be half Chilean-Colombian and I also happen to be a bit of a nerd when it comes to learning about various cultures. I love listening to stories about traditions and listening to people speak foreign languages. I also think it’s valuable for our Native American students to have role models that look like them and others that are very different from them. Over the last couple of weeks, I have especially enjoyed getting to know Z (a new houseparent from South Africa), Nancy (a returning third grade teacher who is from the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe), and Jeshua (our new Native American Studies associate from Lower Brule). We are excited to have them with us!
Aside from learning about the ins and outs of the organization and their respective positions, our new staff took First Aid and CPR, and were also certified in CPI Nonviolent Crisis Intervention.
As you can see, we have been keeping ourselves busy. In addition to all of the above, we have to freshen up on policies, procedures, new programs, and goals for this coming year. We have also listened to various presentations on topics ranging from Fire Safety and Preventing Child Abuse to Professionalism. My personal favorite so far was a presentation on the correlation and bridges between the Christian/Catholic faith and Lakota traditions.
In total, I have about 20lbs of material I’ve read and reviewed so far and we’re still not done! We also have to prep the homes, make beds, and stock supplies and groceries. Devoting so many hours to preparing for the start of the school year could seem really monotonous to some, but being able to positively affect the life of just one child makes all time and effort worth it.
I ask that you keep the children, their families, and us in your prayers. Fr. Steve will definitely be missed by all this year. With that said, I’m beginning to thank God for the work He is doing, for those He is leading into a new season, for the people He has purposefully placed here, and for the generosity of all those who make our day to day blessings possible. I am hopeful that 2013-2014 school year will be a great one! Please stand in faith with me! 🙂
I’ll leave you with a silly picture of Jachin and me from All Staff Orientation.
All-Staff Orientation begins!
Things are a bit NOISY in Chamberlain this week as bikers come through the area on their way out to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills. The annual rally starts today and runs the entire week. It is impressive to see so many cycles out on the highway. Many stay in the Chamberlain-Oacoma area on their way and stop to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.
A prayer service kicked off our All-Staff Orientation this morning, as preparations continue for the return of the Lakota boys and girls on August 11 and the first day of school on August 12. It’s hard to believe the summer has gone by so quickly! We miss our veteran staff members from past years, but are also happy to welcome 20 new staff to St. Joseph’s tiyospaye – extended family. While I’m not sure yet how many students we’ll have this year, there will be around 55 new students.
St. Joseph’s Indian School recently hosted our local Relay for Life event, which remembers those who have died from or are dealing with cancer. Fr. Steve was the honoree, and the event raised about $30,000.00!
Of that, St. Joseph’s staff contributed nearly $6,600.00!
Every week, staff members participate in the ‘jeans because’ program that allows staff to wear jeans on Friday. This activity alone raised approximately $1,200.00 for Relay for Life! The contributions are used for a variety of charities who work for the cure of cancer.
Some good news for a St. Joseph’s employee was in the local paper this last week. Our Athletic Director and Recreation Coordinator, Bryan, has been selected by the Chamberlain Booster Club to become a member of the high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. During his high school years, Bryan was very successful in basketball, football, power lifting and baseball. Congratulations, Bryan, on this achievement!
I hope you all have a great week! Keep us in your prayers as we continue to prepare to open the new school year.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Greetings from Human Resources!
Hello to all! This is Allyssa, St. Joseph’s Human Resource Associate. Although it is summer, the Human Resource Department at St. Joseph’s has been busy recruiting staff for the new school year. Last Friday, we begin the massive HR paperwork session with most of our 23 new Child Services Staff. These employees face three weeks of intense training before the Lakota students arrive back on campus August 11.
It seems like just yesterday that the children were packing up to go home for the summer and we said farewell to staff who are moving on from St. Joseph’s Indian School. Now, we are welcoming new staff to our mission and preparing for the students to return!
Hiring has been our number one priority this summer. We had 18 houseparent vacancies, one teacher and four training/support staff positions to fill… and that was just in Child Services! The interview process for houseparents is lengthy. After a successful phone interview, the candidates come to South Dakota for face-to-face interviews with up to seven different St. Joseph’s employees. The applicants have tours of campus and join our students for supper. This gives candidates a better overview of what it’s like to be a houseparent.
Summer also finds our maintenance crew working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. The big maintenance projects are undertaken, homes remodeled and vehicles checked over.
As they say “Times flies when you’re having fun!” There is no doubt about it; the HR Department here at St. Joseph’s has fun. In June, we were able to attend the annual Society for Human Resource Management conference in Chicago. It is a great opportunity to meet others in the HR field and learn the latest innovations in the industry to help us meet the needs of staff. We came back with new ideas to implement, energized to take on new challenges, whatever they may be.
As we gear up for another school year, I hope each of you have had a wonderful summer!
Hellos and good-byes
Happy Tuesday to you all!
I write with mixed emotions today, since we’ve said good-bye and hello at the same time this week.
You may remember Fr. Steve sharing with you that we had a visiting Portuguese SCJ, Fr. Jose, staying at St. Joseph’s since April as he worked on his thesis. He really got into the swing of things on St. Joseph’s campus and throughout South Dakota. He went with Fr. Steve and Lakota (Sioux) seventh graders on their cultural trip to the Black Hills and other important places to Native American heritage in neighboring states.
Fr. Jose also went to Hales Corners, Wisconsin, to observe the election assembly that chose Fr. Steve to be our new Provincial. I think the only thing we may have missed while he was here were the lawn mower races in Pukwana, South Dakota! Father Jose left about 10 days ago to visit our SCJ confreres in Houston, Texas and see the work that is being done there at Our Lady of Guadalupe. He’ll head back to France in mid-August.
The other ‘good bye’ was for Fr. Steve as he headed out for Hales Corners early Sunday morning. On August 1, he will take over as our new Provincial. He reminded me that he‘d be coming for St. Joseph’s powwow in September, so you will have the chance to see him then if you can attend.
Hellos were said to our new staff members who are on campus this week for orientation. Right now, they are on a scavenger hunt, which will take them around the campus to find various sites they need to know about. They’ll be taking classes on First Aid, fire safety, adult and child CPR and use of the AED, and learning how to fill out various forms they will need for school, in the homes or kitchen for supplies.
We are very grateful to have them! Their willingness to blend their talents and skills with our veteran staff will help us provide our Native American students with the best, safest and most rewarding program possible. Of course, all this is thanks to your generosity.
Next week, St. Joseph’s returning staff will begin orientation. On August 11, students will return and class begins Monday, August 12. As you can see, things will be busy for a while!
Thank you again for your support of St. Joseph’s, both financial contribution and prayers – we are grateful for your friendship! Have a great week and may God’s blessings continue to be with you now and always.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
St. Joseph’s Indian School
PS. Please keep Fr. Steve in your prayers this week as he prepares to be installed as Provincial on Thursday, August 1, 2013! If you could say a prayer for him that day, I’m sure he would appreciate it so that God’s strength and guidance will be with him as he leads our community into the future. Thank you!
Fr. Anthony
The countdown begins!
The countdown for the start of the new school year is underway. The Lakota (Sioux) students who were in our summer home have returned home to their families for a break. St. Joseph’s staff will have a brief time of relaxation before we kick things off for the new school year.
Today, we begin orientation for all our new staff members. All staff return to St. Joseph’s Indian School for orientation August 5.
This week of special training for all houseparents, teachers, counselors and staff working with our students helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. That way, all the staff can be supportive of one another and help each other get comfortable with the procedures to be followed to keep everyone safe – especially the Native American boys and girls in our care.
The students begin arriving on August 11 when the homes open and we begin the school year on August 12. It seems like we just had graduation and here we are getting ready to kick things off for the 2013-2014 school year!
We appreciate your prayers for a great start and a wonderful year.
Sincerely,
Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
