Easter Break at St. Joseph’s

The Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph’s enjoyed spring and Easter break from March 22 – April 1.
Everyone was excited for a break from school!

Greetings, friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School!  I hope you are doing well.  It is hard to believe, but spring is here!  The official start of spring was March 20, and with that comes St. Joseph’s Indian School’s spring and Easter Breaks.  The students departed for break on March 22 and will return April 1.

Most of our students will be headed home.  At this most holy time of year, it is wonderful to see our students being able to spend the time with their families.  Our students have worked hard over the last months, since returning from Christmas break, and are excited to have a few days away from school to be with family.  A few of our students will be remaining on campus for the break, with houseparents in one of St. Joseph’s homes.

Our high school students do get a few days off for Easter Break, but lament the fact they no longer get the long Spring Break our younger Lakota students get J.

Upon returning to St. Joseph’s campus on April 1, students in grades 1-5 will get to take part in an Easter egg hunt.  This is always great fun for the younger students.  Grades 6-8 will be having a potluck on that day, which is open to all of the 6-8 grade students and their families.  This is the first year the 6-8 grade community will be holding the potluck and we hope for great success.

Over Spring Break, three of our eighth grade students headed to Washington, D.C., for a few days to tour our nation’s capital.

For a couple of the students, it will be their first experience with flying, and although nervous, they are very excited to be on a plane!  The students are also looking forward to being away from South Dakota and experiencing a big city and all that Washington, D.C. has to offer.  We wish them safe travels and an excellent adventure!

At this most holy time of year, we here at St. Joseph’s Indian School wish to take a minute to THANK YOU for all of the support you offer us throughout the year.

Without your prayers and generous financial support, we would not be able to do the work we do here.  St. Joseph’s Indian School is an amazing place and we are so very lucky to be able to work with some amazing children.

We wish you a most blessed Easter season!

What is a Sacred Heart?

Last week was the birthday of Fr. Leo Dehon, the founder of the SCJ’s (Priests of the Sacred Heart).  This led to some discussions on campus about what it meant to be Dehonian.  I remember quizzing our St. Joseph’s kids about Fr. Dehon once.  What did they know?

Born in France!

Died in Belgium!

Had three doctorates!

Wore glasses!

While interesting, these bits of information weren’t terribly enlightening.  I had some time between picking up my runner from track practice and dropping off my baseball players at the field, so I thought I would do some research.

One really obvious fact:  Fr. Dehon did not have 10 teenage boys to contend with when he wanted a few minutes of quiet time.

I bet he never had to throw a wet sock off his desk as some giggling kid hit the floor behind the office door and whispered, “Don’t tell him I’m in here!”  All while some other kid is screaming down the hall, “Where’s Annnnndrew??”  and swinging the other wet sock with a vengeance.

My Dehonian moment was going to have to wait until after the kids had gone to bed.

In the meantime — there was dinner to eat and dishes to do.  This one had to go the tutor and that one had to find his Geography book.  The guys with privileges tried to run off all their excess energy at the Rec center and the ones who stayed back to do homework got hopped up on snacks and algebraic aggravation.  Home meeting became a debate over sharing time on the X Box and whether or not people should leave the room when they fart.

Prayer time was calmer, with intentions offered for family, friends, baseball, track, Sandy Hook and the new Pope.  And a special intention for the guy who was going to end up on the bottom of the…3..2..1…Dogpile.

I admit, I was not feeling very Dehonian at the end of the day. I was tired, cranky, and I had a pile of unfinished tasks.  I was not in a more saintly state of mind the next morning either.  When I finally plowed into Maija late in the afternoon, the only thing I had on my mind was making it to my day off and taking a long nap.  In her infinite wisdom, she said to me, “Get out of my office and don’t come back until you have your heart in your work again.”   Well, duh.

We work for the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Not the Sacred Rule Book of Jesus. Or the Sacred Schedule of Jesus.

We are called to be heart-centered.  To paraphrase the Tin Woodsman, “Hearts will never be practical, until they can be made unbreakable.”  There is something reckless and un-practical about being heart-centered.  This is different from being careless or thoughtless — Fr. Dehon was a learned man and he was neither impulsive nor fickle. Rather, he was doggedly persistent, even in the face of heartbreak. Kind of like someone else we know — and whose steps we are following this Holy Week.

A Sacred Heart space is expansive and inclusive and yes, somewhat foolish — letting in the lost, the weak, the so-called outsiders.

There is room for a kid who lost his mom and a kid who feels like he has to be the man of the house.  There’s room for honor-rollers and homework procrastinators. There’s room for wall punchers and cookie bakers, emo-kids and hip-hoppers.

As a matter of fact, there’s room in there for everyone, including a somewhat exasperated houseparent and her laundry list of seemingly “important” things to do.   If we all squish together, there’s space for you too.  Just leave the room if you fart.  ‘Cause that’s one rule we are going to keep.

– Peace   Claire N.

The Lakota (Sioux) boys at St. Joseph’s Indian School have fun together.
3…2…1…Dogpile!

Leading up to Easter at St. Joseph’s

Greetings to you all as we enter into Holy Week leading up to the joy, beauty and majesty of Easter!

Fr. Steve is away attending some meetings in Chicago and giving a retreat to our retired priests and Brothers in Pinellas Park, Florida.  That’s what he said anyway, but I think there might be an effort to get in a spring training baseball game or two as well!  As he will not be back until after Easter, he asked me to pass along what’s been happening here at St. Joseph’s over this past weekend.

The Lakota children saw two science-related presentations before spring break.
The Lakota children took in the Star Lab Thursday before spring break.

The students and staff are on Spring/Easter break at the moment.  They’ll return on Easter Monday.  Our high school students are on a different schedule (since they attend Chamberlain High School) so they are still in session.  Don’t feel sorry for them though – it seems like they are off for something or other every week! They’ll have Good Friday through Easter Monday off.

Just before the students left, we were able to host two special programs that shared insight into the scientific realm as the Lakota Star Lab came on Thursday and on Friday, we learned about tornadoes.

The Star Lab was an effort to get our students looking to and dreaming about the stars and the heavens.  The Weather Enrichment Program dealt with storm chasers.  There was an initial presentation of the impact tornadoes have and how they are formed.  Then a 20-minute 3-D film called Tornado Alley showed how the storms are chased and studied.

That was followed by a Q & A session and then a tour of the Doppler on Wheels vehicle used in the pursuit of the storms.  It weighs 26,000 pounds, stands 14 feet high, 8.5 feet wide and 27 feet long and is able to obtain speeds around 80 miles per hour.  I asked where they did most of their chasing and they stated Kansas and Oklahoma because they are so flat.

It is good they shared info on tornadoes since South Dakota does get some during the summer months. We have had one or two storm chasers in the area around St. Joseph’s over the years.

The break also gave three of our Lakota students the chance to take part in a trip to Washington, DC to visit our nation’s capital and see the sights.  They flew on Saturday and will visit various museums such as the Holocaust Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. They will have a tour of the capital building on Monday before heading back on Tuesday.  This has been a wonderful opportunity for our Native American students to explore our seat of national government and get to know the places they hear about on the evening news!

The week ahead should be quiet and peaceful here on campus aside from the squawking of all the Canadian geese that are in the area.  It is amazing how many did not go south for the winter but found the Chamberlain area a nice place to stop and visit.

Hope you all have a rewarding and grace-filled Holy Week and a beautiful Easter!

The Lakota children got to see portable weather stations used to measure conditions during tornadoes.
Friday, after the Tornado Alley movie, St. Joseph’s students headed outside to take a look at portable weather stations and the Doppler on Wheels.

Honoring Long Service, Outstanding Employees

We held our Employee Service Awards and recognition banquet last week. I find it such an affirming evening of celebration. Mary Jane, our Alumni Director, reached 40 years of service! Another five staff members reached the 35-year plateau and eight more celebrated 25 years of being part of St. Joseph’s tiyospaye – extended family.

Staff longevity is crucial to offering strong programs for the children at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Mary Jane, our Alumni Director, reached 40 years of service!

Staff loyalty and longevity are huge reasons our programs for the Lakota children are so strong.

Andy, now part of our rec center staff, started when we still had dormitories – pre-1980! He has seen dramatic transformations in the campus over the years.

While the campus has changed, Andy reflected, the students are much the same, with the same needs to be cared for and loved. We continually strive to find new ways to give the Native American children we serve the structure and direction that will guide them to happiness and success.

Some staff didn’t wait 5 or 10 years to be acknowledged! We also celebrated eight people who were nominated by peers or supervisors for doing those little extras that make everyone’s workday better.  I’m constantly impressed by the passion and commitment that so many people bring to St. Joseph’s Indian School each day.

Andy has seen dramatic changes in his years at St. Joseph’s India School.
Andy started working at St. Joseph’s Indian School when the Lakota children lived in dorms instead of homes.

Last week before break…

Monday

Last week, we put the wraps on a couple of different basketball programs for the year. Sunday afternoon, the girls’ intercity basketball season culminated in the championship game. The chance to have children of staff and children from the Chamberlain community playing alongside our St. Joseph’s students really helps build relationships for the day when our students go off campus to Chamberlain High School.

So many people give a lot of their weekend time to help our youth. Awards to players on each team were handed out, and the adult volunteers were acknowledged and thanked.

After school today, our coaches announced and presented trophies to our St. Joseph’s Indian School basketball teams. Some of the best athletes were disappointed that they didn’t earn an award. However, the trophies are based mostly on spirit, improvement and hustle, which is hardest to coach or teach.

Some players who weren’t high scorers and came in as subs earned recognition for their attitude and team play. The pep club and cheerleaders were also acknowledged for the fun and spirit they add to our home games. Our first, second and third graders are especially fun to watch and hear when they get going on the cheers they’ve learned.

Tuesday

March 19 – The Feast of St. Joseph! I’ve given up desserts for Lent, but when Clare brought an Italian dessert (Zeppole) she and the students made for our Child Services meeting, I indulged just a little to celebrate our patronal feast.

Split Rock Studios arrived back on campus to bring to life the next phase of our renovation at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. Three walls of the museum now have a large mural of the vast and beautiful South Dakota prairie grasslands, and exhibit installation isn’t far behind.

They are also installing more of the audio visuals in our historical displays.  With warmer weather, our visitor count increases dramatically. When the project is completed by May and we extend our hours, the folks who pass through our doors are in for a treat as they learn about Lakota (Sioux) history and culture.

Wednesday

I spoke to a good friend from college who now works as a physical therapist. Paula was filling in for a co-worker and met an elderly woman having difficulty getting motivated to do her rehab exercises.

Seeing a St. Joseph Indian School note pad on the desk, Paula asked the patient about it, which led to a spirited conversation about St. Joseph’s. Their connection with me put the woman totally at ease, and she gave it a great effort that day.  Her story made me smile, and I promised to lift her up in prayers in a special way.

Our students reenacted the Stations of the Cross in the chapel at the end of the school day. Hopefully the colorful costumes, large cross and other visuals helped the gospel come alive just a bit more deeply as we close in on Holy Week. Spring break begins Friday, and many of our students will be going home. The high school students and one break home will still be open, but our grade school classes will take pause to let students spend time with family, and prepare for the wonderful celebration of Easter.

I’ll be gone on retreat for a good part of the break, and will pick up the blog after Holy Week. You’re all in my prayers – Happy Easter and God Bless!

Reflecting on the Road

In big cities, people face the challenge of being stuck in traffic jams. A 15-mile trip home may turn into a two-hour ordeal. We don’t have that kind of problem in South Dakota, but do have to go long distances between towns. Last week, I had a 4 ½ hour round trip to see my spiritual director.

When the weather is good, the driving itself – with open roads and big sky – is a stress free time for prayer and reflection. Looking back and reviewing the past month, I remembered the people, places and events through which I’ve encountered God. The act of giving thanks regularly like that helps me keep focused and remember what life is about.

Today was a transition from lofty spiritual goals to mundane tasks like laundry, homily preparation and answering mail.

On Saturdays, I usually sort the mail myself. I give thanks for the people who generously support us; I pause a moment to look at the names and lift up a prayer. Today, I also noticed several colleges reaching out to our Native American high school students.

When I was in high school, mailboxes were filled with thick and colorful catalogues to attract attention to a particular school. Times have changed, however, and now I see more postcards that direct our Lakota students to an interactive web site. We at St. Joseph’s are also making efforts to print fewer materials and have more information available online.

However they may receive the information, our students are excited that universities think them potential candidates.  Our high school support staff will guide them through the application process as they begin to dream where the future might take them.

New thrift store open for business

St. Joseph’s Thrift Store staff has been working with our Facilities Crew since September 2012 on the remodel of a downtown Chamberlain building built in the 1900’s – formerly a grocery store.

St. Joseph’s Indian School purchased the building in the summer of 2012 with the intention of remodeling the building for a new Thrift Store and center to process in-kind donations.

We started moving in to the new building March 1!

We were grateful our move only took a week. The store opened to the public again on March 11, though there is still some exterior work to be finished once the weather warms up.

We first considered the project because of the lack of storage on campus for the donated items our benefactors so generously send. As we move forward, the plan is to have all donated goods delivered to the new In-Kind Processing Center, which is located downtown in the back part of the new Thrift Store.

Donated goods are sorted into many different categories. The main three are:

  • Campus use
  • Thrift Store
  • Mission Run

First, we make sure the needs of the Lakota students are met. They have first pick of all donated clothing and other items.  If we’re not able to use a particular item on campus (such as baby clothes), then it will go to the thrift store or a reservation outreach. After a certain amount of time, items we have not been able to use are packed up and sent to an outreach on an Indian Reservation near us.

As this project comes to an end, the staff here at the Thrift Store and the processing center would like to thank the Facilities Staff for all the hard work and organization they put into this project.  They have helped make this transition an easy one!

St. Joseph’s new Thrift Store is located on Main Street in Chamberlain, South Dakota.
A mock up of what the storefront will look like when it is 100% complete.

A Tradition of Love & Care

The SCJ Founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon was born March 14 in 1843. On this date last week I sent out an email note to St. Joseph’s staff thanking them for carrying on his tradition of love and caring.

Fr. Dehon used to have many short prayers during the day, before or after events in a busy life, to keep him centered. One of my favorites is always, “Jesus, make my heart like yours.” No matter how hectic life gets, we can always build such prayer and centering moments into our lives. Several staff emailed back that was a good reminder and just what they needed at the time they read and reflected upon it.

We hosted a group of education majors from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota. Some were helping with classroom instruction and activities. Another was working with our special education teacher learning the ins and outs of testing and assessment. She found it helpful to test out the theories they learned in class with real, hands-on life experiences. When these students go back to school, they’ll have a fresh round of questions for their instructors as they take up the challenges of such a worthy profession.

Preparing eighth graders for graduation

We are looking forward to graduation for our eighth grade class in a couple of months. I am proud to say that I have had many of these Lakota students since they were in their younger elementary years at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

St. Joseph’s eighth grade graduates receive a small medicine wheel and feather as a gift.
The Lakota eighth graders craft small medicine wheels, which are a gift to their classmates at graduation.

This time of year, I have the honor of helping them to prepare their class banner, make their medicine wheels (which are used in the graduation ceremony) and prepare them for life after St. Joseph’s.

Each class of Lakota eighth graders creates a banner to commemorate their class.
After graduation, eighth grader banners hang in St. Joseph’s Rec Center.

One of the more enjoyable items I share with them is giving them their eighth grade portfolio.  This portfolio encompasses all of their works from the time they entered my Native American Studies room until they graduate.  It is so fun to hand back papers and watch them look through their past years of learning!  I can hear them sharing their drawings and writings with each other.  The giggles and smiles reinforce the reason I have them create the portfolios.

The students made their personal portfolio out of brown paper bag and yarn.  They are modeled after the par fleche containers Lakota/Dakota/Nakota (Sioux) people used long ago.   The containers from long ago were made of rawhide and sinew.  Today, we make them in a much more inexpensive, modern way.

In the past, the par fleche was decorated with tribal designs specific to one’s tribe and tiyospaye – extended family.  This made it easy to return a lost container to its rightful owner, much like luggage tags today.  The par fleche carries meaning and a lot of knowledge of each St. Joseph’s student.

Can the school year be almost over?

The Lakota (Sioux) girls in the William Home have had a great year!
The girls in the William Home have walked over 1,000 miles since the start of the year!

Greetings from the staff and students of the William Home (4th-5th grade girls)!

It is amazing how fast this school year has gone at St. Joseph’s.  We have been able to accomplish so many things and are working hard to finish up the school year with many positive memories.  The Lakota (Sioux) girls in our home have been so busy this year with basketball, Dancing Dolls, cheerleading and gymnastics as their extracurricular activities.

We have completed our walking program for the year and it is safe to say that we far exceeded our goal!  We put up a map to track our walk with a goal of walking to the hometowns of each girl in our home, which would have been just over 15,000 laps in the gym (750 miles).  We are happy to say that our final total is over 20,000 laps, or 1000 miles!

Recently, we were able to travel to the Lower Brule Indian Reservation to attend mass and then serve treats afterwards.  The girls have always enjoyed doing this and, of course, love to show off their cooking abilities. We still have the circus coming up, as well as our home trip that will take us to Rapid City, South Dakota, to the water park.

One of our big highlights of the year will come soon when we start moving back in to the newly renovated William Home.  All of us are excited to see the new home, although the fifth graders are a little bummed they will only be in the new home for a short time.

As always, with a school year winding down, you think about all the memories you have made with those fifth graders and will miss them when they move up. Thank you to everyone for helping to make this a wonderful and memorable year in the William Home!