St. Joseph's Indian School

Children Are Always Watching

We started the day with an appreciation breakfast for St. Joseph’s staff. Instead of eating breakfast in the homes, everyone on campus was invited to a shared meal at the dining hall. I was surprised when I took a bite out of what I thought was a sausage patty and it turned out to be an oatmeal breakfast cookie. I liked it a lot, but sure wasn’t expecting that taste.

Human Resources had a three-question trivia contest about the weather. They realize that many people just use smart phones to look things up, so Donna joked with an adult that she handed a quiz to, “cheating is encouraged!”

One of our Lakota first graders coming through the line at that time had a perplexed look on her face.

Donna had to retrace her steps and assure the child that no, cheating is not good, and it is not encouraged, especially in school, and we were only joking. We must be careful what we say and do around children because they remember our words and most definitely notice our actions.

One of our family service counselors accompanied students to the South Dakota Women’s Prison in Pierre for a visit to see their mom. Those kinds of separations are hard on a family and particularly the children. They are hopeful her upcoming parole hearing will allow the family to be united once again.

Having Fun & Keeping Fit

Keeping fit and strong is important to us at the health center, not just for the Lakota students, but for our employees as well.

Nurse Ronda has been a yoga instructor for years. Jeff, our PA, has been a wrestling coach in his spare time for as long as I’ve known him.

. Joseph’s Health Center team takes great care of the Lakota boys and girls! — Nurse Ronda (top left) is a yoga instructor. Jeff (center) coaches wrestling. Nurse Nancy (right) has now become a fitness instructor!

So, with a desire to keep myself fit as well, I have become a certified fitness instructor! I am offering aerobic exercise classes to St. Joseph’s employees after work a couple days a week. Fun and free. Can’t go wrong with that, right?

We’ll see how many hang in there till spring.

Have a wonderful day!

Sealing a win at home

We had two exciting junior high basketball games yesterday and today!

Last year’s team had a bumper crop of great players and went undefeated. This year, we have a much smaller group of eighth grade Lakota boys – both in number and in height – and it’s been a rebuilding year that takes lots of patience.

But yesterday, against the St. Francis Indian School Warriors, our St. Joseph’s kids erased an 8-point half time deficit, and rallied to win by a single point! Getting off the goose egg in the win column had the same excitement for the guys as though they’d won a tournament. I joined the Rooney Home (6^th-8^th grade boys) for supper afterwards and they replayed some of the exciting moments from the victory.

Today was another nail biter, this time against our cross-town rival Chamberlain Cubs. All of these students have gotten to know each other through our intercity basketball program, and have played both with and against each other many times. Several of the Cubs are children or grandchildren of our St. Joseph staff. It’s one of the games on our schedule where you need to get to the gym early if you want a close by parking spot. The lead changed hands countless times, and was tied with a minute to go. Chamberlain made their free throws down the stretch and pulled out a 3 point win. While our team was disappointed it couldn’t continue a winning streak, they hustled and gave it their all.

Congratulations to the Cubs, but wait until next year!

With my head spinning from looking at numbers on the budget sheet, I decided to take a break from the office and walk around campus to check out the activities. Our facilities crew is especially busy, with all kinds of projects in various states of completion.

The remodel of the William Home is nearly complete for the Lakota (Sioux) girls! — Tile is being put down for the kitchen and dining room floors in the William Home.

Our thrift store remodeling is on track for a March 1 opening and they’re putting in the finishing touches there. Next comes the work of moving all the clothes and household items from the old store to the new.
The kitchen and dining room floor in the William Home remodel is being laid.
The basement of the Benedictine building is getting the sprinklers for fire safety replaced.
Cabinets for the museum’s expanded gift shop arrived and are being installed.
A bathroom in the Rec Center is being remodeled to make it handicap accessible.

Our facilities manager, Tom, showed me blueprints of some other projects we will start when the weather turns warmer. We make budget plans a year ahead of time. It’s satisfying to see those plans coming to completion.

A Busy Saturday

The Lakota (Sioux) children at St. Joseph’s participate in the Rites of Initiation with the support of their families. — The Lakota students who will be baptized or receive communion make stoles to wear on their special day.

As our students prepare for to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation, our Rite of Christian Initiation included a retreat for the 11 Lakota (Sioux) families participating.

We began with lunch and introductions, then broke into six workshop stations. Each lasted a half hour, and the families rotated to different activities. Delores and Karen helped the students make the stoles they will use on their special day. Mary Jane and Claire helped with a bread making activity. Steve gave them some treats and prizes to help them learn and remember the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (i.e. “smarties” candy to represent the gift of understanding). Joe taught them a song for church. Mary showed them a movie about a family sharing bread and much love.

Father Anthony and I led the workshop in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Ours was entitled “Holy Things” but we informally named it, “What’s it for, What’s it called???”

The Native American children and their families could wander around the church and ask questions about anything that caught their fancy. Fr. Anthony had a set of vestments sitting out, and kids were tickled when he stood each of them on a stool and dressed them like a priest, explaining each of the vestments and symbolic colors.

I had all the things you use for mass on the altar, and those students who were curious could even taste one of the unconsecrated hosts, to take some of the mystery and worry out of first communion. (Two told me they tasted like chips, but with just whole wheat and water they really are quite plain).

Questions ranged from statues and stained glass to cabinets and storage room. Two groups wanted to get the view from the choir loft, and we let them hear what the pipe organ sounds like up close. The students got excited about the interaction. As always, our main goal is to help them know and love God more dearly.

At the end of the retreat, we had our weekend mass for the whole school Saturday evening. The candidates and catechumens wrote their names in the Book of Enrollment. We will celebrate the sacraments of initiation the Sunday after Easter.

If that wasn’t enough for a Saturday, the 6^th-8^th grade basketball players, both boys and girls, were given the chance to travel to Mitchell, South Dakota for a college basketball game at Dakota Wesleyan University. The two highlights were Thomas making a 3-point shot during half time to win a bottle of pop, and our kids seeing the live action cam broadcast their faces on the jumbo-tron scoreboard.

Looking forward to a long weekend

Hello and greetings from the High School Program!

Since St. Joseph’s high school students attend the Chamberlain public school, their schedule is different from the 1^st-8^th grade students.

We’re looking forward to a long weekend with Friday and Monday off for parent-teacher conferences and President’s Day. On Monday we will have a presentation by medical students from the University of South Dakota. We try to utilize no school days to bring in speakers or plan activities that will appeal to the kids and expose them to opportunities for their futures.

Parent-teacher conferences are a nice opportunity to find out what gains our Lakota students have made as well as which areas they need to focus on. We always invite the students’ parent/guardians to take part in conferences and we have a growing number of parents attending. One mother came from three hours away last semester – her dedication to her son’s education is commendable. For parents/guardians who cannot attend, our houseparents summarize the information and share it with them.

We are also looking ahead to the next school year as we work on eighth grade selections. This is a process of determining how many openings we will have in the high school program and seeing which eighth graders will best fit the public school our students attend.

Some years, we have about the same number of openings as we have eighth graders – that makes the selection process much easier. Other years, there are many more eighth graders than there are openings and the process is very difficult.

We begin in October when the High School Residential Coordinator meets with the eighth grade students to share information about the high school program; the students have an opportunity to ask questions and then they fill out a survey about their plans for the following year.

In February the Coordinator meets individually with each student to “interview” them. This consists of questions about their academics, attendance, and participation in extra-curricular/artistic/musical activities. At this same time, surveys are sent to the teachers, eighth grade houseparents, and Family Service Counselors to gather as much information as possible.

Our goal and desire is to keep every student here until they graduate high school. However, that doesn’t always work due to lack of space or when individual student circumstances have changed. One situation we’re seeing more frequently is that the student’s families are becoming more stable and self-sustained.

In these situations, the families are often ready to have their children home with them. As much as we love having the kids at St. Joseph’s, our ultimate goal is to help them and their families become productive members of their tribes and their communities. When that happens and families can be together, everyone benefits.

We are enriched by the opportunity that is provided when families entrust their children to our care and we’re fortunate to be a part of positive changes for the future. Most of all, we are grateful for the generosity of others in helping us accomplish our mission.

Special Valentine’s Day treats

Our youngest Lakota students received new books from a generous donor. — Isaiah got to join his classmates in choosing two new books from a generous donor!

Like many others, we began Lent yesterday with prayer and the distribution of ashes.

I had a morning mass on campus for part of the staff before the liturgy for the Lakota (Sioux) children in the afternoon. When I headed home for lunch I passed the younger kids on the playground, playing King of the Hill on the mound of snow at the playground’s edge.

Kaiden (first grade) saw the black smudge on my forehead and asked if those were ashes.

“Does it burn?”

No, I reassured him, the ashes were not hot, just messy and a sign that we’re sorry for the wrong things we do and want to try to do better. He seemed OK with that answer, and wasn’t scared later when he came up to receive the mark of repentance for himself.

With our high school students having a different schedule, there are few good times for all the students on campus to get together. Fr. Anthony lead an additional evening service for our older Native American students. They seem to enjoy the more intimate setting among their peers.

Today was also Valentine’s day. After a day of Lenten fasting, there was no shortage of sugary treats. Casmir, a 95-year-old alumnus from our very first class at St. Joseph’s Indian School, bought ice cream bars for everyone in the school, which were shared at afternoon break.

Another donor provided enough wonderful children’s books for every student in grades 1-4 to choose two or three from a great selection. The classrooms and homes picked a few also for use with future classes. Mary’s first graders presented me with a poster sized Valentine’s card about half as big as my office door, with hearts and handprints and lots of love.

This year we instituted a “parent portal” so families can sign in via computer and check on their child’s grades and scores. Some parents and guardians do not have computers or internet access, but many have some way to check in once in a while. Many of our families live at a distance, some up to four or five hours away, so this is another way to try to bridge the gap.

I received a report on usage, and we are quite pleased with initial interest. As happens anywhere however, some of the students who could use parental involvement and support the most are the ones whose parents or guardians remain unengaged.

A Tablespoon of Hot Sauce

Due to a good weekend snowstorm, Chamberlain canceled school yesterday. The Native American grade school students at St. Joseph’s still had classes, since living here they only have to walk a block or two.

Our dedicated facilities crew started clearing snow at 3 a.m. and made it possible to navigate the roads and sidewalks safely. We did start 90 minutes hours late. The teachers and other staff who had to drive from their homes appreciated the extra time to dig themselves out and get to campus.

Our high school students had the whole day off. Knowing there were no ballgames or activities, I figured it was a good time to stop by Sheehy Home (high school boys) for supper. They’d spent the afternoon exercising at the Rec Center, and most were now parked on the couches watching movies. A few of the guys were using the time to catch up on homework and missing assignments, which I made sure to compliment.

Supper was a memorable culinary experience. Anita’s lasagna was some of the best I’ve ever had. But next to the salad was a plastic squeeze salad dressing bottle that was slightly orange colored. From the side I saw the beginning of a word – “FR.”

I assumed it was French dressing, so unbeknownst to others I poured it liberally on my salad greens. It turned out to be “Frank’s Hot Sauce,” and my first bite it was like eating a full tablespoon of Tabasco sauce! The Sheehy boys got a chuckle out of my miscalculation.

I stopped by Raphael Home (1^st – 3^rd grade boys) after school today and found the Lakota youngsters actively playing. You can have fancy computer games and electronic toys, but today the boys were intrigued with simple old-fashioned things. Kane was trying out a yo-yo. I was able to give him a few pointers of how to hold it and get the most spin out of the wrist, signs of my own playful youth. Rudy had a lightweight wooden airplane, like we used to get in the dime store, and he and Dorian were competing to see who could keep it aloft the longest.

Imagination is the most fertile field for a child’s play, and basketball is the big sport around campus. First graders Jacob and Devin stacked a trio of laundry detergent buckets against the wall, and on top built a foot wide square of large Legos. They each had a beanie baby bird (one a penguin and the other an eagle) and were using those to shoot hoops. Teris stood guard by the bucket, blocking shots and trying to keep them away but, with persistence, they would occasionally get one by and over his outstretched arms and into the goal. They cheered as though they’d hit a game winning shot!

Of Basketball & Ping Pong

Three other eighth grade teams took part in St. Joseph’s basketball tournament. — St. Joseph’s eighth-grade team lost their first game of the tournament by only one point!

Saturday at St. Joseph’s Indian School we had our eighth grade invitational basketball tournament. Four teams participated. Robert, one of our high school students, has taken to refereeing, and I enjoyed seeing him run the court and keep the game flowing and fair.

Our team lost their first game by only one point. Disappointed and tired, they didn’t play up to their potential in the consolation round and got blown out. That game was hard for the fans to watch.

It may be even more important to cheer and support when kids are struggling than when they are winning.

Some of the girls’ homes made a batch of sloppy joes, hot dogs and dessert bars to sell at the snack bar. The game room became a lively place to grab a quick lunch and catch up with staff and students.

Our younger girls had basic gymnastics practice in the afternoon. I see our students doing cartwheels all the time, and Heidi and Mark tried to teach them some new skills, like walking on a balance beam. I got in line and tried my hand (more so my feet) at the skill along with the girls.

It was actually much like the physical therapy I had to do to strengthen the nerves to my foot after the cancer surgery, and I had no trouble walking across. But when I tried balancing on one foot and leaning forward, that’s when I needed the spotter’s help to hop down. I heard lots of giggles, but at least I tried.

We had a blizzard warning and snow started flying Saturday night.

Our facilities crew came in early and had the roads cleared in time for Sunday morning mass. Much of the snow we get is dry and powdery. This was wet and heavy, and very much appreciated in an area that suffered from drought last year.

We’ve seen what the East Coast is digging out from, and keep all those adversely affected by winter weather in our prayers. After lunch, I saw a couple of the younger boys’ homes bundle up and head for the hills for sledding.

I ate brunch with the Summerlee Home (4^th– 5^th grade girls). I tried my hand at ping pong with Chassidy, who kept it going pretty good, and gave a quick lesson on how to hold a paddle to Daejah, who was fairly new at the game. Then it came time for all the students to sit at the kitchen counter and get their valentines written out for their classmates.

Valentine Sobriety Carnival & Dance

St. Joseph’s holds a Sobriety Carnival each February for the Lakota boys and girls. — Samantha tries her hand at one of the carnival games.

Friday was our Valentine’s Sobriety Celebration at St. Joseph’s Indian School. The Lakota children in grade school enjoyed a carnival, with about ten different games around the edges of the gym. Older students and a few staff ran a face painting station at center court, and I saw colorful mustaches, cat whiskers and clown faces all around.

Each game required different levels of skill – plastic bowling pins, ring toss and a golf putt. Some were pure luck, like the Fish Pond and the Cake Walk, but the kids had a blast walking around the numbered circle to the music, or casting their rod over the partition in search of treasure. Consolation prizes were penny candies. Each student played until they won up to five small prizes.

Once their card was filled, they made their way to the tables filled with donated toys, games and knick knacks. I noticed some students would pick the first thing that caught their eye, while others were more discriminating shoppers, and carefully looked everything over before making their selection.

The junior and senior high students held a dance later in the evening. Our dances usually involve many students sitting on the sidelines and only occasionally meeting in the middle. Chris, one of our seniors enlisted the help of other classmates to serve as the DJ. The students were more willing to get up and show off their dance moves, mostly in groups. “Couples” were more likely to walk around and hold hands rather than dance together. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.

Meet Luisa, new houseparent

It’s hard to believe we have been in Chamberlain, South Dakota, for almost six months. The memories of being welcomed by the bright green rolling plains are quite vivid—it truly feels like yesterday!

Of course, it doesn’t take much for me to snap back to rationality and know it was in fact, not yesterday. One look down at my boots (encrusted with snow) or the sound of my husband yelling out in frustration from the shower “Luisa our pipes are frozen!” and I think to myself: Nope. It is definitely not August anymore.

As newcomers to the state and new houseparents at St. Joseph’s Indian School, the people we come in contact with often ask us where we come from. When we say Florida people’s eyes get wide and the next question is “WHY are you here?”

Not only that, but when we called banks and other places in Florida to verify they had our new address, most of the strangers on the other line would outright chuckle and say something like “South Dakota? Wow, interesting…”

Ironically, what Jachin (my husband) and I both still wonder is why we never thought about coming here before.

We have both traveled to experience and study various cultures. We are both passionate about intercultural studies, helping the marginalized, and how God works through different people groups. Being a part of the work here at St. Joseph’s captures that and so much more.

In August we did more than just make an impulsive move across the country.

We committed to improving the lives and influencing the future of 12 Lakota boys and 12 Lakota girls.

Through these blog entries, I hope to share with you our adventures, their development, our laughter, our quest to help them reclaim their culture, and the lessons these incredible little ones have taught me.

Finally, I hope to give you a sneak peak of what life is really like at St. Joseph’s Indian School. Oh and I will definitely be sharing lots and lots of photos and videos! You may be far away but it will be nearly impossible for you not to feel the joy these kiddos bring to our life.

Let’s get started with some of my recent favorites.

The girls and me being silly.	Fun with Photoshop!
All my boys sledding.

And the one that makes me laugh so hard it hurts, a video of the boys and I playing our animal game:

Psalm 127:3-5 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.