Volleyball, omelets and German presentations

Last night, our sixth, seventh and eighth grade girls volleyball teams wrapped up the season tonight with home games against the Pierre Indian Learning Center. Every game went back and forth, with some good rallies. Each match went the full three games. The most exciting for me was seventh grade. Down one game to none, and faced with two match points in the second game, our St. Joseph’s girls rallied to take the game 26-24, then went on to win the rubber match as well. Sixth graders were victorious. Eighth grade lost a very close match, and I was impressed by their hustle and how they’ve improved over the course of the season.

This morning started with one of our staff appreciation breakfasts – omelets and fixings in the dining hall. When we got into the serving line I was delighted to see that several members of our student leadership group were staffing the chow line, with a little supervision from our kitchen staff. I have to tell you, the line moved quickly as our kids were so dexterous with their hands and speedily got the food onto the trays. Staff from the business office and maintenance, who don’t always get as much direct interaction with the children, especially enjoyed the dining room full of camaraderie.

Today our German exchange students gave a power point presentation to two groups of our Lakota students. They showed pictures of their families, home towns and school, along with pictures of activities they are involved in. The younger kids don’t have a clear concept of what other countries are like. They wondered if they had McDonalds or text messaging in Germany. Our older students asked broader questions, intrigued by the possibility that they may someday get the opportunity to visit our sister school in Handrup.

When Fabian and Theresa said they were dance partners, our high school students encouraged them to show a couple of moves. There was limited space on the stage, but they did a few waltz twirls and swing exchanges. Maybe before they return home they’ll learn a few powwow steps!

Guest Blogger: Dianne

Hi!  My name is Dianne and this is my first time blogging! I thought I’d start by letting you know a little bit about myself.  I have been Administrative Assistant here at St. Joseph’s going on 36 years.  I love my job, love the kids, and love what St. Joseph’s stands for.

My job in the office is always very busy—students come to me when they don’t feel well and I determine if they need a cough drop, an ice bag (quite a popular seller here!), if they need to go to the Health Center, or just some tender loving care.  We see many students for other reasons like “I can’t find my planner,” “I lost my glasses,” “Which class am I supposed to be in now,” “I’m lost,” etc. !

We have several new students and this way I get to know them personally.  Actually, the kids are my favorite part of my job!  They come from many different places, but seem to find their place in the world here, make friends, and do quite well!  The little first graders are so darn cute—they steal your heart away.

Two scary monsters at St. Joseph's Indian School.
Two monsters at an Academic Awards Banquet!

Today we have many different things going on in the school—we just finished our first quarter of school so I am busy getting report cards out and figuring out who is on the A and B honor roll.  We will have an awards assembly and present them with their certificate and a prize.  If students are on the honor roll two quarters in a row, they get to attend the Academic Banquet.  I have helped with the banquet several years now—we always have a theme with fun decorations, serve a meal and give door prizes and awards.  Some of our themes have been The 50’s—Rock and Roll, Tie Dyed—70’s, Monsters, Candy Land, Disco and many, many more.

We are now on Infinite Campus, a statewide program, so the job of grades and report cards has been made easier for all.  Also, the students’ parents and/or guardians can check their progress at home.  It has been a challenge for us all to acclimate ourselves to doing things a different way, but will be well worth it in the long run.

I keep track of attendance and also of activities on campus which I include on the weekly FYI.  I enjoy putting this together and adding clip art and pictures of our students along with the activities.  I have been including powwow pictures for some time now as they are enjoyable to look at and very colorful also!

Our school is always a very busy place like all schools—our Native American students live here on campus and go to school also. This gives us a good chance to really get to know them well. I still see kids who went to school here years ago—many of them have their own kids enrolled here!  I think this speaks very highly of what we do here.

Thanks for your support!

Fly, crash, dream, get back up and fly again

“Red Rover, Red Rover, send Fr. Steve right over!”

Bursting through the linked arms of a second and third grader wasn’t too difficult for me, but I was gentle about it. The students got a laugh out of it when I joined them in Wisdom Circle for a couple of rounds of the children’s game after school today.

Today began our second quarter – hard to believe we’re already that far along with our school year! Our custom is to start each quarter by gathering in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel for an all-school prayer service. This Sunday Kateri Tekakwitha, a Mohawk/Algonquin woman who lived during the 1600’s is being canonized a saint. Fr. Anthony quizzed the students about her life. Since she serves as a good role model for our Native American students, they’ve heard her story and came up with answers to all of the questions.

The pastoral care team put together a slide show set to a meditation on the scriptural theme of being lifted up on Eagle’s Wings and allowing our spirits to soar. Interspersed with inspiring pictures of eagles majestically in flight were pictures of our students going about their everyday routine of living and learning here on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus. As students recognized themselves we heard giggles, but also great focus, attention and pride. Afterwards we announced the Fr. Leo John Dehon SCJ Circle of Courage awards for the quarter, given to students who are good role models to others, and show generosity and kindness in school and in the homes. Hopefully the message that they can fly and God will raise them up was internalized.

Along that theme, I had an email from a donor – a veteran – who had been through many ordeals. His message to me was to help our students overcome the obstacles in their lives.

“Teach your students to fly, crash, dream, get back up and fly again.”

It was a gorgeous 80 degree day. Matthias Home (6th– 8th grade girls) invited me to supper. They fired up the grill and ate their  evening meal on picnic tables outside the home. We accept students throughout the school year as openings occur, and I got to welcome Brianna, our newest eighth grader. Her housemates were doing their best to make her feel welcome and help her fit in.

Faith in action

A small crowd today in church as several of the homes were still gone on home trips, and many other students’ families took advantage of our nice fall weather and checked out their kids for the weekend.

Our high school students generally have religious education classes Sunday after church. The session is called “faith in action” and students find service projects around campus or in town to take part in. Today all the high school girls banded together to organize all the storage areas around the sacristy and chapel. Over the years, we’ve accumulated many bells, books and candles and assorted church supplies. It was a real service to empty cupboards, dust and clean and sort.

The most interesting find of the day was a wooden church clapper – a pivoting wooden hammer used only on Good Friday in place of bells that represents the nails being hammered into Jesus’ hands and feet. I had to explain what that was to the group. The girls laughed when they dug out the king’s crowns we use for the Nativity play, and wore them like royalty as they went about their work. They found a pile of old keys we’ll try to match up. They removed a lot of packaging and couldn’t resist popping lots of the bubble wrap. Thanks for the help!

I joined the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls) for brunch. In some of the older homes the kids eat and run. The girls this age love to chat, and more than a few times had to be reminded to work on their food before it got cold. Afterwards Tashia taught me how to play the game Mancala, trying your wits at strategically placing colorful glass beads. With kids, it’s not about winning and losing, but about taking the time to “waste time together.”

Guest Blogger: Ronda

The school year started out with a bang at the Health Center! St. Joseph’s Health Center staff includes:

  • Nancy, RN, began at St Joseph’s in 1980
  • Ronda, LPN, began in 1991
  • Connie, Health Center Assistant began in 2003

Let us tell you about what we do!

We started the school year by getting all 220 students checked into the Health Center (HC) the day before school starts.  The day is always very busy, but we love having the opportunity to meet the new students and a few of the parents when they bring their children to St Joseph’s.

During their quick visit here that day one of the first things we do is check their eyes.  We use this information several times through the year to determine who needs eye appointments or if their prescription is still working for them.  As of today, the children in need of glasses have received them, and we hope are wearing them … you know how kids can be!

We also do heights and weights on all the students at this time.  Then again at the end of the school year we repeat this process.  The students enjoy seeing how much they have grown in a short nine months

This year the state of South Dakota was able to provide our Lakota students with the flu mist, and all 220 of them were given the first part of September.  We appreciated the mist instead of the shot because there was a lot less crying! What a relief to have this task done.  Not only were we immunizing our students, we also gave 170 employees and their families their shots.  Sorry no mist for them, they had to take the shot in the arm.

As October begins, so do our physicals for the students.  Each new student  gets a physical in September and the returning students have them on a yearly basis.  Busy busy busy! Intertwined in all of this, each child gets a yearly dental cleaning and needed dental work done.

Thank you for helping us provide the medical attention our students need!

Ronda

Magical and inspirational places

We all had so much fun exploring the Black Hills!
We all had so much fun exploring the Black Hills!

We experienced two of South Dakota’s best known mountains today. One must see is, of course, Mount Rushmore, where we took our German exchange students for the essential photo ops. While their command of English is quite good, they were pleased to find a good selection of the monument’s brochures in German, which made it nice for souvenirs for friends and family back home. Besides the famous faces, our students took almost as many pictures of the stray mountain goat that wandered into the parking lot.

I’ve been to Mount Rushmore many many times. Seeing it through the eyes of visitors for the first time helps make it a magical and inspirational place.

In contrast with Mount Rushmore’s huge gifts store, cafeteria and all the amenities, Harney Peak is in the Black Elk wilderness area, accessible only by a long hike. We carried water and snacks in our back packs. Atop the 7,400 foot peak, the highest point east of the Rockies, stands a fire watch tower. It was built in the 1930’s by the Civilian Conservation Core, and staffed until the early 80’s. From the peak you can see about 50 miles in every direction. Spectacular! The Lakota holy man Black Elk spoke of his vision quest in this very area.

The hike was strenuous, with about a thousand foot climb up 3 miles of trail. For me coming back down was harder in spots than going up. The loop took us about four hours. We staggered our group of 18, and let everyone go at their own pace. We had a bus key at the end in case anyone got tired, but I was most impressed that everyone completed the pilgrimage.

I couldn’t keep up with most of the high school students. When they reached the top some still had energy to burn and explored the rocks and ledges surrounding the peak. I had some time with hiking companions, but more time alone, and that time was prayerful and meditative. When the going got tough, I thought of what it must have been like for Jesus to carry his cross along a rocky road, in far more difficult circumstances. I also remembered the people I’ve climbed the trail with in previous years, and lifted them up in prayer.

When we got back to Rapid City, we finished the evening at a buffet restaurant, where the tired but satisfied group refueled and recounted their adventures along the trail. Tomorrow I’ll head back to Chamberlain, while the group heads further west to experience Devil’s Tower.

Say cheese!

The staff and Native American youth at St. Joseph's Indian School.
Say cheese and smile big!

This morning all our students and staff gathered in front of the school for our annual group picture. Emily bravely stood high above us on a tall ladder. With the cool autumn winds swirling leaves around our feet, we got some 300 people to (mostly) smile at the same time so we can preserve the memories of the 2012-2013 school year at St. Joseph’s.

Chamberlain High School has a fall break, which proved perfect for a trip. The entire Sheehy Home (boys) and our two high school girls who went to Germany last summer (Erika and LaToya) are showing our German exchange students the tourist and cultural sites in Western South Dakota. I’m joining them for the first part of the trip.

Our caravan consisted of a white mini-bus, the high school suburban and my car, and pulled out mid-morning. We made up sack lunches and ate at a roadside rest area along the way to the Badlands. I had two of our seniors, Chris and Erika in my car, and offered them the opportunity to help drive. The other students teased them about me taking a big chance.

In South Dakota, the roads are pretty open and have little traffic anyway, but I remember how much it meant to me when I first got my license and I was trusted enough with the responsibility of driving. Besides, if we are going to teach our students life skills, independence and responsibility, that’s what any parent would do. They both did great. I did take the wheel through the badlands, since there is so much to see, and I wanted everyone else to look.

We hiked for an hour or so to shake off the travel sleepiness. Our German visitors  marveled at the giant sand castle-like formations that seem almost otherworldly, but also the vast treeless plains and vistas of the horizon all along the way. Some of our more adventurous students climbed high into the peaks, while most of us stuck to the marked trails.

Our vehicles were stopped by a herd of about ten bighorn sheep crossing the road looking for a new spot to graze. We also took a look at one of the larger prairie dog towns and saw hundreds of them scurrying about.

Chris’s family lives in Rapid City, and his mom, grandmother and aunt had supper waiting for us – Indian Tacos. Lots of frybread and fixings to feed a group of hungry high schoolers. It gave the exchange students a real taste of local culture.

Guest Blogger: Cindy K.

Hello, my name is Cindy K. and I work in the school office at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  My day is full of many interesting details, which are never the same two days in a row!  It is always exciting to see what the day will hold. It includes answering the phone, sending students to the health center, doing state reporting, helping staff and I even have to do a little trouble shooting with the copiers when they are jammed or not working.

I have worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School for over 15 years and it has been a thrill for me to get to know the students from year to year.  Especially those that return to visit and tell us (the staff) how much they learned in their time at St. Joseph’s.

I also work with the Residential and Clinical Departments.  This includes helping with admissions during the summer, setting up Service Plan meetings for students, keeping track of incentive cards and other organizational duties.

This year, we have switched to the District Edition of Infinite Campus.  It is a complex but very fact-filled system.  The system is able to show parents and staff when student assignments are due, as well as their grades and attendance.  I’m able to import students from other schools when they start attending school here at St. Joseph’s.  They need to be entered, given a school schedule, and a household name with any brothers or sisters who also attend St. Joseph’s. This year, the report cards will be run from this system.  It will be an exciting time to see how this will all come together at the end of the quarter.

Our powwow was a huge success with many benefactors attending and participating this year.   The weather cooperated and we enjoyed a fun-filled day outside watching the dancers. I would like to thank all of our donors for visiting and supporting St. Joseph’s. It means a lot to our Lakota students and the school.

“He is my refuge and my fortress, My God; in him will I trust”

Developing a greater sense of pride in Native American heritage and culture

While much of the country celebrated Columbus Day yesterday, South Dakota celebrated Native American Day. We had a full school day, but all the classrooms had special lessons to help our Native American students develop a greater sense of pride in their heritage and culture. As students walked into the building they were smudged with the smoke from sage. They then participated in a Four Directions prayer service in the school gym to begin the day with a good spiritual grounding.

Our students took part in Lakota hand games, drumming and singing while their opponents tried to win wooden counting sticks while guessing which hand held the winning wooden dowel. In the old days, bones were used in this game. As our Lakota students learn the rules and strategies better, they can participate in contests against other schools.

We have an Artist in Residence working with our kids this week. His expertise is in brass instruments and the kids were thrilled and awed when he brought out a tuba and let a few of them try. They were blown away (figuratively)!

Four students and one teacher from our sister school in Handrup Germany arrived today. They will spend the next two weeks with us in a cultural exchange. The German students are the ones who hosted our students in their homes last summer, and I saw hugs and handshakes and joyful reunions all around. They will get to experience what it is like to live in St. Joseph’s homes and travel around the state to learn some history and culture of the Lakota people.

My day was enriched by two visits from donors passing through on their way to the Black Hills for vacation. One couple was from Virgina Beach, and I had time to take them into the school and let them see some of our young scholars in action. The second couple came from Youngstown, Ohio, and I met them in the chapel on my way to community prayer. We talked about the symbolism of the artwork in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel.

I met the crew moving all our artwork into the newly completed storage facility at our Akta Lakota Museum. The curator from one of the state museums said we have a wonderful facility that will preserve our arts and artifacts well. The large back room is starting to come to life as more paintings, sculptures, arrowheads, beaded medallions and countless other treasures add color and texture to the shelving and storage areas.

Our students responded well to our first fire drill of the fall, even when the fire crew blocked three of the regular exits and they had to scramble to figure out an alternative. That’s so necessary if there is a real fire. Dave Z., our new Cultural Associate, uses a wheel chair and had to get creative when his regular ground floor exit was closed. This just reinforced the emphasis we’ve put on making all the older buildings on campus more handicap accessible over the past few years.

Our safety and security committee meets once a month to review drills and other issues. Living in a very rural area, wild animals become an issue, and lately we’ve had too many critters on campus. The deer that graze on our grass, and the wild turkeys that waddle around add charm to the campus. But we’ve also had lots of skunk encounters. Besides the smell, rabies is a concern. One of the sheriff’s deputies is also a trapper, and he’s helping us out. This week we removed five skunks, a possum and three cats. A farm family readily accepted the cats to help control their own little critter population.

Guest Blogger: Peggy

Greetings!  I am Peggy and I am a fourth grade teacher.  I have worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School for about 32 years.  I started in the dorms and, after three years in the dorms, I moved to the school.   I have seen a lot of changes in my years here.  These changes have made life and education for the students much better.

When I first came, we had 40-60 kids in a dorm setting.  Now, each of St. Joseph’s 19 homes has 12 students.  Not only does this make things easier to handle, but more time is spent meeting the students’ needs.  I remember my first Christmas here; we had to really scrape to find enough toys to give the kids even one gift.  Many were missing pieces, but the kids were appreciative.  Now, our benefactors bless the children with many nice things all year long.  I am always amazed by the generous gifts we receive.

Our classrooms also used to be 25 students and up.  We are now blessed, even a little spoiled, to have 12 students per classroom.  This helps us work with the student’s individual needs.  There are times I feel overwhelmed by 12 students, but quickly remind myself how it used to be.  State and Federal standards have changed a lot about the way we teach.  While at times it is frustrating, I know that following these standards will give our students the education they need to compete in our ever-changing world.

When I first arrived, my living quarters were on campus in what is now the Health Center.  The Lakota Homes were an empty field, and classes were held in what is now the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.  Sometimes, I am amazed at all the changes in my lifetime here!  One memory of my first year is having to pick sand burrs out of the football field on our time off.  I remind fellow employees that there are still a few of us here that did that, and they need to thank us!  🙂

Each day, I have students begin by writing in their journals.  They are asked to write at least two things they are thankful for.  There are days that it is hard for all of us, but it shouldn’t be.  My classroom faces the Missouri River.  I remind them; we can look out our window and have plenty to be thankful for.  Not everyone is blessed to have such beauty in their sight every day.  I want the students to be able to see good in every day, no matter what they are facing.  Many times, it a good lesson for this teacher to remember as well!  My class has done a very good job at with their thankful journals this year.

The fourth and fifth graders got a new Science series this year, called Science Fusion.  I am excited to work with this new and updated Science series.  It blends so well with the skills we are teaching in Math and Reading!  I have always found that fourth graders really like Science.  Hopefully with this new series, we can keep that excitement alive.

I hope everyone is enjoying fall.  It’s my favorite time of year.  I miss the Ohio falls and colors, but have found South Dakota to have their own colors and beauty.  I hope, as with my students, you can find things in your everyday lives to be thankful for.