Guest blogger: Claire

Today is the day!  After months of preparation, it is finally time to leave for the cultural trip with the 7th graders.  The boys and girls travel in separate groups, visiting significant cultural, spiritual and historical sites of the Lakota people.  I will be traveling with the girls, and we will be making a large loop through South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota.

The purpose of this trip is to introduce the students to places that are important to their Native American culture.  More than just reading about things in a book, they can experience the power of these places up close.   An important component of this trip is daily journaling, so they can record their feelings and impressions for later.  If there comes a time in their lives when they need spiritual strength, they will know some of the places and traditions that can sustain them.  And it’s not all just “serious stuff.”  We get to do goofy camping stuff too, like cook out, tell ghost stories and chuck rocks into the crick.  This is an amazing group of kids, and it is great to spend time with them.

Dan looks like george Custer!
We think Dan might resemble George Custer a bit!

My companions on this journey will be April, a counselor here and a Dakota elder, and Dan, a houseparent and forensic anthropologist.  We will be accompanying 6 teenage girls on a 7 day, thousand mile quasi-camping trip.  In a mini-bus.  For those of you already moaning in sympathy, it is ok. We are professionals.  We can handle this.  We will be mostly cabin camping, which removes the logistical nightmare of pitching tents in the dark, or in a flood plain, or other such creepy things, while still being close to the great outdoors.  (Let the boys sleep under the stars or pitch tents on the prairie, or whatever.)  We will be doing a lot of hiking.  Did I mention I used to be a Girl Scout?  That means I can use a compass.  Of course Dan has GPS on his phone, so that’s a moot point.

The trip covers a lot of territory, but I will share some of the highlights.  On Saturday we will be climbing Bear Butte in the Black Hills.  This is very sacred site for many Native American tribes, and is a place where people may go for a hanbleceya – vision quest.  April will teach the girls how to make prayer ties for the climb, and will carry a canupe – sacred pipe for a ceremony at the summit.  Fr. Steve will be joining us for this part of the trip, and will celebrate Mass with us when we get back to town.

We will visit another sacred site, Devil’s Tower, on our way to see the Little Bighorn Battlefield.  Dan has done some analysis of artifacts from this site, and has lots of “really cool stuff” to share. (Normally, if Dan has “cool stuff” to share, you better not be eating, but this will probably be an exception.)  Other sites along the way are: Painted Canyons of North Dakota, On-a-Slant Village, Fort Abraham Lincoln, Crazy Horse Memorial, and Pipestone National Monument.

This is a big undertaking, and an incredible opportunity for these kids. All you campers out there know what I mean.   I am so grateful to have the support of donors and benefactors so that we can make this happen. I am also thankful for all the prayers from friends and supporters for our safe travels.  Pilamaya!  Doksa!

Claire

A group of Native American girls on the top of Bear Butte!
Here’s a picture of last year’s group on the top of Bear Butte!

Producing teary, but appreciative eyes

Today was the last full day of school here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. At day’s end the students gathered in the school gym for the perfect and outstanding attendance awards. Thirty-eight children made it to school every day (which is made a bit easier when you live on campus) but still, that meant getting to and from breaks on time and showing up to learn day in and day out.

As an incentive to get students to make such an effort, we take a portion of the Box Tops for Education that donors send to us, and buy some nice end-of-the-year prizes. Bikes are always a favorite, and eight children took home a bicycle. Some students chose a camera or MP3 player as an alternative. Most of the older students opted for a gift card to the local clothing store to supplement their wardrobe with something new and in style.

Our eighth graders had a morning retreat led by Fr. Anthony. Many of the staff wrote them letters of support and memories. They had a half an hour to read through those, producing several teary but appreciative eyes. When you live at a school 24/7, the memories of the many things students and staff share are even stronger.

Afterwards, we practiced for tomorrow’s graduation, so everyone knew where to sit and process and receive. Lunch brought a pizza party for the graduates-to-be in the gym. The students went on to an afternoon matinee, while I opted to go back to the office and take care of the paperwork that is the constant part of an administrator’s job.

Those students who have relatives graduating will stay another day. Most of the other students headed home shortly after the school bell rang. We’ll still have about 50 students next week as summer programs begin, but others said goodbye next August 12, when we start all over again.

Field days and math tests

Great throw Miles!

The school was unusually quiet when I visited yesterday. Grades 1-5 were up at the high school track for their field days.

As this school year ends, I was involved in meetings with staff about next year’s schedule and our long-range maintenance and planning needs, so I didn’t make the festivities. When I caught up with the students after school, they proudly displayed the ribbons they won for 100 meter dash, softball throw or a score of other events.

Our middle school students were in the classrooms. One very quiet room was finishing up the last math test of the semester. The 6th grade language arts students had finished their Literature reader and were taking off dust covers and cleaning up the books to prepare them for next year’s classes. All the classrooms are scheduled to get a clean coat of paint over the summer. As the teachers put things away, the walls are starting to look especially bare to prepare for that work.

Today was the last faculty meeting of the year. Kathleen, our principal ordered the makings for banana splits and I helped dish out ice cream and thank the teachers at the close of another successful year. Some of them will work for parts of our summer program. Some will take the summer off or do something completely different to renew themselves for next year. Richard and Vaye Jean are retiring, and Kathleen presented them with a small gift as a token of our affection.

Human Resources (HR) updated me that we’ve filled most of our school positions, but are still interviewing for four more positions. Our advertising and word of mouth seems to be working as there are a good pile of resumes to review and references to call. HR is one of the busier groups on campus over the summer as we try to get new staff trained and in place for a smooth start in the fall.

Most of our donations are small, regular sacrificial gifts in the $20 range. Larger gifts usually come in the form of a bequest or a charitable gift annuity. But today I was surprised by the biggest unannounced donation I’ve seen this year – enough to pay 3 teacher’s salaries, or help with special projects wherever it is needed! When I made a personal call to thank the donor, he was a man of few words, but just wanted the money to benefit our students and our programs. I am humbled and grateful for people’s generosity, and committed to running good programs that use these resources to make a difference.

Guest blogger: Facilities Team

Summer is approaching fast and St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus is looking nice and green!  The kids are in their last week of school and we are all busy working to get campus in tip top shape for our Eighth Grade Graduation on May 25.

Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel at St. Joseph's Indian School.
St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel

We are in the process of updating our landscaping and planting some colorful flowers to brighten up our campus.  Our grounds crew has fixed up the yard around Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel where the graduation ceremony will take place.  We are also adding a special touch to the front entrance of our campus: a flag pole with some rock landscaping around it.  This will help add that special touch to the entrance and also help in giving family members and visitors directions to our campus.

Our renovation of the Stevens and Mathias Homes is still progress.  All of the major work is complete in the Stevens Home and the students have already started moving some of their home items back to help in getting ready for next year when they return from summer break.  The Mathias Home is, for the most part, completely painted except for some minor touching up.  They have started installing the ceramic tile flooring and have also started hanging the cabinets in the kitchen.

Welcome to St. Joseph's Indian School.
The new flag pole at the entrance of St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The entire facilities crew is busy laying out the schedule over the summer months and setting up future projects that will be taking place on campus here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  We will be working on doing some updating in the school, start our next home renovations with the Summerlee and William Homes, and many more!

As always, we continue to keep busy doing our best in making the campus feel like home to all the kids that are here over the school year.

Until next time,

Facilities Crew

Expectations and sore muscles

Today was “Step Up Day” at school, which means students spend the last hour of the day in the classroom they will move up to next year. Teachers spoke to their soon-to-be students about expectations and answered questions to help students feel more comfortable with the move.

The first graders were excited about the desk configuration in second grade, where they will each have a free-standing desk instead of being grouped together on a table. The fourth graders learned they will get an assignment book – and have to take responsibility for writing down their homework instead of the primary teachers handing it to the houseparents. Fifth graders physically move up, going from the middle to the top floor. They also get their own locker in the hall. Eighth graders – instead of stepping up – stepped out and got to spend an extra hour on the playground. Life is full of transitions. In preparing for them we find talking through them helps reduce some of the anxiety.

Another day, another cook out! Tonight the Lakota Homes (6th-8th graders) got together for a pre-game picnic. This was something like a pot luck as each of the homes brought something different as they use up all that’s in their cupboards and freezers as we approach the end of the year. Even if the front of the line emptied a few of the offerings, there were still many scrumptious dishes to satisfy the taste buds.

Fortified with a good meal, we loaded up the school bus and headed up to the local high school softball field for the annual staff vs. 8th grade showdown. The staff had to hit a bigger ball that didn’t travel as far, and the 8th graders got 5 outs per inning to try to even up things a bit. It might have given a talented 8th grade much of an advantage. The students jumped out to an early lead, and never trailed, prevailing 14-11.

I pitched; my earned run average may not be something to be proud of, but my main goal was to throw strikes and give the students – especially the less athletic ones – a good chance to hit the ball. Everyone had fun, though tomorrow I know that after trying to recapture the game of our youth, this veteran player and a few others will have some sore muscles.

Congratulations class of 2012

With just a week to go in the school year, all the homes are cleaning out their refrigerators. At this point in the year, homes even start trading groceries with one another in an effort to use up as much as they can. Wisdom Circle, in front of the Benedictine Homes (1st-5th grades) is a lovely grassy spot in center of St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, shaded by majestic cottonwood trees.

With picnic tables out for the nicer weather, the setting was perfect for a couple of picnic meals. Friday evening houseparents Leonard and Aleece organized a meal for all the t-ball participants. That included all of the 1st-3rd graders on campus and the fare was your basic hot dogs and hamburgers, with fruits and vegetables. Today after church, the houseparents all pitched in different specialties for a brunch.

I kicked a soccer ball around for a while with a few students, then got involved in a football game. Kids love to play, but they also need to learn how to play fairly. I noticed that they were spending more time arguing about the rules or if they were actually touched with two hands than the time they spent actually playing. I became the quarterback (and referee) for both teams, and enhanced the speed of play considerably. I remember what it was like to be one of the last ones picked, so I made sure to throw the ball to everyone, and give each child a chance to participate. When one boy started yelling at a teammate for dropping a ball, I stopped the action and told him it was important to encourage teammates to try hard, but not belittle them. When another boy gave a shove after the play was finished, I got his attention by calling an “Unsportsmanlike Conduct” penalty.

“This isn’t real football” he objected.

“But you need to play by real rules, especially the rule of being a good sport,” I told him. Competition is okay, but cooperation is better.

Four students from St. Joseph's Indian School pause for a graduation picture.
Congratulations 2012 graduates!

Today was High School Graduation. Fifty young adults from Chamberlain and the surrounding area received their diplomas in the packed ceremony held at the Armory. Four of the 50 were St. Joseph’s students. Attached to their hats were eagle feathers their families had provided to honor their accomplishment. Watching each of the students walk forward brought back so many memories of the years that I’ve known them and saw them grow up before my eyes.

Blessings and best wishes in the future, and congratulations graduates!

Guest Blogger: Craig

St. Joseph's Indian Shcool's 6th grade class trip to the Badlands.
Smile if you loved the Badlands!

Hello, my name is Craig, St. Joseph’s Indian School’s sixth grade teacher.

The sixth grade took its annual trip to the Badlands. We took the entire class with the assistance of Linea, Jennie, Fr. Steve, Vajean and myself. It was a little cloudy and cool, but the kids were excited – many had never been to the Badlands before.

We stopped at the visitors’ center first and saw a movie about the formation of the Badlands and its surprisingly vast variety of wildlife. We toured the hands-on museum and then headed out to explore. The high-points of the day were whenever the kids just got to explore and hike. I think they could have done that the whole day! We also had a tasty lunch and the park café: burgers and fries for energy.

We all got back safe and tired, but the trip was a great success!

Spooky night at St. Joseph’s Indian School

I was working in my lab, late one night. . .

Actually, dressed like a mad scientist, tonight I was worked at the end of the year honors banquet for our 4th-8th grade students. Twenty-five students have all A’s and B’s and 5th grader Camron was the lone student to pull all A’s for the whole year. “Monsters” was the theme chosen, and staff and students dressed up in a variety of fun and/or scary costumes.

Purple People Eater
Look out kids, it’s the Purple People Eater!

For dinner, we had to choose from a mystery menu, not quite knowing what we were ordering. “Witches broomstick handles” turned out to be green beans and “vampire blood” was tomato juice. I thought I was in luck with my first course when I got a knife, fork and spoon with green beans while my neighbor had all food and no utensils!

To my dismay, the ghoulish waiter made me turn them in so when the next course came I had to eat spaghetti (a.k.a. Frankenstein’s Brains) with my fingers! We had lots of laughs. I teamed up with a group of teachers, houseparents and staff to sing a rendition of “Monster Mash.” When it came time to pass out the certificates, our students also received a T-shirt reading MONSTROUSLY AWESOME HONOR STUDENT.

Our 8th graders presented their social studies research projects today on historical figures of interest. Some chose presidents like JFK and Teddy Roosevelt. Others chose Lakota leaders like Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. One girl chose Aristotle, which Dave the teacher noted was a first.

With the help of our computer teacher Gina, the students put together power point presentations that were quite good and made the information come alive. Some of the kids struggled mightily in front of a crowd of peers. Others were big hams and relished the spotlight. While it’s not easy, it’s necessary to overcome fears and grow in self-confidence to let their voices be heard.

Tonight the t-ball league (1st – 3rd graders) handed out their end of the year awards. Diamond (great name for a ball player!) and Keshaume got Golden Glove Awards. Samantha and Nevaeh were acknowledged for having the Best Attitude, and Gavin and Jarret received the Sportsmanship Trophy. Because of an unusual three-way tie, no team won first place, but all the kids got ribbon medals and wore them as proudly as though they’d just won the Olympics.

Children’s laughter

Today was the last day of school for Chamberlain High School. Our four high school homes emptied out quickly once the school day was over. Many of the students will be back in a couple of weeks for driver’s ed, transitional living classes or summer work experiences. Kudos to all the staff who work with these students and saw them through to another successful year!

The ten 1st-3rd graders who have made honor roll all year were treated to a movie and supper in Mitchell. I joined Jennie (Student Coordinator) and Celia (Residential Coordinator) to chaperone the students and had a delightful time. The Pirates: Band of Misfits was not exactly a classic that I’ll never forget, but what I will always remember and treasure were the kids’ giggles and laughs at the silly humor. We ate supper at Culver’s, where everyone got to chose from one of 5 children’s meals, and end the outing with a scoop of frozen custard.

Children’s laughter has a magical quality that heals and strengthens the heart.

We have a small bus that was just the right size for our group. The trip takes about a hour each way. Videos entertained for a while, but mostly we started playing guessing games, talking and telling stories. I sat next to first grader, Nevaeh. Spending a couple of hours talking to a seven-year-old grounded me more solidly in the world view of a child. They have more questions than I have answers, but that’s why young minds can soak up so many things so quickly. Hopefully these Native American students will work hard throughout their many years of study, and learn how to enjoy learning.

Eighth grade banner art

Native American kids painting a banner.
A couple of the kids working on their 2012 class banner.

Since 1977, the eighth grade graduates of St. Joseph’s Indian School created a banner. The banner includes the class motto and is an original design created by the class. In 1984, classes began adding their names to the banner. Some classes have full names, but most have included first names only.

The design and motto for the banner are chosen by submissions from members of the class. The 2012 motto reads:

“We are strong as individuals, but as a class we are invincible.”

The design came from the heart of one of the 2012 graduates, Mia, who said this is something she sees as a vision. The flowing satin star, the feathers on the sides and the motto wrapped around it is what she would like to have representing her class in St. Joseph’s recreation center. The recreation center has displayed the banners since 1977.

The kids help with almost all of the construction of the banner. They paint, cut, repaint and cut again as well as glue, sew and rethink their work through this process of forming what will represent them for years to come.

If you ever visit St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, please come and view the banners in our recreation center.