Delightful days of Mission Awareness

We finished several delightful days of a Mission Awareness exchange with our SCJ sister schools and programs located in Mississippi. Twelve adults and eight students from the South spent time touring and learning about South Dakota and sharing part of their culture and heritage with our students and staff. The group began their tour in the Black Hills and Rapid City, and made the pilgrimages to Mount Rushmore and Crazy Horse on Saturday. Driving here on Sunday they came via Wall Drug and the Badlands. More than anything else, the group was tickled by seeing prairie dogs scampering around the Badlands.

Monday and Tuesday the Mississippi youngsters rotated around our classrooms to present information about their part of the country. One group presented on famous Mississippians, like Brett Favre and Oprah Winfrey. One section was on entrepreneurs, like the founder of FedEx, Fred Smith. In the 2nd grade classroom Kathryn remarked,

“Entrepreneurs is a big word for second graders. Those are people who have a great idea, and make it into something important. Can you think of any entrepreneurs?”

While most were puzzled, one student’s hand shot right up. “God” he wisely said.

A second group put together a musical presentation that taught our Native American students about Blues and Gospel music. One of their eighth grade students sang beautifully for us. Our students made percussion instruments out of corn, rice and beans and shook them in time with the beat. One group showed our students about the agricultural products the Mississippi River Delta is famous for, and yet another introduced our students to famous people involved in the Civil Rights movement.

We split our staff into two groups, so that each morning half of them could attend presentations about the pastoral ministry, educational programs, housing efforts and social services that go on in their part of the country. I saw many of our staff nodding heads and agreeing that working in economically disadvantaged areas, many of the issues are the same. Our staff was impressed and appreciative of their efforts, and we got many compliments about what we are trying to accomplish here in South Dakota.

Both days our guests prepared regional foods for our students and staff to feast on at lunch time. Yesterday’s menu included turkey with cornbread dressing, yams and turnip greens. Today we had pulled pork BBQ. Our kids love it all, except maybe the greens, but a certain yuck factor at anything new, especially in the line of vegetables, is typical of school aged children.

Monday afternoon the group toured the nearby Lower Brule and Crow Creek Indian Reservations. The trip included stops at a reconstructed Earth Lodge, typical of a Mandan village, St. Mary’s Church in Lower Brule, and a guided tour of the Sundance grounds. This afternoon our students had a chance to host and present. Our drum group played traditional songs, and our third graders were dance ambassadors. They demonstrated different powwow dance styles and  got all the guests on their feet to try hoop dancing.

Our archery students demonstrated the skills they’ve learned. Irene impressed us all by showing that she could hit the center of the target even while shooting lying on her back. (the next Katniss Everdeen?!) Our visitors were tickled to be asked to try their hand, and Rob, one of theeighth grade visitors, even got a bullseye! Our students sat with the guests and taught them how to make dreamcatchers. The end of the school day brought time to tour the homes and Akta Lakota Museum. We shared a meal of Buffalo Burgers, and parted with many joyfully shared memories.

Power outage makes an interesting Sunday

Six hours of no electricity made for unusual dynamics on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus today. Power went off just before 9 a.m. and didn’t get restored until after 3 p.m.

We have church at 10, so getting ready with darkened bathrooms and no blow driers made for some interesting looks on students walking into church. We do have an emergency generator, to keep emergency lights, heat and crucial systems on campus going in case of problems, but 90% of campus was without power.

After church, darkened homes, and no televisions or computers made for a perfectly easy way to get everyone outside on a lovely day. Bikes were popular, and the playgrounds were full of activity. A couple of the homes hiked to the park. The Carola boys asked me to let them into the Rec Center so they could get some fishing poles for the home and go down to the river and try their luck at landing some walleye.

Cooking was an inconvenience, but we have lots of grills around campus, and most houseparents fired those up and threw on hamburgers or chicken that were thawing out and had to be used anyway.

Around three was the best part of the day, from a kid’s perspective. By that point the freezers were starting to lose their chill, and the ice cream was reaching the critical point of no return. Since no one knew how long we would be out, the freezers were opened and the homes had an ice cream feast. Just as the students were digging in, the power came back on, so the evening ritual of getting ready for the start of another school week could continue.

While I was walking around campus checking in on everybody, I saw the Stevens Home (6th-8th grade girls) taking a walk together. Their home is getting remodeled this year, and almost complete. I asked them if they wanted a preview, and the students and houseparents couldn’t believe the changes that had taken place in a few months. There is still a sizable punch list, but the kitchen is complete, and even the plaque with the names of donors who contributed to the project is neatly hung by the doorway. Hopefully before the end of the school year they can start transferring their home supplies over.

A weekend outdoors

St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus had all kinds of different activities going on. As I looked out my office window I saw our archers moving their targets from inside the gym to outdoors on the football field, where they could see how they fared with longer distances and wind. The t-ball field was active with a game, and the swings of the playground were arching high. The Explorers groups had a charity car wash to raise funds for a trip to Minnesota to see a Twins baseball game.

With just three weeks left of the high school year, a fair number of our older students attended Saturday school to catch up on missing assignments and make up work.

A few of the homes were away on their annual Home Trip. Two groups were in Rapid City touring the Black Hills. The Fisher Home (6th – 8th grade boys) spent the weekend only a half mile away, at American Creek Campground but enjoyed sleeping in tents, fishing and exploring the great outdoors.

The Sheehy Home (high school boys) celebrated Earth Day. They left campus with empty garbage bags, and scoured town until they returned with full ones.

Mid-afternoon, the high school homes gathered for a picnic. The day was sunny, but our prairie winds were fierce, sometimes gusting up to 45 miles per hour. The grills were moved inside the garage, and the meal was a tasty success. But neither potato chips nor paper plates lasted long on the picnic table before they were airborne. The basketball court was busy, but the players had to rely on layups rather than any finesse distance shots. I threw some horseshoes with a few of the guys and I think the wind even affected the flying metal shoes. I know it almost blew me over a couple of times!

Native American Career Day at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Native American youth listen to local nurse.
The kids learned so much at the Native American Career Day!

This afternoon the school hosted a Native American Career Day. Six different guests set up tables where a small group of students had time to ask questions and learn about their life and career. Two of the presenters were St. Joseph alumni. Nancy is the manager of the Subway restaurant here in town. Paul works at the Sanford Heart Hospital in Sioux Falls. It’s important for our Native American students to see those who have been in their shoes going off and taking on responsibilities like that.  They also met a nurse from Indian Health Services on the nearby Crow Creek Indian Reservation, the director of the technical school in the Sisseton, South Dakota area, and a tribal drug and alcohol prevention coordinator. The ambulance crew was also scheduled to present but, just before the day got started, they got called out for an emergency.

After school the whole student body and staff gathered in the Rec Center for our end of the year farewells to Child Service Staff who won’t be returning next year.

  • Kim taught here for 4 years, and will be moving to a different school.
  • Christine has been a houseparent for 5 years, and will be going home to New York to spend more time with her children and grandchildren.
  • After 10 years of houseparenting and teaching Religion, Richard will be retiring.
  • Chris has been a houseparent for 22 years, and will be going back to his native Oklahoma to continue his career in residential child care. He got up and reflected on his years here. “ Working with you kids here at St. Joseph’s all these years taught me how to be a good father to my own children.”

After 35 years in the school, Vaye Jean is retiring. She definitely enjoys being with our young people and will be back to sub frequently. But she does look forward to the freedom that comes with not having to come in to work every day when there are other family things you would like to do.

All of our honorees were given fitting presents. For their longevity, Chris and Vaye jean were honored by being given star quilts which were draped around their shoulders. There were few dry eyes in the gym when all was said and done. Every year we say goodbye to some great people. Every year we also have some new folks who join us with new ideas and energy.

Growing youth at St. Joseph’s Indian School

As I’m coming back from morning mass I usually see the bus waiting to pick up our high school students. Today I noticed a big crowd of students waiting for the bus. When I got closer I saw that half of the crowd was eighth graders, who will spend the day shadowing a high school student mentor. They are beginning their preparation for the transition into the public high school next fall. The eighth graders brought excitement and eager anticipation to the group, which is usually more sleepy and lethargic when it comes to going to school in the mornings. Once the eighth graders make the trek a few times, I think they’ll fall back into the half-asleep mode.

At the end of the day I ate supper with the Rooney Home (6th– 8th grade boys). They have five eighth graders who spent the day at Chamberlain High School. Michael liked the fact that unlike St. Joseph’s school with three floors, the high school is all on one level, just a lot more spread out. Kyle remarked that the math class seemed pretty tough, but then again he may surprise himself with what he is able to do a year from now if he takes his studies seriously.

The Rooney boys are in the 12 – 14 year old range, a time when they put away food like they haven’t eaten in days, and hit some big growth spurts. Jan, one of the houseparents, showed me a chart they keep chronicling the boys’ heights. Everyone in the home has added at least a couple of inches since August. Since last May, Merrill shot up from 5’0” to 5’8” – eight inches! That has meant lots of trips to Central Receiving to find more clothes that will fit. Thankfully, donors keep us pretty well stocked with the basics that the children need. Find St. Joseph’s Indian School’s needs list here.

Learning through life

I stopped by the computer lab to wish Gina, our Computer Teacher, a happy birthday. This is her first year, and she’s been monitoring the websites our students have access to. We’ve constantly worked at firewalls to block access to objectionable sites. On a positive note, she’s structuring our school web access so the students are directed to more academically enriching sites. Formerly when given time to surf, the students would mostly go to game sites. When some of their favorite sites didn’t work any more, they asked why!? Gina told them there are a lot more educational ways to spend time on the computer than only playing Mario Brothers. Begrudgingly, they kids are getting used to the “Gina rules” and hopefully using the computer time to enhance what they’re learning in the other classes.

After finishing up 2 ½ days of testing, the students with perfect attendance got to walk the mile to the downtown movie theater to see an afternoon matinee. The weather was perfect for the outing.

HR is busy with hiring boards, interviews and checking out references. Last week, we hired a new 8th grade teacher with a solid math background and a new houseparent, who will start next fall in the younger grade homes. Today I met another houseparent candidate from Michigan who is here for an interview.

Our tri-county area, which includes Chamberlain as well as the Lower Brule and Crow Creek Indian reservations, is planning to build a memorial to area veterans near the Interstate exit and overlooking the beautiful Missouri River. One of the organizers visited with me today to share more information and to ask for our help in promoting the project. Besides our many staff and students who have honorably served our country, there are actually quite a few priests and brothers who worked here over the years who were veterans before they chose to enter religious life.

Brother Steve Cyr SCJ  (died in 2003, the Cyr Home is named after) was a squad sergeant in the difficult battle of Monte Cassino in WWII. He said,

“I promised God that if He saw fit to let me survive that, when the war ended, I would become a religious and give my life in service.”

He worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School for 42 years, and admirably fulfilled that promise. We’re considering ways that we might honor and remember people like Brother Steve through this project.

I finished the evening by joining the Hogebach (high school girls) Home for supper. On the message board by the front door was a large “20” indicting the number of school days left at Chamberlain High School. Our three seniors in that home have even less. They’re getting very excited, but also having bad cases of “senioritis” and need regular reminders not to procrastinate and get caught up in missing assignments.

Many of these young women will be on campus for part of the summer, for driver’s ed or to help with our Rising Eagle Summer Camps. Some will continue jobs in town or try some new employment to gain work experience and save up a few bucks to help them realize future plans and goals. Just as summer is just around the corner, it won’t be long before the juniors in the home enter their final year of studies here.

Busy in the high school program

Hello, my name is Shana and this is my fifth year as the High School Residential Director at St. Joseph’s. We always have a very busy schedule the last couple months of school and this year is no different.

We had several students wake up early to take their ACT’s this past Saturday morning. Then, many Juniors and Seniors enjoyed the Chamberlain High School Prom on Saturday evening. It’s always great to see the girls with their beautiful dresses with their hair done up and the boys in their tuxedos and shiny shoes! Our houseparents in the Sheehy Home once again prepared a wonderful fancy dinner for the prom-goers with our girls from the Crane Home serving; everyone does their best to make this a special night for our Native American students.

This coming Friday is the high school talent show and we are looking forward to watching the creativity and talent of our high school students in action! Last year, we had students place in 3rd and 1st  with their talent acts. Even though winning isn’t essential to having fun at the talent show, it always fills us with pride to see our St. Joseph’s students receiving credit for their many talents (and bravery) up on stage! Good Luck!

In two weeks the Chamberlain High School Powwow will be held. Many of our students participate in Native American Club and are an integral part of organizing this annual event. It’s always great when the students work hard on getting people to come together in our community to honor their Native American culture and traditions.

Once May is here it’s time to get ready for final exams! This is always a stressful time, but our houseparents and tutors continue to help and encourage our students to give their best.

The fun doesn’t stop after the last day of school! In June, our incoming freshmen will complete our summer transition program where they will spend half of their day taking classes up at Chamberlain High School with their future high school teachers and learning the layout of the high school building. They’ll  get to meet some of the high school houseparents and staff and live in the high school homes. This is a three-week program and helps acclimate the new freshmen to both Chamberlain High School and the High School Program.

Also in June, most of our current high school students will be participating in our St. Joseph’s High School Summer Program so they can attend driver’s education class or work – either on or off campus – in order to earn extra money.

In July, some students will choose to participate in our Transitional Living Program. They will continue to work as well as experience more independence through added responsibilities. We have some eager and determined students participating in other academic programs this summer including College Horizons, Gear-Up, Upward Bound, Math and Science Initiative, In-Med (Indians into Medicine) and the Indian University of North America at Crazy Horse. One of our seniors has already enlisted in the National Guard and has been attending monthly guard drills. She will be leaving for Basic Training at the end of July after completing In-Med in June. Another senior was awarded the Davis Bahcall Scholarship and will get to travel to Italy over the summer prior to going to college. Several seniors have already been accepted into the universities of their choice and are looking forward to the next chapter in their lives.

Never a dull moment, even during summer ‘vacation’! Did I mention we were busy in the high school program?

 

Who remembers standardized testing?

School was very quiet when I wandered over today. The reason – yearly standardized testing. In between, the students got breaks to engage in some fun projects. The art room had kids with watercolors and drawing pencils freelancing whatever they felt like drawing. In the Native American Studies classroom, the 8th graders were working on their graduation banner. The class of 2012 will feature a satin medicine wheel, and they were pinning the material in place before everyone, boys and girls alike, joined in to stitch the satin to the banner.

We’ve had great retention in the high school program this year – 38 of the 40 students who started the year are still with us. With some of our remodeling finishing up, we will be able to add another high school home in the fall, and increase our capacity for that age group to 50. Even so, we have more eighth grade applicants for the high school homes than we have beds. Several girls had to be put on the waiting list.

One of the 6th-8th grade homes made a proposal to keep the 8th grade girls where they are currently until another room opens up. A grandmother called me and was profoundly grateful that the granddaughter she is raising will be able to continue in the program.

I took some time with building projects today. I donned a hard hat and walked over to the Akta Lakota Museum to finalize a decision on the size of a wall.  Over the last couple of days we’ve gotten a couple of inches of wonderful, desperately needed, life-giving rain.  The down side was the moisture made the construction site a muddy mess. The souls of my shoes were two inches higher with mud when I walked back to the office. Also, we are in the process of purchasing the old grocery store downtown in order to expand our Thrift Store and give us much more storage space. We went over some plans and reports and took care of the needed paperwork.

After school, the track team members were on the football field running wind sprints. A couple of the shot putters lagged far behind the field. They rely on strength and not speed, though I tell them strong legs will help with both. The sun came out in the afternoon for a glorious 65 degree day, and soon the T-Ball and Softball fields were alive with activity and the friendly banter that characterizes a baseball game.

More time listening than talking

People sometimes imagine administrators as spending much of their day talking, presenting, or even telling people what to do. Today was fairly typical with meetings and encounters around St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus for me, and it struck me that I spend far more time listening than talking.

Donors on the phone have concerns and questions. Sometimes they just want someone to listen and care. This morning one of the priests who visits me for spiritual direction stopped by for a session. An important part of spiritual direction is listening to the person sitting in the chair across from me, and also to how the Holy Spirit is working in their life. When I keep the attention where it should be, on the directee, I am usually more blessed and inspired by what they share than I am able to give them. In the afternoon I had a visit from one of the sisters who works in the nearby Indian reservation parishes. She will be moving on at the end of the school year and I was moved by her reflections as she looked back over the ministry she has given so much of herself to.

During the weekly Monday finance meeting, I heard not just numbers and reports, but ideas about how we can move forward. Planned Giving filled me in on plans for future luncheons, and how we can improve those events by listening to the evaluations from our guests who attend.

After school I stopped in at Carola and Sheehy, (both high school boys homes) to see what the guys had been up to. Then I ventured over to Dennis Home (1st-3rd grade girls) for supper. Two sisters, Dejah and DeOnna made their First Communion on Sunday, and I listened as they relived those memories of the celebration.

It’s also important to listen to your body. After a full day of sitting and listening, I hit the treadmill hard this evening, and am look forward to a good night’s sleep so I can start off on the right foot with the new day and new people the Lord will send my way tomorrow.

Blessings upon our American Indian youth

Very special day at St. Joseph's Indian School.
A day of celebration at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

18 of our students received First Holy Communion at mass today. Of that group, most had gone through a year of classes in the RCIC (Rite of Christian Initiation of Children). Twelve of those students were also baptized and confirmed and one made her profession of faith.

Our small daily chapel was set up for pictures. As families arrived, Aaron took some great snapshots for the students to have and for us to remember. One of our houseparents who works with our youngest girls, had to remind an excited child scampering down the hallway “Today is not a day for running.” A few minutes later, I saw Celesia and Kyla showing off their flowing white communion dresses, spinning around, like a fairy tale Cinderella at the ball. I heard the same houseparent caution again, “Girls, today is not a day for twirling!” But how could they help it with the joy and excitement?

Everyone looked so sharp dressed up. I felt a little guilty ruining the hair do’s that took so long to get right when I doused the students with water three times. Those who were baptized definitely got good and wet.

After mass families and students were invited over to the Dining Hall where staff prepared and served dinner. We also had a couple of beautifully decorated cakes wishing congratulations and blessings. When I witness and participate in sacramental celebrations, especially with children, I pray I can be a good example and deepen my own commitment to the Lord.