Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School.
As the calendar keeps rolling along, sports and other activities change and our students take turns trying new things. Since the weather had been so nice, they are enjoying a variety of great options!
ACTIVITIES
Basketball and bowling seasons have come to an end and 1-8 grade gymnastics had their big performance last night. Our younger students are enjoying the pool and have spent a lot of time outside riding their bikes and scooters. Some of the kids have also been taking advantage of the warm weather by driving the remote control cars they got for Christmas around campus.
The high school students are enthusiastic that the boys basketball team has earned the #2 seed and will be playing at the State A Basketball Tournament next weekend. We wish them the very best!
SCHOLARSHIPS
I’m happy to share some good news due to the generosity of many of St. Joseph’s benefactors. St. Joseph’s Indian School was able to distribute $144,098 in scholarships through the 2016-2017 school year! 34 St. Joseph’s alumni, 14 alumni family members and 61 other Native American students seeking higher education received funding through the scholarship program.
Mike, St. Joseph’s President, stated “the heart of St. Joseph’s mission is education.” He also explained that the school is proud to invest in the future of Native American communities by helping the Native youth achieve their dreams of advanced education.
Our Family Integration Coordinator is Danielle, who seeks to support communication between the organization, students and their families by visiting with students’ families so as to understand their needs and connect them to available resources, both at St. Joseph’s and in their local communities. Though not an alumna herself, Danielle is a former scholarship recipient. She felt she was a priority through the ongoing motivational e-mails, mailings and phone calls she received to help her persevere through her higher educational endeavors.
Andy, St. Joseph’s Alumni Liaison, explains that “our scholarship committee gives top priority to former St. Joseph’s students and their family members. However, education beyond high school is extremely important. Because of our mission, we want to help as many Native American students as possible earn a degree, achieve their dreams and make a positive difference in the world.”
To learn more about our scholarship program and/or apply for a scholarship, please visit www.stjo.org/scholarship.
LENT
Since we have entered into the Season of Lent, St. Joseph’s art teacher, Dave, and Religious Studies teacher, Joe, combined forces with our 3rd and 4th graders to “Paint the Way of the Cross” for Lent.
Using the traditional Catholic Stations of the Cross, the two inspired their students to think of how the fourteen key events on the day of Jesus’ crucifixion could apply in their lives. The students illustrated and painted their contemporary stations, which now hang in the school’s hallway. Each station includes a short explanation and a prayer.
On Palm Sunday, the stations will be placed by their traditional counterparts in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel where they can be enjoyed in the final days of the Lenten preparation for the renewal of our Baptismal promises on Easter Sunday.
SPRING BREAK
Our students begin their Spring Break this today. The majority of the kids have already left campus and are on the road, heading home. They are looking forward to spending time with their families and friends!
Some of the students who live north and west were transported home yesterday to avoid the predicted snow storm that is expected to begin today.
I hope you have the chance to slow down a bit in your life to enjoy the beauty of creation all around you and be open to hear God’s gentle call to let go of the negative in your life and renew your relationship with Him.
Have a great Lent so that the beauty, majesty and joy will be special for you.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
Good luck to the boys’ basketball team in the state tournament. Spring break is going on here in Virginia. It has been a beautiful and mild Spring here, but cold weather is in the forecast for the upcoming week. Thinking of you all fondly.
Thank you for your kind comment, Margaret! We will keep you updated on how the boys do this weekend. Blessings to you!
Thank you Fr Anthony, I pray that you also, have a great Lent.. No spring break here, in fact we are experiencing a snow storm as I write.. so much for an early Spring. Good luck to the Boy’s Basketball team..
Oh no, Antonia! We experienced a snow storm yesterday. Praying for snow melt for you soon! We will keep you updated on how the boys do this weekend! Blessings to you.
I’m happy the children are so well cared for. A good, general education, mixed with love and security, is the only way to raise children out of poverty. Thank you for making a difference in these children. It multiplies, like ripples in a pond. 🙂
Thank you for your kind comment, James! You are right– positive interactions begin a ripple that extends far beyond what we could ever imagine! 🙂 Blessings to you!