Chamberlain – Page 10 – St. Joseph's Indian School

Quiet campus, icky weather at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Benefactors of St. Joseph’s Indian School,

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain — Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain

Hope everyone’s shopping is almost finished as the Season of Advent dwindles down in preparation for the coming of the Prince of Peace on Christmas.

It is quiet on campus today since the students left Friday for the Christmas Break and the weather is icky — rain yesterday and now snow and wind.

On the sports scene this last week, coaches gave out the awards for the girls’ basketball seasons. Those who were most improved, coaches’ choice or team leaders were honored.

St. Joseph’s younger boys are learning to wrestle. — About 30 of our younger Lakota students are taking some instruction in wrestling.

After awards, the coaches for the upcoming bowling season met to select their teams. Students in grades 7-12 will hit the lanes on Saturday afternoons once everyone is

back after break.

Last Wednesday evening, about 30 of our younger Lakota students who have been taking some instruction in wrestling hit the mats and showed off their new skills. Before the competition started, I shared with everyone that I had received a phone call regarding a St. Joseph’s benefactor in Illinois whose lung cancer has returned. A friend had called to ask for our prayers for him and while we talked he mentioned the gentleman had been a wrestler. I told him I would ask our wrestlers to dedicate their efforts in his honor.

The Explorers, who meet early each Thursday morning, ended this semester’s activities by donating the money they have raised this year. Two youth in the Chamberlain community, Gabby and Gunner, are the grateful recipients. Both are experiencing health issues related to cancer. The money – $1700 – was split between both families to help with medical expenses.

The Explorers do all kinds of creative fundraisers each year. — The Explorers sold “Cub Rolls” which were used to bombard the basketball court when the players came out to warm up.

The other fundraiser undertaken by the Explorers is called “Cub Rolls.” The boys sell rolls of toilet paper which were then used during the Chamberlain Lady Cubs basketball game last week. Those attending the game bombard the court with the rolls as the players came out to warm up. The Explorers are then timed in their clean-up efforts. The boys raised $400 which will be used to cover costs for their trip to the State Capital in Pierre, SD and other club expenses.

Best wishes to all of you for a very Merry Christmas and a grace-filled holiday.

God bless,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

A Tale of Two Thanksgivings

A few weeks ago, the Perky home (boys, grades 4-6) enjoyed an early Thanksgiving dinner, before school let out for

Stephanie works with Lakota boys in grades 4-6.

break. My fellow houseparents and I decided to make it “extra fancy” and practice some social skills while we celebrated. It was great!

The boys all helped with setting the table and serving. We used the best linens and dining set we could find at central receiving – thank you to the donors who sent it!

The boys enjoyed having coffee with creamer with their dessert, learning how to make a toast for a happy and safe Thanksgiving break for all and even eating by candle light. One of the boys said ‘we’re just like the adults now!’

A “fancy” dinner including toasts and candle light helped the boys learn good manners. — The boys in the Perky Home enjoyed a “fancy” Thanksgiving dinner before going home for break.

Then school let out for Thanksgiving break, and I also worked the break home and got ready for my second Thanksgiving dinner.

Some of our students don’t have the opportunity to go home for every break. High school students sometimes have obligations through Chamberlain High School (sports practice, for example) and decide to stay at St. Joseph’s instead of going home for break. Whatever their situation, there’s always a place for them at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

There’s always a place at St. Joseph’s for students who don’t go home over breaks. — The Lakota students who stayed in the break home over Thanksgiving enjoyed dinner together followed by a movie.

Thanksgiving Day, we had students of all ages in the break home, boys and girls. I had already had some practice with our Fancy Dinner, so I had my “Turkey Plan” down pat.

Most of the kids relaxed throughout the morning and early afternoon, watching football and playing games. An intense competition of Just Dance 2014 carried on throughout the morning.

Just like before, students helped prepare our fancy drinks and appetizers, and then helped set the table with our best linens.

And then we stuffed ourselves!

Growing up in my family, the kids were usually shipped off to the movie after Thanksgiving dinner to give the parents a naptime. We thought we would do something similar, so we were on the go to Mitchell for a movie before you knew it. The kids enjoyed having a choice of more than one movie (we love our local theater, but only get one movie in Chamberlain) and the adults enjoyed their first nap of the day in a theatre. We all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal and it was fun to be together.

And here it is almost Christmas… Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year to you and yours!

Cheers and Thanks,

Stephanie

All kinds of talent at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

I hope your Advent is off to a great start and that we can put into practice the message from Sunday’s scripture, ‘prepare the way of the Lord.’

Last week, we held Healing Camp for those who have lost loved ones recently. My mother passed away in September, so I thought I would take part along with our students and some of their family members. It is always tough to lose a loved one and this process gives participants the chance to deal with entrusting a loved one back to God. You can read more about Opiciye Okizi (Healing Camp) in Claire’s blog post.

We have good news from the basketball court! St. Joseph’s eighth grade girls won their tournament over the weekend. The girls were scheduled to play Lower Brule in the first game, but the team was not able to come, so the tournament shifted to a round robin format. St. Joseph’s beat Miller and then knocked off Pierre Indian Learning Center (PILC) to win the tournament. It was fun watching them play as a team and grow in confidence as their shots began to fall. Congratulations team members and coaches!

Thursday, the Lakota students will have their annual Christmas concert. Each grade has learned a few songs for the event. Some of the students who have been taking band lessons will share their skills on the instruments they are learning to play. Family members are invited to come and enjoy the performance, so hopefully the weather will be good.

St. Joseph’s students participate in many community activities in Chamberlain, including Dancing Dolls. — The girls in the Dennis Home were ready for their Dancing Dolls recital!

Another display of talent last weekend was the Dancing Dolls and Dudes performance held Sunday in Chamberlain. Many of St. Joseph’s younger students took part. It was a wonderful recital – everyone did a great job!

In closing, I would like to share what I thought was a touching scene I noticed coming back to campus the other day. If you have been to St. Joseph’s, you might recall that you cross a bridge over an inlet which leads out to the Missouri River. Though parts of the river are starting to freeze over, the inlet is still open and there were a large number of geese. This is a typical sight in our little community.

Parked on the bridge was a SUV from Wisconsin with two hunters dressed in camouflage. You could sense their awe as they watched these magnificent birds coming in droves to land in the inlet.

Have a great week! You and your intentions will be remembered in our prayers asking the Great Spirit to bless and reward you for your spirit of generosity.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

A quiet weekend at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School,

It was a quiet weekend on St. Joseph’s campus. It seemed that a quarter of the students were gone by early Wednesday morning last week for Thanksgiving break. We transport students who come from a distance, so our mini-buses took off early for the journey to key towns in all corners of the state to drop off students and meet families.

The Rosebud and Yankton Tribes send buses to help get students from their areas home, and we are grateful for the teamwork.

Six of the Lakota students stayed in the break home with staff to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and enjoy the long weekend.

Our local wildlife seemed to know it was going to be less hectic on campus for a few days. One morning, I walked into a group of about 20 wild turkeys! They were probably

Most of the Lakota students go home during breaks, but there’s always a safe place for them at St. Joseph’s. — Before leaving for Thanksgiving break, the Lakota students made decorations to take to their families.

looking for a safe hiding place from the hunters who were still looking for their Thanksgiving dinner…

We’ve also had several deer crossing campus to get a drink of water out of the Missouri River. I have not seen any pheasants around, but they may be in hiding since the hunting season is still open.

On Friday evening after Thanksgiving the annual Chamberlain Parade of Lights kicked off the Christmas season. It began with a community chili supper and was followed by a parade through the business district. The theme this year was “Cowboy Christmas.” The weather cooperated and everyone enjoyed seeing the lights on the floats and waving to Santa as he rolled through town.

All day today, we are holding a special Healing Camp for students who have lost a family member over the last several months. Some of the students’ families are coming to participate in a series of activities, prayer and remembrance. This is a special day set aside to help the students deal with the loss of a loved one now walking the Holy Road. The program also gives the student the opportunity to begin to let go of the hurt and understand they are not alone.

Please keep the team, the students and the families taking part in your prayers that God will bring healing and peace.

This coming weekend will be busy. On Saturday, teams from Miller, Lower Brule and Pierre will be on campus to take part in the annual St. Joseph’s Eighth Grade Basketball Tournament. Mass will be held Saturday evening and, Sunday afternoon, we will enjoy watching some of our students participate in the ‘Dancing Dolls and Dudes’ performance. It will be another of those ‘meet yourself coming and going’ weekends, but lots of fun!

Today was a tasty day at St. Joseph’s! We held our annual Sweet Sampler Challenge, which invites staff to bring a favorite holiday treat to share with everyone. We also request the recipe and calorie count. We are trying to encourage healthy eating, especially during the holidays when there are so many yummy temptations.

I hope you and yours had a great Thanksgiving! We are grateful for your support of the Lakota boys and girls attending St. Joseph’s Indian School. As we move into the Advent Season, may we not be distracted by all the external preparation for Christmas that we forget the real reason for the season. May God’s blessings be with all of you through the month of December and coming New Year!

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Preparing for Thanksgiving at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Hope everyone’s week is off to a great start and your taste buds are ready for turkey and pumpkin pie.

Cousins and siblings enjoyed making Thanksgiving decorations together for their families. — Students gathered in family groups to make table decorations to take home for Thanksgiving.

Last Wednesday, St. Joseph’s students took part in the National Family Week Project. They gathered in family groups (siblings, cousins) so they could make up table decorations to take home for Thanksgiving.

One was a turkey and the other was a big pumpkin which had a slot in it that contained space for small pieces of paper. Students used paper ‘seeds’ to write things they are grateful for. Everyone enjoyed dinner together, followed by some fun playing bingo.

Also last week, we had 19 students from Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, South Dakota on campus for two days. The group was made up of young men and women planning a teaching career. They got some firsthand experience in the classroom and it was a great learning experience for everyone.

Each year, students take home a table decoration and food boxes to help their family celebrate the holiday. — Last Wednesday, St. Joseph’s students took part in the National Family Week Project.

After basketball games at home tonight for the fourth, fifth and sixth grade Lady Braves, we will have fall sports awards at the rec center tomorrow. Cross country, volleyball and football players will receive their honors for Most Improved, Best Team Player and Coach’s Choice. Congratulations to everyone involved!

On Sunday, we held a Lakota Mass on campus. Deacon Bud is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band in North Dakota, serves on St. Joseph’s Board of Directors and helps out at St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain; for Mass, he led us in the Lord Have Mercy in Lakota. LaRayne, one of our Native American Studies teachers and a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, led us in reciting the Our Father in Lakota and Happy Birthday to those celebrating their birthdays this week.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity for the care and education of the Lakota (Sioux) students. May your holiday be filled with many blessings and safe travels!

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

The first snow at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Welcome to Winter!!

The South Dakota winter is here! — It’s a cold, snowy day in South Dakota.

The big winter storm coming moving across the upper Midwest is hitting South Dakota today. Chamberlain is just on the fringe of the storm but we have snow, cold winds and some slush. We are expecting cold temperatures all week.

Boys in the Explorers Club learn valuable life lessons. — The Explorers learned the proper way to fold a flag at one of their recent meetings.

The Explorers, a local service group, have been out raking leaves but they may have to switch over to shoveling snow! In addition to community service projects, the boys learn useful life lessons. At one of their recent meetings they learned how to properly fold the flag in preparation for Veterans Day tomorrow.

Our kitchen crew will honor all the veterans on St. Joseph’s staff by inviting them to a free lunch on November 11. This is a small way of saying pilamaya – thank you – to those who protect our country and the freedom we enjoy every day.

Since November starts off with the Feast of All Saints and All Souls, we have put up a Remembrance Tree in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Students and staff were asked to submit names of their loved ones who have passed on that could be put on the tree. It will stay up during November as a reminder to us of those walking their journey back to the Heavenly Father.

Tomorrow, we’ll be starting the Novena of Masses for all our benefactors’ special intentions.

Recently, a new program was introduced to the Lakota boys and girls entitled “I See You.” The purpose is to encourage positive actions all over campus. Staff have been given dog tags inscribed with a positive act such as Hope, Belonging, Independence, Sacrifice, Accepting and Loved, which are written in English and Lakota (Sioux).

In November, we are remembering deceased loved ones in prayer. — Our Remembrance Tree will be in the chapel for the month of November.

When staff members see a student showing one of these positive things, they give the tag to the student to let them know their positive act was witnessed. The students then have the opportunity to pass on the tag when they see a fellow student or staff member doing the act mentioned on their tag. The program’s purpose is to encourage everyone to have a positive attitude and good interaction with one another.

Wishing you a great week, and may you experience God’s blessings in a variety of ways. Pilamaya – thank you – for your support and encouragement of everything we do at St. Joseph’s!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

High School Academics, Basketball Season at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good afternoon from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The Lakota students had a great time dressing up for Halloween! — A cowboy and a Smurf were some of the many characters on campus Friday.

Hope everyone survived Halloween. We had ghosts, goblins, princesses, ninja warriors and other various costumed students swarming the campus on Friday afternoon. They collected a few treats prior to the Grand March at 4:15 PM in the rec center. There, we had contests for the Funniest, Scariest and the Most Creative outfits. Prizes were also given out to the homes for the best Halloween decorations and to those who had carved or decorated pumpkins.

As Chamberlain High School just finished their first quarter, it was time to give out some awards. St. Joseph’s five high school homes compete for best grade point average and the home with the highest score gets a nice traveling trophy to keep until the next quarter. Crane Home had a 2.46 average, Giles a 2.52, Carola a 2.54, Sheehy a 2.87 and Hogebach was the winner with a 3.29.

We also want to congratulate Angela, one of our seniors, as she has a 4.17 GPA – way to go Angela!

To encourage the students to not fall behind in their class assignments, we also have a trophy for the home with the least missing assignments. The winner this time was Crane Home with ZERO missing assignments. It was also the first time that a home which is predominately freshmen won the award. We’re so proud of everyone’s hard work!

Congratulations Shawn on your record-breaking football game! — Shawn, a St. Joseph’s senior, established two new school records in his last Cubs football game!

Also in high school news, the Chamberlain football team is done after making it into the play-offs. Their last game of the season was against Crow Creek and Shawn, a St. Joseph’s senior, established two new school records! He gained 280 yards on 26 carries and scored 6 touchdowns in the 65-12 victory. The Cubs then beat Todd County 42-16 in the first round of the play-offs. Madison, the number one seed for the state in their classification, ended the Cubs’ season. Congratulations on a great run!

Football may be over, but the basketball seasons are picking up speed! Inter-city basketball has been going for two weeks and all the young men involved seem to be having fun on the court.

Yesterday our Lady Braves kicked off their basketball season. Our fifth and sixth grade teams hosted PILC (Pierre Indian Leaning Center) and earned a pair of victories. On Thursday the seventh and eighth grade teams will also host PILC while the fourth and fifth grade teams journey up the road to take on Crow Creek for their first away game. Go Braves!

St. Joseph’s Indian School received some good news last week that we have passed inspection and were re-certified by the Council on Accreditation out of New York. We are honored to have achieved certification so quickly. It is a great compliment to our students and staff, along with the support and encouragement YOU give us. Pilamaya – thank you!

Hope you have a great rest of the week!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School in one word? Relationships.

My name is Chelsey and this is my first “official” year at St. Joseph’s Indian School. While finishing up my Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Resource Development

St. Joseph’s Family Service Counselors spend time with the Lakota children and their families. — Chelsey loves the time she spends getting to know the Lakota children.

last year, I was an intern here. I grew up right here in Chamberlain, South Dakota, however, and have been familiar with the school my entire life.

I have always enjoyed participating in activities on campus and a trip to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is still one of my favorite ways to spend a day. I’ve always had an interest in the Native American culture, and now I have the privilege of working with the Lakota (Sioux) students and their families on a daily basis.

When I first considered going into the counseling field, I asked to shadow a few of the counselors at St. Joseph’s. As I was asking many questions about the field and how things are done at St. Joseph’s, I remember one counselor telling me he could sum it up in one word…relationships.

After being at St. Joseph’s for a little over a year, I could not agree more. There are so many relationships that impact my job and daily responsibilities.

The most important relationship in my life is that with God. I feel so blessed to work at a place where I can openly share my faith while participating in mass, prayer services, and home prayers.

Relationships with the students are next, especially in my position as a Family Service Counselor. My favorite times during the week are spent in sessions with the students and after school in their homes.

Closely following the relationships with the students, is the relationships I have with their parents/guardians. One of my main responsibilities as a Family Service Counselor is to be the main contact person with the families. This allows me work through the struggles of each student with their parent or guardian, and also join in celebrating their successes.

Working at St. Joseph’s also gives me relationships with my co-workers and other staff who are all working toward the same mission: to educate the Native American youth for life – mind, body, heart and spirit.

St. Joseph’s Indian School is truly a family of its own and I am so honored to work for this organization.

Each day, I see examples of the staff coming together with different ideas, activities and projects to further the mission of St. Joseph’s Indian School and serve those around us.

With the years to come, I look forward to strengthening my relationship with God, building long-lasting relationships with the students and their families, and continue to fulfill the mission of St. Joseph’s Indian School with the wonderful staff that surround me.

Chelsey, Family Service Counselor

An education for life at St. Joseph’s Indian School

At St. Joseph’s Indian School, we strive to educate the Lakota (Sioux) children we work with for life – mind, body, heart and spirit. With a safe environment and enough to Continue reading “An education for life at St. Joseph’s Indian School”

Life is like a corn maze, isn’t it?

Last Friday night, the St. Joseph’s Children Count Mentor Program headed to east to Sioux Falls, South Dakota for a picnic and corn maze. For those of you who have never

Claire works with St. Joseph's students in the homes and at school. — Claire

been to one, a corn maze is a series of paths cut into a corn field. Once inside, you must follow the twists and turns to find a series of 10 clues, using a map, and the setting sun for a compass.

Small groups of mentors and their matches travelled through the maze together. The Lakota students, full of youthful exuberance, quickly bounded into the corn field shouting, “I found the path!” As if there was just one path and not, oh, 7 or 8 of them. It really didn’t matter which one, since everything was brand new and exciting to them.

Off they went, with us slow adults in tow, struggling to keep up. About three turns in, we were hopelessly lost. Well, not hopelessly. After about 10 minutes of random running around, we actually bumped into the third clue completely by accident.

This is when the map came in handy.

Having established our location, deep in the corner of the maze, Cindy deftly took over and began guiding us, turn by turn, back through the rows of corn until we found the preceding clues. This was how we proceeded for the rest of the 90 minutes we spent in the maze—Cindy guiding us carefully to the general vicinity of the next clue and then

St. Joseph’s students and their mentors visited a corn maze. — An aerial view of the corn maze.

the kids fanning out and locating the clue with a lot of shouting and jumping up and down. “I found it!”

This is how relationships at St. Joseph’s work a lot of the time, really. Kids are exuberant and full of energy, but aren’t always able to discern the right path. Adults can guide them most of the way, advising them where to turn and where to stop along the way. In the end, the kids have to make it to the goal themselves.

Life is like a corn maze, isn’t it?

There are plenty of opportunities to reach dead ends, back track and start over again. We can take shortcuts, but mostly we have to go the long way around and just be patient. Sometimes we’re not lost, we just don’t know exactly where we are. The important thing is to stick together, listen, and look out for each other. Also, be open to the tiny miracles along the way. Like a red moon rising over the horizon. Or someone unexpectedly offering you their gloves for your frozen hands.

My group found all ten marked clues, and headed triumphantly for the exit, brandishing our flashlights in victory. Eventually, all kids and adults were accounted for, giving a new twist to the No Child Left Behind law. We trundled onto the bus for the two-hour drive back to Chamberlain and St. Joseph’s Indian School, happy and tired.

I’d like to say thank you, not only to the people on the Mentor Committee who worked so hard to make this happen (Celia, Dee, Sherry and Jim), but also to the generous benefactors who support us in our work. Like flashlights in a maze, every little bit helps us to get where we are going!

Claire