Tag: Chamberlain

Finally back on campus!

After some travel during spring break, I’m back on St. Joseph’s campus! Here are a few recent highlights:

Easter Sunday

I completed my week long stay with our retired SCJ elders by celebrating with them the great feast of the Resurrection.  I was with them to present some days of recollection about the religious life we share. While they said they appreciated my input, I probably benefitted more from being with them.

I was inspired by their dedication and faithfulness to the daily routine of prayer. None of us quits learning, and these men keep up an active intellectual life. The living room tables were filled with magazines and journals to keep abreast of the issues of the day. In addition to recounting interesting stories from the past, they talked politics and current events, religion and business, with a little sports mixed in for good measure.

One day while I was out walking, I came across 91-year-old Brother Gabriel, far from home with rosary beads in his hand and a steady, determined step. He walks 3-5 miles each day. Instead of complaining about what he can no longer do, he does what he can, which is a good help to good health.  Should I live to such a ripe old age, I hope I’m like that too.

Tuesday

I spent a morning at St. Joseph’s new donor care center to see how staff there is doing. I try to be a resource in our office to answer questions about school and programs, but even those in the business office are very aware and engaged about what’s going on for the Lakota boys and girls.

I didn’t “accomplish” many practical things, but walked around the office and heard about donors  whose stories touched the hearts of those who answer our phones. Sometimes I describe my role as Director of St. Joseph’s as being the head cheerleader! I am grateful for all that our staff does in all areas of campus that contributes to our goals and mission.

Our Parent Advisory committee had their spring meeting.

Looking at our high school data, we were impressed to see that, in the past three years, the number of Honor Roll students has more than doubled, while the number under a 2.0 GPA has been cut in half. We make an effort for each student to succeed, but ultimately, they have to be the ones making the determined effort.

With 40 Native American students this year, our St. Joseph’s students make up a significant portion of the total Chamberlain enrollment of 300 students. As we prepare our eighth graders to transition to high school, next year we may have closer to 50. The Chamberlain High School principal told us that, with the vast rural nature of our part of the world, 50 students is larger than the entire population of 25 High Schools in the state of South Dakota!

Our parents are very concerned about our bullying policies and efforts at prevention, so we reviewed those at the meeting. Later in the month, we are training a group of 20 staff in a new prevention program. We plan to expand the training to all our Child Services workers at orientation before the new school year.

We showed the parents our new historical center. One alumnus looked at the display case with items our development office has sent out over the years and saw one of the glow-in-the-dark rosaries that used to earn him a penny allowance for stuffing into envelopes to be sent all over the country. Other displays triggered many memories.

Thursday

The hallways at school were unusually quiet as state-required academic testing was underway.  Bathroom breaks were staggered for one class at a time, and silence even reigned there. Our teachers are experimenting with an incentive package. The students get to pick a reward or activity they enjoy, and if they pay attention, participate and complete their tests in a timely way, they can earn extra of their favorite time. We’ll see how it goes.

We have a lot of phones on campus, but also lots of activity, so when people call they may get a recording instead of someone live. I spent this afternoon recording new messages for our list of options. It’s strange when I call the school and hear my own voice! But we are trying to do a better job of getting to calls as quickly as possible.

Friday

We practiced today for this weekend’s first communion and baptisms. When I practice for a church event, one of my goals is that the practice shouldn’t take longer than the actual ceremony, but I don’t think that worked today. With 18 students ranging from grades 2 through 8, it takes some time to organize and get everyone in the right places with the right idea of what they need to say or do.

Leading up to Easter at St. Joseph’s

Greetings to you all as we enter into Holy Week leading up to the joy, beauty and majesty of Easter!

Fr. Steve is away attending some meetings in Chicago and giving a retreat to our retired priests and Brothers in Pinellas Park, Florida.  That’s what he said anyway, but I think there might be an effort to get in a spring training baseball game or two as well!  As he will not be back until after Easter, he asked me to pass along what’s been happening here at St. Joseph’s over this past weekend.

The Lakota children saw two science-related presentations before spring break.
The Lakota children took in the Star Lab Thursday before spring break.

The students and staff are on Spring/Easter break at the moment.  They’ll return on Easter Monday.  Our high school students are on a different schedule (since they attend Chamberlain High School) so they are still in session.  Don’t feel sorry for them though – it seems like they are off for something or other every week! They’ll have Good Friday through Easter Monday off.

Just before the students left, we were able to host two special programs that shared insight into the scientific realm as the Lakota Star Lab came on Thursday and on Friday, we learned about tornadoes.

The Star Lab was an effort to get our students looking to and dreaming about the stars and the heavens.  The Weather Enrichment Program dealt with storm chasers.  There was an initial presentation of the impact tornadoes have and how they are formed.  Then a 20-minute 3-D film called Tornado Alley showed how the storms are chased and studied.

That was followed by a Q & A session and then a tour of the Doppler on Wheels vehicle used in the pursuit of the storms.  It weighs 26,000 pounds, stands 14 feet high, 8.5 feet wide and 27 feet long and is able to obtain speeds around 80 miles per hour.  I asked where they did most of their chasing and they stated Kansas and Oklahoma because they are so flat.

It is good they shared info on tornadoes since South Dakota does get some during the summer months. We have had one or two storm chasers in the area around St. Joseph’s over the years.

The break also gave three of our Lakota students the chance to take part in a trip to Washington, DC to visit our nation’s capital and see the sights.  They flew on Saturday and will visit various museums such as the Holocaust Museum and the National Museum of the American Indian. They will have a tour of the capital building on Monday before heading back on Tuesday.  This has been a wonderful opportunity for our Native American students to explore our seat of national government and get to know the places they hear about on the evening news!

The week ahead should be quiet and peaceful here on campus aside from the squawking of all the Canadian geese that are in the area.  It is amazing how many did not go south for the winter but found the Chamberlain area a nice place to stop and visit.

Hope you all have a rewarding and grace-filled Holy Week and a beautiful Easter!

The Lakota children got to see portable weather stations used to measure conditions during tornadoes.
Friday, after the Tornado Alley movie, St. Joseph’s students headed outside to take a look at portable weather stations and the Doppler on Wheels.

Last week before break…

Monday

Last week, we put the wraps on a couple of different basketball programs for the year. Sunday afternoon, the girls’ intercity basketball season culminated in the championship game. The chance to have children of staff and children from the Chamberlain community playing alongside our St. Joseph’s students really helps build relationships for the day when our students go off campus to Chamberlain High School.

So many people give a lot of their weekend time to help our youth. Awards to players on each team were handed out, and the adult volunteers were acknowledged and thanked.

After school today, our coaches announced and presented trophies to our St. Joseph’s Indian School basketball teams. Some of the best athletes were disappointed that they didn’t earn an award. However, the trophies are based mostly on spirit, improvement and hustle, which is hardest to coach or teach.

Some players who weren’t high scorers and came in as subs earned recognition for their attitude and team play. The pep club and cheerleaders were also acknowledged for the fun and spirit they add to our home games. Our first, second and third graders are especially fun to watch and hear when they get going on the cheers they’ve learned.

Tuesday

March 19 – The Feast of St. Joseph! I’ve given up desserts for Lent, but when Clare brought an Italian dessert (Zeppole) she and the students made for our Child Services meeting, I indulged just a little to celebrate our patronal feast.

Split Rock Studios arrived back on campus to bring to life the next phase of our renovation at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center. Three walls of the museum now have a large mural of the vast and beautiful South Dakota prairie grasslands, and exhibit installation isn’t far behind.

They are also installing more of the audio visuals in our historical displays.  With warmer weather, our visitor count increases dramatically. When the project is completed by May and we extend our hours, the folks who pass through our doors are in for a treat as they learn about Lakota (Sioux) history and culture.

Wednesday

I spoke to a good friend from college who now works as a physical therapist. Paula was filling in for a co-worker and met an elderly woman having difficulty getting motivated to do her rehab exercises.

Seeing a St. Joseph Indian School note pad on the desk, Paula asked the patient about it, which led to a spirited conversation about St. Joseph’s. Their connection with me put the woman totally at ease, and she gave it a great effort that day.  Her story made me smile, and I promised to lift her up in prayers in a special way.

Our students reenacted the Stations of the Cross in the chapel at the end of the school day. Hopefully the colorful costumes, large cross and other visuals helped the gospel come alive just a bit more deeply as we close in on Holy Week. Spring break begins Friday, and many of our students will be going home. The high school students and one break home will still be open, but our grade school classes will take pause to let students spend time with family, and prepare for the wonderful celebration of Easter.

I’ll be gone on retreat for a good part of the break, and will pick up the blog after Holy Week. You’re all in my prayers – Happy Easter and God Bless!

New thrift store open for business

St. Joseph’s Thrift Store staff has been working with our Facilities Crew since September 2012 on the remodel of a downtown Chamberlain building built in the 1900’s – formerly a grocery store.

St. Joseph’s Indian School purchased the building in the summer of 2012 with the intention of remodeling the building for a new Thrift Store and center to process in-kind donations.

We started moving in to the new building March 1!

We were grateful our move only took a week. The store opened to the public again on March 11, though there is still some exterior work to be finished once the weather warms up.

We first considered the project because of the lack of storage on campus for the donated items our benefactors so generously send. As we move forward, the plan is to have all donated goods delivered to the new In-Kind Processing Center, which is located downtown in the back part of the new Thrift Store.

Donated goods are sorted into many different categories. The main three are:

  • Campus use
  • Thrift Store
  • Mission Run

First, we make sure the needs of the Lakota students are met. They have first pick of all donated clothing and other items.  If we’re not able to use a particular item on campus (such as baby clothes), then it will go to the thrift store or a reservation outreach. After a certain amount of time, items we have not been able to use are packed up and sent to an outreach on an Indian Reservation near us.

As this project comes to an end, the staff here at the Thrift Store and the processing center would like to thank the Facilities Staff for all the hard work and organization they put into this project.  They have helped make this transition an easy one!

St. Joseph’s new Thrift Store is located on Main Street in Chamberlain, South Dakota.
A mock up of what the storefront will look like when it is 100% complete.

Lakota Students Give To Others

The Lakota children practice generosity by giving food to the poor.
St. Joseph’s fourth and fifth graders delivered food and toiletries to St. James to share with those in need.

During Catholic Schools Week in January, St. Joseph’s fourth and fifth grade students collected food and toiletries for St. James Catholic Church.  The church has a pantry that is open to the Chamberlain community.  Tubs were placed around campus to collect a variety of useful items.  Many students also brought items they picked up.

At the end of the week, all fourth and fifth graders went to St. James to deliver the goods in person.  We collected four tubs of toiletries and food items!

We got to see the pantry and Fr. Guy explained to the students how it works.  Fr. Guy was very grateful for the donation.  St. Joseph’s students were excited about the project and hope to do it again sometime.

Statistics tell us we feel happier or better about ourselves when we are able to give to others.  I feel projects like these give our Native American students the opportunities to get such a feeling.  Many were excited to go with their houseparents or counselors to pick out items to put in the tubs.

Fr. Guy’s excitement about our gifts made it even better!

I hope each of you who are benefactors feel the same joy in giving to the Lakota (Sioux) children.  Like Fr. Guy, we are very thankful and I hope you get a sense of how excited we are by your generosity.  In this season that expresses the kindest and biggest gift of all, Christ’s sacrifice, may we all be motivated to give of ourselves for others.

A visit from Fr. Bob, fellow SCJ

Sunday
Fr. Bob, a member of our Priests of the Sacred Heart religious order, arrived at St. Joseph’s Indian School from Chicago yesterday. Seven inches of heavy wet snow fell on campus Saturday, and Fr. Bob couldn’t make it up the hill to our house! We had to park the car down below and carry suitcases up the hill. One of the houseparents came into morning mass and joked, “Did you pray for this?”
Actually, I have been praying for the moisture we badly need. So many people who work the land have been suffering from drought. Once I heard a native South Dakotan remark that, in other areas, weather forecasters talk of the threat of snow or rain, but here in South Dakota we talk about the promise of snow and rain. We are glad to receive whatever comes! Today the sun came out, the roads started melting, and it was much easier to get around.
After mass, we joined the Afra Home (1st – 3rd grade girls) for weekend brunch to give Fr. Bob a sense of how our Native American students live. Third grader Mariah was a good tour guide as she showed off the home and told Fr. Bob about student activities.
The William Home (4th-5th grade girls) is nearby. Since both homes had many students checked out to go home for the weekend, the two homes joined one another for the meal. Some of the William Home girls started out in Afra, and always enjoy coming back to check in with their former houseparents. The two homes try to do occasional activities together, especially so sisters and cousins can spend quality time together. The older girls enjoy spending time with the younger ones. The tables were filled with conversation and laughter.
Monday
Sunday evening and Monday, the SCJs gathered for our Lenten Recollection time. We were joined by the priests who work on nearby Indian Reservations – Lower Brule and Crow Creek – and here locally in Chamberlain. Fr. Bob’s reflections centered around the Earth, our relationship with creation, and our call to be God’s stewards. Life at St. Joseph’s features constant activity, but Bob’s presence reminded us that we all need to slow down and try to listen for God’s direction and guidance.
After we finished, I went downtown to check on the opening of our new Thrift Store. Chantelle, our manager, said that curious folks had stopped in all day. Some just wanted to see how the former grocery store had been transformed, but once inside, they decided to pick up a few clothes or knick-knacks.
Lena, one of our sophomores was tending the cash register and getting on-the-job experience dealing with the public and earning some spending money. The new store has room to set up nicer displays; the objects near the entry caught people’s eye and needed to be rearranged at first, and restocked by the end of the day.

Sharing enthusiasm, spirit

Most managers and supervisors tell you that 10% of their staff causes 90% of their grief. Today, our management team had the opposite problem – choosing some of the best staff members nominated by their peers for our annual employee recognition awards!

We have lots of committed, enthusiastic people at St. Joseph’s who do their job well day in and day out, and make such a difference. Good staff promote the mission, fulfill the vision and inspire others with their attitude. We selected eight people from different areas of campus who will be acknowledged this year for their extra efforts and positive, can-do approach to work. They’ll be honored at a banquet later in the month.

I stopped by the Rec center after school where the fourth and fifth grade cheerleaders were enjoying an end-of-the-season pizza party. Our Native American girls have so much spirit, pep and energy! They were having fun with a few cheers even though they were the only ones around to hear.
In the evening, many of us went to another pep rally – this one at the high school to send off the Chamberlain High School girls’ basketball team, who finished 21-1 and will advance to the state tournament this weekend.

We don’t have any current St. Joseph students on the team, but several staff have daughters on the team, and we always want to cheer the efforts of the young people of our community.

Offering prayers, comfort

As a parish priest, I frequently made the rounds in hospitals. I haven’t had the occasion here at St. Joseph’s Indian School to do that very often, but today I did.

Fifth grader Kendra went to the health center complaining of a bad stomachache. A few hours later, she was in surgery to remove her appendix. Her mom was with her when I got to the room. Kendra had just woken up from the anesthesia and was enjoying a popsicle. We prayed and I let her know we had a whole bunch of Lakota students back at school asking how she was doing and keeping her in their prayers as well. I didn’t stay very long, since what most patients need is rest and recovery time. Hopefully, she will be back running the playground in short order.

In the halls of the hospital, I ran into a family I knew from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, which is about 25 miles from Chamberlain. The two daughters asked me to stop in and visit their aging mother, who had a host of health problems. We chatted for a while and then prayed.

Next, I ran into a man from the Crow Creek Indian Reservation whom I didn’t know, but he saw the collar and asked for prayers for his family as well. A listening ear and a brief prayer can comfort and help heal. Ultimately, though, we place our loved ones in God’s hands.

The Reality of Poverty

I wasn’t on campus for Sunday mass, but covered masses in town this past weekend at St. James parish in downtown Chamberlain. I enjoy preaching to people from all ages and walks of life. While I’ve been faithful to the duties of school administration, there are times that I miss the more spiritual focus that I had as a parish priest and directing seminarians in formation. Leading the community in prayer was a nice way to reconnect.

The Associated Press ran an article about poverty among Native American tribal members in South Dakota. With 65,000 Native Americans in the state, 48% live in poverty.

And it’s not just confined to Indian Reservations.

In Rapid City, our state’s second most populous city, 50.9 % of Lakota people live below the poverty line.

It’s a long uphill climb to combat those kinds of numbers, but we hope the education we provide the Lakota children at St. Joseph’s helps give them a solid foundation to fulfill their potential and rise above poverty.

…

I traveled 360 miles to Eagle Butte and back for the Sacred Heart Center’s Board of Directors meeting. We approved budgets and personnel plans for the coming year. One potential project with a lot of promise is a joint effort with Habitat for Humanity.

The shelter for victims of domestic violence is often filled to capacity, and families who need to make major changes in their lives aren’t usually able to do so immediately. Transitions take time, and there is great need for transitional housing where a family can be safe and rebuild their shattered lives. The Sacred Heart Center is in discussions with Habitat to help create some housing for that purpose.

Lynette, the cook, treated us to fresh, warm fry bread and corn & bean soup for a traditional lunch – delicious! In her work with youth who have been victimized by violence, she noted that it is usually easier for them to forgive the ones who hurt them than it is to forgive themselves… Violence is a difficult cycle to break, but that is at the heart of the Center’s mission.

Lanae, the new outreach coordinator for Sacred Heart Center remembered singing in the children’s guitar choir when I first served in Eagle Butte as a young seminarian. I enjoyed the reunion with her as an adult now, and the chance to catch up on where she’s been. One of her first fun projects was to have the youth in the shelter make Valentine cards for the elders. They brightened the elders’ day by making the rounds delivering the handcrafted greetings.

In town, I ran into Catherine, another youngster I remembered from parish CCD classes. She is now a Registered Nurse in charge of opening the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe’s new nursing home. She gave me a tour of the facility, which includes both a chapel and circular room for Lakota ceremony.

Currently, the elderly who need assisted living or nursing care must move off the reservation – at least 90 miles to Pierre or Mobridge, the nearest communities large enough to offer these services. The state of South Dakota had a moratorium on nursing homes, and the tribe had to apply for a special exemption. The building went up several years ago, but it took longer to get funding set up for ongoing operations. When it opens in April, it will provide needed jobs in the community and allow families to have much easier access to their respected elders who want to be close to home.

Today was an office day, catching up on phone calls and e-mails. As in any institution, some days there are stressful issues with staff or students. I bumped into one of our staff going home after a trying day. I asked if it was hard to leave the tough stuff at work. She told me of her ritual to help make the transition: she gets in her car, brushes her arms off in a symbolic gesture, cranks the radio up loud with her favorite song and sings at the top of her lungs on the way down the driveway.

I smiled, seeing the wisdom in physically giving yourself a break from what, at times, can be a stressful and demanding job. Staff who pay attention to their own needs, and get breaks and proper rest and diversion, are the ones who stay happiest and healthiest in the long run.

A beautiful moment for the community

At the end of the school day, we handed out attendance and honor roll awards to recognize St. Joseph’s students for their efforts during second quarter and first semester.

I cried at least a couple of times during tonight’s Chamberlain High School boys basketball game, but they were happy and sentimental tears. This was the last home game of the season, and senior night. All of the JV and Varsity players were introduced and went into the stands to give their parents a rose. The seniors were given special honor and had their photos taken with family at center court. A good number of our students’ parents were able to attend. For the ones who could not, due to many different circumstances, our houseparents filled in and were honored. In their years here, our Lakota students develop some strong family-like relationships with our staff.

The Junior Varsity rolled to an easy victory. Eleven of the 17 players on the JV are St. Joseph’s students, although two were injured during the season and weren’t able to play. That younger group had an undefeated, 17-0 record, which bodes well for the future of Chamberlain basketball.

The varsity game wasn’t close either, with the Cubs 30 points ahead in the fourth quarter. Everyone on the bench saw a good deal of action, including a couple of promising eighth graders.

Brady, who has served as student manager throughout high school, is also a senior. He loves basketball, but has cerebral palsy, so he’s fulfilled his dream to be part of the team in a support role.

The coaches asked him to dress tonight.

With about two minutes to go, the student body began chanting his name, and gave him a standing ovation when walked haltingly onto the court and entered the game.

Instead of having him try to run the floor, the coach stationed him along the baseline. A teammate drove the lane to draw defenders, then kicked the ball back out to Brady. He let fly a 15 footer, which rattled around the rim and dropped in. The stands erupted in more cheers.

What a beautiful moment for everyone in the community!

People with physical limitations so often inspire us by the strength of their spirit, and challenge us to always look beyond appearance, and see the goodness, heart and potential within.

Our one senior, Elijah, had a couple of stretches of playing time during the game, but hadn’t scored, so coach put him back in, hoping he would get a bucket. Three times, players who had a clear shot of their own unselfishly passed it to Eli. Each time the ball was in his hands the fans yelled “SHOOT” but he kept passing it to others.

I laughed at the game of hot potato. Finally as the clock was winding down he got the hint and drove for the basket. He was fouled before he could get the shot off, but it was a non-shooting foul, and time expired before he got another chance. I appreciated the way teammates worked together throughout the night and all year.