St. Joseph’s recently handed out academic hardware to our high school Homes with the best academic averages and the least amount of missing assignments. The first award went to those who have maintained a 3.0 or higher grade point average for the entire semester. We give a shout out (and a prize!) to Listella, Sarah, Reyna, Hope, Camron, Danielle, Ashley, Martina and Trey for achieving this high standard!
The high school Home with the highest GPA went to the Hogebach home! They also captured the award for least missing assignments, which I’m sure helped them secure the high GPA they are boasting.
Since the seniors are in a new program this year, the two senior homes competed against one another. The Senior Girls Home won with a 2.90 GPA and also captured the least amount of missing assignments. Their efforts also enabled them to win the award for most improved GPA as they went from a C grade up to a B-.
Today we had the biggest volume of incoming mail in months. Practically all of it consisted of gifts, well-wishes and Christmas greetings, all from our generous supporters.
St. Joseph’s Indian School strives to acknowledge all donations in short order. This can be a challenge when volumes are large. Because the quantity of mail was so great today, our Mail Processing staff sent out an SOS for assistance in sorting. Feeling confident that no one would miss me at my desk for an hour or two, I headed to the sorting room.
Tray upon tray of mail greeted me when I arrived. A number of other staff members were already at work sorting the mail according to size. This process enables the pieces to be fed properly into the machine which automatically opens the envelopes.
I saw return addresses from all over the country. Many envelopes had hand-written holiday greetings. Others had a colorful array of Christmas stamps. One poor wrinkled-looking envelope had an address that was barely legible. I said a silent prayer to the Post Office for their diligence in getting all of that wonderful mail to us, including those pieces with challenges.
What I felt with each piece of mail that I handled was a deep respect for our supporters. Those envelopes showed me that our benefactors care. That so many people from so many places believe in our mission in little Chamberlain, South Dakota, and the work we do with the Lakota students is very humbling.
It’s another lovely day in the neighborhood… although the evil word SNOW has been mentioned on the weather reports! We have yet to see any and are thankful for mild fall weather.
Since the Lakota (Sioux) youth have begun second quarter, we recently held an awards ceremony for quarter one. The rewards for A and B honor rolls and perfect attendance are a certificate and a WalMart gift card. If a student is on the honor roll with perfect attendance next quarter, the award may increase in value! We also have a contest between age groups to see which class can achieve the highest GPA (Grade Point Average). The one with the highest average gets a pizza party and hangs the award plaque in their classroom.
Ron’s 5th grade class won the award for the highest cumulative GPA for Quarter One!
We honored all veterans and those actively serving our country during Sunday Mass at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. THANK YOU just isn’t enough for their sacrifices.
Last Saturday, the Chamberlain Science Club hosted the 1st Annual Hot Chocolate 5K Walk/Run, and it began here on St. Joseph’s campus. It was a way to celebrate Native American Month and learn about the importance of exercise all year long. Sanford Hospital set up an informational booth and there were baked goodies and warm drinks for all those taking part.
Students are in the process of learning to sing two Christmas carols in the Lakota language — Silent Night and Hark the Herald Angels Sing. Aside from what they are learning in class, singing songs is a nice way to keep developing the Lakota language skills of our students.
This week, St. Joseph’s is honored to welcome Mr. Lawrence Diggs, our current Artist in Residence. He is helping our students express themselves through poetry!
St. Joseph’s was honored to have one of our Native American Studies teachers, Allen, give a presentation on historical trauma in American Indian History to a college class at Dakota Wesleyan University. He shared how early boarding schools tried to negate Native American culture and heritage and ‘mold’ them into the white culture by cutting their hair and not letting them speak their native languages. He also spoke about high rates of unemployment, suicide and sexual assaults currently present on the reservations.
St. Joseph’s Indian School’s Tree of Remembrance
He also shared positive notes about how the reservations are working hard to combat suicides and offer resources to those who are struggling. Change will not happen overnight, but he is happy that steps are being taken to get things headed in the right direction and he is proud to be part of that process. Read more in the article that appeared in the Mitchell Daily Republic!
We hope you have a wonderful week. Say pilamaya – thank you – to a veteran and let them know you are grateful for their service to our country.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
PS: The picture shows our tree of remembrance in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel with the names of our Beloved Dead whom we are keeping in prayer this month.
Today’s blog post comes from Melanie, a recent Artist in Residence at St. Joseph’s. Enjoy!
It has been such a blessing to dance with the students of St. Joseph’s through the Artist in Schools program with the South Dakota Arts Council. I was very grateful for the opportunity to be in this incredible gem of a state!
Pam, St. Joseph’s Personal Living Skills Instructor, was a great help in pulling it all together and having the residency run so smoothly! She was very supportive and helpful and made a world of difference!
With the first through eighth grades, we explored the world of dance from many perspectives! We danced to music from all of the over the world, from Ireland to Jamaica, Sweden to Oceania, India to Cuba and many other places.
Our students enjoyed learning from Melanie!
We explored ballet as a wonderful way to stay in peak performance shape, avoid injuries, build strength, flexibility and balance and respectfully warm up our bodies in the process! We released some of our pre-conceived ideas about ballet and learned that many professional athletes use ballet in their training.
The dancers also took the ‘ballet class’ taught in the language of ballet, which is French. They learned that by listening and watching, they could discern much of another language without speaking it.
The dancers explored how to embrace the RESPECT that a dancer is required to have for him/herself, for all others and for all of our environment. We spent much of our time with creative movement and learning to tap into our own creative spirit, moving through a space filled with other dancers who were also spontaneously improvising…. without bumping into one another!
A St. Joseph’s student learns how to dance with props.
I LOVED seeing smiling faces of the Lakota children in each class!
We also explored many different props such as cotton bandanas, silk scarves, stretchy loops and silk streamers while we challenged ourselves to dance with others by mirroring or shadowing their movements. We learned that being a leader of movement means that we are responsible to our followers.
I am very impressed by and appreciative of the “Circle of Courage” that is emphasized at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I experienced generosity of spirit, independence in creativity, mastery of attempting difficult ‘moves’ and lastly, relationships broadening as they danced together in a new way throughout the residency.
I was sad to leave the wonderful staff, faculty and students, but delighted that I have been blessed by the opportunity to dance with the students at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
Fall is in the air at St. Joseph’s. Leaves are changing and the students are enjoying the fall days as the football season comes to an end.
On Monday, when most of the country was celebrating Columbus Day, the State of South Dakota celebrated Native American Day. There was a large powwow in Rapid City on October 10 and a good number of our students participated in the event. They were wonderful representatives of St. Joseph’s!
Monday also saw the start of the school’s second quarter. We started the day with a Prayer Service enhanced by Native American activities at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. The service began with the entrance of our powwow royalty accompanied by the Chalk Hill Singers’ drum group. Several students led us in the Four Direction prayer. There were also readings from the Gospel of Luke and Joseph Marshall III, a member of the Sicangu Lakota Tribe.
Our artist in residence, V.R. Janis, made presentations in the classroom during the rest of the day. Our students learned a lot!
This past Saturday was the 16th Annual River City Band Festival in downtown Chamberlain. Our 4th, 5th and 6th grade students helped carry banners in the parade. After the parade, the bands gathered at the local athletic field to perform their field shows. St. Joseph’s drum group, the Chalk Hill Singers presented the Lakota Flag Song after the National Anthem to begin the afternoon festivities. I believe this is their first public performance outside of a powwow setting — they did a fantastic job!
Kyle, one of St. Joseph’s students, is the new Explorers Secretary!
The local members of the Chamberlain Middle School Explorers elected their officers for the year recently and one of St. Joseph’s eighth graders, Kyle, was elected secretary. The Explorers are a service club for sixth thru eighth grade boys that meet every Thursday at 7:30 AM at Chamberlain Elementary School. This year seven St. Joseph’s students are taking part and four of them are new members.
The Explorers raise money through a variety of projects during the year and then donate the money for someone in need or to the Chamberlain community to help fund various projects. Last year, they contributed to the new Chamberlain swimming pool complex. They also focus on civics and various lessons called ‘man stuff.’
The group also travels to Pierre to visit the State Capital and meet the Governor. The year ends with a trip to a major league baseball game.
Two of St. Joseph’s students, Ramez and Tayeden, had a great time meeting donors at the luncheons in the Dallas, TX area. After the luncheons, they had the chance to visit the Texas State Fair and take a VIP tour of AT&T stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. They even had the chance to visit the Cowboys’ locker room and have their pictures taken in front of the locker of their favorite player, Dez Bryant.
Last week saw the end of the golf season. Chamberlain High School’s team won multiple invitationals and had all members qualify for the state tournament. Out of the 16 teams that took part, the Cubs came in 8th. Danny, one of St. Joseph’s students, placed in the top 25 as a junior. We are excited to support him next year!
Thank you for your generosity. YOU make everything we do possible.
Hello from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota!
My name is Laura and I have been the Donor Relations Officer here at St. Joseph’s for the past fifteen years.
We are reaching my favorite time of year!
St. Joseph’s students are back on campus. They have been in school for a little over a month and are busy with class and extracurricular activities. I am currently busy speaking with donors from all around the United States, sharing information about our upcoming 39th Annual Powwow.
I had the first donors register for the 2015 powwow during the 2014 event! There are now over 400 donors and friends registered to attend our powwow. They will begin arriving next week to take in all of the fun!
During the powwow festivities, I get to reunite with people who come every year. I also meet lots of new people who are visiting St. Joseph’s Indian School for the very first time!
The powwow is definitely a highlight of the school year here at St. Joseph’s, for students and staff alike. Don’t get me wrong, it is a lot of work for employees to have campus ready for our visitors, but we wouldn’t have it any other way! Every department on campus pitches in to make the festivities run smoothly .
A Lakota (Sioux) youth dances during St. Joseph’s 38th Annual Powwow.
Our 39th Annual Powwow festivities begin on Thursday, September 17 with guest registration, a reservation bus tour, the powwow royalty crowning ceremony and a meet & greet in the evening. at a local motel.
On Friday, guest registration will continue along with cultural activities, tours of the school, cultural performances and our Tiyospaye Banquet.
Prior to Grand Entry on Saturday, there will be tours of students’ homes and an open house at Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel. Following the powwow, Mass will be celebrated and dinner is served to everyone in attendance.
If you would like additional information about St. Joseph’s powwow or helpful links in planning your visit , please call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow. We would love to have you join us!
For those attending, I would like to wish you all a safe trip out to beautiful South Dakota and St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota!
Summer is ‘officially’ over here in Chamberlain. The new city swimming pool is closed for the year and public school started this week.
Our high school students arrived on Sunday and participated in a two-day orientation program before school began on Wednesday. Our high school volleyball, cross country and football teams all have meets and games this week.
I recently attended the football team’s scrimmage and joined the coaches and players when they came out to St. Joseph’s for a team building meal at the Sheehy Home. It was a great night.
You may recall that I recently mentioned our 4-6 grade students can participate in football with the local team. They had their first practice on Tuesday evening. Our students were very excited to try on their equipment and hit the field. St. Joseph’s is honored to be able to host the practices and games as a way to help our students get to know their peers from the Chamberlain community better.
On Saturday morning, some of our students participated in the Chamberlain Youth Triathlon. They were able to swim, bike and run—all on campus. It was a fun experience for all!
Our Lakota (Sioux) students enjoy learning about their Native American culture and participating in our annual powwow.
We were scheduled to have an inipi— sweat lodge— with our 7-8 grade boys on Saturday afternoon, but the high wind made it too dangerous to have a fire.
Please keep the members of the American Province of the Priests of the Sacred Heart in your prayers this week. Since our former Provincial, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, was elected to our General Council in Rome, we are gathering this week to elect a new Provincial and Council. May the Holy Spirit guide our deliberations.
Our students are getting ready for our 39th Annual Powwow on September 19. They have several dance practices scheduled and staff members have been meeting to talk over plans to ensure another successful event. We have even started praying for good weather! We hope you will be able to attend. If you have any questions about the three day event, please feel free to call 1-800-584-9200 or visit www.stjo.org/powwow.
Have a great Thursday. May God’s blessings continue to be with you and yours.
My name is Colton, and I am an intern in the Human Resource Department here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. My major is Business Administration and I am specializing in Human Resource Management.
To me, it was a no brainer to intern at St. Joseph’s. The intern position fit perfectly with my major and my family lives in Chamberlain. Growing up, I witnessed the “community within a community” atmosphere at St. Joseph’s and I wanted to experience it for myself. Everyone is so friendly and always has a smile on their face and it is extremely rare to drive by a fellow employee and not get a warm smile and a wave from them. You get a sense of family whenever you work and interact with your co-workers.
All staff members also make sure to do everything they can to give the kids the absolute best place possible to call home during the school year. You don’t even have to question what St. Joseph’s “mission” is… if you ever have an opportunity to visit campus and see the smiles on the kids’ faces as they play and learn, or see the tireless work being completed by the houseparents , grounds crew, etc. There truly is a ‘bigger purpose’ at St. Joseph’s and I look forward to seeing how it continues to grow in the future.
Our Lakota (Sioux) children are at the heart of everything we do.
As for my internship, I have gotten the same exact feeling from everyone in the HR department. They let me know if I ever have any questions to not hesitate to ask. They are very accommodating to everything going on in my life. I’ve learned far more than I could ever learn in a classroom setting and I am not even done interning! It has been a great experience thus far and I know that I made the right choice in coming to St. Joseph’s.
I have worked in several different places and by far St. Joseph’s takes the cake. Pilamaya—thank you—for supporting St. Joseph’s and the mission we all serve.
Hi, my name is Bob. My wife Angela and I are high school houseparents here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, working with girls in grades 9-12. At St. Joseph’s, the high school
Bob, Houseparent
students live on campus but attend Chamberlain Public High School. They participate in sports, clubs and other extra-curricular activities. It’s a great way to stay involved with the community!
Houseparents normally have summer off. This summer, however, we stayed on campus to work in one of the break homes. But not just any break home… this one was special – the Transitional Living Program for our oldest students.
Two homes were open to offer this opportunity to St. Joseph’s upperclassmen – one for the girls and one for the boys. Each student was ready to see what
a dorm-style, away-from-home lifestyle would be like. It was designed to be much like they will experience in college.
The program had several ground rules:
Student had to have a job and provide their own transportation to and from that job.
Each student was responsible for their own preparation of meals, laundry and housekeeping.
Those who had the privilege of driving St. Joseph’s cars (which most of them did) were responsible for their own gas and oil as needed.
Each student could come and go as they chose, provided they let the on-duty staff know where they were going and when they planned to return. They also had to check in by phone from time to time.
They had to return by curfew and could not leave the Chamberlain area.
Sunday morning all students attended church services on campus. If they were working, they attended Mass elsewhere during a time they were not working.
At Chamberlain High School, St. Joseph’s students participate in sports, extra-curricular activities and more.
Our eight students had various jobs, both on St. Joseph’s campus and in the Chamberlain community. We had students work in the restaurant field, at a car dealership and at a hotel.
After the six-week program concluded, the students went home to finish their summer vacation and spend some time with their families. Hopefully, they went with a better understanding of work ethic and independence that will help them in the future.
We had a great group of students and really enjoyed spending some of their summer with them. We saw some real life changes in this group of wonderful, mature, young adults and hope the experience will impact their future in a positive way.
Thank you for the support you give St. Joseph’s Indian School to make these opportunities possible for the Lakota students!
Things are quiet on St. Joseph’s campus; summer programs have ended and there are no Lakota students on campus, if only for a few weeks. Our facilities crew is finishing up a variety of projects, getting the campus in shape for the new school year which starts August 10.
This year, we’re very excited to have our seniors in high school participate in a new independent living program. Students will have more responsibilities and more freedom to help prepare them for their next step in life – college, tech school, the military or the workforce.
Next week, we’ll be starting to hit the bricks for the upcoming school year. New staff will be on campus to begin their orientation and training. The first week in August, all staff return. Our students will come in on August 9 and classes will begin August 10. Our high school students, who attend Chamberlain Public High School, will begin sports practices. The new school year is almost here!
As mentioned last week, I am in Colorado for my niece’s wedding. It all turned out well and most of my family was able to attend. My brothers and I went golfing. I had some good shots and interesting putts, but I know how Tiger feels concerning his British Open experience. The altitude in Colorado Springs, at the base of Pike’s Peak, does affect you. I would tee the ball up and then have to pause a moment to give my head the chance to clear.
Leaving Colorado, I am heading across Wyoming to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. I will also visit to the Little Big Horn battlefield and then Devil’s Tower. I’m also going to try and work in a trip to a Minuteman Missile Site near Wall, South Dakota before reaching Chamberlain. One of my brothers, now retired, is going to join me.
I hope that any of you who are taking vacation trips will also have a great time and safe travels. Perhaps some of you are saving your vacation to come out to our annual powwow on September 19. We would love to have you visit St. Joseph’s Indian School!
May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity towards the ministry taking place at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
