community – Page 4 – St. Joseph's Indian School

A Christmas Celebration for the Lakota Children

Dear Friends of St. Joseph’s,

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain — Fr. Anthony helped pass out gifts at the Christmas celebration.

What a week last week was! The Lakota students were scheduled to come back from Christmas break a week ago, but many were not able to return right away due to the weather – cold temperatures, wind, snow and ice. The entire week stayed cold and windy with wind chill factors below zero. Most of the students and staff remained inside, but a few brave souls took advantage of the snow and got in some good sledding.
We had many students come down with the flu after they returned from break. They spent most of the week in our nurses’ care in the health center on campus. Nurse Nancy and Nurse Ronda showed tender concern and helped get the students back on their feet. The prospect of missing out on opening Christmas gifts on Sunday helped everyone to cooperate and listen to the nurses’ instructions for a speedy recovery!
On the sports front, the boys’ basketball season is underway and they will play their first game tomorrow. The older girls signed up for the Inter-city girls’ league, which is played on Sunday

Our Christmas celebration began with mass and the Christmas story. — The students reenacted the Christmas story during mass.

afternoons with girls from the Chamberlain community.
St. Joseph’s bowling league got started Saturday. We have eight teams made up of students in grades 7-12. Everyone was a little rusty to start and we saw quite a few gutter balls. In the second game, however, students began to hit their spots.
Finally, Sunday – the day of our Christmas party – arrived! We always wait until the students return from break to celebrate Christmas in their St. Joseph’s homes. As part of Mass, some of our fourth grade students acted out the Christmas story. As soon as Mass was over, the students headed back to their homes to open Christmas gifts. As you can see from the pictures, there was a lot of excitement. Check out more photos in our Flickr album!
A great big pilamaya – thank you – to all those who played Santa behind the scenes. Your

Students opened gifts in their St. Joseph’s homes after mass. — Pilamaya – thank you – for the headphones!

generosity enabled our houseparents to go out and shop for some of the items our students had asked Santa to bring. It was a great feeling to see the joy and happiness expressed by the Lakota children. We’re so grateful for your generosity!
May God’s blessings continue to be with you as your generosity enables His blessings to be present to the Native American children at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Bringing you up to date…

Happy New Year from all the students and staff at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The SCJ house on St. Joseph’s campus enjoyed many visitors during the Parade of Homes. — Fr. Anthony, Terri and Fr. Bernie had a wonderful time during Chamberlain’s Parade of Homes!

I hope everyone’s New Year is off to a great start. Our students and staff are in the process of working their way back to campus as the Christmas Break comes to an end. The weather is making it a bit interesting today – we have snow and 11 degrees outside, along with blistering winds lowering the wind chill to well below zero. Word has already come from the Rosebud Indian Reservation that their bus will not be able to make it to St. Joseph’s today due to the weather. South Dakota could get up to 6 inches of snow or more before tomorrow. Please keep all those traveling in your prayers for a safe journey.

Since things were quiet around campus this past week, I would like to bring you up-to-date on some things that happened just before Christmas.

Pope Francis has dedicated 2015 to be a Year of Consecrated Life —honoring Sisters, Priests and Brothers who have made the commitment to religious life. Our Provincial, Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ, sent out a memo encouraging our Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJ) communities to discern ways we could make ourselves visible to the people in our areas so as to give witness and invite them to know us better.

On December 14, 2014, Fr. Bernard Rosinski, SCJ and I, along with our housekeeper, Terri, took part in the annual Parade of Homes in the Chamberlain area. It is a fundraiser for our local Cozard Memorial Library. There were five homes and one local business that people could visit.

We hosted between 60-75 people and had a great time answering questions and showing off our home —beautiful, thanks to Terri’s wonderful sense of decorating.

Later that week, we invited St. Joseph’s staff to come up and see the decorations and enjoy some cookies and hot cider. About 40-50 staff accepted our invite during this busy season. It was a wonderful experience!

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On the calendar for the week ahead is the start of the third quarter at school and our celebration of Christmas with the Lakota (Sioux) boys and girls. The students are looking forward to opening their gifts your generosity provided! I always enjoy visiting the homes and seeing the expressions of joy on the children’s faces as they open their gifts. We’ll be sure to take some pictures so you can see them in next week’s blog!

With 2015 upon us, I also wanted to remind you of the donor luncheons that will be coming up, giving you an opportunity to meet some of St. Joseph’s students and staff:

January 18-19, 2015: San Francisco, California
April 25-26, 2015 : Panama City, Florida
June 7-8, 2015: New York, New York

If you are able to attend and would like additional information, please call 1-800-584-9200. We look forward to spending some time with you!

Enjoy the week ahead. May God’s blessings continue to be with you as in the New Year. Thanks again for your support and encouragement of our Lakota students and all of us. Be assured of our prayers for you and your special intentions.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

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

Dear Benefactors of St. Joseph’s Indian School,

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

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

Indian Education Summit 2014

I was recently blessed to be able to take in this gathering of people from around South Dakota who share a common goal: we want to build a

LaRayne is St. Joseph's Native American Studies teacher. — LaRayne, St. Joseph’s Native American Studies teacher

“Bright Future in Our Schools.”

I learned so much during two days of meetings, meals and mingling! The sessions were interactive with technology, discussions and hands on activities and ideas to help teachers, administrators, vendors, community business leaders, students and parents from all walks of life.

I had several favorite sessions. One entailed hearing ideas from a teacher in our state who gets her students to write while they think they are in an art class. This same presenter shared her passion to teach because, in this generation, she was not taught about the indigenous people who were living on this land before her ancestors came across the ocean. What

Native American Studies, powwow dancing and more are part of our curriculum at St. Joseph’s Indian School. — All St. Joseph’s students take Native American Studies as part of our regular curriculum and have the opportunity to participate in powwow and other cultural activities.

she is doing can be done by any teacher in any state to help students to learn by indigenous practices and to really care about their own education.

Another favorite group was a program we are using called “Wolakota Project.” This program allows teachers from any school, including St. Joseph’s, to access video interviews on a website. This curriculum will be incorporated into our 1^st -3^rd grade classrooms, helping adults and students to understand cultural stories, ways and sensitivities to Oceti Sakowin Oyate (Seven Council Fires Nation).

Other sessions I soaked up will help not only with my daily classes but also with the planning and execution of our seventh grade cultural trip, which will be here again before we know it!

I was able to mingle with fellow allies through wonderful meals of buffalo stew and lots of wakalapi (coffee). Creating a network of people with whom to share ideas is always a strong part of the summit. I listened to school board members, parents, community leaders, Tribal leaders, higher education officers, students, professors and family members of students share their ideas, worries, solutions and works as well as personal motivation that keep us all loving what we do every day.

Sharing the culture of our people from the Seven Council Fires is what I have done for the past 12 years here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. It is motivating for me to see that the work we are striving for together is going to help fulfill not only my part in the mission here at St. Joseph’s, but also to build a “Bright Future in Our Schools” for all students.

Swimming Lessons & Explorers in full swing at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Good morning from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The Lakota students at St. Joseph’s take swimming lessons. — All St. Joseph’s students learn to swim so they can have fun and be safe in the water.

A fall crispness is in the air and the trees continue to decorate themselves – it is a great time of year to live in South Dakota!

In addition to football, volleyball and cross country, St. Joseph’s first graders are learning how to swim so they can fully appreciate our pool. During the harsh South Dakota winter, swimming is one of the main activities for the Lakota students – we want to keep them active when it’s not nice enough to play outside.

It is certainly a lot of fun, but it’s important for them to learn how to swim so they can be safe in the water wherever they are.

The Explorers, a community-focused group of junior high students from the Chamberlain area, gathered recently to elect their officers for this year. Two St. Joseph’s students were elected to office — Ben won the race for Secretary and Joe won the Treasurer position. These young men do a variety of fundraisers to help the community.

They have raised several thousand dollars over the years to aid local citizens who need a helping hand, help with the up-keep of local baseball fields and build the fishing pier at American Creek.

The Lakota students have lots of opportunities to participate in different activities at St. Joseph’s, both on campus and in the community. — St. Joseph’s junior high boys are part of Explorers. Joe and Ben, on the right side of the front row, are Treasurer and Secretary.

There’s also an educational component to the group. Later in the year, they will make a visit to the State Capital in Pierre to see how our government functions.

As the month of September ends, we would again like to thank all those who came to our powwow. It was an honor to have so many friends visit! The prayer requests made by those who visited Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel have been passed on to our students and we are praying for your intentions.

May God continue to bless you with good health, much happiness and reward you for your generosity toward the Native American students attending St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Staying active with the Lakota (Sioux) children

Greetings from Chamberlain, South Dakota!

There was a nip in the air this morning that gave a hint that fall is on the way. We had several warm days last week and got some much needed rain. The rain has helped bring back some color to our grass. A few local cattle seemed to believe the old saying, ‘the grass is greener on the other side.’ Saturday morning, we discovered about a dozen had broken through the fence and were grazing on St. Joseph’s football field!

Last week, students and staff gathered in front of the school building to have a group photo taken in the design of the Morning Star, also found in the Lakota Star Quilt.

St. Joseph’s sports teams are getting ready for the opening of their seasons. Our sixth, seventh and eighth grade students started volleyball, football and cross country practices this week.

Speaking of the cross country team… The other night I heard voices up at the SCJ Community House where Fr. Bernie and I live. All of a sudden, 15-20 youngsters and several adults came around the corner of the house. It was a bit of a shock since we don’t usually have many visitors!

I found out later that our rec center staff had plotted out a new cross country path that led them up the hill where the house is. The team members not only run around campus but also up and down hills for better training. Some of them stopped for a break at the top of our hill before finishing the practice for the day.

The Lakota students and St. Joseph’s staff members gathered for a Morning Star group picture. — St. Joseph’s students and staff gathered for a special group picture in the shape of the Morning Star.

Some of our runners got in some extra practice over the weekend as they took part in the Chamberlain Youth Triathlon. They were able to compete on teams or individually. Two of our teams won first place in their divisions and several individuals also won medals!

Everyone is getting excited as our 38^th Annual Powwow draws closer. Our students have been practicing their dancing and the staff has been going over their notes to see where adjustments can be made to improve the experience for our guests. Today, some of the student tour guides are having a practice run for the school tours they will provide.

The Lakota children competed in a youth triathlon and did great! — Several St. Joseph’s students participated in a youth triathlon. Several earned places!

The final touches are being put on the new playground and will be dedicated on the morning of the powwow. I hope you can come and enjoy the weekend with us September 12-13! If you still need information, call 1-800-584-9200 or visit stjo.org/powwow.

If you cannot attend, please keep us in your prayers that we’ll have nice weather – just like Goldilocks said, ‘not too hot, not too cold, but just right.’

Have a great week! May everyone have a relaxing and enjoyable Labor Day weekend. If you are traveling, please drive safely.

God bless!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Back to school, practicing Generosity at St. Joseph’s

It is our first week back at St. Joseph’s Indian School. The Lakota (Sioux) students are getting settled into their new classrooms and new routines. At lunchtime, however,

Claire is a St. Joseph's houseparent — Claire

they have been looking longingly at their new playground, which is still a few weeks from completion. They have been checking the blueprints posted outside the school office, marveling at the towers, tunnels and slides. They can hardly wait! In the meantime, they have playtime in another area — walking, talking, and playing basketball.

Most of the physical work on campus happens during the summer time, so it is behind the scenes. The students arrive to see clean homes, new sidewalks and beautiful lawns. Seeing a crew of people doing construction on the playground is a bit of a novelty.

Not finished quite yet, St. Joseph’s new playground is under construction. — The new playground for the Lakota boys and girls is making progress, but not done yet.

It has also proven to be an opportunity for generosity.

At St. Joseph’s, we practice the Circle of Courage values of Belonging, Mastery, Independence and Generosity. These first few weeks of school we focus hard on Belonging—making sure each student feels connected in their home and classrooms, assuaging the inevitable bouts of homesickness, and building a sense of community.

Some of our eighth grade students jumped at the chance to practice other values as well. They used some of the cooking skills they learned in Personal Living Skills class to make treats for the playground construction crew – demonstrating Mastery.

They walked out to the playground site bearing a large container of lemonade and a pan of Rice Krispie treats—in a

The Lakota students practiced Generosity by bringing a snack to the crew working on the playground. — St. Joseph’s students brought cold lemonade and a snack to the crew on a hot day to demonstrate generosity.

show of Independence and Generosity.

The students introduced themselves and got to know the names of the crew, who hail from Omaha, Nebraska. It was a hot afternoon, and the crew was very grateful for a snack and some cold lemonade.

The students were grateful and excited to see the progress being made on the playground. They heard about what it was going to look like when it was finished, and got personal assurances that they were going to have a well-built, top-of-the-line play area. It was such a good experience for the students that they are planning on visiting again in the upcoming weeks.

As for staff, we were proud of our students, grateful for the hard work of the construction crew, and especially grateful for donors who made this new playground possible. Thank you to everyone —from our grounds crew, to the construction crew, to all benefactors who contributed. Pilamaya!

Claire N.

Paraprofessional

The Lakota students introduced themselves and thanked the crew working on St. Joseph’s new playground. — Pilamaya – thank you – for working on our playground!

The Lakota children arrive at St. Joseph’s in less than a week!

Good afternoon!

As All Staff Orientation begins to unfold at St. Joseph’s Indian School, you can almost hear the pitter patter of little (and big!) feet. The Lakota (Sioux) students will arrive for the upcoming school year in less than a week! All our staff are busy making sure everything is ready.

The orientation process gives veterans and new staff the chance to get to know one another, share insights and to ask and answer questions. All these preparations make the opening of the school year easier for everyone when the homes open Sunday and the students arrive.

Houseparents will put final touches on their home to welcome the students to their home-away-from-home. Teachers also are getting their classrooms in order and doing last minute decorating to welcome the children.

St. Joseph’s Family Service Counselors work with houseparents, teachers and support staff to help everyone understand how they can best prepare themselves to deal with the various experiences and needs the students will have.

Orientation will cap off Thursday with a picnic for all employees to share some good food and camaraderie for the opening of the 2014-2015 school year.

As part of the effort to make our program at St. Joseph’s Indian School interesting and challenging, our Principal, Kathleen, took part in a conference on education sponsored by the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJs) this summer. She and the principals of other SCJ schools from around the world met to share ideas and foster ways of promoting the spiritual values of Fr. Leo John Dehon, SCJ and Founder of the Congregation of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

The Lakota children will return to St. Joseph’s on August 10, so homes and classrooms are being prepared. — St. Joseph’s houseparents are stocking cupboards and getting ready for the Lakota boys and girls to return for the start of the school year!

It has been a bit noisy around the Chamberlain community these last few days. Bikers are passing through on their way to the Black Hills and the annual Motorcycle Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In the past we have had the opportunity to bless a number of the riders and their motorcycles. We wish them safe travels and an enjoyable time!

The beautiful green of early summer is quickly fading to shades of tan and gold. Rain has been scarce lately. Hopefully, we will be blessed with rain between now and powwow so things will be nice and green for the event. We would love to have you join us for our annual powwow September 12-13. You can register to attend and find more information at stjo.org/powwow.

We hope you have a great week! Please keep us in your prayers as we prepare the arrival of our Native American students, and for safe travel of our students as they return for the upcoming school year! May God continue to bless and reward you for your generosity to for the care and education of the Lakota children attending St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain