Helping Lakota children – Page 2 – St. Joseph's Indian School

Only two weeks away

As I reflect back upon the 2011-2012 school year, it is difficult for me to believe the end of the school year is only two weeks away. It does not seem as though we have already gone through 38 weeks of school!

I know many of the students are counting down the days until their summer vacation arrives however, as a classroom teacher, I get a little down around this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy my summer vacation just as much as the students, but I also miss the kids and wonder how they are all doing at their homes. I sometimes come out to St. Joseph’s campus during the summer and think to myself,

“Wow, it sure is boring here without all the students running around and chatting.”

Eighth-grade graduation is upon us. Some of our students will be attending our high school program, while other students have made alternative plans for their future. It is a time of excitement and pride, but also anxiety for both staff and students. As staff, we have known some of these students since they were in first grade. We have developed relationships, shared stories, shared laughter, had disagreements over rules or assignments, and sometimes even listened through our students’ tears.

Regardless of what our students have gone through in their lives, they can look back on their time at St. Joseph’s and realize they have grown, whether it be physically, emotionally, or simply that they are graduating from eighth grade. They have had many accomplishments; they have formed many bonds, both with adults and their classmates that will continue no matter where they choose to go in their lives. They should be proud of themselves, for they have made it. It may have been difficult, but they have fulfilled the requirements for their first eight years of schooling.

On May 25, there will be a chapel full of people watching as each student is handed their diploma and shares their favorite memories of being a student at St. Joseph’s. As I look forward to that day, I can’t help but smile. For I, too, have a feeling of accomplishment. I was given the wonderful opportunity of being a part of these students’ lives and I have helped them grow. I can only hope I’ve done my best because more than anything these children deserve the absolute best, as they are our future. The smiles on the graduates faces as they receive their diplomas is my motivation to continue on with my work here at St. Joseph’s, as I can see by both the piece of paper in their hands and the twinkles in their eyes that I have made a difference.

This difference would not be possible without the donations from our many generous benefactors. I want to take the time to thank you for your generosity and kindness over the 2011-2012 school year. Without you, none of this would be possible.

Sincerely,
Sarah

Power outage makes an interesting Sunday

Six hours of no electricity made for unusual dynamics on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus today. Power went off just before 9 a.m. and didn’t get restored until after 3 p.m.

We have church at 10, so getting ready with darkened bathrooms and no blow driers made for some interesting looks on students walking into church. We do have an emergency generator, to keep emergency lights, heat and crucial systems on campus going in case of problems, but 90% of campus was without power.

After church, darkened homes, and no televisions or computers made for a perfectly easy way to get everyone outside on a lovely day. Bikes were popular, and the playgrounds were full of activity. A couple of the homes hiked to the park. The Carola boys asked me to let them into the Rec Center so they could get some fishing poles for the home and go down to the river and try their luck at landing some walleye.

Cooking was an inconvenience, but we have lots of grills around campus, and most houseparents fired those up and threw on hamburgers or chicken that were thawing out and had to be used anyway.

Around three was the best part of the day, from a kid’s perspective. By that point the freezers were starting to lose their chill, and the ice cream was reaching the critical point of no return. Since no one knew how long we would be out, the freezers were opened and the homes had an ice cream feast. Just as the students were digging in, the power came back on, so the evening ritual of getting ready for the start of another school week could continue.

While I was walking around campus checking in on everybody, I saw the Stevens Home (6^th-8^th grade girls) taking a walk together. Their home is getting remodeled this year, and almost complete. I asked them if they wanted a preview, and the students and houseparents couldn’t believe the changes that had taken place in a few months. There is still a sizable punch list, but the kitchen is complete, and even the plaque with the names of donors who contributed to the project is neatly hung by the doorway. Hopefully before the end of the school year they can start transferring their home supplies over.

Legacies and future plans

A former St. Joseph’s Indian School employee, Peggy, died at the age of 92. Her son Mike works on campus as our custodian, and I was asked to lead the funeral services. For many years Peggy was the public face of our Thrift Store on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, who enjoyed interacting with all the people who passed her way. At 92, she outlived many of her peers, and the “friends” side of the church had only a handful of people. But the “family” side was filled with a vast number of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren. I was struck by how one life, especially a mother’s life, can touch so many others and leave a legacy of love and care.

Our four high school seniors are finalizing their plans for the fall. D’Kera and Erin have been accepted to South Dakota State in Brookings, South Dakota. D’Kera will first spend some training time in the Army Reserves. Danisha plans to attend Dakota State in Madison, South Dakota. She also got word today that she was accepted for a summer internship at Crazy Horse Monument. While there she will earn college credit to get her off to a good start. Nick is still undecided about his post high school plans are, but would like to study business and accounting.

Life’s ups and downs

Gerald Krueger biting through metal! — Gerald "Heavy Duty" Krueger visited St. Joseph's Indian School.

Gerald “Heavy Duty” Krueger is a former pro wrestler who is now a certified addictions counselor. At the end of the school day he gave our students a presentation in the school gym. Our Native American students were impressed by his feats of strength, like ripping decks of cards and car license plates in half. He took a frying pan and rolled it up like a burrito!

More important, however, was the message he tried to leave to them about being strong means not bullying and trying to treat others right. Picking on other kids, especially with cruel words, leaves long lasting scars and painful memories. He also ran with a crowd in his younger days where drugs and violence were common, and urged our kids to steer clear of those. He also connected with our students who don’t have a strong male role model in their life, reminding them that we don’t always understand the struggles of men who become absent fathers. He spoke out forcefully against suicide, and urged kids to get help when they feel overwhelmed.

As our students left the rec center, I saw several who had collected the torn up playing cards, or pieces of ripped up metal. Hopefully they will also remember the message Heavy Duty tried to communicate as they go through life’s ups and downs.

Preperation at St. Joseph’s Indian School

In a couple of weeks, we will celebrate and kick off the beginning of our new strategic plan. Aaron is filming a video to give some visual images about our mission, vision and core values. Graduation is one of our highest values, and we gathered up the 8^th graders who will be receiving their diplomas in just a few months. They got excited as they put on cap and gown and mugged for the camera. They dreamed about what will be the next goal they set their minds to. A few of the American Indian students were here as tiny first graders when I first started here eight years ago.

The actual filming took only a couple of minutes. The set up, with lighting and equipment took much longer. And before the setup, Aaron had to have an idea of what he wanted to show and get everyone’s schedules arranged to be together at that particular time. It reminded me that so often in life, preparation time we put in beforehand really determines if something we do will be successful or not.

I stopped in for supper at the Crane Home (high school girls). It’s hard to find a night when most of the high school students are home at the same time, but Wednesday’s the local schools don’t schedule evening activities so the churches in the community can have religious education time. Still, I visited the young women in shifts as they came and went from other activities – basketball practice, play practice and tutoring appointments. A few of the students are preparing to celebrate the sacrament of Confirmation soon, and had scheduled interviews with Fr. Anthony. They ate in shifts, and I did get a little time with each of the students. The time with any individual was too brief. I just hope that being present and letting them know I’m interested in how school and life is going, builds a rapport for a time when they might want to talk or share more.

A daily routine with our high school girls

At some point during break, I found myself sitting on my couch thinking,

“It’s quiet around here. [Eyes shift about suspiciously]. Too quiet. [Pause.] What are the kids up to?”

I’ve come to appreciate the rhythms of the daily routines with the kids, so although I enjoy my time off, I still look forward to starting up again after break. It feels good to be back in the happy chaos of the high school homes as we all get settled back in.

We had so much fun singing, baking and laughing!

We left off last year baking cookies and making ornaments with girls from the younger homes. This involved Christmas carols, flour and frosting on the floor, and twiddly bits of glitter and goo gobs in the rug. These are hallmarks of a really good day: singing and a medium-sized mess.

This was a departure from our usual after school routine, which is a jumble of snacks, charges, appointments and updates on the new topics at Chamberlain High School.

“I got all my assignments in!” (Yeah! Good job!)

“What’s for dinner? Can I go to McDonald’s?” (Chili, and no you may not.)

“Can I go to Central [Receiving]? I need some black pants for work!” (Yes, and sign yourself out.)

“I need to go to early school tomorrow to do my speech.” (Please e-mail Miles for a ride at 7:30.)

“I need $2 for class dues and 3 dozen cupcakes for tomorrow.” (What huh?)

All of this is accompanied by the pop/hip hop soundtrack of someone’s laptop playing full blast and the constant clicking of cell phone keys texting.

Morning routines are not quite so lively. They are more like a cheesy suspense novel. Everything starts off predictably slow, with sleepy-eyed prayers and bits of toast. Then comes the rising action—the clock is ticking and our heroine is in a race against time to complete her mission before the bus arrives. Will she get her charge done? Will that bathroom sink pass inspection or will she have to go for a do-over? The bus is out front with the lights flashing, as we bite our nails (and tongues, because nagging is just NOT going to save the day). Will she find that Math book? WILL HER HAIR LOOK OK?? Tune in and find out.

The best part of the day is still the short window of time between curfew and bedtime. Theoretically, we are winding down for the day. We’ll have snacks and Sleepy Tea. Prayers are one part of the day when we can usually have all the girls together for a few quiet cell-phone free minutes. The girls usually have friends and family members that they want to pray for. Sometimes they pray for better grades or snow days. We have lists of intentions from benefactors that get added in as well. It may sound a bit corny, but I really enjoy prayer time. It’s a privilege to be able to talk about spirituality openly with the kids, and it makes for a positive end to our day. Well, sort of. Once bedtime actually arrives, we are back into chaos with everyone remembering “one last thing” that has to be done right now. The next five minutes will be like herding frogs.

I find myself smiling when I remember these things. I can’t wait to get caught up on all the news with the girls. Best of all, today is present-wrapping day for the high school program. This involves Christmas carols, pizza, tons of wrapping paper and tape. In other words: singing and a medium size mess. We’re off to a great start!

Until next time,

Claire

Must be doing something right

St. Joseph's Indian School's Hogebach girls.

Hello! My name is Claire, and I work in both high school girls’ homes. One question people often ask me is, “How can you do it?” As a houseparent for 21 teenage girls, I used to ask myself that question a lot. Literally.

My first year here my houseparent key was marked YB1, so every time I went to open the door to work, I was confronted with the question, “Why be one?” Apparently after three and a half years, I have answered that question sufficiently well. My key now reads YA1. I figure if I can say, “Yay I’m one!” every day, I must be doing something right.

So how do I/we do it? In some ways, we do what most parents do— we’re there when the kids get up in the morning and again when they go to bed at night. We have to tell them they are beautiful enough, so please get out of the bathroom before they miss the bus. We’re super fans, chauffeurs, cooks and coaches. We share their prayers, troubles and triumphs. Of course, most parents don’t have 10 teenage girls. Then again, most parents don’t co-parent with 4-6 other people who get regularly breaks and who meet every week to talk about what we are doing and why.

The first step to houseparenting is to care. Usually, that’s easy because we have such wonderful kids to work with. Sometimes caring is hard—we have to care enough to let a kid be really angry in our presence, especially when it is not our fault and even when it is. We have to care enough to swallow our pride and admit when we make mistakes. We have to care enough to be curious when we don’t know what is going on with a kid. We’ve have to care enough to let kids make mistakes and pay the price sometimes.

As houseparents, we have to get creative. Whether that’s figuring out what to make for supper—knowing that this one hates onions and that one hates cheese—or finding a way to cook dinner, cheer on the basketball team, get homework done and have everyone into bed at a decent hour. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of knowing that this kid doesn’t want hugs but will accept a mug of tea (only one sugar, thank you).

What really makes houseparenting possible is our ability to really focus on our kids. By this I mean, we don’t have to worry about medical bills, leaky faucets or running out of groceries. As houseparents, we are supported by thousands of donors and an incredible staff that makes sure these needs are met every day. We are careful stewards of course, and we track our budgets to make sure we are making wise use of our resources. OK, so when we are WAY OVER budget for allowance because our kids are getting fantastic grades, we are all secretly gleeful. And I don’t think donors will mind one bit.

So, thank you to all the people who make it possible for me to do the job I love.

A visit with my oncologists

Checking in, checking up, checking out!

I’ve been on the road a lot lately, and today is a day to do laundry and repack my bags for the next trip. We’re going to Pittsburgh for donor appreciation luncheons and I’m sure I’ll have a few good stories to tell after our return.

Last night, I returned from the Mayo Clinic after follow-up tests and visits with my oncologists. Thanks be to God, my cancer is still in remission, and I won’t have to return for another checkup for in six months.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Overall, I’ve generally been feeling good. Still, I had a touch of anxiety heading for the check ups because I didn’t feel ill when they discovered the cancer in the first place. As I drove into Rochester, instead of sickly feelings, my memories of people who visited me in the hospital and at Hope Lodge, places we ate and conversations we had. I recalled fellow patients who offered their support. As I walked through the halls for my appointments, I remembered the initial visits, not knowing my way around, not knowing quite what to expect. Through the grace of God I’ve come a long way.

Like many of us who hit middle age, the doctor did notice rising levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and told me to take it easy on the holiday sweets and treats. He said I need to adjust my eating habits, (and take to heart the healthy school lunch challenge that St. Joseph’s Indian School earned!) and eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and keep sugars and saturated fats to a minimum. He also said, the nerves in my leg have probably healed about as much as they’re going to. I’ll have to give up on fast breaks and stick to a set shot. But all in all, he was very happy with the progress I’ve made.

I enjoyed the gracious hospitality at St. John’s parish, which is literally across the street from the Mayo Clinic. Fr. Jerry and Fr. John have made it a home-away-from-home when I go for check-ups. At the 12:10 mass, I ran into a couple of St. Joseph’s donors who assured me of their continued prayers and a woman who herself was visiting the clinic for cancer treatments. We promised to keep each other in our prayers. My own brush with this illness has made me more aware of others struggling with health issues. I continue to hear from many people each day, requesting prayers and I am very mindful of all those in need of healing.

The drive is long, about 350 miles each way. But after the good news, I traveled back on eagles wings, with spirits soaring.

Back on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, I noticed that three boys, in one family, have been checked out for an extended period of time, and asked if they were going to withdraw. Their home is two hours distant and their grandmother has been critically ill. They’ve gone back home to be of support to her. But they’ve done well at St. Joseph’s and definitely want to stay. They hope to be able to return after Christmas break. In the meantime, our teachers have been sending work home where an aunt is home schooling them for these weeks.

I thought that was a creative and compassionate solution that lets them be with family at such an important time.

Generous hearts and attitudes

Thanks to our other staff members for keeping you up to date on school activities while I was away this past week.

I serve on my Religious Community’s (SCJ) Formation commission. We gathered to discuss the education and formation of our seminarians, as well as vocational efforts for finding quality people who might be thinking about becoming a brother or priest. A couple of us attended the National Religious Formation conference in Kansas City. The theme was about the prophetic nature of religious life. One keynote I particularly found inspiring was a look at many women prophets in the bible.
I did work in Formation with college seminarians for five years and that has shaped my philosophy of our programs at St. Joseph Indian School. We are trying to educate and form well-rounded young people, who have self-confidence, know how to work through troubles and adversity, love to learn and know how to take care of themselves and others.

I believe a key to all of that is having a solid relationship with God and trying to understand how we can follow God’s will and ways and use our gifts and talents accordingly.

One nice example that I heard when I returned was from the Cyr Home (4th-5th grade boys). For a service project they decided to help a family in need for Thanksgiving. All 12 of the boys did extra jobs around campus to earn a few extra dollars. They also made money from selling Powerade and water at football games. The boys made a list of what they would like to eat at Thanksgiving, and three of the boys looked over food ads in the newspaper. They learned about budgeting and discovered how much their dollars would buy. Four of the students went to the grocery store to buy the food. Others helped wrap the food and included a turkey plate they found at Central Storage. When all was in order, they delivered the food to the pastor of a church downtown, who delivered the food to the families so the students would remain anonymous. I’m inspired through their generous hearts and attitudes.

This afternoon, our third graders put on a hoop dancing performance. We sat on the floor against the wall in the school gym, and watched them make their hoops into the shape of butterflies and eagles and let their spirits soar as they danced. Good exercise, great fun and an appreciation of Lakota (Sioux) culture as well.

We had a journalist from Germany taking video of happenings around campus. At the end of the day, he was interviewing three of our high school girls, and asked a question something like, “Why is being away from home more important than being with your family?” Danisha, one of our seniors, wisely put it in perspective.

Nothing is more important than family. Being at St. Joseph’s gives me opportunities and an education so in the long run, I can help my family even more.”

The words of Jesus came alive

Chamberlain High School put on the musical “Godspell” in the local community center. I’ve seen the production three times in the past, and it made the words of Jesus come alive for me in a unique way each time. I’ve also seen that student crews who worked on it came away with a deeper sense of faith. During the preparation, I overheard our students commenting at mass when a gospel passage connected with what they were rehearsing. What was different about this production, was the presence of the entire 7^th and 8^th grade Chamberlain choir, and many high school students as a chorus that ringed the stage and made the background vocals stand out loud. There are lots of laughs, but many poignant moments.

We had several students involved. Chris, a junior, had a solo and was prominent in many of the skits. Trinity and Michelle did all the makeup. Jatonne played guitar as part of the musical support. The entire lighting crew of four was staffed by our St. Joseph’s Indian School youth, and others helped build the stage. Lots of staff kids’ had lead roles, and it seemed like half the town crowded in to participate. At the end we opened our programs to find the music and lyrics to Handel’s Hallelujah chorus. As the audience sang along, it sure lifted everyone’s spirits.

To make opening night even more festive, on campus the date happened to coincide with a feast that Tia, one of our high school houseparents puts on. She is from Louisiana, and her hometown has a “coming home” festival at this time. She made two kinds of gumbo, jambalaya and dirty rice. Those who dipped their ladle into the gumbo pot and pulled up a hardboiled egg also won an envelope with prize money. It was also Mark’s (the other houseparent’s) birthday, so he had some of his favorite songs on the boom box and a huge cake with one candle for each one of his years of life.

After supper, I sat and talked with three of our four seniors about graduation. This crew has been at St. Joseph’s Indian School for a lot of combined years. Erin arrived in 5^th grade, Danisha in 3^rd, Nick in 2^nd and D’Kera in first (a lifer!) They’ve seen and experienced so much in their years at St. Joseph’s. And since the kids live here, you really do see them grow up.