I am Delores, a Family Service Counselor (FSC) and have been at St. Joseph’s Indian School for 15 years. I used to work with the middle school girls but, for the last 12 years, have worked with the youngest boys at our school.
Our FSC roles change during the summer. During the school year, we serve as counselors and are the main contact person for the families. Summer gives us a chance to be out of our offices with kids and families. We make home visits to our current students and their families. They are excited to see us as we become their second family while they are here during the school year. We usually find the kids freshly showered with their cleanest clothes on, often waiting for us to drive up.
In July, their attention starts to turn to returning to St. Joseph’s. They are interested in what is going on here, who their houseparents and teachers will be, and if I have visited their friends yet. We get to reconnect, talking about last year and looking forward to the new school year.
We also go to interview children who want to come to school here. It is a time where we get to hear about the child’s life – the good things and the challenges. They are usually very excited about becoming a student at St. Joseph’s. Some are full of questions about what school is like and have a twinkle in their eyes as they imagine experiencing all the things they’ve heard about. It’s always enjoyable for me to meet new kids and their families. At times I am interviewing boys whose mothers used to be my students in middle school! A reminder that we do become their family!
And off I go to plan my visits … I wish you all the best of summer during this July!