Indian school – St. Joseph's Indian School

Christmas and Basketball at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School.

These past few days have been cold and windy… but there has been no heavy snow, which had closed the Interstate the previous week. The cold has kept the Missouri River frozen, which is what those who will be taking part in the ice fishing tournament next weekend like to hear.

Since St. Joseph’s students are away from campus for Christmas spending time with friends and family, we celebrated Christmas here the first Sunday after they returned (January 8). I was wondering what we should call the day and a young student came up to me and said, ‘happy St. Joseph’s Christmas!’ It is as good a name as anything else! Continue reading “Christmas and Basketball at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

Welcoming in 2017 at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Things were a bit hectic here Monday as students began returning from Christmas Break. Due to the recent snow storms and cold snap in the upper Midwest, we are still missing a few students who have been unable to return.

We hope all students will be here by Sunday, Continue reading “Welcoming in 2017 at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown, Girls on the Run, Flat Francis and Healing at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Greetings from a snowy St. Joseph’s Indian School.

We were lucky it was not snowing on Sunday when our students and staff returned to campus after Thanksgiving Break, but the weather has been making up for it since with wind, snow and low temperatures.

Break Home

While everyone was away for the holiday, it was rather quiet here on campus. We only had a few students in the Break Home, but they enjoyed themselves. On Black Friday, they Continue reading “Thanksgiving, Charlie Brown, Girls on the Run, Flat Francis and Healing at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

Lots of excitement at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

You may be aware our high school senior students are in a new program to help get them ready for college. They have restructured living arrangements that are similar to what they’ll find in the dorms.

Our Houseparents are working to help them develop a sense of independence so they’ll be able to take care of their own cooking, shopping, budgeting and employment after graduation. Recently, the high school girls Continue reading “Lots of excitement at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

It’s been a great week at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

The school year is off to a flying start now that everyone is back. The high school students began their classes on Wednesday, but students going out for sports have been on campus for a week or so practicing.

The high school girls volleyball has their first away game Saturday, football plays in Chamberlain tonight against Crow Creek, and the golf team has had several matches already with Continue reading “It’s been a great week at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

St. Joseph’s Countdown is in Single Digits!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School.

The countdown to the start of the new school year is in single digits, as our students arrive on campus this Sunday!

All-Staff Orientation is also coming to a close. We began with a prayer service on Tuesday and had a picnic Wednesday evening. Various groups have been busy going over policy and expectations. Teachers and Houseparents have been preparing their classrooms and Continue reading “St. Joseph’s Countdown is in Single Digits!”

Adventure and ‘Way to Go’ at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

As the new school year quickly approaches, St. Joseph’s wanted to take a moment to look back at the past school year.

Hi! My name is Cathy. I am a houseparent in the William Home, one of St. Joseph’s 4th-6th grade girls homes.

Adventure and Way to Go!! are always a couple of the themes interwoven into the William Home’s experiences.

Adventure

Adventure is defined as ‘an unusual and exciting experience or activity, especially the exploration of unknown territory.’ It also means taking chances.

Adventure walks were one of our students’ favorite things to do last year! Normally, their favorite activity was the playground, but sometimes an adventure/mystery walk would be offered. Continue reading “Adventure and ‘Way to Go’ at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

A celebratory trip, the Akta Lakota Museum and day camp at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph's Chaplain — Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School.

As some of you may know, this year has been proclaimed a Holy Year of Mercy by Pope Francis. Part of the celebration calls for people to visit the Cathedral and pass through the Holy Door as part of a pilgrimage. I joined parishioners from St. James Catholic Church in Chamberlain and St. Margaret Catholic Church in Kimball to visit the Cathedral of St. Joseph’s in Sioux Falls.

To meet the requirements for the plenary indulgence, the trip was geared to have the opportunity for Confession, to offer prayer for Pope Francis’ intentions and to receive the Eucharist by joining in the noon Mass. After the Mass, we were given a guided tour of the Cathedral and the renovations that were done in the past few years. The group joined together at a local Perkins for lunch before heading home. We enjoyed sharing reflections of what had impressed people the most about the experience and the tour.

The team at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center has received some great reviews from recent visitors! You can read some of the reviews for yourself by clicking HERE.

Continue reading “A celebratory trip, the Akta Lakota Museum and day camp at St. Joseph’s Indian School!”

Fireworks, elephants and construction, oh my!

Good day from St. Joseph’s Indian School.

It has been an exciting few days at St. Joseph’s Indian School! On Monday, the city of Chamberlain put on a wonderful fireworks display and on Wednesday, a storm with fierce winds and rain moved through town. Luckily, there was not much damage with the storm, other than a few tree branches here and there.

The students in the Summer Break Home all headed home this week. Prior to their departure, they made a trip to Omaha, Nebraska. They seemed to have enjoyed themselves! They swam in a wave pool, rode a roller coaster, raced go-carts, visited an aquarium and made a trip to the zoo to see

Picnic — A picnic in the park was a cherry on top of the Summer Break Home’s trip to the zoo!

orangutans, polar bears, gorillas and elephants—certainly animals that are not normally seen on the plains of South Dakota! Continue reading “Fireworks, elephants and construction, oh my!”

Happy 4th of July Weekend from St. Joseph’s Indian School!!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Things have slowed down quite a bit on campus. The Rising Eagle Day Camp culminated and the free lunch program for the community has also came to an end to give our staff a short break before the students return to campus on August 14.

Several students are staying on campus in our Summer Break Home. They recently spent a few days in Omaha, Nebraska. I will make sure to give a report on what they saw and did in my blog next week.

Summer Camp participants enjoyed the slip-n-slide waterslide!

The most popular activity at this year’s summer camp was a slip-n-slide ‘waterslide’! A tarp was placed on a hill with a hose at the top, allowing the kids to slip and slide all the way to the bottom of the hill! Everyone enjoyed it immensely.

About a week or so ago, the Chamberlain Cubs High School varsity basketball team sponsored a clinic to help future NBA prospects perfect their game. Several of the young men from the Break Home took advantage of the opportunity, going to the gym each morning to hone their skills. They seemed to have a lot of fun and we’ll see if the extra training bears fruit when the basketball season opens in November.

Continue reading “Happy 4th of July Weekend from St. Joseph’s Indian School!!”