Hi, my name is Melissa and I work in Human Resources (HR) at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I recently returned from the national SHRM (Society for Human Resources Management) convention in Atlanta, Georgia. We had amazing keynote speakers such as Condoleezza Rice, Malcolm Gladwell, Jim Collins and South Dakota’s very own Tom Brokaw, who were all inspiring. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the direction that HR is going. But most important was the idea that no matter where you work, it is employees who are the heart of the organization.
Of course, St. Joseph’s is all about people. We serve children. Our impact not only directly affects the children that attend our school, but also their families. This in turn affects their communities. The influence people have on others is an incredible idea. At St. Joseph’s, we are fortunate to have some extraordinary people who are committed to changing lives of others for the better.
The work done at St. Joseph’s truly takes cooperation from everyone to progress in our mission. One of my responsibilities in HR is to conduct exit interviews when employees leave St. Joseph’s. One question that is asked of everyone during the exit is, “What did you like best about working at St. Joseph’s?”
The overwhelming response I get, even from employees who don’t work directly with the children is, “The kids.”
We couldn’t do it without the employees and donors who are paying it forward and helping make this world a little better for someone else.
I started with a visit to my oncologist at the Mayo Clinic. All the test results looked good, and they told me to keep doing whatever I’ve been doing for the next six months. I was in Rochester on my birthday, and that news was the best birthday present I could have hoped for.
Next I traveled to Oklahoma City for our donor appreciation luncheons. Laura wrote a great summary of that trip in an earlier blog post. I would add that the “celebrity” I was most excited to meet was Savanna, who is a St. Joseph’s alumnae. Savanna just finished up her degree in nursing at Murray State in Oklahoma and joined us at the luncheon. When our students can meet someone who was once in their shoes, and see them succeeding in school, that provides far more inspiration and hope than my words of encouragement can.
I spent a week at home where I had the joy of presiding at my niece’s wedding. Congratulations Allison and Steve and many happy years together! My family is spread far and wide throughout the U.S., and we enjoyed the chance to catch up. I was especially delighted in meeting the three new great nieces that were born since I was home last.
Back on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus I spent the first day walking around and checking out all that is happening. People often assume the campus is much quieter over the summer, but in June it is actually busier, if that is possible. The dining hall serves more lunches now than in the school year, since we have the Rising Eagle Summer Day Camp going on, the PAWS program from town joining us at meal times, and all our students who are working or taking part in summer school.
Maintenance is crazy busy! The projects I saw in full swing include:
Recarpeting the school (after 20 years of heavy wear and tear)
Demolition of William and Summerlee Home interiors in preparation for remodeling
Building shelving to house museum artifacts
Painting Central offices
Several of our high school students are helping on some of the projects. I also saw students working in the kitchen, serving lunch, at the Akta Lakota Museum, running the gift shop cash register, beautifying the grounds and in the print shop boxing up notepads we’ll send our donors. The biggest number are camp counselors, helping younger children in recreational and arts and crafts activities.
Wade graduated here in the class of 1979 and hadn’t been back in over 30 years. I took him on a tour of campus, and he helped me get a better picture of what life was like at St. Joseph’s back in the dorm days, before we added our family home living units. Andy in the Rec Center, and Mary Jane our Alumni Director were staff he remembered well, and visiting them was the definite highlight of his time on campus.
The school was unusually quiet when I visited yesterday. Grades 1-5 were up at the high school track for their field days.
As this school year ends, I was involved in meetings with staff about next year’s schedule and our long-range maintenance and planning needs, so I didn’t make the festivities. When I caught up with the students after school, they proudly displayed the ribbons they won for 100 meter dash, softball throw or a score of other events.
Our middle school students were in the classrooms. One very quiet room was finishing up the last math test of the semester. The 6th grade language arts students had finished their Literature reader and were taking off dust covers and cleaning up the books to prepare them for next year’s classes. All the classrooms are scheduled to get a clean coat of paint over the summer. As the teachers put things away, the walls are starting to look especially bare to prepare for that work.
Today was the last faculty meeting of the year. Kathleen, our principal ordered the makings for banana splits and I helped dish out ice cream and thank the teachers at the close of another successful year. Some of them will work for parts of our summer program. Some will take the summer off or do something completely different to renew themselves for next year. Richard and Vaye Jean are retiring, and Kathleen presented them with a small gift as a token of our affection.
Human Resources (HR) updated me that we’ve filled most of our school positions, but are still interviewing for four more positions. Our advertising and word of mouth seems to be working as there are a good pile of resumes to review and references to call. HR is one of the busier groups on campus over the summer as we try to get new staff trained and in place for a smooth start in the fall.
Most of our donations are small, regular sacrificial gifts in the $20 range. Larger gifts usually come in the form of a bequest or a charitable gift annuity. But today I was surprised by the biggest unannounced donation I’ve seen this year – enough to pay 3 teacher’s salaries, or help with special projects wherever it is needed! When I made a personal call to thank the donor, he was a man of few words, but just wanted the money to benefit our students and our programs. I am humbled and grateful for people’s generosity, and committed to running good programs that use these resources to make a difference.
Greetings once again from St. Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Fr. Steve Huffstetter, SCJ is away on another donor luncheon to New Hampshire and Maine and thus I have the opportunity to again share what’s been happening this week here on campus.
Fr. Steve relayed what took place during the Mission Awareness presentation given by our confreres in northern Mississippi on Monday and Tuesday. It was a rewarding and inspirational time.
On Wednesdays our rec center staff sponsors Enrichment Night during which various homes take part in activities that encourage teamwork and fun. This past Wednesday Perky and Cyr Homes had the chance to practice some soccer drills and then play the game which resulted in hot action but ended in a tie. Later the girls of Stevens and Mathias Homes had to figure out how to work together passing water from one can to another with some interesting restrictions which even drew the houseparents into the action. They finished off the evening with a softball game.
Our Principal, Kathleen, recently asked teachers to share moments of student success that highlight the progress they have made this year. It has been wonderful to hear how some students are coming out of their shell and becoming more confident. Progress is taking place in the classroom and concern for others is being witnessed as those who understand the assignment are helping fellow classmates. Some still have issues they need to face but they are getting a handle on things and not letting them disrupt the daily activities as easily as they may have in the past. Your prayers and generosity have helped provide an environment where this growth can take place as students, teachers, counselors and houseparents work together to help each other make progress.
Our Director of Alumni, Mary Jane, put out word about five former St. Joseph’s students who, because of your generosity, have received scholarship help which has enable them to graduate with two-year degrees in Business Management, Nursing and Automotive Technology. She also mentioned that 10 other alumni, who have also benefited from scholarship help, will be graduating from two and four-year programs. Pilamaya – thank you – for the generous help you offer to those who have gone forward and continue to prepare themselves to offer their skills and talents to help their people.
Congratulations to Trinity, our sobriety art contest winner!
The 17th Annual Sobriety Walk is supposed to take place today, but we are not sure about what the weather will be like. Some predictions are saying there is a 80% chance of rain with cool weather and wind gusts of 20-30 miles per hour. Hopefully this will hold off so that the students can make the walk. We have the students and staff divide into four groups that walk around Chamberlain wearing a student designed t-shirt that witnesses this year’s theme, “Live Drug Free.” The walk ends back on campus with a school-wide picnic—weather permitting—and then there are activities for the younger grades and a presentation for the upper grades by someone local who has struggled with alcohol and drugs. There is a Plan B, should the rain and wind come, but please say a prayer that the walk may be able to take place.
Hope your week has been a good one and that the weekend ahead will be rewarding and relaxing. Thanks again for your interest in and support of St. Joseph’s Indian School. We pray for you and your intentions during the Sunday liturgy each week.
Sincerely,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain
St. Joseph’s Indian School
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 (6th-8th 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.
I spent most of the day working on finances and budgets, not too exciting but necessary to keep things running well. Thankfully we have such good and dedicated people in the Development Office that think ahead. Much of our discussion right now is planning for a future where postage costs are going to be higher and services probably curtailed. Since anyone reading this blog is already internet friendly, we really see this as a continued opportunity. While online giving grows every year, many of our donors are still more comfortable with standard mail, so a gradual transition will take some time. Instead of taking months to design, print and mail a newsletter, we can have a photo and article posted online the next day. It can save us both time and money and get interactive updates out in a timely way.
We want folks to feel a part of what happens on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus, even at a distance.
In the evening I talked with Daylon and Erica, high school students chosen to speak at our donor luncheons in Miami on March 21 and April 1. They were both incredibly excited and look forward to meeting and thanking our donors in that area, and sharing some of their experiences at St. Joseph.
I also stopped in the Carola Home (HS boys) to visit the walking wounded from the ski trip. I think their egos were bruised as much as muscles, but they are eager to try again!
I hope that all of you had a Merry Christmas and through the love of family and friends, felt the love of God as well.
After three days with no one other than Fr. Bernie and I around, campus is gradually coming back to life. Two break homes opened on Monday. About 15 high school students who are in sports are back, along with a few younger students who have a need to be here. Yesterday Laura, one of our custodians, made her usual 7:30 a.m. stop at the high school home to empty trash and accidentally set off the alarms! During the school year, students are already up and on their way to school by then. With the holiday schedule, they were all still sleeping, and when she opened the doors the horns and whistles started blaring. Our students got out of bed much quicker than normal – maybe something the houseparents can keep in mind for the future!
The week before and after Christmas brings different rhythms to St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus. Some days are frenzied, others so very quiet. Last week, our grade school youth were home for break, but our high school students stayed through Thursday. Stress levels were high as the students took exams and finished the final semester projects and papers. I could see the visible signs of relief on their faces as families came to campus to pick them up for vacation.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
My holiday temptation toward over-eating had several worthy opportunities. Our facilities department had their annual holiday luncheon on Tuesday. They can be proud of the quality and quantity of projects they can say they accomplished as they look back over the past year.
The development office had their Christmas pot-luck on Thursday. The fall pot-luck features a lot more fresh vegetables from the garden, while this spread was filled with dishes that you need to eat in moderation, but I don’t always have the will power not to fill your plate.
While the campus is quieter without children around for a few days, many of our staff are still hard at work. We have thank-you’s to send to the many generous donors we heard from during Christmas. With the homes empty for a few days, it’s a good chance for the fix up projects that are too noisy or messy to otherwise do.
On the partial list for facilities this week:
Painting several rooms in the school
Removal of old storage tank in boiler room
Tile and freezer floor work in the Dining Hall
Changing many – many – many air filters around campus
Spray for Bed Bugs
Also on the list is snow removal – but we haven’t had much of the white stuff yet. The mild weather has allowed us to focus on other projects, especially the Stevens & Matthias Home remodeling.
The milder weather has also let the outside construction contractor to make good progress on the Iya Tokeya Inajin – They Stood Here in the Beginning – Alumni building. This week and last they have put up support columns and attached the aluminum studs. The frame of a building going up is one of the most noticeable and dramatic parts of any project.
Last week, three members of our committee took a drive to Sioux Falls, South Dakota to make some decisions about concrete castings to be used for the exterior. A four-hour round trip for a half hour meeting seems like a lot, but in South Dakota we get used to the mileage. What we don’t have too often is traffic. My brother, who lives in Chicago, can get stuck in traffic that long going but a fraction of the distance. With the good company of Tom (facilities) and Dixie (museum director) our conversation made the miles fly quickly by.
On Christmas Eve, I traveled north to the parish in Stephan, on the Crow Creek Indian Reservation. When we don’t have campus masses, I enjoy returning to the area parishes I used to serve. Christmas is a wonderful time in small towns to see the extended clans and I caught up with many people who have moved away, but came home for the holidays.
Because of a larger than expected crowd, we completely ran out of hosts and I had to break the last few I had into tiny fragments. But I suppose even a little bit of Christ can do a lot for people who believe.
I hope Christmas services strengthened people’s faith and experience of God’s love.
On Christmas Day, I did the cooking and invited all our area SCJ parish priests to relax at our community house after a long weekend of Masses.
This week, I have very few meetings. The end of the year gives me a chance to clear the desk and dispatch with the 15 and 20 minute projects I pushed aside in the pre-holiday rush and also have time for some of the long-range planning that we’re in the midst of.
Every year, I get to teach an area of Lakota (Sioux) culture that is close to my hands and heart-loom beading.
The 7th grade class has begun the task of learning what it takes to make those beautifully created drops for regalia, barrettes, hair ties, name plates, bracelets and whatever other ideas the kids come up with in their minds and hearts.
We begin with looking at some old and new pieces of beadwork so that the kids can see examples of what they can make. Some of these items are decades old and some are as new as last year. I also encourage our Native American youth to take a deeper look at any piece of beadwork they come in contact with in their world.
My objectives are many. I want the kids to connect culture to their hearts, of course; but also to see the difference between designs from tribe to tribe. Our Lakota (Sioux) designs are very geometric and math is a big part of loom beading. Counting, centering, dividing, designing, measuring and creating are all a part of this project. I also encourage understanding the colors and what they may mean to different tribes, individuals and cultures. The final product is very rewarding for me and the students. The loom pieces are given as gifts, worn or used for themselves and some are sold to staff for a little extra spending money. This is also a part of the objectives. This is an art our culture has done for generations and it can be a money-making venture for someone who is motivated and educated to embrace that challenge and talent.
From here, the students create or find a design they draw out on graph paper. Next is learning to string the loom appropriately and accurately. I tell the students that the hardest part is threading their needle and putting the first row of beads on their loom (which were made by our very own maintenance department elves in the workshop here on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus). From here, the possibilities are endless. It is an art you love or don’t. Many of our students love it.
Today, I am waiting for a response from Fr. Steve who is attending the Lakota Nation Invitation conference in our beautiful Paha Sapa/Black Hills. I submitted two pieces of loom beadwork from our school and I am hoping for a ribbon to hang by their stocking upon returning from Christmas Break.
Wanikiye taampetu!=Jesus’s birthday/Christmas
LaRayne, Native American Studies Teacher 1st -8th grades
Here's a beautiful piece from one of our students!
The kids had so much fun at their Christmas concert!
For grades 1 – 8, the first semester is in the books. Our staff still has a couple of days of in-service, but classes wrapped up today and the students are now on Christmas break. The high school students still have another week of classes.
Today’s student Christmas program was a big hit. Most of the performances were done in larger groups, but three of our students had enough confidence and stage presence to serve as Masters of Ceremony. I was also delighted to see a few students brave enough to sing a duet. Sixth graders Caden and James did a rap song about Christmas that had the chapel rocking. We had an appearance by Santa and a teacher led Elvis rendition of “I’ll have a Blue Christmas Without You”. The families who were able to come for the show, were all invited to lunch at the school cafeteria before hitting the road.
Here’s just a glimpse of Santa’s Workshop at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
I faced one of the tougher challenges of my job when I was on a three panel team to judge the decoration competition in the basement of the Benedict Building between Human Resources and Facilities. They worked frantically this week to transform the offices into a winter wonderland. HR made their section of office look like a Ginger Bread house, complete with gum drops on the wrapping paper walls. Problem was we spied a few 1st graders on their way home from school plucking them from the wall to have a snack! HR’s was more beautiful and appealing to the eye, but Facilities brought in a secret weapon – students dressed up as elves pretending to use the tools to make toys at a table labeled “Santa’s Workshop”.
With no collusion at all, when we added up the points for originality, arrangement, theme and overall presentation, we ended up with a real honest to goodness tie. But everyone who walked the halls had a smile on their face and felt like a winner.
I went over to the school and couldn’t find anybody!
I spent most of the day in my office, answering mail, fielding phone calls and had a meeting about fundraising and strategic planning. About 3:00, I realized I hadn’t spent any time with the students, so I walked over to the school. That begins their normal study hall time and is a good time to make the rounds. With no formal classroom instruction going on, it’s a little more laid back and I can wander around and find out what the students have been learning. Because the students have some specialist classes and move around to different classrooms, I didn’t think anything was amiss when I found the first two classrooms empty. But after three and four empty rooms, I wondered what was going on. The 7th and 8th graders were away on a field trip. The rest of the classes were over in the chapel, practicing their songs for Wednesday’s Christmas program. As we wind down the semester, the excitement and Christmas spirit is definitely building.
Our girls 7th and 8th grade basketball teams had some fun time together to finish up the season. The girls played basketball and followed that with a pizza party. I shot around with the girls for a while. It’s a great ice breaker and while often you don’t talk about a lot significant, it builds up trust and rapport.
