Almost all of our staff participated in a “Top 20” training today. We did so in three shifts, so the normal work and school day could go on. The program helps people see how a positive attitude and problem solving approach is so much more effective than a problem naming and blaming approach. Our students, and even our co-workers can face difficult life issues and test our patience. With humor and insight, the trainer helped staff to bring forth examples and see issues we daily face in a new light. During this time of mid-winter February “blahs”, I found the training helpful and thought-provoking.
This is the time of year we’ve also been working on budgets, so I spent a good chunk of the afternoon crunching numbers.
American Indian student taking part in Yoga.
I often get invited to the homes for supper, but tonight I got a special invitation to join the Raphael (1st-3rd grade boys) for their weekly evening of Yoga. While talking to Aleece, a houseparent, about the yoga I regularly do, she invited me to join them. She thought I would be a good role model for the boys to see a grown man doing the stretches and poses too. The Raphael home has been doing Yoga once a week all year. Besides helping the students work on their strength, coordination and flexibility it is also a good activity for calming them down before bed time. I enjoyed the fun mix of poses like the elephant–moving trunks and the race car–seated position with arms and legs extended. The boys made great sound effects while doing their imaginary racing. The Lakota students were fun to be with, and I ended the night both sore and relaxed by the variety of movements.
A donor called the office and didn’t tell our staff what he needed, but only wanted to talk with me. I didn’t recognize the name, but returned his call. I never know what to expect, for those can range from questions about St. Josephs’ Indian School or the occasional theological question, “Please send me some more address labels”. When I reached him, he told me that after reading our letters and what we are trying to be about, he had gone back to church after many years. It had given him great peace of mind. It’s nice to know the impact we can occasionally have on people’s spiritual journeys!
This evening, I went to Lower Brule for the wake of a 32-year-old woman, mother of three, who was killed in a rollover when her car skidded on the ice last week. Those tragedies affect the whole community. One of her sons and a niece she looked after used to attend St. Joseph’s Indian School, and five nephews are current students, so I know the extended family well.
In the face of tragedy, it’s our caring actions that mean so much more than mere words.
On Rezervation in South Dakota, wake services seldom start at the announced time, but wait until people who need to be there are gathered. The time passed quickly for me, as I wandered around the hall visiting with people and hearing news of their family and events in the community. After the regular vigil service, anyone who wanted to say a few words was invited to come to the microphone and speak. I shared a scripture from Lamentations, identifying with the family’s sad and broken hearts but calling for a trust in God, and urging them to help and support one another through such a difficult time.
I’m back from Tucson Arizona, where we had a St. Joseph’s Indian School donor appreciation luncheons on Saturday and Sunday. Isaiah and Brendan, two of our junior high boys from St. Joseph’s Indian School went along with us and spoke to the groups about their experiences at St. Joseph’s. Both days we met some wonderful friends of our school, who came with questions, ideas, support and prayers.
We’d planned for warm weather, but the Southwest was in for some of its coldest days since the late 1800’s. We were glad we had our winter coats. Since it was 12 degrees when we left South Dakota, Arizona lows in the 20’s didn’t seem so bad. By Sunday the highs climbed into the 60s and we had a brief taste of spring.
Isaiah and Brendan soaking up some sun!
When we arrived Friday, we went sightseeing. The drive through the Tucson Mountain Park to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is spectacular, with giant saguaro cactus covering the rolling mountain foothills. The museum is part zoo, part desert arboretum and part science lab. The students especially enjoyed the mountain lion, wolf, and javelinas they spotted. The cave experience taught them a few things about the formation of planets and minerals.
We continued our tour through Saguaro National Park. Had I known we had to drive so many miles on dirt and gravel roads, I might not have taken that route. But I thoroughly enjoyed being immersed in cactus, brush, rocks and mountains in every direction. We hiked a short trail to see ancient petroglyphs, so the students could think about the Hohokam people who inhabited the land so long ago.
Our hotel was next to the University of Arizona. The boys were blown away to see a “college” stretching so far in every direction; all the different halls and buildings. As we walked by the University Medical Center, after so much in the news about the tragic Tucson shootings, I lifted a quiet prayer for all the victims and their families.
I lifted a quiet prayer for all the victims and their families.
On campus we passed separate buildings dedicated to individual academic fields ranging from Psychology to Space Science and the Chemistry building had valet parking for bikes! When we came to the neurophysiology department, Isaiah wasn’t sure what that was, so I explained that some doctors specialize in understanding people’s nerves and how to treat injuries and illness. There are such a wide variety of career paths available, but it’s hard for our Lakota (Sioux) students to imagine such fields if they’ve never even been exposed to the possibility.
Boys being boys, they were also impressed by the basketball stadium where the Wildcats play, and the orange and palm trees that they were seeing for the first time.
Isaiah, Brendan and Fr. Steve had a great time!
On Saturday night we drove south of town to Mission San Xavier del Bac for mass. The mission was founded to work with the Tohono O’odham tribe, and the church dates back to the 1700’s. We could see the gleaming white towers from quite a distance as we drove toward them in the desert.
On Super Bowl Sunday we finished the luncheon not only in time for the game, but for the guys to explore a nearby mall to pick up some souvenirs. We watched the first half at Shane’s Rib Shack while eating supper, then the second half back at the hotel. Everyone called it an early night right after the game, because we had to leave the hotel at 5:00 a.m. to catch our plane home.
Even on the return trip I heard plenty of exclamations of, “Woah” and “Wicked!” as the boys looked out the windows and explored the wide world with new vision.
Greetings again. As Fr. Steve is at a donor luncheon in Tucson, Arizona, I have the opportunity to share with you what happened over the weekend here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
Our American Indian students taking part in a spelling bee!
Our celebration of Catholic Schools Week ended with the students taking part in a spelling bee. This year’s class winners have the chance now to take part in the national spelling bee and will move on to the regional “bee” in Mitchell, South Dakota at the world-famous Corn Palace.
The students also had a prayer service to bring the celebration to a close in which they wrote the prayers and expressed thanks and gratitude to their teachers, house parents and counselors as well as St. Joseph’s benefactors as part of the week’s theme—Catholic Schools an A+ for America.
We have been dealing with lots of snow here in Chamberlain, South Dakota as we have had six straight weekends of snow. The ground crews have done a great job keeping the campus open.
The local school system lost two days of classes due to the weather, but we were able to hold normal class schedule. The snow has played havoc with our sports’ schedule due to cancellations and re-schedules. We have been able to hold our Intercity League Girls’ Basketball, which is a program that involves 7th and 8th grade students from St. Joseph’s and the Chamberlain area. The teams are mixed so as to give them the chance to meet and interact so, if they go on to Chamberlain High, they know each other right at the start. The boys’ league was held before Christmas.
This past Thursday was the feast of St. Blasé when the blessing of throats usually takes place. We offered the blessing for all those students and staff who wished to participate at our Sunday liturgy in Our Lady of the Sioux chapel.
Deacon Bud Jetty, a Native American, who helps at St. James Parish in Chamberlain, was able to be present to help with the blessing. After the liturgy, we were talking and thought it appropriate that we blessed the throats when we did as they were probably going to be a bit strained as the students and staff took sides in rooting for their favorites in the Super Bowl.
One of the homes here on campus hosted a Super Bowl party which was super. The high school students hosted some of our 8th graders, so to help them get some insight into the high school program. A great time was had by all except by those who back the Steelers.
We also had a bit of good news as it was announced that two of our upcoming high school graduates received word that they had been accepted by their first choice of college! One will be attending University of Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, and the other will enroll at the University of Sioux Falls in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Thanks for your support of St. Joseph’s Indian School so that these and the other students may have the opportunity to dream big and pursue their futures.
Thank you for all you do. May the blessings of the Great Spirit continue to be with you and yours. Until next time …
Never mind that Punxsutawney Phil didn’t see his shadow, (which means a short winter) the -19 degree overnight temps were COLD and we’re tiring of the white stuff already.
Today, I checked out our remodeling efforts in the Rooney & Speyer homes. They may even be finished before school lets out in May, so we’re well on track. The work has slowed down a little as we’ve had to pull workers off that project to handle snow removal around campus, but we know that’s going to regularly happen here in South Dakota during the winter. I saw Jon, our electrician working and asked what he was doing, “Outlets” he said. Outlets don’t sound to bad, but when you have over 200 to do, that’s a big time commitment!
Today for Catholic Schools Week the day was reserved for an appreciation day. Students baked cookies and other treats and placed them in different staff work areas with a note of thanks. The chocolate glazed popcorn the 7th graders created was my favorite.
When I went to the Rec Center this evening to exercise, I ran into the Stevens and Matthias homes (6th – 8th grade girls) doing their enrichment activity. The staff created games and challenges based on the show “Minute to Win It”. The girls build ten story towers of cards, balanced dice on a tongue depressor and bounced pencils into cups. Silly games, but a nice break with lots of laughter. And as the two homes kept a running tally of points earned, it brought out the competitive juices in all the kids. What’s nice about odd games is that everyone had a chance to participate, and the students who aren’t known as athletes might have even greater success than the ball players.
I’ve been gradually stepping up my exercises, testing the foot and nerves. I don’t want to overdo it, but I want to keep pressing forward and try to do more.
I stopped in at the Akta Lakota Museum & Culture Center to see how things were going there. We don’t get a whole lot of visitors in February – only one brave soul during yesterday’s snowstorm. We do get regular shoppers on our Akta Lakota online gift store, interested in artwork, books and information on Native American culture, so there are always orders to fill. But now is also a good time to do inventory and prepare ahead for summer busloads of tourists, and travelers who stop through to visit campus.
Today was Red, White and Blue day for Catholic Schools Week. I simply donned my 1970’s White Sox cap–which covered all three colors–and I didn’t have to change any of my usual black and white wardrobe. My sisters envy me because I sure don’t have to spend much time figuring out what to wear for the day.
Fr. Steve in the classroom with some of our American Indian youngsters.
While in Math class, I took up the students’ challenge and proved I can still add mixed fractions, as I explained each step to them as I did it. I heard some of the poetry the 6th graders were working on. When I entered the 5th grade room and found they were in their reading mode, I listened to a few impromptu book reviews as I went around the room to ask what each was reading. Our speech therapist celebrated a birthday, so I stopped by and sang, “Happy Birthday” to Angela, then observed her lesson for a while.
Our SEED book discussion group was down to four hearty souls who braved the cold. Yet discussion of the autobiography “Crow Dog” was lively. He is from Rosebud, and his take on historical events we remember like the development of the American Indian Movement, the 1973 Wounded Knee occupation and the takeover of BIA offices in DC were fascinating. He also describes a Lakota (Sioux) ceremony and ritual in an enlightening way.
Due to blowing snow Chamberlain (and most of South Dakota) public schools were canceled today, but since our students are all here, our only concessions was to start 90 minutes later to give our grounds crew more time to plow the snow, and staff extra time to dig out and navigate on the slippery roads. This week is Catholic Schools Week; once everyone arrived, we gathered all the staff and students in the Recreational Center for a prayer service. Fr. Anthony enlisted the help of Summerlee girls (4th-5thgrades) to help with reading our petitions. Some were quiet and nervous, others clear and loud. I like to encourage our American Indian student involvement in events we hold.
Several staff members couldn’t make it in, including our cook. But I don’t mind, because that gives me an excuse to eat lunch in the dining hall with the students. The kitchen staff is trying to introduce a greater variety of vegetables this year. The leafy greens for salad are more nutritious than plain iceberg lettuce, and most students ate it, but a few played with the differently shaped leaves. The butternut squash was tasty, but because it looked different, that was a harder sell. We’ll keep trying!
In the school, I checked out some of the latest art projects. Dave, our art teacher, is back after spending the fall semester with the National Guard, and it’s great to have him here full-time again. The students are currently working on clay creations. Bowls, characters, and hollow things that rattle are in different stages of completion. Dave tells me that besides being most popular with students, they are also most likely to be saved and given to their Native American family members as gifts. He’d also like to see them save more of their paintings and drawings, but works done on paper sadly are often thrown.
Outside the first grader room was their project, “What I would do if I had one-hundred dollars”. Besides a few savers, buyers of school and clothing items, three said they would buy a car, one a house, and one a castle! I encourage our Lakota kids to dream big, yet it looks like somewhere in our curriculum we need to teach the real purchasing power of a dollar.
With the public high school canceling school and activities, I know our high school students would all be home, so it was a good night to enjoy some hot soup with the Giles Home (HS girls). Most everyone loves a day off of school; although with basketball games, practices and other activities on hold, and homework caught up, I think some of the students were actually feeling bored. When we have days like that on campus, we see if there are activities they can plug into, including spending time to help tutor our grade school students, or visit the homes that they were once a part of.
After mass, I visited the Stevens Home (6th-8th grade girls). It was reading time there, and every girl had a book in hand when I arrived. Each of the homes set times for reading beyond homework – readings that are challenging enough for the student’s age, but of their choosing. These reads are for fun and enjoyment. I’m always curious about what people are reading, and went around asking each for a quick summary. The topics included everything from historical, romance, science fiction and drama. I was impressed by how everyone told me a good deal about their book. They were all invested and engaged. Being able to share their thoughts and feelings on what they’re interested in encourages them to read more.
While sharing brunch, the table-talk turned to school: art projects and science experiments. Dissecting worms may not have been the most appetizing table conversation, but did generate lively discussion and some laughs.
This afternoon, five of the girls went to the Armory and participated in the basketball “Hot Shot” competition sponsored by the Jaycees, and the “Free Throw Competition” sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. A few of them came home with trophies or medals, but all had fun. Some of our teachers and staff had children of their own competing, so I wandered around the gym and alternated between cheering and gabbing away.
Today, I went back to the office, and with no one else around, I got a pile of mail done. I also signed off on this semester’s college grants to those who have qualified for scholarships. I feel rewarded when I read what our alumni are doing to continue their education, and am glad that we can encourage and support their efforts.
I take the responsibility of preaching very seriously, and I work to find words and images that the students can connect with.
I put in several hours working on the weekend homily. Some days, like today, I struggle. It felt like getting a test question that you kind of know, but are stuck trying to make it sound right. Sometimes, in preaching the words flow easily, but other times it’s difficult to understand the mysterious ways of God myself, let alone trying to explain it to others in a meaningful way.
I stopped in at Hogebach (HS girls) just to say hi and see what they were up to. Last night, was an away basketball game, and in South Dakota that often means a trip of up to three hours in one direction. The students got back around one o’clock in the morning and some of them were just getting up around noon. It’s good that they can have the occasional sleep in day.
Tonight, one of our Lakota (Sioux) high school students, Michelle, celebrated a birthday! Her friends used the gym to set up for a dance. When I stopped by to see how things were going, there were students, but not too much dancing. The strobe lights and techno music wasn’t my style, but she and her friends were happy. I checked in with a few of the houseparents. Mark, our newest houseparent told about his first month on the job. Mike, working with our freshmen boys and brainstormed about an upcoming trip.
Today was my day off, so I was able to be lazy without incurring any guilt. After sleeping in, I exercised and then ran shopping errands around town. In the afternoon I read, wrote letters, and made phone calls to family and friends.
I don’t watch much prime time TV, but do enjoy movies, so I rented “The Social Network”. I threw some popcorn in the microwave and invited Fr. Anthony and Fr. Dominic to join me. After watching, we had plenty of discussion. That’s when movies are best, when they’re shared with friends and you can talk about what you thought, felt and experienced.
