South Dakota – Page 15 – St. Joseph's Indian School

Softball, Prom & Palm Sunday for the Lakota (Sioux) Students

We hope this finds you all healthy and doing well! The weather in Chamberlain is keeping us guessing, but the last couple of days have been warming up… Dare we say spring

Fr. Anthony is St. Joseph’s Chaplain — Fr. Anthony with the Lakota children

is really here?

St. Joseph’s Native American students have taken advantage of the nice days and are getting out for some activities. Tonight, the junior high softball league will start. The fourth and fifth grade softball will have a meeting today and start their season in the next day or two. Our youngest students (first, second and third grades) take part in T-ball and they kick off their season tomorrow afternoon.

Last Thursday, I had the chance to attend the Chrism Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The oils used in church rituals during this year were blessed and then distributed to all the parishes. The clergy gather to re-affirm our commitment of service to God’s people and to take the oils home as a sign of unity within the diocese. These oils will be used on April 27 when our Lakota (Sioux) students who are taking part in the Rite of Christian Initiation for Children (RCIC) program will receive their Sacraments.

Saturday was a big night for our high school students – prom! Since the festivities go through the night, we decided to push back our Sunday Mass at St. Joseph’s Indian School to late afternoon so everyone could get some sleep. It was nice to see other prom goers from the community join our later service after taking the opportunity to sleep in. Check out our photos from the evening!

Most of St. Joseph’s high school students attend the Chamberlain High School prom last weekend. — St. Joseph’s students and their dates at the prom!

Everyone was very excited to have Fr. Steve back with us to be the celebrant at our afternoon Mass. He is in South Dakota for a board meeting this week and to visit with the local SCJ community members in his role as Provincial Superior.

It is hard to believe Palm Sunday is coming up this weekend. We hope it will be a special day for you as we continue our journey to Easter.

Take care and know we are keeping you and your intentions in our prayers.

God bless,
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Happy Spring from the Lakota (Sioux) children!

Happy Spring!

Julie is a counselor for the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph's. — Julie, Family Service Counselor

Even though the weather cannot seem to make up its mind here in South Dakota, spring is officially here! The Lakota (Sioux) students returned from spring break a couple weeks ago and all seemed to have enjoyed the time they were able to spend with family. As we move into April, the final weeks of classes at St. Joseph’s Indian School year will become very busy.

Track has started for our students – the team is 24 strong! St. Joseph’s high school students will run track for Chamberlain High School. Good luck Cubs!

St. Joseph’s junior high students (grades 6-8) students will also start softball in the near future. Hopefully, the weather will start to cooperate and we will have some nice days for our students to participate in these sports.

St. Joseph’s students learn basic softball skills – hitting, catching and throwing. — Swing, batter batter, swing!

Our seniors are getting anxious and ready for graduation, as are our eighth grade students. It’s time for pictures, dress and suit shopping; the joy our graduates are feeling about their accomplishments is nearly tangible!

We wish them all a happy remainder of the school year. Hang tough graduates, the end is near!

We are also fully immersed in the Lenten Season, and the students are looking forward to one more short break for Easter. As we are called in this Lenten Season to prepare our hearts for Resurrection of our Lord, we are also called to serve one another.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of our donors and benefactors for their generous donations, which make it possible for all of the staff of St. Joseph’s Indian School to serve the Native American people. Without your support, we could not do the good that we do.

The Lakota children play softball each spring. — If the weather cooperates, the Lakota children will have lovely green grass to play on by the end of the school year!

I wish you all a warm and joyous Spring, Lenten Season and Easter Season.

May the Lord bless you abundantly and keep you and yours safe and healthy!

Julie, Family Service Counselor

Baseball, Spring Storms and College Visits for the Lakota (Sioux) Students

How does the old saying go? March comes in like a lion or lamb and goes out like the opposite?

This year is an exception. We had bad weather at the start of the month, and a blizzard with strong winds and snow raged yesterday! Several staff members headed home early and Chamberlain students (including St. Joseph’s high school students) were dismissed at 1:00 PM. Thankfully, the freezing rain passed us by and we only got 2-4 of snow. But it’s cold this morning – only 12 degrees!

It’s hard to believe, but Sunday we enjoyed a lovely spring day – temperatures in the high 60s. The Lakota (Sioux) students got into the spirit of the opening day of baseball by playing an afternoon ball game.

Last week, our high school students and staff took a few trips to college campuses. Several sophomores went to Southeast Tech in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, for a career day. We have a couple young men interested in law enforcement and public safety, engineering, transportation, photography and web design. Two of our young ladies are looking into possibilities in the health care field.

St. Joseph’s sophomores visited Dakota State University. — Danisha, class of 2012, shows St. Joseph’s current sophomore boys around Dakota State University, where she is attending college.

Another group went to Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota to look into music, digital design and gaming.Later this week, some will head out to the Black Hills to visit Western Dakota Tech where one of our seniors, Dean, has already been accepted to the law enforcement program.

Mary Jane, St. Joseph’s alumni coordinator, passed along some updates from former students:
• Ben, eighth grade class of ’77, lives on the Rosebud Indian Reservation where he works as an investigator for the tribal police department. His wife also works for the tribe. She was recently able to finish her college degree thanks to St. Joseph’s Scholarship Program.
• Kristin, eighth grade class of ’07, graduated from the Navy Recruit Training Center in Great Lakes, Illinois on March 7, 2014.
• Raygina, who attended St. Joseph’s from 1992-1999, is involved in the nursing program up at United Tribes in Bismarck, North Dakota. She is looking forward to finishing her degree and moving into the next stage of her life.

You may recall that last week I mentioned St. Joseph’s was taking part in the Acalympics (Academic Olympics) in White River, South Dakota. There were 12 schools with teams made up of sixth, seventh and eighth grade students; St. Joseph’s team came in ninth.

Kathleen, our principal, said the team did well, but scoring demands teams to be very precise in regards to spelling and complete answers. A neighboring school to the west of us, Lyman, was the winning team.

We hope each of you has a great week and that spring does indeed come as we move into April. May God bless and reward you for your generosity towards the Lakota boys and girls at St. Joseph’s Indian School. We keep you and your intentions in our prayers.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Warm spring weather in South Dakota? Not quite yet…

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School! Today is class picture day and all our students are putting on their best smile for the yearbook.

The Lakota (Sioux) children are enjoying the first week of spring. Last week, a golf course in Mitchell, South Dakota (70 miles from Chamberlain) tempted Mother Nature by announcing the course was open. As the saying goes, ‘it’s not nice to fool Mother Nature,’ and she brought a screeching halt to that endeavor by dropping 3.4 inches of snow on the Mitchell area!

Yesterday, we had a Penance service for our third, fourth and fifth graders along with the Stations of the Cross. We offer the Sacrament during the Lenten and Advent seasons specifically, as well as other times throughout the year and whenever we receive requests from students or staff.

As warmer weather begins to move in, the students are enjoying riding their bikes and scooters and shooting some hoops outside. This week, some of our Native American students will participate in a weeklong gymnastics camp hosted by the Chamberlain school district. Preparations are underway for St. Joseph’s track season, as well as the junior high softball league. The younger students will play T-ball.

Reuben, a St. Joseph’s senior, was named to the Big Dakota Conference Basketball Team. Way to go Reuben! — Reuben is one of St. Joseph’s seniors.

We are excited to share that two members of the Chamberlain High School boys’ basketball team, Skyler and Reuben, were selected for the Big Dakota Conference team. Reuben is one of St. Joseph’s seniors and Skyler is the son of a St. Joseph’s teacher! Congratulations to them both!

On Wednesday six of our students—Anthony, Helena, Nate, Camron, Rain and Alyssa — will be taking part in what is called the “Acalympics” in White River, South Dakota. It is a kind of Knowledge Bowl for grade school students. This will be our third year participating in the event.

We hope you have a great week! May the blessings of the Great Spirit be upon you, bringing you good health and much happiness. Thank you again for your kindness and concern for the Lakota boys and girls. We are grateful for the support and prayers you share with these precious children!
Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ
Chaplain

Opiciye Okizi – A Good Place to Heal – for the Lakota children

We greet you from the banks of the Missouri River as the last few days of winter slip away in

South Dakota. It’s not going out quietly… we had some snow on Saturday evening and are facing a winter storm today!

Last week was fairly quiet at St. Joseph’s Indian School while our Lakota (Sioux) students in grades 1-8 were on spring break. They returned Sunday and this week kicks off the fourth quarter of the academic year! Wednesday we will have a prayer service honoring our patron, St. Joseph, and asking the guidance of the Holy Spirit on the students and teachers for the final quarter of the school year.

Monday, eight students took part in an Opiciye Okizi – A Good Place to Heal. This special program is a “healing camp” for students who have recently lost someone close to them. Each child was joined by a family member for the day.

During the camp, St. Joseph’s staff members facilitate activities designed to start conversations and help the children reflect on life and death and talk about how we can honor and pray for those whom the Great Spirit has called home. It gives the students a chance to ask questions, especially if they have had a hard time dealing with the loss. The day ended with a traditional ceremony called the ‘wiping of tears.’

We hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick’s Day. Pilamaya – thank you – for making these programs possible for the

St. Joseph’s healing camp helps children work through the loss of people close to them. — Healing camp helps the Lakota children who have experienced the death a loved one cope with the loss in healthy ways.

children and families who need them. May God’s blessings continue to be with you to reward you for your generosity!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Congratulations are in order – St. Joseph’s Lakota girls meet their goal!

Good day from the staff and Lakota (Sioux) girls in the William Home (4^th and 5^th grade girls)!

Mike works with the Lakota girls in 4th and 5th grades — Mike, a St. Joseph’s houseparent

The year has gone by quickly; it is hard to believe, but we will be starting the final quarter next week when school resumes after spring break.

We have finished up our walking program for the year. Each morning, we got up early to go to the rec center and walk laps. As a home, staff and students walked a total of 21,460 laps this year. That is equal to 1,070 miles!

Now, hopefully the weather will cooperate so we can get outdoors and play in our free time. We have our home trip coming up soon and everyone is excited. A fun weekend away from campus towards the end of the year is always a great time to reflect on our school year and the relationships we have built. We are planning on going to Sioux Falls, South Dakota and visit the Butterfly House, the Washington Pavillion to take in some science exhibits and then the Sky Zone for some trampoline time.

Right now, I am working in the spring break home. Some of St. Joseph’s students stay on campus during breaks for a variety of reasons. There is always a place for them here. It is a relaxed time and the kids enjoy recreational and leisure activities.

The girls in St. Joseph’s William Home walked over 1,000 miles to meet their fitness goal! — The Lakota (Sioux) girls in the William Home got up early every morning to walk at the rec center and meet their goal.

Staff members can apply to work one of the shifts in the break home, or just take the time off – it is not mandatory for any staff to work in break homes. Many students in the spring break home are younger and I also have a couple girls from the William Home. It is nice to get to know younger students and spend some extra time with the kids I already know.

We hope you have all survived the winter months! I hate to say it, but I’m done with my shift today and headed out to hit some golf balls – our snow is gone and we’re supposed to get up to 60 degrees!

Blessings to all,

Mike and the William Home girls

Spring Break at St. Joseph’s Indian School

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Things are kind of quiet right now as our elementary school students (grades 1-8) are on spring break. St. Joseph’s high school students attend Chamberlain

Fr. Anthony and the Lakota children. — Fr. Anthony spends time with St. Joseph’s students.

High School, and they are still in session.

When classes let out on Friday and spring break officially kicked off, I rode along to the Pine Ridge area in southwestern South Dakota to take some of the Lakota students home. We try to send two staff members in each van or mini bus, and it was very helpful to have an extra staff person this time! One of the student’s relatives was late getting to the pick-up spot in Martin, South Dakota. I was able to wait with her while the others continued on to Pine Ridge. As we drove back through the Rosebud Indian Reservation, it was nice to see some of the towns our students come from.

Three of our high school girls recently made a trip to the University of Minnesota in Morris (UM-M). Ashley is already accepted to the college and will take pre-veterinary classes; Amber and Michelle went along to support Ashley and check out the campus. The nice thing about UM-M is that, once a Native American student is accepted, tuition is paid in full. Of course, some expenses still remain, like books, room and board and incidentals, but tuition is a huge help.

Pam, who chaperoned the trip, works with the juniors and seniors to help them find college programs they might consider entering. She makes several of these trips with our students at this time of year.

We are disappointed to report the Chamberlain Cubs’ basketball season is over.

The Lady Cubs went up against the team from Winner last week … the team lived up to their town’s name and defeated the Lady Cubs to knock them out of further contention.

On Monday night, the boys took on Cheyenne-Eagle Butte to see who would be punching their ticket to the Boys’ State Basketball Championship. Chamberlain held its own until the third quarter and then ran into trouble with turnovers, fouls and poor shooting. The Cheyenne-Eagle Butte Braves were able to win the game at the free throw line and will move on to Sioux Falls for the State A tournament.

Though we’ll be losing some good senior players, we are excited about next year. Those lost will be replaced by Junior Varsity players, and the Cubs’ JV squad has not lost a game in two years!

On Monday, I attended the Board Meeting at Cheyenne River Indian Outreach (CRIO) in Eagle Butte, South Dakota. St. Joseph’s and CRIO are both operated by the Priests of the Sacred Heart and work together in a variety of ways. CRIO operates a shelter on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation for those suffering from domestic violence (the only one of its kind for 100 miles in any direction), a thrift store and a residence for at-risk youth ages 10-17.

Just a few days ago, St. Joseph’s received a call for help from CRIO – their thrift store shelves were nearly bare. They would soon be unable to help meet the needs of the community in terms of clothing and household items.

Thanks to you, St. Joseph’s was able to send a load of clothing and other needed items to help re-stock the shelves.

Your faithful support makes a real difference to so many people in need. Pilamaya – thank you!

May God continue to bless and help you have a reflective and beneficial Lent. You are remembered in our prayers.

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School: Meet the High School Students Part 2

Hello there! I’m Maija, and I have the best job at St. Joseph’s Indian School! I work primarily with the Lakota (Sioux) students in high school and junior high. I get to plan

Maija works with St. Joseph's high school students — Maija

fun activities with the kids, train new houseparents, call applicants and more.

I had the pleasure of putting together a series of five blog posts that you’ll see over the next few weeks – one post from each of our high school homes! We got started last week with the Hogebach Home.

St. Joseph’s high school students live on campus, but attend Chamberlain High School, so their schedule is a little different than our younger students.

I hope this blog gives you a glimpse into our world; the activities the kids are involved with, their hopes, and goals.

CRANE HOME:

The girls in Crane Home describe themselves as close friends who are like one big family of cooperative, energetic, funny, and AMAZING girls! They love doing things together, like hanging out, watching movies, and going on home trips. They feel blessed to be big and little sisters who will always stand up for each other.

New houseparents Bob and Angie, who joined our staff after many years in residential care elsewhere, say they have never seen a houseful of teenage girls get along so

The Lakota girls in the Crane Home love spending time together! — For their Valentine’s Dinner, the girls toasted their favorite beverage – pomegranate juice with diet Sprite!

well.

Ashley, a freshman, is proud of how well she is adjusting at Chamberlain High School. All the girls shared that they are making new friends, becoming more outgoing, are comfortable and able to be themselves at school.

The girls are celebrating having the least amount of missing assignments of the school year. Their goal is to earn the trophy again. The quarter ended March 7, so we’ll know soon if they were successful!

In St. Joseph’s High School program, there are two traveling trophies that circulate through the high school homes:

Highest average home GPA
Fewest missing assignments per home

These trophies are awarded at mid-term and at the end of every quarter, so the homes have eight chances each year to steal it away from the previous winners.

Some recent excitement for these young ladies was when the one-act play, “Afghan Women,” earned a superior rating at the South Dakota State One-Act Competition. Erica has been involved with the drama team at Chamberlain for three years now! She admits the practices are sometimes long and hard, but the performances are outstanding and worth the effort. She likes that the Crane Home has good drama, not bad drama.

Katie is happy to be chosen to attend the donor luncheon in Los Angeles and is very excited about being a participant in the upcoming student exchange in Handrup, Germany this summer. She would like to learn some basic German prior to leaving.

Nine Native American girls live in the Crane home at St. Joseph’s Indian School. — Leahanna, Katie, Danielle, Ashley, Kezrai, Erica, Martina and Lilly make up the Crane Home at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Each girl in the Crane Home has progressed academically and works hard at keeping up with their studies. The girls’ hope for the remainder of the school year is to stay as close as they are right now.

Pilamaya – thank you – for your support of St. Joseph’s and these awesome kids!

Have a great week,

Maija & the Crane girls

You can tell a lot about a person…

You can tell a lot about a person from how they handle a rainy day and tangled Christmas lights. Or even a snowy day and plugged up bottles of Elmer’s glue.

Claire is a houseparent at St. Joseph’s Indian School. — Claire

That was my weekend at least. Last Saturday was the retreat for St. Joseph’s Lakota (Sioux) students who have chosen to go through sacramental preparation. In typical South Dakota fashion, the weather didn’t go exactly as envisioned – bad weather and icy roads prevented some family members from joining in the activities.

When we gathered at noon to begin our day, I saw many glum faces gazing in disappointment at the fog and snow coming down outside. Just when I was beginning to feel blue myself, I noticed a young man in a snazzy dress shirt and tie. He really, really, really wanted to be there. I found his enthusiasm inspiring … even infectious.

Our Native American students were divided into groups for the hands-on activities. As they came to the station led by Karen and me in the Art Room, the students regaled us with tales from their other stations—tasting unconsecrated wine (ew yuck!); touching or trying on vestments (perhaps some future inspiration, eh?); baking unleavened bread; learning the Gifts of the Holy Spirit (for which they received candy prizes) and more.

Karen and I were assigned to help the candidates make their stoles for receiving the sacraments. This involved several days of preparation: cutting out 25 white felt stoles and drawing, cutting and assembling an assortment of felt symbols to be glued to the stoles: doves, candles, crosses, hosts and water.

The Lakota children and their families decide if they want to participate in sacramental preparation at St. Joseph’s Indian School. — The whole family was there to help – even the baby!

All this done, they day was here. Students were arriving!

When we started, we were stymied by the Elmer’s bottles, which had become plugged with dried glue. I bet Martha Stewart never had days like this… jamming pencils into the bottle necks and slathering the glop onto the cutout chalices and crosses.

Sticky hands, sticky tables and what? A nosebleed?

Somehow it all came out right, even though Karen had to do some serious hot-glue repairs the next day.

I asked one family to pose for a picture and they beamed with pride. Everyone was there to help, even the baby. They surrounded the candidate with hugs and smiles as they assembled his stole.

Another group was definitely feeling the absence of missing family members. They stuck together tightly. All boys, they seemed a little awkward standing there with their stoles and glue. An affectionate family wrestling match broke out and eased the tension. When I asked for a picture, the eldest got quite serious. He put on his stole with the glue still drying. It made him seem older and wiser somehow.

When we all joined together as a large group once again before Mass, the feeling was relaxed and happy. Nate led them all in an unintelligible game of “What if…?”

The Lakota children model the stoles they created for receiving the sacraments. — Everyone created a stole to wear on the day they will receive the sacraments.

What if you had to choose to eat a spider or a snake?

“I’d eat a spider!”

You would eat a spider? Are you crazy??

The boys couldn’t get enough of it and they hung on him like he was a jungle gym.

What could I take away from this mini-retreat? As always, I was awed by the contagious power of joy. When a person has it, they can’t help but pass it on.

I was also reminded of God’s love — a love that knows and accepts in all circumstances; a love that calls by name and overlooks the mess and the fuss; a love that is felt even when it can’t always be seen “in person;” a love that does not forget or abandon.

I feel fortunate to help prepare these precious children for a deeper relationship with God. I feel even more blessed in how they help my faith to grow as well.

Thank you to St. Joseph’s many benefactors who make learning like this possible!

Claire

Sacramental Preparation for the Lakota (Sioux) Boys and Girls

What a busy week it’s been at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Last Saturday, we held sacramental preparation for those Lakota (Sioux) students who have chosen to take this step with the support of their families. We have 21

Fr. Anthony, St. Joseph’s Chaplain, shares with the Lakota children during Sacramental Preparation. — Fr. Anthony visits with the students participating in Sacramental Preparation about vestments and the celebration of Liturgy.

preparing for all three Sacraments of Initiation — Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation and five preparing for First Communion.

The students’ families were invited to come and take part as the children had different sessions learning about the gifts of the Spirit, bread making, the stoles they’ll wear at Baptism, and an explanation of the vestments worn and items used in the celebration of the Liturgy.

However, a snowstorm forced some changes in plans and only a few families were able to come. The students will receive the Sacraments on April 27. Please keep them in your prayers over these next few weeks.

On Sunday, the Knights of Columbus used St. Joseph’s rec center gym to host the statewide finals of their annual free throw contest. Participants from all over South Dakota were able to come and shoot it out. The atmosphere was tense and focused – you could have heard a pin drop as contestants took their turn. St. Joseph’s own Keshaume placed fifth in his category!

Monday saw the local religious community have a day of recollection offered by Fr. Wayne Jenkins, SCJ, who is the archivist for the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJS). He gave us a reflection on the Last Supper and the Triduum of Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday. He was excited to visit St. Joseph’s campus and see the new Alumni & Historical center that has been added to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.

Tonight, the Chamberlain High School Cubs will host Miller in a regional play-off basketball game. The boys had a tough fight when they met this opponent during the year, so it should be an exciting contest.

The CHS Lady Cubs won a thriller last week when they beat Cheyenne Eagle Butte 55-53. It went right down to the wire! The Cubs were almost knocked out by a former St. Joseph’s student, Jaylnn, who transferred to Cheyenne Eagle Butte – she had 14 points and was tough defensively.

The girls’ next game is Friday night when they play Winner, a team that was 19-1 during the regular season.

I hope you have a great week! May God bless and reward you for your generosity for the Lakota boys and girls!

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain