We invited our inter-city girls basketball players from the Chamberlain School (6-8 grade) to what we called a community hair shop. The purpose of this time was to share our talents and to learn a hair style – braiding or rag tie curling – so that when our St. Joseph’s students take part in a powwow or a dance event, they will have more people who can fix their hair the way they like it done.
We started with seven of our high school girls fixing the hair of our inter-city girls. In return the, the inter-city girls fixed hair for St. Joseph’s girls in grades one through five. We also invited staff and their families to take part in this exciting event.
We had about 60 girls (maybe more!) take part in our hair shop. Everyone had a grand time!
After having their hair tied for curls, Shawna, Alyssa and Freddie let their styles set.
Elijah and Shawn take their first dip in the ocean!
Very early last Friday morning, Fr. Steve picked up Maria, Elijah, Shawn and myself and off to the Sioux Falls airport we went! Sarasota, Florida was our destination. Our objective was to host two afternoons of appreciation luncheons for those who hold St. Joseph’s Indian School near to their hearts.
After an hour of driving and letting the boys catch a little more sleep, Fr. Steve began to interview them in preparation for the weekend that lay ahead. As I listened and was able to participate, I knew in my heart these guys were going to do great!
After checking in with the airline and going through security, we all had a quick bite to eat, knowing it was going to be a long day of travel. After all, between shuffling through different airports and making all of our connections we may not get another chance for food until later on that night! So before we ate, we all bowed our heads and asked the Lord’s blessing on our day and the days ahead.
Fr. Steve began each luncheon by thanking everyone for their part in St. Joseph’s success in helping Lakota children. Introductions were made and lunch was served, followed by a slide presentation and a short video giving everyone a taste of what life is like at St. Joseph’s Indian School.
The boys did a great job of not only representing St. Joseph’s Indian School and the nurturing they have received here, but they also did a great job of representing themselves. Though they may not have felt like it, they stood out as very confident young men. I, along with all those in attendance, was impressed and very proud of them.
Everyone received a picture of themselves taken with Elijah and Shawn; a little take-home memory representing all the Lakota (Sioux) students here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I personally met people who traveled four and five hours to attend this event!
And oh… by the way, the Lord certainly did answer the prayer we made on that Friday morning at the Sioux Falls airport because before you knew it, it was time to head back home!
The trip and luncheons were more than beneficial to all. We were a blessing to all we met and they in turn were a blessing to us. We didn’t have much time to do a lot of sightseeing. Sarasota certainly is a beautiful place. The people we met were extremely nice. Each of us came back with very fond memories; I for one will never forget the Italian priest we met Saturday evening at St. Martha’s. “Mamma Mia…”
After a little holiday vacation, the health center is back in the swing of things at St. Joseph’s Indian School!
We’ve seen plenty children with strep throat and, to make things more exciting, influenza A has hit! Sound terrible doesn’t it? It really hasn’t been that bad.
We’ve only had about 6 or 8 students with the flu since coming back from Christmas break. All the Lakota children have had a flu shot, so this helps slow the epidemic.
Of course, when the children are sick they don’t go to school. Instead, they come to the health center for the day (sometimes in their pajamas) and hang out with the nurses!
We love to give them special treatment while they are with us: their own room, a small TV to watch, a comfy bed, and let’s not forget a delicious bowl of chicken noodle soup and crackers for lunch. Does soup get boring? Maybe, but it’s great incentive to get well faster. *smile*
At 3 pm, when the school day is nearly over and houseparents return to the homes, we pack up the little sweethearts (with a mask if necessary) and off they go to their home with instructions on what sort of care they need that evening.
I have the privilege of sharing some insights as to what has happened here at St. Joseph’s over the weekend since Fr. Steve and some students and staff have been at a donor luncheon in Florida.
The weekend began with the Chamberlain High School’s boys’ basketball teams taking on the Mt. Vernon/Plankinton Titans. The schedule offered the chance for the “C” team, junior varsity and varsity to play. The Cubs were able to win all three games with the help of the 11 St. Joseph’s students on the “C” and junior varsity teams, plus two more on the varsity. High school games highlight the impact the inter-city basketball program, sponsored by St. Joseph’s. You can see the interaction that took place in younger grades paying off as the St. Joseph’s and local Chamberlain students now play together.
This was also the opening weekend for the girls’ inter-city basketball program on St. Joseph’s campus. Again, a good mixture of St. Joseph’s students and players from the Chamberlain area played some good games before a good-sized crowd of spectators.
Chamberlain High School also presented its one act play, Mark Twain’s “Is He Dead?,” which will be their entry in the state competition this coming Wednesday. One of St. Joseph’s students, Christopher, had one of the lead roles and several other students were active behind the scenes. The performance lasted about an hour, but we were told at the start that the rules of state competition require that a one-act play must be completed within 45 minutes. They will have to do some further cuts, but they wanted the local public to see the ‘full’ performance, which brought laughter and enjoyment as we watched the play unfold and deal with trying to make an artist ‘famous’ and thus his paintings more expensive by faking his death.
This coming week, the Lakota children in grade school will continue to benefit from the continued presence of our Artist in Residence, Mr. Markus Tracy, who completes his two-week commitment to St. Joseph’s this Friday. He is working with our students to produce a mural in the school.
This past Saturday was the second week of our bowling season. The sixth, seventh and eighth graders sign up and then are assigned to teams headed by various staff members, several of whom are on bowling teams in Chamberlain. We bowl two games and try to help the students learn and improve their bowling skills. It is a popular event.
The weather let us down a bit in that it was forecast to be very cold (single digits and below zero!), which is one reason why I think Fr. Steve scheduled the donor luncheon for Florida (Ha!), but it has not been as bad as predicted, nor did we get any more snow.
What snow we had at Christmas is mostly gone now, which has been frustrating for our Native American students since many of them received snow boards from Santa and our benefactors, but have not been able to use them. During recess, many of the younger students have been sliding down the hill on their stomachs looking like a bunch of seals!
In closing, I would like to say pilamaya – thank you – for your generosity towards the Lakota boys and girls at Christmas. It was a joy to go from home to home to witness the students opening their gifts. There was lots of excitement and many ooh’s and aah’s.
May the Great Spirit continue to bless and reward you as the new year unfolds.
We completed first semester at St. Joseph’s Indian School and are now well on our way into second semester with the Lakota students!
In our reading classes, we are still focusing on nonfiction work, but have graduated into informational text such as news articles, science articles and web pages. We are also working with types of visual media such as photographs, illustrations, charts, diagrams, and maps.
Our goal is to help students be able to comprehend these types of nonfiction, as it is important for them to succeed in their everyday lives.
St. Joseph’s eighth graders work through MAPS testing.
It is also the time of year where we are doing some testing. This week we will be doing MAPS testing to help us determine the progress of the students. This is done on the computer so we receive immediate results. This kind of broad testing helps us recognize any problem areas.
We are also working on spelling words for our annual Spelling Bee that will be held during Catholic Schools Week. This can be a lot of fun and it is rewarding to see the students get excited.
The Lakota children were excited to receive gifts from their wish list.
While most people took their Christmas decorations down long ago, today was our big day to celebrate with the Lakota students at St. Joseph’s Indian School. At liturgy, one of our fifth grade classes volunteered to act out the Nativity Story. The cast included the Holy Family, Magi, Kings and even a Star to help it come more alive. We try to encourage (exhort, plead!) students to fully participate each Sunday by singing with some gusto. Because our songs today were all well-known and loved Christmas classics, it was not a problem.
After mass, students returned to their homes for a family-like Christmas celebration that included opening the presents that our donors so generously provided. Our kids received a good mix of fun items, toys and games, and clothing they need for school or sports. I was able to spend a little time in each of our homes.
William (4th-5th grade girls) – I was invited to pass out presents, and see the smiles as the girls saw colorful winter hats and fuzzy animal slippers.
Rooney (6th–8th grade boys) – A giant Christmas stocking held the presents as each boy dug deep for presents like footballs and basketballs.
Speyer (6th-8th grade boys) – The boys sat in a circle around the Christmas tree as Sue, their houseparent, gave them instructions on keeping track of gift tags so they would be able to properly thank those who sent them gifts.
Matthias (6th – 8th grade girls) – The girls were opening their presents one at a time, while houseparent Daniel took lots of pictures. They were most excited about clothing and lotions.
Stevens (6th– 8th grade girls) – Presents were all opened by the time I arrived. One of our athletes was so excited with a new volleyball she received, that she talked her roommate into going outside to practice – and the temperature was a chilly 9 degrees!
Pinger (6th– 8th grade girls) – These girls were also finished by the time I stopped by. The girls were doing their homework and getting ready for Monday classes. They were already wearing some of the sweatshirts they’d received.
Fisher (6th– 8th grade boys) – One smaller present the boys all received in their stockings was a wooden paddle with rubber ball and string attached. Carol and Dick, their houseparents, were organizing a competition to see who could keep theirs going the longest.
Cyr (4th-5th grade boys) – The boys had the contents of their stockings laid on the kitchen counter before them. They were most fascinated by the plastic pencil sharpeners and were all busy trying them out on a pile of pencils, and capping the end of with Angry Bird erasers. To create atmosphere, the TV screen carried a video of a roaring fireplace.
Perky (4th and 5th grade boys) – These boys opened part of their presents and were preparing to eat. They had attractive platters of cookies and other goodies that Wendy, their houseparent, had helped them create.
Summerlee (4th and 5th grade girls) – The girls took turns showing me their mood rings and asking me to guess what it said about how they were feeling. I also had to answer quiz book challenges about presidents and the states. They were very excited about roller blades they received and had plans to break them in later in the afternoon.
Afra (1st-3rd grade girls) – The girls were gathered around the dining room table with houseparent Luisa, who was teaching them how to paint Christmas cookies with different colored frosting. Some looked like works of art (but not too good to be spared eventual eating).
Raphael (1st-3rd grade boys) – The boys were enamored with the play action figures of wrestlers, and were staging bouts with sound effects all across the playroom.
Ambrose (1st-3rd grade boys) – The boys received legos and a few mechanical toys with “some assembly required”– if they could only concentrate that well on their schoolwork, they would receive many scholarships!
Dennis – (1st-3rd grade girls) – These young ladies were engaged in introducing their new dolls to one another.
Crane (HS girls) – Our older students are mostly into music and many had scooted off to their rooms to play new CD’s. While I was there, a call came from the upstairs boys’ home asking them to tone it down a little!
Girls from the Crane home say pilamaya – thank you – for the Christmas gifts!
Giles (HS boys) – The guys received a set of drums as a big group present. I came across them running around campus looking for clues in a scavenger hunt as to where to find it.
Carola (HS boys) – This home was quiet as many of the guys were watching NFL playoffs or getting in a weekend nap.
Hogebach (HS girls) – Besides individual presents, these ladies showed off some of their home presents when I stopped in – a new waffle maker and other kitchen supplies.
Sheehy (HS boys) – These guys are into sports and music, and showed off some new jerseys, balls and posters they received.
Some homes had sit-down meals, others had fancy snacks and finger foods to share as different staff members stopped by to share in the festivities. While each home had their own unique traditions of celebrating, it was a festive and fun day all around.
I am working the Carola Home and just received a call from a donor. It was a little awkward at first but turned out to be a good one. He asked if this was St. Joseph’s Indian School. I said yes and asked how I could help him. He just started sending money to the Lakota children and wanted to check to see if it was the real deal. I told him yes, in fact, I was a houseparent, that I loved my job and that it was a wonderful program. I told him that it was the weekend, but if he called on Monday, he would have a better chance of speaking with someone that could put his mind at ease. He said that he just wanted to make sure that his money was going to a real and good cause. I am not sure how donations work, but I think that if you were able to follow up with him he would feel better. . .”
It’s great to have staff that love their jobs, which makes it so much easier to tell people about the programs we have. Of course, I also complimented her on making a donor feel appreciated and part of something worthwhile.
Now that all our staff is back full time, we’ve begun another round of our strategic planning. We have a plan in place that we’re already working on. We started holding small group meetings to discuss how the goals and strategies are coming along. We also answered questions about different areas of St. Joseph’s Indian School and how the plan is progressing, so staff members can be aware of progress across the board.
From our first rounds, staff seem most excited about our efforts to expand collaboration with other area schools and communities on Indian Reservations. They offered many suggestions as to how that might happen. Questions came about the challenges all schools face about better parental support and involvement. That’s especially tricky here because families may live far away without reliable transportation. Also, a good number of our students are here because their families are already struggling with a variety of issues like poverty and safe housing.
One of our hopes is to increase the presence of alumni on campus. A fascinating exchange came from one of our alumni who has worked here for the past four years. When he worked back home on his reservation, his job security was so tenuous.
Every two years, there is a tribal election. When one administration ends, so do most of the tribal jobs. Everyone has to reapply and, in his experience, who you know or who you are related to was valued more than experience and ability, which hampers progress and development. That led to insights and lots more discussion about that reality among the group.
All our homes opened at noon yesterday and we welcomed our younger Lakota students back to campus yesterday. When I started the rounds to the homes right after lunch I only saw a few kids in each home, which gave them a good chance to visit with houseparents about their Christmas break.
As students arrived, houseparents checked bags and helped younger students mark their names on new clothes or toys they brought back. Some received a fair amount at Christmas; others came back with very little. Next weekend, we’ll try to make it nice for everyone when we pass out the presents people have so generously sent us for the children.
After the initial check in, it was off to the health center to see about any bumps or scrapes or medical needs. The houseparents were especially pleased if the nurses sent a blue pass back with the child meaning all clear. By suppertime, our homes were mostly full. We’re glad to have the kids back, excited about what the new semester will hold!
Today I made the rounds at school. I met three of our new students and started working to engrave their names and faces in my memory. We do admissions throughout the year and expect a few more to join us in the next few days.
The sixth graders were practicing for the upcoming spelling bee. I took the list and asked them to spell words that even I didn’t know the meaning of! I sat in with the third graders as they learned about Neptune’s larger than earth moon, “Triton,” with its ice spewing volcanoes. It’s good for us adults to get refresher courses on all we’ve forgotten over the years, and learn a few new things as well.
At the end of the school day we held an all school prayer service to start the third quarter. Several students were recognized for their efforts and attitude over the past quarter and came forward to receive a certificate. As always, we asked God’s help and blessing on the New Year and new semester.
I heard tell of a Lakota tribal official visiting the Apache Tribe in Arizona. They teased him “in the mountains we’re much closer to the Great Spirit.”
He replied, “Yes, I understand, but on the vast South Dakota prairie we can see God coming for three days, and have time to get ready!” Sheetrock is up in the William Home! The facilities crew is now working on outlets and ventilation.
While other folks are taking down their Christmas decorations, we’re still getting ready to celebrate when all our students return. Last weekend two school groups, one from Barrington, Illinois and one from Watertown, South Dakota brought out some wonderful clothes and toys they’ve been collecting. As the houseparents return, we’ll check sizes and wish lists to find good matches for our students’ needs.
While many of our child services staff have had vacation time, staff in the development office have been faithfully answering mail and phone requests. The facilities crew has used this quieter time for projects like touch-up paint jobs and preventative spraying for bed bugs, which are jobs best done when the homes are empty.
They’ve been moving full speed ahead on several projects. The Summerlee Home renovation is almost complete, and those fourth and fifth grade girls should be moving back in a couple of weeks. The William Home will take a few more months, but the dry wall is up and the crew is working on the behind the scenes (and walls) items like electrical outlets and ventilation.
Fewer students means fewer vehicle trips over break. The school bus was in the garage getting a check up to make sure it’s fit for ball games and school trips once the semester gets going next week. St. Joseph’s bus gets a tune up before second semester begins.
We have had a half dozen high school students on campus this past week taking part in basketball practices. Today, the rest of the crew of 42 filtered in. Cars pulled up to one of our five high school homes and kids carried suitcases or slung plastic bags full of clothes over their shoulder and started getting ready for second semester.
I spent a little time at each of the homes, welcoming students back. I always hope for happy news. Many of the students had good memories of their time with family, but a few had family struggles and drama over the break. Our houseparents and counselors will help them talk it out and process the disappointments and hurts, and hopefully get them off to a good start here.
