St. Joseph’s – Page 33 – St. Joseph's Indian School

All-Staff Orientation begins!

Things are a bit NOISY in Chamberlain this week as bikers come through the area on their way out to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota’s Black Hills. The annual rally starts today and runs the entire week. It is impressive to see so many cycles out on the highway. Many stay in the Chamberlain-Oacoma area on their way and stop to visit the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center.

A prayer service kicked off our All-Staff Orientation this morning, as preparations continue for the return of the Lakota boys and girls on August 11 and the first day of school on August 12. It’s hard to believe the summer has gone by so quickly! We miss our veteran staff members from past years, but are also happy to welcome 20 new staff to St. Joseph’s tiyospaye – extended family. While I’m not sure yet how many students we’ll have this year, there will be around 55 new students.

St. Joseph’s Indian School recently hosted our local Relay for Life event, which remembers those who have died from or are dealing with cancer. Fr. Steve was the honoree, and the event raised about $30,000.00!

Of that, St. Joseph’s staff contributed nearly $6,600.00!

Every week, staff members participate in the ‘jeans because’ program that allows staff to wear jeans on Friday. This activity alone raised approximately $1,200.00 for Relay for Life! The contributions are used for a variety of charities who work for the cure of cancer.

St. Joseph’s staff member Bryan is being honored for his success in athletics at Chamberlain High School. — Bryan, St. Joseph’s Athletic Director, is a new inductee into Chamberlain High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. Congratulations Bryan!

Some good news for a St. Joseph’s employee was in the local paper this last week. Our Athletic Director and Recreation Coordinator, Bryan, has been selected by the Chamberlain Booster Club to become a member of the high school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. During his high school years, Bryan was very successful in basketball, football, power lifting and baseball. Congratulations, Bryan, on this achievement!

I hope you all have a great week! Keep us in your prayers as we continue to prepare to open the new school year.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Greetings from Human Resources!

Hello to all! This is Allyssa, St. Joseph’s Human Resource Associate. Although it is summer, the Human Resource Department at St. Joseph’s has been busy recruiting staff for the new school year. Last Friday, we begin the massive HR paperwork session with most of our 23 new Child Services Staff. These employees face three weeks of intense training before the Lakota students arrive back on campus August 11.

It seems like just yesterday that the children were packing up to go home for the summer and we said farewell to staff who are moving on from St. Joseph’s Indian School. Now, we are welcoming new staff to our mission and preparing for the students to return!

Hiring has been our number one priority this summer. We had 18 houseparent vacancies, one teacher and four training/support staff positions to fill… and that was just in Child Services! The interview process for houseparents is lengthy. After a successful phone interview, the candidates come to South Dakota for face-to-face interviews with up to seven different St. Joseph’s employees. The applicants have tours of campus and join our students for supper. This gives candidates a better overview of what it’s like to be a houseparent.

Summer also finds our maintenance crew working hard to prepare for the upcoming school year. The big maintenance projects are undertaken, homes remodeled and vehicles checked over.

As they say “Times flies when you’re having fun!” There is no doubt about it; the HR Department here at St. Joseph’s has fun. In June, we were able to attend the annual Society for Human Resource Management conference in Chicago. It is a great opportunity to meet others in the HR field and learn the latest innovations in the industry to help us meet the needs of staff. We came back with new ideas to implement, energized to take on new challenges, whatever they may be.

As we gear up for another school year, I hope each of you have had a wonderful summer!

Hellos and good-byes

Happy Tuesday to you all!

I write with mixed emotions today, since we’ve said good-bye and hello at the same time this week.

You may remember Fr. Steve sharing with you that we had a visiting Portuguese SCJ, Fr. Jose, staying at St. Joseph’s since April as he worked on his thesis. He really got into the swing of things on St. Joseph’s campus and throughout South Dakota. He went with Fr. Steve and Lakota (Sioux) seventh graders on their cultural trip to the Black Hills and other important places to Native American heritage in neighboring states.

Fr. Jose also went to Hales Corners, Wisconsin, to observe the election assembly that chose Fr. Steve to be our new Provincial. I think the only thing we may have missed while he was here were the lawn mower races in Pukwana, South Dakota! Father Jose left about 10 days ago to visit our SCJ confreres in Houston, Texas and see the work that is being done there at Our Lady of Guadalupe. He’ll head back to France in mid-August.

The other ‘good bye’ was for Fr. Steve as he headed out for Hales Corners early Sunday morning. On August 1, he will take over as our new Provincial. He reminded me that he‘d be coming for St. Joseph’s powwow in September, so you will have the chance to see him then if you can attend.

Hellos were said to our new staff members who are on campus this week for orientation. Right now, they are on a scavenger hunt, which will take them around the campus to find various sites they need to know about. They’ll be taking classes on First Aid, fire safety, adult and child CPR and use of the AED, and learning how to fill out various forms they will need for school, in the homes or kitchen for supplies.

St. Joseph’s new teachers and houseparents undergo extensive training before students return to campus. — New staff are trained in everything from paperwork to how to safely deescalate a situation with a child who may become aggressive. Safety for St. Joseph’s students and staff is our top priority!

We are very grateful to have them! Their willingness to blend their talents and skills with our veteran staff will help us provide our Native American students with the best, safest and most rewarding program possible. Of course, all this is thanks to your generosity.

Next week, St. Joseph’s returning staff will begin orientation. On August 11, students will return and class begins Monday, August 12. As you can see, things will be busy for a while!

Thank you again for your support of St. Joseph’s, both financial contribution and prayers – we are grateful for your friendship! Have a great week and may God’s blessings continue to be with you now and always.

Sincerely,

Fr. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

St. Joseph’s Indian School

PS. Please keep Fr. Steve in your prayers this week as he prepares to be installed as Provincial on Thursday, August 1, 2013! If you could say a prayer for him that day, I’m sure he would appreciate it so that God’s strength and guidance will be with him as he leads our community into the future. Thank you!

Fr. Anthony

The countdown begins!

The countdown for the start of the new school year is underway. The Lakota (Sioux) students who were in our summer home have returned home to their families for a break. St. Joseph’s staff will have a brief time of relaxation before we kick things off for the new school year.

Student applications are reviewed by St. Joseph’s team. — Our Admissions Team reviews the files of the Lakota students who have applied to come to St. Joseph’s Indian School.

Today, we begin orientation for all our new staff members. All staff return to St. Joseph’s Indian School for orientation August 5.

This week of special training for all houseparents, teachers, counselors and staff working with our students helps ensure that everyone is on the same page. That way, all the staff can be supportive of one another and help each other get comfortable with the procedures to be followed to keep everyone safe – especially the Native American boys and girls in our care.

The students begin arriving on August 11 when the homes open and we begin the school year on August 12. It seems like we just had graduation and here we are getting ready to kick things off for the 2013-2014 school year!

We appreciate your prayers for a great start and a wonderful year.

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Supplies are ready for the start of the year at St. Joseph’s! — Cases upon cases of vegetables, cereal and other food items are waiting to stock the pantries of St. Joseph’s campus homes!

A final farewell

Sunday, July 28

My bags are packed and it is time for me to leave St. Joseph Indian School. I move on to new challenges and adventures that await me in the role of Provincial Superior of the Priests of the Sacred Heart.

Last week, I met a few of the new staff taking part in the LSCI (Life Space Crisis Intervention) training. All the new staff will be on campus Monday for their weeklong orientation. All our Child Services staff gathers on August 5 for training and preparation for the school year. Then comes my favorite day of the year (this year Sunday August 11)… when the homes open and the Lakota students begin returning!

I enjoy reconnecting with students and hearing about their summer. I check in with St. Joseph’s teachers and houseparents after their break. I will miss that day very much. I’ll miss getting to know the 40-something new students we’ve accepted into our program. I’ll miss working with our creative and passionate staff.

A college football coach was talking on Sportscenter the other night about his efforts at rebuilding. He had a great senior class, and this year’s incoming freshmen will have some big shoes to fill

“Seniors graduate every year . . . but the legacy continues”

The same is true here. Students and staff will move on, but St. Joseph’s Indian School not only endures, it thrives. We have a great tradition and legacy here. I am grateful and blessed to have been part of it for the past nine years.

My last events were a mass Saturday evening and a social afterward in the Rec Center. I’ve had a host of farewells these past couple of weeks, and shed more than a few tears. The tears are both sadness at parting and joy from all that we’ve experienced and accomplished together. I felt a sense of joy for a last celebration, hug, or memory with people I’ve shared so much with.

We wrapped up shortly before 10. The sky outside was still a warm red and purple, lingering colors from a gorgeous sunset over the Missouri River. I will miss those spectacular sunsets. The fountain in front of the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center was still running, and the sound of water very soothing.

Our SCJ Founder, Leo John Dehon had a favorite scripture – Ecce Venio – Behold, I come to do your will O God.

In the quiet of the night, alone in the parking lot with just me and the Creator, I felt a deep sense of peace.

Difficult as it is to leave, I’ve come to a place of acceptance. I am ready to move on, looking forward to the next time I’ll return to enjoy all the amazing staff and students who grace this campus.

God Bless you always!

Fr. Steve

A Summer Day at St. Joseph’s

Hello friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School! I hope this finds you all doing well and enjoying your summer! Summer is in full swing here at St. Joe’s and it is keeping us all very busy! I am a Family Service Counselor and wanted to share a little with you about what summer is for me.

St. Joseph’s counselors visit their students during the summer, traveling to their homes on South Dakota Indian Reservations. — Julie and one of the Lakota students she works with, Chelsea.

During the summer, the Family Service Counselors hit the road and go visit our Lakota students and their families. We check in to see that the students and families are doing well, as well as ask if there is anything they need from us during the summer. The students and families are usually happy to see us and are very welcoming.

We also complete interviews for prospective students during the summer. Part of the admissions process is gathering records for a student, but perhaps the most important part of the admissions process is meeting the child and their family.

We go to their homes and complete an interview to see if they would be a good fit for St. Joseph’s programs. We also take time during the interview to explain St. Joseph’s Indian School, the programs offered and the schedule in the homes and school. The interview process usually takes about an hour to an hour and a half to complete.

It is always wonderful meeting new families!

Other things counselors complete during the summer include paperwork, getting ready for the upcoming school year, attending workshops and trainings, and other tasks that pile up during the school year.

While there are a few Native American students on campus during the summer, it is much different from during the school year. Most of a Family Service Counselor’s summer is spent on the road traveling to various locations around South Dakota to check in with students and families.

We get to see a lot of beautiful country and it is always a pleasure seeing students and families. One of the students I have seen this summer is already anxious to come back for the new school year! J

We miss our students during the summer, so getting to see them is a bonus. We are all ready for them to come back and to start a new school year in August.

Enjoy your summer, and as always, thank you for the generous support you give to St. Joseph’s Indian School. Without your prayers and support, we could not do the wonderful work we do!

Blessing to all of you!

Visiting Alumni

Good morning from the banks of the beautiful Missouri River!!

Chamberlain was a bit crowded last weekend as the local high school welcomed home alumni for their annual reunion weekend. The classes honored were those of every five years from 1943 through 2003.

One special event for the weekend was an Art Expo at the South Dakota Hall of Fame located in Chamberlain. It honors people from around the state who have made a positive impact in South Dakota in a variety of areas, including business, the arts and humanitarian causes. St. Joseph’s Founder, Father Henry Hogebach, SCJ, is one of those honored.

The theme of returning alumni was in effect here at St. Joseph’s too. Mr. Casmir LeBeau from Eagle Butte, South Dakota, came to visit. Mr. LeBeau was one of St. Joseph’s first students in 1927! He heard Fr. Steve has been elected Provincial and would be leaving at the end of the month to assume his new responsibilities in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. Though a little hard of hearing, his health and memory are in fine working order and he enjoyed sharing several stories with us at lunch and then went over to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center to meet with Dixie, our Museum Director, and Mary Jane, our Director of Alumni Outreach. He was able to help put names to some of the faces in various pictures from the early years of St. Joseph’s.

I received a phone call from a benefactor this week asking a question several of you may be wondering about as well. She asked if St. Joseph’s had Mass on Sunday that guests could attend. I was happy to tell her that we have Mass each Sunday morning at 10:00 a.m. in Our Lady of the Sioux Chapel here on campus. This is open to anyone who wishes to attend.

Mass is not held when the Lakota students are away on a break – Thanksgiving, Christmas, spring break, Easter or summer vacation. The first Mass this year will be on August 18. Please feel welcome to come and celebrate with us if you are in the neighborhood! Mass on our annual powwow weekend, September 20-22, will also be at 10:00 a.m.

May God’s blessings, guidance and strength remain with you always. Thanks again for all you do on behalf of St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Sincerely,

Fr. J. Anthony Kluckman, SCJ

Chaplain

Adding that personal touch

The day is finally here!

After a lot of planning, five staff members of St. Joseph’s Indian School have left their office space in the Nagel Business Office and relocated to a new Personal Care Center at 111 S. Main Street in Chamberlain. The space was previously the home of the St. Joseph’s Thrift Store, which moved further north on Main Street into a much larger space with adjacent receiving space for donated items.

The staff members include our first four Personal Care Specialists and our first Major Gift Officer, but we know them simply as Tina, Marge, Shirley, Shawn and Brian. They are excited to start this new adventure!

St. Joseph’s has four new Personal Care Specialists and a new Major Gifts Officer. — Shirley, Tina, Brian and Marge are looking forward to visiting with you!

The addition of the Personal Care Center is another step in the development of our Major Gifts Program and an important part of our Decade of Transformation and strategic plan.

The Personal Care Center staff will focus their efforts (phone calls, letters, e-mails, personal visits) on St. Joseph’s top donors. Each and every gift counts, but the efforts of the staff at the Personal Care Center will focus on top donors who have made, or may have the ability to, make larger gifts.

To continue to meet the needs of the Native American students at St. Joseph’s and plan for the future, we need to focus on developing deeper relationships with these donors. Our first step will be to reach out to these generous supporters to let them know their support is appreciated and is making a difference in the lives of our Lakota (Sioux) students!

The Personal Care Center has room for 12 staff but, for right now, five is a great start. We’re looking forward to visiting with you!

10 days, 2,000 miles, one state

Have you ever traveled roughly 2,000 miles in ten days and never left your state?

St. Joseph’s shares more than 5,000 new and used books with children in reservation communities. — These Native American boys spread the word – free books!

You would have if you traveled along on the St. Joseph’s Indian School Bookmobile! This is one of my favorite activities of the summer. We travel to 32 communities on reservations in South Dakota giving out books, both new and gently used.

My name is Mary Jane. I am the Outreach/Alumni Coordinator at St. Joseph’s. For the last several summers, I have traveled with the bookmobile giving out free books, meeting new folks as well as former students of St. Joseph’s.

This summer we started our journey heading north to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. We visited 13 communities.

White Horse, South Dakota, was the smallest community we visited. There, we had 15 children total. When we drove in to town, we were spotted by three Lakota girls out riding their bikes. They followed us and picked up a few friends on the way.

The girls were so happy to see us and to learn that they could pick out their own FREE books and that they got to KEEP them!! As we left, they told us to come back again. They would be waiting! J

In Eagle Butte, South Dakota, we saw the most children – well over 100 in three separate stops.

St. Joseph’s van is lined with books for the Native American children to choose from. — The girls are so excited to choose their books!

The following week, after reloading the van, we headed south to the Rosebud and Pine Ridge Indian Reservations, visiting 16 communities and distributing 1140 new books and 1710+ used books.

Mission, which is on the Rosebud Indian Reservation, was one of our biggest stops. There were over 50 children at the local Boys & Girls Club. Some were busy planting a garden, but were eager to take a break and pick out their books.

Our smallest stop this trip was in Kyle, South Dakota, on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. There we saw six children and two adults. A Native American father brought his two young children to choose their books. He was so excited to be able to have something to read to them! Luckily, we had some books for very small children packed away in a ‘special’ box. We made sure he had a bag of books for him and his two young girls. He was very grateful.

As he got off the bookmobile, he reached out to shake our hands and said, “Keep up the good work. You are doing a wonderful job. Thank you!”

The Lakota children are always happy to see St. Joseph’s Bookmobile!

All along our journey, we distributed boxes of used books, crayons, notebooks, construction paper and some dictionaries to various Boys & Girls Clubs, daycares and others who were in need of these items for their programs.

What’s the best part of this summer adventure? Meeting new people as well as former students and seeing children’s eyes light up when they get to have their books!

See how many books you helped us share this year!

An update from St. Joseph’s Facilities Crew

Summer break at St. Joseph’s Indian School is half over, which means St. Joseph’s Facilities Crew is full speed ahead! The facilities crew schedules most of their larger projects during the summer months, when most of the Lakota children are home with their families. Here are a few of the projects we are working on:

Cement work was done to solve drainage issues on St. Joseph’s campus. — St. Joseph’s Health Center was one of the key areas with drainage issues to be repaired this summer.

ü Phase II Drainage Project – Those of you who read the blog on a regular basis may remember that Phase I was completed last summer. There are three key areas on campus where new concrete will be laid to help with some of the drainage issues we have – around the Health Care Center, the school building, and Central Offices. The work began in mid-June and will be completed by the first part of August.

As we come to the home stretch of the Alumni and Historical Center addition to the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center, the grounds crew has begun landscaping around the building.

ü They have added some planters with flowers and some large river rocks as an accent to the base of the Medicine Wheel Garden of Healing. They continue to smooth out areas that were torn apart due to construction and will begin planting grass and more landscaping designs.

If you happen to be on campus, you may notice things are a little dusty around Central Offices!

ü We are doing some tuck-pointing on the building. This requires the seams in the brick to be ground out where there is cracking and then refilled with new mortar. Due to the dust floating in that area I think we should of offered a car wash service for our employees! J

The facilities crew has also started the last phasing of St. Joseph’s home renovations.

ü The Afra (first through third grade girls) and Raphael (first through third grade boys) Homes are the last to be worked on. These two homes are located in the Benedictine Building. Demolition work began at the end of the school year. The facilities staff has met with the home coordinators and the plans have been set in place for the home.

Some of you may also remember the school getting new carpet last summer. Again this year we have carpet projects taking place!

The Medicine Wheel Garden of Healing at the Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center is nearly complete. — Large river rock was placed around the outside of the Medicine Wheel Garden of Healing.

ü Tipi Press Printing and Central Offices received new carpet this summer. Both buildings are already completed, and the projects took approximately two weeks.

Another major project the crew has been working on is the renovation of our old thrift store building.

ü This building is now our Personal Care Center! The crew did some basic cosmetic work on the interior and now the building is ready to house some additional office space for St. Joseph’s Indian School. A ribbon cutting with the Chamberlain/Oacoma Area Chamber of Commerce will be held at the end of July.

Pilamaya – thank you – for helping us take care of our campus so we can provide the Lakota boys and girls a safe place to live and learn!