Giving back to the community

Earlier this year, St. Joseph’s Daughters of Tradition group was given the task of coming up with ideas for a service learning project as a way to give back to the community.  The Native American youth in the group decided they wanted to raise money for the Humane Society in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Recently, they headed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, to complete the project!

Our Lakota (Sioux) girls decided to donate to the Humane Society. To raise money, the girls planned a walking taco and bake sale.  The girls did all of the baking for the bake sale and group leaders assisted in getting the taco meat ready for the walking tacos.  The girls had two different sales and raised over $200.00 to donate to the Humane Society.  They were very proud of themselves!

While at the Humane Society, the girls were able to tour the facility, walk dogs and spend some time with the cats.  The girls really enjoyed themselves and if they had been able to, I think a few of them would have come home with new pets!  They did a great job and represented St. Joseph’s Indian School very well.  The Human Society was very pleased with their generous donation.

St. Joseph’s Daughters of Tradition group meets two times per month. This is a great place for the girls to talk about any issues they are having.  The group begins with a “Talking Circle,” which gives every girl a chance to talk about how they are doing and voice any issues or concerns they have.  The girls are very engaged in the group and enjoy the time they get to spend together and the opportunity to share concerns with their peers.

As one of the leaders of the group, I am so very pleased with the girls and their effort in the service learning project!

Julie

Family Service Counselor

 

Easter Break at St. Joseph’s

Everyone was excited for a break from school!

Greetings, friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School!  I hope you are doing well.  It is hard to believe, but spring is here!  The official start of spring was March 20, and with that comes St. Joseph’s Indian School’s spring and Easter Breaks.  The students departed for break on March 22 and will return April 1.

Most of our students will be headed home.  At this most holy time of year, it is wonderful to see our students being able to spend the time with their families.  Our students have worked hard over the last months, since returning from Christmas break, and are excited to have a few days away from school to be with family.  A few of our students will be remaining on campus for the break, with houseparents in one of St. Joseph’s homes.

Our high school students do get a few days off for Easter Break, but lament the fact they no longer get the long Spring Break our younger Lakota students get J.

Upon returning to St. Joseph’s campus on April 1, students in grades 1-5 will get to take part in an Easter egg hunt.  This is always great fun for the younger students.  Grades 6-8 will be having a potluck on that day, which is open to all of the 6-8 grade students and their families.  This is the first year the 6-8 grade community will be holding the potluck and we hope for great success.

Over Spring Break, three of our eighth grade students headed to Washington, D.C., for a few days to tour our nation’s capital.

For a couple of the students, it will be their first experience with flying, and although nervous, they are very excited to be on a plane!  The students are also looking forward to being away from South Dakota and experiencing a big city and all that Washington, D.C. has to offer.  We wish them safe travels and an excellent adventure!

At this most holy time of year, we here at St. Joseph’s Indian School wish to take a minute to THANK YOU for all of the support you offer us throughout the year.

Without your prayers and generous financial support, we would not be able to do the work we do here.  St. Joseph’s Indian School is an amazing place and we are so very lucky to be able to work with some amazing children.

We wish you a most blessed Easter season!

 

A busy weekend ahead

Cup stacking is one of the most popular games at the Sobriety Carnival!

Greetings friends!  I hope you are all doing well, staying healthy, and staying warm.  Things here at St. Joseph’s Indian School are going well.  We have a busy week ahead of us!

This weekend is our annual Valentine’s Day Sobriety Carnival and Dance.  This celebration helps to promote sobriety while the Lakota students in grades 1-5 grade enjoy carnival games and the students in grades 6-12 get to have a dance.

Our Substance Abuse Prevention Committee (SAPC) puts on several activities throughout the year to promote sobriety and the dangers of using drugs and overusing alcohol.  The students always seem to enjoy these celebrations.

This weekend the St. Joseph’s Indian School seventh and eighth grade boys will host a basketball tournament.  Several teams will be on campus to play in the tournament.  The boys are very excited to play and hope to have many fans in the stand cheering them on.

The seventh and eighth grade boys’ basketball team will host a tournament at St. Joseph’s this Saturday.

Next week will bring the start of the Spring Cycle of the FAST program. Families and Schools Together, or FAST, is a great program that brings several of our families to campus for eight Fridays.  The program consists of activities designed to help promote family togetherness and strengthen family bonds.  We are looking forward to sharing the eight Fridays of FAST with 15 families this cycle!

As always, we thank you for the support you offer to St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Without your prayers and financial generosity, we would not be able to offer the programs so vital to our students here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.

 

Guest Blogger: Julie

Christ Tunpi – Merry Christmas!

Greetings friends!!

My name is Julie and I am a Family Service Counselor here at St. Joseph’s Indian School. I hope this wonderful time of year finds you all doing well! Things here at St. Joseph’s Indian School have been very busy over the last few days! The students are getting ready to head home for Christmas break. The weather looks good for their travel, which is truly a blessing.

This past weekend was the annual “Christmas Store.” This is a time when students can pick out gifts for their family members. The items available for gifts come from your generous donations; the students really enjoy being able to pick out gifts for their families! The students also get a chance to see Santa Clause and have their gifts wrapped. It is a fun-filled day that both students and staff enjoy!

Other things that have been happening at St. Joseph’s Indian School include the conclusion of the girls’ basketball season, the students’ Christmas program and a new ceremony called the “Tears Ceremony.” The Tears Ceremony is held at St. Joseph’s when a student loses a loved one. This is a time for the students to remember their loved one and be supported by friends and staff.

Our first Tears Ceremony was held this week and was a beautiful tribute to the students’ loved one. Still in its beginning stages, the Tears Ceremony gives the students one more way to remember and grieve the loved one they have lost. The student who has lost the loved one is an integral part of the planning process for the ceremony. We hope that the Tears Ceremony will assist the students with the grief process and let them know they are supported and cared for while they traverse the grief process.

Houseparents help students choose gifts for their families.

At this time of year, I always think of the generosity of our benefactors. St. Joseph’s Indian School offers so many great things to our students… but without your kindness and generosity, we would be unable to do the great things we do. So at this time I say Thank You for all you do for St. Joseph’s Indian School. May you have a wonderful and blessed Christmas and New Year!

Julie

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H.

Greetings friends of St. Joseph’s Indian School!  I hope the Feast of All Souls Day finds  you doing well!

Things here on St. Joseph’s campus are going well!  It is hard to believe we have finished our first quarter of school and are already a couple of weeks into the second quarter.  My, how times flies!  The students are working hard to keep their grades up and do well in school.

Happy Halloween from everyone at St. Joseph’s Indian School!

Halloween was a great hit.  Most of the kids dressed up in costumes and there were some great costumes!  The students were able to trick-or-treat here on campus and then take part in a costume contest.  Some of the homes also went into Chamberlain to trick-or-treat as well.  All of the students I have talked to say they really enjoyed Halloween!

With Halloween past us now, the next big events on the campus of St. Joseph’s Indian School are girls basketball, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  We haven’t seen much snow here yet, so I wonder if we will have a white Christmas this year!

Our girls’ basketball seasons kicks off on Monday, November 5.  The girls are very excited to begin their season.  The girls are working hard in practice and learning all they can in the short time they have before their games begin.  Basketball season is always a busy time as all of the games take place between early November and Christmas Break.  With as fast as this school year is going, both Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it!

As we move closer to Thanksgiving, I would like to thank each and every one of you for all of the support you give to St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Please know that you are remembered in our prayers!

Julie H.
Family Service Counselor

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H.

Hello friends!  I hope today finds you all doing well!  My name is Julie H. and I am a Family Service Counselor at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Things here are St. Joseph’s are going well!

This week we celebrated Red Ribbon Week and the kids were able to take part in lots of fun activities!  There were activities such as inflatables, ice cream sundaes, relays and theme days.  The kids always enjoy celebrating Red Ribbon Week!

The next celebration we are looking forward to is Halloween.  The kids are all gearing up for the fun and planning their costumes.  The students are able to trick-or-treat on St. Joseph’s Indian School’s campus and then we have a Halloween costume contest.  The students always enjoy this time of year!

Our 6-8 grade boys just finished up their football season and the 6-8 grade girls just finished up volleyball.  Now, the girls are gearing up for basketball and have started their practices.  Their first game is November 5 and they are very excited.  The 4^th and 5^th grade girls have also started basketball practice.  Basketball season is a favorite time of the year for both our boys and girls.  They enjoy the sport immensely, work hard, and show great sportsmanship.  It will be fun to watch them play!

As the weather grows cooler, we are also starting to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  What a wonderful time of year for our Lakota students!  It is always a joy to be able to celebrate these holidays with the students!  The students get a nice break for both holidays so they can return home and spend time with their families.

Another great thing happening today is FAST (Families and Schools Together) graduation.  This program brings families to campus to spend quality time with their children.  The program consists of a meal, family oriented activities, a time for parents to meet together and talk, and time for parents to just have fun with their children.  We have graduated over 100 families from this program.  Tonight we graduate seven more families!  This is a great time for the families to come and spend time with their kids and for the staff who work with the students to get a chance to know families a little better as well.

As always, I thank you all for your generous donations of prayer and financial assistance!  Without your help, we could not do the great work we do!  May God’s blessings be poured out on each and every one of you!

Julie H.

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H.

Everyone has such a great time at St. Joseph’s Indian School’s powwow!

Greetings from St. Joseph’s Indian School!  My name is Julie H. and I have been at St. Joseph’s for almost 11 years.  Every day I thank God for leading me to this wonderful place!  I cannot tell you how much I enjoy working with our students and staff!  I also hope you all know that we are so very thankful for the donations of money, prayers and encouragement we receive from you!

This is a busy and exciting week at St. Joseph’s.  Saturday we will have our annual powwow.  The students have been working hard at dance practice and they are all getting excited for Saturday.  The powwow is always a great way to meet families, students and you – the donors who have the opportunity to come and visit.  We always love to see new faces and familiar faces alike!

So what is the powwow like?

It is a great way to see the Native dances of the Lakota (Sioux) people.  It is filled with bright colors, wonderful drum music and great dancing.  Earlier in the day, visitors have the opportunity to tour the school and homes. As the day winds down, we also share a meal together. The powwow is truly a fun-filled day!

And this year, the weather looks to be perfect!  God truly does bless us!

All are welcome at the powwow.  It is a day of fellowship and friendship.  If you are coming to join us for the powwow this year, and you find yourself with questions about St. Joseph’s, just find someone in a blue shirt, they will be happy to give explanations and answer any questions you may have!  We hope to see as many of you as possible at our powwow this year!

As always, THANK YOU for your prayers and encouragement for St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Without you, our generous benefactors, we could not do the wonderful work we do!

God Bless you all,

Julie H.

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H

Over the last few weeks, St. Joseph’s campus has been noisy with construction.  But campus has begun to ring with a new and happy noise… The noise of students returning to campus!!  I had the opportunity to visit many of the students I work with over the summer and most of them are ready to come back to campus and go back to school.  What a great thing to hear!  The students are excited to return and staff is just as excited to see them.

I have worked at St. Joseph’s Indian School for close to 11 years.  I have often been asked “What brought you to St. Joseph’s Indian School?” or “Why have you stayed at St. Joseph’s Indian School?”  The answer is really pretty simple.  I came to St. Joseph’s Indian School because I was excited about the opportunity to work with Native American youth.  I have worked with kids since I was in college and that is where I found my niche.  I love working with kids.  So the opportunity to work with Native American youth was something I just could not pass up.

Why have I stayed?  Well, that answer is pretty simple too.  What brings me back to St. Joseph’s Indian School, as well as most staff you will ask, year after year, is the students and the families I am blessed to have the opportunity to work with.  I have the opportunity, each year, to work with some of the greatest kids on the planet.  They are creative, fun, out-going, resilient and all around good kids.

I grew up in a wonderful environment and I feel God has called me to help be a part of the great environment we offer the students and families we work with here at St. Joseph’s Indian School.  Every day is not great, sometimes our students struggle, but being able to be a positive role model and helper for our students and families, humbles and honors me.

As we come to the close of summer, I would ask for prayers for our students and their families, as well as the staff of St. Joseph’s Indian School, as we return to school.  We will all keep you in our thoughts and prayers as well!  Have a wonderful rest of the summer and if you are ever in the area, stop by and say hello!

Julie

Family Service Counselor

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H.

Greetings from warm and sunny Chamberlain, South Dakota!  St. Joseph’s Indian School sends warm regards and blessings to all of you!

My name is Julie H. and I have been with St. Joseph’s Indian School for almost 11 years.  What a great 11 years it has been!  I am currently a Family Service Counselor and work with girls in grades 6-12.  I work under the umbrella of the Clinical Services Department.  The Clinical Services Department is currently made up of 13 staff.  We have nine Family Service Counselors, a Drug and Alcohol Prevention Specialist, a Family Liaison and Clinical Support staff, all led by our fearless Clinical Director.  What does the Clinical Services Department do?  Well, we do a little bit of everything!

Our nine Family Service Counselors work with all students in grades 1-12.  We offer weekly individual counseling, group counseling, and enrichment activities.  We also serve as a contact and liaison with our students’ families.

We are available to assist houseparents with questions and concerns they may have regarding student issues.  We run a group for our high school students called Sons and Daughters of Tradition.  The focus of this group is to help the students get back to their Native roots, while working on Drug and Alcohol Prevention.   Family Service Counselors are also available to help in the school should a student have difficulties throughout the day.  Family Service Counselors wear many hats, but our main priority is being here to help the students and their families with anything they need.

Our Drug and Alcohol Prevention Specialist works with the students on drug and alcohol prevention, helping students learn to say NO to substance abuse.  Our Prevention Specialist runs a group called Red Path, coordinates activities for Red Ribbon Week and our other Sobriety Celebrations.

Our Clinical Support Specialist is truly a jack of all trades!  She works on admissions, sets up travel plans for our students who participate in donor luncheons and helps out the department in any way she can.  She is a great support to all of us!

The Family Liaison coordinates and recruits families for our FAST (Families and Schools Together) program.  She works hard to get everything ready for our programs, helps transports families to the program and is an integral staff person in the program itself.  After the program concludes, she also continues to meet with the families that have graduated from the program.

Our Clinical Director keeps us all in line!  She is a great supervisor and is available to assist any of us when we have questions or concerns regarding our students and families.  Our Clinical Director oversees all of the programs of the department and is a great support and resource.

That is just a quick overview of what the Clinical Services Department does.  There is a great deal we do, but with limited blog space, I just wanted to offer you the highlights!

If you are ever in Chamberlain, at St. Joseph’s Indian School and you want a greater overview of all of the great work the Clinical Services Department does, please stop by!  Any of the departments would be happy to sit down with you and answer questions you may have!

Have a safe, blessed and great summer!

Julie H. (Family Service Counselor)

 

Guest Blogger: Julie H

Hello!  Can you believe that summer is in full swing?  Things here at St. Joseph’s Indian School, although it is summer, continue to move along swiftly!

My name is Julie and I have been here at St. Joseph’s Indian School for over 10 years.  I currently work as a Family Service Counselor.  During the school year, I stay busy seeing students for individual counseling, group counseling, and enrichment activities.  But what does a counselor do in the summer when most of the kids are gone?  Well, that is a good question!

As a Family Service Counselor at St. Joseph’s Indian School, part of my duties in the summer include traveling to see the students and families with whom I work during the school year.  We visit with the students and families to make sure their summer is going well and to see if there is anything we can help with while the students are at home.  Most of the time, this is just a check in and a great time to visit with students and families.

So far this summer, I have been to Eagle Butte to visit with one of my students.  This week will take me to on two or three more trips and the rest of the summer is filling up with travel as well!  Though many of our students are from the nearby Indian reservations of Fort Thompson and Lower Brule, we also travel as far away as Pine Ridge and Nebraska to visit Native American students.

Another thing the Family Services Counselors do during the summer is work on student admissions. Of course, we need to fill the first grade class with new students and other grades may have openings as well.  Part of the admissions process includes going to the prospective student’s home to meet them and their family.  A short interview is conducted to gain some background information on the student, and this is a great time to start building a strong relationship with the student and their family.

Interspersed with all of the travel, the Family Service Counselors work on getting consent forms signed for the next school year, finish up paperwork and start preparing for the kids to return.  Summer is also a good time to attend workshops to keep us up to date on the current trends and best practices in counseling.

The best part of the summer is getting to go out and see our students and their families, as well as meeting new families.  Although most of the kids were ready for summer to get here, they sure seem happy to see us when we visit!   And many times the first question they ask is,

“When do I get to come back to St. Joe’s for school?”

I hope you all have a blessed and safe summer! – Julie H