Joba comes to St. Augustine School

Joba comes home to Winnebago

By LESLIE REED
World-Herald Staff Writer

WINNEBAGO, Neb. -- New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain made a surprise visit today to the St. Augustine Mission School, passing out Christmas gifts and playing catch with the students.

Chamberlain, a former Nebraska baseball All-American and now a World Series champion, is an enrolled member of the Winnebago tribe. His father Harlan was reared on the northeast Nebraska reservation. The children of Chamberlain's first cousin are among the kindergarten-through-eighth-graders who attend St. Augustine.

"My family's here, my heart is here,'' Chamberlain told the students.

Father Dave Korth, director of St. Augustine, said the visit was a “thrill” for students.

Korth said Chamberlain is “a person who has achieved his dreams through hard work and determination.''

Chamberlain often cites his Winnebago heritage. For example, eighth-graders at a suburban New York City middle school got a surprise thank-you from Chamberlain last year for their charity work in donating books to the reservation. Signed Chamberlain baseball cards were tucked into their diplomas at graduation. The students hadn't known that Chamberlain was aware of their project.

About 120 students attend St. Augustine, founded 100 years ago. The school encourages students to embrace their heritage as Native Americans.

About 75 percent of the students are members of the Winnebago tribe, the remainder are from the Omaha tribe. Students are allowed to attend for a $150 fee, with charitable contributions providing the remainder of the school's annual $1.2 million budget, Korth said.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20091218/NEWS01/912189976

November Parent Letter

October 29, 2009

This Sunday, November 1st, The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center will be hosting a play based on the history of St. Augustine School. The play will be presented at 2:00 in the Betty Strong Auditorium. The Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center is located just across the river from South Sioux on the riverfront in Sioux City. It is the building with the large flag.

There will be no school on Monday, November 2nd so teachers and staff can attend the Native American Education Symposium in Wayne.

All Parents and students are invited and strongly encouraged to attend a very special Mass on November 8th. The Mass will be at 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Church in Winnebago. The Mass will be a special celebration commemorating the first day St. Augustine School was in session in 1909. There will be a potluck following Mass in the Church basement.

On November 8th, St. Augustine’s will also be celebrating the opening of the new student portrait display At the Lewis and Clark interpretive Center in Sioux City. The portrait opening will be at 1:30 with the second presentation of a play about the history of St. Augustine’s following at 2:00.

There will be no school on November 20th, so our teachers can attend a special training session in Omaha on how to more effectively teach math to the students.

Parent Volunteer Opportunity

On November 4th and 5th volunteers will be coming to help stuff envelopes with the new St. Augustine calendar. The calendars are being sent out nationwide to donors who help support the school. Parent volunteers are needed to assist with the stuffing of envelopes. The opportunity to volunteer will begin in the St. Augustine Museum immediately after Mass on the 4th. If you would like to volunteer please call the school office at 878-2291.

Dates to be aware of this Month

Upcoming Early Dismissals and School Closings
November 2nd – No School, Native Education Symposium
November 20—No School, Math Training in Omaha
November 25th – 1:30 Dismissal, Thanksgiving Vacation
November 26-27 – No School, Thanksgiving Vacation

Special Events
November 1st – All Saints Day, Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics
November 1st - Daylight Savings Ends, switch clocks back one hour
November 1st - Centennial Play, Lewis and Clark Center in Sioux City at 2:00
November 8th – Special Mass commemorating St. Augustine’s founding at 10:00 a.m. in Winnebago.
November 8th – Portrait opening and second performance of Centennial Play at the Lewis and Clark Center in Sioux City at 1:30
November 11th – Veterans Day, Please join us for Mass at 9:00 a.m.
November 29th – First Sunday of Advent

Thank You

September 14, 2009

Thank You Letter to the Communities:

On Saturday and Sunday, St. Augustine Indian Mission Celebrated 100 years of service to the community by hosting a Centennial Pow-Wow. This celebration would not have been possible without help and support. At this time we wish to extend our gratitude in a special way to some of those individuals and groups.

We first extend a very special thank you to the family of Joshua Bass. Despite the tragedy in their life, they accepted our offering of tobacco and gave us permission to hold our celebration. Our prayers continue to go out to them in this very difficult time.

We next wish to thank those vital the planning and running of the celebration. We thank Jerome LaPointe and Jack Lamere for serving on the Pow-Wow Committee and Chris Grisslick for being the M.C. of our celebration. We also recognize the contributions of our Head Man Dancer Craig Cleveland Jr. and Head Woman Dancer Winona LaPointe and thank them for offering their time to assist us.

We thank the veterans who brought in the colors and allowed us to honor our service men and women:

Chuck Bumann, Jack LaMere, Iris Payer, Theresa Smith, and Martin Lowrey.

We thank those who offered the gift of music and dance for the people. We thank the “Centennial Singers” for coming and being the host drum for both days and “The Macy Boys” for coming on Sunday to celebrate with us. We also express gratitude to all the dancers especially the current students of St. Augustine’s who participated.

We thank those who provided food for the meals. We thank Hy-Vee for providing the noon meal on Saturday and Tom Uehlin who provided the pork for Sunday and Andy Daniels who provided the sweet corn.

We also wish to acknowledge those who worked hard during the two days to make sure everything that needed to be done was addressed. We first acknowledge the four Missionary Benedictine Sisters who worked tirelessly during the celebration and undertook the tremendous task of clean up afterward. Their service and self-sacrifice continues to be a model that all of us at St. Augustine’s strive to emulate. We thank John and Michelle LaMere for standing by and being prepared to offer first aid and Jerry LaMere along with his fellow musicians and choir for providing Music for Mass. We thank the Kateri Circle Members for all their hard work, and Parents of our students who attended as well as faculty and staff who helped in any way.

To all those who celebrated with us and supported us in the last 100 years.

We Say Thank You

Pinagigi

Fr. David Korth

Mission Director

Centennial Pow-Wow

St. Augustine Indian Mission
Centennial Pow - Wow

September 12th - 13th
1:00-5:00
At the Pow-Wow Grounds
Winnebago, NE
Noon Meal Served

Schedule:
Saturday:
Noon meal
1:00 Grand Entry
5:00 End program

Sunday:
Noon meal
1:00 Grand Entry
4:00 Mass
Meal after Mass

Book Fair

Monday, August 31st—Friday, September 4th

St. Augustine School will be hosting the school’s annual fall book fair next week.

The fair will be Monday - Friday in the School Gym.

Parents and students are invited to come to the gym
between 3:30 and 4:00 each day
to view and purchase books.

Thank You for your Continued Support of St. Augustine School.

St. Augustine Celebrates School Opening

On Wednesday, August 19, 2009 St. Augustine School celebrated the opening of their 100th school year with a Mass and flag raising ceremony. The students gathered at 9:00 am in St. Augustine Church and celebrated Mass together for the first time. At the end of Mass the students and staff processed up the hill to the flag pole in front of school. Everyone stood at attention as the flag was raised and then joined together in saying The Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Jack LaMere welcomed the student back to a new school year and encouraged them to work hard and do their best.

St. Augustine Students Welcome New Archbishop

St. Augustine Student Austin receives communion from the new Archbishop of Omaha.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, St. Augustine students welcomed Archbishop George Lucas to Omaha. The students attended the installation Mass of Archbishop Lucas and were received as official delegates of the Winnebago and Omaha Tribes.

Centennial School Year Opening

School resumes August 19th, 2009 at 8:00 A.M. for our centennial year. We will celebrate with Mass at 9:00 followed by the flag raising ceremony in front of the school. We will conclude our first day with an early dismissal at 1:30. Regular school hours of 8:00-3:30 will resume August 20th. Everyone is welcome for our opening ceremonies.