December 18, 2015
The Faculty & Staff of Fatima wish you and your family a joyous holiday season!
Be safe and enjoy the company of the important people in your lives.
January begins a whole new year AND a whole new semester. Parents, please
realize that the grades that will be found on the next report cards WILL be on the child’s
permanent record. Christmas break marks the end of the old semester. That means,
when the students come back in January, they have a clean slate. It is just like starting
the year over again. No grades from before Christmas will be used.
So if your child was behind in his studies, or if the grades were not where we wanted
them to be, let the child know that he has nothing holding him back now. Encourage the
child to keep up with homework and ask for help if needed. The teachers at Fatima will
be more than happy to help a child who wants to improve.
Log Those Volunteer Hours and Clubs: Please encourage your high school student
to log the hours they have spent in any volunteer opportunities and to list all the
clubs/organizations they have joined. This can be done on Missouri Connections, so the
child will always know where to find it! Use the resume section. What a great project to
complete over Christmas break!
Class Changes: From Now until January 5th students can make changes to their
second semester schedules without permission from teachers. So if your child is in a
class he or she doesn’t particularly like, and if that class is not required to graduate,
encourage the child to talk to me about possible changes to the schedule.
After Jan 5 any class changes will require the permission of the teachers, the parents,
and the principal.
Winter Break: Our last day of school will be Friday, Dec 18 with an 11:22 dismissal.
We are scheduled to return on Jan 4. Nichols resumes on Jan 5.
NHS Eligibility Lists will be posted the end of January with deadlines. Be watching!
Fatima Homecoming Events: Fatima’s homecoming week will be from Jan 18 through
22 with the homecoming game on the 22nd and the dance on the 23rd.
Fatima and Nichols so far are scheduled to be off school Jan 18 – Martin Luther
King, Jr day. If we have any snow days between now and Friday, Jan 15, we will go on
that day. It is considered Snow Make-up Day #1!
Sophomores: The Jostens rep will be here to show his class rings on Jan 29. Then
there will be a parent night on Feb 3. Students can order rings during lunch on Feb 3.
Not much else on the calendar this month except a lot of basketball games and
wrestling matches. Come see an event and enjoy the Fatima school spirit. I’ve always
been proud of the sportsmanship that our players and supporters show. We are a
school with pride and respect, and that says more than anything.
Calendar of Events
Dec 18 – Jan 3 Winter Break
Jan 4 – Students return and 2nd Semester Starts
Jan 8 – ACT Registration Deadline for February 6 test
Jan 18 - No school unless used as snow day make-up
Jan 20 – Board of Education Meeting
Jan 22 – Homecoming Game
Jan 23 – Homecoming Dance
Jan 29 – Sophomore Jostens class ring meeting 9:00
Feb 3 – Jostens Parent Night for class rings 3:10-6
Feb 4 – Mid-Quarter reports
Feb 6 – ACT Test
Counselor’s Corner
ACT Deadline: The deadline to sign up for the February 6 ACT is January 8. Students
can go online to www.actstudent.org to register.
Juniors: Start scheduling a college visit! I have given to the juniors a packet of info
about college visits. The packets will help you know how to set up a tour and what to
ask when you are on one. Students should organize all the college information in one
packet or folder. Lots will be coming now, especially if your child has taken the ACT.
Then you will get TONS of stuff. You might want to dedicate a drawer to the
information!
Sophomores – or most of them: I recently met with almost all of the sophomores to
discuss future plans and class selection. It would be wonderful if they would also use
their Missouri Connections account to research possible careers and find the perfect
field for them, or at least an area of interest. It makes it much easier to decide on
classes if we know what the student wants to do. So encourage your child to do some
research over Christmas break. I will meet with my last few in January!
Senior Parents: I am working on setting up a FAFSA night here again. I will try to get
some professionals from Linn State Tech who know all about the FAFSA and are willing
to come to Fatima to help you fill out the form. Realize that all parents who have a
child that is going to tech school or college are encouraged to complete this
form. It is required to get any federal financial aid and to qualify for most
scholarships!
IF YOUR CHILD PLANS TO USE THE A+ GRANT, HE OR SHE MUST COMPLETE
THE FAFSA!!!
IF YOUR CHILD IS A SENIOR AND IS GOING TO TECH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE, you
will want to be there or you can complete it online at home.
To speed the process, have these things ready:
1) your completed tax return.
Now, I know some of you can’t have your taxes completed by this date. That’s OK.
Bring in last year’s taxes.
2) Create your FSA ID for the student and at least one parent. Do this at
www.fafsa.ed.gov
3) Most importantly, bring in the COMPLETED Fafsa worksheet. You can get these
from Mueller’s office or download them at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Please make sure you complete this form. I guarantee it will be easier with these
experts from Linn State Tech to help us through the process!
Scholarships will now be coming in like wildfire (hopefully): It seems that a lot of
scholarships seem to hit right after the Christmas season. Encourage your child to
watch the bulletin and to go to Mueller’s Office often. Also, make sure you have
contacted your local clubs and organizations to see if they offer a scholarship. Don’t
miss out!
Junior High Through Junior Parents: There are many free seminars and summer
camps that are sending information starting now. These types of things really look great
on scholarship forms and sometimes separate the average students from the winners!
Check out the list and see if there is anything your child might be interested in doing.
I encourage all high school students to seriously consider attending one of these
camps. Go to the website of a local college or of a college you might consider attending
and see what summer camps they have.
Also Encourage Volunteer Activities since many scholarships require a list.
Volunteer at nursing homes or the Salvation Army or a hospital or a church or for some
people in your community. Tutor a child. Do something!
Juniors who took the PSAT: The results will be returned after Christmas break.
Encourage your child to use the website to find colleges, scholarship, and the perfect
career!
The Joke’s On You
Since I just gave the math placement test, how about some math jokes:
With the Ark settled safely after the flood, Noah opens the doors and commands the
animals, “Go forth and multiply!” All the animals depart the Ark, except for two
snakes in the back. Noah proclaims again, “Go forth and multiply,” yet the snakes
stay put. Perturbed, Noah finally asks them, “Why have you not followed my
command?” The snakes flicker their tongues and answer, “We can’t multiply,
Noah—we’re Adders.”
Q: What did Al Gore play on his guitar?
A: An Algorithm
After a talking sheepdog gets all the sheep in the pen, he reports back to the farmer: “All
40 accounted for.”
“But I only have 36 sheep,” says the farmer.
“I know,” says the sheepdog. “But I rounded them up.”