Fatima Counseling Department

Counseling Department

Ms. Kary Brunnert, High School Counselor

Is a High School Diploma Worth It? 

Believe it or not, some students do not eagerly rush to school each day wanting to learn all they can to earn their high school diploma. 

Sometimes we need to be reminded about the importance of what we are trying to achieve, so what is a high school diploma worth? 

*Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Daniel Boone Regional Library.  

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

On July 16, 2022, Missouri will join the rest of the United States in beginning to use the 988 dialing code. 988 will be the new three-digit number for call (multiple languages), text or chat (English only) that connects people to the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, where compassionate, accessible care and support are available for anyone experiencing mental health–related distress. The chat feature will be available through the Lifeline’s website. People can use 988 if they are having thoughts of suicide, mental health or substance use crises, or any other kind of emotional distress. People can also dial 988 if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 

Selective Service Reminder: It is a requirement that men register with the selective service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. They only need to go to SSS.gov. They can preregister at 17 years and 3 months of age and their registration will be held until they reach age 18. 

The registration door permanently closes when men turn 26, and that means they are unable to receive federally funded college loans and grants and are ineligible for many state and local government jobs. It takes just 45 seconds!

Selective Service Flyer.pdf

Selective Service Flyer

Selective Service Information.pdf

Selective Service Information

Selective Service Quick Links.pdf

Selective Service Quick Links

Announcements for Everyone!



Check out the list on the left for ways to stay Connected!

Osage County Anti-Drug Community Action Team (OC-ADCAT)  is hosting a Town Hall event "Drugs in Osage County" 

Please see the flyer to the right for more information. 

ASU Beebe Open House Flyer.pdf

John Deere Technician Program

Check out the flyer on the left for more information about the open house event being hosted by the John Deere Technician Program. 

NACAC Virtual College Fairs - These are free, virtual events open to students and parents. They contact students to a variety of colleges in order to help students pick their best fit! Visit this website for more information and to register: https://www.nacacattend.org/fairs


Bright Flight increase to include awards for 4th and 5th percentile for first time in program’s history!

2018-2022 seniors scoring 30 on their ACT may be eligible for award payments

The Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development will be issuing Bright Flight awards to potentially thousands of additional students after a funding increase made to the FY 2023 budget signed last week by Gov. Mike Parson. The Missouri Higher Education Academic Scholarship Program, known as Bright Flight, has historically awarded scholarships to students scoring in the top 3 percent of ACT test takers. Statutory provisions require those students must be fully funded at $3,000 per year, before any payments are made to the students scoring in the 4th and 5th percentiles. The FY 2023 budget increases the amount the department has to spend for this program by $3.5 million, enough that Class of 2022 seniors scoring a 30 on the ACT will be eligible for an award of up to $1,000 this year.

Any Class of 2018 to Class of 2021 seniors who also scored a 30 on their ACT, may be eligible as well. Bright Flight is a renewable scholarship for students who maintain eligibility for up to 10 semesters or until a student completes their bachelor’s degree, whichever occurs first. Students in the 4th and 5th percentiles who have maintained eligibility and are still enrolled at a Missouri college or university will be eligible for an award, also up to $1,000, this year.

“This type of funding increase is exciting,” Leroy Wade, interim commissioner of higher education said. “However, we need help from both our colleges and universities, and from these eligible students in order to make these payments happen.”

MDHEWD needs to know where these eligible students are currently enrolled in order to issue the scholarships to their student accounts. The best way to help the department understand this information is for all Class of 2018-2022 seniors who scored a 30 on their ACT to log on to the Missouri State Student Financial Aid Portal and to update their number one school choice to their current college or university. MDHEWD will also be reaching out to potentially eligible students as well as institutions to ask for their help in communicating with their students that fit these eligibility requirements.

Students can find the link to the Student Portal at journeytocollege.mo.gov or go directly to the site at https://web.dhewd.mo.gov/studentportal/. Students who have not logged on in recent months may be asked to reset their passwords. From the homepage of the portal, users can select the “My School Choices” from the top menu bar. They’ll need to select the academic year 2022-2023, and then select the school in which they’ll be enrolled this year from the dropdown selection, hitting “Add school” and then “Save” before navigating from that page. 

Funding for the 4th and 5th percentile test takers has never happened in the history of the program. Whether or not the increased funding will continue will be subject to appropriation next year.

Army National Guard Information.pdf

The Army National Guard wants to share information about future career opportunities with students and parents. 


Please see the info to the left. 

Dual Credit Classes - For the Fall Semester only

Lincoln University - This includes the Psychology, Physics, Computer Apps II, and College English courses. In order to take any of these courses for dual credit, a student must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students with a GPA between 2.5-2.99 may be considered with permission from parents and the high school counselor. Registration has been completed for this spring semester. A student is able to take any of these courses for Fatima credit without receiving and paying for dual credit. Please visit Lincoln's Dual Credit Page for help with how to pay and other frequently asked questions: https://lincoln.instructure.com/courses/3014553

Below is the packet of instructions Lincoln shared with us about how you can access the online portal, check LU email, and pay accounts balances. 

Here is a list of contact information for various departments at Lincoln: 

Issue                                                              Email                               Phone Number                                                              

Login Issues                                    Helpdesk@LincolnU.edu                 573-681-5888

Payment Johnsony@lincolnu.edu 573-681-5085

Canvas LUOnline@LincolnU.edu 573-681-5208

Human Resources HumanResources@Lincolnu.edu 573-681-5021

Tutoring AcademicSupport@lincolnu.edu 573-681-5124

Missouri Valley - This includes any online DC class offered by MO Valley during the fall semester. Registration was completed over the summer, so students are ready to go. The fall courses started on August 23rd. Payment was sent with the registration, so you only have a payment now if you did not pay the full amount already. A receipt and a copy of the registration form were returned to the enrolled students, so they had it for their records.  

Missouri State University - This includes DC Chemistry I and II courses. Registration information will be given to students in class. The registration process is completely online. All steps of the registration process must be completed by September 20th. Here is the link for the MSU Dual Credit page: https://dualcredit.missouristate.edu/. It has helpful information about how to pay and other frequently asked questions. 

State Tech - This includes the DC Speech course. The registration process is completely online. Registration information was sent to students prior to the start of school. More information was given to students in class explaining how to use MyTech and to help finish up remaining paperwork. In order to take Speech for dual credit, a student must have a GPA of 3.0 or above, a Math ACT score of 15 or higher, and a Reading ACT score of 18 or higher. Students with a GPA between 2.5-2.99 may be considered. A student is able to take this course for Fatima credit without receiving and paying for dual credit.  


Dual Credit Reminder: Before taking dual credit classes, make sure you will need the class for your major, and that it will be accepted at your university. You can check the transfer equivalency guide on the college web page or contact the admissions office to speak with an admissions advisor. 

LU DC Instruction Packet.pdf
DC Scholarship Student Portal Handout.pdf
Scholarship Flyer.pdf

New Dual Credit Scholarship!

Students taking dual credit courses at Fatima should check out the new Dual Credit/Dual Enrollment Scholarship offered through the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. The scholarships requirements did change from last year, so please check over the new eligibility requirements below: 

To be eligible for assistance students must meet the following requirements.  Please note the requirements related to A+ eligibility have been removed based on the 2022 changes.

Students must submit documentation that they meet one of the need criteria above.  More information about the acceptable documentation will be provided as soon as it is available.  This documentation is only required once per year.  Submission of federal adjusted gross income (AGI) documentation is no longer required.


To apply students must create an account through the Student Portal. The flyer to the left explains the steps to do this. 

For more information, visit this link: https://dhewd.mo.gov/ppc/grants/DCDE.php?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Starting June 15, 2021 families that qualify for free or reduced price meals at school can once more apply for Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) benefits to help cover food costs they experienced while their student was not doing in-seat learning due to the pandemic. However, the P-EBT 2020-2021 program is very different from last year's program. Please review the P-EBT Letter to Families. Here are highlights of those changes:

  *   All families must apply to get the P-EBT benefit, regardless of whether or not they receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamp benefits.

  *   A child may be eligible for P-EBT only if the school was closed, not doing in-seat learning, or had reduced attendance or hours at least five school days in a row due to COVID-19 (in most cases, this includes hybrid modes of learning).

  *   P-EBT benefits are available for the months of September 2020 through May 2021.

  *   The P-EBT benefit is based on the school's report of how much of the month was not in-seat learning. If most of the school's month was not in-seat learning, the monthly P-EBT benefit amount is $129.58. If only some of the school's month was not in-seat learning, the monthly P-EBT benefit amount is $77.75.

  *   Families download the P-EBT application<https://dss.mo.gov/covid-19/pdf/P-EBT-Application%20-%20English.pdf> (aplicación en Español<https://dss.mo.gov/covid-19/pdf/P-EBT-Application%20-%20Spanish.pdf>)


·         Families must directly email or mail the P-EBT application to the Family Support Division address listed on the application by July 31, 2021.


  *   Families must not submit the application to the school district.

  *   Each eligible student will get an EBT card in his or her name with the lump sum P-EBT benefit amount for the 2020-2021 school year. Ineligible families will receive a denial letter.


The application can be found on the https://mydss.mo.gov/ website. Please read the P-EBT FAQs<https://mydss.mo.gov/covid-food-stamp-info>.

If you have questions on how to apply for the P-EBT benefit, contact DSS through the online chat feature at mydss.mo.gov<https://mydss.mo.gov/> or call 855-373-4636.

NROTC Flyer Meadows.pdf

Job Opportunities

College and Career Fair

Fatima's FBLA and NHS Clubs are hosting a College and Career Fair on March 7th! Check out the flyer on the right for more information. 

College and Career Fair Flyer.pdf
JD Tech Handout.pdf
Heritage Prospecting Guide.pdf



Check out the flyers to the left about the John Deere Technician Program. 

TaxSeasonAssistants-JoinTeam.pdf



The Department of Revenue is hiring temporary tax season assistants. If you are interested, check out the flyer on the left. 

Hager Construction is looking for summer help. The job would be as a laborer apprentice carpenter. They are looking to hire two reliable, hardworking individuals. Starting pay is $16 an hour, and the daily hours are 7am-3:30pm. You must be 16 years or older and have reliable transportation. If you are interested in applying for this job, contact Paul Hager at 573-680-1472.   

Operating Engineers Local 513 Apprenticeship Program 

Below there is a brochure (on the right) and some information about the program (on the left). 

FAQs Operating Engineers Local 513 Apprenticeship Program-2020.pdf
Operating Engineers Local 513 Training Program Brochure.pdf

The Department of Corrections is looking for interested students looking for a job after high school. Check out the flyer to the right. Business cards are available in Ms. Brunnert's office if you would like one. 

JC Correctional Center Job Flyer.pdf
Sharp Copier_20210317_150520.pdf

Check the flyer to the left for more information about a job opportunity!

Below is some information from the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council about their apprentice and training programs. 

Carpenters Apprentice Training Description 3-2022.pdf
Carpenters Information 2022.pdf
Capital Academy Flyer.pdf

Capital Academy

The Academy allows graduating seniors to experience firsthand training with skills professionals while earning industry certifications, and training in heavy equipment operations as well as other trade skills. 

See the flyer on the left for more information. 

STEM Work Experience Opportunity - Programs are available for students to explore STEM careers by working with professionals in those fields. For more information and registration info, please follow this link: https://investin.org/pages/stem?mc_cid=f4796d18d7&mc_eid=2b52fa0a07. 

Nichols Social Media.pdf


To see what is going on at Nichols and learn about the programs they offer, check them out on social media. 

For any students considering joining the National Guard, here are a few informational videos about the National Guard. 

What is the National Guard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pAnefxEENs&feature=youtu.be

Why join the National Guard: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLSHnQCYPFU&feature=youtu.be

How to Join: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9zLcVzepyo&feature=youtu.be

Programs Offered by the Marine Corps for Students

If you have questions, see Ms. Brunnert. 

Military Programs.pdf

FREE Act Help

This site is offering free ACT and SAT help! To check it out, click the link below. 

https://www.varsitytutors.com/free-sat-act-prep-course 

JUULs and E-Cigarettes: News articles, letters from school officials, and anecdotal evidence indicate that JUUL has gained popularity among youth and young adults across the country, from middle schools to college campuses. A 2018 study found that nearly one-fifth of youth (ages 12-17) surveyed reported having seen JUUL used in their school. (Article found at: https://www.tobaccofreekids.org/assets/factsheets/0394.pdf). Here are links to a couple videos explaining the trend, the effects, and concerns: https://youtu.be/9dZS_Rniak0 and https://www.today.com/video/how-teens-are-hiding-their-vaping-habits-in-plain-sight-69131333600

Parent Movement 2.0

This website contains a great deal of information for parents about the drug use of students, the effects, and how parents can help their children. 

Here is the link: https://parentmovement2-0.org/

Courage2Report is Missouri's system used to report school safety concerns. Signs are posted around school with information about how students can report any safety concerns. This link is to a video that gives an overview of the system and its purpose - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbktVyxPzQ8

Each year the state of Missouri runs a report to identify jobs in which there will be a high demand. This year's list has been published, and you can find it below. 


FY24 High-Demand Occupations.pdf



For more details and the chance to see more data, please visit this link: https://dese.mo.gov/media/pdf/high-demand-occupations-fy-2024-enhancement-grant