Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School has a rich and long tradition. The school was established in the early 1950s and the original building went through much expansion and change. Finally, it came time to replace the old building with our current facility. Our new building was completed in 2004 and is much appreciated by all members of our community. Fatima has always been a large school and continues to be so; we have more than 700 students.
Ours is a vibrant community dedicated to nurturing the physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth of our students through the strong partnership of home, parish and school. We have a long tradition of active engagement and mutual support from all members of this triad. Our community is diverse, reflecting many cultures and backgrounds.
From the youngest students in our Early Learning Program (Kindergarten) to our 14-year-old Grade 8 graduates, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School strives to meet the spiritual needs of every student. While we have been created as unique individuals, our faith is the common fibre that binds us all - students, staff and parents. It is only fitting, therefore, that our Catholic school finds so many opportunities to celebrate that faith through the liturgies that are a mainstay of our community. Through the efforts of the teachers, parents and our pastor, our children are invited to celebrate the glory of our God in both the Eucharist and in other liturgical events. Our masses are further enriched by the musical talents and joyous singing of teacher-musicians and the student choir that lead the congregation in both traditional and modern verses. Even the youngest children are invited to join in prayer and in song.
In keeping with the tenets of our faith, a Christian virtue is highlighted each month and students examine what it means to demonstrate such virtues as hospitality, gratitude, peace, charity, courage, love, forgiveness, justice, compassion and faithfulness. We look for and celebrate role models, such as the saints, our school community members, people in our lives and members of the larger community, who embody these virtues and help us to live out our call. Traditional values of self-respect and respect for others permeate the conduct of our students. Children are expected to behave in a polite and respectful manner and are supported in the development of positive conflict resolution skills.
The physical safety and well-being of our students are of paramount importance to us. Rules to ensure student safety (i.e., en route to school, on the bus, in the playground, during the lunch hour, etc.) are explained and reviewed with the children on a regular basis. Students are encouraged to be active during outdoor play times and physical education activities and we provide both intramural and competitive athletic activities to ensure that students of all abilities are able to participate and develop skills. Our Health Action Team (HAT) - consisting of teachers and students - looks for ways to promote healthy living.
The staff and parents of Our Lady of Fatima are committed to nurturing a culture of high expectations. Teachers meet on a regular basis to review student work, assess progress, provide descriptive feedback to students and develop instructional strategies based on strengths and needs revealed through the student work. Our school learning plan will be informed by current data and will focus on establishing clear learning goals, developing success criteria and providing specific, timely and descriptive feedback to the students. Parents are encouraged to play an active role by monitoring and supervising the completion of homework, communicating with the teacher through the use of the agenda, notes or phone calls and parent/teacher conferences and various community engagement activities throughout the school year.
Both our regular stream and our Extended French Program (Grades 5 to 8) provide academic challenges to all students.