Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School (elementary--Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8)

3176 St. Clair Avenue East, Scarborough  M1L 1V6

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History & Tradition

Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School is named in honour of Mary, Our Blessed Mother and is strongly affiliated with Our Lady of Fatima Shrine Church. The bond of church, home and school is embodied in the interaction between families, priests and teachers.

Our Lady of Fatima opened in 1953 with a total enrollment of 447 students, 10 teachers and its first principal, Sister Dosithea (Helen Woods). During the next six years the enrollment grew steadily until it reached a high of 906 students in 1959.

Sister Dosithea was succeeded by Sister Marianna, Sister Medard and Sister Marie Zaley. Then came the first of five lay principals--Michael Duggan, followed by Jim Malcolm, Michael Baker and Joseph Comper. Among the many pastors to serve the school were Father Egan and our own Father Stephen.

Our Lady of Fatima has been one of the largest schools in all of Scarborough ever since its opening and today ranks second only to St. Maria Goretti in student population. The traditions of Fatima span many fields including music, athletics and academics. However, the most noticeable attribute of Our Lady of Fatima are the many parents (and teachers ) who once walked the halls as students themselves.

Welcome to Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School.

How We Meet the Diverse Needs of Our Students

From the tiny four-year-olds in junior kindergarten to our 14-year-old grade 8 graduates, Our Lady of Fatima is a Catholic school that 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 and parents, our children are invited to celebrate the glory of our God in both the Eucharist and in other liturgical events. The role of our pastor, Fr. Stephen, is evident, not only in the masses that he celebrates, but in the visits that he makes to the students in the school. Our masses our further enriched by the joyous singing of the student choir that leads the congregation in both traditional and modern verses. Even the youngest children are invited to join in prayer and in song.

In addition to its spiritual, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School also promotes an environment of respect. Traditional values of self-respect and respect for others permeate the conduct of our students. Children are encouraged to display common courtesy to others. For its part, the staff assist the children and provide positive models. When appropriate, staff members counsel individuals and, if required, other resources may be offered to resolve inappropriate behaviours.

The staff and parents of the school community work closely to meet the physical needs of students. In addition to the appropriate supervision programs, individual adults exercise additional attention to the basic needs of students in the school. Although students are encouraged to take responsibility for their own care needs, staff members often assist students when required. In addition, staff take great care to ensure that first aid measures are properly taken when required, and that parents are notified in case of illness or absence. Itinerant staff also visit the school to assist by providing health care or other services related to the physical well-being of students.

On a curricular level, the staff of Our Lady of Fatima is dedicated to the Board's philosophy of individualized student learning. In such an environment the needs of each student are identified within the context of the grade or subject curriculum and an effort is made to enhance each student's learning in a manner that is productive yet cognizant of their needs. The artistry of teaching lies in the ability to craft the curriculum to meet the needs of each learner. As such, the task is a never-ending one that requires effort on the part of teacher and parents. Therefore, evaluation and reporting processes are very important in maintaining communication and cooperative effort between home and school.

Some students require modified programming to meet individual needs. The Board's intervention model is in full practice at Our Lady of Fatima. Students are presented by teachers at joint team meetings which are attended by parents, school staff and support staff such as the local assessment and programming teacher, the psychometrician and the school social worker. Together, the joint team prescribes modifications intended to enhance learning. Where required, special testing may be done with parental consent and placement in special programs may result. All steps in the process are subject to parental consent.

In addition to the standard core curriculum offered in all schools of the Toronto Catholic District School Board, Our Lady of Fatima is fortunate to be the centre for three specialized programs. The middle French immersion program is offered to students entering grade 5. The average size of the grade 5 class is 25 students. By the end of grade 8, most of them have attained written and oral fluency that give them a distinct advantage upon entering high school. 

School News

PA Days 2008-2009

• October 10

• October 24

• December 5

• February 13

• March 13

• June 26

School Learning Plan -- 2007-2008

EQAO Assessment Results

EQAO: