The Australian education system promotes excellence and equity.
All young Australians become:
Curriculum design and delivery at Our Lady of Fatima is grounded in the Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Education Declaration and is mindful of the declaration’s goals. In alignment with the declaration, which promotes excellence and equity, we support students to achieve high standards and provide structures and adjusted strategies that enable equitable learning experiences. This is achieved within a faith-filled learning environment in which we are committed to supporting students to become confident and creative individuals, successful lifelong learners and active and informed members of the community.
Our learning environment is based on the charism of the Josephite tradition in which we cherish the values espoused by Saint Mary MacKillop and the daily living of Gospel values. We value every child as a learner and understand that all children learn in different ways and at different rates.
Our Lady of Fatima is one of the many titles ascribed to Mary, the mother of Jesus. As is the tradition with Catholic schools and churches, each is named and placed under the protection of a Saint, with Mary being the most important Saint. Thus, this school is named and placed under the patronage of Mary, Our Lady of Fatima.
The Fatima story began in 1917, in the middle of the great upheaval to many nations, the First World War. Between the 13th May 1917 and 13th October 1917, Mary, the mother of Jesus appeared miraculously six times to three shepherd children – Jacinta, Francesco and Lucia, in the village of Fatima in Portugal. During these apparitions the Mother of Jesus delivered messages to the children for all the world, that we should pray, that we should be reconciled for any sin or wrongdoings, so that the whole world would be in peace. One particular way for us to pray is to say the Rosary, the traditional Hail Mary and Our Father, as we meditate on the significant events in the life of Jesus and Mary.
Near the front door to our school is a garden statue of Mary, Our Lady of Fatima, to remind us of our patron and to encourage us to be prayerful and peaceful people.