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Today begins a nationwide observance of Catholic Schools Week, recognizing Catholic Schools as communities of faith, knowledge, and service. Within our own parish, Our Lady of Fatima School has been fulfilling this role for 73 years. Thousands of students have benefited from the education and spiritual formation they received at Our Lady of Fatima School over the years, and today’s students continue to do so.
The class sizes at Our Lady of Fatima School are small enough to ensure that students receive individualized attention, and students are challenged to encourage them to reach their maximum potential. Our parish school is recognized for its academic excellence and this is demonstrated by how well our students score on national tests. In addition to the basic core curriculum, classes are offered in a variety of subject areas including art, computer skills, music and Spanish. There are also competitive sports even at elementary grade levels and other extracurricular activities. Just a week ago, we had our annual Science Fair and the winning presentations will compete at the next higher level in the Regional Science Fair.
Encouraging all people to model their lives on that of Jesus, Pope Francis has said, “The life of Jesus is a life for others. It is a life of service.” There are many service projects undertaken by the students at Our Lady of Fatima each year. They include such activities as raising money for the relief of victims of natural disasters, donating time at the Roadrunner Food Bank, or bringing canned goods to the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry to help feed the hungry in our community. Every service project encourages our students to understand that what we do for others in need, we do for Christ.
Finally, and most importantly, faith is a critical part of our school experience. Each day begins and ends with prayer. Our Catholic faith is freely discussed within the classroom. Religion class is taught daily and our 3rd grade students are prepared to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation (Confession) and First Holy Communion. Our weekly School Mass takes place at 8:15 am on Wednesdays, and students serve as lectors, the choir, cantors, and altar servers. There are also opportunities for the students to participate in Eucharistic Adoration, praying the Rosary, Stations of the Cross during Lent, and many other faithrelated activities such as Posadas during Advent.
Whether it is in the area of faith, knowledge, or service, Our Lady of Fatima School is truly a treasure within our parish. I invite all parents and grandparents of our parish community to seriously consider Our Lady of Fatima School for your children or grandchildren. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. For parishioners who no longer have children or grandchildren of school age in the home, please consider sponsoring a student at our school by contributing to our financial aid fund.
To visit our school facilities and meet our staff, please call our principal, Ms. Melinda Mader, or the school secretary, Mrs. Rebecca Pacheco, at (505) 2556391 to arrange a personalized visit.