Fatima College

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Fatima College
Location
Mucurapo Road Port of Spain Trinidad and Tobago
Information
Type	Secondary School
Motto	Nitendo Vinces ((By striving you shall conquer))
Religious affiliation(s)	Roman Catholic Church
Established	1945
Principal	Fr. Gregory Augustine
Enrollment	895 (in 2006)
Color(s)	Blue, Gold
Website	fatima.edu.tt

Fatima College is a government-assisted, highly selective Roman Catholic boys' secondary school in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It was established in 1945 and had an enrollment of 895 students as of 2006. The school was established and is run by the Holy Ghost Fathers, an international Roman Catholic religious community.

History[]

1945 - 2009[]

The College of Our Lady of Fatima began under humble circumstances on the compound of St. Theresa's Intermediate School on 1 January 1945. The pioneering members of staff were Fr John Byrne, Michael McCarthy (prefect) and Andy Cockburn (a layman who is now a priest). The association with St Theresa's began with Parish Priest Fr Francis Flavin, OP. who first recognized the need for an additional Catholic college in North Trinidad. Work on the present site began in February under the supervision of Fr Byrne. In September 1945 classes shifted from St Theresa's, and on 1 December 1945, Archbishop Ryan formally blessed and opened this new College dedicated to our Lady of Fatima.

Fr Byrne retired in 1955 after overseeing the building of the Eastern and Western wings, the diversion of the Maraval River to accommodate the Assembly Hall, the construction of the chapel and three classrooms. Fr James Ryan succeeded him and developed the academic structures and systems of the College. He guided Fatima through the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1960s Fatima designed its own uniform, held its own sports meeting, defeated C.I.C. to win its first InterCol final in 1965 with the inspirational Gally Cummings and launched its own Old Boys Union. Fr Gevias Girod joined Fatima in 1965, took charge of the Scouts and organized the first May Fair (or May Fayre) in 1966.

The 1970s witnessed many social changes in the country. Fatima led the way with the almost inevitable transfer from clerical to lay control with the appointment of Clive Pantin as principal in 1972. Fr Farfan, local Holy Ghost Father, was appointed Vice Principal and these two dynamic individuals directed Fatima through the 1970s with many innovative changes. The production of a well-rounded individual dominated Fatima's philosophy. The periods were characterized by the building of the Audio-Visual Center, Library, new classrooms, Cafeteria, Workshops and curriculum and class changes. Streaming was abandoned in the lower forms and students were now placed in alphabetical order. The concept of free choice of subjects was introduced from Form Four. The curriculum was diversified to include Art, Physical Education, Industrial Art, Technical Drawing, Accounts and Commerce.

Daphne Heywood and Jeanette Zakour joined the staff in 1973, the first women in the traditionally male-dominated institution. Fatima won InterCol for the second time in 1979 while Eugene Joseph and Roger Hernandez became our first Island Scholars in 1976. Fatima was now one of the leading institution in the country, a model of academic and sporting prowess, catering to the needs of every pupil.

Clive Pantin retired in 1981, having served Fatima as Dean, Senior Dean, Senior Lay Master, Cricket and Football Coach, Vice Principal and Principal. He was succeeded by Mervyn Moore who joined the staff in 1959. He recognized the worth of his staff and allowed them the freedom to use their initiative. Just about every individual was assigned some responsibility and brought into the organizational structure of the school.^{[citation needed]}

At the function to welcome him as the new Principal, Mr Moore declared his priorities - the Catholic identity of the school, the rise in academic standards, the fostering of the family spirit and the continued production of well-rounded individuals. A Monday assembly was started to set the right tone for the week. A streamed class was introduced in Form Three as it was felt that Fatima did not adequately encourage the more gifted pupils to excel. Music was introduced to the curriculum with the arrival of Myrtle Cumberbatch.

Fatima published its first Annual in 1982; Kieron James won the President's Medal in the same year, a first for Fatima. Kyle Rudden repeated the feat in 1984. In 1984, thanks to Republic Bank, the Computer Lab was officially opened under the direction of Fr DeFour. In 1988, the new Science Wing was constructed, the Library extended and a new classroom built. This was funded by Robert Amar in memory of his businessman father, Boland Amar (Amar Group of Companies). In the 1980s the lay teachers got more involved in the teaching of Religion with the departure of many priests who has served Fatima faithfully throughout the years. Vice-Principal Anne Gomes-Phillips, a layperson, assumed responsibility for Religion Education (R.E.) to develop the Catholic identity of the school.

The nineties saw the addition of two new faces to the administration of the school, Bernard Tappin as Vice Principal in 1991 and Fr Gregory Augustine, a Fatima alumnus, as manager in 1992. The dress uniform was reintroduced in 1995 to coincide with our fiftieth Anniversary celebrations. The Support Group, Fatima and Friends 2000, was formed to give way to a more broad based Parent Support Group a few years later.

Sports include Football, Rugby, Swimming, Basketball, Table Tennis, Hockey, and Cricket. Fatima boys are now excelling in a wide range of activities - Chess, Scrabble, Math Olympiad, Public Speaking, Essay Writing Competitions, Poetry, Model United Nations, Junior Soca Monarch, RBTT Young Leaders and Swimming. Our choir is a source of pride, excelling repeatedly at the biennial T&T Music Festival, whilst our Form Six boys undertake social projects with the Credo Center and the Princess Elizabeth Home. Our Scout Troop is on its way to being ranked once more as one of the best in the country. The leadership mantle has been handed over to Mr Anthony Garcia. He is working very closely with Vice-Principal, Anne Gomes-Phillips and the Manager Fr Gregory Augustine in the shaping of Fatima's future. They have inherited a highly professional staff, very committed to Fatima.^{[citation needed]} They have sought to build on Fatima's strength and improve on any areas of weaknesses.^{[citation needed]}

Mr Garcia took pre-retirement leave on 12 December 2008 and officially retired on 26 March 2009.

2009 to present[]

While Mr. Garcia was on pre-retirement leave, the College's Manager, Fr Gregory Augustine was appointed to act as Principal on 5 January 2009. By the end of that calendar year, the college saw the introduction of a new house system, a new prefect system as well as an annual concert showcasing the talents of students only.

In 2013, a New Wing was constructed to the North of the compound. This building now houses the Drama Room, the Art Room, the TD Room, the Fatima Old Boys' Association Office and 7 classrooms form students of Form 6. In 2015, each classroom from Forms 1 to 5 and four classrooms in Form 6 were outfitted with SMART Boards in order to facilitate the infusion of technology in the classroom.

Since that time, there have also been many changes in the administration and middle-management of the college. In 2010, following the retirement of Mr. Harry Ramdass, Mr. Al Cooper assumed the role of Dean of Form 1. In 2012, following the death of Mr. Aloysious Joseph, Mr. Stefan de Gale was appointed as Dean of Form 5. In 2013, Mrs. Nirmala Bejai-Thompson replaced Mr. Michael Maharaj as Head of Department of Business.

In January, 2015, Mrs. Annie Gomes-Phillips was promoted to Principal of St. Benedict's College in San Fernando. Mrs. Gillian Ramdass, Dean of Form 4 then assumed the role of Vice Principal. Mr. Joel Greene was promoted to the office of Dean of Form 4. Following the retirement of Mrs. Rosemarie Duff at the end of the 2014-2015 academic year, Mr. Kwasi Noel replaced her as Dean of Form 6.

Notable alumni[]

• Sheldon Bateau - Professional Footballer
• Ato Boldon - Former Olympic sprinter
• George Bovell - Olympic swimmer
• Clive Bradley - Composer and Arranger of Steel pan music
• Darren Bravo - West Indies Cricketer
• - Pannist and music arranger
• Everald Cummings - Former Professional Footballer and coach of the T&T Strike Squad
• Brian Lara - Former West Indies Cricketer, Captain and multiple World Record holder
• Raoul Pantin – Journalist and playwright^[1]
• - Current Central Bank Governor
• Darryl Roberts - Professional Footballer
• Anthony Smart - Former Attorney-General of Trinidad and Tobago and Member of Parliament
• Kevon Villaroel - Professional Footballer
• - Former Central Bank Governor
• (R'Kardo St'Von) - NYC Jazz Vocalist and Songwriter
• - President - Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee
• [[Jaden Williams{football skipper}]] - Professional Footballer
• Dylan Carter - Olympic Swimmer
• - WSOP (World Series of Poker) Finalist

Fatima College House System[]

In the 2009-2010 academic year, Fr. Gregory Augustine introduced a new House System. On the premise of emphasizing the strong Roman Catholic identity on which the college is founded, the six houses (Ryan, Byrne, Corcoran, Stewart, Craigwell and Archbishop) were disbanded and four new houses introduced based on the four gospels Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

The membership of the houses is based on one's class assignment at the Form 1 level. As a result, on entry into Fatima College, the students of 1-1 are placed in St. Matthew; 1-2, St. Mark; 1-3, St. Luke and 1-4, St. John. A student remains in his house for the duration of his stay at the college. When the new house system began, in order to avoid any confusion in the then Upper School (as there are 5 groups of Forms 4 and 5 and at the time, 2 groups of Lower 6 and Upper 6) the boys were placed in the houses based on the class to which they were assigned in Form 3. The signature colour of each House is as follows:

• St. Matthew - Golden Yellow
• St. Mark - Green
• St. Luke - Red
• St. John - Royal Blue

The House Leaders[]

As Fr. Gregory and the Sports Co-ordinators, Mr. Greene and Mr. Mc Master prepared to launch the New House System in September 2009, on the premise of having strong male figures as role-models for the students, four younger, male staff members took on the task of House Leaders: St. Matthew- Mr. Stefan de Gale St. Mark - Mr. Arthur Thompson St. Luke - Mr. Maurice White St. John - Mr. Kwasi Noel

Over the years, there have been changes to the House System Leadership. Mr. Richard Mason joined the coordinating team in 2013 and Mr. Kevin Wells replaced Mr. Laurence Mc Master in September, 2015.

House Leadership Timeline[]

St. Matthew

• September 2009 to present - Mr. Stefan de Gale

St. Mark

• September 2009 to July 2012 - Mr. Arthur Thompson
• September 2012 to April 2019 - Mr. Shad Seaton
• April 2019 to present - Mrs. Natalie Branker-Felician

St. Luke

• September 2009 to July 2015 - Mr. Maurice White
• September 2015 to present - Mr. Nicholas Reece

St. John

• September 2009 to September 2012 - Mr. Kwasi Noel
• September 2012 to May 2013 - Ms. Kelly-Ann Bedase
• May 2013 to July 2019 - Mr. Kwasi Noel
• September 2019 to present - Mr. Luther Balthazar

House Captains[]

The position of House Captain is possibly even more critical and important to the house system than the House Leaders. The House Captain is a prestigious appointment being the 3rd highest rank among the Fatima College Prefect Body. The House Captains form part of the Prefect Council which is composed of the head prefect, three deputy prefects, the four house captains and seniors prefects.

The position of House Captain was not created until the 2010-2011 academic year. The very first house captains were as follows:

• St. Matthew - Davon Romany (later replaced by a co-captaincy of Andrew Charles and Mickel Campbell)
• St. Mark - Jose Gonsalves
• St. Luke - Kevin Lee-A-Ping
• St. John - Jaemeel Scott (later replaced by Davon Romany)

The Prefect System[]

Following the appointment of Fr. Gregory Augustine as (Acting) Principal on 5 January 2009, he re-structured the Prefect System of Fatima College. Prefects are installed into office at the start of the Third Term of the Academic Year and remain in the position until the end of the Second Term of the following Academic Year. The Prefect Body is led by the Head Prefect (or Head Boy) and is made up of the Three Deputy Head Prefects, the Four House Captains, the Senior Prefects and the Prefects. During the Easter Vacation, Fr. Gregory organizes training and team-building sessions for the new prefects. At these sessions, a specially invited guest works with the incoming Prefect Body and the out-going Prefect Body is invited to offer words of wisdom.^{[citation needed]}

Gifts of Blue & Gold[]

Although a relatively new tradition at Fatima College, Gifts of Blue & Gold, often called GOBAG for short, has grown into a significant event on the College's school calendar. Originating in November 2009, the concert was organized as a fundraiser for the Form 5 Graduation of the class of 2010. In addition, it was an opportunity to showcase the talented students of the college, creating a space to celebrate those "gifted" in the various performing arts of music, dance and drama.^{[citation needed]} The production's title is of course metaphorical. Given the fact that blue and gold are the primordial colours of the college, the concert seeks to highlight that the boys of Fatima College are gifted and more so, are themselves "gifts" to the community. Over the years the students, teachers and parents of Fatima College witnessed the growth of a production which year after year seems not only to maintain a high standard, but also surprises the audience. An important aspect of the Gifts of Blue & Gold concert series is the "guest star" role played by the girls of the Holy Name Convent Choir. There have been 10 editions of GOBAG thus far and it is hoped that this production will be staged for many years to come. It represents the work and dedication of many stakeholders of our great institution and without a doubt, it is a source of pride for anyone associated with Fatima College.^{[citation needed]}

Concert Themes[]

• Gifts of Blue & Gold - 25 November 2009: Variety show featuring talented students, the Senior Choir, the Junior Choir, the Mixed Choir (comprising Fatima College and Holy Name Convent choir members), the Pan-side and the Parang Band.
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 2 - 27 & 28 November 2010: A 3-Act Variety Show.
  • Act I: This time for Fatima
  • Act II: Selections from Broadway's "In the Heights"
  • Act III: Sing Noel
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 3 - 25, 26 & 27 November 2011: A 3-Act Variety Show.
  • Act I: May the Music Live On!
  • Act II: Mini-musical entitled "The Golden Girdle of Hippolyte"
  • Act III: Sing We Now of Christmas
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 4 - 24, 25 & 26 November 2012: Concert in 2 Acts - A Tribute to the Golden Jubilee of Trinidad and Tobago
  • Act I: Tributes to God, Maurice Ravel on the 75th Anniversary of his death, Cats 30th Anniversary, Les Mis 25th Anniversary, The Lion King 15th Anniversary, Hairspray 10th Anniversary.
  • Act II: Tribute to Trinidad and Tobago
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 5 - November, 2013: Concert in 2 Acts - A Tribute to the 150th Anniversary of the Holy Ghost Fathers in Trinidad and Tobago
  • Act I: Cantata recounting the history of the Holy Ghost Fathers.
  • Act II: Celebration of the Year of Faith.
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 6 - November, 2014: Concert in 2 Acts - Celebrating our Children
  • Act I: Prayers of the Children
  • Act II: Victimization & Victory
• Gifts of Blue & Gold 7 - November, 2015: Concert in 2 Acts - Reflections: A special "7th Anniversary" edition of GOBAG. The number 7 is significant in the school system as generally, students spend 7 years at a school. The boys who were in Form 1 when the production premiered were on the stage again in their final year as students.

• Gifts of Blue and Gold 8 - November, 2016: Concert in 2 Acts - Faith, Hope and Love: Christmas Gifts of Mercy
  • Act I: The Gift of Faith & The Gift of Hope
  • Act II: The Gift of Love
• Gifts of Blue and Gold 9 - 24, 25 & 26 November 2017: Concert in 2 Acts - A Tribute to the Centennial of the Apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima
  • Act I: An Advent Celebration of Hope, Peace, Joy and Love
  • Act II: Mary Did You Know?
• Gifts of Blue and Gold 10 - 23, 24 & 25 November 2018: Concert in 2 Acts - A Jubilee Celebration of Music
  • 10th Anniversary Concert Opener: The Greatest Show (from 'The Greatest Showman') performed by the Fatima College and Holy Name Convent Mixed Choir
  • Act I: By Striving You Shall Conquer containing a Broadway Excerpt of Striving and Conquering Selections from 'In the Heights'
  • Act II: A Jubilee Celebration of Music, Christmastime!! and the 10th Anniversary Cast Finale - Happy Christmas (War is Over)

Notable faculty[]

• Most Rev. Anthony Pantin (1959–1964) - Former Archbishop of Trinidad and Tobago
• Clive Pantin, Dean, Senior Dean, Senior Lay Master, Cricket/Football Coach, Vice Principal and Principal, Fatima College
• Maurice Brash - Singer, Actor & Media Personality
• Ray Holman - accomplished pannist
• Anthony Garcia - Minister of Education

College Song[]

Fatima Boys,

Come answer to the call,

From far and wide.

Shoulder to shoulder,

Ever marching on,

God be our guide.

Fearless and true,

Loyal to You.

O Alma Mater,

Firmly One.

Strive On Fatima Boys,

Strive On!

References[]

Sources[]

• Official website of Fatima College