Once again, we were delighted to receive a call from Thomas Carroll, Ambassador for the Dublin AWSInCommunities team, inviting us to work on a very special project for a local Dublin school.
St. Michael’s House Special National School in Baldoyle has a clear mission: “To promote the spiritual, moral, cultural, intellectual and physical development of our pupils and prepare them for opportunities, responsibilities and the experiences of adult life”.
Currently, the school supports 60 students with physical and mental disabilities. They have 11 classes with teachers and 5 nurses. We were honoured to lend our support to bring Principal Anna Lombard’s vision to life by upgrading the much-needed Sensory Room – a space for the children to go to relieve pain and relax as they watch the colourful lights and listen to calming music.
The room is furnished with big soft bean bags and low padded benches placed against the backdrop of dark blue walls and dim lighting to protect the calming atmosphere.
ATC staff also assisted with painting the playground, hallways, canteen and staff areas. Our team were particularly fascinated by the school’s sensory garden, which the AWSInCommunities team have now covered so that the children can use it no matter what season it is.
On Friday, the 11th of November, we all gathered in the Sensory garden for the official cutting of the ribbon. The school’s Principal, Anna Lombard, said that she was totally overwhelmed by the work completed, and the children presented heart-warming thank-you cards for everyone present.
We hope that the children of St Michael’s find joy and comfort from these new spaces, and once again, we would like to thank AWSInCommunities for inviting us to be part of such a wonderful project.
Deborah Murray
