On the 9th March 2022, Minister Foley announced that the DEIS (Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools) scheme will be expanded to incorporate 310 additional schools.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/71054-minister-foley-announces-32-million-major-expansion-of-the-deis-programme-incorporating-310-new-schools/

In November 2022 it was confirmed that two Caherdavin schools who received Urban DEIS band 2 status will will be joining the cluster of SMILE SCP. This is an excellent opportunity for the project to provide community wide service and to support students right through their school years.

We are very much looking forward to rolling out our services to our neighbouring schools; Christ the King and Mary Queen of Ireland.

Happy Easter to our Doodle Den’ers! You worked so hard this year! Well done. We have compiled a little Easter pack for you to enjoy during your time off!! See you when we get back on 12th April!

We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Naomi Walsh to the SMILE SCP team.

She’ll get to meet you all over time.

The Ignite Programme is underway in Thomond Community College. All second year students will avail of the programme over the course of the first term.

The IGNITE Programme (‘the Programme’) was developed in 2009 by a team of 12 professionals from the formal education and youth/community sectors in Co. Kildare, with the support of an external facilitator. Funding for the work was sourced by County Kildare LEADER Partnership via the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Cohesion Process.

IGNITE aims to help young people to see the benefits of remaining in the education system and to support them by giving them skills and knowledge to navigate their way through the system.

The Programme aims to:

• Enhance the participation, engagement and retention of young people in the formal education system.
• Strengthen relationships, primarily between the young people and the school, young
• people and their families, the peer group and between the schools and youth/community sector locally.
• Equip young people with the personal and life skills required to reach their potential within the school system and in the wider world.

Some of the masks completed by 6th class students in Corpus Christi as part of this years Transfer Programme.