When Anne McKenny, Principal at St Rita’s Primary School at Victoria Point, noticed that students had difficulty focusing on hot summer days, she knew air conditioning was the right option.
“As Principal, I came to the realisation that the extremely hot weather here lasts for more than a couple of weeks,” explains Anne.
“One day, as I was making my way around the school, I noticed that the energy in the classrooms felt very low — from students and teachers alike — and it was only 9.30am. It was time to make a decision regarding the best company to carry out our air conditioning installation.”
“ACER Services caught my eye because they had sent a couple of flyers to the school advertising their airconditioning installation services. I was attracted to the fact they had already installed air conditioning systems in a number of schools in the local area, so I got in touch with a few of the other principals to find out about their experiences."
“I only heard positive feedback from other schools that had dealt with ACER; in particular, many told me that they were a reliable firm supplying quality commercial grade products. As far as price goes, we had the ACER Services airconditioning quote checked against a few other companies and discovered it was very reasonable, so we booked them to carry out the job.”
“Many St Rita’s families had contributed to a ‘building fund’ over the years, so we were very keen to get the work carried out as quickly as possible — in order for those families with older children to benefit from the air conditioning before they left the school. This required that the work be carried out quickly, but in the least disruptive way possible."
“ACER Services were strategically very accommodating. Their electricians planned everything in advance — negotiating which rooms they were going to work on at which times (and sticking to the schedule) — which meant that we could make the necessary arrangements for teachers and students who had to be moved from their usual rooms for a day or two. They also carried out as much work as they could before and after school hours."
“The workers were very mindful of child safety requirements. They came in, did their work and left swiftly, leaving the area clean and tidy behind them."
“I definitely felt that they minimised the inconvenience for us.”
“Since ACER Services installed the air conditioning system I’ve definitely noticed a difference. The children’s engagement and willingness to actively learn has markedly increased, as has the comfort and energetic focus of the teachers. This improved concentration offers extended learning opportunities throughout the day."
“For example, if a maths lesson has been missed in the morning for some reason, we can now move it to the afternoon — whereas teachers would never have attempted this before, as concentration levels would be just too low."
“Another unexpected side effect of the school’s air conditioning is that after play times, children are considerably more eager to return to class! Teachers have reported them lining up quickly and in an orderly way without reminders, as they are keen to get into the cool atmosphere of the classroom."
“Overall, we’ve been very happy with the service we received, including follow up, and we’d definitely recommend ACER Services to other schools.”
If you’d like to find out more about cooling down your school, contact ACER Services and speak to an experienced professional!
