The owners
Judy “juju” westlund and sandra cummings
Our Story
We are a mother/daughter team, and together we purchased “The Apple” in June of 2019. Although we have only owned this center for a short while, we are not new to the early childhood scene. We built and ran The Red Barn Childcare Center and Preschool until we sold it in 2013. We truly missed serving our community, and we especially missed working with the children, so we began to search for a school to call ours again. When we toured this center, we knew immediately it was the one we wanted.
One of the reasons we knew “The Apple” was the perfect fit for us, is because we believe that a smaller, more intimate, setting is best for young children. At our center, we are able to really get to know each child and their family. It builds a sense of community for our “Apple Kids”, they feel loved, and the have a sense of belonging.
Every child is unique and everyone learns in different ways. It is important to us that we use a variety of age appropriate techniques and procedures, because we believe that every child deserves the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
Early childhood education is extremely important. It is imperative for young learners to establish positive feelings associated with school. We believe that these formative years will create a firm foundation for education and establish a love of learning.
Sandra Cummings
Sandra has been in education for over 25 years. She has taught all age groups, from infants through college level at APSU. She has a Master’s Degree in Education and holds a current teacher’s license, as well as, a current Administrator’s license. She is a reading specialist and language therapist, specializing in early childhood education and dyslexia.
Judy Westlund
“Juju” as she prefers to be called, loves having so many bonus grandkids! She is our bookkeeper, accountant, and keeper of all records
Love is the essential ingredient needed to create a space for children to learn. It is the very most important aspect of early childhood education, because we believe that kids do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care.