Cindy Maxon
The colors are bright yellow and bright red, and the building is nearly blinding to anyone who sees it. What is it? At first glance, many people think it resembles ketchup and mustard. However, after the second glance the passerby will see that the bright building is a new learning center.
The A+ Learning Center is located on 514 S. 1st Avenue in Safford, and it has a future just as bright as its exterior paint. Their curriculum is specifically for children ages four and five, and it is designed to help ready them for kindergarten. Their teaching philosophy is to use multiple activities such as art, music, and physical education alongside reading, math, and science to help children find a zeal for learning. Cindy Maxon is the owner of the building, and she will be one of the teachers. She is an experienced educator, and has taught young children for twenty eight years. Equipped with a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood, Cindy Maxon has an amazing amount of knowledge and experience to share. “Because of my teaching kindergarten, art, and music, I love the way it all ducktails together,” she stated, “It’s all about making it fun.”
Everyone can agree that the curriculum for kindergartners has become more stressful. Education has changed, and now children are expected to start learning to read at a much younger age. “There’s so much pressure on the kindergarten teachers now,” Maxon continued, “And therefore on the students. Kids aren’t all fast. Some kids are going to take longer, and when you’ve got thirty kids in a classroom, or even twenty five, it’s too hard to get to every single one.”
Cindy Maxon’s classrooms will only have ten children to one teacher and one assistant, and their curriculum will be filled with different forms of learning. “We’re not kindergarten, we’re before kindergarten. I want to keep the cost way down and the ratio way down.” Focusing on a letter a day and number a week, Maxon and her teachers will present these basics to the children in as many different ways as possible. “We’re excited about working in the community and working with the parents,” Maxon said, “I’ve already visited all the directors of the head start and some of the pre-schools, and we let them know we are not a daycare and we are not all day. We’re real intense and energetic for two hours.” Two solid hours of enjoyable schooling for three days a week will help their students begin to learn and get the basics down for kindergarten.
“Everybody has been amazing,” Cindy Maxon said, “This has been the village effort. My husband has been amazing, the staff has been amazing, and everyone has already given so many hours. It’s not just me, it’s a lot of people working together.” The A+ Learning Center will have its opening day very soon, and they already have a full class signed up. If you have any questions at all, their number is 928-965-5204
