WESTERLY — As her pupils, co-staff, good friends, family members and Instagram followers at “take in.playluxe” can joyfully attest, Lauren Sposato broke a fashion record final week.

It was the day after Valentine’s Working day, and Sposato — the director and head instructor at Westerly’s Central Nursery School — had obtained her intention: she had worn a distinct dress each individual day for the 100 days due to the fact university started in September. It was her way of honoring Barbara Higgins, one of the founders of the nursery college.

“I do love dresses,” a smiling Sposato said as the smaller kids in her treatment paired off for playtime. “And it is really a good way to pay back tribute to Barbara.”

Higgins, who worked at the faculty from 1970 by 2004 and lives in Pawcatuck, is a Central Nursery School legend.

Regarded for her stylish wardrobe, it is explained that Higgins wore a dress to function every working day she taught at the nursery faculty, which has been a Westerly establishment for extra than 50 {362bf5cdc35eddfb2532d3c23e83b41deb229c4410d15cb1127c60150cbd4488} a century.

“We phone it the Barbara Higgins gown problem,” mentioned Tia Burgess, Sposato’s co-employee at the nursery university. “Lauren has constantly appeared up to her … [and was impressed by the fact] that she wore a dress  to function each individual day until she retired.”

“I do seem up to her and aspire to be like her,” Sposato explained with a broad smile. “She is so sweet and humble, and in all the pictures of her, she is smiling and putting on a gown.

“She’s just so adorable,” she additional. “I love her.”

Sposato, the married mother of two sons, Luca, 15 and Rocco, 13, reported many of the mom and dad of her students attended the nursery faculty by themselves, and question after Higgins who retired in 2004.

“They’ll say points like, ‘I came below when I was little and I have such fond recollections of her,'” Sposato said. “I only hope I can be remembered in the very same way.”

Higgins, 1 of the first instructors at the faculty, joined Karen Skelton, Linda Tompkin, Kay Perrone and Marilyn Gardner in October of 1970 to teach the very first 13 small children enrolled in the to start with course at Central Baptist Nursery School for a few morning classes each and every week.

“We liked our work, specially working with the children and every other. We really had loads of enjoyment,” Higgins advised The Sun in a 2010 interview. “The benefits had been numerous, primarily observing the youngsters development and experienced in the course of the school year.”

Sposato, 42, a native New Yorker, is an Iona College graduate. She received a master’s diploma from Mercy University, and started her community educating profession subbing in Westerly Community Universities. 

When there was an opening 13 decades ago at Central Baptist — when the college was directed by Laura Beverly — she was hired to do the job alongside Rebecca Turano and Joan Pagliuso.

“I like it,” claimed Sposato, who was dressed neatly in a blue-and-white gown. “I feel I am here to stay.”

Sposato, who is married to Westerly native Rocky Sposato, a income supervisor at Valenti Toyota, explained the gown challenge began as a exciting way to start the new faculty 12 months, in particular just after all the confusion and interruptions caused by the pandemic.

Sposato stored track of her outfits by submitting selfies on her Instagram website page along with memes with sayings like, “Existence is also short, adore and have on Fairly Apparel,” and “I hope one thing beautiful comes about to you currently.”

At very first, she mentioned, she wasn’t certain how a lot of days she’d hold the streak going, but she consulted her ideal good friends who encouraged her to see how extensive she could go on.

When she neared the 50 gown mark, she asked her Instagram followers to weigh in.

At Christmastime, she reported, she wore numerous getaway-themed attire, which her small college students recognized and relished. On the days ahead of Valentine’s Day, she identified attire with hearts to put on.

Just one day, Sposato recounted with a chuckle, a mother of 1 of her nursery schoolers put on a dress and her daughter gave her acceptance.

“Her daughter stated, ‘Mommy, you search like Pass up Lauren,'” Sposato claimed.

As much as she enjoys attire, she loves searching for them, too.

“I like shopping,” she said with a snicker, “and I love searching domestically.” 

Sposato explained she mainly frequents Woodees Boutique in downtown Westerly, Loving Existence Boutique in downtown Pawcatuck, stores like Rochelle’s in Watch Hill and regional consignment stores, like Deja Vu, to uncover her dresses, along with some on-line shops.

“I cannot say adequate good items about her in common,” explained Burgess, noting that “it is a pleasant tale to notify [what] with all the bad going on in the entire world. … I consider she deserves recognition for all the challenging perform she places in right here. Challenging perform with a exciting costume twist.”

“I you should not know how I can halt now,” Sposato explained with a snicker. “It is really been fun, and who is aware of, perhaps I will spark some other people’s brains.”

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