Readers’ Choice: Making a strong First Impression
Photo by Maria Young
Where are you sending your child to preschool?
Yes, there are plenty of options here in South Philly. But it seems one place is continuing to make a strong first impression with local readers. The best day care honor goes to, you guessed it, First Impressions.
“We feel very honored and excited about being named the top day care in South Philadelphia by SPR readers,” Lauren Pauzano-Tuttle, the director of First Impressions, said. “We owe our success to our amazing staff and to our families, both past and present, who continue to support us.”
Roxanna Bariana and RoseAnne Pauzano opened First Impressions Nursery School in 1984 in Queens Village. They opened an additional Packer Park location in 2004 on 20th and Hartraft streets, and Lauren — RoseAnne’s daughter — joined them as director. There are programs for little ones from as young as 8 weeks old up to pre-K. When searching for a day care around South Philly, sometimes the name is all it takes to catch the attention of potential families. When Bariana came up with the name, she had a “vision of this being a child’s First Impression of life outside of home.”
A big part of that impression is creating a trusting atmosphere in which parents can go off to work and not have to worry about how their son or daughter is doing. The First Impressions staff plays a big role in creating that trustworthy atmosphere.
“It is through our dedicated staff, who have been with us for years, that we are able to do this,” Pauzano-Tuttle said. “We also focus our attention on academics and providing our students with the ability to succeed and also challenge them to meet their full potential so they excel in grade school. Our families come as strangers, and always leave as part of the First Impressions family!”
Alphabet Academy registered in second place while Little Beginnings opened the door to the third place.
