Perrot Library and Eastern Middle School PTA Team-up for a Conversation with Award-winning Reporter/Author of “Never Enough”

On Tuesday, January 30 at 1:00pm, in partnership with Eastern Middle School PTA, Perrot Library will live stream on Zoom a conversation with award-winning reporter Jennifer Breheny Wallace, the author of Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic–and What We Can Do About It.

“This is a very important topic to have a conversation about, given the critical role schools and parents play, in the way in which students develop their sense of self,” said EMS Principal, Marc Guarino, who will be moderating the January 30th discussion.  “Discussing Ms. Wallace’s book will help how we can work together in making sure that students know how much they matter to all of us.”

In Never Enough, Wallace investigates the deep roots of toxic achievement culture and finds out what we must do to fight back. Drawing on interviews with families, educators, and an original survey of nearly 6,000 parents, she exposes how the pressure to perform is not a matter of parental choice but baked into our larger society and spurred by increasing income inequality and dwindling opportunities. As a result, children are increasingly absorbing the message that they have no value outside of their accomplishments, a message that is reinforced by the media and greater culture at large.

“Perrot Library is excited to partner with Eastern Middle School PTA to bring this important conversation to our community,” said Kathy McCormack, President of Perrot Memorial Library’s Board of Directors. “The January 30th program and book discussion with Ms. Wallace is another collaborative partnership with Greenwich Public Schools. It will provide the Greenwich community with access to meaningful information and includes community engagement – all of which are part of our mission.”

In the ever-more-competitive race to secure the best possible future, today’s students face unprecedented pressure to succeed. Through deep research and interviews with today’s leading child psychologists, Wallace shows what kids need from adults is not more pressure, but to feel like they matter, that they have intrinsic self-worth not contingent upon external achievements. Parents and educators who adopt the language and values of mattering help children see themselves as a valuable contributor to a larger community. And in an ironic twist, kids who receive consistent feedback that they matter, no matter what, are more likely to have the resilience, self-confidence, and psychological security to thrive.

Visit https://perrotlibrary.org/book-discussion-with-jennifer/ to register for the live Zoom streaming of this program. If you have any questions about any upcoming Perrot Library adult programs, please call Judy Sgammato at 203-637-1066 x15.

Founded in 1904, Perrot Memorial Library is located in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, and is a private, 501(c)(3) institution, owned by the Perrot Library Association and affiliated (sharing a catalog) with the larger Greenwich Library system. The Library, located on Sound Beach Avenue, includes a children’s wing, a selection of 28,000 children’s books, over 29,000 adult books, with several different collections ranging from CDs and DVDs/Blu-Rays to periodicals. The Library also offers  readers’ advisory, public computers, and WiFi. Youth Services and Adult Services host dozens of free programs throughout the year for Perrot members and the local community.

For more information about Perrot Memorial Library, including how to become a member of the Perrot Memorial Library Association, please visit www.perrotlibrary.org.