Join us for a free event for parents of current and rising middle schoolers

The Irvington PTSA in partnership with the Irvington Union Free School District is excited to host two live Zoom events with Judith Warner, a New York Times best-selling author of “And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School”

Through the stories of kids and parents in the middle school trenches, Warner reveals why these years are so painful, how parents unwittingly make them worse, and what we all need to do to grow up. With deep insight and compassion, Warner walks us through a new understanding of the role that middle school plays in all our lives and argues that today’s helicopter parents are overly concerned with status and achievement—in some ways a residual effect of their own middle school experiences—and that this worsens the self-consciousness, self-absorption, and social “sorting” so typical of early adolescence.

We're hosting two events, tailored to your family's needs:

Irvington Middle School Parents:
​A Panel Discussion with Judith Warner
Thursday, May 13, 2021 at 7 - 8pm
REGISTER for the Zoom Event

Tune in to an interactive panel moderated by IMS Asst. Principal, Ms. Allyson Daley and featuring Ms. Judith Warner, IMS Guidance Counselors, Ms. Liza Leite and Mr. Griffin Murray, IMS School Psychologist, Ms. Julianna Calapai and District Social Worker, Ms. Julie Austin. 
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Together, the IMS team and Warner will provide insights and perspectives on the social and academic pressures faced by middle schoolers, the lasting impact of the social isolation, lack of connection and increased reliance of social media during the pandemic, and the critical role parents can play to help kids make sense of the changes around them and better cope the complex social landscape of middle school.

Main Street School Parents:
​A Conversation with Judith Warner
Thursday, June 3, 2021 at 7-8pm
REGISTER for the Zoom Event

Tune in to a one-on-one conversation between MSS Principal Ms. Joyce Chapnick and Ms. Judith Warner as they unpack key themes in Warner’s book about one of life’s most formative periods. 

Ms. Chapnick and Ms. Warner will tailor their discussion to address the specific questions and concerns of parents of kids entering 6th grade with practical guidance and tips on how they can support their child and help them “not just survive but thrive” in middle school.

We Want to Hear from YOU!
We want to make this discussion as relevant and useful to the Irvington Middle School parent community as we can, so please CLICK HERE to anonymously submit a question, concern or comment for Ms. Warner to address during each event.  ​

About Judith Warner
Judith Warner, author of the new book, And Then They Stopped Talking to Me: Making Sense of Middle School, is best known for her 2005 New York Times best-seller, Perfect Madness: Motherhood in the Age of Anxiety, and New York Times column, “Domestic Disturbances.” She is currently completing a journalism fellowship for the Women Donors Network’s Reflective Democracy Campaign. Her last book, We've Got Issues: Children and Parents in the Age of Medication, won multiple awards from mental health advocacy and education organizations, including the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. To learn more, visit judithwarner.com