My son's class today learned there are 9 planets in the Solar System

telecaster · 01-10-2012 02:17PM #1

My 4 year old goes to Montessori 5 days per week. He had been attending a pre-school group 3 days a week the previous year and was due to do his 5 days per week there this year.

However his teachers said he was ready to do more learning than play, and they - to their great credit - recommended that he would flourish more in a Montessori environment. And so we switched him to the local Montessori.

The Montessori clearly has a sniff of itself: badged uniforms, fees above the state subsidised scheme, a rather patronising tone to parents etc.

We received 2 letters in the post from the Montessori ahead of the term starting. These were guidelines about how the school is run, procedural information, lunch details etc. Both of these official-styled correspondences were riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. I counted 25 errors in one page which had no more than 6 paragraphs. It looked as if some of the more advanced kids at the school had composed the letter as a project.

My concern that there doltards at the helm was growing.

Today my son came home and told me he'd learned all about the solar system at school. He told me there were 9 planets. I told him there was 8, and counted them out to him. He told me I missed Pluto.

I don't expect absolutely everyone to know that Pluto was reclassified some years back and is no longer considered a planet. I do expect a professional educator to know it though.

I don't want to humiliate or embarass the Montessori owner/teacher, but I'm concerned my kid is going to be less wise after the year's experience than before it.

What would you do in my position?

01-10-2012 02:18PM

I'd post in the Parenting or preschool forums

cyrusdvirus · 01-10-2012 02:19PM

Start a petition to get Pluto reclassified as a Planet.

That way your sons faith in teachers knowledge will not be rocked.

telecaster · 01-10-2012 02:19PM

bluewolf wrote: »

I'd post in the Parenting or preschool forums

nope, I wanted the AH opinion

Il Trap · 01-10-2012 02:20PM

Talk to Joe...

Boombastic · 01-10-2012 02:21PM

you would think someone in that position would know. I would complain in writing to the management and ask them to clarify why they are teaching outdated info, after all you're paying

kneemos · 01-10-2012 02:22PM

Won't be the last falsehood your child gets thaught.

Praetorian Saighdiuir · 01-10-2012 02:22PM

You should have said to your kid:

"Pffffft, Pluto is a dog ya thicko"

You should go down and complain to the owner.

JohnMarston · 01-10-2012 02:23PM

Its not a big thing tbh, just leave it.

I was taught things in primary school that were lies or half-truths by the time i got to secondary school

guinang · 01-10-2012 02:23PM

Thinly veiled 'my child is so intelligent'.

Snowie · 01-10-2012 02:23PM

benwavner wrote: »

You should have said to your kid:

"Pffffft, Pluto is a dog ya thicko"

You should go down and complain to the owner.

or better still write him a letter :eek:

Lumbo · 01-10-2012 02:23PM

I'd chill the **** out

telecaster · 01-10-2012 02:24PM

JohnMarston wrote: »

Its not a big thing tbh, just leave it.

I know, thats why the scientists reclassified it

Rigol · 01-10-2012 02:24PM

No mommy Pluto is not a planet, it was re-classified 3 years ago by Prof gringinwaldensfeld of harvard university astronomy department in a paper titled 'daddy why are there stars'.

what are you expecting of a 4/5/6 year old?

No mommy a spider isnt an insect its an arachnid, no mommy the sea isn't blue thats just the atmosphere reflecting on the surface, in fact water has no colour.

crazygeryy · 01-10-2012 02:24PM

JohnMarston wrote: »

Its not a big thing tbh, just leave it.

I was taught things in primary school that were lies or half-truths by the time i got to secondary school

and now your a politician?

Biggins · 01-10-2012 02:24PM

guinang wrote: »

Thinly veiled...

I wish that phrase like "Yore Ma" could be banned!

My name is URL · 01-10-2012 02:24PM

Maybe just bring it up with them? I know it's a bizarre idea but it just might have a better impact than moaning about it on the internet

g'em · 01-10-2012 02:25PM

Go to the Teacher and tell them to shove Pluto to the back of Uranus where it belongs.

kylith · 01-10-2012 02:26PM

They're probably being taught that because that's what's in the book. It's also possible that the teacher has no idea that Pluto lost it's planetary status.

I'd be inclined to have a go at them over the letter rather than Pluto; the kids can relearn the solar system later, spelling and grammar is magnitudes more important, and if the school can't send out something properly written then I'd doubt their ability to teach it.

seven_eleven · 01-10-2012 02:26PM

Screw reclassification. To me, pluto will always be a planet. Good old pluto, forever in our hearts ;_; nevar forget etc

wendell borton · 01-10-2012 02:26PM

i'll be deep in the cold, cold ground before i reconise missouri pluto!

AnonoBoy · 01-10-2012 02:26PM

What about the other planet that The Man doesn't tell you about?

It's always behind Saturn so we can never see it but it's called Conspiro I think and it's probably where they keep all the dinosaurs and aliens and where they take you to probe your anus and whatnot.

JohnMarston · 01-10-2012 02:28PM

crazygeryy wrote: »

and now your a politician?

now i'm less naive

westendgirlie · 01-10-2012 02:28PM

Ah, you have to send the letter back to them. Use a red pen and circle all the errors. Don't forget to write "could do better" at the bottom.

Rigol · 01-10-2012 02:28PM

Asian parent?

Angron · 01-10-2012 02:29PM

Screw everyone, as far as I'm concerned Pluto is still a planet to me!

maddragon · 01-10-2012 02:29PM

I'ld leave my job, find a fat friend and set up my own Montessori and call it Daddy Day Care.

My name is URL · 01-10-2012 02:31PM

http://theweek.com/article/index/217655/pluto-a-planet-once-again

Sir Pompous Righteousness · 01-10-2012 02:31PM

Don't forget poor Ceres. We should make a petition to make Ceres a planet too, it's closer to Earth than Pluto as well. It's not size that matters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceres_(dwarf_planet)

JJJJNR · 01-10-2012 02:31PM

Blah pluto is still a planet, a dwarf planet but planet nonetheless.

Where To · 01-10-2012 02:33PM

Some of them moons of Jupiter will be reclassified as planets soon.

You should be proud your child is going to such a forward thinking school.

My son's class today learned there are 9 planets in the Solar System

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