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A different point of view By Melissa
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I was one of those students who was a Jehovah's Witness my whole school career. I first learned about Christmas and Santa Claus when I was in kindergarten, because I went to a public school. I was not allowed to participate| in holiday parties or birthday celebrations. Because my parents worked, I couldn't just stay home from school on those days as some have suggested. I was forced to spend the party times in the library at my school. I always thought it unfair that the students who could and would celebrate holidays and birthdays at home got to celebrate them at school, too. It didn't feel good to always | | be the odd person out, but my teachers, like many here, thought that since I was the "weird" one, I could leave so everyone else could live their lives "normally". In a country that is supposed to be so tolerant to diversity, it is very hard to be different from the majority, especially in schools. Now, as a teacher, I am extra sensitive to those students that are in the minority, be it religious or otherwise. If I have a student in my class that cannot or does not want to celebrate these occassions, we don't do it for anyone during school hours. Those children that do celebrate will get a chance to do so at home.
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