[JustJo]

My son attends a public school that calls all breaks by non-religious names - winter break, spring break - but that coincide with the dates of the Christian holidays.

However, because there is a large Jewish population here, the Jewish high holidays are also observed and there is no school. It's a little ironic that his school is technically closed for Yom Kippur but not for Christmas or Easter. No one seems to object, however.

The first Muslim students started at his school this year, and those kids were exempt from school on their religious holidays. The school also invited a Muslim religious leader to come talk to the school about what those holidays were and their significance beforehand, since most children (and parents) in the school had no knowledge about that faith. It wasn't mandatory for anyone to attend...more of a reception and learning opportunity.

I appreciate that his school makes an effort to talk about all faiths and cultures, and observes and celebrates an immense variety of holidays...even though the children attending are not terribly diverse. I think they enrich the children's education and broaden their minds. I also think they need the breaks...so the traditional couple of weeks in winter and spring (particularly here when we're buried in snow) are much appreciated, even though we are quite secular in our celebrations.