Religion in schools?

So I was reading Mandy's blog and it really got me thinking. She was talking about how she was considering home schooling her son because of a book that she is reading called "The Thomas Jefferson Education". I have not personally read this book, and so I cannot make direct comments on said book, however she wrote about something that I think is an issue that many people take offense to, which I see as not a problem.
The issue is of the topic of religion in schools. From Mandy's point of view she believes that "they" (I believe that she means the school board) are taking taking God out of schools altogether and not allowing kids to make the choice. I want to quote the next part of her blog directly because I want to make sure that you understand her point of view before I comment on it. It reads:

I think the people who are so worried about this (not allowing the teaching of God in schools) are most likely people who have no strong religious affiliation and are concerned that their child will be easily influenced to believe something else. Why should that matter? We live in a country where we are supposed to be able to worship freely, right? So how does controlling the topic of religion allow that freedom to citizens of the country?

I can see and understand her point of view. I have heard it many times. I also know that Mandy reads this blog and I want her to know that I respect her for her opinion and that I am so glad that she has it. I am hoping that maybe I can offer a slightly different perspective on this whole topic because I believe that hearing different opinions actually helps us in the development of our own beliefs.
Before I tell you what I think, I want you to know where I am coming from because that, obviously, influences my point of view. I have a very strong testimony of what I believe to be true. I am an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and I do have 5 living children. 3 of my children do attend school, and it is a Spanish school. I live in a city (as opposed to a small town) and I am really involved in my children's school because I believe that I should know what my children are doing all day and who they are spending their time with.
I can understand that people think that they are taking "God" out of the schools, but I don't really believe that they are. People are upset that they don't call "Christmas Break" by that name anymore and now it is merely "Winter Break". But, can you understand it from someone else's point of view? This isn't an issue in our school because our school is big on immersing the children in the Latino culture and so we celebrate Christmas as part of the curriculum. I LOVE it because I happen to be a HUGE fan of Christmas, and my children even learn about why we celebrate the birth of Christ. The catholic religion is HUGE among Latino cultures and so we also learn about Lent and Dios de los Muertos (day of the dead). I, personally, am not Catholic, but I don't mind that my children are learning about those religious holidays because I make sure that I teach them at home and at our church meetings about OUR religion.
I know that our school is the exception and not the rule, however I also want to make it known that I do encourage my children to learn about other religions and cultures. I believe that by learning about them, it can increase their faith in their own religion. I have always been curious to learn about other religions and it has not taken away (in fact it has added) to my own beliefs in my own religion. I believe that the school board is trying to look at the topic of religion as an all-inclusive option rather than "forcing all children to learn about one religion". I can understand why the schools acknowledge Kwanzaa and Hanukkah and Ramadan. Can you imagine moving into a country where you are told you have the freedom to worship the way you believe but then your child is forced to acknowledge a type of "God" that you don't believe in? I know that I would not appreciate it if my child couldn't worship the way that we believed if we moved into another country. I believe that the school board is trying to do what our country claims we believe in and that is to have a freedom to worship as we see fit.
We do have an article of faith in our church that does go along with that and it says that "We claim the privilege to worship the Almighty God, according to the dictates of our own conscience; and allow all men the same privilege. Let them worship how, where or what they may." I am a big believer in this. I don't believe that it is my right to take away another person's freedom to worship how they see fit. I don't think that my children are losing their convictions if they can't learn about God in the schools.
I believe that it is my right and responsibility to teach them at home what we believe and then to help them understand that it is okay to believe something different from someone else. I believe that we do have the amazing right to be proud of what we believe and to be able to talk about it freely with others. The schools have not banned the discussion of religion in the schools, they have simply tried to include the many different religions from the different ethnic backgrounds of the children in their schools. We can look at it from two opposite sides. We can take the stand that our right to worship our God in schools has been taken away, or we can look at it as an opportunity to stand as an example of our faith and learn about other religions and cultures. I believe that this is an amazing opportunity, and one that we should take advantage of.
I am a descendant of Pioneers. I have been to Nauvoo and to Missouri where my ancestors were persecuted. How I wish that they were shown the same compassion and courtesy that we are now able to show to other immigrants and people of different religious backgrounds. I am always saddened that my ancestors had to fight so hard in order to worship as they wanted, free from persecution. I would like to think that the right of religious freedom is something that they fought hard for and because of it they have blessed the lives of millions of people.
So, please don't take offense at this post. I know that it is a sensitive topic and that people can easily internalize this. I am no scholar, I am just a mom. I love the hope, peace, joy and comfort that my religion brings to me and I believe that other people should also have the right to have those same feelings. I do not believe that by not being taught about God in school my children are losing a piece of themselves. I just believe that it gives them more opportunities to learn about acceptance and it opens the door to a better understanding of other religions. I also believe that it puts a greater responsibility on myself to teach them about our religion and all that it encompasses.
I would love to hear your thoughts. I won't get offended if they are different from my own. I love to hear different opinions as I mentioned at the beginning of this post.