NEW YORK — The 9-year-old sixth grader in the New York City school system was asked to sing a song, which was supposed to be about her school, her parents and the things she wanted to accomplish.
Instead, the girl had to tell the story of a time when she was a student and a teacher and a girl in the classroom, and the girl’s teacher had to teach her about her gender.
“My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, that is so weird.
Why do I have to tell a story about being a girl?'” said Melissa Loomis, the 9th grader who is the lead singer for her school’s singing group.
The class, which is part of the school’s Singles of New York (SONNY), started on March 12.
Singing the song was an effort to raise money for the students’ education and her parents’ school.
When she was younger, Melissa Lomis was the only girl in her school.
Now she and her husband have a daughter, a boy, and a couple of nephews.
There was an element of shock to the whole experience, she said.
Loomis is not the only teacher who has had to sing about her personal life to students.
Last year, the school had to perform a live rendition of “Passion” for the singing group of the same name.
Teachers have also been asked to tell stories about transgender people, which have been used as part of an effort by the National Center for Transgender Equality to make it more difficult for people to report bullying.
Transgender children can be the targets of bullying, according to a 2012 study by the Transgender Law Center.
A year ago, Loomislas had to change her voice to one that was different from her mother’s, so that she could better sing.
At home, the Lomises had a hard time singing because of the discomfort, Melissa said.
“I have to be very careful.
I’m not ready to sing in front of everyone yet,” she said, “but I’m getting there.”
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