JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — 11Alive continues to monitor the latest on Covid-19, and this year, that includes a closer look at students' perspectives as they tackle the school year.
For Alaya Horne, the year has already had its fair share of twists and turns. The Fulton County 4th grader tested positive for the virus only a week after starting the new school year, prompting quarantine and a return to at-home learning.
"It's been a lot of pressure at home...to get [classwork] done, to do it all like 100 percent perfectly," Alaya said. "I know I don't have to do it perfectly, but it just feels like I do."
For Alaya, the return to remote learning after getting Covid-19 definitely has had its ups and downs.
"At least I don't have to listen to the meetings 24/7," she explained, referencing last year's virtual lessons. "That was annoying."
The good news is Alaya is feeling better and reports she loves working at home with her mom on her lessons each day. But quarantine has been a bit of a flashback, a reminder of full-time virtual learning with parts Alaya would prefer to avoid.
"No 'Teams' meetings but mom installed [the app] again," she explained to 11Alive's Liza Lucas. "We deleted [the app] the last day of school, and it was so fun, and I thought I'd never have to see 'Teams' again but no, mom reinstalled it."
Despite Alaya's dislike of online instruction (and all the apps that go with it), the 9-yea-old is still able to laugh through the frustration. She also spent a little extra time at home to make sure her symptoms were gone before returning to school.
Alaya's mom said she was a little nervous to return to the classroom so her family gathered special videos from friends and loved ones for extra encouragement.
Editor's Note: The Learning Curve is an ongoing series on 11Alive and 11Alive.com that will follow the stories of local students as they navigate this unprecedented school year.