FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — "I hear the meeting. I see the meeting. I want the meeting to be over," Alaya Horne wrote as part of an end-of-the-year assignment last spring.
"I touch the iPad and wish it was the remote," she continued, summing up her feelings after spending part of her 2nd-grade year and all of 3rd grade learning virtually.
For now, Alaya will be getting her wish and a wanted break from screen time. On Aug. 9, the Fulton County 4th grader prepared to return to the classroom for the first time in more than 500 days.
"It's just going to feel like I'm back!" she told 11Alive's Liza Lucas as she got ready for the first day of school. "This entire summer I've wanted to go back to school more than anything else."
While Alaya admits she hasn't always loved going to school, the past year of virtual learning has her welcoming any challenge she may encounter, as long as she's back in the building.
"Even if it's a hard test," she said. "I'm still up for it."
Yet, the first day back doesn't mark a full return to normal. Alaya will still wear a mask (she has a special lanyard to make sure she doesn't lose it) as families and the school district navigate the year amid COVID cases generally on the rise.
"I just hope everything goes well," Alaya explained of her hopes for the coming year. "I hope everything is going to be fine, and I hope at one point, I'm not going to have to wear a mask."
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.