There have been 97.7 total Covid 19 cases in the world. One of those cases was my uncle. Near thanksgiving he wasn't feeling well so he instinctively got a Covid test. About 2 days later he got a call that said he had the virus. This effected our family greatly. We were all worried sick and were praying that he healed. The funny part was, he said it only felt like a regular cold. He did eventually get better and we were thankful to God.

Coronavirus happened so quickly. It is difficult to recall details from March 14 2020. The day my family and thousands of others went into quarantine. March 14 2021 is approaching quickly. Back then it seemed like nobody knew anybody who had the virus. It was all rumors and stories. Now it seems like everybody knows or has had Coronavirus. A prediction is that 1 in 3 people in LA county have had Coronavirus, which is totally insane. Los Angeles county has over 10,000,000 residents. Meaning that about 33,333,333+ people have been infected, many without knowing. Although it is an estimate, that shows how serious this virus is. 1000-3000 (about) people in America die due to Coronavirus each day. About 15,000 people die each day worldwide. There have been almost 100,000,000 Coronavirus cases and 2 Million deaths. 1/70 of the world has been diagnosed, not including those who are asymptomatic and those who were not or do not have access to tests. About 2 million people have died. That is 1/50 of those diagnosed. Seeing these numbers shocks me. It opens my eyes and makes me realize how truly important it is the wear a mask and to be safe. My grandpa, I call him Papa, is getting the first dose of his Coronavirus vaccine tomorrow. I am so excited that he will have immunity. There are 11 cases of Coronavirus in his 200 person retirement home. He is 84 years old. I am so glad that Papa will be safe. He was widowed when my grandma, Grammy about 11 years ago, so I believe she had been his guardian angel just as she has been mine. My final thought is that I cannot wait for Coronavirus to be cured and for the vaccine to have wider distribution.

As of now, there have been roughly 100.17 million COVID cases worldwide. Of those 100 million people that have had COVID, about 2.14 million have died. This means that the death rate of COVID-19 is about 2%. Most people who get the virus have little to no symptoms, and recover quickly. However, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions are more likely to develop complications because of COVID (respiratory tract infection). Luckily, everyone I knew who got COVID were pretty healthy. My cousin Michael, who just graduated from UC David and is training with the Marines, contracted COVID and recovered very quickly. My family cancelled our Christmas celebration in Burbank to prevent my 94 year old grandpa from getting COVID. He is definitely in the high-risk category because of his age. I am thankful that no one close to me has died of COVID, and I pray for those who have passed away.

Personally, I don't really have an exciting story about Covid. It's just there. I haven't been affected by it or anything. But statistics show that in Ventura County which is where I live there are 13,593 cases of Covid-19. Theres not much to it really. Stay home, where your mask, and stay six feet. Just follow those guidelines and you're set. Also too, Covid has been on a downfall since January 14th. So that is good.

From March 2020 to January 2021 I have known 28 people who got the virus. Them getting the virus did not affect me very much other than the fact that it did make me get a little more frightened when people I know got sick. Me and me family have not gotten Covid-19 yet, but I have had to quarantine a few times. Living through this pandemic has been the worst year in my life. I could not see anyone I know and love, I could not go to school, I could not go on vacations of any kind, I had to wear an extremely uncomfortable mask, and there was nothing to do when I was stuck at home. Living through all of this for so long has made me really sad. I am basically just trying to get through one day at a time just waiting for this nightmare to end.

The statistics of Covid-19 is that there are 99.4 million cases worldwide and there are 2.13 million deaths worldwide. In the United States, there are 25.2 million cases and there are 240 thousand deaths. I have been affected by someone represented in these statistics because two of my teachers have or have gotten Covid and they have to be online now since they have to quarantine. My final thoughts of Covid-19 is that it is a unique experience and we just have to learn to adapt to it. My experience living through this pandemic is that it is pretty repetitive but very unique.

I did a bit of research about the current statistics about Covid 19 in California. So far there have been about 3.9M cases of Covid-19, and 37,118 deaths so far. As of the 24th of January there have been 21,680 reported cases of it. I have a few final thoughts about living through this pandemic. It has been insane, schools have been closed, major events have been cancelled, everyone has to wear some sort of face mask to prevent spreading the disease to others. It affected everyone socially quite a bit, you couldn't see your friends as often as you used to be able to, and you couldn't go out and do anything with others because of shops closing down or being temporarily out of service.

Well, Covid-19 has effected us ALL and as a country too. In the U.S, 25.2 million people have tested positive for Covid-19. Also, unfortunately 420 thousand Americans have died. In the world, many people have tested positive for Covid-19 and also have died form this foreign virus. The exact number of the cases and deaths in the world from Covid-19 is extremely high and very discouraging. My History teacher actually tested positive for Covid-19 not too long ago, and at first, I was shocked. My school told me that I had to stay home and quarantine for 14 days. I was scared that someone so close to me contracted Covid-19. I was scared for my family, my friends, and myself. I am very glad the my history teacher and his family have fully recovered. Covid-19 has made 2020 and 2021 very rough. I has been very difficult learning online and having no social life. I am saddened by how many cases and deaths have appeared over 2020 and 2021. Living through this pandemic and learning online was very frustrating and annoying. I just pray for all those families who lost their loved ones. Overall, 2020 and 2021 has been a roller coaster ride for me. I just wish the best for everyone else.

According to the crooked New York Times, there are 3.19 million cases of coronavirus in the United States. To add to that stat, the United States has 37,203 deaths from covid. With this data, about 1.2% of people who got corona in the United States died. Globally there are around 99.4 million cases and 54.9M of the people recovered from it. 2.13 million people died around the world from covid. My final thoughts about covid are that we should continue life as normal, we have never done these ridiculous protocols and suppressive acts for cold and flu season so why should we do it with a virus that is not as deadly as the flu. Covid has become more than a virus, why would people start riots and destroy people's personal property in the name of social justice? People cannot be told to shut down life and stop what they have been doing for thousands of years. Maybe if the government didn't lock down people there wouldn't be as many riots and evil things done. Covid has become more psychological than a physical virus.

Well this is it. Over all there are about 25.5 million cases right now. Just some final thoughts I hope that lockdown ends soon and that this NEVER has to happen again. Ugh it is so bad living in this pandemic, mask wearing, lockdown. So bad and so annoying. You can never do anything fun without a mask. Well I guess this is a time in my life I will never forget...EVER. It is bad but it is not the worst, I am just grateful that we at least get to go to school in person. Well it was wonderful writing these journals.

In the world there are currently 99.4 million cases and 2.13 million deaths. It's insane that in a little under a year so much damage has been done. The ratio of cases to death doesn't seem too bad if you think of it as numbers. But each number is a person, a person with friends and family who lost their life. In California there are 3.19 million cases, cities like LA with dense population are hotspots for cases. Living in California and very close to LA comes with lots of rules that others states have eased up on. It's hard to grasp the fact that so suddenly we are living through a pandemic. A lot of people have taken this time to improve their life and self but it has also messed up so many peoples lively hoods and metal health. Everyone's adapted to Covid after all this time and things are slowly going back to the original way. Before the first shutdown it was terrifying to think of what the future holds but now its become normal. Its going to feel strange going back. At the end of the day everyone is just trying to keep themselves safe and okay.

If there’s anything I learned in the last 8 months, it’s that the world is a very uncertain and chaotic place. A week before quarantine, spending a quiet week alone for Spring break, was all I wanted in life. 9 months later and another quiet week could potentially be lethal. Even though life has been crazy and online school drives people mad, one thing I’ve managed to pick up and get into the habit of is working out. Everyday, no matter what it is, I set aside an hour and a half to at least stand and go on a run or do any form of exercise. Not only is this good for my body, it’s a great stress reliever from a long unstable day of online school, a great time of reflection and a great way to clear my head from the day. Even in the most chaotic of days, and even on days where I have a lot of work to finish, I spend an hour to clear my head, and most times, after a workout and warm shower, I become more productive than ever. I enjoy working out as it is a great way for me to have something to control when the world around me is changing in the blink of an eye. Me four years ago would’ve never expected or predicted that, I would enjoy losing my breath and being sore from my neck down on a daily basis. Not only does it feel like I have control over my life, but working out has become a hobby of mine, acting as a goal I can achieve in the background subtly while dealing with school and life as a 17 year old.

Here lies a photo of my monitor, which I believe represents my current experience as a junior in high school. Pictured on the monitor is classwork, the bane of many students going through distance learning. It connects to the pandemic as most, if not all, students are being forced to go online to complete classwork and connect to Zoom classes as we suffer through our teen years. The internet is where many have come to meet new people, find answers, and much more, which all starts through our electronic devices. Personally, my devices have kept me sane since the pandemic first struck, but also became a major source of anxiety. This miracle holds numerous games in which I can release my stress and anger through, such as Valorant and Minecraft. In addition, it allows me to communicate with my friends through Discord, something that most teens utilize. However, it is where I sit for hours starting from as early as 7:30 am, to as late as 3:00 am, just for school. This may not be the healthiest thing to do, especially since all of this occurs in my bedroom, a place that used to be my haven. What was initially my safe space became a source of a multitude of emotions, such as stress, anger, joy, and much more. There is no longer a true feeling of comfort in any place I can think of, which really is the most disappointing part of it all. But, it’s just part of being a quarantined teen, right? During this quarantine, I believe I have changed for the better in most aspects, though my mental health has reached the lowest point it has ever gone. I’ve made so many new friends, something that I believe is somewhat hard for me, so I consider it a significant accomplishment. Most importantly, I have learned to prioritize myself. Although I’m not quite there yet, big decisions take baby steps, and thanks to it, I feel like I’m slowly getting better mentally. Unfortunately, I have also lost and drifted from friends, and lost a few people in my life due to the virus. As much as I want to feel sorry for myself, to just cry and complain about the unfairness of life, almost everyone is going through something due to the pandemic, so the best I can do is to stay silent and keep on pushing.

Thankfully no one too close to me or myself have had covid. Some of my dad's friends have gotten covid, probably because they're way older than my friends. My dad's really close friend had to go to the ER because his lungs weren't working correctly and his other friend died of covid, I guess that's a symptom. On tiktok a challenge going around if you had covid was to eat a bunch of random things. This was because losing your taste was one of the symptoms of covid. Some people who had covid didn't even have any symptoms, but they still carried the deadly virus.

Having experienced a full semester of Junior year virtually during a pandemic, I can thoroughly say that it was the worst experience of my academic career. Every day of this semester was the same as the last, and I couldn't decide what new hobby to get into or find fun in the hobbies I used to do. Although I had this feeling throughout the semester, one person always stuck by my side, and that person was Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is the music industry, queen of pop music, and the reason I love music in the first place. And Taylor's album, "1989," helped me get through my first semester of Junior year. Nothing brought me more happiness than listening to "Shake It Off" after feeling I had just failed all my tests for the week and then walking throughout my house as if I were a model while "Style" playing. I know it seems that I have been a die-hard Swiftie for a long time, but this quarantine was the only reason I discovered my infinite love for Taylor. Every song on "1989" makes you experience every emotion in the world, from feeling happy while listening to "How You Get the Girl" to feeling absolute sadness and existentialism during "Clean," my favorite of the album btw. So this rush of emotions felt while I listened to "1989" perfectly summarizes my experience during my first semester of Junior year. :)

Throughout the whole COVID ordeal I have been seperated physically from my friends and family. To compensate the lack of physical interactions with other during this pandemic, we've used Discord an online voice group chat to keep ourselves social. Discord has helped us remember that we aren't alone during this pandemic. We're able to play games, watch videos, and talk to one another one this service. Discord I feel what I feel helped me currently get through this whole ordeal.

During quarantine I’ve had a lot of spare time, but wasn't completely sure how to spend it. Most of the time, when I’m not busy with school work, I’d watch Netflix, but that got pretty boring after a while. Recently, however, I’ve picked up a paint brush, a canvas, and some paint and have started painting. I’ve always loved art but constantly found myself making up excuses and never setting aside time to actually paint. These past months have helped me reflect on myself and realize there are more things to do than just sit around and be sad about the current situations in which I have no control over. It's important during these hard times to find something that makes you happy, even if you are not the best at it, so that life in quarantine is a little easier. Even if I would have never thought in a million years the majority of my junior year in high school would be spent inside my house I consider myself lucky as my family and I are healthy and safe. Despite not being able to see my extended family and celebrate holidays or birthdays with them there's always a way to make the most with the people you have. For my mom's birthday, since I couldn’t go out to buy her anything and don’t own a credit card to buy something online, I had to figure out how to give her a special gift during a pandemic. My new found happiness from painting was that special thing, and so I decided to paint my mom a scene from one of her favorite movies “The Karate Kid”. Finding something I enjoy really helped me cope with the instability and unexpected changes during this pandemic. It gave me both a hobby and goal, as I’m motivated to get better at painting.

The item I chose that best illustrates the past six months in quarantine is a screenshot of my favorite videogame, Valorant. Although I could have chosen any other videogame, I decided to choose Valorant because it is the main game that has brought a lot of happiness to my friends and I when we play it everyday during this quarantine. During this unprecedented time because we must stay safe by isolating ourselves from each other, many people have been experiencing loneliness because they have not had an actual, social interaction in such a long time. Fortunately, through Valorant, I never felt any negative emotions because this game has always allowed my friends and I to play together and build a stronger relationship whenever we were done with our school work. The reason why Valorant connects to the pandemic is because it has been a great way for my friends and I to take a step back and escape from reality. Valorant best represents my current experience as a junior in highschool during a period of unrest in this country because as a junior with many AP classes, high school can feel really stressful and tiring at many times, however I have learned that it is important to focus on my mental health at all times. Thus, playing Valorant with my friends has really helped us relax and forget about all the problems in the world for a brief period of time. Furthermore, I see that a lot of students in highschool complain how this pandemic has stolen a lot of our time that could have been spent making memories, however, I have taken a different approach to this because I found that playing video games such as Valorant is the best way to make memories with friends and it has helped me realize that despite the hardships we face during this pandemic, my friends and I will always have each other’s backs.

I will always remember the feeling of my dog Gia's soft fur and the tickle and wetness of her silky tongue licking my hand during this pandemic. These sensory experiences soothed me during a stressful and anxiety-ridden time during the COVID pandemic. When the pandemic worsened in March 2020 and the state of Utah went into a full lockdown, my family's life changed suddenly. My son's birthday party was canceled. My children began school online. My husband no longer found himself flying to New York or Los Angeles, and I found myself filled with worry and anxiety. How will my elderly parents weather this pandemic? Will I get them sick? Will I be responsible for their deaths? Will my 9-year-old son become depressed because he can no longer play hockey or football? How will my 13-year-old handle feeling emotionally isolated because she can no longer hang out with her friends? All of these worries plagued my mind and made my body stiff, my neck sore, my mood heavy with stress. My family soon found ourselves in a new routine. We spent more quality time together since we were no longer rushing to get to activities. There was more time for dinner and meaningful conversation. However, there was still a heaviness, and everything seemed to be wrapped in a layer of anxiety. An unexpected text from my sister-in-law (who is an animal control officer) changed our lives. A darling 3-year-old black and white miniature poodle had just been dropped off at the shelter. Her elderly owner had died of COVID-19, and this sweet dog needed a home. After a quick family meeting, it was unanimous; we wanted the dog! Gia immediately became more than a pet; she became a source of comfort and calm to me. With a sweet temperament, she always seemed to know when I was full of anxiety. Each night I would sit on the couch watching the nightly news, my body tight and sore, the rigidness seeping into my muscles that comes with prolonged stress. Unaware at first that I was even doing it, I would reach for Gia, who would lay close to me, and begin stroking her fur. Often, her silky pink tongue would lick my hand, and the combination soothed and relaxed my body. Even as worry began to swirl in my mind, the questions continuing: when will it be our turn to catch this virus? Will I have lasting effects from it? Gia was there, her warm body lying beside mine, her soft fur between my fingers relaxing my body and easing my mind. During this COVID-19 pandemic, I had read that almost all the rescue dogs had been adopted across the nation. I guess I was not the only person in need of emotional comfort during this isolating time. This pandemic has taken an emotional toll on everyone I know. I feel so grateful that Gia came into our lives during this pandemic. This sweet dog has become more than a pet. She has become an emotional support dog for my daughter when she is lonely and a physical companion for my son when he needs to run crazy through the house. Gia is there when my nerves are frazzled from worry about the pandemic. She gently lays her warm body next to mine, as if knowing I need her near me to ease my anxiety. I stroke her soft fur, close my eyes, and remind myself to BREATHE.

The first picture was taken April 29, 2020. Remote schooling was not going to end, we thought it would only last a couple of weeks. My child was falling apart, I was falling apart. The second picture was taken about seven months later, November 27, 2020. I had been furloughed, school opened up and then went remote again, we learned how to wear masks, we learned how to social distance. We joined the family bubble, in Illinois. I reflect in January 2021 and I want to note that we are figuring it out together. We continue to teach each other. The second picture is my favorite picture of 2020 that I took. I think this picture speaks to the attitude we are putting forward together. This is a picture of my daughter with her cousin, this picture gives me hope and energy.

This story is about how I "hacked" a pandemic experience: wearing a mask as a young child. I was having trouble finding a mask that my youngest child felt comfortable wearing, so I made one from a pajama shirt she had outgrown! It fit comfortably and brought new life to an old piece of clothing that carries special memories from years past.

For this Thanksgiving it was different from others because this year I couldn't have any friends over or my grandparents either. Usually on a normal Thanksgiving my friends, my parents' friends and my family would come over for dinner but this year because of covid that didn't happen. Something the same from the other years that happen would be the food, we had the same food we had last year, turkey, mashed potatoes, and more. I really didn't have to prep this year because we had no one over but I still had to help buy the supplies. This year was very different it wasn't as fun but I still got to spend time with my family.

This year's thanksgiving was not very different from other years. The only difference was that my mom's sister and her family did not come due to COVID-19. Everything else was the same. We had turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and Martinelli's. It didn't seem all that different this year.

The story is about how COVID-19 has affected the educational system.

Dana Adkins is a Mother that works at a summertime resort. She discusses how the pandemic impacted her job. Also discussed is how her children handled the changes to their routines.

A mother shares how coronavirus has impacted the life of her toddler. Her daughter's routine has drastically changed, and there is a lot of confusion when trying to explain what is actually going on in the world right now.

P.E.A.C.E. is an acronym for Partnerships in Education to Avoid Criminal Justice System Entry. The P.E.A.C.E. Afterschool Program, Inc., operates a year-round program consisting of an after school program where children are provided with free homework assistance, social/character development, academic enrichment and community service projects. Ongoing workshops engage cognitive skills that enable the students to say no to gangs. The program is spearheaded by Dr. Fayth Vaughn-Shavuo who sat down with us, and invited 5—which grew to 8!---children to tell their stories. Of particular interest is the words that the children used to talk about COVID. Warren felt it has been boring; Kaymauri was sad that she had to social distance while Fatamata was sad in the beginning of COVID, but is now kind of happy; Jahcai didn’t like that in school there is no more sharing of items/materials; Daniel mentioned being worried and also spending time watching YouTube and eating marshmallows. Jayvien mentioned having to survive and to be careful but not being able to feel anything. Ivrhim felt scared at the beginning of COVID but feels safe now, while Joshua feels annoyed and angry about COVID. Some bright spots: Kaymauri learned how to beat box! In the final interview, Dr. V mentioned the ways in which differences and inequities have been exacerbated by COVID, particularly the dependency upon internet and need to have access for children and everyone in a household. This is particularly a challenge in government housing and situations where there is only 1 device with a parent. Anyone interested in learning more about PEACE, can visit their website: https://www.peaceafterschoolprogram.org/

It was February 22nd, 2020 in what seemed like a very normal day for my family. We were on a club softball trip with my oldest daughter in bright and sunny Palm Springs California. We drove up to Palm Springs in the morning and watched my daughter play her regular three games. Nothing unusual for us, she’s been playing travel club for two years. After a quick shower and out the door to join the rest of her team for dinner, I turn around in the care and see my very active two year old son completely lethargic with very little response to us. I immediately began to tell my husband that we needed to find an urgent care because I knew looking at my son that he was not getting enough oxygen. Not being from California, I started to Google “urgent cares near me” I found one not too far away but I was told they did not take walk-ins and referred me to another urgent care across the town. Furious, my husband drives like a madman to the next urgent care. The nurse immediately took us to a room where she said to me that he needed to have a breathing treatment on the spot and his fever was 103 so they would be giving him fever-relief medicine. After about thirty minutes-a albuterol treatment and two different fever-relievers, we were released with the understanding that he had had a respiratory something (they couldn’t tell us what exactly it was), we were sent to get prescription. Well as unluck would have us, all of the near pharmacies were closed. We finally ended up at a Walmart, who was also about to close, where I finally lost it as mom, crying and begging the poor pharmacist to please fill my son’s prescription. Thank goodness she agreed, probably because of this sobbing mess that I was. Either that was enough. My husband made the executive decision to drive back home to Phoenix that night. Twelve hours from the time we first left AZ to we were on our way home. That Monday, we took my son to his primary care doctor who also couldn’t give us much of a diagnosis other than he was suffering from a very unusual respiratory virus. He was never tested for COVID-19, but my poor son was on breathing treatments for a week straight and his 103 fever finally broke….5 days later. At the follow up, in the beginning of March, we were told that my son probably had COVID-19, although testing was not really happening at this time. My son made a full recovery by the time our whole State and Nation shut down. But the experience I had with this virus was terrible and that day that I had with my son was the scariest moment I have ever felt as a mom. I am sharing this story because one, I want people to realize that this virus can affect children and that it has also been around for longer than people may have realized.

We are living in a world of crisis with COVID-19. trying to keep some type of normality for my daughter has been a little hard. Not being able to hang out with friends, not being able to go to the mall, amusement parks has been hard. Never the less I have found ways for her to have some type of normality (while practicing social distancing). We were able to travel to Arizona and visit family members, as well as visiting my parents in TX. While being there we were able to visit the NASA museum, Galveston Pier, and the zoo. We knew this school year would be different. Social isolation has impacted her in a good way let me explain. The last semester of 6th grade was not the best. She was dealing with a lot "teenage drama" which was affecting her school work. It was not her best semester but never the less she was able to get it together. As this new school year started she has been able to focus in her studies maintaining her grades up. I know its almost 3 months since school started but hey, I am optimistic.

This year has been really challenging for me and my family especially my kids who had to resort to online learning. As I started the spring semester with confident and some excitement as I was entering my last year at Brooklyn College, anxiety ,fear, and some what nervous because this is a crucial part of completing my degree. Some may think why are you so worried you should be happy you made it this far, but coming thus far and failing a class can mean one more semester and you not been able to graduate on time can get you pretty worked up. However while al this was going on in my mind the news break that COVID 19 has taken control of our lives and we have to resort to online learning. This was not the news I want to hear, when I have never taken online classes before ,and I must say its because online I hate. Not only that, I will now become my children teacher while in school myself and this was something that I have been concern about from the beginning of the pandemic until present. Though I have manage to pass my classes it is no secret that I have been overwhelmed, sometimes thinking that its too much to for one person to do in any given day. COVID 19 has bring mores worries and stress in my life than anything I ever experience, but I am determine to overcome COVID 19 and all its challenges.

COVID-19 had been set back after set back since March when colleges and universities closed. I was slightly behind as I was extremely ill, with what my doctors now believe was the coronavirus, in January at the beginning of the semester. I had been dreading this day since August when my summer classes had ended. I had to tell my parents. I didn’t know how so I had waited until I had relocated into Pittsburgh again and my transfer was complete into the pre-pharmacy program instead of the professional program. This pandemic and my lack of motivation had ruined my chances of going to pharmacy school. I watched my dreams slip one year further away. I had to tell them. I was supposed to be matriculating into the professional phase this year but here I am in my third year of college being stuck taking another year of college at an expensive private school. I had to tell them. Between getting sick and losing 15 pounds in two weeks and being stuck home for months, the pandemic had taken a serious toll on me physically and mentally. I had to tell them. I called my mom after she got out of work on September 2nd, 2020 and she could immediately tell something was wrong. I had been preparing myself to do this for almost a month and it still wasn’t enough to hear the disappointment in my mothers voice. My parents had never been anything other than supportive even when I made mistakes but here I was terrified of what might come of this. My parents and I discussed what my options could be, maybe I could concentrate on a minor while I take the last few classes I needed to continue into pharmacy school, or maybe I could take a gap semester and gain some experience in a hospital pharmacy. I cried and cried to my mom hating the fact she was disappointed in me and thought her and my dad would hate me. The next morning, after my mom had calmed down, I received the text message saying everything would be okay and as a family we would work it out. My family and I decided I would stay at Duquesne for the full year and I would work towards a business minor. I had to tell them and once I did I started to see the silver lining within the pandemic… I had never been as close to my parents as I was currently.

Sidewalk chalk art by children seen in Brookline, Massachusetts. The art says "Summer Is Coming!"; "Thank You Doctors And Nurses!"; and "Show You Care By Distancing!"

The Navajo United Way, Inc. received aid from the ASU/Luce Covid-19 Rapid Response project. Community served: Native American (Navajo) Project: Diapers, wipes, water, formula for Navajo children

Developmental milestones always throw off the routine. I deleted the “Wonder Years App,” so I couldn’t look up what is happening at about 30 months that makes it unlikely a child will nap, and very likely that they will cry and cling to you over the seemingly smallest of issues. It has been weeks of no naps or naps only in the car. This means that I don’t get my normal break in the day, when the 2yo naps for 2 hours and I can let the 6yo have her media time. This was our routine; this was when I got to knock out work in peace without interruptions. That precious window has been gone for weeks. Until today, finally for the first time in what feels like for freaking ever, Julian napped in a bed at home. Did I have to lie next to him to make it happen? Yes, was I anxious that it was too good to be true and he’d wake back up any second? Also yes. The 6yo, unaware that anything was different walked in the room and started chatting. I waved her away, and she ran off, presumably delighted that her media time was a go. The dog, ever aware that food was on the stove and that her dinner should occur in about 1.5 hours pushed open the door and trotted in. She’s stuck now. No one goes in or out until this nap concludes naturally. Maybe I shouldn’t be this worked up about a nap, but the extra layer of pressure has felt much more present ever since the school year started. There are more meetings to attend, and they all seem to last more than an hour. Emails can stress me out easily if they’re filled with questions. And the 6yo needs about 2-3 hours of support in the morning with distance learning and homework. Which is fine, that’s my job, I’m supposed to help her, but it also means that an important chunk of my workday is interrupted. And it’s hard to recover or snapback from constant interruptions. I feel like it's not possible to get it all done, and then I think...not getting it doesn't feel like a choice I can make. It all feels like it's my responsibility.

I began writing this book at the end of eight grade. I worked on it for two years until just this last April, and self published it completely independently at age 15. This book is about the hardships of a teenager's life, the darkness of existence. It focuses a lot on questioning society, it's structure and the way we function, as well as the darkness of an adolescent's life that we don't all get to see or experience. Publishing this book during quarantine was something I was as initially doubtful about seeing as the situation of our present is severe throughout the entire world. However, this book helped me personally through hard times in my life, and I felt as if publishing this book might help other people feel less alone in a time of fear and sadness. Thus, I published this book amidst the pandemic, and hope to provide a bit more light in a time of darkness.

This is the school my 6yo would have been at, if we had stayed in Idaho. One of the teachers got creative with the desk shields and decorated the students' desks to look like cars. The photo shows the students spaced a part wearing marsks and sitting behind their shields. It's so weird to see some schools already embracing in-person learning, when it feels like such a remote reality here in Tempe.

My 11 year old was not interested in doing a first day of school photo like we've done in the past. I get that it's embarrassing since "nobody else's parents walk around with big cameras." But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to preserve the moment for posterity, so I snuck a picture with my phone and cropped it afterward. I think the photo says a lot about the moment without words- the American flag, the masks, and the way the two girls are talking to each other while staying at least six feet apart. The flag represents, to me, the event that broke the idea of American exceptionalism for Americans in denial. Despite my prediction that Trump would screw up the response to the virus back in March, I was sure we'd be back to normal by the fall. I thought someone would get Trump to do the right thing. All I can say is I'm glad to live in one of the few states with strict rules that have brought our March and April infection rates low enough to have safe, hybrid, public education.

When first grade started virtually, I knew in 1 day that I’d have to homeschool my daughter. And while I know it’s the right thing to do for her, everyday I’m learning a little bit more about how to teach her. I started with the easy stuff, and even moved her schedule to Wed-Sun because I work full time and have to cook and clean and take care of a 2 year old, so sometimes it feels like there’s not enough time nor energy to get everything done. It’s not hard for me to get the literature curriculum up and running, but I’m lost when it comes how to teach math. I mean, I understand how it works, but I have no idea how to teach it effectively to a first grader who hasn’t done it before. I bought Cuisenaire rods in March thinking that I’d figure out how to use them over the summer. I didn’t figure it out. But, thankfully YouTube has some great videos that explain how to use and work with them. Yesterday we worked on addition, and today we started subtraction and it wasn’t hard or frustrating, it all felt kind of natural. So for the first time I’m feeling a lot better about teaching her until in-person classes start back up.

I know I’m not the only mom hurting right now. Many moms across the world in this period of uncertainty are hurting. We’re hammered with issues. Not being able to leave our homes the way we want to. Not being able to see our friends. The fear of sending our kids to school. Deciding if we should take a vacation to bring some normalcy back into our children’s lives. To improve our mental health. Financial stress. Stress about when this pandemic will end. Taking care of our children 24/7 without a break for the last five months. Caring for kids and working at the same time. Supervising our kids’ virtual lessons. Increasing anxiety and depression. The list goes on. This pandemic has brought so many moms to their knees. I see you hurting, exhausted, anxious moms. I see you running on empty. I see the toll that it has taken on our children and on our families. I want to offer some advice that I know I would appreciate getting. Next time you see a mother and want to offer support in a way that won’t kick her while she’s already down, rather than tell her to find a silver lining in this chaos that we are living in, simply respond with “I am here for you. We will get through this together. I know it’s hard.”

When her son returned to virtual learning last week, Jana Coombs saw him struggling. Her 5-year-old, a kindergartener at a school in Coweta County, Georgia, was so frustrated with the remote back-to-school experience that he put his head down and cried. Jana Coombs story is not unique; it’s the same story experienced by thousands of mothers who now find themselves running back and forth to their children’s computers trying to make sense of remote learning. This article is an accurate glimpse into the home of every mother with a school aged child and how their lives have been affected by Covid.

The coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter movement are two of the most important things in the US right now. This photo represents both of those things and it's important to me because I'm a young black kid who wants to live safely in a community where I feel comfortable. I, just like many others, have learned a lot about the history of injustice in America towards black people.

In this photo caution tape was put up around the playground to prevent any kids from going onto it as well as a sign that said that the playground was closed due to the corona virus. Generally during that time of the year (the spring) the playground is always inhabited with children and families. Usually in the afternoon, kids from the school behind it always played on it. The shutting down of schools and effort to prevent the spread of germs caused this playground to be also be shut down. It felt weird to me when I walked past the playground and the basketball court that was next to it, to see nobody there and it reminded my family of a ghost town. We walk past that playground almost every day and to see in empty was a weird and eerie sight.

Our family loves the outdoors. Since the birth of our first child, we have made it a priority to camp at least once each summer. We all look forward to this tradition as a time of togetherness as we disconnect from our busy lives, if even for just a few days. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, camping looks a bit different. But we decided to roll with it and continue our family tradition. Our first camping "trip" was in our backyard. And it was magical. We played and slept outside for 3 straight days. Our second camping "trip" was in our living room. Due the wildfires ravaging Northern California, we have been unable to even go outside for over a week. The kids were thrilled for this new camping experience. Despite the many challenges that 2020 continues to throw our way, the resiliency and positivity of my children remind me that everything will (eventually) be okay. And, yes, we did enjoy s'mores during our camping "trips."

The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked our world. We face new and unprecedented challenges daily. Amidst the chaos, I am doing my best to remind myself to lean into little moments of joy. I am a teacher with 2 elementary school aged children and a baby. Teaching my own classes, while facilitating remote learning for my children, and caring for a baby is difficult to say the least. Did I mentioned that I'm in graduate school? This past week, just when I felt that it was all more than I could handle, I captured the sweetest moment between sisters. While I can't wait to get back to life and school in actual classrooms, I know there are parts of this experience that I will miss. Moments like this are definitely one of them.

Turning twelve is a toast to tweens. To the parents, it’s a wistful goodbye to childhood. Before the March 16, 2020 enhanced community quarantine, two mommy friends and I were happily hatching a surprise party for our tweens. Our kids were childhood friends who shared the same birth month. Secret Viber invites were sent to the parents of their classmates and to close family. Then the news of the Covid-19 pandemic took over the headlines. Metro Manila was going to be on lockdown. The viber chat was shutdown with the cancellation of the party. The chicken nuggets and fries celebration was shelved. Michelle, Mika and Maddie would mark their memorable 12th year on this earth witnessing a global pandemic that would rock the world.

Maya's last day of swim class at the Cactus Aquatic center. I can't imagine what it's like to wear a face mask and swim, especially once that mask gets wet. All the lifeguards and instructors wear masks. It's sometimes 117 degrees when we're sitting on the pool deck and sometimes I feel like I can't breathe in the heat. I wish I could get in the pool, but instead the parents are sidelined. Fortunately, if you're actually in the pool you don't have to wear a face mask. The last class basically involved all the kids jumping off the diving board for half an hour. Were they social distanced? No, but I think we're all leveraging some sort of invisible balance where we try to be careful, but try to keep some activities/normalcy going in our kids' lives. Our next class starts in two weeks and I hope it's cooler. Maya graduated from the guppies class to sea turtles.

It's the book I started reading on the first day back to school

I was stuck at my grandparents for a month with my two brothers, sister, cousin, and my grandparents during the start of the first wave of COVID-19. We didn't really do anything but stay inside. When we first got there, we had to wipe off my PlayStation 4, PlayStation controller, Headset, and all of my PlayStation games. When we got groceries, we would wipe them off and let them dry overnight. The worst part about the entire thing was that I had to shut my PlayStation off a lot and had to be off at a certain time. It was upstairs so I couldn't try and play on it at night but I also got up at 8:00am or 9:00am for online classes that didn't even count as a grade.

Everything with COVID is different, there is alot that we need to do to prevent the spread of the virus. The spread is vapid, friends are getting it, family members are getting it. We were under quarantine for quite some time, and we were doing virtual learning. The virtual learning was rough, everyone was unprepared for the situation. Not only was the virtual learning hard, but so was maintaining your mental health. Staying home and not having much interaction with people other than your family is a bit rough. You will want to keep yourself occupied, and that can by with anything, drawing, going for a walk/run, watching TV, cooking/baking. Anything to keep you entertained and active in some type of way. This quarantine has been far from easy but it is what needed to be done for the sake of everybody's health. The world is going to be different for quite sometime now, the masks and social distancing seem to be the new normal for a while. But until that's over with everyone has to just do their part so this can all end faster. Washing your hands, not touching your mask unless you've sanitized, putting your mask somewhere clean when you take it off such as a zip lock bag, and getting a new mask everyday. You have to do your part the right way or it won't work, you'll just be cross contaminating germs and you will end up getting sick.

I think this is a great article that shows the resilience of people during trying times. The Hern family in Texas was all ready for their trip to Disney when Covid struck and cancelled their trip. They would not let that get them down through, this video shoes not only their love for Disney but their creativity and positive attitude while they recreated what their trip might have looked like. This is such a great depiction of not allowing social distancing to change your positive life, of going with the flow and making the best of a tough situation.