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During Spring Break, my family and I went to Universal Studios in Orlando. We had the most fun experience since the start of quarantine.

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I play chess from time to time, but during the pandemic I decided to improve my skills. I play chess with my family or online. I have beaten all my family member, but my dad is the only one that is equally matched to me and so it’s very fun to play against him. We play whenever he’s not busy or at work. Currently, I am 1 - 2 to him.

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I like to play my Nintendo Switch whenever I am bored. I play many different games on it such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. I like to play it with my friends and we 1v1 each other. I also play it with my brother or just by myself.

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To keep busy through the pandemic, I play mini basketball with my brother. Mini basketball is basically basketball with a tiny ball and hoop that you attach to any door frame. It is very fun and my brother and I play it almost every day. We play games such as H.O.R.S.E and 1v1.

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NASA wants to land on the Moon again and chooses SpaceX’s design for the carrier ship. This made me curious because I wondered why NASA didn’t choose Blue Origins.

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NASA’s drone, Ingenuity, took its first flight on Mars on April 19, 2021. This marked the first flight of an aircraft on another planet. I was happy when I heard the news because it is a big step forward for space exploration.

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President Joe Biden gave a State of the Union speech to Congress on April 28, 2021. I was surprised and exited because he stated the things he had on his agenda. Some of the things shocked me like the minimum wage becoming $15 as well as made me elevated for the future of the U.S.

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Sohail (My little brother)

Q: What is your least favorite part about COVID?

A: “My least favorite part about COVID is probably how we have to wear a mask when we go outside.”

Q: What events have you missed because of COVID?

A: “Some events I have missed because of COVID are the Math District Competition, and the Violin State Competition.”

Q: How do you cope during these times?

A: “I cope during these times by doing hobby’s such as playing Basketball and practicing Violin. I also spend some of my free time playing with my dogs.”

Q: What are you most excited for when COVID ends?

A: “The things I’m most excited for when COVID ends are not wearing masks, events not getting cancelled, getting to see all my friends (that are doing virtual), and finally getting to go on field trips.”

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Sophia (My older sister)

Q: What is your least favorite part about COVID?

A: “My least favorite part of COVID is seeing the horrible impact it has had across the world on the news every day.”

Q: What events have you missed because of COVID?

A: “I’m a senior at Heritage so I unfortunately missed out on some senior activities like Prom and Grad Bash.”

Q: How do you cope during these times?

A: “I have spent more time doing things I enjoy such as watching television shows, reading, and working out.”

Q: What are you most excited for when COVID ends?

A: “I’m excited to be able to go back to normal life without having to worry about COVID or be restricted by it.”

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Haiku - Life Right Now

Enduring through COVID
Hoping for this to all end
Getting crazier

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Chinese food is great and I love eating it. Some Chinese restaurants also look amazing, but the last thing you would want is to hear one of the chefs coughing in the kitchen.

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People want to travel and desperate to go out. However, hearing someone cough on your flight might make you panic a little bit.

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During April of 2021, I have started playing a new video game called Ori and the Blind Forest on my computer. It is a Microsoft Studios and Moon Studios game. It is a type of puzzle game with an open world and stunning graphics. It has become one of my favorite games to play and has kept me entertained for awhile.

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Me and my siblings, my brother and sister, have decided to do a Marvel Marathon. We are watching a Marvel movie every Friday and Saturday. We started last Saturday on April 24 and finished Captain America: The First Avenger. It was my first time watching it and I would say it was a very great movie.

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Personal Reflection Journal 3 - George Floyd’s Death

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Personal Reflection Journal 3 - George Floyd’s Death

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During the entire pandemic, there have been numerous protests and riots. The most famous one being George Floyd’s death. George Floyd’s death sparked one of the biggest protests for racism in history. It started at the beginning of the pandemic. People had pent-up anger from not being able to go out and see their friends and family. The economy was also declining and many people were getting enraged. When George Floyd died and the video of his death went viral, protests around the country started happening. Some of them were very big and even the national guard was called in at the White House in Washington DC. One of the most memorable protests was when tear gas was fired at the crowd so that Donald Trump could take a photo of him holding a Bible in front of St. John’s Church. The policemen were charged with the murder of George Floyd recently in April of 2021. This is very late but is better than nothing. I believe that the policemen were rightfully charged and that because of the pandemic, protests have increased across the country. This is a very major event in history because it is the only time that people have reacted this strongly to something since the Civil Rights Movement. I also think that racism is slowly but surely dying down and that George Floyd’s death has discouraged policemen from abusing their power.

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Personal Reflection Journal 2 - Recent COVID News

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Personal Reflection Journal 2 - Recent COVID News

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In recent news, the FDA expects to authorize the Pfizer vaccine for ages twelve to fifteen this week. This is extremely good news for me because I will finally be able to get the vaccine. Being immunized will make me feel relieved and I won’t have to worry about getting COVID every time I have to go somewhere. The CDC has also said that fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear a mask out in public. I think that this shows a big step towards the end of COVID, but I think that everyone should still wear a mask because you don’t know if a person has been fully vaccinated or not. It might also make you feel anxious and confused as to why they aren’t wearing a mask. Governor Ron DeSantis has also suspended all local COVID emergency mandates. This means that most places will be open and there will be no COVID-related restrictions. I personally think that this isn’t a very good idea, but it will make a lot of people happy. I believe that we should still be careful to lower the number of cases because we are in the top three states with the most cases in the U.S. In the end, I think that we are getting closer to the end of COVID but should still be cautious so that COVID cases and deaths do not increase.

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Personal Reflection Journal 1 - Online School

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Personal Reflection Journal 1 - Online School

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I have been doing online school since March of 2020. There are some challenges along the way, but I get through them. The main problem is being disconnected from the classroom as well as straining your eyes for a long period of time. You also don’t get out that much so that is also very bad. I have worked around these obstacles though. I relax after every period to relieve my eyes. I also get outside to breathe in fresh air and take in sunlight during lunch and after school. I am also very diligent and focus on the class that I am in instead of doing something else. These solutions help me get through online school, but I hope that I won’t have to do this again next school year. I have also learned from this to be adaptable and “go with the flow” instead of getting stressed out and panicking. I believe that even though COVID has caused so many horrible things, it has also brought about some great things. It has helped me become a better and more patient person. I think that this experience will also help me in the future because I will be calmer if an unexpected situation arises again.