I’m here to tell you it’s gonna be okay. Virtual school is hard, but it’s not impossible. Impossible would be losing you, Hills. Besides, we’re already one step ahead cause we have borrowed laptops and WiFi. I sold my bike for this month’s bill.

We’re the lucky kids, so try not to complain too much. There’s no playground or swings, but there’s good grass and you’re allowed to scream. And sing. As loud. as. you. want.

Your pyjamas are now your day-clothes. Just accept it. Comfort comes first. And, don’t skip showers. The water is sacred here and some people don’t even have it to drink.

Don’t insult the lunch lady. We need her. She makes breakfast and dinner, too. The caf can be a scary place, but you have to eat what’s on the menu. It’s not à-la-carte. You get what you get and you don’t get upset. If you whine, you have to meet with the nutritionist, and that is NOT fun. Lots of scary vegetables.

Don’t worry, there will be pizza parties.

Breathe. Blow on those cookies. They want you to be able to calm yourself down. We’ll take a day off to create a safe-place together using what we have. Your closet is perfect. It’s empty anyways. We’ll fill it with our homemade fidget toys and your mini piano. You can go there whenever you want, no questions asked.

If you can print it or draw it, ditch the digital. It’s fun to learn on paper, and you can hang it on the wall after — or mail it to someone lonely, like Nana and Baba. Besides, math without a tablet and pen is stressful, and we need less of that.

Don’t worry if you fall behind submitting work. Every new day is a fresh start, and you shouldn’t look backwards. It makes it too hard to walk ahead.

Don’t listen to the gossip. They’ll tell you your brain will turn to mush or your legs are gonna fall off if you sit on the couch watching too much YouTube. I know for a FACT your brain and legs will work for at LEAST two-and-a-half years of this, so. 😉

Leave the subtitles on, for everything. Mute your browser tab if you can’t concentrate on your work. Bring your chargers with you when you switch rooms. The IT guy doesn’t like searching for cords. He’s busy.

Keep your headphones ready. It’s supposed to be noisy — like school — but everyone has to take turns. I’ll mute when you need me to, if you do the same for me. Press Ctrl+D to do it quick.

If baking class is available, take it. They make you do a lot of math and measuring, but you get to lick the bowl. The oven timer is the school bell so listen for that, too. And don’t waste. There’s a Food Bank box in the garage and the guy across the street needs leftovers, okay?

Sing O Canada loud and proud, or else you’ll forget the words. Same with prayers. We need extra of those.

Scribble homework with marker on the front window. It comes off. It’s better to think outside the box right now. The box has COVID in it. That reminds me, I gotta go change the filter in your air purifier.

It’s okay to have your camera off. You don’t need a good reason right now. It’s a global pandemic. Ctrl+E to turn on and off your camera as much as you want. You’re still there. It’s going to be okay.

Raise your hand. Don’t interrupt. Say thank you before you Ctrl-W leave. I want to be a teacher someday and I know how hard they work. Plus, you don’t want Mom teaching again, trust me.

If you complain — to anyone — make sure you have one solution to offer.

Take two stairs at a time. Soon, they will seem so small.

Keep your hands to yourself. No fighting or pushing. The nurse is overwhelmed right now so we have to stay out of the office. I’ll keep asking people to donate blood for you, just in case you need it.

If you need to skip class cause you’re sick or sad, I’ll skip whatever I’m doing, too. The teachers take attendance, but the numbers don’t matter. The real present is that we tried.

You don’t have to follow my advice. The opposite might work better for you. Just remember, I’m always here for you, and I have a note here to remind me to tell you that every morning when you wake up. I know you need to hear it.

We don’t have much, but we have each other. We’ll figure out the rest later.

Giving up school for you was the easiest decision I ever made.

                Love always, your big sister, Alyssa

P.S. Look out for is this thing they call….leverage. It’s more like blackmail, but it works for everyone, so make as many deals as you can, first thing in the morning.