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Dear Class of 2021,

Some of you guys know me as I had classes with some of you, were in the club that I lead with two of you, or from Track and Field. I was in the class of 2020 and now a freshman at Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York.

This has been a nightmare of a year, as the pandemic is continuing, as well as other horrific events. One thing I know for sure is that you will be OK, we will get through this and the year of 2020 will come to an end, despite what the TikTok memes say.

You guys are lucky to have hybrid learning this year, as many schools across the country won’t be able to do any in person learning at all. I know you guys hear the same old stuff like: “Quarantine makes us realize how important these cancelled events are to us,” but to add onto that, it makes us realize that school is important, especially learning in person, in a classroom with a teacher and other students. Even though your classes are smaller, you guys can see some of your old classmates again, after months of remote learning. 

Class of 2021, you guys played a great part of my life. When I was a junior, my Chinese class was just me and 11 students from your grade. No offense to my graduating class, but it was nice to break away from my grade a little bit and have a class with people from another grade. I liked meeting some of you from Track and Field and thanks for supporting me through it. Also, thank you to the people who helped with Empty Bowls, the club I helped lead. 

I know you didn’t imagine school being like this in 2020, and I know you were looking forward to many events in your senior year. I heard it was crazy what was going on with sports, as well as extracurricular activities.

Hopefully there can be some fun to be had with the beginning of your senior year, even though it may involve virtual or social distancing protocols. I hope you guys will be safe and healthy, as that can help quarantine end faster.

Hopefully during the 2020-2021 school year, we will be out of quarantine and can have as many senior events as possible (again, in person). I hope you’ll enjoy your school year, and good luck with the SATs, ACTs, college apps and AP exams this year. 

Thank you for being a great part of my life.

Matt Goldfarb
Hall High School Class of 2020