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Mrs. Ferraro |
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Week of February 29, 2008 Candy GramsThanks to everyone who donated their time and candy for the 4th grade fundraiser-Valentine’s Day Candy Grams! The fundraiser was a huge success and we could not have done it without you! Florida Writes! & FCAT Congratulations to you and your child—the Florida Writes assessment is over! Students worked extremely hard to prepare for this test and I am very proud of their accomplishments & growth! As a reminder, the FCAT will begin on March 11th and continue until March 25th. The 4th Grade will test March 11th-13th and again on March 19th-20th. I appreciate your continued support and patience—I promise the work load will lighten up in a few short weeks J Volunteer Appreciation Week The week of February 18th was volunteer appreciation week. I would like to express a personal note of thanks for all you do. Odds & Ends
Congratulations Artists! Ava, Beverly, and Laurie’s artwork has been selected for display in Talbot’s main hallway for the entire month of March. When visiting the main office, be sure to check out their incredible masterpieces!Trees for Life Our classroom has been cordially invited to participate in a school wide celebration of Arbor Day. For a donation of $20.00 a tree will be planted in our homeroom’s honor. I am excited about this environmentally friendly fundraiser and look forward to discussing the ways our contribution will enhance our community. If you would like to contribute to our class tree, please send money in a sealed envelope labeled "Tree Donation" with your child’s name. Any donation from .25 cents to $3.00 would be greatly appreciated by March 10th.WEEK OF FEBRUARY 8, 2008 Florida Writes!After 25 weeks of hard work—the Florida Writes! is finally here! I am proud of the students’ growth and I am confident that they are well prepared for this test. Please do all you can to provide your child with a good night’s rest and healthy meals before each test day. Also, please be sure your child arrives to school ON TIME Tuesday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 13th. Testing will begin at 8:00 am SHARP. Students arriving after 7:50 will need to complete the test during the make-up day. More About the Florida Writes! Testing The 4th grade FCAT Writing Assessment will take place on Tuesday, February 12th and Wednesday, February 13th. Fourth graders will take for the writing test on Tuesday and the "Writing Plus" section (punctuation, language, grammar, content, etc.) on Wednesday. This is an important assessment for our 4th graders and is only part of the full FCAT testing. Today your child will be coming home with his or her entire writing portfolio that they began creating the second day of school. Please take the time to go through this binder and ask them questions about the work they have done-- it is truly remarkable! In addition, I will be sending home a mandatory "Florida Writes! Writing Homework" assignment to be started over the weekend. I can't stress enough the importance of this assignment and will strongly encourage all students to take time out of their busy schedules to study. Kindly initial this sheet each night once your child has completed the assignment.Valentine’s Day As you know, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner! On Wednesday, after the Florida Writes!, we will construct special Valentine bags to hold our special letters and treats. If your child decides to deliver Valentines, I require that he/she bring enough for EVERY child in the class. A class list was distributed earlier this week and is located in your child’s planner. Due to FCAT testing, I would appreciate it if students DID NOT bring in their treats or cards on testing days. They are welcome to bring them in on Monday or Thursday of next week. Some have expressed an interest in providing candy or a small treat for the children. You are certainly welcome! 50 State Test Due to heavy FCAT Testing there will NOT be a 50 State Test during the months of February or March. Our next test is scheduled for April 16th ODDS & ENDS Next Literature Connections Our next literature connections book is either Bunnicula or Cryptid Hunters. Students need to read and take the AR test by February 27th to participate in the activity on February 29th Candy Grams Thanks to everyone who has donated their time and candy for the 4th grade fundraiser-Valentine’s Day Candy Grams! The fundraiser is always a huge success and we couldn’t do it without you! THANK YOU!PICNIC TABLE LUNCH WITH MRS.FERRARO Weather depending, students have the option of bringing their bagged or school lunch out to the picnic tables on Thursday, February 14thUF Science Engineering Field TripOn Tuesday, February 19th the Fourth Grade will be heading to the Science Engineering Fair on the UF campus. We will leave the Talbot campus at 9:15 a.m. and return at 12:00 p.m. We will have lunch when we return to school. Please pack your child a lunch that day since we will miss the scheduled lunchtimes in the cafeteria. Many thanks to all the families that offered to donate snacks or drinks. You are free to donate anything that you think the kids may enjoy. I do ask that we stay away from snacks loaded with sugar or soda. Donations may be dropped off anytime after the Florida Writes! (February 14th or 19th) Although our 2 bus chaperone spots are filled, all parents are more than welcome to follow the busses from Talbot or meet us at the UF’s Reitz Union around 9:30 AM. Admission is free and the more the merrier J Science Transition The week of February 19th, we will begin science instruction. The first chapter we will introduce is the "Properties of Matter." Students will learn how to identify and compare different states of matter. We will also focus on how matter is measured and how matter can be combined physically and chemically. A wonderful letter will be coming home with your child on Thursday, February 14th detailing the change in emphasis from writing to science instruction. As always, please contact me with questions or concerns.Week of January 25, 2008 Florida Writes! The Florida Writes! assessment is continuing to approach quickly. I hope you are able to look over the writing packet that was sent home today or during parent-teacher conferences. It is an informative packet that will be very helpful to both you and your child. Please feel free to contact me in the coming days with questions or concerns regarding the exam. Students have worked very hard this semester and I am very proud of all they have accomplished.Candy GramsThe Fourth Grade has started to prepare for our only fundraiser of the year- - Valentine’s Day Candy Grams! This is a 4th grade tradition and has always proved very successful. However, it’s also quite labor intensive. We are looking for some kind-hearted grown-ups who are willing to stuff Ziplocks with candy, staple on labels, etc. If you are available to pitch in, please drop me an e-mail as soon as possible. Coordinators of this fundraiser will contact you to confirm the dates/times you may be available. Next Literature Connections The next literature connections book is either Bunnicula or Cryptid Hunters. Students need to read and take the AR test by February 27th to participate in the activity on February 29th.50 State Test Due to heavy testing in the coming months and EXCELLENT test scores this week, we will not have another 50 State Test until April. I appreciate all the support and dedication you’ve provided at home. Talent Show Talbot’s Talent Show & Carrabba’s dinner will take place on February 7th. If you child would like to take part in the talent show or you would like to purchase tickets for this event, please return the bottom portion of the letter that went home on Thursday. Information about Talbot’s Silent Auction also went home on Thursday. Feel free to contact Rana Schafer with questions or for additional entries. WEEK OF JANUARY 11, 2008 Dear Parents, I hope your holidays were fun and relaxing. It is hard to believe that we are at the halfway point of the school year! At midyear, we have many successes under our belts and many new opportunities for continued learning and growth on the horizon. I am especially enjoying watching our children grow into more proficient writers. State Assessments- The Florida Writes! Assessment is quickly approaching (February 12th and 13th). In the coming weeks, I will be sending home several informative packets explaining the test and ways to help prepare. Please take the time to read and discuss these packets with your child. Also, with the onset of the second semester, a greater emphasis will be put on preparing for the FCAT. Please be on the lookout for FCAT style questions (multiple choice, short response, and long response) to be given for homework in reading and science.Parent Teacher Conferences- I will be holding parent-teacher conferences the evenings of January 15th and 16th. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call the main office (955-6716) Your help at home is greatly appreciated and is so important for your child’s success in school. Thanks for a great first semester. I look forward to another exciting and rewarding semester! WEEK OF DECEMBER 14, 2007 Class Raffle- Students have been working hard to earn Mrs. Ferraro’s fortune and on Monday, December 14th they will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets to win wonderful prizes and gifts for the holiday season. It should prove to be a day full of fun and excitement!Pizza Party Students have been working hard to fill a compliment jar and we are just a few cotton balls away. To celebrate, we will have a pizza and movie party on Tuesday, December 18th from 10:00-11:10. To cover the cost of the pizzas, drinks, snacks, and dessert an optional donation of $1-5 would be very much appreciated. Please place donations for the party in a sealed envelope with your child's name on it. Many thanks to Mr. Tillett who has offered to pick up our pizza order and deliver it to our classroom. If your child wishes not to eat pizza, he/she is more than welcome to bring a lunch or order a tray lunch to eat in the classroom. All parents are more than welcome to join our pizza party. Please send me an e-mail if you are interested in attending our "compliment celebration." Gingerbread Houses Thank you to all the families who contributed candy, graham crackers, and their time to build our gingerbread houses. The students are very eager to start decorating on Friday afternoon. Candy donations will be accepted any time from now until Wednesday. Winter Break As a reminder, there will be no school from December 20th -January 6nd. We will resume school on January 7, 2007! Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season and a happy 2008! Thanks for all you did this month…I know if was a busy one. I appreciate your support and generosity! WEEK OF NOVEMBER 30, 2007 Giving Thanks…Thanks to everyone for making our Thanksgiving celebration a day filled with fun and great food! Mock Florida Writes!Talbot has been selected as1 of the 3 elementary schools in the district to take part in a "Mock Florida Writes!" assessment. On Tuesday, December 4th and Wednesday, December 5th students will be given a similar version of the writing test they will take in February. Although these tests will help your child prepare for the official test, they will not be applied to his or her permanent record or writing grade.Please be sure your child arrives to school ON TIME. Testing will begin at 8:00 am SHARP and students who arrive after 7:50 will not be permitted into the classroom until testing has finished. FCAT Common Assessments-As part of our literacy and school improvement plans, all 4th grade classes will be administering "common assessments" in writing, reading, and math before the winter break. The purpose of these tests is to see what kids already know and therefore, help teachers focus whole class and individualized instruction. The World According to HumphreyLiterature Connection-Our first literature connection was a huge success! Students dressed like hamsters, ate hamster snacks, and ran through an obstacle course. Thanks to all the families that donated food items and volunteered their time to make this event possible. It was so much fun to be hamsters for an hour! 50 State TestsI have e-mailed November 50 State Test Scores to all parents. Feel free to contact me with questions or concerns. Due to the limited number of days in December and the FCAT Common Assessments, we will NOT be having a 50 State Test in December. Our next test will be January 23, 2008 Gingerbread HousesThe holiday season is quickly approaching and we would like to add some fun to this season by making gingerbread houses. If you would like to help assemble gingerbread houses for our class, please return the form that went home earlier this week. All materials will be provided and this project would involve approximately an hour of your time (12:45-1:45 p.m.) on either December 17th & 18th. On Wednesday, December 19th students will decorate the houses for one of our holiday activities. Kindly return gingerbread volunteer and donation request forms by December 10th so that I can begin organizing our special day.Interim reports go home on Tuesday. Please discuss this report with your child and feel free to contact me with any concerns or questions that you may have. I ask that all reports be returned with a signature within two school days. Pizza Party-We are working hard to fill a compliment jar with cotton balls before the winter break. If we are able to do so, we will celebrate with a pizza party during lunch. I’ll be sure to keep you posted! WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16, 2007
Thanksgiving Thank you to all the families who offered to donate food items or supplies for our Thanksgiving breakfast and dessert. We are very excited about this special day! Non-perishable items (cups, apple juice, toilet paper, etc.) can be dropped off anytime this week or next. Please bring in all other food items on Tuesday morning. If you have not signed up to donate an item and would like to, we still need rolls of toilet paper, a cranberry dish, and fruit (cut up apple slices, washed grapes, bananas, etc.) Feel free to send your child to school with an empty stomach on Tuesday...our day is sure to be filling!
4th Grade Literature Connections The World According to Humphrey-Friday, November 30th will be our next 4th grade literature connections activity. Students who read and passed the AR test OR paper quiz will dress like hamsters, eat hamster snacks, and run through an obstacle course. Please e-mail me if you would be willing to donate snacks for this event and you know your child plans on participating. We will nibble on sliced apple wedges, mini-carrots, and mini boxes of raisins before the big race.
WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2007 Thanksgiving Already!?!-The Thanksgiving holiday is fast approaching! On Tuesday, November 20th we will celebrate the holiday by creating seasonal crafts and sampling some of the foods eaten at the First Thanksgiving. Our day should be filling! We plan to have juice, fruit, and a pasty in the morning and several yummy desserts in the afternoon. If you feel you would be able to donate items, please return the attached sheet. I will be sure to confirm donations by the end of next week. 4th Grade Literature Connections-The World According to Humphrey Friday, November 30th will be our next 4th grade literature connections activity. Please remember that all 4th graders need to read this book and pass the AR testwith an 80% or higher in order to participate. Feel free to look back to the 4th Grade Handbook for more details 50 State Test-Our next 50 State Test will be on November 28th. Please feel free to go to the "LINKS" section in our class web-site to explore some wonderful sites to help your child prepare.
WEEK OF OCTOBER 29, 2007 Class AuctionReminder October 31st, your child will be able to trade in their Mrs. Ferraros Fortune for cool games, books, school supplies, treats, and much more at our first class auction. As many of you are aware of, Talbot is working hard to reduce the amount of sugar being distributed within classrooms. I support this effort and do not use sweets reward students on a daily or weekly basis. However, there are several treat items up for bid at the class auction. Please be sure to discuss this issue with your child and inform him or her if these are items you would rather they not bid on. THANKS! 4th Grade Literature Connections The World According to Humphrey- Friday, November 30th will be our next 4th grade literature connections activity. Please remember that all 4th graders need to read this book and pass the AR test with an 80% or higher in order to participate. Feel free to look back to the 4th Grade Handbook for more details.Team Spirit-Thursday, November 1st students are invited to take part in Team Spirit Day. All 4th graders are urged to show their support for their favorite sport team by wearing T-shirts, jerseys, etc. 50 State Test-Our next 50 State test will be tomorrow. Please check out our class website for great sites to help your child prepare. Changes in Transportation-If your child plans to ride a different bus, be picked up, or stay after school for an activity, you must send a note with specific directions. If I do not receive a written note, I must send your child home by his/her usual mode of transportation Odds & Ends I would greatly appreciate if candy and Halloween costumes could be left at home. Of course, my writing students taking part in the Vocabulary Parade will need to bring in their hat.
This week, Talbot will begin collecting items for our annual food drive. The 4th grade has been asked to donate cereal items and breakfast bars. Congratulations to you and your child for a wonderful first quarter. WEEK OF OCTOBER 19, 2007 ConferencesReminder-I will be holding parent-teacher conferences on October 23rd and October 24th until 5:30 PM. If I have not contacted you and you feel a conference would be beneficial at this time, please feel free to call the front office at 955-6716 to schedule an appointment. Halloween-The 4th grade team has decided not to have "Halloween parties" this year. I would greatly appreciate if candy and costumes could be left at home. Of course, my writing students taking part in the Vocabulary Parade will need to bring in their hat. Although we will not be having an official Halloween party, we will have a fun day due to our class auction and vocabulary parade. Class Auction-On October 31st, your child will be able to trade in their Mrs. Ferraros Fortune for cool games, books, school supplies, treats, and much more at our first class auction. As many of you are aware of, Talbot is working hard to reduce the amount of sugar being distributed within classrooms. I support this effort and do not use sweets reward students on a daily or weekly basis. However, there are several treat items up for bid at the class auction. Please be sure to discuss this issue with your child and inform him or her if these are items you would rather they not bid on. THANKS! Vocabulary Hat Parade-Our 1st annual Vocabulary Hat Parade writing project is due October 31st and will be incorporated into your childs writing grade. Please refer to the green sheet that went home earlier this week for more details. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. WEEK OF OCTOBER 12, 2007 Conferences-I will be holding parent-teacher conferences on October 23rd and October 24th. I will be contacting parents in the coming week if I feel a conference will be beneficial at this time. However, all parents are more than welcome to call the front office to schedule an appointment to discuss your childs progress. Class Auction-Students have been working hard to earn Mrs. Ferraros fortune and on October 31st, they will have the opportunity to trade it in for wonderful school supplies, books, toys, and prizes. If you would be willing to donate items, we would be very appreciative. It always proves to be a day full of fun and excitement! WEEK OF OCTOBER 5, 2007 Sea World-All 6 "official" chaperone spots for our Sea World trip on May 15th (tentative) have been reserved. If you are interested in being an "unofficial" chaperone, please contact me in April. Unofficial chaperones can follow the buses down to Orlando (several parents set up car pools last year.) You will need to purchase your own ticket, but then I will be sure to assist you in meeting up with your child's group. Good News!...Our Harcourt Math book is now available online! Just visit http://www.eHarcourtSchool.com and log in with your username and password. Please contact me if you do not already have your childs username and password and would like one. This website is a wonderful resource for getting help with homework, giving your child extra practice, and keeping you informed about what your child is learning. Million Minutes of Reading-Our class recorded over 20,000 minutes of reading for the month of September! Congratulations to Lydia Y. for recording over 5,000 minutes read! Thanks to everyone who participated--I am very proud of our accomplishment Talbots Book FairTalbots Book Fair will run October 8th-October 12th. Our class will visit the Book Fair on Tuesday, October 9th. Your child may use this time to purchase books or complete a "Wish List." I will let students with money return to the Book Fair during recess or Fun Friday. The PTA also invites families to attend the Book Fair in the 3rd grade Centrum Tuesday and Thursday night from 5-7 PM. WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2007 50 State Test- Our first 50 State test will be on Monday, October 1st. Please visit our class website over the weekend to help your child prepare. As a reminder, state names will be provided and spelling does not count. Corrected 50 State Tests will go home with your child by Wednesday. Please go over this test with your child and help reinforce states that he/she missed. Since I will e-mail you your childs score, you will not be asked to sign and return this test. The next 50 State Test will be given October 30th.Interim Reports- Interim reports were sent home with your child on Tuesday and were due back with a parent signature by Thursday. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concernsSea World Chaperones- We have 1 chaperone spot for our trip to Sea World remaining. If you are interested in serving as an official chaperone on May 15th please submit your request along with a payment of $70. Please note that chaperone spots are filled on a first come first serve basis.Frindle Literature Connections- Thanks to everyone who donated treats and games to our first literature connections activity of the year.WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2007 Interim reports will be sent home with your child on September 25th. Please discuss your childs progress with him or her and remember this is not an official report card. It is strictly used to avoid any surprises when reports cards are distributed. If your child receives a report that is unacceptable, they will have time to correct the problem before grades are distributed. Students have two schools days to return this report with a parent signature before they begin to lose Mrs. Ferraros Fortune. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. INDIVIDUAL AR GOALS-(Not applicable for students who see Mrs. Geiger.) This week you should have received your childs results from the recent STAR reading test and my "Accelerated Reader Guidelines." Please look over this information carefully and contact me with any questions you may have. Based on these results, your child has received an individual AR goal. My main goal of using AR is to reward, motivate, and most importantly, instill a love of reading! (The only AR test scores that will be factored into the reading grade are books read as a class during L.R.I. time.) Students who have reached or surpassed their goal by October 25th will receive a certificate, Mrs. Ferraros Fortune, and a coupon for a free pizza (part of the Book It! Reading Program.) Your help at home is greatly encouraged and appreciated. CLASS AR GOALA class goal of 2,000 AR points has been set for the 2007-2008 school year. If, as a class, we meet or surpass this goal we will celebrate with an AR party in May/June. 50 State Test-Our first 50 State test will be on October 1st. Please check out our class website for useful internet links to help your child prepare. WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 7, 2007 Community of Learners- As an educator, my goal is to prepare students so that they will be able to live in society with success, happiness, high self-esteem and a sense of self worth. We will spend a great deal of time throughout the year emphasizing to students the importance of treating others with respect and kindness. Similarly, the children will be encouraged to support each other in learning, while respecting the idea that we all learn at different speeds. We are all working together to reach our fullest potential while remembering that one childs best effort may look very different from the child sitting next to him or her. This diversity creates a rich classroom environment. Your help and support reinforcing our concept of "A Community of Learners" is very much appreciated. Open House -It was a pleasure seeing all of you again at Open House. I am very proud of the work our class has accomplished so far this year. Please do not hesitate to call or e-mail if you have any questions or concerns as the year progresses. Fourth grade will be a busy, exciting, and rewarding year for you and your child. Time for Kids- Thanks so much to all that sent in the $5 for the Time for Kids Magazine. Our subscription began this week. Field Trip Money- Information regarding our class field trips went home last week. The cost for the two trips, transportation, and a 4th Grade Talbot T-shirt is $65. Please contact me with payment concerns or if your child holds a seasonal pass for a reduced payment. Math Benchmark-Congratulations to Mikaila's mom for using the benchmark to correctly guess the number of M&Ms in the jar at Talbots Open House. Kids with Character- Each month one student will be chosen as the "Kid with Character" recipient. The winner will have his or her name and picture posted in the hallway for the entire month and in the classroom for the entire year. In addition, they will receive a special certificate, will be given Mrs. Ferraros Fortune, and will be recognized in our class newsletter. The "Kid with Character" is awarded to the student who has best exhibited the trait of the month. This years character traits are Respect, Responsibility, Honesty, Acceptance, Generosity, Cooperation, Perseverance, Citizenship, Self-discipline, and Caring. The character trait for the month of August is RESPECT. Frindle Literature Connections Friday, September 28th will be our first 4th grade literature connections activity. Please remember that all 4th graders need to read this book and pass the AR test with an 80% or higher in order to participate. Feel free to look back in the 4th Grade Handbook for more details. 50 State Test-Our first 50 State test will be on Monday, October 1st. Although we will do some preparation for this test in class, a majority of studying should be done at home. Please check out our class website for some useful links. The following excerpt is cut and paste from our "Back-to School" welcome letter. All 50 States Once a month, for the entire year, your child will be asked to correctly locate and label all of the 50 states (state names will be provided). Although this seems tedious at first, students quickly catch on and become very successful at this task. By the end of the year, students become excited to take these tests and are eager to note their improvement. I appreciate your patience and understanding with this assignment and promise that it will increase your childs confidence level and understanding as they begin U.S. History in 5th grade. Although our first test will not be given until October, it may be helpful to purchase flash cards, a U.S. place mat, puzzle, or a globe to begin practicing at home. I have included a blank map (same one used for testing) in this back-to-school folder to help your child begin preparing. (I always drop the lowest grade from the 1st marking period) WEEK OF AUGUST 27, 2007 Flip-flops- Administration is asking that students refrain from wearing flip-flops and open toed shoes to school. Book Orders- Our first Scholastic book club order went home this week. If you wish to place an order, please complete the order form and return it along with cash or a check made out to the book club by Tuesday, August 29th. Odds & Ends
WEEK OF AUGUST 20, 2007 I am happy to report that the school year has started off on a very good note. I am certainly anticipating a successful and exciting school year. Many thanks for all the wish list donations and classroom supplies. Your generosity is greatly appreciated! As always, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail (Ferrarme@sbac.edu) if you have any questions or concerns as the year progresses. I look forward to seeing you and your family again at Open House. Class E-mail Distribution List-I am in the process of putting together a mass e-mail list for our class. I think it will be very helpful in relaying important reminders and announcements from our class, the fourth grade, and the school. Please feel free to contact me if you would like to remove yourself from the list or have additional e-mail addresses you would like to add. Please note that I will be sure to send paper copies to all the families that do not have or use e-mail regularly. Homeroom Mom-Thank you for the remarkable number of responses to serve as a homeroom parentwe had 9 interested moms. I have asked Rana Schafer to serve as our homeroom mom and I have forwarded her all names of parents who are willing to help her out as needed. Thanks again! Morning Arrival -If students arrive before the 7:35 bell, they need to wait at the amphitheater, which is located by the cafeteria. There will be a 4th grade teacher there to supervise and release students to their class at the bell. Later this year, the "Morning Milers" fitness program will begin. Students have the option to walk or run in the backfield. It is a great way to jump start the day and get them exercising. Time for Kids-Thank you for sending in the $5 for the Time for Kids Magazine. We are close to 100%. Birthdays-If you would like to bring in a treat for your childs special day, please send a note to school several days in advance so that we can reserve a block of time to celebrate. Congratulations Top Tiger-Every Friday, starting next week, we will have a 4th grade Top Tiger ceremony at 7:35 in the amphitheater. Each teacher will recognize a "student of the week" and Top Tigers will get their picture taken as a group. Math DROPS in a Bucket-Starting Monday, your child will be assigned a Math Drops in a Bucket worksheet to complete for homework by Friday. Students may turn in this homework as it is completed. These weekly worksheets are required of ALL 4th grade students, even those who go to enrichment math. Odds & Ends
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