Silicon Valley Flex Academy PTO NEWSLETTER 610 Jarvis Drive Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Phone: 408.659.8088 Visit Our Website November 2014 UPCOMING EVENTS POGO Tournament, Raffle & Food Truck* http://svflexpto.org/ Giving Thanks IN THIS ISSUE Upcoming Events Pg. 1 Giving Thanks Pg. 1 Dates to Remember Pg. 1 PTO Mission Statement Pg. 2 PTO Board Members Pg. 2 Board Meeting Info Pg. 2 Without your support and kind donations, both monetary and your time, the PTO would not be able to execute the programs and events that we are able to do. It is our students who benefit from your generosity. New Guidance Counselor Pg. 3 November is Here Pg. 4 Recipes for Thanksgiving Pg. 5 Night to Remember Pg. 6 Book Smart Event Pg. 7 2nd Annual Walk-a-Thon As we gather with our own family and friends this month to celebrate Thanksgiving, we are reminded of how thankful we are for the people in our lives and our children’s lives. Walk A Thon Info Pg. 8 Friday, November 21 9:00 am – 11:00 am Location: SV Flex Academy Walk A Thon Shirts Pg. 9 We are thankful for our Community and their willingness to: Walk A Thon Pledge Sheet Pg. 10 * Take a look in the mirror, knowing that real family, school, and community change begins in each of our hearts and minds. Sports News & Pics Pg. 11 Volleyball Club & Imp. Notice Pg. 12 * To embrace the future of education and to be role models for others. Winter Ball Pg. 13 Flex Student Projects Pg. 14 Photos & Thank You Pg. 15 Photos Pg. 16 Monster Bash Photos Pg. 17 Student of the Month Pg. 18 Health & Wellness Corner Pg. 18 Teacher Profile of Month Pg. 19 Submission Info Pg. 19 Administrator Contact Info Pg. 19 Friday, November 7, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm Raffle held at end of the night. *Food starts serving at 5:30 pm. Location: SV Flex Parking Lot Meet & Greet with Teachers/Staff Friday, November 7, 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm Location: SV Flex Parking Lot BookSmart Book Fair November 15, 10:00 am – 8:00 pm Location: 80 E 2nd St, Morgan Hill, CA Community Solutions Book Drive November 15th-21st Location: SV Flex Lobby M.S Winter Ball Friday, December 12 6:30pm – 8:30pm Location:: Morgan Hill Grange, 40 E. 4th Street, Morgan Hill, CA 95037 Dates to remember NOV/DEC November November 11 Veterans Day – No School November 21 Minimum Day November 24-28 Thanksgiving Break December December 16-18 Finals (min days) December 19 Staff Dev. DayNo School December 22-31 Holiday Break – No School November is the month we celebrate Thanksgiving with our friends and family and give thanks. As you and your family reflect on what you are thankful for; we, the SV Flex PTO are thankful for our school and our wonderful families that make up our school community. School * We are thankful for children, parents, caregivers, educators, and coaches dedicated to working collaboratively to promote a supportive and encouraging environment, from home to school, that our children can thrive in. As our families share Thanksgiving together this month, we will be giving thanks for each of you, for the change we’ve already sparked together as a model school for the future, and for the exciting things in store for not only Silicon Valley Flex, but the whole of Education as well. Have a great November and see you here next month! Gina Hoppa SV Flex PTO Vice President. 1 PTO Board Members SV Flex PTO MISSION We support the Students & The Staff! The SV Flex Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) is an organization whose purpose is to strengthen, enhance and encourage the educational and social environment of Silicon Valley Flex Academy. Its goals are to complement the school curriculum with additional opportunities for parents, teachers and students to learn, socialize, communicate and grow. It serves as a liaison between teachers and parents with one common goal in mind: to provide our students with the best educational experience possible. We strive to work effectively with the administrators of SV Flex to ensure quality education; and promote the welfare of children in home, school and community. What does this mean for your family? It means that we, as an organization, are continually looking for ways to enhance your family’s experience at SV Flex. It also means that the administrators of the school know that they have somewhere to turn when they need a job done. The key to keeping the PTO a successful organization is the involvement of the entire school community. Your time and energy are the only limitations to the extent that you would like to be involved. PTO PRESIDENT PTO VICE PRESIDENT SECRETARY TREASURER HOSPITALITY COORDINATOR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Rob Anderson rob@svflexpto.org Gina Hoppa gina@svflexpto.org Sally Reynolds Lily Weiss lily@svflexpto.org Kathy Barraza kathy@svflexpto.org Noreen Romero noreen@svflexpto.org VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR Samantha Foster HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS Charlotte Kashani Tracy Cloutier YEARBOOK SPIRIT WEAR & WEBSITE MUSIC DIRECTOR PARENT REPRESENTATIVE PTO SUPPORT PTO SUPPORT Marieke Ruys Dagmar Wartenberg dagmar@svflexpto.org Shelli Bettencourt shellibettencourt@yahoo.com. Kathlyn Greubel Carla Carillo Meloney Saber Join the Flex Parent’s Group on FB Flex Parents' Group (Unofficial) Silicon Valley Flex Academy PTO BOARD MEETING INFO: : PLEASE JOIN US! Next Open Board Meeting: Wed. November 5, 2014 7 P.M. at the FLEX CAFÉ. Have You Volunteered yet? We are always looking for volunteers and any help is always welcome and greatly appreciated. We have many openings for traffic control shifts. The PTO needs help throughout the year with our sponsored family gatherings & community events. The teachers at SV Flex welcome help from parents with supervision in the learning labs. Sign up to volunteer at WWW.SVFLEXPTO.ORG Click the “I Want to Help” Button For sign up opportunities. 2 SV Flex Welcomes Cindy Truong to our School! Here is an introduction and message from our new Guidance Counselor. Dear Parents and Guardians, Hello! My name is Cindy Truong and I recently joined the Silicon Valley Flex Academy family as the Guidance Counselor. I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a bit more about myself and how I will be working with your students this school year! I received my Bachelor’s Degree from University of California, Davis in Sociology and International Relations. Shortly after, I joined AmeriCorps where I moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to become an academic counselor, residential advisor, and mentor for a nonprofit organization that provides at‐risk children with stable homes, education, and financial and emotional support. It was during that time that I discovered my passion and I made the decision to spend my life working with students and families. I went on to earn my Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology: School Counseling from University of San Francisco. As a School Counselor, my primary responsibility is to promote the academic, personal, and social development of all students. I look forward to offering support to the students, staff, families and community. I will be meeting with students individually, meeting with parents, collaborating with teachers and staff, and consulting with community organizations to benefit and meet the needs of all SV Flex Academy students and families. Any student can request to meet with me or they can be referred by a teacher, administrator, or parent. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions, concerns, or just to say hello. I am here to help students achieve their goals, as well as provide support for parents and teachers. I can be reached by Kmail or ctruong@svflex.org or phone at 408‐659‐8088 ext. 2006. I am looking forward to working closely with you in an effort to ensure that your child has a successful school year! Warm Regards, Cindy Truong 3 Do you feel the crisp cold air? Is there a delicate breeze blowing in your hair? Are you glad the heat of summer is fading? Are you looking forward to snuggling up in front of the fireplace? You must have noticed the trees swaying to and fro dropping colorful leaves all over the ground. It must be NOVEMBER! November is of course the month most known for hosting the holiday Thanksgiving. However, there are so many more fun facts and history to the 11th month of the year. How about a little trivia out how November? You never know when you’re going to be on Jeopardy, right? In the Georgian calendar, the calendar that most of the world uses, November is the eleventh moth of the year. However, in the early Roman calendar, it was originally the ninth month. It got its name from the Latin word "novem" which means nine. It later became the eleventh month when the Romans added in January and February to the start of the year. The month of November is host to many holidays and events. Pearl Harbor Day & Veterans Day fall in November too. It is the month that the United States holds elections. Daylight Saving Time ends. Enjoy the “Fall Back” and the extra hour of sleep. In addition, November happens to be: Tobacco Awareness Month, National Novel Writing Month, National Beard Month, Diabetes Awareness Month, National Native American and Native Alaskan Month, Good Nutrition Month, Aviation Month, National Stamp Collecting Month, National Pomegranate Month, National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, Alzheimer’s disease Awareness Month and National Peanut Butter Lover’s Month. November’s Birthstone is Topaz and Citrine. The flower of November is Chrysanthemum and if you were born in November, your zodiac sign is either Scorpio or Sagittarius. Want to learn a little more about your November zodiac sign? Check out these charts for some more information. If you ever do make it onto the show Jeopardy and they have a NOVEMBER TRIVIA category, you will most definitely sweep it! And if you happen to win; you will share the wealth, won’t you? 4 Hint: It wasnt Turkey, Stuffing or Yams. Unlike today’s traditional American Thanksgiving feast consisting of turkey, stuffing, cranberry, etc.; the original Thanksgiving menu most likely consisted of the following items: Seethed [boiled] Lobster, Clams, Roasted Goose, Fricase of Coney, Pudding of Indian Corn Meal with dried Whortleberries, Seethed Cod, Roasted Duck, Stewed Pumpkin, Boiled Carrots, Grilled Green Beans, Roasted Venison with Mustard Sauce, Savory Pudding of Hominy, Fruit and Holland Cheese and Soup. Feeling adventurous? Try out one of these recipes that was probably enjoyed at that first Thanksgiving dinner. One is a traditional Indian dish, Game Fowl Sobaheg. Sobaheg is the Wampanoag word for stew. Like most stews, this dish is easily adapted to seasonal ingredients. The ground nuts help to thicken the sobaheg. Variations of this dish are still made in Wampanoag country today. The other is a delicious Pilgrim recipe for pumpkin, known as "pompions" to English people in the 17th century (as were all squash.) It is one of the earliest written recipes from New England. Spice up your Thanksgiving meal and surprise your guests with some authentic food! Enjoy and have a great Thanksgiving with your family and friends. Autumn Game Fowl Sobaheg (Modern recipes use Turkey) The original recipe doesn't mention salt, but you may want to add 1 1/2 teaspoons to suit modern‐day palates. 1 cup dried beans (any kidney‐shaped beans) 1 cup coarse corn grits 1 pound turkey meat, with bone and skin 1/4 lb. green beans, trimmed & cut into 1 inch‐lengths 2 1/2 quarts water (10 cups) 1 cup winter squash (acorn, hubbard or sweet dumpling), peeled and cubed 1 cup Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cubed (optional) 1/2 cup walnuts, chestnuts or sunflower seeds, pounded or ground to a flour dried onion and/or garlic to taste Combine beans, corn, venison and water in a large heavy‐bottomed pot. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat and turn down to a low simmer. Cook for several hours. Stir the stew occasionally to prevent sticking. When beans and venison are tender, stir in the squash and Jerusalem artichokes and simmer gently until they are done, about 30 minutes. Add nut flour, stirring until thoroughly blended. Makes 4 dinner‐size servings or 8 smaller servings. (*This recipe is also very adaptable and a good way to use leftover turkey. Just add the leftover turkey instead of fresh meat. Substitute chicken broth for the water in the recipe above.) Stewed Pompion (Pumpkin) 4 cups of cooked pumpkin or squash, roughly mashed (An easy method of cooking pumpkin – cut into large cubes, place in a vegetable steamer and cook, covered for 25 minutes or until tender) 3 tablespoons butter 2 to 3 teaspoons cider vinegar 1 to 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ tsp of nutmeg (Optional) In a saucepan over medium heat, stir together pumpkin and butter. When the butter melts, and you’ve mixed it through, add cider vinegar. Again, mix it through. Now add ginger and salt. Mix a little more and taste. Is it too tart? Add more vinegar if you’d like, a half tsp at a time. A little flat? Add more spice, a tsp of cinnamon or a half teaspoon of nutmeg. Still too tart? Add a little more butter, a tsp at a time. Serve it hot with just about anything. 5 Reminder that POGO signups are due! We still need players! Please have your sign up slips in by WEDNESDAY so we can Properly set up the tournament! Come on and join the fun! 6 November 15, 2014 10:00am – 8:00pm 80 East 2nd St. Corner of 2nd St. & Depot St. Historic Downtown Morgan Hill, CA 95037 We have partnered with the Morgan Hill BookSmart in an effort to provide books for Community Solutions. Community Solutions is a comprehensive non‐profit human services agency serving South Santa Clara County and the surrounding areas of South San Jose and San Benito County. Since 1972, we have responded to the growing and changing needs of our community, serving several thousand people from young children to older adults each year. Offering a variety of programs and services for children, youth, adults, and older adults. Programs include mental health services for all ages, support for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking, and housing programs for clients facing mental health and other challenges. Each year Silicon Valley Flex Academy has donated books from the BookSmart Book fair to this local community service group. Join us in purchasing books for yourself, family, or they make Great Christmas Gifts, the proceeds made from these sales will go towards purchasing books for Community Solutions. Or purchase books for Community Solutions, Flex Volunteers will be on site to gather your donations. Thank you for helping the Silicon Valley Flex Academy in supporting such a wonderful local program. Benefitting 7 Dear Flex Families, Our 2nd Annual Walk a Thon is coming up! The event will take place on November 21, 2014 between the hours of 9:30am – 11:30am. Each student will be given a pledge sheet. Students securing a minimum of $25.00 in pledges will receive a free shirt. To qualify for the free shirt, the pledge sheets are due back by 8:00pm on November 7. Helpful Hint: Turn them in at the Pogo Tournament and Raffle! Please be sure to get your pledge sheets in soon! We are very excited not only to raise money for our school, but to have some fun with the students! There are some important rules for the students, and these will be reviewed again on the day of the walk-a-thon with them. 1. All students must be wearing appropriate clothing for this event, tennis shoes, shorts or sweat pants, walk a thon t-shirt if you turned in your form in time to receive one and pledged to collect a minimum of $25.00. School dress code will be enforced. 2. All students must stay on the path at all times. Anyone found off of the path will immediately be taken back to the school. 3. Once the time is up, turn in your lap cards, and collect your pledge sheets. 4. Go grab a treat and meet up with your fellow student walkers! Please be advised that the carpool line will be stopped at the school driveway until 11:45am. The parking lot will be closed for volunteers to park only. Please do not park in the neighboring parking lots as we have agreed that we will NOT DISTURB their businesses at any time. Get into line and we will get the line going as quickly as we can! Thank you in advance for your cooperation, let’s have fun! Best Wishes, Gina Hoppa PTO Vice President Parent Volunteers needed for this event! We need help to monitor the track, hand out water and cheer on the kids! Can you help? Please sign up at: http://www.volunteerspot.com/login/entry/865514574077 Or simply scan the QR code to the right with your phone. November 21, 2014 8 Introducing our 2014 Walk-A-Thon Shirts! Do you own a business or know someone local who does? For a flat monetary donation, your business will be printed on the backs of our official Walk A Thon shirts. Great advertising for you and an opportunity to help our wonderful school. For a $500+ donation, your business name or logo will be printed prominently across the top of the shirt in a large font size. For a smaller donation of $100+, your business name is printed in medium font size on the shirt. For a minimum of $50, families or individuals will have their names printed in a smaller font on the shirt. For more information or questions, please email gina@svflexpto.org. All checks should be made out to “SV Flex PTO” Deadline to have name printed on T-Shirt is 12pm on November 10th Unable to donate financially? How about volunteering your time? We are in Need of parent helpers the day of the event. Please refer to the flyer on the Walk A Thon in this newsletter for details on how you can volunteer. Thank you and let’s make this a very successful event. 9 Silicon Valley Flex 2nd Annual Friday November 21st, 2014 from 9:30am to 11:30am MY PERSONAL GOAL IS TO RAISE $___________ T‐shirt Size (circle one) S M L XL Student ______________________________ Grade: ________ Pledge Sheet due back by Friday, November 7th. Sheets will be handed back to participants after the walk on Friday, November 21st, 2014...The total laps will be added and the amount to collect will be on the sheet. Free T‐shirt for walkers who collect at least $25 in promised pledges. To qualify for free T‐shirt, pledge sheets must be turned in by 8:00pm, November 7, 2014. (Helpful Hint: Turn them in when you attend the Pogo tournament and raffle!) Name Flat Amount Amount pledged per quarter mile Amount Collected TOTAL COLLECTED: Make Checks payable to SV Flex PTO. Money due to SV Flex by December 1st, 2014. 10 Silicon Valley Flex Sports News Hello Flex Middle School Students and Families! We are kicking off our next season of sports. Boys Soccer and Girls Basketball. Boys Soccer will be coached by Coach Janssen and Assisted by Ms. Gitchev. We still need more players! Our first practice will be on 11/4 at Gavlan Park! Girls Basketball will be coached by Coach Brandy and Assisted by Ms. Squires. Both teams are still seeking players! We need signups quickly as our first games will be begin the week of November 10th! You can sign up or contact me with any questions at nyromero2@gmail.com Thank you everyone for your continued support! Noreen Romero SV Flex Athletic Director SV Flex "End of Season Team Party" For Flag Football and Girls Volleyball Congratulations on a great 1st Season! 11 Dear Flex Families, Here is information for an exciting Club Volleyball program we will have starting in Morgan Hill next month. We have openings for 39 female players ages 11‐14 to try out for one of three competition Volleyball teams that will play in the Northern California Volleyball Association from January‐May. We are making as much room as possible for any players that have a love and excitement for Volleyball to be trained by 3 amazing and experienced coaches! Lots of detailed info on our website! We hope to see Flex girls at tryouts! TRYOUTS: November 10th 4pm @Crossroads Gym (register through our website) $5 Website: http://www.morganhillvolleyball.weebly.com Contact: soberg@ccsmh.org Important Notice on Girls Basketball Attention Middle School Girls, Due to the lack of sign ups and the inability to obtain a facility to practice in. The Girls Basketball will be cancelled. Coach Brandy, Ms. Squires, and I are very sorry. BUT!! NEXT UP IS GIRLS SOCCER STARTING IN JANUARY! 12 Our Next Dance will be here before you know it! Look for signup sheets & permission slips later. 13 Great Work Flex Students! A Gallery of Projects by SV Flex Students 14 PTO Sponsored Staff Luncheon October 17, 2014 Thank You Volunteers! To everyone who helped with the PTO sponsored Staff Luncheon. The PTO was able to provide our hard working teachers & administrators with an impressive & varied menu with salads, chicken, cheese, bread, fruit & more! A Very Special Thanks to those who donated items & their time: Anna Castillo Barbara Estrada Barbi Theroux Carla Carrillo Carol Moran Celia Mayes Deborah Gustlin Heather Lawler Kate Gillis Kathy Barraza Laura Kelly Lily Weiss Liz Johanson Lourdes Serpa Lucia Santucci Mary Drottz Megan Sweatt Nilda Walde Priscilla Gitchev Sue Jeske Teresa Steengrafe Tracy Meloney Saber Andrew Lu Mikhail Tchernyvhev Todd, Lisa, Nicole & Derek Nelsen November Luncheon Announcement Thanks to donations from our wonderful flex parents, the PTO sponsored Staff Appreciation Luncheons have been a phenomenal success these past months! We, the PTO, sponsor a luncheon once a month for our hard working teachers and staff. In November, the luncheon date falls on the 21st, which happens to be the same day as our annual walk a thon. To save on set up time and logistical challenges, we are planning on purchasing a pre‐made lunch rather than try to organize our usual themed luncheons. To donate a lunch to a teacher or two, please visit our website www.svflexpto.org and click on the PayPal donation button set up specifically for this luncheon. A single lunch costs $14.00 and you may select to donate 1, 2 or 3 lunches. We appreciate all of our flex parents who donate items and their time. Happy November, Everyone! For future luncheon donations or if you have any questions about the Teacher Appreciation Luncheons in general, please contact our Hospitality Coordinator, Kathy Barraza at kathy@svflexpto.org. 15 Thank You to Everyone who came to the PTO Mixer on October 29, 2014. Great Food! Great People! Getting to know Each other! And the Giants Won the World Series that night! High School Dance Mama Mia’s October 17, 2014 16 Best Costume! Parent Volunteers Monster Bash the Sequel October 24, 2014 A Scary Good Time! Special Thanks to Anya Castillo for organizing the dance. 17 Student Profile of the Month Hi, I'm Christina Anderson. I'm 15 years old, and a sophomore in high school. I am a Student Ambassador here at Flex. My favorite thing about Flex is the Learning Lab, where I can work on my own time on different assignments at my own pace. I homeschooled for four years and I like to work on my own. Flex helps me to complete my work at the pace and the order that I like. My favorite subject is Creative Writing, and Mr. J has always been there to support me. I do many volunteer jobs and extracurricular activities. I dance Tap, Jazz, Lyrical, and both Flat and Pointe Ballet at Lauri Gray's School of Dance. I also do Crossfit at Morgan Hill Brethren Crossfit. I love biking on the trails or to the library with my friends. I would like to be a Sign Language Interpreter after college. I hope to go to a local Junior College with an ASL program, and then complete my Bachelor’s Degree at UC Northridge. I like to volunteer my time during the Fourth of July. I help run the Redwood City 4th of July Parade. I work more than 40 hours over the course of a week for the Parade. I also volunteer my time to the Redwood City/San Mateo Scholarship Pageant and help run backstage. I love to dance, listen to music, use Sign Language, do creative writing, read books (My favorite being The Fault In Our Stars) and watch movies (My favorite again, The Fault in Our Stars.) In anticipation of Silicon Valley Flex Academy’s 2nd Annual Walk A Thon, here’s a message from the American Heart Association. The Benefits of Walking Walking Toward a Healthier You There are countless physical activities out there, but walking has the lowest dropout rate of them all! It's the simplest positive change you can make to effectively improve your heart health. Walk more. Eat better. Live a longer, healthier life. Research has shown that the benefits of walking and moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes a day can help you: Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease Improve blood pressure and blood sugar levels Improve blood lipid profile Maintain body weight and lower the risk of obesity Enhance mental well being Reduce the risk of osteoporosis Reduce the risk of breast and colon cancer Reduce the risk of non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes There really are so many benefits for such a simple activity! Sole-Mate: A Friend by Your Side The thought of being alone can be enough to keep some people from walking. The best way to solve this is by finding a friend to walk with. You can plan walking paths that are convenient for both of you, or map out routes that take you places you've never been before. It's a great way to exercise and spend time with a friend. 18 Teacher Profile of the Month Tim Reynolds High School Math Instructor Tim Reynolds has strong ties to Silicon Valley Flex Academy. Before becoming our school’s high school math instructor, he was first a parent of a Flex student. Before joining Silicon Valley Flex Academy, he taught Math at Christopher High School for 2 years. He joined SV Flex to fill a need he saw. He also operates an independent Intervention Math Program for struggling students. He has seen firsthand the benefits of an intervention program and wanted to extend the experience to other kids. He looks forward helping all the students at SV Flex, in particular, the struggling students. He strives to help all his students to enjoy school and foster a love of learning in general. It was his time as a classroom parent that led him to change careers and become a teacher. He enjoyed the classroom environment and met several great teachers along the way. It was his enjoyment of the classroom environment that led him to become a teacher himself. Before becoming a math instructor, Mr. Reynolds was a Manager of Operations, working in Financial and Accounting businesses. In his spare time, Mr. Reynolds enjoys spending time with his family. He also enjoys the outdoors in general, hiking and camping. SHARE THE NEWS! PARENTS & STUDENTS - LET YOUR VOICES BE HEARD Administrators and Special Services Contact info Caroline Wood Head of School cwood@k12.com Cindy Truong Guidance Counselor ctruong@svflex.org Monique Sadoff Local Enrollment Mgr msadoff@svflex.org Ashley Barr Interim Operations Manager Tami Toomire Office Manager Brenda Kinney Special Ed Head Teacher (Contact via Kmail) Nancy Lee Paraprofessional (Contact via Kmail) Cindy Price Paraprofessional (Contact via Kmail) Sharon Stoner Paraprofessional (Contact via Kmail) abarr@k12.com ttoomire@svflex.org Send submissions for the Newsletter to: Contact: Gina Hoppa SV Flex PTO VP E-mail: gina@svflexpto.org DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS THE FIRST OF THE MONTH. Help the school raise funding by participating in one of the following. (Details on SVFLEXPTO.ORG) 19
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