Heathfield Headlines Issue 4 - April 2022

Headlines Term 4 April 2022

Pride . Ambition . Community

Headlines Issue 4 1 April 2022

Head’s Message It is my great pleasure to send you this fantastic summary of learning and activities at College as many students now enjoy a well earned rest over the Easter holidays.

For those in exam year groups the Easter break represents a chance to focus on revision and consolidate knowledge but there should also be some time to rest and relax to create important balance in each day.

We can see how hard students are working and we have ensured they can access all they need to be able to spend their time over Easter effectively revising: resources, guidance and structure have all been set by teachers as tasks on Firefly. We know that as healthy young people with supportive families they will also get chance to rest, get outside, sleep and have fun – both elements are vital to ensure they are equipped for the upcoming exam season and for a sense of balance in life.

I am delighted to be able to showcase so much of our wider curriculum again in this edition. Whilst there is rightly a focus on ensuring students education is prioritised post-pandemic, to ensure gaps are closed both individually and nationally, we believe there is also a need to meet the wider educational needs of young people. They need to be able to express themselves musically, artistically, physically and emotionally. They need opportunities to have fun, to laugh together and make sense of the world around them. At College, it is a joy to be able to provide those opportunities in abundance and to see how much they benefit young people.

Please take time to see what your son/daughter is learning in these editions. This term we profile PRE and PE, including great tips on what you can do as parents to encourage your child in these subject areas plus information on possible career paths. Previous editions have featured English, Business, Geography, Maths, Design Technology, Social Sciences, French, Spanish and Latin. They are all easily available on the website here.

Finally, can I encourage you to complete the survey on home learning/homework – this research will help us shape how we adapt to be better at supporting parents. Thank you to all who already have!

Continuing our commitment to reading as a vital cornerstone of learning, we bring you a new series of #HeathfieldReads a support and guide to which texts complement the books students are reading in school.

We will publish one a fortnight, if you would welcome support with accessing the recommendations then please contact Mr Hatchard. Reading matters and we are happy to support, guide and encourage as much as possible.

Many of these are good for all ages and its a great idea for parents and students to be reading the same book to prompt discussion and understanding.

YEAR 7 Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 93.6% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 4: 95

Year 7 have had a busy term, one of the highlights would have to be a recent visit from author Chris Bradford who has written a variety of best-selling books such as ‘The Bodyguard’ and the ‘Young Samurai’ series. Chris shared with the students the history behind his books and the research he had completed to develop his writing. Students were then given the opportunity to ask questions and to purchase a book which Chris then personally signed for them.

This term, Year 7 have had a variety of sporting fixtures taking place against local schools including rugby and netball. The Year 7 netball team finished 2nd in their recent tournament, whilst the rugby team drew a very close game! Throughout their fixtures the PE department have expressed what excellent team-work and commitment has been shown by Year 7. Well done to all who have represented the college so far! There are many more events coming up!

This term we celebrated International Women’s Day, World Sleep Day and Careers Week throughout tutor times and assemblies. Within careers week we discussed aspirations, whilst discussing the health benefits of sleep and tips for better sleep. Students have continued to meet with their 6th form mentor’s this term and it is excellent to see how this time has developed confidence amongst students.

Next term, Year 7 will have another opportunity to show their progress within their second assessment fortnight of the year. Within tutor time, students will begin to look at revision techniques and will be given the opportunity to develop a revision timetable through the support of their tutor. We look forward to seeing their ambition and confidence grow during the course of this term!

Now that options have been submitted, it is time for Year 8 to focus on really making the most of their wide Key Stage 3 curriculum before they stop formally studying these subjects in July. It is also important to remember that this is by no means the last time that those options will be interesting, fun or important. They will come up again in future enrichment activities and super-curricular weeks.

This term in assemblies and PSHE lessons, Year 8 will be thinking about wellbeing and self-care. In PSHE lessons, we are beginning to look at healthy lifestyles and healthy eating. Our focus at the moment is on understanding what we mean by ‘healthy’ and how we can dispel or investigate some of the unhelpful myths around food and lifestyle. This, alongside our assemblies on kindness and sleep health, are all part of how we prepare students to look after themselves as well as pursuing success.

YEAR 8 Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 94% Praise

Average Praise points per student for Term 4: 94

YEAR 9 Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 93.7%

Praise Average praise points per student for Term 4: 95

It was brilliant to have the first face-to-face parent event for Year 9 at Heathfield since the start of the pandemic. The conversations around how Year 9 students are progressing and how they can improve are vital to supporting them. Students can now take on this advice and try and apply this everyday in lessons, which will hopefully help them achieve their goals for this year. The positive atmosphere at the parent event was fantastic and so valuable for both students, staff and parents.

In PSHE, we have started looking at healthy relationships and the importance of recognizing unhealthy and healthy parts of relationships. This will tie in with our ‘Unacceptable’ performance on the 24th March which will look to explore these concepts in more detail and help further the students understanding regarding the importance of healthy relationships.

Year 9 have not only been excelling academically, but also on the rugby pitch.

The Year 9 rugby team have been putting in outstanding performances recently and managed to reach to semi-finals of the county cup. They have shown real commitment and perseverance and they have a lot to be proud of.

A massive well done to Year 10 in completing their mock exams this term. Students are continuing to focus on revision strategies within form time to continue to develop their knowledge and skills in preparation for their summer exams.

Year 10 have been working on their speaking and listening module during their English lessons. Students have been able to choose a topic of their own to present and share with their peers. Students spoke passionately about their chosen topics which showed their commitment and determination. Topics included: ‘Running is beneficial for good mental health’, ‘When banter becomes bullying’, ‘The Colorado River’ and ‘How to stop global temperatures rising’. Well done to all students for rising to the challenge presenting such considered responses.

This term we have launched the prefect application process as part of our leadership programme. Students have received an email with the application form and are required to apply for one role; house prefect, sports prefect, community prefect or arts prefect.

Applications for prefect positions are open until April 22nd. I look forward to reading the applications.

Special recognition to the fantastic charitable contribution from Mollie Cook who cut their hair for the Little Princess Trust last term.

The Little Princess Trust is a charity that provides real hair wigs to young children who have lost their own hair.

Well done to Year 10 students for participating in the North Wealden inter-schools tournament this term.

YEAR 10 Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 89.7% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 4: 97

YEAR 11 Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 89.4%% Praise Average praise points per student for Term 4: 98

Wow, almost there!

Another busy term that began with final set of mocks to prepare them for their final exams, that start in just over a month.

Students have worked really hard to reflect upon the feedback and guidance given from their subject staff, it’s now time to give it that final push!

There are also a number of key pieces of information that have been given out over the course of this term including how students can order their leavers hoodies and yearbooks, as well as request for Prom deposit.

More information on these celebration items/ events will be sent out again in term 5.

Year 12 Mocks

Bowling & Quiz Night

As you read this edition of Headlines, Year 12 will have completed their mock examinations. These are the first formalized assessments they have completed this year and for a period od time.

Sixth Formers have had two opportunities this term to get involved in activities that broadens their Sixth Form experience.

Results will be issued next term followed by a Subject Feedback Evening.

Revision Support As a reminder to parents and students, our revision pages on the College website provide some short videos considering effective revision and specific strategies.

Scan the QR code to access the page.

Free revision materials are also available in the LRC for students to access.

We have run our first bowling trip for students and hope to have another in place before the end of the academic year.

We also hosted a Quiz Night where £200 was raised for Red Nose Day and a new team take the place as Quiz Champions!

VI FORM Attendance Average attendance for Term 4: 91.5% Praise Over 200 praises have been issued this term to Sixth Form students. Names will be drawn for our Easter Egg raffle this term.

Year 13 Year 13 students have continued to fully focus this term as they prepare for their final examinations this summer. Tutors feedback has been extremely positive regarding their work ethic, commitment and resilience.

Keep it up! You have got this!

What are students learning in …

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Key Stage 3 Students within key stage 3 have been exploring, developing and extending their understanding in a range of different sports that have given them confidence to perform as individuals and within a team. Students rotate on a 3-week carousel around: Badminton, Basketball, Dance, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball, Rugby. This gives students the knowledge and understanding to take a sport they enjoy further.

Key Stage 4 Within key stage 4 PE, students have been keeping active through both traditional sports and new and alternative activities. These include exploring the skills and application of Handball, Boxercise, Street Surfing, Tchoukball and Yoga. Through discovering new activities, the hope is that students fulfil lifelong participation in sport through staying healthy and active.

Our Year 10 PE GCSE students welcomed Dr Paul Ford MBE, Deputy Chef de Mission and the Head of Sport Engagement at the British Olympic Association (BOA), to talk about his experiences and pathway towards his current role in the BOA.

Paul spoke about Team GB’s preparation for the Summer and Winter Olympic games and provided our students with advice on pursuing a career in sports performance and the potential careers our students could consider. Click on the play icon opposite to watch the Q & A session with Paul.

Key Stage 5 Within A-level PE lessons, students have been developing their theoretical understanding towards both their mocks and summer exams. Alongside this, collective video evidence and critiquing their performances have ensured for a busy term for our Year 12 and 13 students.

Sports Leadership Our Year 10 and 11 students have been excellent advocates for the school through leading a number of primary school sports events at Heathfield. Students have managed indoor athletics, hockey and netball primary events for up to 8 schools at a time. These events required students to work collaboratively, manage gameplay and show leadership qualities throughout as they communicated rules and skills to students along with keeping the competitions fair and competitive.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION XXXXX Extra-Curricular Students across all years have been extremely engaged within our extra-curricular provision, with excellent numbers attending clubs and going on to represent the school in different fixtures spanning the following sports:

- Football - Netball - Rugby - Hockey - Basketball - Table-Tennis - Badminton

- X-Country Some of our most significant results have come within rugby and netball. The U15 rugby side have had a stellar season, progressing well through national plate and county cup rounds to lose a regional final and county cup semi-final clashes to strong opposition. There has been some excellent displays and a true comradery demonstrated by the group of young men.

In netball, our strength in depth has seen Years 8, 10 and 11 sides all win the Ouse Valley competition. This has meant that we have progressed to the U13 and U16 county finals. This is a fantastic reflection of the girls commitment to training and cohesion on the court.

How I can help my child learn in Physical Education? ✓

Encourage students to be active daily, through walking, running, cycling, scootering or playing recreational sport

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Consider how you can maintain good health through sufficient sleep, staying physically active and eating healthily

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Promote the after-school clubs on offer for students

Career and Student Videos Why Physical Education is important

Why our students enjoy Physical Education

What are students learning in …

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

Key Stage 3 What a fantastic journey the Year 7’s have been on! They began their Philosophy, Religion and Ethics course by being introduced to philosophy and the module investigating the nature of God. Students were thoroughly engaged and challenged by the introduction of key terminology that they shall continually use in their lessons.

Following this module, they studied a moral philosophical module and looked at the complexities of forgiveness. Being introduced to the term compassion, the thread that runs through all the learning in Year 7, students applied the teachings on forgiveness in Christianity to different real-life case

studies. They were encouraged to voice their opinions and they did so maturely and sensitively. It was so impressive to hear such insightful responses, with many students being praised for their compassionate and considerate attitudes.

In term 3, students were introduced to Buddhism and the main teachings, which many found fascinating. For many students, the Buddhist philosophy is completely new to them, with emphasis being placed on compassion as a core teaching along with reflecting on Buddhist teaching of mindfulness; something that many saw the benefit of.

Currently, we are focusing on whether it is a duty of people to care for others or not, focusing on Christianity, Sikhism and Islam. This has been an interesting module as we have discussed the current situation with refugees following war, along with the responses to some of the challenges that the Covid-19 pandemic brought many. Again, students are so passionate about helping others that I’m sure we’ll be seeing some future leaders from these classes!

The remainder of the year will continue to see modules building on compassion, with the last module giving students opportunity to express their view of the topic studied through creative medium – a module that has always produced such fantastic artwork, music or literary pieces.

The Year 8’s started the year with an explosive module as they immediately engaged with different ethical theories.

From situation ethics to utilitarianism, students applied different theories to different situations and then having to decide what they think is the best theory and why; this resulted in the classrooms feeling electric with discussions!

Following this module, students looked at gender equality within religion with lessons building up to answering the question ‘do you think religion is sexist?’ focusing on Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. This module was a very mature, powerful module and students used terms such as misogyny, oppression and equality in their writing. This module is an extremely important module as students could discuss and correct any misconceptions around sexism within religion, where they may stem from and what the teachings are; leading them to make their own conclusions.

RELIGIOUS STUDIES Term 3 saw students grapple with and try to make sense of the events in the Middle East as we answered the question ‘Why is Jerusalem so important?’ The students enjoyed the challenge of learning about the history of Israel (in a few lessons!) and why Jerusalem, the Holy Land, is so important today for religions. Many students wanted to know what the future holds for the Middle East, as I’m sure we all do too! It was so great to see young minds engage with such mature, relevant material.

The remainder of the year will continue to see students weighing up the positives and negatives that religion can bring in society, gearing up to the big question at the end of their Key stage 3 learning and whether they think religion is good for society or not.

Key Stage 4 The core key stage 4 programme sees each unit being split into a specific theme of either philosophy, religion or ethics.

Year 9 began looking at Aristotle’s Virtue Ethics; seeing whether characteristics can be practised to become habit in order to create a successful, knowledgeable, flourishing individual. This was written with the intention of encouraging a similar mindset for the Year 9’s as they embark on their GCSE studies!

Term 2 saw students following a philosophical unit and students studied the problem of evil and suffering in the world. Drawing on their Year 7 learning and the nature of God, students questioned whether evil exists in the world and if they did think so, where it comes from.

The rest of the year sees students following ethical units with genetic engineering focusing on saviour siblings and designer babies, the question of whether humans have more value than animals focusing on speciesism, animal experimentation and veganism/vegetarianism.

The last two terms cover one unit of war; extremely relevant given the current climate. It is such a big unit and will see students question why wars occur, the nature of the just war theory, whether it is immoral to be a pacifist and the development and morality behind nuclear weapons Year 10 started their learning with a philosophical unit and many students were thoroughly challenged with the question ‘what is reality?’

Several students left classrooms saying that their ‘brains hurt’ as they were introduced to material they hadn’t considered before! Following such a perplexing course, students were introduced to Immanuel Kant and studied an ethical unit in Duty Ethics. They considered whether their duty is the right thing to always do and the challenges and

What are students learning in …

RELIGIOUS STUDIES

consequences this may bring. Students were again challenged with philosophical content and in term 3 they reflected on the question ‘what is truth?’, focusing on different types of truth and how religions see truth and then in term 4, the ethical question of ‘Who decides death? Doctors, individuals or families?’ It is so impressive to see students approach this question with such maturity and sensitivity and watching many develop these attitudes is so pleasing to see. The remainder of the year will see students look at the future and whether .artificial intelligence is to be seen as threat to humanity, along with the responsibilities humans have towards the planet; pertinent given the climate threat we are facing.

Year 11 have followed interesting courses, encouraging reflection for their future lives. Starting with philosophical questions of whether we have freedom to choose our own paths or whether out lives have been determined at all.

Term 2 introduced students to alternative philosophies such as stoicism and Confucianism and Term 3 saw students engaged with the ethics within sports, whether that be gender inequality or the ethics of gaming in society.

The last term, for the Year 11’s encourages students to reflect on their responsibilities in society. Whether it be relationships or how they spend their money or them as individuals in a global society.

How I can help my child learn in Religious Studies? ✓

Watch the news with your child and discuss what is going in the world.

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Ask your child about what they learnt in PRE and have discussions with them

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Encourage your child to use any key language they learnt in their discussions with you.

Career and Student Videos Careers in Religious Studies

Why our students enjoy Religious Studies

YEAR 12 WIDER CURRICULUM Year 12 Progression Support As part of their wider curriculum day this term, Year 12 students began to explore all options available to them Post 18. The plan for the day included: • Talk from the University of Sussex • Talk from ASK Apprenticeships • Talk from Oyster Worldwide Gap Years Students were also introduced to UniFrog, our destinations platform, and took part in a session considering skills required for the world of work.

Resources to Support

UCAS Discovery Day Following the Wider Curriculum Day, students attended the UCAS Discovery Day at the Brighton Centre. A large number of Universities, apprenticeship providers and employers were able to offer and advice and support.

Further materials from UCAS are available on their website.

Over the next few months, students will have the opportunity to further research and discuss their aspirations Post 18. PSHEE Lessons will start with Year 12 in Term 5. These are compulsory timetabled lessons for them to attend. Our independent Careers advisor is also available for students to book meetings with to explore different options available. If they would like to meet her, they should speak to Miss Reed.

For parents and students, we have a wealth of resources on Firefly to support with decision making. To access these log into Firefly and follow Resources / Sixth Form / Careers Resources.

What’s Next?

The overview calendar below highlights the next steps in supporting progression. If you have any questions, please contact the Sixth Form team.

Term 5

Term 6

Term 1

Term 2

PSHEE Lessons start

Alumni Event

Early Applicant Deadline

UCAS Deadline Interview Day

Early Applicant Support (MEDROX)

Scan the QR code above to watch a short video on activating your Firefly account.

Term 3

Term 4

One-to-one support and guidance

Wider-Curriculum Strength & Conditioning Club The Strength & Conditioning Club runs on Monday afternoons from 3.15 pm to 4.30 pm and is open to Year 7-11 students. The Club is run by Mr Crozier: “As a qualified powerlifting coach and Olympic coach I have always wanted to get young people into weightlifting. Understanding the benefit of being physically active and the positive impact it has, not just physically but also on mental wellbeing, was the reason for the afterschool club to start.

The main goal of the Club is to get students moving for the full 45 mins and make it fun. I incorporate some cardio, strength work, functional fitness and towards the end of the session a couple of games to have fun.

Netball Club The junior netball club runs every Tuesday from 3.15 pm to 4.30 pm for Years 7 and 8.

Hockey Club

The club has been running since September and is well attended by all year groups. The students have worked hard on attacking and defending skills as well as team tactics.

LGBTU History Month We proudly celebrated LGBTU History Month with a new corridor display, activities to promote allyship in form time, assemblies and these fabulous new library fiction titles.

Heathfield Vine The latest issue of The Vine can be found athttp://heathfieldcollegenewspap er.weebly.com/ and includes an interviews with international rugby star Joe Marler and some heroes of our local community: NHS workers, teachers and firefighters.

The hockey club runs every Wednesday from 3.15 pm to 4.30 pm for all ages up to Sixth Form.

Students have recently been working on developing their passing abilities, in particular focusing on passing with just two touches as well as longer range slap passes.

Our small sided games help to work on keeping possession when under pressure and developing the students playing in set regular positions. The team is starting to play fixtures against other schools and recently played Sackville School away in East Grinstead for Year 9-11 boys. We are hoping to get some more local fixtures soon.

Wider-Curriculum Library news

‘Pay the Piper’ Youth Opera In February our students visited Glyndebourne to watch ‘Pay The Piper’. This was a performance just for schools and was performed by students from around the county. The standard of singing and acting was incredibly high and it was lovely seeing some of our own students performing. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience of going to Glyndebourne and were inspired by seeing people their age performing at such a high standard.

We have a new ‘Well-being & Mindfulness’ section in the Library. Featuring a range of books for all key stages, covering topics such as journaling, daily mindful rituals and healthy phone habits.

Latin Trip to Ancient Roman Sites in Fishbourne & Novium Museum Earlier this March, Year 9 Latin pupils and prospective year 8 Latinists explored an ancient Roman archaeological site.

Bignor Roman Villa gave us a chance to see the subject come to life, handling ancient artefacts, searching for clues in mosaics, and learning all about the Roman invasion of Britain.

RSC Top of the Bench Competition In Round 1 of the RSC Top of the Bench Competition, students compete in a practical assessment, and a written test, to gain points for their team of 4 (1 Year 11, 1 Year 10, and two Year 9 pupils per team).

We entered 3 teams this year, and all students who took part did incredibly well. They displayed excellent practical skills, problem solving abilities, and a high level of subject knowledge. We are very proud of them, and the way they represented the college.

Red Nose Day Students donated money to Comic Relief by buying red noses and the week culminated in a Guess-the-Staff competition and a whole school Nose-and-Spoon race on the MUGA. A grand total of £1,200.96 was raised and the Executive Council decided that the money raised would be split between Comic Relief and a Disaster Emergency Committee charity for Ukraine.

Wider-Curriculum Rugby Round Up It has been a successful season for our rugby players, both on the pitch for the College and in the representative honours that so many of them are picking up.

Four of our brilliant Year 11 girls (Stephanie Chipps, Sophia Macdonald, Freya Gorringe and Cat Moody) have excelled when representing the County over the last few seasons, as has their fellow Year 11, Joe Murphy, who is currently in the middle of his Sussex U16 Season.

In the year groups below, we currently have our strongest ever showing of players involved in the Harlequins Academy, with three Year 9 and four Year 10 boys currently in the programme (Elliot Smith, Jacob Woodhouse-Inman, Tom Foy, Fergus Lamb, Tom Aldridge, Adam Churchyard and Finley Vos). This achievement shouldn't be understated, as they are currently part of the best age group players in the region.

All of our teams have had strong seasons, both in terms of playing numbers and results. Perhaps the pick of the teams this year has been our Year 10 Boys team. Playing with a distinctive attacking and creative style, they beat some big rugby playing schools such as Reigate Grammar and the Judd School, to reach the regional finals of the National Bowl where they unfortunately they lost by a single score in a very tight game against Chiselhurst and Sidcup Grammar School. It was a similar story in the County Cup, where again a string of impressive displays saw them beat the previously unbeaten champions from the last few seasons among others. This lead to a semifinal against Worth School, where despite an unfortunate string of injuries and illnesses on the day, they put in another fantastic display, again losing very narrowly to miss out on the final.

In addition to this, we continue to have excellent numbers of girls and boys at training every week as rugby continues to go from strength to strength. If anyone is interested in getting in to rugby when we start again in September, please speak to a member of PE staff.

Help and Support: We understand that life sometimes throws up issues or problems that need to be resolved.

We understand that concerns regarding your child’s well-being or progress can be worrying.

We want to work with you to resolve issues as early as possible. Please use the routes highlighted here as a parent: REPORTING A CONCERN. Please encourage your son/daughter to report ANY issue or worry to us so we can address it. If we don’t know, we cannot act and we want to help: • Tell a teacher or your form tutor • Speak to your Head of Year • Speak to your Pastoral Manager • Email help@heathfieldcc.co.uk to report a problem

Dates for your diary Tuesday 19 April Wednesday 20 April

Thursday 21 April Friday 22 April

Start of Term 4 Year 12 Politics & History Trip o the Houses of Parliament, Supreme Court and National Gallery Wild Science - Year 8 & 6th Form STEM Sixth Form Theatre Trip: ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, The Globe, London

Saturday 23 April

Galactic Challenge 2022, Bedes Senior School

Monday 25 April

Year 9 Drama Performance Year 10 Wider Curriculum Day (Big Futures) A Level PE Moderation Day

Tuesday 26 April Wednesday 27 April Thursday 28 April Saturday 30 April

Monday 2 May Thursday 5 May Friday 6 May Wednesday 11 May Thursday 12 May Monday 16 May

Year 12 Ass 2 Data In (including UCAS Predictions) UKMT Junior Maths Challenge Library Quiz DofE Practice Walk 2 (Year 9, Year 10 and Year 12)

Public Holiday A Level Art & Photography Trip Speak Out Challenge Workshop (Year 10 Prefect Applicants) Year 9 Teenage Booster Vaccination 2021/22 Year 8 Spanish - Onatti Theatre Production Year 12 Subject Feedback Evening (Virtual) Start of Year 7 Assessment Fortnight Start of GCSE Exams

Tuesday 17 May

Year 12 - Heathfield Futures Assembly

Saturday 21 May

DofE Practice Walk 3 (Year 9 & 10) Broadbridges uniform for sale – Link Hall, 3.15 pm – 4.15 pm

Monday 23 May

Start of A Level Exams Start of Supercurriculm Fortnight

Wednesday 26 May Friday 27 May

Year 9 & 10 Photography Students Trip End of Term 5

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