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MESSAGE FROM MRS ROBINSON
I can’t believe that we are already at the half-way point in our Spring Term! I continue to be amazed at the children’s hard-working attitude and the way they have been applying themselves to their learning. I have been particularly looking out for children showing our GROW IT Value of ‘Originality’ and our HEARTS Value of ‘Ambition’ this half-term and have been so impressed with what I have seen. We have some wonderfully ambitious children with some very creative ideas – you deserve to be extremely proud of them!
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STAFFING NEWS
It’s been a calm half-term with no members of staff leaving and nobody new starting!
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PRE-LOVED UNIFORM
Thank you to all of those parents who kindly gave up their time to help with our Pre-Loved uniform event, and to everyone who sent in their unwanted uniform. We raised £30 for the PTA at this event through donations and will be repeating the event in the Summer Term.
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CHRISTMAS FUNDRAISING
Thank you so much to parents for the very generous donations and contributions to support our fundraising at Christmas. Here are the amounts raised:
Raffle - £1060.70
Collections at performances - £100.53
Secrets Rooms - £1138.34
Performance Photographs - £194.70
Christmas Card Commission - £283
We would like to say a huge thank you to all the companies (many local ones) who provided us with such brilliant raffle prizes:
Domino’s pizza, Horizon Centre, Salon Dolly, Railway Café, Northney Tea Rooms
Stansted House, Greene King, Tesco, Waitrose/John Lewis, Victorious Festival,
Farm Foods, Carte Blanche Greetings Ltd, Hayling Light Railway, Hayling Fair
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PARENT CONSULTATION MEETINGS
We are really looking forward to meeting with parents for our parent consultation meetings next half-term – look out for an email about this at the end of February. These meetings are extremely important for ensuring we can work together in partnership to ensure your child is happy and successful in school, so please make sure you book an appointment. Your child will be bringing home their Milestone 2 assessment report on Wednesday 13th March, which will form the basis of the discussion at the meeting.
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YEAR 3 NEWS
Year 3 has had a super start to 2024!
We kicked off our History topic with an amazing Ancient Egyptian day. The children loved using virtual reality technology to visit Ancient Egypt, enjoyed a live performance about Cleopatra and made Ancient Egyptian puppets. We have debated who built the pyramids (it may not be who you think!), acted out the discovery of King Tutankhamen's tomb and are now experts on mummification (it's gross, trust us!)! Additionally, Year 3 has done lots of exciting outdoor learning, including a fun-filled day of activities provided by Cobnor - archery, pioneering and problem-solving! https://www.cobnor.com
As mathematicians, we have almost mastered column addition and subtraction, including with exchanges across tens and hundreds, done lots of problem-solving and been busy learning the 4 times table. As writers, we have written detailed instructions about how to make a cup of tea, be a perfect pirate and how to mummify a dead pharaoh. As readers, we have loved the book 'How Cats Really Work!' and have been working on our comprehension skills. As scientists, we have learnt about solid liquids and gases, velocity, and the water cycle. We even gave a rubber duck a fun afternoon experimenting with what liquid makes the best water slide! We have been dancing and working on our hockey skills in PE and thinking about how to keep safe around medicine and the emergency services in PSHE. We are just starting our Geography unit, exploring rivers. We are going to be making our own playground river and are looking forward to our trip to Dell Quay in April where we will be getting into a river to undertake some field work.
Time flies when you're learning! We are now halfway through the academic year and so much wonder, ambition and super active learning has been happening in Year 3. We are very proud of our year group!
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YEAR 4 NEWS
Year 4 have been working incredibly hard over the last few weeks and can be very proud of what they've achieved this half-term.
We have been enjoying our new History unit on the Greeks as well as learning about electricity in science. We have seen some fantastic homework tasks linked to these topics, and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for supporting your children with this; it is clear that a lot of time and effort has gone into what they are producing.
We thoroughly enjoyed our fieldwork 'trip' to Havant for Geography and hope that the children have shared some of their discoveries with you... the smallest bridge in Havant and the springs in Homewell were two highlights. It was wonderful to see the children exploring their local area, and we were very impressed with the sketch maps they produced on their return.
We are looking forward to continuing our work on Greek Myths after half-term as well as starting our Project Based Learning - more information to follow!
Thank you to those families who are continuing to support their children by reading regularly and learning their timetables. We still have a significant number of children who are not bringing their signed reading diaries on a Monday and would appreciate your support for this next half-term. MyMaths tasks will be added after the break, so please encourage your child to complete any outstanding tasks.
We hope you all have a lovely half-term!
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YEAR 5 NEWS
This half-term in Year 5 we've been learning all about volcanoes. We've even looked at footage of the volcanic eruption that occurred in Grindavik, Iceland. The children were fascinated by seeing the lava flow and the destruction it caused. There have been a few experiments happening in Science involving rocks and soils. The children have really enjoyed this hands-on learning. In English, we have been discussing and learning all about the Highwayman. We read the poem and talked about its different features. Year 5 have also looked at the different parts of newspapers and have written their own newspaper articles about the highwayman. The children also created wanted posters.
This term, the children were able to go on a visit to St. Faith's church and learn all about the sacred parts of the church. It's been wonderful for the Year 5 staff to witness the children really embracing the curriculum in Year 5. We would also like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Karen Day and Sally Church for their kind donations of copies of Kensuke's Kingdom.
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YEAR 6 NEWS
Year 6 have been incredibly busy since Christmas. Jumping straight into our text of 'Strange Star', we completed a sensory morning where the children experienced what it may be like if they were to lose their sight, discovering that their other senses became heightened. We have also completed some more practise SATs papers, which the children took in their stride, and have also been going out on trips. The visit to Dell Quay, followed by a debate at Havant Plaza certainly is an exciting time where children get to voice their opinions at the council chambers - it is one of the highlights of the year.
We still have a lot to look forward to (including a trip to the theatre) as well as plenty of hard work to do!
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LIBRARY NEWS
We are without the wonderful Mrs Library Dunn (our librarian), who is poorly at the moment. We wish her a speedy recovery. We would like to say a HUGE thank you to our other Mrs Dunn, who has been working exceptionally hard to keep the library running, with the help of our pupil librarians and her son Andrew. She has been amazing!
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MEET THE STAFF – Isaac Parrack
What role: Class teacher
Where do you find me: In the classroom (Room 4), teaching or marking!
When: I started working at Bosmere in September (having also been at Bosmere from 2003-2007 as a pupil) and am really enjoying it so far. It's a wonderful place to work, as everybody's so friendly and supportive!
What do you like to do in your spare time: I'm an avid reader, love travelling and enjoy cooking. I've also recently got into playing tennis.
Quirky fact: I lived in Greece for a (very rewarding) year and was briefly in the navy.
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MEET THE GOVERNOR:
Ellen Dawes
Background: I have always wanted to be a teacher from a very young age. I have lots of teachers in my family, so it runs in my blood! I became a teacher in 2021 and started working at Bosmere in September of that year. It was strange training during a pandemic, but I loved it. I teach in Year 3. You will find me in room 12! My younger cousins came to Bosmere so that is how I found out about a job here. I have loved every moment of my career at Bosmere so far!
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Interests: I am a shopaholic! At the weekend, you will usually find me in Primark with a Starbucks in my hand! I love going to Fratton Park to watch Pompey play or going to watch my partner play rugby in London. I love swimming class and love going to a gym swimming class and have recently started adult tap classes, something I loved so much when I was younger. Also, I love to read books and do puzzles!
Why I became a Governor: I became a Governor to have a behind-the-scenes experience of how the school runs and to further my professional development. I love that, as a Governor, I help to support Bosmere in its vision, ethos and strategic direction. Of course, I can do those things by working in the classroom, but as a governor I get to be much more involved with the details. One of my roles as a governor is to support the geography curriculum, which is one of my favourite subjects to teach! Most importantly, I am passionate about education and children.
My current roles on the governing body and what they involve: As well as being a teacher-governor and Year 3 teacher, I am Year 3 coordinator, PSHE subject leader and help the Junior Road Safety Officers. I am also running a dance club with Mrs Simpson and Mrs Clarke.
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ECO NEWS
Eco club have had a busy half term. We learnt about the different birds we might see in the school grounds and took part in the RSPB great garden birdwatch. We saw Chaffinches, Robins and Blue Tits, as well as Magpies, Pigeons and Seagulls in the copse as we spend an hour counting all the different birds.
We welcomed a visitor from WaterAid yesterday and found out about the good work the charity is doing to bring clean water and toilets into areas which don't have access to these. We are going to look at ways to raise awareness for this charity after half term.
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E-SAFETY TIP – WhatsApp - What Parents Need to Know
WhatsApp is the application that currently causes the most frequent e-Safety issues at Bosmere Junior School. Some children find themselves seeing unkind, racist or inappropriate messages and images. Some children at school are responsible for sharing these messages online. It is very common for children to find themselves in group chat with other users who they do not know in real life, often with older children who left Bosmere years ago or even children who never attended our school.
WhatsApp is only meant to be used by children from the age of 16+. We're not so naive at Bosmere to think that there won't be children using the app, but if you are allowing your child to access WhatsApp, you have a duty of care to monitor how they are using it and who they are socialising with online. The most proactive parents either:
- Perform random checks on their children's phones
- Ensure that their phone 'mirrors' their children's account, so they can monitor it at all times
- Or (with agreement from other parents) make themselves the administrator of group chats, so they can monitor online conversations.
- WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging platform on the planet, with over two billion users (forecast to become three billion by 2025), across more than 180 countries. The majority of those people (70%) open the app at least once a day – but what exactly are they seeing? Contact from strangers, fake news and convincing scams are all amongst the service’s well-documented hazards.
According to Ofcom, WhatsApp is used by more than half of 3- to 17-year-olds in the UK (including one in three from the 8–11 bracket), despite its 16+ age restriction. If your child hops onto WhatsApp to stay in touch with friends or family, this updated guide to the service contains the key details you’ll need to support them in doing it safely.
https://www.bosmere.hants.sch.uk/news/?pid=12&nid=2&storyid=312
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WELLBEING TIP -
Reassurance is a natural response that reduces distress in the short-term.
* Reassurance can be addictive: the more the child gets reassurance, the more they will want it/think they need it. The child may also believe this is the only way they can deal with their heightened emotions. “It’s OK if Mum cuddles me or takes me home, it will be better”. This is not the case.
* Cutting out reassurance can be attempted gradually but the parent/carer needs to be in control and consistent.
* Cutting out reassurance is not about not responding at all; it is about responding differently.
* Children need to be able to feel that they can deal with their fears or worries themselves and need to “test” whether their thoughts are accurate. With constant reassurance, they are not able to do this.
* Overprotective parents want to protect their children from physical, mental, or emotional pain, want to ensure that their kids are happy and content, so they may “soften the blows” of everyday life. This is a parent maintaining the child’s behaviour.
* Children are far more resilient than perhaps they’re given credit for! Kids need the ability to learn how to “bounce back”! It may be hard to leave your child in distress, but they learn to get through it with practice and parental consistency.
* Parents/carers often step in and “rescue” their child from a situation or occurrence because they believe they are unable to handle it. With over reassurance or maintaining the child’s behaviour will not enable the child to build resilience and coping strategies.
Take a deep breath and allow your child to find their way. They can do it!
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FEBRUARY
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9th
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6R trip to Dell Quay
Non-uniform day (£1 contribution to PTA)
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12th – 16th
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HALF TERM
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19th
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INSET Day
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20th
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Back to school
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22nd
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3pm SATs and residential meeting
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28th
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6pm PTA Meeting
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29th
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9am 5P Class assembly
Y6 Trip to Chichester Festival Theatre
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MARCH
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4th – 8th
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Book Week
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4th
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Visit by the Author
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5th
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5DS D-Day Museum
9am Y4 Parents / Grandparents invited in to share a book
3pm Y6 Parents / Grandparents invited in to share a book
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6th
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9am Y5 Parents / Grandparents invited in to share a book
3pm Y3 Parents / Grandparents invited in to share a book
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7th
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5K D-Day Museum
World Book Day – Dress up as a book character
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8th
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5K opportunity to dress up as a book character
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11th
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5P D-Day Museum
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12th
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9am Y5 Drop Stop and Read
Y6 Chichester College STEM Fair
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13th
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Interim reports home
Parent consultation afternoon for 5DS
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14th
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9am 3D class assembly
Parent consultation afternoon for 6B, 6C, 6R
Parent consultation evening for all classes
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19th
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Parent consultation afternoon for 3B, 3D, 3R
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20th
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Parent consultation afternoon for 4AW, 4B, 4S, 5DS, 5K, 5P
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21st
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9:30am Spring Concert (NB Time has changed)
Parent consultation afternoon for 6B, 6C, 6R
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22nd
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Spring clubs end
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25th
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10am Rocksteady Concert to Parents
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26th
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Parent consultation afternoon for 3B, 3D, 3R
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27th
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Parent consultation afternoon for 4AW, 4B, 4S, 5K, 5P
4.45pm – 6.15pm Lower School Easter disco
6.45pm – 8.15pm Upper School Easter disco
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28th
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Digital newsletter out
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29th – 12th
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EASTER HOLIDAYS
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APRIL
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15th
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Back to school
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15th- 19th
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Y6 residential trip
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19th
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9am Y5 Drop Stop and Calculate
5DS Swimming starts
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22nd
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Summer Clubs start
3D trip to Dell Quay
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24th
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3R trip to Dell Quay
Dance Club performing in Worthing
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25th
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3B trip to Dell Quay
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29th
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Y3 Fairy Tale day
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30th
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3.10pm Summer Pre-loved uniform event
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MAY
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2nd
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5DS Fort Nelson Trip
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3rd
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5K Fort Nelson Trip
9am Y4 Drop stop and read
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6th
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BANK HOLIDAY
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8th
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9am Y3 Drop stop and calculate
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10th
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5P Fort Nelson Trip
4B trip to Tuppenny Barn
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13th – 19th
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Y6 SATs week
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17th
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2.15pm Y6 water fight
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20th
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4S trip to Tuppenny Barn
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21st
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4AW trip to Tuppenny Barn
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22nd
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PM Whole school Superstars Event
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23rd
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4B Class assembly
Class photographs
Digital newsletter out
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27th – 31st
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HALF TERM
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