Ph #: 734-994-6515 http://www.a2schools.org/skyline
SkyWritings Skyline High School, 2252 N. Maple Rd, Ann Arbor MI 48103
March 2017
Upcoming Events
Mar. 1 Skytime and Sky 12
Message from the Principal
Skyline Family,
Mar. 1 Mandatory DTEP Magnet Parent Meeting
I hope all of our families had the opportunity to enjoy some of the great weather we experienced this past month. It was interesting to see how the unseasonably warm weather confused some of our wildlife and plants as they began to wake a little early from our mild winter. These glimpses of Spring weather we are enjoying earlier than typical also serve to mislead some of our youth away from their typical behaviors and drives the need for some reminders of school expectations. Spring is a time that I must provide a reminder to our students and families of some of our school expectations that our students tend to need support with as the sunshine and warmth comes back to Michigan.
Professional Dress Expectations
Mar. 6 PTSO Meeting Mar. 8 Mandatory H & M Magnet Parent Meeting
Please remind your students of our standards for school attire. As the days grow warmer some of our students forget to ensure they are following our school dress code and/or test to see if our school staff will request that they correct their attire. Skyline staff and administration is committed to guiding our students to understand that our school is their current professional commitment and should be treated as such. Our school dress code is monitored and maintained equitably for all students and is in place to uphold a professional learning environment. We never like having to inconvenience a student or parent by requesting they correct a dress code violation. As a result, please review our dress code found on page 25 of our online handbook linked here with your child and help us and yourself by ensuring they meet these expectations every day.
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Closed Campus Reminder Also as we progress towards summer it is important to remember that Skyline is a closed campus. This means that students are not permitted to leave the building for lunch or be excused from the building for any reason other than our Board of Education approved excused reasons for absence. This policy is in place to keep your children safe and to ensure we honor each and every instructional minute as we support your child towards attaining their educational goals. Please remind your student of this policy as any students attempting to leave the building without approval will be issued disciplinary consequence including, but not limited to, lunch detention. Thank you for choosing to be part of the Skyline family, Cory McElmeel,Principal, Skyline High School
Mar. 8 - Trimester 2 5th period exam- Early Release (see exam scheduled specifically for March 8th) Half day PD for staff Mar. 9 - Early Release Day- Trimester 2 exam day For 2nd and 4th periods (Final exam schedule) Mar. 10 - Early Release Day- Trimester 2 exam day For 1st and 3rd periods (Final exam schedule) Mar.13- Half day for staff only AM: Make up exams if needed. PM: Teacher work day
Table of Contents Message from the Principal…………………......…………………..…….….….….....…..Page 1 Eagle Pride……………….………………………..…..……………..….…….……..….….Page 2-5 National Merit Finalists………….……...…………………………...........…………...….Page 2 Kenya Book Donation…………………………...…………..…….………………..….….Page 3 Potential Presidential Scholars………………………………..………...…………...….Page 3 MSU Brain Bee………………..……………………………………..…...….…...…....…...Page 3 Homebuilding……………………………………………………...…..……....…...……....Page 4 BMIT………………………………………………………………..………….....…….……..Page 4 Champs…………………………………………………………...…………...…….……….Page 4 Did you Know…………………………………....……………………...………..…...…...Page 5-8 Tri 2 Exams……………………………………………………….………………....……...Page 5 Course Selection Process 2017-2018…………………………………………………..Page 7 Teen Driving Restrictions….…………………………………….………………....…….Page 7 Mark Your Calendars……………….………………...…………....................…..…......Page 8-9 PTSO……………...……………………………………………….…………..…….……....Page 8 Coffee/Tea with Principals…………..……….………………...………..…....…...….....Page 9 Ann Arbor Public Schools Counseling Department Outreach Series….….....….Page 9 Skyline Theatre…….………………………………………………………..…….….........Page 9 AAPS Climate Survey…...………….……….………..…….……………….......….......Page 10 Calendar at a Glance……………………………………………………………………..Page 10 April State Testing Information………………………………………………..……….Page 11
Eagle Pride Congratulations National Merit Scholarship Finalists!
Mar. 9 Mandatory CMPP & BMIT Magnet Parent Meeting
Congratulations to these 13 students who have advanced to National Merit Scholarship Finalists: Navya Arigapudi, Matthew Blischke, Jesse Cheng, Thomas Cohn, Ailita Eddy, Amy Ensing, Seungwon Hur, Chase Hyatt, Avery Lumeng, Jihye Nam, Micah Pollens-Dempsey, Jacob Schneyer, and Katerina Tang
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iCommons Student Advisory Council (ISAC) donates books to a girls high school in Kenya
Mar. 15 No Skytime/Sky12
The iCommons Student Advisory Council @ Skyline has formed a relationship with the students of St. Joseph Girls High School in Kakamaga, Kenya. The first project is to help the Kenyan girls build up their school library. ISAC is raising money to help defray costs of shipping books to Africa. Pictured here (L to R) Ananya Sharma (9) holds a photo of three students in Kenya, Mary Wakefield is the US Liaison to the school, Rachel Carethers (9) displays some of the donated books and Principal McElmeel adds some muscle to help with the first shipment.
Mar. 22 - Skytime & Sky12 Mar. 23 - Coffee/Tea with the Principals, 1:30-2:45pm Mar. 29 - Skytime & Sky12
Potential Presidential Scholars Skyline has two students who qualify as potential Presidential Scholars and have been invited to apply based on their exceptional academic achievements. This is a great honor to be invited to apply. Congratulations Ailita Eddy and Jihye Nam!
MSU Brain Bee Champ!
Deniz Kirca, Skyline Freshman, took first place in the 2017 Brain Bee at MSU competition. He will be off to the National Brain Bee in Baltimore, Maryland, the weekend of March 17-19 where he will compete written and oral testing rounds, as well as sessions on neuroanatomy, neurohistology, and patient diagnosis. A press release can be found on the Brain Bee at MSU website . 3
Homebuilding Success at Regional Competition Through hard work, dedication, and ambitious goals two of our student competitors earned an opportunity to represent Skills USA Michigan region 2 west at the state carpentry competition in April. This honor is due to their performance at the regional competition held at the Great Lakes Home Show. After the hammers were holstered, circular saws unplugged, and the dust settled our students held two of the top three places. Everest Benson from Skyline placed second. William White from Skyline placed third. The day was not all spent working, the students took a break and joined members of the Home Builders Association for a sit down lunch and a speech from the Lt. Governor.
Early April Reminders: April 3-7 Spring Break No School
Business, Marketing, and Informational Technology (BMIT) Magnet News Please congratulate the following BMIT senior students on their social enterprise business ideas. They submitted their business plans to the Skandalaris competition held at EMU and were recognized for their awesome work! Katerina Tang - "Project 100" won first place and $1000 and also presented her idea at the SESI Entrepreneur conference held at EMU. Isabella Yeung - "The Food Storage" was recognized and will receive a certificate for her idea. Blake Bertrand - "F-SEC" was recognized and will receive a certificate for his idea. Congratulations!
Champs! Champs! Champs!
I t’s one of the competitive goals that every Sports team sets their sights on at the start of their respective seasons;; Winning a League Title! In the past two weeks, we’ve had two Skyline squads bring home their 1st SEC Crowns in School History, in our Boys’ Basketball and Swim/Dive Programs. In addition 4
Social Media Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Sky line-High-School-29611050719 8715/timeline/
Twitter -
Did You Know? Trimester 2 final exams are quickly approaching:
https://twitter.com/SkylineHighA2
to these accomplishments, it’s also worth noting that these Teams, along with Football and Soccer from the Fall, completed a clean sweep of Pioneer & Huron (that’s 12-0!) this year as well, adding 4 City Championships to the running tally! It is great to see the hard work of the Coaches and Student-Athletes pay off and bear fruit. Nonetheless, and as great as these trophies will look in our trophy cases for years to come, these accomplishments are more importantly a great reminder of the lessons that Skyline kids continue to learn through a positive sports experience. When I was coaching, I always told my teams that Championships were not easy to come by, but could be accomplished if the following 5 traits were present in the group: Commitment, Heart, Attitude, Motivation, Perseverance, and Selflessness (There’s an acronym in there somewhere:) Clearly this message, that transcends sport, is being effectively taught through so many of our Sports programs adding just another reminder of why Skyline is a great for students to learn and grow! GO EAGLES!!!
● Mar. 8 5th hour exam Early release at 12:30PM
● Mar. 9 2nd and 4th hour exams Early release at 12:30pm ● Mar.10 1st and 3rd hour exams Early release at 12:30pm Finals exam days can be one of the most stressful times in the life of a high school student. There are several things that can be done to ensure your child is prepared and in a good emotional space to conquer final exams. Here are a few tips to remember as you support your child in preparing for his/her final exams: ● Start Early One of the most important things to remember is not trying to cram all the content from the whole trimester into a one night marathon study session. Cramming results in less retention of information and also can negatively affect your child’s rest, nutrition and emotional state. ● Create a Study Area The place where your child is studying should be quiet, comfortable and free from distractions. ● Get 8 hours of sleep per night Your child may be tempted to pull an all nighter, but your teen’s brain needs at least a full 8 hours of sleep to be ready to perform at it’s highest level for exam day. ● Take Breaks Your child’s brain can only take so much hard work at a time. For every hour that your son or daughter studies, he/she should take 15 minutes to do something requiring less brainpower such as listening to music, taking a walk or playing a game. It will help keep the stress level down and will 5
allow the information being studied to sink in. ● Create a Study Schedule Make a study schedule for the weeks leading up to finals that allows enough time for each subject that will be tested. Many students find that alternating subjects allows them to retain more info than focusing on one subject for an extended period of time. Once created, stick to the schedule to ensure that you are prepared come exam day. ● Ask for Help We encourage students to ask for help and to utilize the resources offered at Skyline when studying for exams. ❏ Teacher Office Hours All teachers have support available please check with individual teachers to see if they are available before school, at lunch or after school. ❏ Academic Resource Center and academic support from peers, college students and retired teachers is available in the iCommons M, T and Th from 2:45 -4:00 ❏ Writing Center The Writing Center is located in B429 and is staffed with writing tutors every hour of the day including lunches. In addition, writing assignments may be submitted online for virtual feedback within 48/ 72 hours Writing Center Online Submission ❏ Math Lab The math lab is available both lunches each day in A310. The Math Lab is supervised by Mrs, Hochrein and staffed by peer math tutors available to assist with all levels of math content.
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Course Selection Process for 2017-2018 This month, your child will begin the formal course selection process with an assembly led by counselors on Monday, March 20: ● current 9th grade 5th hour ● current 10th grade 2nd hour ● current 11th grade 4th hour At the assembly your child will receive their course selection worksheet for the 2017-2018 school year. The portal for course selection input will open Monday, March 20. After attending the assembly with counselors, your child should complete the course selection worksheet, obtain the appropriate signatures and input their requests into the online powerschool portal by the end of the day Tuesday, March 28. A signed course request worksheet and a printout of their course selection input is due to their Skytime teacher no later than Wednesday, March 29. Counselors will be available to assist with the process from start to finish. One very important aspect of the process will be your input. We are asking that you make sure to review and sign off on your child’s course selections to ensure Please see the Skyline that what he/she is requesting is what he/she intends to take next year. Academic Calendar on our Course descriptions are available in the High School Course Selection Guide school website and linked here linked here. Remember there are 5 classes each trimester for a total of fifteen 1⁄2 credit courses each year. A 4 year plan worksheet is linked here to assist for additional important dates you with your planning.
for the full school year
As you start making course decisions for next year, here are some resources to review about high school course selection from Yale, The University of Michigan, Michigan State University and US News and World Report. Remember to visit The Cube and/or your child’s counselor for assistance in course selection and college and career planning: Advice on Selecting High School Courses Yale 3 Steps for Choosing the Right High School Courses US News and World Report University of Michigan Academic Preparation Info Michigan State University High School Preparation Info
Teen Driving Restrictions Did you know that teens with a level 2 license 1.
Are prohibited from using a cell phone while driving.
2.
Shall not operate a motor vehicle between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. except when:
3.
● driving to or from or in the course of employment; ● driving to or from an authorized activity; or ● accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or a licensed driver 21 years of age or older designated by the parent or legal guardian. Shall not operate a motor vehicle at any time with more than 1 passenger in the vehicle who is younger than 21 years of age except: 7
A sporting event or activity, or extracurricular event or activity, that is not school-sanctioned but that is part of an official sports league or association or an official extracurricular club, or that is paid for as a service offered by a business specializing in those events or activities or training for those events or activities.
(b)
A sporting event or activity, or extracurricular event or activity, that is not school-sanctioned but that is part of an official sports league or association or an official extracurricular club, or that is paid for as a service offered by a business specializing in those events or activities or training for those events or activities.
(c)
A class or program of vocational instruction offered by a college, community college, nonprofit association, or unit of government or by a business specializing in vocational training.
(d)
An event or activity sponsored by a religious organization that is tax-exempt under federal law.
(e)
Transporting an individual in need of immediate emergency care or personal protection to a health care professional, hospital, police station, domestic violence shelter, or public safety location.
● when the additional passengers are immediate family members;; ● when driving to or from, or in the course of employment;; Useful Web Links ● while going to or from an authorized activity;; or ● when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian or a licensed driver 21 years of age or older designated by the parent or legal Skyline High School Website - guardian. http://www.a2schools.org/skyline Authorized activity means any of the following: (a) A school or a school-sanctioned event or activity. School means a public or private school, including a home school.
Skyline Daily Announcements - http://www.a2schools.org/dom ain/2249
Mark Your Calendars PTSO Meeting We invite you to join us for our monthly meetings. The next meeting is Monday March 6th. All teachers and staff of Skyline High School, all students attending the school, and their parents/guardians are members of the PTSO and are entitled to participate in and vote at meetings. Meetings begin at 6:00 p.m. and are held in the iCommons (library/media center) which is located on the third floor. Please use the student entrance to enter the building.
Social Media Facebook -
**Please note the change in date for the April meeting. The new meeting date is Monday, April 17th.**
https://www.facebook.com/Sky line-High-School-29611050719
8715/timeline/
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Coffee/Tea with the Principals We would like to extend an opportunity to our parents/guardians to meet casually with the Skyline administration. We welcome you to attend our upcoming coffee/tea with the Principals that will be held on Thursday, March 23rd from 1:30-2:45pm in room A208 (location may be changed based on number of attendees). Please sign in at the main office and attain a visitor badge. Our office professionals will welcome you and direct you to our meeting location.
The purpose of this event is to provide parents/guardians an open dialogue with Skyline principals. We hope that you are able to attend.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/SkylineHigh A2
Ann Arbor Public Schools Counseling Department Outreach Series Supporting Teens Affected by Stress and Anxiety Thursday, March 2, 2017, 6:30 P.M., Tappan MIddle School Auditorium Featuring: Elizabeth Koschmann, PhD
Ann Arbor Intervention Specialists Present The Families Care Conference
Promoting Student Success through Building Positive Relationships
Special Guest Speaker Dr. Jay Marks March 28, 2017 6:00pm - 8:00pm Scarlett Middle School (Dinner will be served 5:30-6:00pm)
Skyline High School Theatre Presents The Diviners Photo caption: Isaac Mangold as Buddy, Theo Billups as C.C.
Instagram - https://instagram.com/skylineh igha2/
Showers, and Claire de Vries as Jennie Mae star in Skyline Theatre's production of The Diviners.
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Ann Arbor’s Skyline High School Theater will be presenting Jim Leonard’s haunting play, The Diviners , this March 24, 25 and 26. Winner of the American College Theatre Festival, The Diviners is a moving story about a disturbed young boy and his relationship with a conflicted former preacher at a time when water and faith were in short supply. Show times are March 24 and 25 at 7:30 pm, and March 26 at 2:30pm. Ticket prices $10 for adults;; and $8 for students and seniors. Tickets are available online at www.showtix4u.com and will also be available for purchase at the performances.
AAPS Annual Climate Survey Coming! It's that time of year again. The Ann Arbor Public Schools annual climate survey will take place from March 14th - March 28th. As in years past, every student in grades 3-12 will complete the survey during school hours. All staff and parents will receive a link via email inviting them to participate. Details will follow along with links.
Skyline 2016-17 Academic Events Calendar Linked Here
March at a Glance
Mar. 1 - Skytime & Sky12 DTEP Magnet Mandatory Parent Meeting Mar. 6- PTSO Meeting, 6pm, iCommons Mar. 8 - Trimester 2 5th period exam- Early Release (see exam scheduled specifically for March 8th) Half day PD for staff H & M Magnet Mandatory Parent Meeting Mar. 9- Early Release Day- Trimester 2 exam day For 2nd and 4th periods (Final exam schedule) CMPP & BMIT Magnets Mandatory Parent Meeting Mar. 10- Early Release Day- Trimester 2 exam day For 1st and 3rd periods (Final exam schedule) Mar.13- Half day for staff only AM: Make up exams if needed. PM: Teacher work day Mar. 14- Trimester 3- First day of Tri 3 Mar. 15- Skytime & Sky12 Mar. 22 - Skytime & Sky12 Mar. 23- Coffee/Tea with the Principals, 1:30-2:45pm Mar. 29- Skytime & Sky12 10
Attention Seniors - March is the month for financial assistance requests ●
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Financial Request Submission Dates: ○ Yearbook, Cap & Gown - March 13-April 10, 2017 ○ Senior Prom Tickets - March 20-April 10, 2017 All Financial Scholarships request should be made in writing to: ○ Alberta Britton @
[email protected]
April State Standardized Testing Overview During the month of April 2017, 11th grade students (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) will be taking the state required Michigan Merit Exam (MME). This exam is a Board of Education approved AAPS graduation requirement. This exam is given across four testing sessions in the month of April. In order for students to fulfill this requirement they must complete all three components of the MME. These three components are the SAT, ACT Workkeys, and the Michigan-developed Science and Social Studies M-STEP assessments. In addition , the state assessment for 9th grade students is the PSAT 8/9. The state assessment for 10th grade students is the PSAT 10. All aforementioned state required exams are free of charge to students. Students can obtain assistance and further guidance with all National exams from their counselor and/or by visiting the College and Career Resource Center at Skyline. Please note the Collegeboard SAT and ACT national exams are given on specific dates. Dates for national testing, registration processes, and associated costs can be found on their websites linked below: Collegeboard SAT ACT
Upcoming Dates and Schedules for the MME, PSAT 8/9, PSAT 10 and M-STEP April 11, 2017 Students Tested: ● 11th Grade (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) - SAT ● 9th Grade students - PSAT 8/9 Schedule for the day: ● 9th and 11th grade (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) students must arrive for school before 7:40 am. ● 9th, 11th (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) will test from 8 am to approximately 1:00 pm ● Following state testing, all grade students (9th-12th grade) will be offered an opportunity to attend a scheduled study/make-up work session 11
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running from 1:30 pm until our regular dismissal time at 2:40 pm. Students will report to their 3rd period class for this make-up session Students testing with accommodations will test according to approved timing by Collegeboard and ACT. School provided transportation will run during regular busing hours for a 7:40 am start and 2:40 pm dismissal. There will not be an additional transportation pick-up for the 1:30 study/make-up session.
April 12, 2017 Students Tested: ● 11th Grade (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) - ACT Workkeys Exam ● 10th Grade students - PSAT 10
Schedule for the day: ● 10th, 11th (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) must arrive for school before 7:40 am. ● 10th, 11th (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) will test from 8 am to approximately 11:40 pm. ● Following state testing, all grade students (9th-12th grade) are scheduled for a late start day. ● Following state testing, all students will follow an abridged schedule of all 5 periods at 11:45 am beginning with either lunch or 3rd period (detailed schedule to come). ● Students testing with accommodations will test according to approved Timing by Collegeboard and ACT. ● School provided transportation will run during regular busing hours for a 7:40 am start and 2:40 pm dismissal. There will not be an additional transportation pick-up for the late start schedule.
Students Taking Exams are to Bring One of These Calculators
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Graphing calculator (most models permitted;; see Official Student Guide for list) Scientific calculator The school does not provide calculators on testing days
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Tentative Test Administration Schedules
April 11, 2017 SAT with Essay ● Pre-administration Activity - 30 minutes ● Reading Test - 65 minutes ● 10-minute Break ● Written and Language Test - 35 minutes ● Math Test - No Calculator - 25 minutes ● 5-minute Break ● Math Test - Calculator - 55 minutes ○ Students are required to bring their own approved calculator ● 2-minute Break ● Book collection and Essay distribution - 15 minutes ● Essay - 50 minutes Total Testing Time = 4 hours, 52 minutes *Students testing with accommodations will follow approved Timing by ACT.
PSAT8/9 ● ● ● ● ●
Preadministration activities – 30 to 35 minutes Reading Test - 55 minutes Writing and Language Test - 30 minutes Math Test – No Calculator - 20 minutes Math Test – Calculator - 40 minutes ○ Students are required to bring their own approved calculator Total Testing Time = 2 hours, 25 minutes *Students testing with accommodations will follow approved Timing by ACT. *Additional activities will be facilitated in testing rooms until make-up session begins at 1:30 pm
April 12, 2017 Day -2 Testing Schedule ACT WorkKeys
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7:45 a.m. ○ Student arrival, identification, and seating of examinees per room assignments. ● Approx. 8:15 a.m. ○ Reading of verbal instructions ○ Distribute test materials to examinees ○ Administer the three test and the break as directed in the verbal instructions -test will be given according to the test specified in testing manual. ○ Collection and verification of all test materials ● Approx. 11:30 a.m. ○ Dismissal of examinees. ● 11:45 a.m. ○ Late start schedule will begin for all students. *Students testing with accommodations will follow approved Timing by ACT. PSAT 10 ● Preadministration activities – 50 minutes Standard timing ● Reading Test 60 minutes ● Writing and Language Test 35 minutes ● Math Test – No Calculator 25 minutes ● Math Test – Calculator 45 minutes 13
○ Students are required to bring their own approved calculator ● Collecting materials and dismissing students – 5 minutes Total Testing Time = 2 hours, 45 minutes *Students testing with accommodations will follow approved Timing by ACT. *Additional activities will be facilitated in testing rooms until make-up session begins at 1:30 pm
M-STEP Science - April 18, 2017 ● ●
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Grade 11 (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) Students will be pulled from periods 1-3 of our regular bell schedule to administer the Science M-STEP assessment Schedule includes students testing with accommodations Bell schedule and classes will run as normal for all students not taking the M-STEP ( 9th, 10th, and most 12th grade students) Tested students will be excused from coursework they miss while testing. Long-term assignments and projects will adhere to original due dates. Students should plan for this assessment.
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M-STEP Social Studies - April 19, 2017 ●
Grade 11 (and 12th grade students who have not fulfilled this requirement) Students will be pulled from periods 3-5 of our regular bell schedule to administer the Social Studies M-STEP assessment Schedule includes students testing with accommodations Bell schedule and classes will run as normal for all students not taking the M-STEP ( 9th, 10th, and most 12th grade students) Tested students will be excused from coursework they miss while testing. Long-term assignments and projects will adhere to original due dates. Students should plan for this assessment.
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2552 N. Maple, Ann Arbor, MI 48104
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