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Welcome to Miss Kaitson's Class!

Hello and welcome to third grade! I am so overjoyed and excited to teach 3rd grade for my second year at St. Joseph Catholic School! Here's a little information about me! I have lived in Illinois my entire life and I currently reside in the northern suburbs with my family. I graduated from Carthage College in Wisconsin with my Bachelors in Elementary Education along with a minor in English. In my spare time I love to read, paint, play tennis and spend time with family and friends. I am also passionate about mental health and plan to use various strategies in my classroom to nurture students stress, anxiety, frustrations, etc. To name a few the students will have a "chill zone", breathing and emotional management technique posters, Mindfulness Mondays, etc. I also have a love for all animals and enjoy spending time with my two cats Bailey and Eva. Teaching is something that I have been passionate about for a very long time and I can't wait to teach and make a positive influence on my students!

My Teaching Philosophy 
 
I believe that it is my utmost duty to inspire and challenge my students. I want them to thrive and feel safe in a fun learning environment where kindness is universal and all are accepted. Bullying will never be tolerated in my classroom and help will always be given to those who ask. My classroom will be a calm and comfortable place where mental health is nurtured and given light. I vow to maintain a positive attitude for my students as not only their teacher but as their role model. My students will be taught how to work together and communicate effectively. As a teacher, there will be various strategies that I will uphold to make a controlled and calm classroom environment. I will implement mindfulness activities and calming techniques for students weekly. I also will make sure the classroom is student centered and easily accessible. Whether it is making sure that students are put together in groups so they can communicate and help one another, or if it’s having a quiet area for students to relax and read during quiet time.  As a teacher, I want to make an impact on my students and show them that they can do anything. Even if it becomes difficult they need to know that with a little bit of help and hard work, they can accomplish anything.
 
 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

7:30

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom

Homeroom

7:35

Writing

 7:35 PE

Math

Math

Math

8:17

Art

 8:20 Mass

Math

Math

Math

8:59

Math

 9:15 Math

Music

Religion

Reading

9:41

Math

 9:52 Math

Religion

Library

Religion 

10:23

Spanish

 10:24 Ms.
Shute’s Class
Science

Ms. Shute’s Class Science

Ms. Shute’s Class Science

PE

11:05

Recess/Lunch

 10:55 Lunchess

Recess/ Lunch

Recess/Lunch

Recess/Lunch

11:47

Library/Media

 11:37 Ms. Kaitson's Class Science

Ms. Kaitson’s Class Science

Ms. Kaitson’s Class Science

Writing

12:25

ELA

 Reading

ELA

ELA

ELA

1:11

Reading 

 STEAM

Reading

Reading

Fun Friday Activty

1:50

Dismissal

Dismissal

Dismissal

Dismissal

Dismissal
 

Posts

Week at a Glance for 10/9-10/13

Spelling Words: peaches, owner, charcoal, asleep, dream, braided, maintain, agree, shadow, display

bonus words: freedom, entertain, tomorrow

 

Reading

High Frequency Words: voice, south

Develop Vocabulary Words: shield, lack, exposure, nomadic, landscape

Unit Vocabulary Words: competition, solve, occasion, organization, custom

Question of the Week: What creative solutions do people come up with to survive in their environment?

Learning goals for the week:

  • I can learn more about themes concerning environments by analyzing text features in an informational text.
  • I can develop knowledge about language to make connections between reading and writing.
  • I can use elements of narrative text to write a personal narrative (pn)

Objectives:

  • Use text evidence to support an appropriate response.
  • Interact with sources in  meaningful ways such as: note taking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
  • Identify can compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment in which they live such as deserts, mountains, wetlands, and plains.
  • Generate questions about text before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding and gain information. 
  • Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in text, and society.

Writing:

  • Daily writing entries in October journal and ELA packet
  • Daily entries in Spelling Menu Packet
  • Writing about a famous Hispanic American 


Math: Begin Chapter 3- Subtraction:

Math vocabulary: difference, subtract, estimate, inverse operations, regroup

Monday- Show what you know about subtraction page-

Monday also, Lesson 1- Subtract mentally: Use strategies to subtract mentally

Tuesday- Lesson 2- Estimate Differences- Estimate differences using rounding to the nearest ten or hundred.

Wednesday: Lesson 3- Problem Solving Investigation: Estimate or exact answer: Determine whether an estimate or an exact answer is needed to solve a problem.

Thursday- Lesson 4- Hands on: Subtract with regrouping: Model subtraction with regrouping.

Thursday- Check what you know: Half way through the chapter recheck on past lessons


Religion: Begin Unit 2 Session 6- Jesus’ Good News- Jesus the Son teaches us about the Kingdom of God the Father through parables.

Jesus tells parables through which he reveals the Kingdom of God to us. In the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast, Jesus the Son compares the kingdom to tiny things that become large manifestations of God the Father’s love. He teaches us to serve the kingdom by showing our love of God, our neighbors, and ourselves through acts of kindness.

 

Science:

1. Start on Chapter 1 Lesson 2

2. By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to investigate the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

3. Vocab Words: force, friction, magnetism

Standards for the week:

CI-3-PS2.A.3
Each force acts on one particular object and has both strength and a direction. An object at rest typically has multiple forces acting on it, but they add to give zero net force on the object. Forces that do not sum to zero can cause changes in the object's speed or direction of motion. (Boundary: Qualitative and conceptual, but not quantitative addition of forces are used at this level.)
 
DCI-3-PS2.A.4
The patterns of an object's motion in various situations can be observed and measured; when that past motion exhibits a regular pattern, future motion can be predicted from it. (Boundary: Technical terms, such as magnitude, velocity, momentum, and vector quantity, are not introduced at this level, but the concept that some quantities need both size and direction to be described is developed.)
 
PE-3-PS2-1
Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.
 
PE-3-PS2-2
Make observations and/or measurements of an objects motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion.
 
 
 
 
 

Week at a Glance: 10/02- 10/06

Week at a Glance: 10/02-10/06

  • We will be starting a Halloween countdown!
  • Spelling and Reading Test on Friday.
  • Math Test on Wednesday!

Spelling Words 

moving

beginning

carried

easier

begged

noisier

using

angriest

dragging

emptied

               

Challenge Words: interesting, exciting, windiest


Reading

High frequency words: notice slowly

Vocabulary words: dreams amazing bored discovery proud

Unit Academic Vocabulary: competition solve custom occasion organization

Reading Goals for this week

  1. I can learn more about themes concerning environments by analyzing characters in realistic fiction.
  2. I can develop knowledge about language to make connections between reading and writing.
  3. I can use elements of narrative text to write a personal narrative.
  4. Make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society.
  5.  Listen actively, ask relevant questions to clarify information, and make pertinent comments.
  6.  Use appropriate fluency (rate, accuracy, and prosody) when reading grade-level text.
  7. Recognize and analyze genre-specific characteristics, structures, and purposes within and across increasingly complex traditional, classical, and diverse texts.
  8. Use context within and beyond a sentence to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words and multiple-meaning words.
  9.  Decode words using knowledge of suffixes, including how they change base words.
  10.  Develop drafts into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing by developing an engaging idea with relevant details.
  11. Compose literary texts including personal narratives and poetry, using genre characteristics and craft.
  12. Students will be reading Cocoliso this week.
  13.  Daily reading groups.

Phonics/Grammar

  1. Base words with the ending ed, ing, er, est
  2. Compound Sentences

Monday: Discuss realistic fiction. Go over vocab for tomorrow.  Spelling pre-test.

Tuesday: Read Cocoliso. Go over base words and endings -ed, -ing, -er, -est.

Wednesday: Listen to audio of Cocoliso. Review base words and endings.

Thursday: Discuss compound sentences. Kahoot for review.

Friday: Spelling and Reading Test


Writing: 

  • Students will write a personal narrative.
  • Students will write daily in September Journal Packets.
  • Students will write daily in September Spelling Menu pack

Monday: Come up with first event for personal narrative 

Tuesday: Come up with second event for personal narrative 

Wednesday: Come up with a third event for personal narrative.

Thursday: Break

Friday: Break


Math: Continuing with Chapter 2

Math Vocabulary: Problem solving, strategy

Students will be able to…..

  • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively
  • Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • Attend to precision.
  • Look for and make use of structure.
  • Model with mathematics.
  • Use appropriate tools strategically.

Monday: Lesson 9: Problem Solving: Reasonable Answers

Tuesday: Review sessions 1-9

Wednesday:  Test Today!

Thursday: Chapter 3 session 1

Friday: Review day

 

Religion: Session 5- Ordinary Time:

Ordinary Time is a time to grow and be grateful that we belong to our Church community-

We celebrate Ordinary Time on the Sundays between the Christmas season and Lent and from Pentecost to the First Sunday of Advent. There may be 33 or 34 Sundays in Ordinary Time. There are the Sundays in which the Church reflects on Jesus’ life. During this time, we celebrate Jesus’ presence in our lives, receiving him in the Eucharist. We live our commitment to Christ through the community of the Church as a sign of Christ’s presence in the world. During other seasons, we anticipate and celebrate the central aspects of the Paschal Mystery- the birth, Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ. During Ordinary Time, we celebrate Jesus’ life and our life in the Church. The Mass is the center and the source of that life.

*** Tuesday- All School Mass at 8:30 with buddies

Session 5 Outcomes:

  • Discuss how we grow in God’s love in Ordinary Time.
  • Explain that in Ordinary Time, we are grateful to belong to our Church Community.
  • Discuss how we grow in community by being Chirst to the world.
  • Define community and missal

Daily songs, prayers, and devotion- 


Science: Read entire of chapter 1

Week at a Glance for 9/25-9/29

 

Reminders for this week:

  • Monday- Morning Prayer in gym
  • Tuesday- Eucharistic Adoration at 12:30 in Church
  • Tuesday- Online safety speaker
  • Friday, 9/29- Autobiography book report due (poster project)
  • Friday 9/29- Spelling and Reading Test

Spelling Words are…..

 inches, pitches, dishes, glasses, spies, fries, cities, pennies, families, faxes 


Reading

Challenge Words: countries, mysteries, varieties

High frequency words: story, draw

Vocabulary words: preparations, magnificent, brooded, rejoicing, satisfied

Unit Academic Vocabulary: competition, solve, custom, occasion, organization

This week we will be reading “Why the Sky is Far Away”.


Reading: Goals for the week:

  • I can learn more about traditional tales and infer themes in folktale.
  • I  can develop knowledge about language to make connections between reading and writing. 
  • I can use elements of narrative text to write a personal narrative

Students will …

  • make connections to personal experiences, ideas in other texts, and society.
  • Interact with sources in meaningful ways such as note taking, annotating, freewriting, or illustrating.
  • demonstrate knowledge of distinguishing characteristics of well known children’s literature such as folktales, fables, fairy tales, legends, and myths.
  • use print or digital resources to determine meaning, syllabication, and pronunciation.
  • identify, use and explain the meaning of idioms, homophones, synonyms, and antonyms in text.

Writing: 

  • Students will write a personal narrative.
  • Students will write daily in September Journal Packets.
  • Students will write daily in September Spelling Menu packet

Phonics/ Grammar: 

  • Spiral review: Syllable pattern VC/CV 
  • Plural nouns/ possessive nouns ending in /es/ or /s/
  • Work in September ELA packet
  • Work in Cursive packet

Math: Continuing with Chapter 2- Addition Strategies:

Math Vocabulary: reasonable, regroup, unknown

Students will be able to…..

  • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively
  • Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • Attend to precision.
  • Look for and make use of structure.
  • Model with mathematics.
  • Use appropriate tools strategically.

Monday- Lesson 5: Estimate Sums

Tuesday-Lesson 6: Hands on: Use models to add

Wednesday- Lesson 7: Add three digit numbers

Thursday- Lesson 8: Add four digit numbers

Friday- Math games/ stations to review lessons 5-8

--Daily writing in Simple Solutions Math packet


Religion: Unit 1- Session 4

The salvation promised in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus means “God saves.” Christ means “the anointed one,” or the one especially chosen by God to be our Savior. Mary

Became the mother of Jesus through the Holy Spirit. Joseph responded to God’s call to be the foster father of Jesus.

What will be learned in Session 4

    • Retell Jesus’ miracles of the loaves and fishes.
    • Pray for the next part of the Apostles’ Creed.
    • Explain the meaning of Jesus’ different names.
    • Define Scriptures.
  • Watch videos of Bible Scriptures and passages.

Science: Continue with Chapter 1 Lesson 1 and finish 

(Chapter 1 Forces of Motion)

 

Week at a Glance for 09/18- 09/21

Announcements/ Reminders of the Week

  1. Spelling Test on Thursday
  2. Religion class Review/Test on Thursday (Study guide will be on Google Classroom if students feel they need it)
  3. Reading Test on Thursday.
  4. September book report due September 29, 2023.



Spelling Words this week 

(Test on Thursday)

basket

subject

lesson

Traffic

mustard

compact

absent

cosmic

disgust

fantastic 


Challenge Words: (optional)

expectation, distinct, progress




Reading

(Test on Thursday)


High-Frequency Words

table

north


 Unit 1 vocabulary: competition, solve, custom, occasion, organization


This week’s vocabulary: fierce, baring, flexing, crouching, swipe


Story that will be read this week: Grandma and the Great Gourd


Learning goals

  1. I can learn more about traditional tales and

analyze plot and setting in a traditional tale.

  1. I can develop knowledge about language

to make connections between reading

and writing.

  1. Traditional Tales
  2. Syllable Pattern VC/CV

(Students will also work on IXL and English Prodigy this week. Along with 1-2 cursive worksheets to keep up memory.)


Math


This week’s schedule:

Monday: Chapter 2 Lesson 2: Patterns in the addition table

Tuesday: Chapter 2 Lesson 3: Addition patterns

Wednesday: Chapter 2 Lesson 4: Add mentally

Thursday: Chapter 2 Lesson’s 1- 4 Review and Stations


Weekly vocabulary: patterns, associative, commutative, identity, mental math, parenthesis


Essential Question: How can place value help me add larger numbers?


Learning objective: Students will be able to….


  1.  Study the addition table and find patterns to help them add.
  2. Add mentally to break up parts of addition.
  3. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  4. Reason abstractly and quantitatively 
  5. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  6. Attend to precision
  7. Look for and make use of structure
  8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

  • IXL, Prodigy and Splash Math will be used daily to aid in learning.
  • Homework will be given Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.


Writing


Learning Goals:

  1. I can use elements of text to write a

personal narrative.

  1. Choose a topic for personal narrative.
  2. Use a graphic organizer.
  3. Watch various examples/ videos of personal narratives.
  4. Describe who is a narrator.
  5. Choose settings and sequence of events.
  6. Brainstorm and set a purpose for personal narrative.
  7. Plan personal narrative.




Science

Students will be learning about the following this week:

Chapter 1 Forces and Motion

-By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to observe and describe patterns of how objects change position when they move.

-Your child will also learn how objects change position when they move; the effects that mass, friction, gravity, and magnetism have on motion; and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces.

- Various sources of media will be watched to aid student understanding. (videos, audio, worksheets, reading whole group and with partners)

Vocabulary:

force friction gravity magnetism motion position speed


Religion: 

  • Daily reading of Jesus Calling devotional book, daily songs, intentions, and prayers.
  • All School Mass Tuesday at 8:30
  • Start Session 4
  • Review in class session will be on Thursday













Week at a Glance for 9/11-9/15

Announcements for this week:

1. Math iReady Test is on Wednesday (Students need to bring in headphones)

2. Reading iReady will be on Tuesday (Students need headphones also)

3. Math Test is on Tuesday.

4. Spelling Test is on Friday.

 

Reading: Students will continue reading the novel Third Grade Angels. Students will be working daily on completing:

  • Comprehension questions packet. (short response, not multiple choice) per chapter. These are done both whole group and independently.

This can also be used for ELA test prep materials (short and extended response).

Students will take turns reading out loud and through the readings, we’ll discuss story elements, character traits, main idea, details, and context clues in a whole group setting.  Novel reading will be good preparation for Lit Circles, where students begin reading different types/ genres of chapter books.

1. Reading groups have been started. Students are reading small passages and asked comprehension questions afterwards. Next week, Lit circles will be officially starting and organized.

Students will also be working on the following:

  • Daily work in daily oral language assignments
  • Daily work in Simple Solutions Grammar book
  • Work in September journal and prompts book
 
 

Spelling words will come from the chapters we read during the week. I will post the spelling words Monday on Google Classroom- there are only 7 spelling words this week.

Students will practice spelling daily with September spelling menu activities and on Seesaw during the week. Spelling words and packet will be sent home Monday.

 

Writing: 

  • Students will write daily entries in their September journal and notebook prompts and on Seesaw.
  • Students will write an essay when Third Grade Angels is completed.

Math:

Monday- Chapter 1 test review

Tuesday- Chapter 2 test on place value

Wednesday: iReady Testing

Thursday-- Lesson 1 Chapter 2- Addition

Use the addition properties to add whole numbers- How do you use place value to help with addition of large numbers?

Students will be able to:

  • Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
  • Reason abstractly and quantitatively 
  •  Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
  • Attend to precision
  • Look for and make use of structure
  • Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

Math Vocabulary: parentheses, associative property of addition, commutative property of addition, identity property of addition, mental math

Friday- Students will do math stations to review lesson 1

 
 

Religion: 

  • Daily reading of Jesus Calling devotional book, daily songs, intentions, and prayers.
  • All School Mass (no buddies) Tuesday at 8:30
  • Rosary Launch on Friday morning (with buddy class)
  • Discussion of Mother Mary in connection with the Rosary Launch
  • Start Session 3 

Science: 

Students will be learning about the following this week:

Chapter 1- Forces and Motion

-By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to observe and describe patterns of how objects change position when they move.

-Your child will also learn how objects change position when they move; the effects that mass, friction, gravity, and magnetism have on motion; and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces.

- Various sources of media will be watched to aid student understanding. (videos, audio, worksheets, reading whole group and with partners)

Vocabulary:

force friction gravity magnetism motion position speed

Week at a Glance for 9/5-9/8

 

Important Notes for this week:

  • Picture day is on Friday
  • First Buddy Mass on Tuesday at 8:30
  • Switching for Science and Social Studies starts this week!
  • Daily Spelling and Math Homework
  • Our Gym days are Tuesdays and Fridays!
  • Spelling Test on Friday! (Spelling words will be sent home in home folders)


Math: Continuing Chapter 1-  Place Value

Math Vocabulary: hundreds, one, tens, place value, digit, round, expanded form, standard form, place value, word form

--Tuesday- Lesson 5: Round to the nearest hundred; Students will round to the nearest hundred. How can numbers be expressed, ordered, and compared?

--Wednesday- Lesson 6- Students will use the four-step plan to solve problems- The four-step plan helps students organize the given facts into a plan through which the problem can be solved.

--Thursday- Lesson 7 Chapter Review for Place Value Chapter--

--Friday- Students will participate in math centers to help practice all lessons in Chapter 1- Test will be on Monday.


Reading:

Students will continue reading the novel Third Grade Angels. Students will be working daily on completing:

  • 30-page Close Reading activity packet to  students' listening skills and comprehension skills during the read aloud. (This will be usually wholegroup)
  • Comprehension questions (short response, not multiple choice) per chapter. There are 17 chapters in this book, we are on chapter 6.
  • A book report template
  • Essay (ELA format)
  • We will have 6 spelling words this week that come from the chapters we read.

ELA: 

  • Daily entries in Simple Solutions Grammar packet-
  • Daily work on English Prodigy and IXL.
  • Seesaw will also be used for spelling this week.

Reading Groups:

Students will be reading short stories with basic comprehension questions and short answers. This will help with fluency for reading as well.


Religion: Session 2- Created to Be Together

Students will learn about:

  • State Paul’s message about mutual charity in children’s own words.
  • Explain that we adore and glorify the Holy Trinity when we pray the Sign of the Cross.
  • Explain that by loving others we spread God’s love in the world.
  • Praying the Glory Be prayer
  • Define Sign of the Cross

Science: 

Students will be learning about the following this week:

Chapter 1- Forces and Motion

-By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to observe and describe patterns of how objects change position when they move.

-Your child will also learn how objects change position when they move; the effects that mass, friction, gravity, and magnetism have on motion; and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces.

- Various sources of media will be watched to aid student understanding. (videos, audio, worksheets, reading whole group and with partners)

Vocabulary:

force friction gravity magnetism motion position speed

Homework for 8/29

Math: page 19 #'s 1-14
Spelling: Fall themed Seesaw (If your student forgot their chromebook or has technical issues they can write the words on a piece of paper)
 
Spelling Test on Friday!

Homework for 8/28

Math: page 13 #'s 1-10 all
Spelling: Choose one from August choice board (parents must sign off on ones that don't require paper)
 
Spelling Test on Friday!

Week at a Glance for 08/28- 09/01

 

Math: Chapter 1 Place Value

Developmental Language: digit, standard form, expanded form, place value, word form, is equal to, is greater than, is less than, 

Monday- Lesson 1- Place Value through the thousands- Students will read, write, and identify the place value of whole numbers through thousands.

Tuesday- Lesson 2- Compare Numbers-Students will use place value to compare numbers

Wednesday- Lesson 3- Order Numbers- Students will use a number line and place value to order numbers through thousands.

Thursday- Lesson 4- Check My Progress thus far in Chapter 1; Round to the nearest ten- Students will round to the nearest ten.

 

Reading:

Students will be reading the novel Third Grade Angels. Students will be working daily on completing:

  • 30-page Close Reading activity packet to increase my students' listening skills and comprehension skills during the read aloud.
  • Comprehension questions (short response, not multiple choice) per chapter. There are 17 chapters in this book.
  • A book report template
  • Essay (ELA format)

This can also be used for ELA test prep materials (short and extended response).

Spelling words will come from the chapters we read during the week. I will post the spelling words tomorrow- there are only 5 spelling words this week.

Students will take turns reading out loud and through the readings, we’ll discuss story elements, character traits, main idea, details, and context clues in a whole group setting.  Novel reading will be good preparation for Lit Circles, where students have jobs to help extrapolate discussion points of stories/ written work. 

 

ELA: 

  • Daily work based on reading comprehension packets handed out.
  • Daily entries in a phonics packet and daily oral language review

Both packets will be completed weekly in class and will count for a grade.

These packets are to reinforce grammar, phonics, and language skills.

Students will also be using SeeSaw for phonics and reading enrichment.
 

Lit Circles:

The first few weeks of school, students will be reading short stories with basic comprehension questions and short answers. I want the students to get used to the flow of lit circles before we start reading novels. The aides will be utilized for lit circles.

 

Religion:

Religion: Here is the link for this week’s video

Unit 1 Focuses on God as our Creator and Father

Saint: Saint Ignatious of Loyola

Session 1- Created to Be Happy- God wants us to know him.

---God is reflected in all of creation. God created the world as the beginning of the story of his pure and holy love. Everything has come from and returns to God. We learn about the true nature of God by reading the Bible. We love God above all things.

Daily prayers, devotions, intentions, and songs.

-Mass on Tuesday at 8:30-

Science

Chapter 1- Forces and Motion

-By the end of this lesson, the student should be able to observe and describe patterns of how objects change position when they move.

-Your child will also learn how objects change position when they move; the effects that mass, friction, gravity, and magnetism have on motion; and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces.

- Various sources of media will be watched to aid student understanding.

Vocabulary:

force friction gravity magnetism motion position speed

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