Head's Review - 18 June 21 - Issue 30

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

HEAD’S

WEEKLY REVIEW

Head’s Introduction

It was wonderful last night to see some live music – it seems such a long time, and they did a fantastic job. Well done to Mr Rous and to Ms Bartlette, and to the entire Music Department. The performers, from every year-group in the School, certainly rose to the challenge of their first live concert in 15 months. The solos from our more experienced players were particularly impressive, and the Summer Seaside Showcase was a fitting send-off for the wonderful Ms Fewkes, our Director of Music, who is retiring after 29 years at Roedean – bravo!

A Collective Act of Memory for Covid Click on the title to jump to the article

Well done to all those in the Year 8 play, which was performed on Wednesday. Despite the fact that they have not performed to a live audience for well over a year, they were both confident and expressive on stage. Well done to everyone involved, and in particular to Mrs Woodbridge.

Headmaster's lecture

I have enjoyed seeing the School taking full advantage of nature and our wonderful surroundings this week. Congratulations to 42 students in Year 10 who successfully completed their Silver DofE expedition – this is an impressive achievement. As part of Well-being Wednesday this week, every year-group spent time outside doing Zumba and going on a mindful nature walk. The Year 7’s collective act of memory on Wednesday, on the undercliff path below Roedean, resulted in a poignant temporary memorial of nearly 128,000 pebbles to remember those who have lost their lives to Covid in the UK. Well done to Mr Wilson, who ran this project, and all Year 7 and their tutors.

There have been a number of academic enrichment opportunities at School this week. The Roedean Academy programme began with students in Year 10 from 7 schools taking part in virtual seminars led by Roedean staff. Working in groups with other students from across the city is an exciting and enriching experience. The Roedean Symposium has also continued this week, and it has been a great privilege to host an impressive range of speakers at this virtual conference. I would like to take this opportunity to invite you to attend the second Headmaster’s Lecture on 30 June, at which our guest speaker will be Dr Eugenia Cheng – she is a very engaging speaker, and can book tickets using the link in this review.

Today is the day that all schools have had to submit Teacher-Assessed Grades to the examination boards for A Level and GCSE. This is the result of a huge effort from teaching staff, led by Mrs Sharp and her team, to submit focused data and evidence to support the final awarding of grades. I am incredibly grateful to all my colleagues for the massive task this has entailed to ensure that every student’s hard work and academic diligence is reflected in their final grades – thank you.

It is the last day in School for Year 13 today, and we all wish them the very best for the future. After the year they have had, they were keen to mark the end of their school careers as a group, and I am delighted that they will be able to celebrate together this evening on the iconic i360. I look forward to hearing all about their successes in the future.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend, and good luck for next week!

Dr Eugenia Cheng (OR)

42 Passed Silver DofE Expedition Well-being Wednesday

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Unsung heroes in the spotlight Each week, many wonderful things happen at Roedean, about which many in the school are perhaps unaware; this section of the weekly review is dedicated to ‘unsung heroes’, in order to draw our attention to these people and remind us that our community is special.

Philippa (Yr13) for always being punctual, prepared, and happy to help whenever, and for her help with the football tournament for Year 7 and scoring the tournament to perfection.

Phillipa has been excellent in boarders’ rounders and has been doing extra cricket training in the evenings [KWA] Abby (Yr13) for taking part in lots of gymnastics training over the holidays and winning her competition – she has also been taking part in extra cricket sessions and boarders’ rounders each week [KWA]

A Collective Act of Memory for Covid On Wednesday 16 June, as part of Roedean’s ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’, the Year 7 students and tutors took part in a collective act of memory to mark every life lost to Covid in the UK – this is currently 127,917. In discussion with Year 7, they devised a way to create a temporary memorial in a highly visual way. Along with their tutors, the girls went through our ‘secret tunnel’ down to the undercliff below School, where each collected nearly 2000 pebbles and created their own personal memorial. The vibrant line of pebble and chalk creations along the wall honour each victim of the pandemic in the UK. Given that the School has students from over 40 countries, this temporary installation also has wider symbolism for those who have died all around the world.

The girls’ final act was to process in silence past the line of pebbles. It was an ambitious project, masterminded by Mr Wilson, a Year 7 tutor, and the intention was for it to be both poignant and

Serena, Sophia, Alyssa, Tuhina, Chloe, and Jemima (Yr12) for speaking so well in our inclusion assemblies [HBO]

Jaime & Tara (Yr9) for helping during the Year 9 practice sports day on Thursday – Jaime was a superstar helping at the long jump pit and on the finish line of the track, and Tara helped with the high jump [KWA]

Portia & Onose (Yr9) for outstanding contributions during sports day this week, stepping up into events when their Houses needed them! [KWA]

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powerful, while also symbolising hope for the future.

Ariella: ‘It feels like Covid has been around for such a long time, and my year-group felt strongly that we should do something to show that we know that it has affected so many people in different ways – and this piece of art out of pebbles was a fun way to create an important memorial to those who have died from Covid.’

Romey: ‘It was such a nice experience going down the Roedean tunnel and a great way to commemorate the people who have lost their lives.’

Harriet: ‘It was a great opportunity to reflect and be a part of something so meaningful and special.’

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Year 13 trip to the British Museum

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

Unsung heroes in the spotlight Each week, a member of staff who has gone above and beyond the call of duty can be nominated by their colleagues or the girls.

Our Year 13 girls took advantage of the half term break to visit the British Museum, and take in the new Nero exhibition. For some, this was an opportunity to find out more about an Emperor they studied as part of their Latin A Level literature module. For all of them, it was a chance to see some of the sculptures that they have studied as part of the Greek Art Pre-Degree course that the Classics department has been teaching them. 'Discobolos', a copy of the most famous bronze original by Myron, captures the complete action of a discus throw in a single, beautiful, impossible pose – look how the girls tried to emulate him!!

RMI

Mr Fieldsend, Mrs Finn, and Mrs Robins for leading a successful Silver DofE expedition last weekend, which was the first residential experience the students have had throughout their DofE Award experience – whilst the trip wasn’t an easy one for many, and thanks to the staff’s unwavering support, the students were able to come away with a huge sense of achievement (and a few blisters!) [JBE]

Minnie’s in Team England

Mrs Polawski for being instrumental in preparing and setting up all the activities this week – from football pitches to hunting down Rounders posts, she has supported the PE department incredibly and has contributed positively to the functioning of the department [KWA]

Minnie (Yr7) has been selected to be part of Team England at the Dance World Cup in Telford this August. There will be 62 countries competing in various different dance categories.

Minnie’s dance squad, Storm, will be competing in two dances (Acro and Contemporary) in the junior category, going up against some of the best dance squads in the world.

Mr Coomber for always offering to help and support the department in many ways throughout the year [KWA]

The routine she recently performed in the dance showcase was the one of the routines her squad will perform at Worlds.

We wish Minnie all the best!

42 Passed Silver DofE Expedition Congratulations to 42 students in Year 10 who successfully completed their Silver Duke of Edinburgh 3-day expedition last weekend. Not only is this expedition a gruelling challenge at the best of times, but the very hot weather meant that it was even more so – everyone did brilliantly to work together and support each other, and they all deserve to be very proud of what they have achieved! Thank you to Mrs Finn and Mrs Robins for supporting the expedition, and to the whole DofE team.

LFI

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Well-being Wednesday Now that all the students have completed their end of year exams, the entire school body enjoyed a morning of activities, including Zumba in the sunshine, and a relaxing nature walk, as well as talks on nutrition and managing anxiety.

It has been a lovely opportunity to do some things which are very different to normal school activities, and to focus on well-being.

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18 June 2021 – Issue 8

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Ayla

Anna

Holly

Year 8 Bee Drawings As part of their end of year exam and to conclude their recent 'Insect' project, Year 8 were each given a bee to draw. Some of these had been collected by Mrs O'Clarey and the remaining 60 or so were donated by a local beekeeper! These pencil studies were produced in around 20 minutes and demonstrate the excellent observation and recording skills Year 8 have been developing, both during lockdown and in their time back in School. We are very proud of them all!

SAL

Indigo Olivia

Hettie

Emily

Tilly Izzy

Siyun

Naisha

Fantastic Music Results Congratulations to the following students who have just received their Music examination results: ■ ■ ■

Suraya (Yr9) – Grade 6 Harp (non-pedal), with Distinction Alma (Yr11) – Grade 8 Singing, with Distinction Natalie (Yr10) – Grade 8 Piano, with Merit

These are all brilliant achievements – well done!

BMR Page 5

Jamie

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

The Light Burns Blue – Year 8 Drama Club Performance The Year 8 drama club excelled in their workshop performance of The Light Burns Blue on Wednesday 16 June. The play is based on Elsie Wright’s unwitting journey into fame. Elsie captured the country’s imagination in 1917 by taking photographs of her cousin, Francis and the Cottingley Fairies. The photos convinced influential individuals who, respected in their fields, endorsed the photos to the nation. For many decades, people believed the photos were real. The play is as engaging as the photos are, as we follow the investigative journalist (Winifred) on her task of befriending Elsie, to reveal the truth.

The play explores what it means to be an artist in a small village, and offered the pupils a range of characters to depict, from the vivacious Vivie to the prim and proper Mrs Cooper. The play also required an acting style that could represent several locations using mime and physical theatre. One such setting was the Cottingley Woods, and there were several scenes where the cast had the task of creating the magical freedom of childhood. In order to recreate that sense of freedom, there was a prior rehearsal in the tree area between the Science wing and the Theatre. This outdoor experience really helped to bring an energy into the scenes when performed back in the Theatre. Other ensemble pieces included the typing pool, which provided an energetic backdrop for the Editors’ Office. In contrast, there were also more intimate duologues between Elsie and Winifred during the flashforward scenes. These scenes created high dramatic tension as the cast used the theatrical device of multi-role, so that the Elsie and Winifred confrontations were played by several actors. This Brechtian device reminded the audience that the characters were only personas portrayed by actors, thus encouraging the audience to focus on the arguments. It was also a wonderful way to showcase everyone’s outstanding vocal and physical skills.

The students created two wonderful public performances, the first to their year group in the afternoon, and then the second to parents in the evening.

It was really special to see parents in the audience as it has been over a year since we have been able to open our doors to the wider Roedean community. It was a superb evening and a fantastic achievement for the Year 8 Drama Club. Well done!

SW

Webinar with Zadie Smith On Thursday, a group of English students joined a webinar interview with Zadie Smith. The multi-award-winning White Teeth author spoke captivatingly about her inspiration and changing the curriculum, and on Shakespeare to Ishiguro. What particularly stood out was her comments on the author/reader relationship, and how, as a writer, she strives to distance herself from the narrative voice to grant the reader greater interpretive liberty. This dynamic discussion was fab (especially when paired with snacks!), and I’ve been left with some really inspirational thoughts to mull over.

Jane (Yr12)

Photo credit: Dominique Nabokov

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

Roedean Academy

Weekend visit

It has been wonderful this week to begin the Roedean Academy for 2021. Despite the current situation, the Academy is bringing together students in Year 10 from 6 local secondary schools along with Roedean. Although it is entirely virtual, the programme has worked very well indeed, and it is great to see that students from all the schools are happy to share their ideas and opinions in the seminars. Some of the topics covered include Mega-Catastrophes, Offender Profiling, North Korea, and Magical Mathematics, but the full programme can be seen in this brochure.

RB

Mancy and Kaitlin were invited for the weekend to Galina’s House, where they had a fabulous time playing crazy golf, visiting the arcades, eating pizza, and watching movies. Thank you Galina and her parents for a lovely weekend!

Belated Birthday Celebrations in 8P Ayla and Rosa spent 7 hours on Tuesday night baking a belated birthday cake for Sophie and Indigo in 8P, as they were unable to celebrate their special days during lockdown! The cake was beautifully decorated by the girls and went down a treat for 8P on Wednesday morning.

Headmaster's Lecture

Dr Eugenia Cheng (OR) 'From Roedean Prefect to Chicago Professor: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender in a Male-Dominated World’ Wednesday 30 June 2021 Virtual Event –7:00pm

BOOK NOW

We are delighted to invite you to attend our second Headmaster's Lecture on Wednesday 30 June 2021, at which the speaker will be Dr Eugenia Cheng (House 4, 1987-94).

Eugenia is currently Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Honorary Visiting Fellow of City, University of London.

But, not only has she taught Mathematics at universities in 3 different countries, she is also a concert pianist, has published four books, and runs a thriving YouTube channel with over 15 million views. Eugenia's main

field is higher-dimensional category theory, and, as impressive as this sounds, what is even more so is her constant use of baking analogies to explain complex mathematical concepts, as demonstrated in her first book, How to Bake Pi. In her third book, The Art of Logic, Eugenia applies mathematical logic to modern-day issues, such as police brutality and Brexit, demonstrating how abstract mathematics can interweave seamlessly with politics.

Her latest book X + Y: A Mathematician's Manifesto for Rethinking Gender, argues that her mathematical specialty reveals a transformative new way of talking about the patriarchy, mansplaining and sexism: a way that empowers all of us to make the world a better place.

Tickets for this virtual event are free – you are welcome to make a charitable donation to support the School's work in the local community and beyond.

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HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

Summer Seaside Showcase Last night’s concert was fantastic! After over an entire year of no live concerts, it was brilliant to be able to see our musicians performing to a live audience. Not even the humid atmosphere in the Theatre, the need for very careful placement of the performers in order to maintain social distancing, and the audience having to wear masks throughout could dampen anyone’s spirits! Our performers did so well, particularly considering that they are out of performance practice – everyone who took part deserves to be thoroughly congratulated.

operatic aria simple, surely the mark of a great talent. Finally, moving to a very different style, Ava sang Happy Days are Here Again, by Ager and Yellen, and this fantastic song allowed her to showcase her powerful voice and stage presence excellently.

Well done to all our performers, and also to

The event started with lovely performances given by our junior ensembles, and this was their first performance for most of them at Roedean, and for some their first ever – well done to all of our Year 7 and 8 Strings, Ukuleles, and Singers. Our more experienced ensembles then performed an eclectic mix of pieces with a watery theme, including Handel’s Water Music, Lovely by Billie Eilish, and Mancini’s Moon River – seeing the combinations of experienced players alongside those who are developing their craft was wonderful, and this process helps to maintain the very high quality we have become used to of Music at Roedean.

The vocal ensembles’ performances of The Water of Tyne, Cry Me a River, and Bridge over Troubled Water were great, with lovely harmonies, and all the more impressive because they had been prepared, in part, in different bubbles before coming together for the concert.

For me, the highlights were the solo performances: our Year 9 soloists, Shannon and Galina performed Chopin’s fiendish Fantaisie on the piano and a challenging movement

form Poulenc’s Clarinet Sonata, and both were controlled and confidently played. They were followed by two Year 11 soloists: Frieda played James Rae’s Aquarelle beautifully, with great control across the flute’s whole register, and Ananya performed a movement from Brahm’s first Cello Sonata which was outstanding. It is remarkable to have musicians of such high calibre lower down the School, and they deserve our congratulations for their performances.

Although it could be argued the Mr Rous’ entertaining musical sanitisation of the piano keyboard after each piece was a highlight, our three Year 13 performers, for whom this will be their last concert at Roedean, most definitely stole the show! In different ways, their performances demonstrated such effervescent gusto and confidence, outstanding given how little concert experience they have had in recent times, and the audience showed their appreciation of the girls’ skill and talent with rapturous applause. Katarina’s playing of Bartók’s Romanian Folk Dances showed her wonderful control of the Violin, with complicated harmonics and double-stopping, and she captured the folk-feel of this challenging music brilliantly. Amelie performed an aria from Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro with confidence far beyond her years, and made performing an Page 8

their teachers and the Music Department, who masterminded such an ambitious programme.

It is such a shame that Ms Fewkes will be leaving Roedean, after 29 years of exceptional service, but we are all delighted that, after the year that we have been through, she had the opportunity to go out on a massive high – she will be missed, and it was lovely that the girls were able to give her a surprise musical send-off, with a sneakily prepared rendition of ‘The Wind Beneath My Wings’, including the line ‘did you ever know that you’re my hero’ – what a perfect tribute!

RB

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

Rounders Success!

18 June 2021 – Issue 8

Take Your Seat! -

Supporting Roedean Theatre

House 3 Captain Liv, has organised a whole host of activities to end the school year with a bang. From Snug decorating to pizza parties, sweet contests and a house rounders match which the girls have thoroughly enjoyed this week. Next Wednesday at our House 3 Celebration Evening, girls will be rewarded for their individual contributions to our house community. Liv plans to end the evening with a water fight and party to send the girls off with a bang. Thank you Liv for making the last few weeks of term memorable and fun and for your leadership of House 3 this year!

To learn more about the appeal or to donate online please visit: https://community.roedean.co.uk/pages/take-your-seat

Literary supplement

New Fiction Books in the Library Ace of Spades –

by Fairdah Abike-Lyimide

The Wild Silence –

by Raynor Winn

Welcome to Niveus Private Academy, where money paves the hallways, and the students are never less than perfect. Until now. Because anonymous texter, Aces, is bringing two students' dark secrets to light.

Buried secrets burst into the open at an exclusive high school in this explosive thriller which doubles as a blistering critique of institutionalised racism.

Following the hugely successful Sunday Times Bestseller, Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize nominee and Costa shortlisted, The Salt Path, Raynor Winn returns with her second brilliant book.

This time the narrative explores the difficulties surrounding the return to mainstream life after a period of homelessness.

The Lost Apothecary –

by Sarah Penner

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them – setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course. Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman. Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.

A Court of Silver Flames –

by Sarah J Maas In this highly anticipated fifth book of the mesmerising A Court of Thorns and Roses saga, it is the turn of Feyre’s sister to step into the limelight: now that the war has finally ended, the world seems wide open for the valiant Nesta.

The Moth and The Mountain –

by Ed Caesar The untold story of Britain's most mysterious mountaineering legend – Maurice Wilson – and his heroic attempt to climb Everest. Alone. In the 1930s, as official government expeditions set their sights on conquering Everest, a little-known World War I veteran named Maurice Wilson conceived his own crazy, beautiful plan: he would fly a Gipsy Moth aeroplane from England to Everest, crash land on its lower slopes, then become the first person to reach its summit – all utterly alone.

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18 June 2021 – Issue 8

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

SPORT Cricket

Tennis

U15A vs Bede’s

U15A vs Ardingly

The U15A team finished their season with a game against a strong Bede’s side. Roedean batted first and scored 109 for the loss of two wickets. Maria (Yr10) continued her fine form, with 55 and was well supported by Bridget (6 not out) in a stand of 95. Roedean bowled well, but Bede’s batting strength shone through; they reached the target in the 14th over without losing a wicket.

U12A vs Hurst

The U12As suffered a chastening 93 run defeat at Hurst in a game that had started promisingly.

Bowling first, Roedean reduced Hurst to 23-3 and 41-4, but the bowling was riddled with wides and, in total, 86 extras were conceded. Roedean's batters showed a hesitancy to run between the wickets and, coupled with some excellent Hurst catching, the score quickly dried up. The team has made strong progress this term and this game highlights the work that is still to be done in future years.

U12C vs Hurst

Hurst won the toss and put Roedean into bat first. Roedean put on 104 runs, which was an impressive team effort with everyone chipping in. A Special mention to Chloe and Jasmine (Batter of the match), with two outstanding batting performances. It was a close game with Hurstpierpoint scoring 88 runs, this was down to some excellent bowling from bowler of the match, Rhea, and Kali. The girls performed extremely well on and off the field, winning gracefully with class and great sportsmanship.

Another fantastic team performance by the U12C team, well done!

Our U15 girls had a friendly fixture versus Ardingly on a brilliant sunny afternoon at Roedean. The format was doubles pairs, meaning that they played a set against various pairs.

Our first pair, Lila and Julia, demonstrated some great movement around the court and fought a number of shots to keep in the rally. Our second pair, Nana and Caroline, worked extremely hard despite it being their second competitive match of the year. They demonstrated great groundstrokes and movement around the court.

Our third pair, Sigrid and Urara, showed great team-work throughout and had a very close match versus Ardingly fourth pair. The result was 4-6 which was a fantastic score. Khadijah and Imoghena, our fourth pair, worked well together and showed good resilience throughout. A huge well done to all!

U15A vs Ardingly

U15A vs Mayfield

Our U15 had their last match of the season vs Mayfield. The format was a singles set and a doubles set. Our first seed, Nia, had an exceptionally close first match with long rallies taking place with great groundstrokes performed and movement around the court. Mayfield applied the pressure and just took the win in the tie break, 7-5. Our second seed, Julia had a brilliant singles match in which she placed her serves well and hit some consistent and deep forehands, resulting in a win, 6-1. Our third seed, Lila was playing well throughout and, despite her efforts, Mayfield proved difficult to get past.

Amy our fourth seed, played brilliantly with some close points throughout and some great attacking shots executed. Doubles was up next, both Lila and Amy worked well together and performed some fantastic rallies throughout.

Mayfield were strong and moving them from side to side on a number of occasions. Both Nia and Julia had a very close doubles match which went to a tie-break. Both Roedean and Mayfield were performing strong deep groundstrokes and

Year 9 Athletics

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U15A vs Mayfield

playing attacking volleys at the net. Mayfield just took the lead 8-6 in the tie-break. Roedean played some fantastic tennis and it was great to see the determination throughout! Well done!

11 June 2021 – Issue 7

HEAD’S WEEKLY REVIEW

52 for Maria

with Olympian Nicola White 16th – 18th August

10% discount for Roedean pupils

Maria (Yr10) has played loads of cricket this week, including scoring her first 50 (52 in fact) – she’s so thrilled!!

It was a big moment for her!

Hone your hockey skills overlooking the sea this summer!

9th – 11th August 16th – 18th August 10am – 3pm Open to girls from Year 4 – 11 of all ability levels Cost: £45 per day / £120 for 3 days Please email Alex for further information and to book: smart_alexandra@hotmail.com 07899 920576 All coaches are DBS checked

Gabriella and Harriet Gabriella and Harriet and their 5Ways U12 team got through to the Semi-Finals of the Sisters in Sport National Netball Cup for Clubs last night. They beat Magic 17-11 in the 3rd round of the cup, and will now play the Semi-Finals at the end of June. They only had 8 of their original players, as 2 were self-isolating and they had to ask another player from the club to step in at the last moment.

Physical Literacy Year 8 Aqua played an adapted game of table tennis, with a swiss ball and themselves as the paddles. In this lesson, they were focusing on situations that require different types of speed and agility. They absolutely loved the giant table tennis game, and were throwing themselves all around the court to get the ball across to the other side.

J WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE

We welcome contributions from all parts of the Roedean community.

If you have something you would like featured in the Headmaster’s Weekly Review, please email: marketing@roedean.co.uk

WEEK AHEAD?

Tue 22 Jun

U16A & U18A&B Tennis vs Lancing College (A) Roedean Academy

Wed 23 Jun

NEW GIRLS’ DAY FESTIVAL Roedean Symposium

Thur 24 Jun

Year 11 End of Year Event Year 9 Play Roedean Academy

Sat 26 Jun

Pier-to-Pier U14-18 Sea Swimming Competition

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