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Ok, I've been talking and thinking about this almost since I started homeschooling almost 3 years ago, but I think it's finally happening.  I think I'm starting to relax and trust the process.  My kids are going to learn what they need to learn, I'm going to be able to teach them what they need me to, and find them resources for things that I can't teach.  I think it's going to be ok.

 

What has led to this epiphany?  Well, I've been super busy with work this spring.  Some days I just have to give the kids a list and work. And you know what? It's great.  They get their stuff done.  They've both learned more than a year's worth of stuff this year, they are both developing into lovely young people, and they are happy.

 

Shannon has turned her passion for horses into a really amazing opportunity - she volunteers at the stable in exchange for extra lessons, she works hard, she's developing a strong work ethic and a great reputation as a hard worker.  Doors are opening.

 

She is turning her passion for theater into . . . I'm not sure what yet, but she studies, and focuses, and memorizes, and works so hard, and she is really impressing her directors as well.  

 

And, watching her interact with this new fan site/MOOC - Hogwarts is Here - watching how motivated she is when she really wants to learn something, she knows what to do.  She set up a binder with dividers, she downloaded her textbooks, read them and took notes, and writes essays and submits them online.  So you know what? She knows how to learn!   

 

So we've been talking a lot the last week about what is motivating, what is a passion, about what my job is in her education (making sure she has the basic skills and requirements that will keep all college/higher ed doors open, and to help her research resources and opportunities) and what her job is (actually, you know, learning stuff), and I'm starting to actually believe it, and let go a little bit . . . 

 

So.  That filmmaking class she's been wanting to take, and I've been thinking she needs to wait on? I made her a deal: she needs to go online and learn to use the editing software for her digital camera, and I'll pay for the class.

 

Those online equine science classes she's been wanting to get started on, but I thought she was too young?  Ok.

 

More Shakespeare?  Yeah, ok, we can do that! 

 

More poetry?  Yep.

 

Hmmm, there will be less time in the schedule for stuff I had planned on doing.  But you know what?  That's ok too.

 

I am officially . . . relaxed.   :biggrinjester:

 

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Hmmm, there will be less time in the schedule for stuff I had planned on doing.  But you know what?  That's ok too.

 

I would love to hear more details about this! What did you decide to drop, and how did you make your decisions? I've been thinking about this so much lately. (As evidenced by my references angst in the Wuthering Heights thread! :tongue_smilie: )

 

You put such a positive spin on things....we are going through similar transitions, but I was phrasing it in my mind as giving up, giving in, being swept away by the tides and carried away on the wind... :smilielol5:     (Which I suppose does sound slightly poetic, but it can be a little scary in the thick of it! :willy_nilly: )

 

All the changes and opportunities are so very good, but uh, yeah, something needs to give. Make that a lot of somethings. ;)

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I am feeling that way lately too.

 

Cyrus... well, I am just wowed by him lately.

 

His passion for physics? He discovered Robert Gilmore, and just started reading Alice in Quantumland. He's lined up the Wizard of Quarks, Scrooge's Cryptic Carol, and Once Upon a Universe for himself, and Great Courses lectures on particle physics, the universe, and so on.

 

His tinkering? He's doing volunteer work at Community Bikes, a local non-profit that refurbishes old bikes, teaches bike maintenance, etc.

 

He keeps two blogs running, one on video game reviews, and one of car reviews.

 

He's making a video for the mother of a friend of mine - she's dying of cancer, and wants a short slideshow with music for her memorial service, and Cyrus was given the honor of putting it together.

 

He keeps a running notebook with conversion charts, a timeline of scientists/scientific breakthroughs, and much more. He taught himself to take really good notes watching Lou Bloomfield's course this spring on Coursera!

 

I found years ago that if I just gave my kids some room to grow and move around in, they blossomed. Then I freaked out and thought we needed more hand-holding, more "regular" curriculum. Now I am back to realizing that as long as they have the tools to learn, they wil!

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Well, don't stop picking up books to educate yourself. That's where I get my reading list!

 

When I get done with Engaging Ideas, I want to "engage" you in a thread about it! (Although, I admit the library only has the 1st edition - so that's what I'm reading.)

 

Yeah, that would be great!! I'm really enjoying it and would love to talk about it when I'm done too.

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I am feeling that way lately too.

 

Cyrus... well, I am just wowed by him lately.

 

His passion for physics? He discovered Robert Gilmore, and just started reading Alice in Quantumland. He's lined up the Wizard of Quarks, Scrooge's Cryptic Carol, and Once Upon a Universe for himself, and Great Courses lectures on particle physics, the universe, and so on.

 

His tinkering? He's doing volunteer work at Community Bikes, a local non-profit that refurbishes old bikes, teaches bike maintenance, etc.

 

He keeps two blogs running, one on video game reviews, and one of car reviews.

 

He's making a video for the mother of a friend of mine - she's dying of cancer, and wants a short slideshow with music for her memorial service, and Cyrus was given the honor of putting it together.

 

He keeps a running notebook with conversion charts, a timeline of scientists/scientific breakthroughs, and much more. He taught himself to take really good notes watching Lou Bloomfield's course this spring on Coursera!

 

I found years ago that if I just gave my kids some room to grow and move around in, they blossomed. Then I freaked out and thought we needed more hand-holding, more "regular" curriculum. Now I am back to realizing that as long as they have the tools to learn, they wil!

 

That's awesome, Gillian! I have to confess that I'm jealous that Cyrus is actually taking notes on stuff that is, you know, real.  As opposed to coming up with exceptions to Gant's Laws of Transfiguration, for example. . .  :001_rolleyes:  ;)  :D

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I would love to hear more details about this! What did you decide to drop, and how did you make your decisions? I've been thinking about this so much lately. (As evidenced by my references angst in the Wuthering Heights thread! :tongue_smilie: )

 

You put such a positive spin on things....we are going through similar transitions, but I was phrasing it in my mind as giving up, giving in, being swept away by the tides and carried away on the wind... :smilielol5:     (Which I suppose does sound slightly poetic, but it can be a little scary in the thick of it! :willy_nilly: )

 

All the changes and opportunities are so very good, but uh, yeah, something needs to give. Make that a lot of somethings. ;)

 

 

Well, don't tell anyone, but I'm thinking of dropping . . . history.  :leaving:

 

We are super excited about doing Big History, and I had planned to add a bunch of science resources to flesh it out into a full science, and that is still going to happen because we're both excited about it.  But I was also going to flesh out the history part, and have the whole shebang be two hours each day.  Now I'm thinking of . . . not.  We've been through the history cycle once, and we have 5 more years after next year, so maybe it just isn't that important to try and cram a bunch more into an already full study?  Dropping that stuff would buy us an hour a day.

 

The other possibly sacriligeous thing I'm considering is to cap how long each day we do "school" instead of continuing to let it grow and grow.  We've been doing shorter, more efficient days this spring because she's been in play rehearsal or horseback riding two hours every day, and I actually think I really like it.  I'm thinking of a schedule something like this:

1 hour math

1 hour English/skills (writing, vocab, grammar)

1 hour Literature - interest based, this plan is rapidly evolving inside my head

1 hour science

1 hour skills/other - spanish, typing, and our fun Metacognition reads and discussions, problem solving, that kind of thing.

 

That leaves plenty of time for more "academic" interests - digital filmmaking, shakespeare, movies, writing hogwarts essays  ;) , equine science classes, as well as extracurriculars like theater and horseback riding.

 

I'd been feeling this obligation to ramp up for 7th grade, but I don't know, it just doesn't feel  like I need to add more hours of schoolwork to the day.  This is a kid who has read more than 120 books this year, some of them "classics" and some of them more than once.  She's had a major breakthrough in math this year and will be starting Algebra in the fall.  She loves science, and some of our best recent discussions have been in literature - talking about short stories, poetry, and she wants to do more with poetry.  The only thing I really feel like I have to stay on top of to keep her on track is writing, but this Engaging Ideas book is helping me rethink how to do that a little bit, through different kinds of across-the-curriculum open form and closed form writing assignments, 

 

I feel like what she needs right now, what she is ready for, is to really sink her teeth into some of her big interests.  Right now, her top 3 interests are horses, theater/film (acting, making, but interested in directing, writing, other aspects as well), and Harry Potter/Hogwarts, which connects right back to her interests in film and film making.  Back when her main extracurricular interest was building cardboard stables for her Breyer horses, I didn't feel the need to create time in the school day for that, but for things like a film making class, or equine science classes, I do.  These are absolutely legitimate school-time-worthy interests that she wants to pursue, and I want her to pursue them - I've spent the last 3 years hoping she would find a passion, so the least I can do is support it now it's happening, right?

 

The biggest thing is just staying flexible, but I feel like that now she's showing more initiative and taking more ownership of her education, the least I can do is to support that.

 

Anyway, these are just my thoughts at this point, I'm going to keep talking with her about this and about what she wants to do and learn.  But me being willing to let go of stuff I thought we should do, and let go of control of school-time activities, is really going to open things up, I think.  Exciting times!

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My dh recently got a job that is moving us from SC to TX so out of need I've dropped some stuff and changed some stuff. Started doing written narrations after the kids read something and just discussing things after I read or they listen to something. My new obsession is audiobooks. They listen to MOH, we talk about it. They listen to SOTW, we talk about it.

 

I just got Apologia Flying Creatures audiobook and they will be listening to that, discussing. If I feel like it and we have the materials, we may do some activities. If not, no big deal.

 

I changed them t TT math so I don't get behind in checking math like I do with Saxon. Adding LOF and letting them check it themselves. Also key to measurement for fun. One page a day.

 

Reading some poetry.

Listening to Jim Weiss.

 

But in the past 2 weeks, my boys have helped their daddy put down laminate flooring, take apart and destroy 2 broken computers, among other stuff.

 

They collected bugs and frogs. We kept a carpenter bee that had a broken wing for 3 days, they gave it flowers and water. It died today.

 

I've done some CM-type grammar and Daily Grammr with them and found out they retain way more by just doing a little at a time and together.

 

They've been memorizing poetry.

 

My 14 told me she'd rather do workbooks than written narrations because the narrations make her THINK and workbooks don't.

 

Maybe when we get this house sold and move to TX I will keep this up. Maybe. lol

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Sparkly is awesome and shiny and that bacon just makes me want to give her (and the bacon) a big huge hug. Such lovely posts in this thread. Just reading them is helping me relax. Many cheers for all of you!

 

It's almost like there's something in the air and the sunshine...around February many of us feel down and then in April/ May the world seems hopeful and liveable and alive again.

 

May we all always relax more and worry less. :cheers2: (just imagine that mine is a root beer float ya? I don't imbibe lol).

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They collected bugs and frogs. We kept a carpenter bee that had a broken wing for 3 days, they gave it flowers and water. It died today.

 

My sympathies!  :sad: 

 

My 14 told me she'd rather do workbooks than written narrations because the narrations make her THINK and workbooks don't.

 

Ha!  That Engaging Ideas book says that using the ideas in their book won't necessarily make someone a better writer, but it'll help them be a better thinker and it'll help them learn the material better than some other much-in-use-methods.   :ohmy:  

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Your big post is awesome.  I wish you would just come over here and plan out my younger one's schedule.  We are getting into too much box ticking with spelling, grammar, latin, etc.  We need more Hogwarts!  As I said in the other thread, we are currently waiting for the owl.....

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She is turning her passion for theater into . . . I'm not sure what yet, but she studies, and focuses, and memorizes, and works so hard, and she is really impressing her directors as well.  

 

<...>

 

So.  That filmmaking class she's been wanting to take, and I've been thinking she needs to wait on? I made her a deal: she needs to go online and learn to use the editing software for her digital camera, and I'll pay for the class.

...

 

More Shakespeare?  Yeah, ok, we can do that! 

 

More poetry?  Yep.

 

 

This is fabulous... Depending on her interests, I would strongly look at film making... However, beyond that, I would consider if there is an interest in Theater Tech. Those kids do some really interesting and worthwhile stuff. This can be a great option for kids with both strong science and humanities interests. There is lots of scope for diverse interests there... and those kids tend to be *very* accepting of quirks. My wife spent a lot of high school as a theater tech. There were alot of very academic kids as well as more artsy folks involved. I don't know much about film production since that wasn't a possibility in the late 80's. Either way you seem to have some good options...

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My boys are a little younger, but I'm trying to reframe us going into the logic stage this way.  They're really asking for more independence and power and I want to give it to them.  We're also dropping history (which, as a former history major, I'm surprising myself) and I'm hoping to find a way to both relax and let them follow their interests and yet simultaneously keep raising the bar on learning.  I think the next step is that instead of imposing the learning, I'm going to be doing a lot more supporting their learning and projects.  But I'm hoping that doesn't mean lowering expectations or standards.  The trick I'm hoping I get right is letting them have the ownership they want and also keeping it academic and meaningful.

 

(By the way, this thread title keeps making me think of my yoga class, where at the end the teacher does this whole relaxation in a calm voice...  "My feet are relaxing.  My feet are relaxing.  My feet are completely relaxed.  My legs are relaxing..."  Etc.  Maybe this is, "My homeschool is relaxing.  My homeschool is relaxing.  My homeschool is completely relaxed.")

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This is fabulous... Depending on her interests, I would strongly look at film making... However, beyond that, I would consider if there is an interest in Theater Tech. Those kids do some really interesting and worthwhile stuff. This can be a great option for kids with both strong science and humanities interests. There is lots of scope for diverse interests there... and those kids tend to be *very* accepting of quirks. My wife spent a lot of high school as a theater tech. She was also a Presidential Scholar(so putatively the top 2 students in her state <shrug> ) I don't know much about film production since that wasn't a possibility in the late 80's. Either way you seem to have some good options...

 

 

She's incredibly interested in that kind of thing - I have a hard time conveying in my posts that a big part of her interest in Hogwarts is her interest, as an actor, in the whole process of turning that book series into a film that stayed so close to the book, and really created the world that she imagined when she read the books.  She's interested in the actors as people, as kids who grew up in this world.  She likes to see Emma Watson in different roles, and in interviews, so she can analyze how much of her is Hermione and how much of Hermione is her and what this acting thing is all about, if that makes sense . . . and she's very interesting in making film, the technical aspects, and creating a story and the choices directors makes.  She has the wonderful opportunity to work with a fabulous director on Midsummer Night's Dream and she is learning so much from him, but this is a youth theater troupe and she's making noises about wanting more, something a little more serious.  Anyway, it kind of makes my head spin trying to figure out what other kinds of opportunities and resources to put in her way.  

 

Any ideas or suggestions about theater tech resources?  This is an area that I know nothing about.

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My boys are a little younger, but I'm trying to reframe us going into the logic stage this way.  They're really asking for more independence and power and I want to give it to them.  We're also dropping history (which, as a former history major, I'm surprising myself) and I'm hoping to find a way to both relax and let them follow their interests and yet simultaneously keep raising the bar on learning.  I think the next step is that instead of imposing the learning, I'm going to be doing a lot more supporting their learning and projects.  But I'm hoping that doesn't mean lowering expectations or standards.  The trick I'm hoping I get right is letting them have the ownership they want and also keeping it academic and meaningful.

 

(By the way, this thread title keeps making me think of my yoga class, where at the end the teacher does this whole relaxation in a calm voice...  "My feet are relaxing.  My feet are relaxing.  My feet are completely relaxed.  My legs are relaxing..."  Etc.  Maybe this is, "My homeschool is relaxing.  My homeschool is relaxing.  My homeschool is completely relaxed.")

 

 

I love this! I'll have to remember it next time I wake up at 5 am thinking, "Wait, did I just tell Shannon that we can drop Ancient History next year?"  :scared:  :eek:  ;)

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Well, don't tell anyone, but I'm thinking of dropping . . . history.  :leaving:

 

We are super excited about doing Big History, and I had planned to add a bunch of science resources to flesh it out into a full science, and that is still going to happen because we're both excited about it.  But I was also going to flesh out the history part, and have the whole shebang be two hours each day.  Now I'm thinking of . . . not.  We've been through the history cycle once, and we have 5 more years after next year, so maybe it just isn't that important to try and cram a bunch more into an already full study?  Dropping that stuff would buy us an hour a day.

 

The other possibly sacriligeous thing I'm considering is to cap how long each day we do "school" instead of continuing to let it grow and grow.  We've been doing shorter, more efficient days this spring because she's been in play rehearsal or horseback riding two hours every day, and I actually think I really like it.  I'm thinking of a schedule something like this:

1 hour math

1 hour English/skills (writing, vocab, grammar)

1 hour Literature - interest based, this plan is rapidly evolving inside my head

1 hour science

1 hour skills/other - spanish, typing, and our fun Metacognition reads and discussions, problem solving, that kind of thing.

 

That leaves plenty of time for more "academic" interests - digital filmmaking, shakespeare, movies, writing hogwarts essays  ;) , equine science classes, as well as extracurriculars like theater and horseback riding.

 

I'd been feeling this obligation to ramp up for 7th grade, but I don't know, it just doesn't feel  like I need to add more hours of schoolwork to the day.  This is a kid who has read more than 120 books this year, some of them "classics" and some of them more than once.  She's had a major breakthrough in math this year and will be starting Algebra in the fall.  She loves science, and some of our best recent discussions have been in literature - talking about short stories, poetry, and she wants to do more with poetry.  The only thing I really feel like I have to stay on top of to keep her on track is writing, but this Engaging Ideas book is helping me rethink how to do that a little bit, through different kinds of across-the-curriculum open form and closed form writing assignments, 

 

I feel like what she needs right now, what she is ready for, is to really sink her teeth into some of her big interests.  Right now, her top 3 interests are horses, theater/film (acting, making, but interested in directing, writing, other aspects as well), and Harry Potter/Hogwarts, which connects right back to her interests in film and film making.  Back when her main extracurricular interest was building cardboard stables for her Breyer horses, I didn't feel the need to create time in the school day for that, but for things like a film making class, or equine science classes, I do.  These are absolutely legitimate school-time-worthy interests that she wants to pursue, and I want her to pursue them - I've spent the last 3 years hoping she would find a passion, so the least I can do is support it now it's happening, right?

 

The biggest thing is just staying flexible, but I feel like that now she's showing more initiative and taking more ownership of her education, the least I can do is to support that.

 

Anyway, these are just my thoughts at this point, I'm going to keep talking with her about this and about what she wants to do and learn.  But me being willing to let go of stuff I thought we should do, and let go of control of school-time activities, is really going to open things up, I think.  Exciting times!

 

I've limited history this year -- we read ONE chapter of K12's Human Odyssey a week, and if there is more interest, the kid(s) pursue it (with my help as desired). If not, we move on. We do watch a lot of documentaries though, so they get a lot of exposure that way. But history has not been the main focus this year, and I feel that has been a good move for us. I plan to continue on this way in the fall.

 

As for shorter days, if I count up the time we spend on "academics" it seems quite short compared to some timetables I have seen on this board. But, the kids are progressing nicely -- they are not "behind" except Cassia's reading, and that is far more the dyslexia than the amount of time we spend on lessons. However, that doesn't include all the time they spend on personal interests and studies. Cyrus fences 4-6 hours a week, volunteers for 3-4 hours a week at the bicycle place, writes 2 blogs, works on filmography, etc. And Cassia can tell you a huge amount of information about dinosaurs and sea life from documentaries, books, etc -- she takes care o the pets, spends time on roller derby, practices skating in her free time, and hopes to work with guide dog puppies over the summer. None of this is on our "school" schedule, but in giving them time to pursue their interests, I see tremendous growth, and then when we sit down for what I have planned, I see more willingness to focus and do the work. I too need to support their growing abilities to take control of their own educations to at least some degree.

 

I feel like I should have listened better to myself years ago!

 

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That's awesome, Gillian! I have to confess that I'm jealous that Cyrus is actually taking notes on stuff that is, you know, real.  As opposed to coming up with exceptions to Gant's Laws of Transfiguration, for example. . .  :001_rolleyes:  ;)  :D

 

It was one of the funniest discussions I ever had with him... he was watching the lecture and then, very seriously, asked me "Hey Mom, can I watch it over again so I can take notes to remember what he's saying?" I was so tempted to say "No. No note-taking ever." just to see what would happen. Instead I gave him a notebook and told him to go for it. :tongue_smilie:

 

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It was one of the funniest discussions I ever had with him... he was watching the lecture and then, very seriously, asked me "Hey Mom, can I watch it over again so I can take notes to remember what he's saying?" I was so tempted to say "No. No note-taking ever." just to see what would happen. Instead I gave him a notebook and told him to go for it. :tongue_smilie:

 

 

Wow, classic homeschooling bliss moment! That's how I felt when I came home the other day and Shannon showed me her Hogwarts notebook, complete with divider tabs for each of her first-year classes, and she told me that she wanted to pre-read the first two chapters of each textbook before she started the classes so she wouldn't be behind.  Well, of course most of me felt that way, that little bitty part of me wished that she was talking about a MOOC in the Muggle world!  :lol:  :hurray:

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I feel like I should have listened better to myself years ago!

 

 

That blog post was immensely inspiring to me when you wrote it you know! :001_smile:

 

The really, really cool thing I've noticed (for us at least) about dropping formal history (fingers crossed with Woodland Mist that thread is not locked, hee hee) is that it led to a burgeoning love of history about 1.5 years later.  Learning can work in mysterious ways.

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The really, really cool thing I've noticed (for us at least) about dropping formal history (fingers crossed with Woodland Mist that thread is not locked, hee hee) is that it led to a burgeoning love of history about 1.5 years later.  Learning can work in mysterious ways.

 

I wonder if this works for other areas too? I let my dd#2 drop our homeschool P.E. class (not required for our state, just supposed to be fun) about two years ago. The teacher tried to talk her into participating again last fall - no dice. Just last week, when 'track day' was almost over, she asked to participate - in the 800 meter run.   :eek:  She stuck around to do a leg of the relay race & really turned in a smokin' performance.  :ohmy:  Wonder if she'll do soccer next week . . . 

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My dh recently got a job that is moving us from SC to TX so out of need I've dropped some stuff and changed some stuff. Started doing written narrations after the kids read something and just discussing things after I read or they listen to something. My new obsession is audiobooks. They listen to MOH, we talk about it. They listen to SOTW, we talk about it.

 

I just got Apologia Flying Creatures audiobook and they will be listening to that, discussing. If I feel like it and we have the materials, we may do some activities. If not, no big deal.

 

 

 

Hang on, what?!  Apologia Audiobooks?????????

 

 

*runs off to investigate*

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How wonderful you are finding opportunities for your daughter's interest. We are still in the discovering interest stage here, somewhat surprisingly my son seems to be leaning towards theatre himself and I've just been wondering what and how I can/should help him develop this interest. We however are going a bit the other direction with our studies in that we are going to be doing more history this coming year, as up until now we've done little. The focus of our coming year will be books and the little extras next year (like art- lots of art for everyone especially my art loving dd), poetry, and more field trips. We are going to enjoy more games, more time outside and make steady progress on our skill work. 

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