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In This Issue: 1. Welcome from Colin Bell, COBIS CEO
2. Dates For Your Diaries
3. School Member News
4. Professional Development 5. New Member Schools
6. COBIS Student Competitions & Events
7. COBIS Webinars
8. News from COBIS Schools Around the World
9. Supporting Member News
10. Contact Us
Welcome from Colin Bell, COBIS CEO  Dear Colleague,
Welcome to the first COBIS Connect of 2015 and, from all the team at COBIS Head Office, we trust you and your pupils had an enjoyable and restful break. With the spring term now underway, once again the aim of our growing association is to offer further support via our premium services and to increase high quality engagement and participation from our worldwide membership base. COBIS has lots to offer during the spring and summer term, with conferences in Athens, Beijing, Lagos and Dubai. Also, in May, we look forward to welcoming colleagues, to the 34th COBIS Annual Conference in London. A great opportunity to come together to network and learn from each other during several days of thought-provoking CPD. Booking is now open!
A reminder too about the range of stimulating COBIS student competitions which are on offer. For KS1 & 2 students, the closing date for the COBIS Primary Creative Challenge 'Come Dine With Me' has been extended until 16 January 2015. Please encourage your students to get cooking and share their examples of world cuisines. This term also sees the launch of the new COBIS Senior School Music Festival which promises to be a fantastic addition to the COBIS student events calendar. We invite you and your students to attend and take part in what promises to be a wonderful festival of music. Finally, in an increasingly competitive sector, the supply of high quality teachers and leaders is a challenge faced by all member schools. By way of support, during this busy recruitment season, the COBIS Board and team from HQ are hosting, presenting at and supporting a number of recruitment events to attract NQTs, experienced teachers and leaders to apply for jobs in COBIS schools. We anticipate that even more eyeballs will be browsing the recruitment section on the COBIS website - therefore to enhance your recruitment campaigns please make sure all your ads are published!!
Kind Regards,
Colin Bell
CEO
Dates for Your Diaries
COBIS Seminar - Leading British Overseas Schools - Booking Now Open Considering your next leadership role? Would you like to lead a British International School overseas?
31 January 2015 (14:00-17:00)
The Park Plaza Hotel, Victoria, Central London COBIS Conference for Teachers and Support Staff and Four-Day Middle Leaders’ Programme Excellence and Happiness: Creating a Collaborative Learning Ethos for the Whole School
2-3 March 2015 (Middle Leaders 28 February – 3 March 2015)
St Catherine’s British School, Greece
COBIS Conference for Teachers and Four-Day Middle Leaders’ Programme
Future Learners – The Challenge of a New Environment
20-21 March 2015 (Middle Leaders 19-22 March 2015)
The British School of Beijing, China
COBIS Conference for Teachers, Leaders and Support Staff
Students Taking Ownership of their Learning
16-17 April 2015
Grange School, Nigeria
COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff
Stakeholder Engagement: the Past, the Present and the Prospective
23-24 April 2015 Dubai College, United Arab Emirates Safer Recruitment for International Schools Course
9 May 2015, London 34th COBIS Annual Conference Measuring Success: Wellbeing, Resilience, Education and Leadership in British Schools Overseas
9-11 May 2015
Park Plaza Hotel, London Advanced Child Protection Course
12 May 2015, London IPML Facilitator Training
12-14 May 2015, London
School Member News
UK DfE Announces New BSO State Emblem 
Towards the end of the Autumn term, BSO inspected schools should have received a communication from Jackie McHanwell, Assistant Director, Independent Education, Boarding and Safeguarding in Schools, from the UK Department for Education (DfE) relating to the launch of the new BSO State Emblem. This emblem can be used by schools which have been inspected against the DfE standards for British Schools Overseas (BSOs). Whilst this initiative is welcomed, a number of colleagues have expressed their disappointment, which COBIS also shares, with the design quality of this new BSO State Emblem and the limited channels in which the DfE has communicated this launch.
• Please click here to see the BSO State Emblem
• Please click here to view a PowerPoint Presentation from the DfE on How to Access Edubase BSO Records
In December, Colin Bell, COBIS CEO met with The Rt Hon Nicky Morgan, Secretary of State for Education, during which he was able to express gratitude for the further recognition for high quality BSOs plus concerns that, within the highly competitive International education market, the current BSO State Emblem doesn’t clearly illustrate the link to the British Government, to premium quality, or to the British brand. In terms of ongoing dialogue with the Secretary of State and her Department, as always, COBIS members will be kept informed.
To read the full announcement from Jackie McHanwell please click here. LAUNCH - Online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) 
COBIS and its members worldwide are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Browsers and applicants to job adverts on the COBIS website are informed that they must be willing to undergo child protection screening, including checks with past employers and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. To support your school’s safer recruitment practice, COBIS are delighted to announce the launch of our new online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), in association with uCheck . After a thorough trial process with several COBIS member schools, we are now able to make this new service available to all COBIS schools, supporting members and non-COBIS member schools. Benefits of the new online system include: - Increased speed of processing applications – cases are normally completed in about 3 days
- Accuracy of the input data / reduced errors – e.g. if an applicant does not provide a full and complete address history they will not be able to move on to the next stage
- Zero postage costs – paper forms will not need to be posted to COBIS
- Email notification from the DBS when the application has been completed confirming the result and certificate number – for data protection reasons the certificate must however still only be sent to the applicant
To register for this new service or to find more information please contact Sarah Wooldridge at admin@cobis.org.uk NQT Fairs – COBIS Involvement This term, COBIS HQ staff will be speaking and exhibiting at NQT Fairs at Universities in the UK. COBIS is keen to make Newly Qualified Teachers aware of the opportunities in British Schools Overseas, both for NQT induction (in schools that have had a successful BSO inspection), and for teaching and leadership posts later in their careers. COBIS Research and Data Update Thank you to the numerous schools that completed the new COBIS Annual Research Survey, delivered by GL Education. Work on benchmarking data is underway, and all responding schools should receive personalised reports this term. Lots of positive initial findings are coming out of the survey, for example:
- 92% of responding schools indicated that pupil numbers have increased or remained roughly the same over the past 5 years.
- Schools were also asked if they were interested in the opportunity to deliver initial teacher training. 72% of schools responding to this question indicated that they were interested. Initial Teacher Training routes for COBIS schools is something that we are continuing to actively explore on behalf of our members.
This research is a new project for COBIS, to repeated annually. Over the coming months we will be working on ways to improve this data collection exercise for next year. We would welcome any feedback from schools. Please feel free to contact Fiona Rogers on cpd@cobis.org.uk. We are aware that there were some difficulties with the University Destinations section of the survey, and Headteachers will be receiving a separate email shortly requesting a few additional pieces of information to allow us to provide more useful data in this area. COBIS Member Schools - Staff Changes Bridge House College are happy to announce that they have a new Principal, Mrs. Emeanu, U.V. and are now at their permanent building which is situated within a more serene environment at Osborne Foreshore II Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos, Nigeria.
Below is a picture of their new building.  
COBIS reminds all member schools to notify us of changes to their administrative and senior leadership staff. This will help us stay up to date with all important contacts and make it easier to facilitate dialogue with the appropriate person in each school. To inform us of any changes, please email Fiona Rogers - cpd@cobis.org.uk
New Edition of The Source  The Source is the COBIS directory of products and services for British International Schools of Global Quality. COBIS schools use many of the products and services provided by our Supporting Members and COBIS recommends Supporting Members to member schools wherever appropriate. Hard copies of The Source 2015 edition will be sent out to all member schools in January. An online directory is also published here and will be periodically updated as COBIS welcomes new Supporting Members into our organisation.
COBIS Graduate Internship Programme **DEADLINE APPROACHING**
In 2013, COBIS launched its International Marketing Internship programme. Building on the success of this initiative, COBIS is now looking to recruit a third International Marketing Intern from February 2015. This six-month, full-time paid internship is suitable for a recent University or College graduate with experience of education in an international setting (for example, in a British International School). More information can be found on the COBIS website here. We would be grateful if you could help COBIS to promote this opportunity by circulating details to your alumni if appropriate.
Professional Development Recent CPD Events EYFS Training Days at Rainbow International School  Rainbow International School, Kampala, Uganda, hosted two successful EYFS Training Days, in association with COBIS, at the beginning of January. The courses, titled Teachable Moments – The Key to Success in the Early Years, were delivered by author, trainer and educator Anna Ephgrave. The two courses were attended by nearly 50 Early Years practitioners. Thank you to Audrey Dralega and her colleagues at Rainbow International School for all of the work that went into ensuring the success of these CPD events. Forthcoming Conferences COBIS Seminar - Leading British Overseas Schools **BOOKING OPEN** The Park Plaza Hotel, Victoria, Central London
31 January 2015, 14:00 - 17:00 This one day seminar, hosted at the Park Plaza Hotel in Central London, organised by COBIS, sponsored by Anthony Millard Consulting and Eteach International, offers a helpful, independent introduction to this fast-expanding market. There will also be the opportunity to seek initial, personal guidance, and if you wish, to register in total confidence, your possible interest in current or future overseas posts. Attendance and bookings are welcome from school leaders from across all age settings (Principals, Heads, Deputies and Senior Leadership Team staff) at UK maintained and independent schools. Click here for more information and to book your place.
Click here to view the flyer and conference programme. 
COBIS Conference for Teachers and Support Staff: Athens, Greece - 2-3 March 2015 **DEADLINE APPROACHING**
Excellence and Happiness: Creating a Collaborative Learning Ethos for the Whole School
St Catherine's British School, Athens Teachers and TAs from Primary and Secondary Schools are invited to register for this COBIS Conference. In addition to high-profile speakers, the programme will also include workshops on a range of topics including: 
- Coaching to improve performance
- EYFS - enabling environments
- Philosophy for children
- The role of the teaching assistant
- Integrating new technology in schools
- Global literacy
- Effective strategies for children with ADHD
- Developing thinking skills
- And more
For more information and a booking form, please click here.
A four-day programme for Middle Leaders will run alongside the conference, 28 February-3 March. Click here for more information. 
COBIS Conference for Teachers: Beijing, China - 20-21 March 2015 **BOOKING OPEN**
Future Learners - The Challenges of a New Environment
The British School of Beijing, Shunyi This conference for Primary and Secondary Teachers will include sessions on:  - 21st Century Learners
- Using Digital Technology to Transform Learning
- The Thinking Classroom
- Make Your Classroom an iPad Classroom
- Future-Proofing Schools
- Blended Learning: a New Approach to Teaching & Learning
- And more
There will also be opportunities for optional cultural visits (Great Wall, Forbidden City, etc.) for participants on Sunday 22 March. 
For more information and a booking form, please click here.
A four-day programme for Middle Leaders will run alongside the conference, 19-22 March. Click here for more information. Four-day Middle Leaders’ Programme, Athens and Beijing, Spring 2015
Leading Learning from the Middle COBIS, working in partnership with Karen Ardley Associates, St Catherine’s British School in Athens, and the British School of Beijing, will be running two four-day courses for aspiring or current middle leaders in Primary or Secondary schools. 28 February-3 March 2015 – St Catherine’s British School, Athens (click here for more details and booking forms)
19-22 March 2015 – The British School of Beijing (click here for more details and booking forms) Course objectives: - To deepen middle managers’ understanding of themselves and their leadership behaviours
- To extend middle managers’ knowledge and understanding about leadership
- To develop leadership skills
COBIS Conference for Teachers, Leaders and Support Staff: Lagos, Nigeria - 16-17 April 2015
Students Taking Ownership of Their Learning
Grange School, Lagos This conference for Teachers, TAs, Support Staff, Middle and Senior Leaders, and Proprietors of British International Schools will include sessions on: - Using ICT to Enhance, Extend and Support Learning
- British International Schools: The African Perspective - Challenges, Threats, Opportunities
- Special Educational Needs
- New Models of Educational Delivery: Opportunities and Challenges
- And more
For more information and a booking form, please click here.
2nd COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff
Stakeholder Engagement: The Past, The Present and The Prospective
23-24 April 2015
Dubai College, UAE Booking is now open for the 2nd COBIS Conference for Marketing, Development and Admissions Staff. The programme will cover a range of topics including: - Marketing & Admissions
- Alumni Engagement
- School Branding
- Establishing a Development Office
- The Customer Journey
- Media Relations for Schools
- Social Media and Technology
- And more
For more information and a booking form, please click here. 34th COBIS Annual Conference, 9-11 May 2015, London  Measuring Success: Wellbeing, Resilience, Education and Leadership in British Schools Overseas
Sponsored by TES Global Heads, Governors, Deputy Heads and other Senior Managers are invited to register for the 34th COBIS Annual Conference (Park Plaza Hotel, Victoria, London. Keynote speakers will include:
- Professor Guy Claxton – World renowned authority on the development of intellectual character; author; Emeritus Professor of the Learning Sciences at University of Winchester; Visiting Professor of Education at King’s College London
- Baroness Sue Campbell CBE – Chair of Youth Sport Trust; former Chief Executive of the National Coaching Founding and former Chair of UK Sport; member of the House of Lords
- And more.
Seminars and workshops will include: - Developing resilience in your teaching workforce
- Mindfulness and wellbeing in schools
- Measuring the impact of leadership
- Resilient classroom cultures
- And much more.
Click here to view a copy of the conference flyer.
For more information about the conference, and booking forms, please click here.
See below for more information about additional courses running alongside the conference. 
Annual Conference Shoulder Courses
Annual Conference delegates may be interested in these other training opportunities, running alongside the Annual Conference. Safer Recruitment for International Schools, 9 May 2015, London Before the official start of the Annual Conference, COBIS will be offering delegates the opportunity to attend a course on Safer Recruitment for International Schools, delivered by Barabarani Education Services. For more information and a booking form, please click here. Advanced Child Protection Course, 12 May 2015, London On the Tuesday following the Annual Conference, COBIS will be running an Advanced Child Protection Course, delivered by Kidscape. For more information and a booking form, please click here. IPML Facilitator Training, 12-14 May 2015, London COBIS has a formal partnership arrangement with the National College for Teaching and Leadership in the UK for the delivery of the International Programme for Middle Leaders (IPML). The IPML is running, through COBIS, in The Netherlands and Spain this year, with participants from schools in Brazil, Italy, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, Romania, Spain and The Netherlands. COBIS is now in a position to train new facilitators who will then be able to deliver this programme in their own schools. An IPML Facilitator Training Course will run in London from 12-14 May 2015, immediately following the Annual Conference. Places on this course are very limited. For more information, or to request a booking form, please email Fiona Rogers on cpd@cobis.org.uk. Other Forthcoming Events 
IPSEF Conference
11-13 March 2015
Kuala Lumpur
IPSEF, the International and Private Schools Education Forum, runs a series of international conferences focusing on the challenges and the practical issues of setting up schools, or second campuses in different countries. IPSEF would like to extend an invitation to COBIS Members to attend their forthcoming IPSEF in Kuala Lumpur on 11-13 March 2015 and speak at the event in order to share your background and experience in the International schools sector.
IPSEF works with key stakeholders to enable education leaders to discuss critical issues. Further information can be found at www.ipsef.net. To download a booking form click here.
Get Ready for the Leading Educational Show in the Middle East GESS
24-26 February 2015
Dubai World Trade Centre The 8th Global Educational Supplies and Solutions Exhibition (GESS) and the Global Education Forum (GEF) takes place on the 24 – 26 February 2015 at Dubai World Trade Centre. The exhibition showcases the latest innovations in educational products and the conference is CPD accredited. Both are free of charge to attend and give educationalists of all levels access to an extensive world-class educational programme. Gain insight from international experts and take home some practical teaching methods, to use in your classroom immediately. To find out more visit www.gessdubai.com or to register now for free www.gessdubai.com/cobis 
New COBIS Member Schools
COBIS is delighted to announce four new member schools which have recently joined us. Trident College  COBIS is delighted to welcome our second member school in Solwezi, Zambia. Trident College is part of the Educore group of schools and has recently been awarded COBIS Member status by the COBIS Membership Committee.
Robin Silk, Headmaster at the College said upon accepting COBIS membership “On behalf of Trident College and our Board of Governors, I write to express how honoured I am to accept COBIS membership”.
Trident Preparatory School, Kalumbila  Trident Preparatory School, Kalumbila is also a member of the Educore group of schools and opened its doors to pupils in 2014. The school, located in Kalumbila, Zambia, caters for pupils from nursery to year 6. The school joins Trident College and Trident Preparatory School, Solwezi from the Educore group of schools as COBIS members.
International Preparatory School, Portugal  The International Preparatory School in Alcabideche, Portugal has recently been approved by the COBIS Membership Committee as a COBIS Member. The school, which was founded in 1982, is also a member of ECIS and has almost 300 pupils on role.
Robert Taylor, Headteacher at the school said upon accepting COBIS membership, “I am certain that IPS will benefit from this membership and the support offered by COBIS towards our ongoing school improvement”.
Kaduna International School  COBIS would like to welcome Kaduna International School back into membership. The school, in Nigeria, has 14 staff and 92 pupils from nursery to year 6.
Headmaster at the school, Joe Labuschagne, said upon accepting COBIS Member status, “We wish to express our sincere gratitude at being offered membership and look forward to wonderful a partnership together”. Wycombe Abbey School 
COBIS is delighted to welcome Wycombe Abbey School into COBIS membership. The school, which is located in High Wycombe, UK, is an independent girls’ boarding school currently educating over 500 students aged 11-18. Wycombe Abbey is the sixth UK independent school to join COBIS as a member. The school's Ofsted report is currently with the COBIS Inspections and Quality Assurance Committee in order for the school to be approved as a COBIS Accredited Member. On behalf of COBIS, we would like to welcome the staff and pupils at all these schools into COBIS membership.
COBIS Student Competitions and Events Good luck to all schools taking part in all of our competitions and events. To get your school involved, go to www.cobis.org.uk/COBIS_Student_Events 
Primary Creative Competition The Primary Creative Competition deadline has been extended until 16 January 2015 to allow schools to send in their Christmas culinary delights! _(800x533).jpg) Click here to download an entry form. Please fill this in and send it to jenny@oddizzi.com along with your entry. For more information, please click here or for inspiration from last year's entries, click here. Winning entries will be showcased at the 2015 COBIS Annual Conference, 9-11 May 2015.
Senior School Music Festival
COBIS is delighted to announce that the inaugural COBIS Senior Schools Music Festival will take place at Prague British School on 6 and 7 June 2015. For more information, please click here or email pa@cobis.org.uk to secure your place now!
The emphasis of the competition will be firmly placed on performing in front of an audience in a friendly atmosphere. Pupils will receive expert advice from encouraging adjudicators, in order to assist them in further developing their skills. Friends and family are invited to enjoy the performances and the cultural delights of Prague, with a full programme planned for the weekend. 
Young Scientist Film Awards _(800x756).jpg)
The Young Scientist Film Awards are back for this year, bigger and better than ever before! To view all the categories click here and to register your school now, click here. The “first cut” of films for those requesting a review from our expert panel must be submitted by 11 March 2015, with all final films submitted by 6 April 2015. The winning pupils’ films will be showcased at the 2015 COBIS Annual Conference, 9-11 May 2015.
COBIS Webinars 
The COBIS webinar schedule for spring 2015 has recently been announced. Webinars include Third Culture Kids, Cross - Cultural Kids and the University Transition; LinkedIn for Beginners in association with COBIS supporting member Interactive Schools and Assessing Pupils’ Progress in a World Without Levels in association with COBIS supporting member Rising Stars. To book your free place, please visit our website.
Past webinar recordings are available in the COBIS Member Area. All webinars are free of charge for COBIS members. Other Association Webinars 
The University of Bath’s MA International Education and Globalisation Webinar The University of Bath is holding a webinar on Tuesday 20 January at 12.00pm (GMT) for those interested in finding out more about their new MA International Education and Globalisation programme. This one-year, full-time Masters programme provides an exciting opportunity to develop your understanding of international education and globalisation and debate the latest thinking about international education in practice. During the webinar you’ll be able to find out more about programme structure and content and studying at the University of Bath. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions to academic staff in a live question and answer session. Sign up for the webinar here > For more details about the MA International Education and Globalisation click here.
News From COBIS Schools Around the World
By Members for Members New COBIS NQT Blog 
COBIS is delighted to announce our first blog! Rachel Haggar, an NQT at St Paul’s British Primary School in Belgium, has kindly offered to blog about her first year as a teacher in an international school. Read about her first term as an NQT on our website here. Thank you to Rachel and to the staff at St Paul’s British Primary School. If you would like to write a blog for COBIS, we would love to hear from you. Please contact Natalie Friend for more information. SEN Forum 
Following on from a successful webinar on SEN in COBIS Schools last academic year, COBIS is pleased to announce a new online SEN Forum, which we are piloting, to provide the opportunity for colleagues in COBIS Schools to share information, queries, resources, advice and best practice relating to SEN provision in British schools overseas. To access the forum, please visit www.cobis.org.uk/SEN_Forum Two Essential Days for International School PAs & Administrators 
The British School in Tokyo, 1-21-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002
Saturday 21 / Sunday 22 March 2015
9.00 am - 5.00 pm daily This two-day programme, offered by Angela Garry, has been designed specifically to highlight the skills, behaviours, and confidence that PAs and administrative staff need to reach their full potential in today’s ever-changing international school environment. The roles of the International School Personal Assistant and administrative staff evolve constantly – along with the ever-changing working environment. Keeping on top of change is therefore key to being successful. This two-day programme has been developed in order to demonstrate how you can work at peak level and achieve full potential in your role. To view the course flyer click here.
To view the full course programme click here.
Voices Around the World 2014/2015 'Listen To Us!'  Voices Around The World is a free project with a mission to help young people everywhere work together musically to Sing Out! Speak Out! And Change The World! This year the youngsters involved will be part of making an international release of the song 'Listen To Us' written especially for the project by Laurie Lewin. The project this year also involves a video making dimension - to record students' work on the song, their views about the future of the world and to show off their great dancing moves! Youth groups, schools and individuals are all welcome to participate. The song and videos will be released in June 2015. Click here to watch a short introductory video. To get a strong flavour of what the project is about watch last years highly acclaimed release of Unshakeable here. All free resources and materials for the project can be found at www.voicesaround.com and schools are urged to register as soon as possible to ensure they are fully included in this year's project. For further information in a full press release please click here.
Supporting Member News
Welcome To New COBIS Supporting Members
COBIS would like to welcome the following new supporting members who have recently joined us: Crick Software - ICT
Spark Spanish - School Trips
Trutext - Schoolwear
EquipMySchool.com - Curriculum Resources and Publishers
Smith Kraemer Consulting - Recruitment 2nd COBIS Supporting Member Reception
Friday 30 January 2015 COBIS is holding its 2nd COBIS Supporting Member Reception at the Institute of Directors in London on Friday 30 January 2015. All COBIS supporting members are invited to this event which will take place from 17.15-19.00. The Reception offers the opportunity to meet the COBIS Head Office team and the COBIS Board as well as network with colleagues from other COBIS supporting member organisations. To confirm your attendance, please email Natalie Friend – members@cobis.org.uk – with the name of the person attending from your organisation. We look forward to seeing you there! BETT Awards 2015: Crick Software Finalist Nomination  Considered by many as the most esteemed accolade in the industry, the Bett Awards provide a showcase of resources and companies that seek to provide educators with the information, ideas and inspiration that are fundamental to the learning process. New Supporting Member Crick Software have been nominated for three finalist categories this year. Including:
- Bett Exhibition Stand of the Year
- ICT Special Educational Needs Solutions
- Educational Apps
COBIS is proud to see so many supporting members nominated this year, to view a full list of finalists please click here.
Contact Us
If you have any comments or requests, please contact us. We'd love to hear from you.
Colin Bell, CEO - ceo@cobis.org.uk
Natalie Friend, Communications and Membership Officer - members@cobis.org.uk
Tamsin Gordon, COBIS International Marketing Intern - intern@cobis.org.uk
Catriona Lawless, PA to Colin Bell - pa@cobis.org.uk
Fiona Rogers, Senior Professional Development Officer - cpd@cobis.org.uk
Sarah Wooldridge, Finance Officer - admin@cobis.org.uk
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Telephone: +44 208 240 4142
Address: COBIS, St Mary's University, Waldegrave Road, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, TW1 4SX, UK
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