Kariong Mountains High School Newsletter - Term 1 - Week 10 - 2016 1

From the PrincipalIt is hard to believe that this is already the last newsletter of Term 1. It has been a great start to the year, with so many opportunities for students across a range of endeavours.

Term 1 is always busy with sporting activities, as we not only complete our swimming and athletics carnivals, but many sporting teams also commence their run for the ‘gold’. This year we have seen many teams go further through the rounds as our expertise in individual sports improve. Needless to say, it is the sportsmanship that continues to impress. Just recently, I received an email from a principal of the school at which our soccer team was playing. In it, she stated: “I just wanted to report that your soccer team boys and coach were a credit to themselves and your school today.” I am always reporting to our school community what an excellent reputation our school has and this email backs me up!

Over the last few weeks our school engaged in the selection of the 2016/2017 school captains. Student leadership and capacity building have been a focus of our school plan and the eight candidates were testament to the success of this program. Listening to their speeches reinforced how terribly proud I am to be principal of this school and have a connection with their learning journey. All candidates would have made excellent leaders, but after voting, Ben Abolins and Tiarna Breen were elected. I look forward to working with them in these leadership roles and know that they will be well mentored by current captains, Nathan Coleman and Marika Tults, over the next term.

I hope that our school community got to see the NBN news clip of two of our students, Tiarna and Jackson, debating about the benefits of living in a democratic society in front of our local Federal member, Ms Lucy Wicks, and the Speaker of the House, Mr Tony Smith. Again, another example of impressive speakers. Both politicians were clearly impressed by the research, sophistication and delivery of these speeches. Congratulations, to those students and to Mr Lester, Head Teacher English, their coach.

Year 7 students had a great camp, with reports of new friendships forming and developing skills in teamwork and initiative. Thank you to the staff who give up their time to take our students away. From the tired look on many of the students on their return, I am sure that they all had long, action packed days.

N E W S L E T T E R

CALENDAR

Term 1 | Week 10 April 2 - 2016

CONTACT KMHS

Unity Knowledge Respect

End of Term 1 - Faculty News

Monday April 4- Immunisations Year 7 - Year 11 & 12 VET Work Placement- Year 12 SAC Compulsory Day

Tuesday April 5Year 11 Music - Narara Valley HS

Wednesday April 6- Year 10 Marine Snorkelling- ANZAC ceremony

Friday April 8Last day of Term 1

Wednesday April 27All students return for Term 2

02 4340 0246kariongmtn-h.school@det.nsw.edu.auwww.kariongmountains-high.com.au

Student & Parent Portalhttp://web1.kariongmtns-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/portal/login

Kariong Mountains High School Newsletter - Term 1 - Week 10 - 2016 2

Year 12 has just finished their half-yearly exams and this is an opportunity for them to reflect on where there might be gaps in understanding. Each activity up to the HSC should be seen as a learning opportunity and a stepping stone to improving results through focussed study and conversations with their teachers. Students should continue with a study plan during the break to allow them to go back over work that might need revision.

Year 11 progress reports have gone up on Sentral and are available for reading on the parent portal. This should provide parents and students with a good overview of how students are travelling in respect to where they should be up to in their learning at this time of the year.

We welcome Mr White back to the Deputy’s chair and thank Ms Matthew for the great job she did in his absence. With the use of Gonski funding, Ms Matthew will continue as a part-time DP in 2016, to support myself and Mr White with the senior leadership of the school. With respect to students, Mr White will have responsibility relating to all matters for students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 12 and Ms Matthew for students in Years 7 and 11. Mr Riley will continue to relieve as Head Teacher Mathematics, when Ms Matthew is in the deputy role.

The last day of the term is Friday 8th April. I wish all our students and their families a safe and happy break.

Ms Anne Vine

P&C News & Bunnings BBQ SuccessWe had a great turn out with volunteers for our Bunnings BBQ. The day was a great success, raising $1000!Thank you to: Lisa Price, David Partridge, Sharon Partridge, Jackie Ayres, Beau Crum, Megan Miller, Brett & Jenny Streat, Kayleen Krix, Therese Tults, Sandra Carnevale, Anne Vine, Amanda Gowans, Tony & Carolyn Brierley, Laurel Yule Students: Matilda Formston, Katrina Hadley, Hannah Youssef, Chris Mortell, Emily Trengrove, Charlee Krix-Saladine, Lachlan Burke, Jeremy Collins, Nathan Coleman,Toni Wunsch, Amelia Smith, Natalee Gallagher.

Next P & C Meeting: Monday, May 9 2016 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm. In the Library All parents and community members welcome!

P&C Meeting Calendar:● April - no meeting due to school holidays● June – no meeting due to Queens Birthday● July – no meeting due to school holidays● August 8● September 12● October 10● November 14● December 5 – Christmas Dinner

UNIFORM DONATIONS NEEDEDPlease donate your second hand uniforms to the school. We particularly need skirts. Just drop them off to the office any time between 8:15 am and 3:30 pm. Thank You!

KARIONG NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE NEWSICE & Other Drugs 6 Week Support Group - A confidential group for parents & friends of ICE & drug dependent people. Starting 1st April, Fridays for 6 weeks. Please phone 4340 1724 or email admin@knc.net.au for more information, including times and dates. BOOKINGS ARE ESSENTIAL.

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Term 1 has been yet another successful term at KMHS for English. All classes have settled in and the quality of work and creativity from our students is always pleasing to see. At this stage of the year, the big focus has been on key skills and English teachers have been busy analysing and making plans around results coming in from Practice NAPLAN and class literacy tasks. Students in Years 9 and 10 have been engaged in thematic units requiring a novel study, with many of our students enjoying some quiet, cozy reading time in our specialist literature room, dubbed ‘Bag End’ from The Hobbit.

It has also marked the first full term of our use of the ALARM (A Learning and Responding Matrix) system. ALARM was developed by Max Woods at Northern Beaches Secondary College and provides a structured methodology to build on ideas and use texts more analytically in extended responses. Our Advanced and Standard A Year 11 classes are the first groups to use this system in its entirety and results from our first assessment tasks, particularly in extended writing, have been absolutely outstanding. As staff become more proficient in the system, we look forward to rolling out this strategy to even more year groups in the terms to come.

DramaIn Drama, all our senior students have been working on group-devised work throughout the first term, busily preparing for our annual performance night early in Term 2. The play-builds look fantastic under our new lights and we look forward to having a great audience for this popular event. Over the beginning of next term we will also be kick-starting our ever successful debating teams and some new initiatives in writing competitions this year. As always, if you have any questions about your child’s progress in English, Drama, WRAD or Senior Start, feel free to call your teacher or myself.

Mr Jai LesterHead Teacher English

English/Drama Faculty Report

Clare using an ALARM coding technique to refine her extended writing skills

‘Bag End’ - Our specialist reading room and literature room

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CAPA Faculty ReportVisual ArtsWe are well into another artistically abundant year and 2016 looks like it will be a creative cracker! Year 7 has been working diligently on their self-portraits and students continue to hone their technical skills, with their next unit of work focusing on clay! Year 9’s talents are shining through with their mixed media still life artworks and are an amazing pool of talent. Year 10 is set to install their sculptures at Kooindah Waters for the well renowned Sculpture on the Greens exhibition. We encourage you to visit this artist run showcase of works. Years 11 and 12 are well into their Body of Work and spend much time in the studio space. These year groups look set to achieve their best possible results with a continuation of this current level of application and their ferocious enthusiasm for their own artist’s practice.

Photographic and Digital MediaThe Year 10 Photographic and Digital Media class is currently immersed in creating their own video art, before they move on to animation. Some great ideas are developing and their patience and technical precision are about to be enriched with the complexities of editing that could one day make them an asset to the industry.

Visual DesignThis is a new course to KMHS and it offers Stage 6 students an insight into design elements such as jewellery, graphic design, multimedia and wearable and product design. We currently have a combination of KMHS and NAISDA students in this course and their potential is exciting.

School MuralMs Werlemann has completed the school mural, which was a copy of the collected efforts of our students at KMHS. Many students contributed their design ideas and the mural is a reflection of their thoughts of what it is like to be a student at KMHS. Dylan is adding his dot painting contribution in the image above.

Visual ArtsThe image above shows the beginning of a Year 12 biro drawing by Ebonnie.

ExcursionsStudents in Stages 5 and 6 will be visiting the Art Gallery of NSW, viewing the ArtExpress exhibition and visiting Cockatoo Island to see the Biennale of Sydney. The excursion dates are the 3rd and 5th of May.

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MusicIt has been a busy time for music in the school! The students have been working hard in all years to further their musical skills and knowledge.

What are students doing in class?

Lunchtime ConcertsOn top of this, there have been weekly lunchtime concerts held on a Friday afternoon. This gives the music students an opportunity to perform for their peers and teachers in an informal manner, helping them gain valuable performance experience. The whole school has been very encouraging and supportive with this.

Music ClubMusic Club is now up and running on a Wednesday afternoon from 2:45-3:15. Students from all years can come and experience music and seek feedback or support with their musical goals. The music rooms are also open during most breaks for students to rehearse for assessments or for their own musical goals.

Private Tuition ProgramWe are also excited to announce the commencement of a private music tuition program for students. KMHS has formed a partnership with Creative Rush Music to deliver a private tuition program to interested students from Years 7 – 12. Please feel free to contact me at school if you have any questions about the tuition program.

We will also have a number of students auditioning for Youth In Performing Arts, which will be an amazing experience for all of them.

Mr Kane BurnsMusic Teacher

Year 8 is currently learning how to play the keyboard after spending most of the term understanding the basic concepts of music, in particular how to read music.

Year 9 has been working on analysing baroque music and its chord structures and melodies, along with completing their first practical performance task in front of their peers.

Year 10 has been looking at rock music and will deliver a formal PowerPoint presentation to the class in Week 11 of this term. They have also just completed their first practical assessment for the year, where they were required to perform a song of the rock genre.

Year 11 has just completed their first assessment task of the preliminary course by handing in their compositions. Students used musescore, an online interactive tool to develop their compositions.

Our three wonderful Year 12 students have been working very hard towards their half yearly exams with performance and the aural component of the course being the focus.

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HSIE Faculty ReportPoppy ProjectThe Kariong Mountains High School HSIE faculty is proud to be participating in the ANZAC Day “Poppy Project” for the second year running. This project is coordinated by Gosford City Council. This year’s theme is ‘Poppy Project: Never Forgetting the Sacrificies – Terrigal 2016’. The poppies will be displayed ready for ANZAC Day at The Skillion in Terrigal. Several of the Year 7 classes have made the poppies that will be part of the ANZAC DAY display in Terrigal.

This year is 100 years since Australia’s First World War personnel disembarked along a distant coastline to join the Western Front Campaign.

Modern History and HSC History ExtensionThis is an exciting Year in the HSIE faculty with our first HSC Modern History class and first HSC History Extension class. These courses join Ancient History, Society and Culture, Geography, Business Studies and Legal Studies as our 2016 HSC courses.

I would also like to formally welcome Ms Milne to the HSIE faculty. Ms Milne brings extensive knowledge to the subject areas of Legal Studies, Geography, Business Studies and History.

Mr Derryn TaggHead Teacher HSIE

The photo above shows the poppies made by some of our Year 7 students. Special thanks to Year 7 and Mrs Taylor who is the KMHS ANZAC coordinator.

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Science Faculty ReportWhat an action packed term Science and BioScience have had this term. At time of writing Year 10 has completed their independent research projects and there are some very interesting problems and questions that have been explored. In a future newsletter we will publish some of the most intriguing. It has been pleasing to see our students engage with the topics being explored and the discussions taking place in classrooms show a real connection with science in the lives of the students and an appreciation of the importance of the scientific methodology.

Selective ClassesThe selective classes will be commencing their special interest projects in Term 2 in preparation for the Young Scientist Awards and the Science Week Expo in Term 3. This year’s theme is robotics, which is a very exciting and practical theme fitting in nicely with our school’s makerspace activities and mathematics projects involving robotics.

Primary School Science ProgramOur relationship with the local primary schools continues to flourish, with the primary school teaches visiting the high school two weeks ago and having a tour of the labs and resources they can use in their own programs. The local primary schools have now nearly completed their programs in science across all stages and have developed some very exciting programs in collaboration with the high school.

Term 2 Science ExplorationNext term, Year 7 will be exploring forces and atmosphere in a topic called The Science of Flight, while year 8 will undertake studies in resource management, very relevant to today’s society as we move more into recycling so as to sustain our resources. Year 9 will explore the complexities of the human body, including the brain and how it communicates with the body and then they will be looking at the world in motion and exploring the concepts involved with motion. Year 10 will explore electricity, waves and communication.As always, please keep talking about the science around the home and fostering an interest in science as Australia continues to realise the importance of investing in the development of young scientists.

Have a great holiday.

Mr Jamie CartnerHead Teacher Science

TAS Faculty ReportThe Technological and Applied Studies faculty has seen another very busy start to the academic school year. From HSC major projects and fields of study, to the excitement of Year 7 students entering into the kitchens or workshop for the first time, all students have been busy and engaged in their learning.

Most year groups have already submitted their first formal assessment task this year and parents/ guardians are encouraged to chat with their sons/daughters about this. As this term draws to a close, those students in Years 7 & 8 will bring home a variety of practical projects. They have been working on a variety of tasks from culinary delights, aprons and boxer shorts to metal tool boxes and lolly dispensers. In our elective Years, 9 & 10, there are a large variety of subjects being studied. From Child Studies to Industrial Technology Timber and everything in between, from child birthing and nursery design to camp chairs and coffee tables, the TAS faculty has the ability to challenge our students both academically and physically in the practical realisation of their ideas.

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Mathematics Faculty ReportThis year we have some changes in the Mathematics faculty with some new staff and a shared head teach-er role. I am happy to welcome back Mr McGlynn and Mr Furey to the faculty for this year. They will find their past experience in Mathematics of benefit now both are retraining to be mathematics teachers. I also welcome Mr O’Mahony to the faculty. Mr O’Mahony will be teaching three days a week as a relief teacher for Mrs Matthew and myself. Mrs Matthew has taken on the role of a second deputy for three days each week and is job sharing the Head Teacher role with me. I will be taking on the day to day running of the faculty and be the point of contact for parents who wish to speak with the head teacher. We also have Mr Quinn, Ms Lincoln and Ms Huey continuing to inspire students with their passion for mathematics.

Student performance in 2016The Mathematics faculty has been overwhelmingly pleased with the efforts all our students have made at the beginning of 2016. Our HSC cohort is working well and we look forward to strong assessment results throughout the year, especially now they have completed their half yearly examination. Working just as well have been the Year 11 students, who have shown some excellent results in their first assessment with two students in the General Mathematics course scoring 100%. Well done to Brittni and Amber and many others who are have settled into their senior studies with the maturity and dedication needed for success.

Grasping Pythagoras’ Theorem Lastly, I would like to share a success we have seen in the junior school. Mr Quinn recently went on a course for Stage 4 teaching practice and shared an activity with the other teachers. The task introduced Pythagoras’ Theorem to students who had never seen it before. Quite often, students can struggle to grasp the reason why the formula works and how it is developed. After doing this activity with the Year 8 classes, all teachers came back excited at the fact students were able to complete the task and had a deeper under-standing of the development of Pythagoras’ Theorem.

All the Mathematics Faculty is looking forward to sharing more of these experiences with our students and we anticipate another great year ahead.

Mr Michael Riley

Managing HSC Studies in the TAS facultyThe rigours of HSC studies in the TAS faculty continue to be met by our students with vigour and, hopefully, not too much stress. I strongly encourage you to speak with your son/ daughter about how they are feeling regarding their studies and how they are managing their personal stress and anxiety levels. If you have any concerns what so ever, please contact your son/ daughter’s teacher to discuss this with them.

2016 will be another exciting and enjoyably engaging year for both students and teachers at KMHS. It is an honour and privilege to be educating your sons and daughters and on behalf of all TAS teachers I/ we appreciate your support and looking forward to working together this year.

Mr Scott BathHead TeacherTechnological & Applied Studies

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Library - A Snapshot of Term 1Our newly refurbished library displayed its flexibility and was a welcoming space for Year 7 orientation lessons, Years 7 -12 research, Year 12 mentoring sessions and study, International Women’s Day, The Central Coast Secondary Teacher Librarians Network meeting, The Central Coast Secondary Principals Meeting and debating.

International Women’s DayOnce again KMHS held a morning tea in the library for female staff and students from each year group to celebrate the social, political & economic achievements of women and raise awareness of gender parity. The event included inspiring speeches from Amanda Abolins, Jasmine Brierley, Marika Tults, Ms Vine and Ms Jeffrey, who provided their insights into gender parity and overwhelmingly inspired us to commit to keep working towards this and help women and girls achieve their ambitions. Thank you to Ms Julie Kellner who provided the lucky door prize which was won by Mollie Emery.

Makerspace continues to grow in popularity and some of our enthusiastic students had the opportunity to demonstrate their skills to a large cohort of Central Coast secondary principals, using a diverse range of activities.

We would still like your help with donating any of the following items to our makerspace: ● Lego boards ● Lego ● Knitting needles

On the 22nd of March, a student debate was held in the library which had two high profile judges in attendance. Our Year 11 students were privileged to have the Speaker of The House of Representatives, Tony Smith, and the Federal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks, on hand to see our students of the future in action. Tiana Breen and Jackson Bradney were outstanding speakers for our school as was the chairperson, Carley Rogers. NBN News was there to film the event and you can watch ‘A Taste of Canberra at Kariong Mountains H S’ at: nbnnews.com.au.

Ms Lidia Jeffrey & Ms Rhonda Carraro Kariong Mountains High School Library

The photos above show makerspace demonstration and Year 12 mentoring in the library

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PDHPE Faculty Report Like every school year, the beginning of 2016 has been a dynamic one for PDHPE and sport. We welcome Mrs Meyer back into the faculty as well as the fresh face of Mr Remington who shares her classes this year.

The role of sports coordinator is now divided between carnivals, of which Miss James is taking over the reins and sporting teams. Mr McGlynn will now be coordinating both the Knockout and Gala Day organisation in conjunction with the individual sport coaches.

This is also an opportune time to congratulate Mr Von Kotze on his marriage in January this year.

Game Design, Health and LeadershipStage 5 students have been harnessing their creative side, with Year 10 developing a game to teach to their peers this term. This has seen many students showcasing their outstanding leadership capabilities as well and is a pleasure to witness. In Year 9 students have looked at a range of adolescent health issues and the consequences associated with taking part in risky behaviours from a multitude of perspectives. Year 9 students have also explored the elements of movement composition through different styles of dance and have had the opportunity to develop and perform their own versions of these.

Year 7 and 8 classes have looked at developing their interpersonal skills in the context of providing support for their peers who may be experiencing adversity, along with ways and means of accessing assistance in the wider community. The current unit of work aims to develop an appreciation of a range of track and field events in the lead up to the school athletics carnival.

Outdoor RecreationWe have a new elective running this year, Outdoor Recreation, which has proven to be highly popular. Students will be partaking in mountain biking early next term and will be practising during class time in the parklands in order to hone their skills.

Integrated Sport ProgramPASS and Rugby continue to provide large numbers of students with ample opportunity to be physically active, along with our integrated sport program in which games sense and sport education are a major focus.

Knockout Team SuccessOur knockout teams have performed extremely well so far this year. We have had a record number of teams win their first round games, including the open girls volleyball, softball, touch, soccer and basketball, as well as the open boys basketball.

There will be plenty more opportunities for students at KMHS to be involved in sporting and outdoor activities as the year progresses. Students are encouraged to regularly read the sports noticeboard and pay attention to announcements to ensure they maximise their involvement in 2016.

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Careers Term 1Year 8 Lessons – The Real GameYear 8 has been working through ‘The Real game’ this term. This is a simulated ‘game of life’ where the students have picked their future comforts in the form of transport, housing and luxury items. They have chosen a profile and are currently in the concluding stages of budgeting within their means. It has been a real ‘eye opener’ for many students putting down on paper the real cost of living post-school and matching this with their income. Many have had to down-size to stay within their budgets. This has been a great learning experience for the students to build upon in the future.

Links to Learning Program Our first Links to Learning course has commenced. Students have so far completed safe food handling, health and nutrition, introduction to childcare and looking after the elderly. The students have participated in an excursion to an aged care facility. This course will continue next term.

TVET – TAFE / Other Provider Vocational Education TrainingWe have 12 Year 11 students participating across 7 courses this year and 16 Year 12 students participating across 8 courses. These courses range in qualifications from a statement of attainment through to a full Certificate 3. Students undertake these courses on Tuesday afternoons at Gosford, Ourimbah or Wyong TAFE.

VET – School Delivered Vocational Educational TrainingHospitality students will be on work placement this term during Week 11. This is a great opportunity to put into practice some of the skills they have been developing in class. Students are placed around the coast in a range hospitality venues.

Careers Opportunities and CoursesWe are fortunate in offering a range of fantastic opportunities for our students to further develop their skills and become job ready for the future through tailored careers related programs at KMHS.

Throughout the year we have a range of courses available for our students who meet the criteria. Each year these courses change and we are unable to predict from year to year what will be available. This year, however, we have been extremely fortunate and have secured a range of different interest and qualification courses for our students.

These are all facilitated by group organisations and take place either on school grounds or off campus depending on the specialist equipment needs. We are extremely privileged to offer these courses and qualifications at no cost to the student.

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Certificate 2 qualification- nationally recognisedSemester program which students participate in two days a week.Involves working on bushland sites that have been damaged or disturbed for a variety of reasons. Students will learn techniques used to restore degraded environments and implement ecological resto-ration practices.

Certificate 2 qualification – nationally recognisedSemester program which students participate in two days a week. Students will learn foundation skills in computing and how to operate a personal computer and vari-ous computer packages, along with learning how to work effectively in an IT environment. Students will develop better than average technology skills and this is a great start if they want to pursue a career in the IT sector or specialty IT streams.

Certificate 1 qualificationTerm 4 - (10 weeks) three days a weekThis course is designed to give students a basic introduction to the engineering industry. Students will use a range of materials used for manufacturing and develop skills in welding, cutting and fabrication. They will use hand tools, power tools, develop skills in welding and use engineering measurements.

Conservation and Land Management

Links to Learning

Information Technology and Digital Media

Engineering

• Health & Nutrition• Childcare• WH&S• Construction• Fitness• Hospitality• Retail & Customer Service• Beauty & Presentation• Goal Setting• Aged Care

Semester program which the students participate one day a week; offers students to connect with learning through vocational taster lessons. Areas covered are:

Within this program, students also receive the following credentials:

• Whitecard• Safe Food Handling Certificate• Barista certificate

Careers Courses 2016

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Wellbeing NewsIt has been a busy start to the year with the Wellbeing team supporting students. We have been lucky enough to have Student Services – Ngara Nganga open and ready for business. This is a place where students can come and ask for support with assessment tasks, talk to a year advisor if they are having a difficult day or to say hello to a friendly face. Mrs Doyle, our Learning and Support Teacher, has been working hard to ensure that our Year 7 students are settling in with their learning and has been spending time getting to know the students.

Drumbeat ProgramMr Treece has started our first Drumbeat program. This is a great initiative within the school, where students have the opportunity to learn strategies for reducing stress and anxiety by learning particular rhythms and beats.

OpportunitiesIn Term 2, we have some exciting welfare opportunities with a Year 9 Wellbeing Day and a parent information evening called Mind Your Mates. This program is run by Lifeline and is a suicide awareness program that looks at recognising the signs of acute distress or despair. This will be held on Wednesday 18th May at 6:30pm. There are only 30 places available, so if you are interested please let the front office know.

If the Wellbeing team can assist you please feel free to call us on 43400246

Ms Monica PallasHead Teacher Wellbeing

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