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                <title>Board of Education Meeting, May 29</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will be held at 162 S York, Elmhurst, IL 60126. For supporting documents and agenda, please visit ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Board Improvement Committee Meeting, May 23</title>
                <description><![CDATA[A meeting of the Board Improvement Committee of the Board of Education of Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 will be held on Thursday, May 23, 2013 at 7:00 P.M. in Room 217, at the District 205 Center, 162 S. York, Elmhurst, Illinois. The agenda for the meeting is as follows: Call to Order Roll Call Public Comments Board Improvement Discussion Topics a. Retreat Planning b. Meet the Board Planning c. Draft School Board Budget Presentation Update d. Harris Poll Questions Update e. Review of Advertising Policy Adjournment The Committee is composed of three Board of Education members. Other Board members may be present at Committee meetings and participate in discussions, but only the Committee members will reach consensus on and make recommendations to the Board and/or the Superintendent. Karen Stuefen Secretary Board of Education Posted: May 21, 2013 ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Overview of Final 2012 Tax Extension, EAV and Rates</title>
                <description><![CDATA[At the May 14 Board of Education meeting, Chris Whelton, Assistant Superintendent for Finance Operations, presented an overview of the Final 2012 Tax Extension, EAV and Tax Rates (see link below). Included in the presentation were a tax levy timeline, an explanation of the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) &amp;ndash; otherwise known as the Tax Cap &amp;ndash; designed to limit the increase in property tax extensions, a review of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and how that comes into play in relation to changes in Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) and tax rates, as well as a review of 2012 tax extensions and rates and a quick overview of District 205&amp;rsquo;s financial condition. Mr. Whelton noted that District 205&amp;rsquo;s student population continues to rise, which precipitates the hiring of more staff. He also discussed the fact that three years of budget reductions have helped to mitigate escalating expenditures. At the present time, as the end of the fiscal year approaches on June 30, fund balances are adequate to avoid short-term borrowing (issuance of tax anticipation warrants). More detailed budget information may be found in the Budget at a Glance document, which may be found on the Finance Operations Department website: . ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Infosnap Emails Kick Off Registration for 2013-14</title>
                <description><![CDATA[On Wednesday, May 1st, parents/guardians of all students enrolled in District 205 were sent their 2013-14 snapcode, either through email or by letter (if we do not have an email address on file), to begin the online registration process for the 2013-2014 school year. If you have not received this information and have a student enrolled in District 205, please contact to receive your student&amp;rsquo;s information. For technical assistance with registration, contact the infosnap support line at 866-752-6850, or send an email to . ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Bid 13-20 Wheelchair lift van</title>
                <description><![CDATA[The District has decided to postpone this Bid. It will be bid later in the summer. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1368362775803</link>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>York Named GRAMMY National Gold Signature School</title>
                <description><![CDATA[The GRAMMY Foundation&amp;reg; announced in late March that ten schools nationwide have been selected as GRAMMY&amp;reg; Signature Schools for 2013 and have been awarded cash grants totaling $56,000. Last year, the York Community High School music program was honored as one of 125 GRAMMY Semifinalists. This year, under the leadership of Performing and Visual Arts Division Chairman Bill Riddle, York was named one of three Gold Finalists! Mr. Riddle and one York student &amp;ndash; senior Will McGing &amp;ndash; were invited to fly to Washington D.C. for the &amp;ldquo;Grammy on the Hill&amp;rdquo; award ceremonies, held April 16-18. Jennifer Hudson was the guest of honor at this ceremony. Each of the 10 GRAMMY Signature Schools will receive a custom award and a monetary grant to benefit its music program. The top three schools are designated Gold Recipients . The best of the Gold recipients is named the National GRAMMY Signature School. York will receive $5,500 as a Gold Recipient and be presented a check at its May 16 Symphony Orchestra Concert (7:30 PM) by Matt Hennessy , President of the Chicago Chapter of the Recording Academy, as well as a producer, mix engineer and studio owner. 2013 GRAMMY Signature Schools: 2013 National GRAMMY Signature School ($10,000) Neuqua Valley High School &amp;mdash; Naperville, Illinois 2013 GRAMMY Signature Schools Gold ($5,500 each) York Community High School &amp;mdash; Elmhurst, Illinois Marcus High School &amp;mdash; Flower Mound, Texas One remaining GRAMMY Signature School recipient will receive a grant of $2,000 to benefit its music programs. In the Enterprise Award category, which recognizes efforts made by schools that are economically underserved, six schools will receive a grant of $5,500 each. Created in 1998, the GRAMMY Signature Schools program recognizes top U.S. public high schools that are making an outstanding commitment to music education during an academic school year. 2013 GRAMMY Signature Schools ($2,000) Northwood High School &amp;mdash; Irvine, California 2013 GRAMMY Signature Schools Enterprise Award ($5,500 each) Colony High School &amp;mdash; Palmer, Alaska Compton High School &amp;mdash; Compton, California John Marshall High School &amp;mdash; Los Angeles, California North Central High School &amp;mdash; Spokane, Washington Palacios High School &amp;mdash; Palacios, Texas Sahuarita High School &amp;mdash; Sahuarita, Arizona The GRAMMY Foundation also offers the GRAMMY Signature Schools Community Award, an extension of the GRAMMY Signature Schools program in partnership with Best Buy and the Hot Topic Foundation. Through this alliance, the GRAMMY Foundation identifies deserving public high school music programs to receive the award and a $2,000 grant. During the past year, approximately 86 schools have received the GRAMMY Signature Schools Community Award, and total dollars granted exceeded $172,000. For the past 15 years, our GRAMMY Signature Schools program has been providing much-needed financial resources and recognizing excellence in schools across the U.S. whose music programs have a positive impact on the lives of their students, said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy&amp;reg; and the GRAMMY Foundation. We&amp;#39;re extremely grateful to our sponsors, whose generous support has allowed this initiative to grow. This program also was one source of inspiration behind the new Music Educator Award being presented by The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation that will honor music&amp;#39;s unsung heroes &amp;mdash; the teachers who spend their days in classrooms encouraging music&amp;#39;s next generation. The selection process for GRAMMY Signature Schools begins each year in August when the GRAMMY Foundation mails notification to more than 20,000 public high schools from districts large and small, urban, suburban and rural, requesting information about each school&amp;#39;s music program. Applications are completed and submitted online in October at . After the applications are scored, finalists are identified and asked to submit additional documentation, such as recordings of school concerts, sample concert programs and repertoire, which is then reviewed by an independent blue-ribbon committee of top music educators and professionals to determine the schools that merit GRAMMY Signature School status. The GRAMMY Foundation was established in 1989 to cultivate the understanding, appreciation and advancement of the contribution of recorded music to American culture. The Foundation accomplishes this mission through programs and activities that engage the music industry and cultural community as well as the general public. The Foundation works in partnership year-round with its founder, The Recording Academy, to bring national attention to important issues such as the value and impact of music and arts education and the urgency of preserving our rich cultural heritage. In recognition of the significant role of teachers in shaping their students&amp;#39; musical experiences, the GRAMMY Foundation and The Recording Academy are partnering to present our first Music Educator Award. Open to current U.S. music teachers in kindergarten through college, the Music Educator Award will be given out during GRAMMY Week 2014. The nomination process is online at grammymusicteacher.com and the deadline for submissions is April 15, 2013 . For more information about the Foundation, please visit . ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356617656932</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 2 May 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>2012-13 End of Year Calendar Now Posted</title>
                <description><![CDATA[At the Board of Education meeting on April 23, the Board unanimously supported the administration&amp;#39;s recommendation to stay with the end of the year calendar that was officially approved a few weeks ago. This calendar is now posted (link below). Included are: the York High School final exam schedule, eighth grade promotion dates/times and related dismissals, as well as last day of school dismissal times. Please note that Wednesday, May 29, will be a non-attendance day for all early childhood, PM Kindergarten and high school students. Superintendent Pruneau explained that, The State requires 175 instructional days. The calendar presently has 177, so we have the ability to not make up the day . Loss of instructional time for students is always a major concern to us. However, since this &amp;#39;Act of God&amp;#39; event was so unusual in its nature and timing,to change the calendar again would have created additional hardship for many families and staff who had plans that were already put in motion weeks ago. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Grades 3-5 REACH Placement 2013-14 School Year</title>
                <description><![CDATA[As the school year quickly comes to an end, parents want to know the status of their students&amp;rsquo; academic placement in REACH English/Language Arts and/or Math. After the MAP assessment in reading and mathematics, and the end of year math placement tests, all student performances will be reviewed, along with their classroom progress and teacher observations, as a step in monitoring growth and making adjustments in services for their continued growth. Notification letters will be sent home at the end of the current school year regarding student placement in the REACH Program (English Language Arts and/or Math) for the 2013-2014 school year. Notification will only be sent home to current second grade students (newly identified for the third grade REACH Program), along with third and fourth grade students currently in the REACH Program, and those newly identified. Students who are currently in the REACH Program are not guaranteed continued placement, unless they meet the qualifying criteria. Sincerely, Kathleen Liace, Ed.D. EC-12 Literacy/REACH Coordinator Kathleen Wilkey EC-12 Math/Science Coordinator ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 22 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>EPAS: Predicting Students&#8217; College and Career Readiness</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Educators in Elmhurst School District 205 are focused on helping their students learn the skills, behaviors and critical knowledge that will enable students to realize success later in life.Similarly, the nation&amp;rsquo;s goal for public education is to develop students to be college and/or career ready by the time they graduate high school.At the same time, the District is constantly examining its own practices for ways of improving on already high levels of performance.For the core academic areas, these goals are supported through the use of several very helpful assessments. For several years, District 205 has used the Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) that was developed by ACT to support its academic program and measure its performance to the national goal.ACT is the well-known assessment used by colleges and universities throughout the United States as part of their admissions selection process.Additionally, the EPAS system provides insights to schools, districts, parents and students throughout the high school years. The EPAS system has four overarching benefits. ACT explains: Student Planning Instructional Support Assessment Evaluation ( ) There are many sources of data being used in District 205.The EPAS system is particularly beneficial because it has a great deal of value to students and ACT has committed years of research to verifying and validating its system and assessments.By having multiple measures, students, parents, and the District can see progress on important skills over time. Three assessments constitute the EPAS system, which are administered from 8th to 12th grade.These assessments are the EXPLORE, PLAN and the ACT. They are takenaccording tothe following schedule in District 205: Fall Spring 8 EXPLORE 9 EXPLORE Practice Plan 10 PLAN Practice ACT 11 PSAT or Practice ACT ACT 12 Student option to retake the ACT The EPAS system is designed to measure student acquisition of the College Readiness Standards (CRS). The CRS are detailed, research-based descriptions of the skills and process knowledge measured by the exams that constitute the EPAS system. Measured in the EPAS system are English, mathematics, reading and science. These scores are the merged to create a composite score. Each assessment measures the same sets of skills as its predecessor, but adds additional sub-skills of higher complexity and expands the scale to indicate growth. In other words, the EXPLORE measures performance from 1-25. The PLAN follows with measures of the same skill levels (1-25), plus measures for skills at the 26-32 level. ACT follows by raising the upper limit to 36. EXPLORE: 1&amp;ndash;25 PLAN: 1&amp;ndash;32 ACT: 1&amp;ndash;36 As previously noted, the EPAS provides a means of measuring a student&amp;rsquo;s progress through the high school years. In fact, ACT provides the College Readiness Benchmark Scores for each of the three assessments. The ACT chart below indicates where a student should scoring to be &amp;ldquo;on track for college.&amp;rdquo; ACT defines being &amp;ldquo;on track&amp;rdquo; as based on what score indicates a student is likely to earn a B in a freshman-level course at a moderately competitive college or university. While these assessments are very helpful to students and educators alike, it is important to note that there is much more that goes into being &amp;ldquo;college or career ready&amp;rdquo; that is measured by these assessments. The schools in District 205 offer a broad range of experiences that are not measured by standardized assessments but are still vital to the development of young people and to their future successes. Experts on college readiness often suggest that skill in writing, an appreciation for the arts and trades, global understanding and language skills, as well as service within the community, are influential in college success. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 2 Apr 2013 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Middle School English Appeal Process</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Attached is information about appealing the Middle School English placement. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1365835239238</link>
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                <pubDate>Sun, 10 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>3rd -5th Grade Language Arts Placement Rubrics</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Attached are the REACH Language Arts placement rubrics for grades 3-5. A writing component has been added for the 2012-2013 school year. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356614466518</link>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 5 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>English Language Learning in District 205</title>
                <description><![CDATA[District 205 sponsored an English Language Learners (ELL) Forum on February 25, which was focused on information presented by students and staff, as well as expert panelists who shared information about requirements in Illinois for ELL educational programs and provided examples of how other school districts are serving the population. Some 70 people participated that evening, a mixture of teachers, teacher assistants, parents, administrators and community members. Ideas Shared by Students and Staff: Students say the transition to the U. S. can be difficult, both academically and socially even if they studied English in their countries. Students rely upon teacher support offered in ELL, resource and content classes. Staff feels that Elmhurst District 205 would benefit from a long-term vision for the ELL program. Teachers are stretched when we receive ELL students with no English and inconsistent prior schooling &amp;ndash; currently 14 newcomer students at Churchville Middle School and York High School. Highlights from the Panelists: Both St. Charles District 303 and Woodstock CUSD 200 offer additive programs. St. Charles offers Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) services through grade 5 and is planning to add middle school. Woodstock offers dual language instruction from pre-kindergarten through grade 9. Programs were formed based on best practice and research in ELL Education. Results from District 200 show former ELLs and general education students participating in two-way immersion dual language classes outperforming their peers on ISAT, even when instructed in Spanish. Strategic recruitment can make these programs cost effective and may even reduce overall cost in terms of staffing. Extra materials are needed. Transportation to service centers was part of each district&amp;rsquo;s plan. Teachers and administrators need to be informed of the benefits of additive programs and must be supportive. Data from Elmhurst CUSD 205 ELL enrollment has been increasing since 2007. The active ELLs are at 4.9% of the total enrollment. We currently have ELLs in each of our schools. Transitioned ELL students are performing below their general education peers. Percentage of ELL students with an IEP is higher than general education peers. Percentage of ELLs participating in REACH (gifted) or accelerated programs is low, 1.3% of REACH math enrollment Average ACT score for Transitioned ELLs is much lower than general education peers. ELL range is 15.2-17.5 - entrance to community college with remedial courses General Ed. range is 23.8-24.2 - entrance to any Illinois Public University ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Sun, 3 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDENTS</title>
                <description><![CDATA[MADISON EARLY CHILDHOOD 130 WEST MADISON Elmhurst, IL 60126 Susan Kondrat, Principal Attendance: 630-617-8264 Direct: 630-617-2385 ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>KINDERGARTEN THRU HIGH SCHOOL</title>
                <description><![CDATA[HAWTHORNE SCHOOL 145 ARTHUR Elmhurst, IL 60126 Kimberly James, Coordinator Attendance: 630-782-5794 Direct: 630-834-4541 ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>Community Forum on English Language Learners Feb. 25</title>
                <description><![CDATA[The Elmhurst area continues to be an attractive place for people from around the world to live and raise their children, resulting in a steady increase in the number of culturally and linguistically diverse students who come to District 205 schools. In addition to our District of &amp;ldquo;equitable education for all and success in a global society,&amp;rdquo; there exist several state and federal regulations that support these learners and ensure their educational needs are met, so they can emerge college and/or career ready. Achieving this goal will open and broaden future opportunities for all District 205 students. Over the past few decades, there have been many changes in the nation&amp;rsquo;s approach to English Language Learners (ELL) and new research has come to light on how to best serve these children for long-term success. In order to explain the programs available to English Language Learners, to apprise the community of pertinent state and federal regulations, and to hear about ELL best practices in other school districts, Elmhurst District 205 will host an English Language Learner Forum, open to the entire community, on February 25, from 7 to 9 PM in the District 205 Center, 162 S. York, Elmhurst. In this meeting, attendees will learn about the rules and regulations that govern English Language Learner instruction in our state. Additionally, information about preparing these children for college will also be shared. Experiences from districts with robust ELL programs will be presented, along with the experiences of several District 205 staff, students and former students. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions of the panel and to offer responses to some questions facing our community. We hope you will join us. The February 25 agenda is as follows: Purpose, Format and Current District ELL Performance Results Dr. Charles Johns &amp;ndash; Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Elmhurst CUSD 205 Rules, Regulations and Research Results Dr. Diep Ngoc-Nguyen &amp;ndash; School of Education, Northeastern Illinois University Programs in Other Districts Cindy Ruesch &amp;ndash; Assistant Director for Curriculum &amp;ndash; St. Charles SD 303 Keely Krueger &amp;ndash; Director of Grants, Language and Culture &amp;ndash; Woodstock CUSD 200 A Few Perspectives from District 205 Faculty Cheryl Freiberger &amp;ndash; Churchville Middle School ELL teacher Patricia Meza &amp;ndash; Hawthorne Elementary ELL Teacher Perspective From Former and Current District 205 ELL Students Former Students Dominick Lipinski &amp;ndash; Poland &amp;ndash; current career in insurance Bujar Sadiku &amp;ndash; Albania &amp;ndash; studying at COD, applying to UIC Current Students : Sofia Suanno &amp;ndash; Italy&amp;ndash; currently enrolled in ELL courses Jessica Madgay &amp;ndash; Phillipines Ramzi Hamarhen &amp;ndash; Jordan Questions and Answers Interactive Survey Comment Collection ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>Artificial Flavors and Colors in the Lunch Program</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Over the past five years, the District 205 Food Services Department has been in the process of reconstructing its menu and the way lunch component offerings are presented. They are gradually working their way back to basics via a process called &amp;ldquo;speed scratch&amp;rdquo; cooking, which will enable the removal of many prepackaged items from the menus. More natural, raw and fresh produce items have slowly been introduced daily at all District 205 schools. According to Food Service Director Cheryl Spencer, &amp;ldquo;We currently use 98% fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Canned items are very seldom used and avoided when possible. All juices served are made from 100% fruit. All breads, buns, pizza crust and cookies are over 50% whole grains. Soup is made from scratch daily at the high school and occasionally at our middle schools. One day a year (on Dr. Seuss&amp;rsquo; Birthday) we add artificial coloring to the eggs in order to turn them green. With the previous exception, we do not add flavorings and or artificial colors to our offerings.&amp;rdquo; The Food Services Department strives for the &amp;ldquo;cleanest&amp;rdquo; reading nutritional labels for all food items. They purchase quality, well-known brands that are considered to be the safest, such as Tyson, Jennie-O, Simplot, etc. In addition, the District 205 Food Service Department is part of a buying cooperative with 70 other schools in Illinois. &amp;ldquo;This allows us to cooperatively purchase the healthiest food options for our school district. We are striving to make the tastiest and healthiest offerings that meet all regulations, while competing against bagged lunches that are brought from home and do not have to follow any requirements. I anticipate that we will have more &amp;lsquo;clean&amp;rsquo; labels to choose from going forward. As with most things, it will be a process,&amp;rdquo; noted Mrs. Spencer. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 4 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>District Refinances Bonds, Saves Taxpayers $1.59 MM</title>
                <description><![CDATA[As a result of the successful 2006 referendum, Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 issued bonds totaling about $54.15 million, which were used to upgrade facilities, put additions on its school buildings and refund portions of outstanding debt. For the past three years, as interest rates have fallen, the Board has kept a close eye on the municipal bond market, watching for an opportunity to refinance the District&amp;rsquo;s bond obligations.Last spring, the District refunded a portion of the Series 2006A Bonds ($8 million), saving District 205 taxpayers a total of $582,000. On January 17, 2013, the District refinanced an additional approximately $6.4 million of that debt. The outstanding Series 2006A Bonds carried an average interest rate of 5.25%. The bonds issued last week carry an average interest of 2.67%. This refinancing will result in $1,004,000of total savings to District taxpayers over the life of the bonds. &amp;ldquo;Municipal issuers have benefited from the rally in interest rates as evidenced by an 11 basis point reduction in the 10-year Municipal Market Data (MMD) &amp;ldquo;Aaa&amp;rdquo; index since January 8th. In addition, the supply of municipal bonds is low, increasing the attractiveness of the District&amp;rsquo;s bonds,&amp;rdquo; said Elizabeth Hennessy of William Blair and Company, the District&amp;rsquo;s bond underwriter. To read the Final Bond Pricing Report on the most recent transaction, click on link below. Between the two bond issues (May 2012 and January 2013), taxpayers will save over $1.59 million in total. This is one of the ways the Board of Education is saving our taxpayers money without impacting the quality of education our students receive, noted Board President Jim Collins. The District cannot redeploy this money for use in our budget. All of the savings go directly to lower property tax bills. Mr. Collins also explained that The $54 million of bonds issued in 2006 will become &amp;lsquo;callable&amp;rsquo; in January of 2016. The Board believes it isprudent to refinance pieces of the bond issue between now and 2016 to take advantage of the lowest interest rates in a generation. The economics of refinancing improves each year as the 2016 call date draws closer. It is our anticipation that we will continue to do this every January until the whole $54 million is refinanced.&amp;rdquo; Members of the District 205 Finance and Operations Committee include Chris Blum, Susan DeRonne and John McDonough. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 23 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>District Student Performance Trajectory Explanation</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Implicit in District 205&amp;rsquo;s Key Performance Indicators is the goal to educate young people so that they are college or career ready by the time that they graduate from high school. Achieving this aim will open and broaden future opportunities for our students. While a quality education is about much more than just test scores, the assessments that we use do provide a key indicator to students&amp;rsquo; readiness for college and career. As a rule of thumb, a Composite score of 24 on the ACT is the average score needed for admission into a moderately-selective college or university. There are many factors that are considered for college admissions; depending on these factors, higher or lower scores are required for admission. In District 205, we have chosen the Composite ACT score of 24 as the target score for our students by graduation. The target is not simply that the average of student scores a 24, but that as many students as possible reach this mark. In fact, as a long-term goal, we aspire to have 80% of our students meet or exceed this target. In terms of average scores, we speculate that the District&amp;rsquo;s average ACT would likely climb to 26 or higher if we reach this performance level. While average ACT scores and our own goals are valuable indicators of the performance of a district, they fall short in setting goals for earlier points in a student&amp;rsquo;s academic career. In order to extend the goals from student performance levels upon graduation into the earlier grade levels, we created the District 205 Student Performance Trajectory (see graphic below). The trajectory is a line of best fit that extrapolates the Composite ACT score of a 24 into the earlier grade levels. In other words, we reverse engineered the scores students need early in their academic careers in order to meet or exceed the target Composite ACT score of 24. Using the PLAN, Explore and Northwest Evaluation Association&amp;rsquo;s Measures of Academic Progress (NWEA MAP) assessments, all of which have been used in the District for several years, we are able to set a line of best fit for the performance levels from grade 2 through graduation. The use of these assessments indicates comparable results across multiple assessments. Similar work has been done by two other districts in the area and by the chief scientist for NWEA. With the trajectory, the District can establish performance goals throughout the grade levels that point toward the ultimate goal of meeting college and career readiness. In fact, the 80% goal can be applied to all grade levels. There are several benefits to using the District 205 Student Performance Trajectory: The ultimate performance goals are now the goals for the entire district. The goals of the entire District are now aligned to the overall goal of the District. The trajectory provides an indicator of the level of rigor that is needed at each grade level. Instead of simply knowing that they need to teach a skill or concept, teachers are now equipped with a level of rigor or sophistication that their students need to achieve. The important contributions of the earlier grades are clearly represented in the trajectory. It is often difficult for educators in the earlier years to see the fruit of their work in the scores of graduating seniors. The trajectory ties the performance of seniors to the earlier grade levels. It is easier to evaluate academic growth across all of the grade levels. The District monitors cohort growth levels (the same group of students over time) very closely. The trajectory will enable the District to evaluate actual performance levels to a target line by grade level. Areas of uneven growth are easier to identify. Being able to readily identify our strengths and weaknesses will allow our teams and to begin assessing curriculum, instruction and assessment for areas of improvement. Concerns about the use of the District 205 Student Performance Trajectory: The trajectory is a tool to evaluate the performance of the District as a whole and should not be used to evaluate the performance of an individual student. Parents and students should not use it as an indicator of their child&amp;rsquo;s future college or career readiness. The trajectory is a tool based on one set of criteria for college and career readiness. There are many factors that determine college and career readiness. High school students and their families should use the guidance tools that are available to them at York Community High School when making college and career decisions. There are more sources of variance in student performance in the earlier years of schooling. In other words, a first grader has only two years of education within the District as opposed to a eleventh grade who has twelve years in the District. Children do not grow at a developmentally even pace. Through the development of an individual child, there are periods of fast intellectual growth and slow intellectual growth. The data points established in the trajectory are composed by the aggregate scores of several years of students. Outliers in performance do exist on either side of the trajectory. There are students with low scores in one year who grow more than expected the next, and there are other students with high scores who grow less than expected the following year. In the trajectory, these situations even each other out. The trajectory is not predictive. Just because a student does or does not meet the prescribed performance level does not guarantee a particular eventual performance level. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>2013-14 School Year Calendar</title>
                <description><![CDATA[The 2013-14 school year calendar was approved at the January 22 Board of Education meeting and is now posted online and available through the link below. Please note that quarters and trimesters will be added to the calendar at a later date. To view this and other calendars, . ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356609398725</link>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 22 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>Be Aware of Expanded Tdap Requirements Next Fall</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Significant increases in pertussis cases (also known as whooping cough) have lead to expanded requirements for the new Tdap vaccination in Illinois. Tdap is a new formula of vaccine that must be identified specifically by name. The date administered MUST be documented by a physician in order to be compliant. Beginning next school year, Fall of 2013, all students entering, transferring, or advancing into 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grades will be required to show proof of receipt of one dose of Tdap vaccine (containing tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis). Most students may have already received the vaccine and simply need to provide the school with verifying documentation from the family health care provider. A parent letter from the Illinois Department of Public Health is posted on the District 205 webpage under Health Safety (and linked below). More information is also available from the and the . ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356610049598</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>More Information on PARCC - Why You Should Care</title>
                <description><![CDATA[In response to questions from parents following the Talk205 Special Report: PARCC - Assessing Common Core Standards, sent on December 7, 2012, we offer the following explanation: Both research and practice have proven that the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) is not a good indicator of college and career readiness. The State of Illinois, along with many others, plans to implement an assessment in 2014-15 that is better aligned to the testing that takes place at the high school level, which culminates in the ACT. More importantly, in order to collect meaningful data, educators need an assessment that aligns with and accurately measures progress on the new Common Core curriculum, to which most U.S. schools are migrating. The idea is that a fifth grader in Illinois should be learning the same thing as a fifth grader in California. This is important for the United States to be able to produce workers who can compete in a global economy. Due to its punitive nature (the majority of schools in this country are now in &amp;ldquo;failure&amp;rdquo; &amp;ndash; even top performers), No Child Left Behind is essentially dead. The new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers, or PARCC, approach will take its place; PARCC will be the vehicle employed in 23 states. The emphasis is on rigor and on multiple data points that teachers can use to measure the effectiveness of their teaching, as well as the response of their students, which helps educators make appropriate adjustments to improve both. Experts believe this is a better model, but there will be growing pains. As with any new system, it&amp;rsquo;s going to require professional development. And it&amp;rsquo;s also going to mean that those high scores we&amp;rsquo;re used to seeing on State tests at the elementary level, will be falling. Initially, it will look like we&amp;rsquo;re losing ground, when in actuality, we&amp;rsquo;re making gains in terms of higher expectations and better performance all the way around. Will this be in place of MAP testing, or in addition to it? It is too early to tell if the PARCC can replace the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) Measures of Academic Progress or MAP assessment. Both assessments provide schools and districts with growth data. The NWEA MAP provides data that guides our faculty as to what students are learning or not learning, as well as the desired outcomes. We have several years of past student performance that helps us gauge the district&amp;rsquo;s and schools&amp;rsquo; effectiveness. Since the PARCC assessment is so new, there is no supporting data to help inform district and school improvements. Eventually, it is hoped that the PARCC will be able to supplant the MAP. We do know that the PARCC will replace the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) and the Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) in 2014-15. These two assessments make up the accountability assessments for elementary, middle and high school students in Illinois. Please clarify who will be involved with the assessments this year? Is there a particular class level? The PARCC assessments do not begin until the 2014-15 school year. It is believed that all students in grades 3 through high school will take the assessment. This year, the NWEA MAP assessment is administered to all students in grades 2-8. The ISAT assessment is given to all students in grades 3 &amp;ndash; 8. The Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) assessments are administered to students in grades 8-12. The Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) is only given to students in grade 11. Will this be in place for seniors this year or will it be implemented in future years? The PARCC will not be administered until the 2014-15 school year. This year&amp;rsquo;s seniors will not have to take this assessment. This information is available in a printable document via the link below. Additional information from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is also linked below. ]]></description>
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                <pubDate>Sat, 8 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) - Assessing Common Core Standards</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Nationwide, 46 states and the District of Columbia have signed on and adopted the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards were the outcome of conversations by the National Governors&amp;rsquo; Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers who came to address some of the short comings of the nation&amp;rsquo;s educational system. Out of these conversations came a commitment to create a common, voluntarily adopted, set of educational standards. The need arose because the current system of standards varies from state to state. There are differing levels of quality and rigor between the states and only a few states have standards aligned to the ultimate goal of college and career readiness. Additionally, without assessment systems to create quality data, few of the state&amp;rsquo;s are able to provide real-time data for students, educators, parents, and policy makers. The data necessary to make progress on meeting these standards requires that a series of assessments be created to measure and track student acquisition of college and career readiness skills. To meet this challenge, two consortia were created. These consortia are called Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). These two groups are charged with the task of providing assessment systems that can provide valuable information on student performance against college- and career-ready expectations. In order to provide the rapid turnaround of data, these assessments will use current and future technologies to provide a meaningful assessment and useful data. Additionally, by having broad base of utilization, these two groups will make huge inroads in tracking students who move from district to district and state to state. To fund this endeavor, the U.S Department of Education set aside $350 million of Race to the Top funding for awards to consortia of states to design and develop common K-12 assessment systems aligned to common, college- and career-ready standards. In September 2010, the U.S. Department of Education awarded grants to the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC). Illinois is part of the 23 states that belong to PARCC. PARCC has 6 over-arching goals: Create high-quality assessments Build a pathway to college and career readiness for all students Support educators in the classroom Develop 21 st century, technology-based assessments Advance accountability at all levels Build an assessment that is sustainable and affordable Additionally, the PARCC assessments have 6 Priority Purposes: Determine whether students are college- and career-ready or on track Assess the full range of the Common Core Standards, including standards that are difficult to measure Measure the full range of student performance, including the performance high and low performing students Provide data during the academic year to inform instruction, interventions and professional development Provide data for accountability, including measures of growth Incorporate innovative approaches throughout the system The development of these assessments has included of 1500 K-12 educators and education leaders as well as the participation of over 750 institutions of higher education. These institutions of higher education are working to create the high school assessments and determine a college-ready cut score. The PARCC will be offered a minimum of twice a year and possibly four times a year. In its entirety, the assessment system is comprised of four components. There will be two summative, required assessment components designed to help educators make &amp;ldquo;college- and career-readiness&amp;rdquo; and &amp;ldquo;on-track&amp;rdquo; determinations and will provide data to the state for school and district accountability purposes. Unlike in years past, the new form of assessment will provide education stake holders with the ability to evaluate schools and districts based on the amount of growth students achieved. States have the option of providing two additional optional assessments. These assessments are used to generate timely information for informing instruction, interventions, and professional development during the school year. An additional third non-summative component will assess students&amp;rsquo; speaking and listening skills. The PARCC assessments will cover English/Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. In English/Language Arts students will be evaluated on the reading ability and comprehension of complex literary and informational texts. Additionally, students&amp;rsquo; writing ability will be assessed as they analyze a provided text. In Mathematics, based on the grade level, students will be measured on their level of mastery of relevant skills on mathematical domains. The PARCC assessment will be computer based, much like the current NWEA MAP assessment. Technology will be used through the development of the assessment system. The assessment will include a mix of constructed response items, performance-based tasks, and computer-enhanced, computer-scored items. The PARCC assessments will be administered via computer and scored by a combination of automated scoring and human scoring. It is believed that this form of scoring will provide a faster return of results to students, parents, and educator. References: This article was authored by Dr. Charles Johns, Assistant Superintendent Curriculum and Instruction, Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205. For a downloadable copy, pl ease click on the link below. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1346930204367</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 6 Dec 2012 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>English Language Learners &#8211; Demographic Changes and Opportunities</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Across the United States, school districts are serving a growing number of students who speak a language other than English in the home. According to the U.S. Census, between 1993 and 2003, the number of English Language Learners (ELL) enrolled in K-12 classrooms increased by 65%, growing from 3,037,922 to 5,013,539. Approximately 80% of the ELL students are from Spanish-speaking homes (Soltero, 2011 * ). In fact, the U.S is home to 51 million Spanish-speaking people. Illinois ranks fifth in the nation for serving more than 192,764 students who are acquiring English as they master the core academic skills. This is the first in a series of articles to be presented to the community this year on the topic of educating students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. What does this mean for Elmhurst 205? In the past three years, the school district&amp;rsquo;s active English learner population receiving services has increased over 36%, growing from 175 students in 2009 to over 500 at the end of last year. In addition, there are over 300 former ELLs enrolled in grades K-12. Former ELLs are students who received services at one time and who have demonstrated proficiency in English such that they are able to participate fully in classes in the general education program. Today English learners, both active and transitioned, comprise 9% of the students enrolled in our schools. As a community, we teach children from preschool through high school speaking 30 different languages. We now have English learners enrolled in each of our school. The predominant language is Spanish, which means that national trends are mirrored in our local community. Students and their families enroll in our schools and are inspired by the reputation that Elmhurst has for high-quality academic programs and student activities. Valuing the culture and language that children bring to school is integral to promoting academic achievement. The Board of Education&amp;rsquo;s Curriculum and Instruction Committee is reading a professional book on the topic, Schoolwide Approaches to Educating ELLs by Dr. Sonia Soltero. * Discussions on data related to student performance was part of the Board Curriculum and Instruction Committee meeting held on Wednesday, November 7 at the District 205 Center. Illinois School Code mandates that when a school has 20 or more students from the same language group, the school must offer a Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program. TBE programs offer instruction in the core academic areas through the use of the native language and English. This year, instruction in literacy and mathematics in Spanish is being offered in several of Elmhurst 205 schools, including the Madison Early Childhood Education Center, Conrad Fischer, Field, Jackson and Hawthorne elementary schools, Churchville Middle School and York Community High School. To learn more about the Illinois State Board of Education&amp;rsquo;s guidelines follow this link: . The ISBE rules and regulations cover student identification procedures, descriptions and components of programs, qualifications of teachers and other related topics. Serving a diverse community of learners can present opportunities for developing students who are bilingual and biliterate, who can participate more fully in our global economy. While Elmhurst 205 is in the process of establishing programs to meet the requirements of the rules and regulations prescribed in federal and state statutes, the administration is reviewing alternative programs that have been implemented in surrounding high performing districts that serve their English learners and also have benefits for the general student population. * Solterp, Sonia, &amp;ldquo;Schoolwide Approaches to Educating ELLs, Creating Linguistically and Culturally Responsive K-12 Schools.&amp;rdquo; Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH, 2011 ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1346932053565</link>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 5 Nov 2012 00:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
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                <title>STEM Update in  Elmhurst District 205</title>
                <description><![CDATA[It is difficult to read a professional education periodical without encountering the latest news on &amp;ldquo;STEM.&amp;rdquo; This acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, has swept education at a whirlwind pace. Of the many motivations to this new focus, one that seems to linger is that the United States has been economically successful because it historically has had an innovative culture. The thought leaders in this area suggest that extensive focus on STEM in our classrooms will refortify America&amp;rsquo;s advantage as an innovative country and maintain our nation&amp;rsquo;s prosperity. The Curriculum and Instruction Department has been examining existing practices in District 205, as well as the STEM initiatives of lauded programs in other districts. &amp;ldquo;While the District has invested in professional development that has led to the creation of new STEM labs in both science and math, the fact is that innovation lies in the connections found in the richness of these studies,&amp;rdquo; said Dr. Charles Johns, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. STEM education transforms the traditional teacher-centered classroom by encouraging a curriculum that is driven by scientific inquiry-based, problem-solving, discovery and exploratory learning that requires students to actively engage in a challenge to find its solution. have been added to middle school math, as well as to 4th through 8th grade science units. Students will experience, pose and answer questions about biomes, electricity, sound and light waves, astronomy, ecology, chemistry, forces and energy. To learn more, please visit the District 205 . Additionally, this year the Elmhurst Foundation for Educational Excellence is raising funds to support a pilot program to enhance STEM education in the middle schools. The immediate goal is to purchase 144 and 9 carts to divide between the three middle schools. These technological devices with probe attachments enable the students to collect a variety of data, manipulate it and transfer it to software &amp;ndash; all in one machine. These award-winning devices have been used in science classes both nationally and internationally with great success ( ). One device (including keyboard, mouse and basic probe) costs about $500; donations to the Foundation may be earmarked to support this STEM effort. In fact, the Foundation has identified the as its signature project for this school year, with a goal of raising $85,000 so that all District 205 middle school students can be using the data loggers by 2013-14. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1346922690722</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 4 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Ongoing:  Kickoff for Kids Star Programs</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Kickoff for Kids is a non-profit organization to enrich the lives of all children in Elmhurst and the surrounding communities through family-centered programs focusing on community, education and health and fitness. The Star Educator Award is a monthly award for educators who go above and beyond the call of duty. Anyone can nominate their favorite teacher by submitting a written nomination. Winning teachers receive a $300 gift card for use in their classroom and a plaque from the Mayor of Elmhurst. Please see below for more information. Kickoff for Kids also has education grant programs for adjustable basketball systems and outdoor classrooms. More information on the grant programs is below. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1346922344361</link>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 2 Oct 2012 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>3rd -5th Grade REACH Mathematics Placement Rubrics</title>
                <description><![CDATA[Below you will find links to the REACH Math placement rubrics. Final rubrics will be posted by May 13th. Students who are identified will receive a letter from their school at the end of the school year. ]]></description>
                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1345278457802</link>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 1 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>Grades 3-5 REACH Language Arts Rubrics</title>
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                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1356611566431</link>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 1 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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                <title>REACH Study, 2009-2010</title>
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                <link>http://elmhurstcusd205-il.schoolloop.com/news/view?id=1283092350269</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 2 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700</pubDate>
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