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Sterling High School (New Jersey)

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Coordinates: 39°50′10″N 75°01′29″W / 39.836231°N 75.024645°W / 39.836231; -75.024645
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Sterling High School
Front of the school
Address
501 South Warwick Road
Somerdale
, Camden County, 08083
United States
Coordinates39°50′10″N 75°01′29″W / 39.836231°N 75.024645°W / 39.836231; -75.024645
District information
Grades9-12
SuperintendentMatthew Sheehan
Business administratorJim McCullough
Schools1
Students and staff
Enrollment881 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Faculty72.0 FTEs[1]
Student–teacher ratio12.2:1[1]
Other information
District Factor GroupCD
Websitewww.sterling.k12.nj.us
Ind. Per pupil District
spending		 Rank
(*)		 9-12
average		 %± vs.
average
1ATotal Spending$18,92211$18,8910.2%
1Budgetary Cost15,3901915,592−1.3%
2Classroom Instruction8,613198,807−2.2%
6Support Services2,085162,294−9.1%
8Administrative Cost1,479141,592−7.1%
10Operations & Maintenance2,108291,9547.9%
13Extracurricular Activities1,1073787326.8%
16Median Teacher Salary62,1001171,726
Data from NJDoE 2014 Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending.[2]
*Of 9-12 districts with any number of students. Lowest spending=1; Highest=47
Sterling High School
Location
Map
Information
TypePublic high school
EstablishedSeptember 1960
NCES School ID340288001662[1]
PrincipalJarod Claybourn[3]
Faculty72.0 FTEs[1]
Enrollment881 (as of 2023–24)[1]
Student to teacher ratio12.2:1[1]
Color(s)  Royal blue
  silver and
  white[4]
Athletics conferenceColonial Conference (general)
West Jersey Football League (football)
Team nameSilver Knights[4]
NewspaperThe Accolade[5]
YearbookSilver Scroll[5]

Sterling High School is a comprehensive regional public high school and school district serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from five communities in Camden County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district serves students from Magnolia, Somerdale, Stratford, along with students from Hi-Nella and Laurel Springs who attend as part of sending/receiving relationships.[6][7] The school is located in Somerdale and is the only facility of the Sterling High School District.[8][9]

Sterling High School has been approved by the New Jersey Department of Education (2000) and has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1964[10] and was granted probationary accreditation by Middle States in 2012.[11]

As of the 2023–24 school year, the school had an enrollment of 881 students and 72.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.2:1. There were 232 students (26.3% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 54 (6.1% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

The district is classified by the New Jersey Department of Education as being in District Factor Group "CD", the third-lowest of eight groupings. District Factor Groups organize districts statewide to allow comparison by common socioeconomic characteristics of the local districts. From lowest socioeconomic status to highest, the categories are A, B, CD, DE, FG, GH, I and J.[12]

History

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Ground was broken for the school in July 1959, with costs estimated at $950,000 (equivalent to $9.9 million in 2023) for construction of a facility designed to accommodate an enrollment of 800 students.[13]

Opened in September 1960 as Sterling Regional High School, the new facility served students who had previously attended Haddon Heights High School.[14]

Awards, recognition and honors

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The school was the 234th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 339 schools statewide in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2014 cover story on the state's "Top Public High Schools", using a new ranking methodology.[15] The school had been ranked 266th in the state of 328 schools in 2012, after being ranked 231st in 2010 out of 322 schools listed.[16] The magazine ranked the school 225th in 2008 out of 316 schools.[17] The school was ranked 228th in the magazine's September 2006 issue, which surveyed 316 schools across the state.[18] Schooldigger.com ranked the school 240th out of 367 public high schools statewide in its 2009-10 rankings which were based on the combined percentage of students classified as proficient or above proficient on the language arts literacy and mathematics components of the High School Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).[19]

Curriculum

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Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered in AP English Literature, AP United States History, AP Calculus, and AP Biology. Honors courses are offered in Algebra I, Geometry, Pre Calculus, Spanish V, Calculus, and Physics. High School Plus credit with Camden County College is offered in History, Spanish, French, Biology, Software Systems, Latin, and World Civilizations. A variety of languages are offered including: Spanish, Latin, French, and Italian II.

Athletics

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The Sterling High School Silver Knights[4] compete as a member school in the Colonial Conference, which is comprised of small schools whose enrollments generally do not exceed between 750 and 800 students for grades 9-12 and operates under the auspices of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA).[20][21] With 658 students in grades 10-12, the school was classified by the NJSIAA for the 2022–24 school years as Group II South for most athletic competition purposes.[22] The football team competes in the Constitution Division of the 94-team West Jersey Football League superconference[23][24] and was classified by the NJSIAA as Group II South for football for 2024–2026, which included schools with 514 to 685 students.[25]

The football team won the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III state sectional championships in 1974, 1976 and 1977.[26] In 1974, Sterling won the first ever South Jersey Group III football championship determined by playoffs, defeating Woodrow Wilson High School by a score of 15–12 in a game played at the Atlantic City Convention Center.[27][28] The 1976 team won the South Jersey Group III sectional title with a 28-13 win against a Deptford Township High School team that came into the championship game undefeated.[29]

The boys' soccer team was the Group III co-champion in 1976, after a tie with Summit High School in the final game of the tournament.[30]

The softball team won the Group II state championship in 1981 (defeating Jefferson Township High School in the tournament's final game) and 2008 (vs. Kittatinny Regional High School).[31] The 1981 team finished the season with an 18-5 record after winning the Group II title at Mercer County Park with a 7-6 victory against Jefferson Township on two runs scored in the bottom of the seventh inning.[32] In 2008, the team won the New Jersey Group II state championship with a 1–0 win against Kittatinny Regional High School.[33] The softball team won the South, Group II state sectional championship in 2007 with a 9–4 win over Haddon Township High School.[34]

The girls' basketball team won with Group II state championships in 1989 (against runner-up Glen Rock High School in the finals), 1990 (vs. Boonton High School), 2000 (vs. West Morris Mendham High School) and 2001 (vs. Hanover Park High School)[35] The team won the Group II title in 1990 with a 60-53 win against a Boonton team that hadn't lost all season until the championship game.[36] The Lady Knights basketball squad is one of only two South Jersey teams to win the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions, winning it in 2001 by a score of 48–40 over Columbia High School.[37] The other is Woodrow Wilson High School, who accomplished the feat in 2005.[38][39]

Sterling's wrestling program won back-to-back South Jersey Group II state titles in 1999 and 2000.[40][41] Mark Manchio won three consecutive state wrestling titles in 1999, 2000 and 2001 (125-2 career record).[42] In 2002, Ivan Wiggins won the state wrestling title at 112 lbs.[43][44]

The baseball team won the South Jersey Group II title in 2007 with a win over Gateway Regional High School.[45] In 2002 and 2003 the baseball team won back to back Diamond Classic tournaments.[46]

In 2004, Donald "Sonnie" Pollosco won the South Jersey Coach's Invitational State Title and Camden County Singles title. (112-6 career record)

In 2013, the Sterling Lady Knights volleyball team won the Group II state championship, the program's first, defeating Madison High School in the tournament final.[47][48]

In 2013, Jimmy Daniels won the Group II State Championship in the Indoor 3200m Run.[49]

In 2014, the Sterling Lady Knights soccer team won the South Jersey Group II state sectional championship, the program's first, defeating Point Pleasant Borough High School in the tournament final by a score of 3–2.[50]

Administration

[edit]

Core members of the school's administration include:[51][52]

  • Matthew Sheehan, superintendent[53]
  • Jim McCullough, business administrator and board secretary
  • Jarod Claybourn, principal (assisted by two vice principals)[54]

Board of education

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The district's board of education, comprised of nine members, sets policy and oversees the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type II school district, the board's trustees are elected directly by voters to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with three seats up for election each year held (since 2012) as part of the November general election. The board appoints a superintendent to oversee the district's day-to-day operations and a business administrator to supervise the business functions of the district.[55][56]

Seats on the district's board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with four seats assigned to Stratford, three to Somerdale and two to Magnolia. The Laurel Springs district appoints a representative to serve on the Sterling board of education.[57]

Notable alumni

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See also: Category:Sterling High School (New Jersey) alumni

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h School data for Sterling High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 15, 2024.
  2. ^ Taxpayers' Guide to Education Spending April 2013, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 15, 2013.
  3. ^ "Staff Directory". www.sterling.k12.nj.us. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Sterling High School, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  5. ^ a b Handbook for Students and Parents 2021-2022, Sterling High School. Accessed April 1, 2022.
  6. ^ Sterling High School 2016 Report Card Narrative, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed June 27, 2017. "Sterling High School District is a regional district serving Hi Nella, Laurel Springs, Magnolia, Somerdale and Stratford. Sterling is a suburban residential community, approximately 7 miles southeast of Camden, NJ and part of the Philadelphia, PA metropolitan area."
  7. ^ Sterling Regional High Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Sterling High School. Accessed September 2, 2020. "Purpose The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades nine through twelve in the Sterling Regional High School District. Composition The Sterling Regional High School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Somerdale."
  8. ^ School Performance Reports for the Sterling High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 3, 2024.
  9. ^ New Jersey School Directory for the Sterling High School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  10. ^ Sterling High School, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools. Accessed June 26, 2011.
  11. ^ "Spring 2012 Accreditation Actions", The Standard of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools, Spring 2012. Accessed April 16, 2021. "Probationary Accreditation... Sterling High School, Somerdale, NJ"
  12. ^ District Factor Groups (DFG) for School Districts, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed November 24, 2014.
  13. ^ "Setting an Example on School Cost", Courier-Post, July 17, 1959. Accessed April 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Groundbreaking ceremonies Tuesday for Camden County's newest regional high school will be of more than ordinary interest to citizens of the county and in school circles generally. The school, scheduled to be opened for the beginning of the 1960-61 school year, will be located at Somerdale and will be known as Sterling Regional High School. It will accommodate pupils from Somerdale, Magnolia and Stratford. It will have an initial capacity of 800 and be capable of expansion when the pupil load makes it necessary. What is exceptionally interesting about the new school is the fact that it will cost only $945,764 to construct, although the bond issue under which it will be financed is for $1.1 million and the original estimate of the construction cost was $1.1 million."
  14. ^ "3 Counties Share Classroom Expansion", Courier-Post, September 3, 1960. Accessed April 1, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Sterling Regional High School, third of the three new Camden County high schools, is located on Warwick rd. in Somerdale. It will accommodate students from Somerdale, Magnolia and Stratford who last year attended Haddon Heights High School."
  15. ^ Staff. "Top Schools Alphabetical List 2014", New Jersey Monthly, September 2, 2014. Accessed September 5, 2014.
  16. ^ Staff. "The Top New Jersey High Schools: Alphabetical", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2012. Accessed September 11, 2012.
  17. ^ Staff. "2010 Top High Schools", New Jersey Monthly, August 16, 2010. Accessed June 26, 2011.
  18. ^ "Top New Jersey High Schools 2008: By Rank", New Jersey Monthly, September 2008, posted August 7, 2008. Accessed August 19, 2008.
  19. ^ New Jersey High School Rankings: 11th Grade HSPA Language Arts Literacy & HSPA Math 2009-2010, Schooldigger.com. Accessed December 29, 2011.
  20. ^ Schools, Colonial Conference. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  21. ^ League & Conference Officers/Affiliated Schools 2020-2021, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed October 20, 2020.
  22. ^ NJSIAA General Classifications - Public Schools 2022-2023 and 2023-2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  23. ^ Sterling Silver Knights, West Jersey Football League. Accessed September 5, 2020.
  24. ^ Home Page, West Jersey Football League. Accessed May 1, 2023. "The WJFL is a 94-school super conference that stretches from Princeton to Wildwood encompassing schools from the Colonial Valley Conference, the Burlington County Scholastic League, the Olympic Conference, the Tri-County Conference, the Colonial Conference, and the Cape Atlantic League. The WJFL is made up of sixteen divisions with divisional alignments based on school size, geography and a strength-of-program component."
  25. ^ NJSIAA Football Public School Classifications 2024–2026, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated September 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  26. ^ NJSIAA Football History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  27. ^ Ostrum, Gus. "S. Jersey Playoffs A Hit From The Start", The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 17, 1989. Accessed December 29, 2011. "It now is 15 years since Sterling and Brick Township won the first South Jersey sectional football championships to be decided on the playing field. Sterling topped Woodrow Wilson, 15-12, on Dec. 7, 1974, to win the South Jersey Group 3 title before 5,000 fans at Atlantic City Convention Hall and a statewide television audience."
  28. ^ History of Football Games inside the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Accessed December 29, 2011.
  29. ^ Vogeding, John. "Sterling settles down, rolls to Group 3 crown", Courier-Post, December 6, 1976. Accessed February 21, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Sterling High School center Stan Pandza had a ready explanation for the 27 points scored in the first 13 minutes of Saturday's South Jersey Group 3 championship football game here.... For the record, Sterling regained the Group 3 title it had won in 1974 with a 28-13 triumph over previously-unbeaten Deptford High."
  30. ^ NJSIAA History of Boys Soccer, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  31. ^ Softball Championship History 1972–2023, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated July 2023. Accessed April 1, 2024.
  32. ^ "Sterling's late rally stuns Jefferson, 7-6", Herald News, June 7, 1981. Accessed January 4, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Sterling High School rallied behind Lori Lomas' two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning to trim the Falcons, 7-6. and capture the state Group 2 softball crown at Mercer County Park Saturday."
  33. ^ Staff. "Sterling takes second softball crown", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 8, 2008. Accessed June 26, 2011. "After two consecutive postseason comeback wins, Sterling rode the arm of righthander Sammi Giambri to yesterday's 1-0 win over Kittatinny for the state Group 2 softball championship at Toms River East."
  34. ^ 2007 Softball - South, Group II, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed June 11, 2007.
  35. ^ Girls Basketball Championship History: 1919–2024, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, updated March 2024. Accessed September 1, 2024.
  36. ^ Mayer, John. "Quest for crown ends for Boonton", The Record, March 11, 1990. Accessed December 16, 2020, via Newspapers.com. "It was the Jackie Donovan show for the second consecutive year Saturday in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group 2 girls basketball final. The 5-foot-10 senior guard tallied 27 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, and six steals in leading Sterling to a 60-53 victory over previously undefeated Boonton at Monmouth College."
  37. ^ NJSIAA Girls Basketball Tournament of Champions History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed November 20, 2020.
  38. ^ 2005 Girls Basketball - Tournament of Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed August 5, 2007.
  39. ^ A compendium of epic battles over the years - Philly.com. "2001: For the first time in history, a South Jersey team won the Tournament of Champions girls' basketball title. Group 2 state champ Sterling, seeded fourth, upset third-seeded and Group 4 state champ Columbia, 48-40, to bring home the crown. Jessica Copskey scored 34 points to help give retiring coach Bill Ulrich a going-away present." Accessed February 17, 2008.
  40. ^ Livingston, John Earle. "Sterling ends Point Boro's dreams of a title", Asbury Park Press, February 18, 2000. Accessed June 26, 2011. "Last night, before Point Boro's South Jersey Group II final at defending champion Sterling, Hoffmaster declared this Panther wrestling team to be harder-working than any other Point Boro team."
  41. ^ NJSIAA Wrestling Team Championship History, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  42. ^ Iezzi, Bill. "A 3-time champion lends his expertise: Mark Manchio has been an inspiration to Haddonfield.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 11, 2011. Accessed June 26, 2011. "But former Sterling great Mark Manchio, 29, one of only three South Jersey wrestlers to win triple crowns - the others were Highland's Joe Melchiore and Absegami's Labe Black - thinks he is fortunate to be on the staff at Haddonfield."
  43. ^ State Champion Wrestlers Archived April 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, New Jersey Wrestling. Accessed October 27, 2011.
  44. ^ Staff. "South Jersey pins down a record nine titles", The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 11, 2002. Accessed October 27, 2011. "Paulsboro's Tom Curl and Cherry Hill West's Ryan Cunningham successfully defended their titles, and Sterling's Ivan Wiggins and Camden Catholic's Bob Stinson avenged heart-breaking losses to claim their first titles..."
  45. ^ Staff. "Sterling gets 16 hits to roll past Gateway, The tenth seed upset the No. 4 seed, 11-2, and now moves on to the state semifinals.", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 2, 2007. Accessed June 26, 2011. "To prepare for facing Gateway's hard-throwing Nick Alloway in yesterday's South Jersey Group 2 baseball final, Sterling had one of its former pitchers, Drew Slickmeyer, throw batting practice Thursday."
  46. ^ Carchidi, Sam. "DiPatri got the most out of his Sterling ballclub", The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 13, 2004. Accessed June 26, 2011. "In 2003, his first season as Sterling's coach, the Silver Knights went 25-4-1 and won the Joe Hartmann Diamond Classic crown for the second straight season."
  47. ^ NJSIAA Girls Volleyball Group Champions, New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association. Accessed September 1, 2022.
  48. ^ Greco, Richard. "Girls volleyball: Sterling walks away as state champions", The Star-Ledger, November 16, 2013. Accessed May 3, 2015. "The junior outside hitter has been on Sterling's varsity squad since she was a freshman and, even though her teams reached the NJSIAA/Star-Ledger Group 2 final in her first two seasons, the Camden County school never claimed a state championship.That changed Saturday when Kriebel slammed down a pass from senior setter Lori Gorczynski for her sixth kill of the match to give fourth-seeded Sterling its first state title in a 25-18, 25-22 triumph over second-seeded Madison at William Paterson University in Wayne."
  49. ^ "NJSIAA Group Championships 2023 - Boys Group 2". NJ MileSplit. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  50. ^ Staff. "Sterling (3) at Point Pleasant Boro (2), NJSIAA Tournament, Final Round, South Jersey, Group 2 - Girls Soccer", The Star-Ledger, November 14, 2014. Accessed October 3, 2015 "Lauren McCann scored the deciding goal unassisted with 34 minutes left to lead Sterling over Point Pleasant Boro, 3-2, in the South Jersey, Group 2 final in Point Pleasant."
  51. ^ Staff Directory, Sterling High School. Accessed December 22, 2024.
  52. ^ New Jersey School Directory for Camden County, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.
  53. ^ Superintendent, Sterling High School. Accessed December 22, 2024.
  54. ^ Principal, Sterling High School. Accessed December 22, 2024.
  55. ^ New Jersey Boards of Education by District Election Types - 2018 School Election, New Jersey Department of Education, updated February 16, 2018. Accessed January 26, 2020.
  56. ^ Annual Comprehensive Financial Report of the Sterling High School District, New Jersey Department of Education, for year ending June 30, 2023. Accessed December 22, 2024. "The School District is a Type II district located in the County of Camden, State of New Jersey. As a Type II district, the School District functions independently through a Board of Education (the 'Board'). The Board is comprised of nine members elected to three-year terms. These terms are staggered so that three member's terms expire each year. The Superintendent is appointed by the Board to act as executive officer of the School District. The purpose of the School District is to educate students in grades nine through twelve who reside in the boroughs of Laurel Springs and Hi-Nella attend the School District on a tuition basis." See "Roster of Officials" on page 11.
  57. ^ Board of Education Members, Sterling High School. Accessed December 22, 2024.
  58. ^ Anastasia, Phil. "Jim Combs, 82, was a South Jersey football coaching legend", The Philadelphia Inquirer, September 25, 2010. Accessed May 3, 2015. "Brian Broomell, a star quarterback at Sterling and Temple, said Mr. Combs' attention to detail was a key to his success. 'We would go over it, go over it, until we got it right,' said Broomell, a 1976 Sterling grad."
  59. ^ "Meet Donovan Casey", LA Dodger Talk, June 5, 2021. Accessed November 15, 2023. "The native of Stratford, New Jersey attended Sterling High School in Somerdale in his home state."
  60. ^ Accolade: The Yearbook of Sterling High School. Somerdale, New Jersey: Sterling High School. 1980. p. 37 – via Ancestry.com.
  61. ^ General Officer Management Office (January 22, 2021). "Biography, Major General Steven Ferrari". National Guard.mil. Arlington, Virginia: Army National Guard Senior Leader Management Office. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  62. ^ Hayden, Michael Edison (August 15, 2019). "Brother Says He Reported White Nationalist State Department Official to the FBI". Hatewatch. Southern Poverty Law Center. Archived from the original on August 18, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
  63. ^ Brooks-Irvine Memorial Football Club Archived August 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Accessed April 12, 2008.
  64. ^ Finally, Lee earns Big Ten recognition. "Members of the team, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, expected to attend include quarterback Todd Blackledge, tailback Curt Warner, wide receivers Kenny Jackson and Gregg Garrity, linebacker Scott Radecic and team captains Walker Lee Ashley and Ken Kelley." Accessed February 11, 2009.
  65. ^ Nelson, Sophia A. "High school teacher was Sterling example of someone who made a difference", Courier-Post, September 21, 1997. Accessed April 20, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "The writer, a 1985 graduate of Sterling High School in Somerdale, and a former candidate for Camden County freeholder and Congress, works on Capitol Hill as an investigative counsel for the Government Reform and Oversight Committee."
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