Horizon Elementary

September 2012 Newsletter

Comet Courier

CALENDAR SEPTEMBER

Horizon Elementary School 46665 Broadmore Drive • Sterling, VA 20165 • Telephone 571.434.3260 • Fax 703.444.7418 • Absentee Line 571.434.3261

Absentee Email hrzabsentee@lcps.org Horizon Elementary School website: www.lcps.org/horizon

Principal: Mrs. Jennifer Ewing Bookkeeper: Mrs. Jeanne Becker Assistant Principal: Mr. Chris Painter Attendance Secretary: Mrs. Violet Sowa-Badders

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

The 2012-2013 school year is off to a great start! This first week has been going extremely well. The staff and students have all come back refreshed and rejuvenated ready for an awesome year. It is amazing what summer break does

for everyone.

Our Back to School Nights each went well. These evenings were opportunities for parents to visit with teachers in their classrooms. If you were not able to join us please remember that parent/teacher conferences will be another opportunity to meet your child’s teacher face to face. Please make sure to take advantage of

the opportunity when each teacher is scheduling conferences.

We also invite parents to visit with us and take part in many volunteer opportunities available throughout the school year. We will be inviting all parents interested in volunteering this year to attend our annual Volunteer Breakfast on Tuesday, September 18 at 8:30 in our cafeteria. We hope you can

join us that morning.

This year we welcomed new staff to second grade, third grade, special education, Search, music and art. We have listed their names on p. 2 of the

Comet Courier.

I wanted to take a moment to thank all individuals who brought in school supplies to help with the staff team building activity that we did in August! We were overwhelmed with everyone’s generosity. That day our staff was put into teams to create their own putt-putt hole obstacle. They were to use the school supplies and any other creative items with a given theme per team. It was a great exercise. Staff teams/grade levels were then invited to play a round of golf on the 16 hole putt-putt course. We have displayed pictures in the office area. The school supplies from this exercise are being distributed to students in need. We are using them to make sure everyone has what is needed to be ready for

instruction each day.

It continues to be a pleasure to serve the students and families of Horizon Elementary. I wish all our staff, students, and families much success this school

year.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ewing

PICTURE DAY IS COMING!

School Picture Day is scheduled for Wednesday, September 19. School portraits are provided as a service to our school parents and are also a valuable

fundraiser.

Your child will be provided

with a picture order envelope. Please complete the envelope and have your child bring it to his/her teacher before Picture Day. Extra order envelopes will be available in the school’s main

office.

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WELCOME NEW STAFF Jennifer Keys - 2nd Grade Arissa Malick - 2nd Grade Jennifer Donovan - 3rd Grade Tami Holland - Resource Teacher Rachelle Smetana - ECSE Teacher Relana Jennings - ECSE Teacher Assistant Kimberly Marks - Special Education Teacher Leslie McEntire - Itinerant Art Teacher John Russell - Itinerant Music Teacher Denise Corbo - Itinerant SEARCH Teacher Key O’Sullivan - Itinerant SEARCH Teacher

CHORUS NOTES

MR. TODD GRIVETTI

MR. JOHN RUSSELL

Horizon Chorus rehearsals begin Tuesday, September 11 after school from 2:35 to 3:45. We have an exciting year coming up including a trip to Falcon’s Landing Assisted Living Community, a Veteran’s Day Assembly and a day-trip to Kings Dominion for a competition and some fun in the park in May. See Mr. Grivetti for

more information!

Veterans’ Day Assembly!

Tuesday, November 12, 2012 at 9:00 AM/ Please invite your friends and family that are current or former military personnel to attend this event in their uniforms, if they wish. Horizon students will honor

them with songs and thank-you cards!

RUNNING AND FITNESS CLUB MRS. HOPE BOOTH

MRS. JENNIFER BARLOW

Horizon Running and Fitness Club starts September 10th. We are still in need of volunteers to monitor the students while they run. If you are interested please contact Mrs. Booth or Mrs.

Barlow.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We will train you! If you would like to help with our copy/laminating volunteers, please contact Jeannie Willoughby, our coordinator. Times are flexible (1-2 hours), days are flexible (1 day a

week, 1 day a month).

Please contact Jeannie Willoughby at

703-472-3122 or 703-404-4727.

CAFETERIA HOSTESS SUBSTITUTE

Have a couple hours free? Would you like to substitute in the cafeteria? Please contact Chris Painter, Assistant Principal to find out how to

become a substitute for the cafeteria.

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School Board Adopts 2012-2013 Calendar

The Loudoun County School Board adopted the student calendar for the 2012-2013 school year at its Tuesday, October 25th, meeting.

Following is the adopted calendar:

2012-2013 Student Calendar

*NOTE: Parents with child-care or other weekday scheduling concerns - Dates of the Moveable Planning/Records/

Conference Day between first and second semesters may change if the school calendar must be changed due to

school closings for inclement weather or other emergencies.

August 27 First Day of School for Students

September 3 Holiday (Labor Day)

October 8 Holiday (Columbus Day)

November 2 End of the Grading Period

November 5-6 Student Holidays (Planning/Records/Conference Days)

November 21-23 Holiday (Thanksgiving)

December 24 - Winter Break (Classes Resume January 2)

January 17 End of Grading Period

January 18 Moveable Student Holiday* (Planning/Records/Conference Day)

January 21 Holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

February 18 Holiday (Presidents' Day)

March 22 End of the Grading Period

March 25-29 Holiday (Spring Break)

April 1 Student Holiday (Planning/Records/Conference Day)

May 27 Holiday (Memorial Day)

June 6 Last Day of School for Students/End of Grading Period

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THE READING CORNER MRS. BOBBIE LEE

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COMET CAFE MRS. ROSE CUSTER

LOUDOUN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MENU PRICES (effective August 2012) SCHOOL LUNCH SCHOOL BREAKFAST

Grades K-5: Full Price $3.00 Student - Full Price $ 2.00 Grades K-12: Reduced Price $ .40 Student-Reduced Price $ .30 Adult (w/coffee, tea, or milk) $4.00 Adult (w/coffee, tea, or milk) $ 2.30

Kindergarten Milk Only $50.00/year

FASTER LUNCH LINES? SPECIAL NEWS PRE-PAYMENT IS THE ANSWER! Pre-paying for your meals and other purchases helps the lunch line to move quickly. You may pay in the school cafeteria with cash or

personal check made payable to “County of Loudoun”. Please remember to put your child’s name and lunch number in the memo line.

You may also pay via the internet. Café Prepay will add a 6% handling fee to offset administrative costs for processing the

transaction. Visa, MasterCard, and Discover credit cards are accepted for payment.

Follow these instructions to get started:

Log on to the internet at http://www.pay4lunch.com

Follow the instructions on the screen

You may also pay cash each day but please have your money ready when you reach the cashier.

COUNSELORS CORNER MS. TERESA SMIDT

MS. RACHEL WEINMAN

Welcome back! We hope you had a wonderful summer. This year Ms. Smidt will be working with the kindergarten through third grade and will be at Horizon Monday through Friday. Ms. Weinman will work with third through fifth grade and will be at Horizon

on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

The guidance department provides classroom guidance lessons to all students. These lessons meet the Standards of School Counseling Programs in Virginia Public Schools. The guidance department also provides small group counseling and individual counseling that are skill based and focus on concerns that are impacting a student’s ability to learn. A student can be referred to the counselor through

self, teacher, administrator, staff, and parent referral.

During the month of September, classroom guidance lessons will focus on PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support), as well as

problem solving skills.

Please feel free to contact Ms. Smidt or Ms. Weinman if you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year. You can reach both Ms. Smidt and Ms. Weinman at 571-434-3260. We can also be reached at Teresa.smidt@lcps.org and

Rachel.weinman@lcps.org.

We are looking forward to a great 2012-2013 school year!

PARENT LIAISON MRS. ROBIN MONG

Welcome Back, Horizon families! I hope everyone had an enjoyable summer. For those families new to Horizon, I am the Parent Liaison. Parent Liaisons are employed as a Loudoun County Public Schools staff member, I work for the school to help bridge the gap between home and school by helping parents get the information and support they need to ensure their child’s academic and soc ial success. Our goal at Horizon, is to ensure that the students and their family have a positive educational experience. The Parent Liaison

program is part of the LCPS Outreach Programs.

Parents often times feel uncomfortable about asking questions or sharing concerns with teachers or school administration. As part of the Parent Liaison’s role, I am available to listen to your concerns and work with you to make sure that your point of view is expressed

and understood.

In addition, I can arrange for interpreters to come to school if you need to communicate in your own language.

I am here at the school on Tuesdays, Wednesday and Thursdays. I am available on other days by appointment only. You make reach

me by e-mail at Robin.Mong@lcps.org, cell phone 703-472-1141 or call the school 571-434-3260.

I look forward to another year of working with our Horizon families and students.

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LCPS Food Services

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Horizon Elementary PTA News

‘Horizon Elementary School and PTA’

www.horizonpta.org

Hello, my name is Mike Morgan and I am President of the

Horizon Elementary Parent Teacher Association.

I would like to WELCOME everyone Back-to-School – especially new families, new teachers & staff. I would also like to take a moment to tell you about the Horizon PTA and the impact it has

on your children.

When my oldest son started K at Horizon in 2007, I realized that many of the programs, activities, and events he was able to participate in were made possible because of the PTA and the efforts of a dedicated group of parents. I became more involved

because I saw the incredible impact that each parent was able to make by coming together and enhancing the already incredible

Horizon experience for my children and each and every Comet.

The benefits of Horizon PTA Membership go above and beyond getting in the Directory, getting a copy of the Directory, and on the e-mail list for the Weekly News Blast. We are members of

the Virginia PTA and National PTA – Every Child. One Voice.

The value of Horizon PTA Membership comes in understanding our mission, top priorities, goals, and objectives; the programs, activities, and events that support teaching and learning; who, what, when, where, why, how, how much; net income (= revenue - expenses) and expenditures per the categories of the Horizon

PTA operating budget.

The PTA raises funds and plans many of the memorable experiences that our kids look forward to every year – such as Bingo, Jingle Bell Run, Jingle Bell Shop, Skate Night, and Fun Fair. Net income from these social events as well as School Supply Kits, Restaurant Spirit Nights, Spirit Sales, After-School Enrichment Programs, the bi-annual REACH reading fundraiser, Adult Social & Auction, Market Day, and Technology RECYCLING fundraiser

help provide for:

Allotments – supplies for the classrooms and students of teachers

and specialists.

Educational Enhancement Programs – Accelerated Reader Tests, Guided Reading Sets, Science Fair, Science Enrichment,

Odyssey of the Mind, FIRST LEGO League, WordMasters, Otter Creek Math, PBIS Support, Multi-Cultural Night; Kindergarten Educational Enhancements, 1st grade Scholastic Reader and Flat Stanley Postage, 2nd grade Life Cycles Unit, 3rd grade MVP History, 4th grade Virginia Studies Weekly and Friday Activities,

5th grade Scholastic Reader.

Special Events – Assemblies, DARE, Field Day, 5th grade Picnic, Reading Incentive Program, School Musicals, Bus Buddies, Horizon

TV / Comet Council.

School Gifts – Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math (STEM); Art & Music; School Grounds Enhancements (playground, blacktop

area, and courtyards) for student use.

Many of these impact your children in some way and will leave a

lasting impression.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE, We hope you and your family will enjoy participating in our programs, activities, and events. We also

invite you to attend our monthly Horizon PTA Meetings. We alternate meeting times (morning, after-school, evening) to accommodate working parents, teachers, and youth sports and activities. We seek your ideas, input, energy, and enthusiasm. This year, we will also host Horizon PTA 101 sessions to provide

more information about what we do.

PLEASE VOLUNTEER, Find/follow your passion and give back and pay it forward! Consider contributing your time and talent as a volunteer in the classroom, at school, at home, in the community;

help us with our programs, activities, and events.

Everyone can’t do everything, but everyone can do at least one

thing.

PLEASE JOIN using the consolidated Membership & Directory and $pirit $ale$ form – we have t-shirts, sweat pants, reusable

water bottles, car magnets, and more.

THANK YOU for listening. We look forward to another FUN,

SUCCESSFUL, RECORD-BREAKING OLYMPIC YEAR in 2012-13!

GO COMETS!

President Mike Morgan president@horizonpta.org Sr. VP Amy Sandridge srvp@horizonpta.org Treasurer Meredith Pilaro treasurer@horizonpta.org Recording Secretary Amy Sandridge recsecy@horizonpta.org Corresponding Secretary Teresa Demangos corrsecy@horizonpta.org Co-VP-Staff Relations Laura Ellingwood & Kimberly Misch staffrel@horizonpta.org Co-VP-Membership & Directory Kelli Evers & Gail Godek membership@horizonpta.org directory@horizonpta.org

Co-VP-Social Amye Love & Kristen Sirois social@horizonpta.org VP-After-School Enrichment Programs (ASEP) Ginni Arcuri asep@horizonpta.org Co-VP-Fundraising Amy Curran & Joanne Canellos fundraising@horizonpta.org VP-Spirit Sales Debbie Mulhearn spiritsales@horizonpta.org

2012-2013 Horizon PTA Executive Board

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The Family Life Education Parent Preview offers an

opportunity to review the FLE curriculum guides for

each grade level and preview the audio-visual materials

purchased specifically for the FLE program. There is no

formal showing. Parents may come any time during the

times listed below and spend as much time as they need

to preview the material. FLE Specialists will be

available to answer questions.

LCPS Administration Building

21000 Education Court

Ashburn, Virginia 20148

September 4-7, 2012

10:00 AM to 8:00 PM

Family Life Education

Parent Preview

2012-2013

El Anticipo para Padres de la Educación de Vida

Familiar ofrece una oportunidad a revisar las guías del

currículo de FLE para cada nivel y ver los materiales

audiovisuales de antemano comprados específicamente

para el programa de FLE. No hay una función formal.

Los padres pueden venir a cualquier hora durante los

horarios mencionados abajo y quedarse todo el tiempo

necesario para ver de antemano el material. Los

especialistas de FLE estarán disponibles para contestar a

sus preguntas.

Edificio de Administración de LCPS

21000 Education Court

Ashburn, Virginia 20148

4-7 de septiembre, 2012

10:00 de la mañana a 8:00 de la tarde

Educación de Vida Familiar

Anticipo para Padres

2012-2013

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Our school’s health clinic assistant/registered nurse is Jennifer Asuncion. She works in the clinic each day from 7:30 am until 3:30 pm. A health clinic assistant (HCA) works under the direction and supervision of a registered nurse (resource nurse). School staff can contact the school resource nurse at any time for advice or emergencies. HCAs are trained in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), use of an external automatic defibrillator (AED), and medication administration. The resource nurse visits the school regularly. Please check the website for the resource nurse for your school. Clinic personnel (HCAs and nurses) are not allowed to make a medical diagnosis. If you have an urgent medical concern, please take your child to their personal physician or a medical facility.

If your child has any significant medical needs, please notify the HCA/RN even if the school has been notified in previous school

years. If your child has asthma, diabetes, seizures, life-threatening allergies, or other medical conditions, you and the physician will need to complete a form so the school can understand and address your child’s needs. These forms are available on the

Loudoun County Public School (LCPS) website. These forms must be updated each school year.

School-Sponsored After-School Activities and Sports

If your child has diabetes, an epinephrine auto-injector, an inhaler, or other emergency medication at school, please notify the teacher/sponsor that your child has the health concern. Also notify the health clinic assistant/nurse 1-2 weeks prior to the event. The clinic is closed after dismissal and the HCA/RN is not in the building. Arrangements need to be made to have medication available and to train staff. It is strongly suggested that middle and high school students carry their own inhaler and/or epinephrine auto-injector for quick access to medication. For students to carry an inhaler, the physician must complete and sign the “Asthma Action Plan” giving his/her permission for the student to carry the inhaler, and the parent and student must sign page 3, the “Parent/Student Agreement for Permission to Carry an Inhaler”. For students with an epinephrine auto-injector, the physician will need to sign the bottom of “Allergy Action Plan” and the parent and student will need to sign page 2 under “Agreement for Permission to Self-Administer and/or Carry Epinephrine.” For students with diabetes to carry any of their medical supplies, the diabetes form, Part 4: “Permission to Self-Carry and Self-Administer Diabetes Care,” needs to be signed by

the physician, parent, and student.

If your child is ill because of a contagious disease such as the flu, strep throat, chickenpox, etc., it would be helpful to note

the reason for the absence when you call the absentee call-line. This will help the school take measures to know the extent

of the disease and reduce its spread.

Students who have fevers should be kept at home until free of fever for 24 hours. Students who do not feel well should stay

home. When students come to school ill, they not only are unable to participate fully in class, but they may also infect other

students with their illness.

A parent or guardian must deliver any medication (prescription or non-prescription) to the school office or clinic. Students may

not transport any medication to or from school. Parents are responsible for picking up any unused medication. Medication

remaining in the clinic at the end of the year will be destroyed according to state and LCPS guidelines.

If your child takes a prescription medication and missing a dose would have serious health consequences (seizure medication,

insulin, etc.), it is strongly suggested that a 24-hour supply of the medication be left in the school clinic in case of a prolonged school day. The medication must be in an original pharmacy-labeled bottle and have a physician’s order on file in the clinic. The

order must give the times during the 24-hour period that the medication is to be administered.

The HCA/RN must have written instructions from the physician in order to administer prescription medications. The instructions

should include:

student’s name;

name and purpose of the medication;

dosage and time of administration;

possible side effects and measures to take if those occur;

end date for administering the medication;

CLINIC NEWS MRS. JENNIFER ASUNCION, RN

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parent/guardian signature giving permission to administer medication and to contact physician, and physician’s

signature.

LCPS will not accept parent/guardian amendments to a physician’s order, including any restriction of the principal’s

designee (HCA/RN) from contacting the physician to clarify the medical order.

The “Authorization for Medication Administration” form should be used for physician’s orders. Copies of this form as

well as other medical forms are available in the school office or at the LCPS website under Student Health Services.

All prescription medication must be in the original pharmacy bottle with the proper label containing the student’s name,

medication, dosage, and instructions for administration. Upon request, most pharmacies will provide an extra labeled bottle with

the proper amount of medication for school. Please do not send more than a 60-day supply of medication.

If the HCA/RN needs to administer non-prescription medication:

it must be provided by the parent/guardian in an original package with the name of the medication and

instructions;

she must have a note from the parent regarding when and how much medication to administer;

she will only give the amount listed on the package for your child’s age and weight and for the recommended length of time the student should receive the medication unless she has doctor’s orders on the “Authorization for

Medication Administration” form to dispense differently; and

she cannot administer medication that is not in its original container.

For the HCA/RN to give acetaminophen (generic Tylenol) to your child, you must have completed the section on the emergency card that gives permission and sign it. Parents/guardians of elementary students will be contacted before any acetaminophen is given in order to assure that it has not been given at home. Because acetaminophen taken in large amounts over a period of time can cause liver damage, middle and high school students may only receive four doses of acetaminophen in a four-week period. Before a fifth dose is given, the parent/guardian will be contacted.

Be sure to keep the “Emergency Information” updated so we can reach you if your child is ill or injured. This can easily be done

on-line through the Parent Information Management System (PIMS) on the LCPS website.

All 3rd, 7th, and 10th grade students and students new to LCPS will be screened for vision and hearing during the first 60 days of

school. Kindergarten students who did not have distance vision screening or hearing tests within two months of the beginning of

school will also be screened.

Virginia requires that school divisions provide information on scoliosis to parents of students in grades 5-10. The scoliosis

flyer on the next page is provided by the school at the beginning of each school year.

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Arrival and Dismissal Procedures

Please help us to make a smooth arrival and dismissal by reviewing the following procedures if you are dropping off and picking up

child/children.

1. Car drop off is to the east side of the building. Pull all the way up in the circle to allow as many cars into the circle as possible. If you get here “first” please do not park along the circle, PULL ALL the way up to be courteous of other cars! We need to have

as many cars pull forward so that traffic does not back up on Broadmore Dr.

2. When cars leave in front of you, pull as far forward as you can.

3. NEVER get out of your car and leave it unattended in the drop lane. This blocks all the traffic and creates a backup.

4. Children should be able to exit or enter the car independently. Parents who have to assist their child/children should park in a

designated parking spot in front of the school and walk the student across the crosswalk to the front entry of the school.

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We are on the web!

www.lcps.org/horizon

IMPORTANT NOTICE

If, due to a disability, you need assistance to enable you to participate

meaningfully in any of our school programs, please contact Mrs. Ewing,

Principal at 571.434.3260 at least five

working days prior to the activity.

OFFICE REMINDERS

The school day begins promptly at 7:50 AM. Students MUST be in their classrooms at 7:50 AM, arriving after that time results in an UNEXCUSED tardy, unless a doctors note is provided. Students coming in after 7:50 AM must be escorted into the building, by an adult. School dismisses at 2:35 PM. Parents picking up students prior to dismissal are required to sign them out in the main office. All visitors to the building should begin their visit in the main office. Once in the office, you may sign in using the computer located on the front counter. Any forgotten items should be brought to the office. This will cut down

on interruptions to the class.

ABSENTEE/TARDY Please email the Horizon absentee email at hrzabsentee@lcps.org, or call the absentee line at 571-434-3261 to report the absence or late to school

information for your child.

AFTER SCHOOL PLAN Anytime your child has a change in his/her after school plan, please send a note in with your child in the morning. The office cannot redirect children after school on the basis of a phone call. If an emergency necessitates a change

during the day, you may fax the instructions to us at 703-444-7418.

If you have not done so already, please consider joining out PTA. The PTA sponsors many social and educational activities to enrich your child’s experience at Horizon Elementary. You can view the many activities and volunteer opportunities on the PTA portion of our webpage:

www.lcps.org/Horizon.

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN (SIP)

The Horizon staff is dedicated to improving our strategies for increasing student achievement and in closing the achievement gap. A formal School Improvement Plan is developed by staff, with parent input. If parents are interested in participating in this process please contact Jennifer Ewing at 571-434-3260. The plan is reviewed and revised throughout the year according to

the results achieved.

The updated 2012-2013 SIP will be

posted on the Horizon website.

MSAAC

The Minority Student Achievement Advisory Committee (MSAAC) works in partnership with Loudoun County Public schools staff, parents and community to further the academic, social, and cultural development of every student and to ensure that the needs of all minority students are met. The group meets in the School Board Meeting Room of the LCPS Administration Building Please see the meeting schedule on page 20. More information can be found on the school system website at www.lcps.org under the “Parents” tab, and then select Minority

Student Achievement Advisory.

PARENT INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PIMS) The Parent Information Management System (PIMS) is an online tool that provides a convenient way for the primary parent/guardian of a student to manage changes to the phone and/or email information for the contacts in their child’s record. When using PIMS you can review, at your convenience, the current contact information that exists for your child. If you need to update the current phone/email/emergency contact information, you

can easily submit the update request online.

To access the PIM system, visit the LCPS Internet site, www.lcps.org.

Click on the PIM link on the right side under “Quick Links”.

Once the request has been submitted, your child’s school will review the

request before accepting.

LOST AND FOUND

Horizon Elementary has several areas designated for lost items such as lunch boxes, and clothing. Students that misplace their belongings can check in the Lost and Found that is located outside the music room. Items of value or importance such as glasses, jewelry, and keys are kept in the front office. If your child has lost an item, please encourage them to check in the Lost and Found or with the office secretary. Items that go unclaimed will be donated at the end of each

quarter to a local charity.

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