E.A. Young Academy is a not-for-profit, private academy created to generate transformative changes to meet  the needs  of the K-12, gifted, talented, and high ability scholar.

The Source for Firehawk News and Information
Vol. 5 Issue 6 - November 12, 2016

A Look Ahead
Mark Your Calendar:

Nov 14             6-8 Performing Arts Performance 6:00 PM
Nov 17             Early Release
Nov 18             Scholar-led Conferences
Nov 21-25        Thanksgiving Break
Nov 24             Running Club Race: CRC Thxgiving Day Run
Nov 30-Dec 2  TAGT
Dec 2               FLARES Meeting
Dec 5&6           Firehawk Players Performance/Gallery Night
Dec 9               Aphelion @ Kindred Coffee 5:30-9 pm
Dec 10             Barnes & Noble Fundraiser
Dec 12             Grade 8 Field Investigation: Mission Arlington

To access the General School Calendar, click here. This calendar is downloadable/uploadable to your smart phone, as well.  iCal: http://bit.ly/EAYAOfficialCalendar  
Veterans Day Assembly


What a fantastic and inspiring Veterans Day assembly we had this week! We were proud to welcome family and friends who have served in the US Military as our special guests. We appreciate their honorable service and dedication to our nation and are grateful that we had the opportunity to commemorate them in person. After our ceremony, the 4/5 advisory group held a reception for the veterans and other guests, including Billy Campbell, who served in the US Air Force from 1950-1954.
Online Tupperware Party!
Please join us for an online Tupperware party in support of EA Young Academy! The school will receive 40% of the sales from the party! You can wait until Tuesday night to order, or check the discussion page to find the catalog and order form. Thank you, Michelle Labarca, for organizing this for us again and for coming to Youngfest! This was a successful fundraiser last year; let's repeat it! Happy Shopping!


101 Donations Initiative

To help give our faculty the tools and supplies they need to provide these awesome learning experiences and adventures for our scholars and to help maintain our school environment, we are excited to announce the  101 Donations Initiative!   
What kind of items are we talking about?  EAYA faculty members compiled a list of items needed in the classroom, then we placed those items on a Dalmatian (get it? 101 Donations?) on the bulletin board in the hallway near the restrooms. Each Dalmatian is an item that our Faculty have identified as a need either in their classroom or in the school as a whole. 
How do I know what kind, type, color, quantity, etc. to buy?  On the back of each Dalmatian, we have outlined important information pertaining to that specific item. This includes an item description, desired quantity, vendor, and estimated cost.
What happens after I buy the item?  Once you make the purchase, please bring the item to the front office. We will be tracking the donations in hopes we can reach our goal of 101! When you bring in the item, we will also provide you with a donations receipt.
Note: Please do not give the donations directly to the faculty member that requested the item. Please bring the item to the front office so we can document we received it, provide you with a donation receipt, and then we will distribute the item to the appropriate faculty member. 
Wow, you guys are really clever, how do I participate?  Select and remove a Dalmatian from the 101 Donations board in the main hallway. Be sure to take it with you so we do not get duplicates of the same item.
Mira the Magnificent and Mira's Caretakers
Raquel Garcia, Grade 11; Katarina Garcia, Grade 9
Among the most treasured of the pets at EAYA is Mira, the bearded dragon, who resides in Mrs. Raymond's room. To care for this majestic beast, Fiery Hills employs two scholars to make sure that Mira's cage is cleaned and that she is fed and washed regularly. These wildlife workers are master and apprentice, and they are both very enthusiastic about the responsibility they have been given- and a weighty responsibility it is, for taking care of Mira involves feeding, scrubbing, and a lot of time and effort.  Ryder P., the head Mira caretaker, says that the best person for this wildlife job is "someone who sees the beauty in living things and has experience taking care of them." According to him, only this kind of person can properly take care of Mira and "make sure she's as fab as ever." The head caretaker says that he would certainly recommend a bearded dragon as a good pet choice. "Having a pet that can cling to your clothes is pretty awesome," Ryder remarks. The Mira caretaker's apprentice adds that although cleaning Mira's cage can be difficult, having this job has definitely influenced what he will decide to interview for next year. When asked what job he will go for next year, the apprentice replied, "the job I have now- it's fun!"

The largest department in Fiery Hills is the wildlife department. Every classroom has at least one pet, and each pet has several students tending to it. Mrs. Raymond's pet, Mirastra, eats roaches. Two of our students are in charge of feeding Mira. This is one of the jobs in the wildlife department with a master and an apprentice employee. The master employee, an older student, does the job with the apprentice, a younger student, and teaches them all they need to know to be a master when they get older. Jennifer M., the master of this job, says, "I like to have an apprentice because it's fun to teach her things." Both master and apprentice enjoy their job because they like bugs, and they recommend it to anyone who shares this interest. They each chose the job because they like animals and want to do something in the wildlife field when they grow up. Only a third of the year has passed, so the employees feel that they still need time to fully master this job, but they are well on their way!
Spanish
Marilu Rosales, MEd



In Hispanic culture, November 1st is generally referred to as Día de los Angelitos (Day of the Little Angels.) November 2nd is referred to as Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.) In Spanish, we learned a little about this holiday that originated in Central and southern Mexico around 2500-3000 years ago. We took some notes about the symbolism and different customs. Did you know that the families cook their deceased loved one's favorite dish and leave it at their tomb? It is believed that the deceased will come and eat their favorite meal that night, and the next day the food will no longer have its taste, meaning their loved ones enjoyed the meal.  Our scholars got to also sculpt their own replicas of sugar skulls, which are very popular on those days.
Math Lab D
Allison Ross, BS MEd
We are wrapping up our first trimester project, A World of Difference. Scholars are using their knowledge to create a business impact report that showcases the contributions of a "one for one" business that seeks to make a difference within the United States and abroad. Scholars will present their projects on Tuesday at 9:00am. Please join us!
Algebra I
Brenda Edins, BEd
In the last few weeks, Algebra I students have been very busy! They have  been looking for correlations using scatter plots and graphs of height/weight ratio of a couple of NFL teams. Then, scholars looked for height/jersey number correlations and weight/jersey number correlations.This week, they have been busy evaluating a new curriculum piece entitled Discovering Algebra. Skills include translating recursive rules to algebraic expressions, and then creating graphs and linear equations that describe real-life situations.
4/5 Advisory/Science & Social Studies/QUEST
Kerensa Prostek, BS MEd


We have been working on our Native American Tribe Presentations. The scholars have researched the different cultural traditions and will be presenting them November 16th. Our Purple Cord fundraising is well underway with a bake sale coming November 14th -17th. IN ELA, we have finished reading Hatchet and scholars are sequencing their panels.

ELA E
Brenda Edins, BEd
Scholars have completed the collection of short stories entitled "Seedfolks." They are now involved in literary responses to the stories, which include creating quilt squares of each character and writing a new story to add to the book about a character they believe should move into the neighborhood. Scholars are also learning how to evaluate evidence from non-fiction articles through Newsela, a site which allows students to choose their individual Lexile reading level for each assigned article.
ELA F
Allison Ross, BS MEd
Scholars are wrapping up their first trimester with an essay that synthesized themes of identity from the literature we explored. We worked on structure, developing a thesis, and using support from the text with MLA format. For many, it was challenging to trek this new road, but much growth came from this experience!
Seventh Grade
Allison Ross, BS MEd


Advisory: Scholars are working away on their portfolios to prep for scholar-led conferences. As we prepare, we have also taken a bit of a detour since we recently adopted two PET RATS! They are young males and have proven to be an excellent addition to our classroom. Their names are Aristotle and Socrates!


Science/Social Studies: We wrapped up our Citizen Poké project with a debate regarding whether or not Professor Oak maintains ethical practices and upholds the values of the U. S. Constitution. There were some very compelling arguments!
QUEST: Scholars continue to read and sort through articles that help inform them regarding their research topics. They are working to compile their research into an APA formatted annotated bibliography.
8-10th Grades QUEST
Mattie Oveross, BS
In the 8 th grade QUEST class, we recently covered a wide range of logical fallacies. In the spirit of humor, sarcasm, and of course learning, the scholars worked in pairs to create their own memes. Each meme had to be original, humorous, relevant to their assigned urban legend, and employ at least one logical fallacy. Ms. Mattie was quite impressed and we plan on hanging up the memes in the hallway soon! 
In the 9 th  and 10 th  grade QUEST class, scholars have been working diligently to lay a solid foundation for developing their research question. Scholars have been utilizing online scholarly databases and scholarly books from the University of North Texas library to explore their topics. We are inching closer and closer to finishing up the research questions and diving in to creating a methods plan for each scholar's research study!
Chemistry - Article by Lindsey Gorman, Grade 9
Jeremy Edins, BA

In Chemistry, we've been learning all about the pH scale. We added a base: sodium hydroxide, into an acid: hydrochloric acid, to try and make the solution as neutral as possible. We added phenolphthalein to the hydrochloric acid so as the solution moved closer to a pH of 7 it became clearer. As soon as the pH went past 7 though, the mixture turned a deep violet.
Performing Arts Events
The 4/5 Showcase of Learning, student designed-student directed performances were a great success! This week, the students will reflect on their performances and set goals for next trimester. The 6th grade Performing Arts class will be performing their scenes, along with the 7/8 thespians, on Monday, Nov. 14th. The Firehawk Players are only a few weeks away from their fall musical production of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"! The performance dates are Dec. 5th and 6th on the EAYA stage.
EAYA Running Club
EAYA's Running Club is open to scholars in grades 4-12. We encourage all our scholars to be active but the physical demands of running club merit the decision to limit participation. Our scholars will have an opportunity to run with their classmates during their HP classes in addition to our new Saturday morning runs. Coach Mike invites all scholars in grades 4-12 to join him at Bear Creek Park each Saturday morning at 8 am. We also need several parent volunteers to join us each week. Please follow the link below to sign up as a running club volunteer. All volunteers will need to be background checked as well. Check your email or ask Aimee for a background check form. EAYA Running Club t-shirts are available for purchase - use the link below to order your shirt. Shirts are $15 each and are made of a dry wick/fit athletic material that will stay dry throughout a run.  Here is the link for v olunteer sign-up and T-shirt ordering .

Running club participants are encouraged to join their fellow Firehawks at a few community fun runs & races. We have several planned in the coming months. Information for each run is listed below. Participants can choose the distance they are comfortable running in each race - each run offers a mile fun run and 5K while others offer even greater distances.

This race offers a $200 prize to the school with the highest number of participants!  Feel free to reach out to Coach Mike directly at with any questions about running club (mpetruso@eayoungacademy.com).
FLARES News
If you are a Firehawk parent and haven't yet joined FLARES, please go to this link to pay your dues, get involved and purchase spirit wear!
You can sign up for reminders from FLARES to be sent directly to your phone by following these directions:
1. If you want to receive notifications on your phone, go to this link. Follow the instructions to sign up for Remind. (You will be prompted to download the free app.)
2. If you don't have a smartphone, or would just prefer to receive a text, you can sign up by texting @hbh83 to 81010. If this doesn't work, try texting @hbh83 to 817-310-8427.
*Your FLARES membership includes an associate parent membership in Texas Association for the Gifted and Talented (TAGT), our state's gifted organization, and a Firehawk directory!

All parent volunteer hours should be recorded on the Track it Forward   website. This information is needed for grant applications that are processed during the year. Please log your hours ! You can also download the Track it Forward app!
Youngfest!



Thanks to Rachel Hernandez and her amazing committee for such a successful event! Thank you to all of the parents and teens for volunteering your time and donating all of the food and supplies that make this event possible. Youngfest is our trademark and it gets better every year, thanks to the dedication and time given by our incredible volunteer parents. Congratulations to all of our winners!
Core Values Reaffirmed
Firehawk Family Campaign

As you may know, our Firehawk Family Campaign is under way! Our goal is 100% participation, and we track of our giving by teams! The "Teams" are listed here:
Mystic (Blue): 4-5 (Prostek)
Instinct (Yellow): K-3 (Turbeville & Austin)
Valor (Red): 6-8 (Ross, Brown & B. Edins)
Regal (Purple): 9-12 (J. Edins & Rosales)
Honor (Green): Faculty/Staff (K. Lyda)
We successfully hit our first milestone of $15,000! At our Halloween Spirit Assembly, Mr. Lance Lyda was wrapped up in toilet paper! Keep up the pledges, Firehawks! See your email inbox or the info folder that came home with your scholar for more information!
Kindergarten/First Grade
Mimi Turbeville, BA



We had a very special visitor this week: Cadence's dog!  I bet you're wondering why her dog came to school.  Well, it has everything to do with our study of life cycles!  Cadence's dog is expecting puppies! Cadence's dad, Dr. Stone, brought an ultrasound machine to show us this stage of the dog's life cycle! We could see three little puppies inside the mommy's tummy! We saw heartbeats, backbones, paws and eyes! Dr. Stone also answered lots of questions such as: Why do doctors perform ultrasounds? How does the ultrasound create the image? He also shared lots of information about this mammal's life cycle! A huge THANK YOU to Dr. and Mrs. Stone for sharing this cool experience with us!


We always celebrate our writing with our "journal buddies" (4/5 scholars) before we send home our kinder journals.  Last Friday, we shared what we had written right before lunch! Our buddies all said they could tell how much our writing has improved! Way to go, K/1!!
K/1 Visual Arts
Allison Ross, BS MEd

We wrapped up our line unit by creating some fantastic 3D line sculptures and are now beginning a unit about shape! Scholars learned about the difference between geometric and organic shapes and event took some time to draw some organic shapes they found outside. This week we examined how Stuart Davis used geometric and organic shapes and developed artwork reflective of things he saw in everyday  life.
Sixth Grade
Brenda Edins, BEd

The 6th grade advisory class has a new leopard gecko named Midget, because he is much smaller and younger than Fidget. He is enjoying the autumn season. Scholars are working on portfolios to be sure their accomplishments, challenges, and goals are included for each area of study. We continue to discuss a quote each day and what it means to each scholar's life. "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." --Anne Frank


Part three of the sixth graders' Cells Alive project included creating a booklet to explore the classification of living things. In part four, they used their new microscope to observe several live microorganisms! Then, they dug deeper into the work of Robert Hooke and observed organisms at the cellular level. They presented their 3D cell models to the class for evaluation. There were several different kinds of models including a yummy edible model, some innovative Minecraft models, a pillow model, and an interactive puzzle model. The students will share their improved models with Lower School classes next week. They added information to their world map and timeline of world history.
Eighth Grade Humanities
Gayle Brown, BS MBA




Our middle schoolers have been studying the 2016 election for months (they actually started during the Primaries last year)! This week, they held a mock election! Scholars paired up to work together on booth design, campaign ads, and teaching videos. Scholars then visited classrooms to present their video explaining the position on major issues of each presidential candidate. They did a wonderful job and had great fun executing the process. There was even a guest appearance from Hillary (Grace T.) and Donald (Tyler Y.) to spice up the atmosphere a bit. Many of you may have heard that Mrs. Clinton won our election with more than half the vote. You might be interested to know that the most popular "write-in" was Pedro. (Don't know Pedro? Ask an 8th grader.)

When not discussing the presidential campaign and election process, eighth grade scholars have been busy working on their novellas. During the month of November, they are writing a short novel as a part of the NaNoWriMo program, an international program developed to encourage young scholars, as well as adults, to be passionate about creative writing. Every year, NaNoWriMo produces authors who stand out from the crowd and ultimately get their works published. Our scholars have spent several weeks developing their protagonists and antagonists and planning the conflicts that will be at the heart of their stories. Here is a preview of their writing: living on another planet, WWII, dystopia, D&D, a virus 
outbreak. We eagerly await the outcomes of our classmates' conflicts!
Honors Biology
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd

Scholars completed their "eggsperiments," which explored cell diffusion with various hypertonic and hypotonic solutions. After soaking in vinegar to remove the egg shell, the eggs were placed in various liquids to demonstrate diffusion and osmosis. Perhaps the most interesting result was the egg that soaked in hand sanitizer. The result was a chemically "cooked" egg! After 48 hours in the alcohol solution, the egg appeared to be hard boiled!
Algebra II
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd

Scholars have been deep within quadratic functions and entered into the land of imaginary numbers this past week. To celebrate, scholars dressed in "imaginary" attire as they tackled complex numbers, conjugate pairs and more!
AP Research
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd

Scholars presented their research questions, definitions, assumptions, hypotheses and methodologies to the class this week. Their classmates gave them fabulous feedback. Many of the individuals have reached out to expert advisors and have gotten extremely positive feedback on how to tweak their methodology. The scholars' research proposals are due on November 30th and then it will be time to start their research!
Upper School
Angie Byrnes, BA MBA


Special thanks to best-selling author, entrepreneur and public speaker, Peter Shankman, for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to our Upper School scholars this morning! Peter loves to share his story about how he's successful because he has ADHD and considers it a gift rather than a challenge. Peter offers a lot of free resources on his site, Faster Than Normal, for those who have or have loved ones with AD HD .
APHELION
Friday, December 9 5:30-9:00 pm at Kindred Coffee - The service group Aphelion will have products for sale, gift-wrapping and performances (5:30-6:30) at Kindred Coffee on N. Tarrant Parkway. Please join us and support education globally! The majority of the proceeds will go towards the two girls that we sponsor through the Maasai Girls Education Fund.
Community Fundraising Info
AMAZON SMILE:   Be sure to connect EA Young Academy to your Amazon account by going to Smile.Amazon.com.
TOM THUMB: EA Young Academy participates in Tom Thumb's Good Neighbor Program. Our school ID is 13241.
KROGER: EA Young Academy participates in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Visit this link and apply the school's ID number to your Kroger Plus Card. The school ID is 47813.
Please also continue to collect Box Tops. You can submit them in the office.
SHUTTERFLYWhen you purchase at Shutterfly through the storefront link, the school receives 13% of the sale (which is much higher than the Amazon Smile percentage)! Customers can still use Shutterfly's coupons! Check it out here!
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