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 9 - January 16, 2017

A Look Ahead
Mark Your Calendar:

Jan 14       EAYA 501(c)3 Anniversary!
Jan 16       Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday--School Holiday
Jan 24-26  MAP Testing
Feb 3         FLARES Meeting
Feb 4         MATHCOUNTS Competition
Feb 14       Cupid's Auction (Please send in donated items!)
Feb 20       Presidents' Day Holiday

To access the General School Calendar, click here. This calendar is downloadable/uploadable to your smart phone, as well.  iCal: http://bit.ly/EAYAOfficialCalendar  
Firehawk Family Campaign
We met our $75,000 goal and there will be a Faculty vs. Scholar Silly String War in the very near future! Keep those pledges and donations coming in! We have a few more goals to attain!
Middle School Field Investigation


The Middle School scholars did a pretty great job at Red Door Escape Room! Some escaped, and some didn't (the adults escaped, phew!), but they all got to come back to school.  ��  Ms. Ross' seventh graders met with one of the puzzle designers afterward! So cool! 
Math Lab C

In Math Lab C this week, Ms. Mattie challenged the scholars to create acute, obtuse, and right angles in snowflake designs on the lawn. Looking good, Firehawks!
Math Lab D
Allison Ross, BS MEd
Scholars are "coasting" through there theme park project and are really enjoying their explorations with expressions, equations, and operations with negative integers. This week they spent some time brainstorming how negative integers are used within the context of a theme park and are in the process of developing related word problems for their peers.
Sixth Grade Social Studies
Allison Ross, BS MEd
We just wrapped up the creation of our Latin America travel guides. So, if you're planning a trip south soon, you might want to check in with one of the 6th grade scholars!
ELA F, Social Studies, QUEST & Advisory
Allison Ross, BS MEd

ELA F: What a week! We had a fantastic experience speaking with the writer and creator of Red Door Escape room, Dan Huynh, in order to prepare for the development of our own escape room. Scholars shared a summary of their stories and Dan helped them to see how to incorporate their story into a room. He even revealed some insider knowledge about how the various locks and escape room features work.
On top of this, scholars are now in the revising and editing stage of their mysteries and they just finished reading And Then There Were None. There are many questions surrounding the ending that we will process next week. The Carnegie Players in Cleburne are putting on a production of And Then There Were None soon and we plan to see a Sunday matinee of the performance, possibly March 5th.

SS: Scholars are currently investigating post-Civil War Reconstruction, including the people, issues, and acts that impacted the time period. After determining which event, issue, or person they feel was most transformative, scholars will develop a newspaper article, reflective of the time, which details the issue.

Advisory: News Flash! We recently discovered that our rats are females, not males as the pet stated. So, they have officially been renamed to Agatha and Beatrice! Next week, we will begin filming an advertisement for a paper towel collection event for Operation Kindness, which will take place in the beginning of February.

QUEST: Scholars are in the process of finishing their research proposals and are nearly reading to submit them for approval. After digging deep in their topics, they are anxious to begin their own study!
Drop-off/Pick-up Team
Student Article by Katarina G.
The scholars of EAYA would be lost without the Drop-off/Pick-up Team! They would enter the school every morning without a high-five and never know if their cars were there to pick them up in the afternoon. 
The Drop-off Team is two scholars who arrive at school early every morning to greet all of the other students. When asked what talents one requires to have this job, Avery L. says, "At minimum, you have to give at least mediocre high-fives. You should also have a great eye for danger and have safety as your utmost concern, as working with cars and children can be quite dangerous. Also, you have to be very positive and greet everyone with the same sense of enthusiasm, no matter what is going on in your life." They are not overly enthusiastic about arriving 30 minutes early to school every day, but they recognize that that is an inevitable part of their job. 
The Pick-up Team is made up of five students. Three of them, the pick-up liaisons, get scholars from their classrooms at the end of the day and bring them to the front. The other two hold the doors open for scholars and make sure they get to their cars safely. Lindsey says that she chose this job because, "I always enjoy talking with other scholars, and this job allows me to get to know some people I might not normally see." When asked what her favorite part of the job was, Raquel G. replied, "Asking the kids what the best part of their day was. The younger kids always have something interesting or silly to say." All of the pick-up liaisons recommend their job. "To have this job," Raquel G. says, "you need to be a conversationalist and have the ability to switch gears quickly; once you have brought one kid to the front, you have to quickly go back to get the next person who's being picked up." Not all of the liaisons feel that they have mastered their job, but they are getting there. Members of the Pick-up Team have to stay at school 15 minutes late and leave after all the other scholars, but they do not mind. They would all apply for this job again. 
Members of the Drop-off and Pick-up Teams come from all over-the communications, sanitation, wildlife, and banking departments, and many more, but when they work together, they are all part of the same, fine team.
Fun in the Snow!


Honors Biology
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd
Scholars have been exploring the basics of cell division and reproduction. In groups, they created mnemonics to remember the stages of mitosis. The mnemonic had to help them remember both the order AND the process of each step. They then moved on to compare and contrast the stages of mitosis with the stages of meiosis. Individually, each scholar selected a genetic disorder that related to a chromosome abnormality. They researched the disorder and explained how the disorder manifested itself, what chromosomes were involved, what type of support there was for families, and what some of the endearing qualities might be for individuals with the genetic disorder.
AP Research
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd
Be on the lookout for permission forms and requests for participation in research projects because many of the scholars need your help in their projects! Most of the AP Research scholars are ready to roll on the research portion of their project and are set to start collecting data this week!
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.
Feel free to reach out to Coach Mike directly with any questions about Running Club (mpetruso@eayoungacademy.com).
K/1 Visual Arts
Allison Ross, BS MEd
We recently began a study in puppetry in order to prepare for an upcoming field investigation. This week, scholars designed and worked on sock puppets, considering how the shape and placement of different facial features reveal the personality of the puppet.
101 Donations Initiative

Have you selected and removed a Dalmatian from the 101 Donations board in the main hallway? Be sure to help us out by doing so!
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!
Facebook Updates
K/1 ELA & QUEST
Mimi Turbeville, BA


In K/1 ELA, we have been studying fairy tales. This week, in our  Stories Teach Us Lessons and Illustrate Creativity  unit, we read and analyzed "The Three Little Pigs." This has been a great one for us to showcase our expertise at identifying SETTING and CHARACTERS. On Wednesday, we created the three houses the little pigs built, one made of straw, one made of sticks and one made of bricks. Then it was time for the characters. Krish was the perfect size for our big, bad wolf, and everyone had fun creating cute little pigs, too! We've discussed the wolf's behaviors and assigned our EAYA Core Values that he shows
and which ones he does NOT demonstrate! We'll discuss the little pigs' display of our Core Values next!
This week, we also learned about a new literary concept:  point of view. We read a version of this fairy tale we had never heard before...the WOLF'S side of the story! We made a graph showing who we thought was telling the truth, the wolf or the pigs.


Earlier this week, once the snow was  really  coming down, we caught some snowflakes on black paper and examined them with magnifying glasses!  Meanwhile, our playground turned into a winter wonderland!

4/5 Advisory, QUEST, SS/Science
Kerensa Prostek, BS ME d

Advisory: When it snows in Texas, you run outside and try to catch a snowflake! After some time outside scholars were ready to come in and warm up. What better way to warm up than play chess. Scholars are learning strategies to improve their game from Upper School students. Scholars are also learning about their Peace Corp sCorrespondent and where she is living. Our correspondent is Jillian Strong and she is in the Philippines.
QUEST: Scholars are reviewing research on their topic. They have learned about the different types of methods to conduct research and how to create an annotated bibliography.
SS/Science: The scholars are finishing their unit up on studying and comparing the different Native American tribes of Texas. They are applying their knowledge of ecosystems and the importance of balance in keeping their tribes alive.
Algebra II
Carol Raymond, BM BMEd MEd
Scholars have been exploring various functions and the graphs that display them. To model a logistic function and what happens to a growth rate when there is a changing - or a maximum - population, they completed an activity that was originally created for a class of 25 to 30 students. So, what do you do when you only have 5 scholars in your class? You use Smurfs! Thank you, Mr. Fuchs, for loaning us your little blue subjects!

For a quick review of the real world meaning of slope and a quick introduction to the directional aspect of velocity, scholars created balloon rockets and analyzed their velocity with a tracking app. They then analyzed and graphed their average velocity.
Yearbook Design Team
Student Article by Katarina G.
Where would the yearbook be without our designers? The Design Team is in charge of developing designs for the yearbook and doing art work that is published for the school. Shannon F., a designer, says that she chose this job because "I'd like to have a piece of me, besides my picture, be part of the yearbook." A few students chose to be designers because they wished to improve their skills. All of the designers love to do art and are thrilled to be able to do it for a job. Shannon F. says that the best part of being a designer is that it's a learning experience, and that it has "given her the push to start learning, more in depth, how to use design programs." Most of the designers consider design as a hobby rather than a future career, and all of them recommend the job. Shannon F. says that the talents one requires to be a designer are: "a strong determination, will, and passion. If you shut yourself and your art down, you won't move forward. If you hate everything you draw and throw it away before finishing it, this isn't for you. You need to have enough faith in your ability to keep going." The designers warn future designers of the fun but difficult-to-master tech required to do digital art. When asked if she believes that she has mastered her job, design manager Elyssa P. replied, "Nope! But I'm getting there." Shannon F. says that design is intriguing because, "You're trying to create a picture of some kind that will make people feel, be reminded of, connect to, or simply think of something." The theme for the yearbook is outer space, and all of the designers are excited. The yearbook will certainly be out of this world!
Photography at Young
Student Article by Raquel G.


Capturing moments in time is a challenge that the EAYA photographers willingly undertake. Most know that photography isn't as easy as it looks, as it requires you to be in the right place at the right time, but our photographers are creative and hardworking enough to wait for that perfect shot. As photographer Audrey D. says, "as a photographer, you are a collector of cherished moments and memories" and that a major challenge of the job is "trying not to get in the way or distracting those you are taking pictures of." All our photographers are looking for different things in the ideal picture; Shiwani V. says that nature provides great pictures, and Audrey points out that finding a good picture is dependent on the context. Being a photographer is definitely difficult and takes a lot of time, but it also has benefits because it allows the photographers to start seeing things with a "different lens" (please excuse the pun). Audrey and Shiwani both add that being a photographer is much more fun than it would appear, and each of them point out that being Fiery Hills photographer is a learning experience that will influence their choice of careers in the future.

FLARES Scrip Program
We are using Scrip, a gift card fundraising program to raise funds for the school! Basically, you buy gift cards through Scrip for places where you know you'll spend money. When you buy the card, the school gets a cut. You spend the gift cards by having your phone scanned at checkout. It is pretty cool and easy!  If you haven't created an account yet, go to www.shopwithscrip.com, select REGISTER at the top of the page and then "Join a Scrip Program." Use enrollment code 3E73163F53175 when prompted. Once your enrollment is complete, select the SHOP menu option to browse gift cards available from hundreds of retailers. Select the DASHBOARD menu option to manage your account, including setting up PrestoPay (debits your checking account for all purchases). All purchases must be paid for by either PrestoPay or by check (made out to FLARES). If you are purchasing physical gift cards and paying by check, please be sure to drop your check in the FLARES box (located in the front office of the school).  Thank you for your support and happy shopping!
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