Posts in 🧑‍🚀NSA Culture
NSA’s ESOs: Biblically Literate

NorthStar Academy has seven ESOs or Expected Student Outcomes. The sixth of these ESOs is Biblically Literate. According to Mrs. Peterman, “ESOs are the overarching goals of NorthStar Academy. With our ESOs in mind, we make decisions about curriculum and instruction that help us shape students into graduates who have these crucial skills. The ESOs help us keep the end goal in mind.” 

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10 Tips to Lock In as an Online Student

I can recall an incredible number of times in the past where my list of assignments was longer than Terms and Conditions. I wish I could say I put my head down and got it done, but oftentimes I ended up completing tasks that were the opposite of a priority. For instance, I may have reorganized my shirts into color-coded order instead of writing the outline of the essay I needed to submit in two days. During my time at NSA, I have developed some strategies to help overcome procrastination. Here are a few that might help you, too. 

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The Unspoken Rules at NSA

Joining an online school can be an interesting experience, especially if you’ve never done something like it before. I joined NSA after having been at an in-person school all my life, and I’ve been here for four years. Therefore, as my parting gift before graduating, I’m here to talk about some of the unspoken rules at NSA that I’ve learned throughout my time here. 

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Most Popular Sports at NorthStar: What Students are Actually Playing

It is easy to assume that students at an online school spend more time typing and calling rather than kicking soccer balls or jogging around a running track. However, here at NorthStar, that is not the case. After sending out a form and collecting responses, I discovered that our school has a very vibrant and active athletic spirit.

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The Art of Volunteering

The National Council for Voluntary Organisations characterizes volunteering as “…when someone spends unpaid time doing something … to benefit the environment (and through that, other people)” (“What Is Volunteering?”). What does it look like for students at an online school, such as NorthStar, to volunteer? To push that thought further, why should students consider volunteering in the first place?

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NSA’s Student Athletes, Extreme Edition: The Reality

Trophies, popularity, leniency from teachers – these are some of the things people first associate with a top-ranked student-athlete. However, the reality is incredibly different. While aspects of playing a sport at this high level are amazing and very rewarding, there are also many challenges that make one wonder whether the effort is worth it.

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Everything You Need to Know About Student Council

NSA’s Student Council (StuCo) is a team of responsible and dedicated individuals who desire to serve their school. “My goal is that StuCo only continues to foster and encourage that unique sense of community that NSA has, allowing it to continually impact students for many more years,” StuCo President Michaela said in an interview. Throughout the year, StuCo plans events, creates activities, and aims to engage the school’s community.

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NorthStar Academy: A Favorite School for Many

NorthStar Academy is a unique school for many reasons. The NSA family embraces a multitude of reasons to love NorthStar Academy, from being an online school to having Christian values. However, some of these great features of the school and the community in it are not talked about enough. The Navigator staff decided to change this by coming together to talk to members of NorthStar to identify some of the reasons that this is such a great school. From faculty and Student Council to Club Leaders and regular students, come see how NorthStar Academy is cherished by those who are in it each day.

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The Role of Humor in NSA

Did you know laughter is a great form of stress relief (Mayo Clinic Staff)? Laughing can have biological effects on our bodies that help reduce the physical symptoms of stress. In an environment like school, where students and teachers are surrounded by stress, humor is important. It makes lessons more engaging, brings students together, and provides outlets for students to have fun.

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Let's Get Together: An Overview of Disco Hangouts

What do you like to do in your free time?  Perhaps you enjoy playing sports, reading at your local library, making bracelets, or hanging out with your friends.  One of the blessings of online school is that it allows you to chat with students on the other side of the globe from the convenience of your bedroom.  However, online school does have a significant downside.  Your parents might not be able to afford the plane tickets you need to meet some of your classmates in person.  Not to worry, though–-there are ways for you to meet with international NorthStar students minus the high cost of traveling. 

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The Message of Mozart’s Requiem

A requiem Mass is a prayer for the dead used in Roman Catholic services (McConnell). From the Latin for “rest,” the requiem meditates on the final judgment and the Christian’s hope of salvation (“English Translation”). There have been many musical settings to this prayer, but among them, the Requiem of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart stands out as one of the greatest of all time.

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