NorthStar Academy: A Favorite School for Many
By The Navigator Staff
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.
NSA Teachers
Northstar could not be the school that it is without our amazing teachers. In fact, it would not be much of a school at all! Their insight and kindness in helping students never ceases to amaze. All of the teachers are special in their own way, but one that some students seemed to especially enjoy is Mrs. Pam Horneck. Mrs. Horneck has been teaching here for seventeen years; and for eight years, she was its principal. Now she teaches many Bible classes, including seventh and eighth grade Bible, Old and New Testament, and Theology in Real Life.
With so much experience teaching, she has had a lot of time to learn all about NorthStar. One of the things she really likes at NSA is that since it is an international school, she can meet students from all over the world. In her own words, “I like that it is still personal and that we can get to know our students, whether they live in my state or on the other side of the world. I like that it is flexible because my dad has Alzheimer’s, and there are times I need to be away from my computer, but I can still work all my hours at a more convenient time.”
She loves answering students’ Bible questions and being surprised again and again at how much they have learned about God’s Word. And what is her absolute favorite thing about NorthStar? Mrs. Horneck says, “At NSA, [God] is in everything we do. It is very intentional to make God the center of every aspect of school, just like He should be the center of every aspect of our life. A student can’t come to NSA without seeing what life looks like from a Christian worldview…He is intricately involved in every detail of each person’s life. I love that students can see God everywhere at NSA.”
Another one of NorthStar’s amazing teachers is Mrs. Kayla O’Hern! Mrs. O’Hern is a relatively new teacher here at NorthStar Academy. This is her first-year teaching here. She teaches AP® Chemistry 500, Chemistry 350, and AP® Biology, and she has an interesting perspective on the things she likes about NSA.
A big part of NSA is that it applies a biblical worldview to all of its classes. This is an aspect of NSA that Mrs. O’Hern likes, “My favorite part about teaching at NSA is being able to teach a subject that I enjoy while honoring the Lord.” NSA’s courses feature academically challenging curriculum that also include a Biblical perspective. “I love sharing a faith-centered approach to the subject and supporting my students in prayer,” Mrs. O’Hern said. She also mentioned that the Christ-centered focus is not just limited to classwork but is also clear in faculty meetings.
To Mrs. O’Hern, NSA stands apart from other schools because of its diversity saying that “I enjoy hav[ing] students from all different backgrounds who live all over the world!” NSA’s community is diverse, unique, kind, and helpful! When asked what she appreciates most about NorthStar, Mrs. O’Hern answered, “I appreciate the supportive community that NorthStar is for its teachers and students.”
NorthStar Academy’s teachers have many things they appreciate and enjoy about teaching at NorthStar. Mrs. Horneck and Mrs. O’Hern are just a couple of the many teachers at NSA that love and value this incredible school.
Favorite Classes at NSA
NorthStar Academy offers many courses for students of all grades. Some, such as math, English, and science classes, teach the core subjects. But NSA’s wide variety of classes includes Bible, language, and fine arts electives as well, presenting students with a buffet of options from which they can create their unique educational experience.
When asked what their favorite classes are, NSA students had many different responses. One, Abby, praised British Literature Honors for its thoughtful planning and layout: “This course was designed with more care and thought than I have ever seen before in my NSA classes. The teacher is constantly going above and beyond, whether by filming a parody of an entire scene of Harry Potter or by providing resources for us to dig deeper into every topic. It is also clear that she really cares about us as students. Many assignments help us with practical things that high school seniors deal with and help us grow our faith while we are at it. It is the best class ever!” Another, Andrew, highlighted Old Testament Survey as a favorite course: “For the most part, Bible classes have always been my favorite but this class stood out to me….OT survey is written as if someone is actually talking to you, which really helped me to learn the content. Another reason I really liked the class is that the projects are very flexible, you can really do anything for them as long as it meets a couple standards. Finally, the teacher is AMAZING and very helpful in his replies.”
Other classes were also highly regarded. Adelyn found US History to be the most engaging: “The information was… presented in a way that was quite easy to understand and was generally interesting. I also thought that most of the projects were fun, or at least not overwhelming!” Some of the classes were quite different from traditional classes. For example, Brooklyn’s favorite course was Culinary Arts: “Most of the class was just baking and cooking, which I didn't know how to do before I started the class. I learned a lot of practical tips that I know I can use for a long time.” Isabelle gave high praise to her American Sign Language course, highlighting the teacher as well as the ease of the course: “Mrs. Lasonde is a fantastic teacher, and she is very helpful. The course itself is fun and interesting.”
Every student has different tastes and preferences, and the variety of responses reflects the multitude of courses available here at NSA. There is something for everyone. Significantly, many of these students emphasized the role teachers play in making class a special experience. NorthStar’s courses are not just about learning material–they foster community and friendship as students interact with their teachers and classmates.
Fun on TEAMS
The students of NorthStar Academy have access to the platform TEAMS, where they can engage in conversation with other students by way of texting or calling. However, some may wonder if it is truly worth their time or if it is actually fun to chat on TEAMS. In response to this query, many students can provide stories of the multitude of fun experiences they have had on the platform. Interactions between students and their friends and students and their teachers are many. Most of them are considered to be enjoyable and an excellent opportunity to socialize.
Asher, a high schooler, said, “just chilling [with] the boys or procrastinating has been so cool.” TEAMS offers students a good way to relax while simultaneously socializing with friends. “I have really enjoyed the Teams community, both for the teacher communication and for the communication with other peers,” said Jared L. “With other peers, I've enjoyed messing around and taking part in roleplays… On the teacher side of things, I have loved being able to talk to them one on one without the concern that I am taking up their time or that they don't care about me. I have had many teachers who have invested in me and who have let me talk to them about life and have just overall been a mentor for me. While I can't pinpoint one specific experience, I can say that as a whole the community in itself is the experience.” Engaging in games such as roleplays or simply goofing off are good ways to spend one’s time on TEAMS. Teachers are available for questions and support if a student needs help.
Another aspect of TEAMS that high school students enjoy are NSA Connects, video calls that, like chatting, take place through the Microsoft TEAMS platform. They feature live video lectures where a presenter and a group of watchers explore an interesting topic together. Most students said they attend at least four sessions per semester, but some attend as many as one a week. Tim said his favorite part of NSA Connects was “the greatness of interacting with people and of hearing their voices after staring at a screen all day.” He later added that he enjoyed hearing from every NSA Connects presenter, saying that “all of them do a really good job.” Similarly, Sarah emphasized how she likes finding people with common interests through NSA Connects. “When you attend a Connects session,” she says, “you can learn and explore with other people who have similar interests. Sometimes it can be hard for people to get involved on TEAMS because it’s hard to interact online, but when you know someone is even slightly interested in the same things as you, it’s a lot easier to start a conversation.”
Clearly, the environment of TEAMS is a welcoming, warm, and fun one. Students can find plenty of good experiences at NorthStar beyond their classes on the platform. Therefore, be sure to check out TEAMS. Make friends, communicate with teachers, and get more than just education from NSA.
NSA’s Favorite Clubs
At NSA, there are nearly a dozen clubs that students can be involved in, each offering unique opportunities to connect with others who share similar interests and hobbies. These clubs are student-led and open to all high school students. Some popular favorites include the Visual Arts Club, Gaming Club, Book Club, and Creative Writing Club. However, several lesser-known but equally essential clubs need more students to boost engagement. These include the STEM Club, Music Club, and Bible Club. These are only around half the clubs the school offers, as many more can be found in the Club Connection channel of the High School Building.
When asked what they enjoyed most about clubs at NSA, students responded with various answers, depending on the club in which they were most involved. Rebeca responded by saying, “What I enjoy most about clubs at NSA is to connect with other people and learn from their experiences and understanding in that specific club.” Likewise, Andrew said, “I really love how wide the topics are. Take the Sports and Fitness club for example, it has channels ranging from dance to diet.” These experiences create a strong sense of community at the school, allowing students to explore their interests in potential career paths or extracurricular activities.
Every month, each club is required to host a club call. This is the primary piece of necessary planning from the club leaders. The leaders have full control and reign over what happens inside the call and can be extremely creative! For example, the Creative Writing Club has often hosted Fireplace Calls, where leaders play music while attendees write or read. As another example, some leaders opt to play games and form a community in doing so. This is evident in the Book Club, where they often have a brief discussion about books at the beginning or end of the call, but host a game as the primary activity.
Clubs are also allowed to host events, such as contests. This often requires a lot of planning but can be as intricate or simple as the leaders prefer. The Visual Arts club is a good example of this, as it creates friendly competitions for photography and drawing. These are not overly complex, but they are fun activities to encourage physical activity!
StuCo at NSA
A key part of NorthStar’s community is the Student Council (StuCo). In an interview with the current StuCo members, the majority said one thing they love the most about StuCo is that it gives them a chance to work with others on projects that build their relationships with each other and help engage students online. StuCo President Maia said she loves “walking that line between tradition and innovation” and “making space for everyone.” Innovation was something Addie mentioned too, saying, “The StuCo community is so supportive and innovative… I like how any StuCo member can contribute ideas, challenge us to grow, and initiate different projects.”
When asked what their favorite thing StuCo did was, most of the members' answers were similar. Hallie, Luke, Addie, and Nathan all mentioned how hosting events was their favorite part. Maia added to this by mentioning how her favorite thing is serving the students. In her words, “Everything we plan—every event, contest, and initiative—centers around one goal: helping students feel seen and valued.” Through this, she highlights one of NSA’s ESOs (Expected Student Outcomes), that of servant leadership. StuCo’s goal is to serve the school and its community through following Christ’s example of servant leadership.
When it comes to their favorite way in which StuCo has an impact on NSA, Luke ties it back to the previous ESO mentioned by saying, “I love how StuCo is teaching NSA how to lead with a Christ-like character.” He highlights one of the best parts about NSA: how everything is centered around the Lord and doing our best to follow His example. Lastly, Tiana mentions how she loves that StuCo’s goal is “to help the NSA community become even more of a family and that we get to witness a lot of the changes that happen because of what we do.” Because, in the wise words of High School Musical, “We’re all in this together” (Ortega).
NSA Events
Imagine sitting in an uncomfortable plastic chair in an auditorium with hundreds of fellow students and staff. The event had been scheduled to start a half hour ago, but the school is still waiting. What if students could join events from their bed or halfway across the globe? Well, at NSA, they can do that; there are various events to join. A couple are the Christmas Radio Show and the Back to School Bash. In addition to these stellar events, NSA has an even better Student Council and staff that help organize and run these events. Addie and Maia are a few of the students involved in running the events. Addie was involved with running the Christmas Radio Show, or CRS for short, while Maia helped with the Back to School Bash.
Regarding the Christmas Radio Show, Addie said that her favorite part was teaming up with other Student Council Members. She is also quoted saying, "One thing that God taught me was the importance of letting go and letting God. By that, I mean not being overly nit-picky about things that don't happen the way that I want them to, but instead, going with the flow while still being responsible and being a diligent leader." In addition, Addie says that these events help her feel more connected to NorthStar.
In regards to the Back to School Bash, Maia said the best part of the Back to School bash was “seeing all of the new Students of the year participate - they always bring such a fresh sense of joy and excitement to the community. I also loved watching our 24-25 StuCo members step into their authority and roles, leading calls with confidence and discovering their voices as leaders.” When asked what the Lord taught her, she said that when working on the event, she wanted all StuCo members to feel at peace. Maia also said that the NorthStar event calls make her feel more connected with NSA.
NSA also holds many different contests throughout the year, such as the Reel Contest, the Talent Show, the T-Shirt design Contest, and the Valentine's Day-themed Contest, just to name a few. When asked about their favorite contest, one student explained “I think the reel contest was the best. It's a pretty freeing contest because you can kind of decide what to do. And its relatable to today's like society so everyone wants to participate more because they know what it is.” The winner of the Reel Contest, Alyssa, had this to say, “It was my favorite because I enjoyed making the reel and also I won first place! I was also a part of the Talent show but personally I did not enjoy this one as much.”
NorthStar is not just focused inwards but looks outwards to the nations as well. This past year NSA had its first Global Missions Week. During these calls students got to hear about what God was doing around the world. Blake, one of the hosts of these calls, said his favorite part of Global Missions Week was “being able to meet people who are also globally minded; people who love God’s word.” The Great Commission was Jesus’ last words to his disciples before He ascended to heaven, and NorthStar still takes seriously the last words of Jesus through their dedication to events such as Global Missions Week.
Overall, students and faculty love so many details of NorthStar Academy. Our school is truly an amazing demonstration of what schools can be when Christ is at the center. This collaborative article by the Navigator staff only serves to highlight a fraction of the favorite things that people enjoy about NorthStar as a school. It also shows how much NorthStar Academy is appreciated by its students and faculty alike. From the courses that make up the learning foundation of the school to the teachers and community present, so many things truly make NorthStar Academy a favorite school for many.
Columns: 🌎Collaborative Articles, 🧑🚀NSA Culture
