April 2021 Issue — Explore — NorthStar Navigator

Stepping Out of the Boat

Have you ever been afraid to step out of your comfort zone and venture into something new? Have you ever felt the Lord nudging you in a direction you have never gone before? Maybe He is calling you to join a club/organization, start a Bible study, reach out to a new friend or neighbor, or apply to a certain university.

At NorthStar, I felt the Lord moving us to start a podcast. Fear began welling up inside me, and I began thinking through the “what if” questions. However, I truly believed this was the path we were supposed to walk down, and I deeply desired to be obedient. We took the leap!

📣A Word From Admin, ✝️Spiritual LifeEIC NSAApril 16, 20212020-2021, April 2021 Issue

“This Will All Make Sense When I’m Older” : Growing Up Too Fast?

“I can’t wait until I’m in high school!” I remember saying to my parents after a long and tiring day of second grade reading. “I’ll get to stay up later and do so much more!” As I was reminiscing, I began to wonder if I was the only one who felt this way. I decided to reach out to my fellow NorthStar students to get to the bottom of this memory-riddled mystery.

🗣️AdviceEIC NSAApril 16, 20212020-2021, April 2021 Issue

A Day in the Life: Off-Screen

A day in life looks different for every single person, and that could not be truer than it is here at NSA. Every student is different and holds a unique place in the diverse and very special student body we have. To demonstrate the sheer uniqueness of the students here at NSA, one student from each section of NSA’s student body: two high schoolers, a middle schooler, and an elementary student, were asked questions about what they feel their place is at NSA as well as general inquiries about their daily life.

👤NSA People, 🧑‍🚀NSA CultureEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

Teaching In-Between Two Worlds

In my last article, “One Student Two experiences,” I learned about a student’s perspective of both high school and middle school, as Elizabeth is in BOTH 8th and 9th grades at once! This article is going to focus on the teacher’s perspective of teaching students in both middle school and high school. Give it up for Mrs. Anderson!

👤NSA PeopleEIC NSAApril 16, 20212020-2021, April 2021 Issue

Adventures Across the Grades

Ever since students first came together in FirstClass, adventures and role plays have been a prominent part in the lives of NorthStar students. In the beginning, it almost all consisted of knights, pirates, swords, magic, and dragons, but recently those adventures have evolved into more modern things, to mafia organization, federations, communists, light-brigades, and full-blown war between student-led factions, with bombs, guns, tanks, missiles, and other modern weapons. Some people still cling to the old ways of magery and knighthood, but those students are few and far between, and they are clinging on to the old ways by their tips of their fingers, loathing to let go but knowing the doom of ancient places such as the Mages Guild and the Noble and Ancient Thread is at hand.

🧑‍🚀NSA CultureEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

One Student, Two Perspectives

Northstar Academy houses many students of all different grade levels. Some students have been with NSA since they were in elementary school, and others have only experienced the high school or middle school version of Northstar. Today I’m going to be telling you the story of an NSAer who is experiencing both middle school at NSA and high school… at the same time!

👤NSA PeopleEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

How Family Helps at North Star

My family has been at North Star for a long time. When I started, Brainhoney and First Class were the platforms that I used. A few years after I started, my younger brothers joined NSA. At that time, I was in my junior year. My brothers were in eighth and seventh grade. I was the NSA veteran, the one who knew what to do and how the system worked.

🗞️Staff StoriesEIC NSAApril 16, 20212020-2021, April 2021 Issue

Bridging the Distance

There is a great difference between high schoolers and elementary schoolers. Speaking as a high schooler, I know that elementary kids seem so young to me. When I was an elementary schooler, I know that high schoolers seemed so much older and bigger. So much happens in between those times. One of NSA’s teachers, Mrs. Katie Dunlap, experiences this every day. Mrs. Dunlap teaches both high school and elementary classes.

👤NSA PeopleEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

Student Council for You

Student Council is something that everyone can be apart of. They are there for you. They want to be there for you. They are your voice. It can be hard to get the attention of thousands of students, but they want your opinion to be heard. You can text them anytime and about anything. They are for you.

🧑‍🚀NSA CultureEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

Ten Kids at Home, Seven Grades to Teach

When talking about big families who are homeschooled, a lot of people ask how my mom manages to teach all the kids the different grades. Well, she’s not the only one who teaches the kids - my dad is actually the one who’s in charge of our older kid’s schooling. But it is interesting to have seven kids who are currently of “schooling age” in the same house, not to mention the younger ones who have to be taken care of. Even though the oldest three are moved out, there are still ten kids left to raise - the job’s nowhere near done.

🗞️Staff StoriesEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021

A Study In Student Leadership: The Council Is In Session

In March 2021, NorthStar Academy hosted its second annual Career Fair, which showcased a diverse roster of leaders from a variety of career fields and opportunities. Live session presenters covered topics ranging from film production, to architecture, and even military. The event also included a live panel from the Student Council. While “student leader” may not be a future career path, this student-led session offered a unique view into a leadership opportunity at NSA: proving how leadership can come- and start- from anywhere..

👤NSA PeopleEIC NSAApril 16, 2021April 2021 Issue, 2020-2021