The staff of the NorthStar Navigator write articles on other students, teachers, events, and clubs around NSA all year long. Naturally, as readers, none of you get to really know them through what they write. To help solve that problem, I’m here to divulge the New Year’s resolutions of the Navigator staff.
Read MoreThere have been various articles written by the Navigator staff about middle school and high school kids who attend NorthStar Academy. However, there seemed to be a lack of information about the elementary students at NSA. There may be fewer elementary students active on Microsoft Teams than students in other grades, I do believe that these fourth, fifth, and sixth graders need a bit of representation in the Navigator too. So, without further ado, let us take a little peek into the lives of Elijah, Sarah, Haesol, and Allen!
Read MoreReading is one of those things that some ardently love, or fervently hate. Some consider reading a hobby, while others prefer making videos to upload onto YouTube. While none of these opinions are wrong, we should never take for granted nor forsake reading a book the good-old-fashioned way. On the subject of books, you may or may not be aware of the recent reading contest NSA held. Hosted by your Student Council―which is the body of students that strive to make NSA a fun and inviting place―the Reading Contest was designed to make reading enticing and rewarding. The Stuco Special Projects Coordinator, Elena, said, “I enjoyed seeing how excited people were for the contest and how thrilled they were about the forfeits.” Most of you probably know about it by now, so I won’t bore you with the details. Raw information is easy to come by, but the opinions of those who won, or who lost, are a bit harder to find. Just because it's a bit more work than just brushing up on a Teams channel.
Read MoreThe impact that teachers can have on their students' lives is sometimes overlooked. Our teachers are the people who support us in our growth and learning, and a teacher that cares is memorable. Of course, here at NSA, we are lucky to have remarkable teachers like Mrs. Arnaud. In addition to working at NSA, Mrs. Arnaud works for the Florida Department of Corrections as a special education teacher at a prison.
Read MoreChristmas has been celebrated since 336 AD. For most, it’s a holiday that brings people and families together, it allows people to serve and give to each other, and it gives us an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Elements and different celebrations of Christmas and Jesus’ birth can be seen across the world during the holidays, but how do different countries and cultures celebrate Christmas?
Read MoreWhat would it be like as president of StuCo? How would one run a body of students like StuCo? What does one do as president? As every question has an answer, these have a multitude of answers. As of the 2021-22 school year, we here at NSA have a great StuCo leader, or, is it Stucco? StuCo is short for Student Council, which is the body of students here at NSA who not only put out a newsletter monthly, lead youth groups, and such, but also create, plan, and host many of the events you see around NSA. But back to the question, and as every good question has an answer, Caleb, the president of StuCo, said: “Well… Stucco is wall texturing, isn’t it? So I’m gonna have to go with StuCo on this one.” StuCo it is then.
Read MoreChristmas is my favorite time of year! Everyday seems to become more exciting in the midst of the holiday season. This year, a particular part of the nativity story interested me: the gifts that were given to Jesus, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. It’s fascinating to think about the significance these items would have had in the past since they each have so much significance in Middle Eastern culture today. So, as we think about what gifts we might give and receive this year, let’s take a closer look at the gifts Jesus was given as well.
Read MoreNSA has a numerous number of events always going on. You’ve probably seen them being advertised at a passing glance as you login to Buzz every morning. A large amount of the student body participates in such events. But if you find yourself sitting around looking for a reason to check them out, then you are in the right place. As an appropriate disclaimer, I am not one to attend many of NSA’s events. In reality, I’m probably just like most of you: too preoccupied with keeping up with my own schedule to find time for these events. You are not alone in that. However, there is much more below the surface of those notifications for upcoming events that we glance over. If, like me, you find yourself not even giving a thought to attending, here is just what we are missing out on.
Read MoreWith the Spiritual Emphasis Event in the rear-view mirror, we may feel the urge to look out to the horizon and forget what we experienced at SEE as well as the spiritual atmosphere that surrounds us here at NSA. What we neglect to realize is that this atmosphere is not encompassed by a few events during the year; rather, its presence is prevalent throughout all aspects of the school. SEE was an amazing experience for those who participated, but we cannot forget the multitude of other mediums through which our spiritual lives are filled at NSA. Moving forward after SEE, we need to ask ourselves how we could better pursue a closer walk with Christ in the atmosphere that we are a part of.
Read MoreHow do you start the conversation on Identity?
You start it by listening, supporting, and being there for the other person. The topic of identity is a large and complex one. It has many different factors that impact it and because of that, it needs to be approached stage by stage and step by step. Nonetheless, it is a topic and conversation that needs to be talked about. A recently sent-out school survey showed that six out of nine NorthStar Academy high school students struggle with their identity and knowing who they are. More and more people are suffering from identity crises.
December is already upon us and Christmas is quickly approaching! This is such a special time of year. It is a time of great joy and celebration of the birth of Christ our Savior as well as a time to show love to those around us. One of our favorite Christmas traditions here at NorthStar is our Christmas fundraiser. At the end of every year, we come together to worship through giving. NSA students host a fundraiser that highlights different cultures or organizations. This year, we are changing the name to The Blessing Project. Our focus is Afghanistan and we have three unique opportunities to bless and be blessed.
Read MoreEveryone has a story, and Mrs. Kathrine Clark’s is quite unique. Though she is now a middle school and high school history teacher, she was once a student at NorthStar Academy! As a child, Mrs. Clark lived as a missionary kid with her parents in Chad, Africa. She went to NorthStar Academy for her junior and senior year and graduated in 2013. When she attended, the school was quite different than it was today. Students downloaded their lessons in PDF format and worked offline. When they were done, they emailed their work to their teacher and the teacher graded it. However in the later part of Mrs. Clark’s time at NSA, lessons were switched over to an LMS system called Brainhoney, a precursor to Buzz.
Read MoreThose plugged into the community on Teams can affirm that group chats are an essential part to what keeps NSA going. There are so many great groups to join, that it would be hard not to find a band of people with similar interests as yours! However one in particular is very unique, a group called “The iNSAne Equestrians”!
Read MoreWhat is it that makes the Christian environment so magnetic and attractive? In my years at NorthStar Academy, I have found that the answer to this lies in the heart of the school itself: its teachers and management. The encouragement from the teachers and their daily efforts to intertwine Christianity into their lessons truly reflects the love of Christ. This is a reflection that I had not taken the time to think about before I had the opportunity to interview one of NSA’s newest teachers, Mr. Ayub. Mr. Ayub’s story and how he came to be a part of the NSA staff reflects his deep appreciation and sentiment for the unique love of Christ present in this school.
Read MoreKnown to most as “Stuco,” the Student Council is responsible for most of the meetings and events you see around Teams and NSA in general. Outside of NSA Connects, which are run by teachers and admin staff, you may have seen other events related to the start of a new school year. These events, for example, the Back to School Bash, are purely student-organized and run. Stuco’s setup is simple; students here on NSA take on various roles and responsibilities, and among the ranks, each member has a specific job while also helping out whenever it is needed. Dorshea, the Stuco Vice President said, “We're all like a big family and we all have our specific roles and jobs to do. “ The Stuco has most areas of NSA life covered, from special projects to ads and working with the admin staff.
Read MoreOn 15 August, the Taliban took over Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan. With Afghanistan’s takeover, twenty years of fighting for and developing human rights is disrupted and undone. Afghanistan’s fall hit the world hard, but some students and teachers at NSA, with a personal tie to the country, have probably felt the most impact.
Read MoreI am excited about all that this year has in store for us here at NorthStar Academy. This will once again be an incredible year full of excitement and community, for which God has created us. It is your faculty and staff’s desire to be known by you and for you in turn to know God and each other.
Read MoreWhether or not you are a new or returning student, the start of a new school year always brings mixed emotions. It might be nerve-racking, exciting, or challenging! Even though I became a student at NorthStar Academy three years ago, each year brings new obstacles and circumstances to adapt to along with things to look forward to. I would say that a student at NorthStar, Ruthie, summed it up well. “School years is [sic] like a great adventure and you have to defeat monsters, giants, etc to reach the destination which is summertime.”
Read MoreThe Drama Club is a very well known part of NorthStar. It’s a fun, low stress way to learn a bit about theater, and is a great place to make friends! But, in February of 2021, a new branch of it was launched called the Aspiring Filmmakers Team. The AFM is a section of the club for those who enjoy making and learning about movies. It was created by a high school student named Sophia, who is now one of the managers. “I love all aspects of filmmaking,” she said, “and being able to facilitate and lead a team that I get to share that love with others is a true blessing.” The AFM is a place created for all ages and levels of expertise, whether you’re a professional producer or just a beginner, there’s a place for you!
Read MoreIf I were to summarize my NSA story in a single word, I’d like to consider my experience as extraordinary. Homeschooling, or what I would later come to recognize as virtual learning, was something my family had become familiar with years before enrolling at NorthStar. When I was approaching my first day of second grade, our local public schools had given my parents no other option but to consider online schooling due to medical reasons. This led to me being enrolled in another online school for many years. Similarly to NSA, their teachers and students were based around the globe. Looking back, these teachers would serve as my early mentors, which I feel strongly contributed to my interest in writing.
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