Seasons of Transition

Everyone has a favorite season, and, for me, fall and spring are at the top of my list. I love camping in the fall and cooking chili or a cobbler in the dutch oven over an open fire. I love watching the leaves change colors and begin to cover the ground. It also means sweater weather has arrived! My favorite season is probably spring, though, because it represents new life and I love all of the green and everything beginning to bloom. My husband and I love to go hiking in the spring in the Sipsey Wilderness. It is known as the “land of 100 waterfalls” and they flow so well after the spring rains.

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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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NSA's Got Talent

At NSA, everyone has unique skills and abilities, and no one person is exactly the same. So, when the Student Council proposed NSA’s Got Talent to take place from October 7 to October 19, it was well-received, though people were not quite as excited as the Student Council team had hoped. There were varying responses within buildings, with the High Schoolers and Middle Schoolers being the most active in NSA’s Got Talent, and the Elementary School Building having much fewer responses. However, everyone seemed willing to participate.

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The Christmas Radio Show

A small boy was talking to his friend in Singapore when he heard the beckoning call from downstairs. He said his salutations and finished the call then rushed to the living room. The staircase was lined with colorful garland and resting in front of the door sat a cozy snowman doormat. He turned and entered the large living room, a large Christmas tree sat in the far corner. The mother waved her hand, calling the boy to her. She had a large smile on her face, brimming from ear to ear.

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Let’s Roleplay: An NSA Connection to the World of Imagination

Imagination, or the ability to think beyond reality to come up with new ideas, is a vital skill in life, though different from academic skills that are normally taught in school. However, it is often difficult to think creatively, especially for those who have not had practice. Enter the world of roleplays.

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The Winner of the Creative Writing Club Contest

The Creative Writing Club recently held a competition for the best short story. Writers used a fantasy prompt to create engaging and exciting tales. Afterward, members of the Book Club served as judges, voting on their favorite story.  The winning submission for the Fall 2024 Fiction Contest is “Storyteller” by Gracie C. Here is the story:

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The Media We Consume

...Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV Bible, 1 Kings 19.11-19.12)

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NSA’s Student-Athletes: Football Edition

Imagine being a full-time student at NSA, but schoolwork is not all you do. Apart from studying at least five hours per day, you also spend between one to three hours per day training for your sport. This is the reality of a few select NSA students, to whom their sport is just as important as their studies. Student-athletes are a unique group of students who demonstrate how useful NSA can be, and who show a level of dedication that is hard to come across. Let us dive into the most popular sport practiced by this group of people: football, better known in the US as soccer. 

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When High School Feels Like College

About a week ago I met up with a friend over coffee. While she was working on her laptop across from me, I drafted the outline of my recent English essay. My friend said something that caught my attention: “Wow, it’s like you’re living as a college student already.” Surprisingly, it seemed true. Within the past twenty minutes I had booked a taxi, paid the driver, ordered my drink, and begun to work off my phone’s Wi-Fi, all on my own. It got me thinking, what similarities are there between online high school and college students’ day-to-day? What freedoms and responsibilities come from online schools that are carried into college? How can attending an online school prepare students for college life outside academics?

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A Look Into NSA Student’s Political Opinions - Part 1

The year 2024 is an election year, which means that politics is something almost all US citizens are aware of. Whether one wants to hear about what is going on in the political realm or not, it is relatively unavoidable. This means that this is not something only adults care about, but many teenagers and NSA students are involved in politics and keep up with it too. After all, the youth are the generation responsible for shaping the future of the US – so why not explore the policies that matter most to NSA students?

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Why We Celebrate Thanksgiving

Imagine being a young explorer, sailing across the high seas to a new uncharted territory. This is what the Pilgrims probably felt like when crossing the ocean to America. Their ship, the Mayflower, landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts on November 11, 1620. The first year was long and arduous. However, in 1621 the Pilgrims had their first successful harvest. This is where the story starts.

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Caretaker, Part Two

A long time ago, I, the author of this short story, wrote a brief tale known as “Ancient Machines” for an English class at NorthStar. I enjoyed writing it, and received a good grade for my efforts but did not expect it to go anywhere. However, a few weeks later, I was on a call with a few friends. The conversation somehow turned to writing, and I offhandedly mentioned that I’d written a short story called “Ancient Machines” a while prior. My friends eagerly requested I share it with them, which I did, and encouraged me to write a sequel. Therefore, I am here today to do just that. However, had it not been for NorthStar, the entire concept of the story would not have happened. Thus, I must give my wholehearted thanks to the school and its community for its huge hand in the creation of “Ancient Machines”.

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Thanksgiving Traditions

What foods are most commonly associated with Thanksgiving? Perhaps turkey? Mashed potatoes? Or maybe even pie? If you are a NorthStar Academy student, you might associate fried rice with Thanksgiving. NSA students come from all around the world. This means that when it comes to the holidays, in many ways a lot of their celebrations look very similar, but in some ways they may look different. 

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Checking out the Navigator’s Publication Team

Here at the Navigator, staff members can hold many student positions in addition to being a writer.  One set of these positions is the publication team consisting of the editor-in-chief, the assistant editor-in-chief, and the PR representative.  These positions are not really known to anyone outside the Navigator, so this article is here to change that.  Come aboard today and learn about each of the publication team’s positions.

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