From the Director’s Desk November 2019
by Daniel Cooley
It is hard to believe that we are well into the first semester of the school year here at NorthStar. The temperatures are cooling down and Thanksgiving is right around the corner. If you have been around NorthStar for a while you have noticed a few user-friendly changes that have come along this year, most notably the move away from First Class and to Microsoft Teams and Outlook. I am hearing feedback from teachers and students alike that this has created an even more interactive and supportive environment. I hope that everyone has had the chance to get into Teams and explore the many channels that are available. Another new feature this year are NEDTalks. These have been a fun and positive way for kids to get together with each other and with some of NorthStar’s teachers to learn about a wide range of topics from math, science, study skills, career information, and biblical principles that support the other side of learning that is happening in NorthStar courses. We hope that you continue to enjoy these opportunities. One special note, with this being new this year we have had a couple of scheduling glitches and the teacher has not been there. If for some reason a teacher does not show up within 15 minutes of the scheduled start time, students can leave the talk and indicate that the teacher was absent in the assignment. While this is an infrequent occurrence, it does happen. Students can just not the date, time and topic and say that the teacher was absent.
Parents, are you looking for ways to get involved and have your voice heard? NorthStar sends out end-of-course surveys and other surveys throughout the year that allow us to check and see how you think we are doing at meeting your goals for your child’s education. We look at this feedback closely and adjust our programs. Additionally, we seek input from parents for our course re-writes. Right now we are looking for input about your child’s English courses. We are currently gathering input for the team as they get ready to re-write courses next year. If you have feedback, please email curriculum@northstar-academy.org. Another great way to get involved is to participate in the many available channels in Teams. We have created a variety of channels including “Buy and Sell” if you have books that you want to sell to other families, or “Chat with the Director” if you want to ask a question directly to me. There is also a “New Parent Questions” channel where you can jump in and help those that are new to NSA…or if you are new, you can get advice from fellow parents. If you have ideas for other channels, reach out to our IT support department at support@northstar-academy.org.
Thanks to all of those that attended our Fall Open House. It was a fun and informative evening and morning together. If you did not get a chance to attend, you can email Daniel.cooley@northstar-academy.org for the link to the recording.
In closing, may God richly bless you and your educational journey here at NorthStar! It is a blessing and an honor to serve your family.
Daniel Cooley has been the Director of NorthStar Academy for 5 years. Previous to NorthStar, Daniel served as the Secondary Principal at Bandung Alliance Intercultural School in Bandung Indonesia. Daniel has his Master’s in Teaching and a graduate certificate in Educational Leadership. Daniel is passionate about educational leadership and quality educational experiences for students.