Depression is “a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest” (Mayo Health Clinic). “Approximately 280 million people in the world have depression” (World Health Organization). Anyone can get depression. It can come after the death of a loved one, anxiety from school, or other external circumstances. However, depression is not the end of the road. It can be battled with hope and resilience.
Read MoreThis year, two Northstar students are living onboard one of the Mercy Ships. You might be asking, “What is a Mercy Ship?” Mercy Ships is a Christian charity that was established by Don and Deyon Stephens. Currently, there are two Mercy Ships known as the Global Mercy (GLM) and the Africa Mercy (AFM). Zara explains, “Mercy Ships provides free surgery to people in Africa. They do surgeries for people with tumors, bowlegs, cleft palates, and other diseases.” Zara also mentioned, “The organization aims to 'Follow the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor.’”
Read MoreNSA's Pre-Professional Portfolio course (PPP100), also known as PPP, was launched in August of 2023. It is designed to allow high school students to earn credit for skill-building through instructor-led extracurricular activities they participate in. The course also teaches skills for reflection and goal-setting. A student can take this semester-long course up to eight times during high school, earning a maximum of four elective credits for extracurricular activities.
Read MoreHave you ever been curious as to how you start a Minecraft server or ever wanted to know more about maintaining one? This article contains the answers to both questions. The owner and manager of NorthStar's very own Minecraft SMP (Survival Multi Player) Server, Alexander M., has advice and information regarding his server and the skills and resources needed to create and maintain it.
Read MoreHave you ever dreamed of making a difference in the world? Well, that's what Cora and her family do. They live in Mexico and work with an organization that helps orphans and orphanages and have lived there since Cora was six years old. At the orphanages, her family sponsors children and works with the organization to better the environment for the children.
Read MoreAre you a writer, a musician, or a chef? There’s something for everyone in the NorthStar clubs, opening this fall. The Club Coordinators this year are Naomi E. and Max H.! In this interview, they told me their plans for the clubs of NorthStar.
Read More“Should Poetry Aim To Be Profound?” was written by Onyinyechi U. and is being posted due to her being the winner of the creative writing prompts short story contest.
Read MorePicture this: you are sitting at church on a bright Sunday morning. The strong scent of the older woman’s perfume in front of you is tickling your nose. You are begging your stomach to stop gurgling so loudly that the people in front of you turn their heads. The pastor has reached the final five minutes of his sermon. He is giving the congregation final reminders for the week. Loving others, reading your Bible, and obeying God. Wait a second, obeying God? You question in your mind, How in the world am I supposed to obey a distant creator? What possible directions could he have for me? Why would he even need to concern himself with my obedience? Well, NorthStar Bible teachers and spiritual leaders answered this in the hopes of bringing students closer to God and giving younger generations a deeper understanding of God.
Read MoreThe Navigator ended in June, and all the writers went their separate ways. Sometimes it's easy to forget that people we know from NSA have lives outside of school. In this article, let’s check on what the Nav writers were doing this offseason.
Read MoreAs a teacher, I should be excited as we come to the beginning of June–cheering for the seniors who have completed their high school journey. But this year, that celebration is mixed with a bit of reserve.
Read More“The Quiz” is a short story written by one of NorthStar’s students who participated in a short story competition for NSA’s Creative Wiring Club. Reader discretion is advised, as the story contains some fantasy violence. The first chapter of the story is here in this article. To read the full story, click here.
Read More“Arrivederci” is a short story written by one of NorthStar’s students who participated in a short story competition for NSA’s Creative Wiring Club. Reader discretion is advised, as the story contains some fantasy violence. The prologue of the story is here in this article. To read the full story, click here.
Read MoreNorthStar Academy has students located all around the world. As such, NSA students have experienced a vast variety of wildlife. Today, let’s go on a globe-trotting safari to find out what wildlife encounters look like for NSA students.
Read MoreEvery student at some time or another has had to do a community service project. Some of us, including myself, try just to meet the bare minimum. Other students, however, go above and beyond the requirements to do something really special. Norah is one of those students.
Read MoreAll students have probably flown paper airplanes, but Noah flies real planes. Noah is an exceptional student here at NorthStar. He balances high school with flying planes which means in his downtime he flies airplanes. This is his story.
Read MoreLet us take a moment to consider how literature has affected our society. It has allowed us to learn and speak out about what we believe to be important. It often reflects events of the time period that it was written in which gives readers a closer look into history through a form other than history books. Literature provides us with the opportunity to read the opinions and perspectives of diverse people through different times and a closer look at the reality of our world during different periods.
Read MoreNorthStar’s Creative Writing Club recently held a short story contest! The winner was Abby H. and as part of her prize, her story has been published here on the NorthStar Navigator! Congratulations to Abby! Please enjoy her short story, “The Wielder.”
READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED - There is some minor fantasy violence present in this story. :)
Read MoreAugust 15th was the day when a fundamental change occurred in Afghanistan. A certain class of people conceives it as a day of independence, whereas another explains it as a day of destruction. To make things clearer, it is the point of view that matters. And it is the point of view of a specific person or group of people that will be investigated in this piece of investigative journalism. After the drastic change that shook a country to its core, many incidents and experiences supervened. The ordeal of an individual will be shared in this article.
Read MoreWelcome to Part 2! If you haven’t read Part 1, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article to see the link to the first part where we meet The StuCo Coordinator and The Leadership Team!
Student Council is a big group of students and mentors all working together for the good of NorthStar. As such, there are quite a few people and roles to explain. In Part 2 of this article, I’ll be talking about The Outreach Team and The Communications Team.
Read MoreWelcome to Part 3! If you haven’t read Parts 1 and 2, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of this article to see the links to the first and second parts where we meet The StuCo Coordinator, The Leadership Team, The Outreach Team, and The Communications Team!
Student Council is a big group of students and mentors all working together for the good of NorthStar. As such, there are quite a few people and roles to explain. In Part 3 of this article, I’ll be talking about The Representative Team.
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