A Place of Encouragement

NSA 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.

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Have We Benched Our Faith?

With 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.

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Identity: Starting the Conversation

How 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.

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Be A Neighbor - Serving Afghanistan

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.

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Coming Full Circle- Mrs. Clark’s Student to Teacher Story

Everyone 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.

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The Equestrians of NSA

Those 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”!

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A Light in Our Lives

What 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.

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StuCo in a Nutshell

Known 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.

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War-Ridden

On 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.

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Back at It Again

Whether 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.”

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Fun and Film- A Closer Look at the Aspiring Filmmakers Team

The 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!

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A Walk To Remember… : Brooke’s NSA Story

If 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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Tirzah’s NSA Story - Finding That Niche

This article is not going to be strictly about how I came to NorthStar Academy, mainly because the reason I’m here doesn’t make for a very exciting article. So let us put it briefly:

My dad was looking for an accredited way to homeschool so that my sister could go to the Naval Academy. While searching for schools, he saw that a NorthStar graduate had gone on to the Naval Academy. He looked into NSA, liked it, and signed my sister up. Pretty soon I followed with a couple of courses and then my younger sister got some courses, and soon we were near full-time students.

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Why I Joined the Navigator

I’ve written for the Navigator for three years. I started during my sophomore year, in 2018. Back then, it was all done on First Class. I submitted my articles and pictures to the editors each month. Every writer was able to choose their own topic, and then write articles on it. The newspaper was completely student-run. However, that began to change in 2019. By the start of my junior year, the Navigator had become an NSA class with a teacher advisor.

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NorthStar Through the Ages

From using dial-up internet to having a meeting with teachers across the world in an instant, NSA’s rich past is worth a review. The history of submitting school work and talking to fellow students at NorthStar is quite extensive and something many people are unfamiliar with. How did NSA begin as a school? What was the FirstClass system? Where will we be in the near future? A look back at the ancient memoirs of students and teachers answers these questions. The Navigator staff invites you on a journey through time (or the ages) showcasing NorthStar’s spectacular history.

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My Story

I wanted to share myself with NSA. My real self. Not the “ahhhhh xd xd bahahhah” texting Izzy. I wanted to share the actual face behind those quirky, cute messages. The broken, sometimes sad, thoughtful Izzy that loves her dog like crazy and is really passionate about life. I loved writing. I love making blogs. Everything seemed simple. I started a Blogspot blog and began writing. I made an introduction and shared that introduction with the Student Body.

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A Special Thank You For A Special Teacher

The 2020-21 school year was full of uncertainty and adventure for many brick-and-mortar students around the globe. With so much still going on in the world, teachers, students, and staff alike found themselves still learning how to adjust to an online learning environment. Here at NorthStar Academy, students continued to relish in their own personal academic successes. This success is largely due to the teachers -- whose patience and dedication inspires their students, no matter the situation. One of these teachers is the Navigator’s own faculty advisor: Mrs. April Meyer.

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