Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, and today’s testimonial comes from Cora from Ohio. She writes, “The American School helped me realize how smart I actually am. It also showed me that I can accomplish things on my own in the best way that I understand them.” We thank Cora for her kind words. Every so often we hear from individuals who, for one reason or another, haven’t realized their true potential. We are proud that our program helped Cora realize how smart she really is, and we hope that she and all of our students remain confident in their abilities after receiving our diploma.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
American School Attends Wisconsin School Counselor Association Conference
The American School is attending the Wisconsin School Counselor Association Conference in Madison today through Friday. We have enjoyed great working relationships with Wisconsin counselors for many years, and this convention is the perfect opportunity for us to strengthen those relationships as well as introduce new counselors to our Independent Study program. Keep reading this blog to learn where we are headed next!
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: Mardi Gras
It’s February 21, the day before Ash Wednesday, and people are celebrating Mardi Gras today. There are all sorts of ways to celebrate Fat Tuesday, but a popular way is to have paczki. Paczki are yeasty bismarck donuts stuffed with strawberry, raspberry, lemon, custard, or, your blogger’s favorites, apricot and cheese. For more information on paczki, visit http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0221-paczki-manufacturing-20120222,0,5655689.story. They’re so good, but there’s a reason why people should only eat them one day a year. They’re very fattening. Our Food Study course can help you learn other foods to avoid and help you discover health alternatives. Learn more about Food Study at http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/home-living/food-study, and by all means, if you are eating a paczki today, enjoy!
Friday, February 17, 2012
American School Closed on Presidents’ Day
The American School will be closed on Monday, February 20, in observance of Presidents’ Day. Why not use the long weekend to learn more about the 43 men who have served as President of the United States? It’s easy. Simply visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents to read short biographies of each President. You might find many of the lesser-known Presidents to be just as fascinating as those who are on Mount Rushmore.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Testimonial Thursday
We’ve had some birthdays and special occasions lately, so we’ve taken a break from our normal Testimonial Thursdays until today. Tina from Miami writes, “I found the textbooks to be a great source and plan on saving them to help me in the future. The American School was easier for me because it is just me and the book, which helps me concentrate better. If I was in a classroom full of students, I would get distracted easily. Also, the teacher has to pay attention to all the students, which makes it harder for a teacher to help a student one-on-one.” We are happy that Tina enjoyed studying with us, and we are glad that she is saving her textbooks for future reference. The textbooks and study guides we send you as part of your curriculum are yours to keep. You can refer to them throughout the course, even when you take your unit exams, but you should save them at least until you earn your American School diploma. You never know when you might need a valuable piece of information contained in an old textbook or study guide, so don’t throw them away. Hold onto them and let them continue to teach you every step of the way.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Matt Groening
It’s February 15, and Matt Groening turns 58 years old today. He’s a very famous person, but if he walked down the street or walked into the room where you’re reading this blog right now you probably wouldn’t recognize him. Instead, you’d recognize Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson because he created them and the thousands of others that have appeared on that show over the years. In fact, “The Simpsons” airs its 500th episode this coming Sunday, which is a milestone never before reached by a TV sitcom. If you’re interested in drawing animated characters or real people, then consider taking our Art: Drawing People course, which is described in great detail at http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/art-courses/art-drawing-people. We can’t guarantee that you’ll have a hit TV series on your hands after you finish the course, but you’ll have more skills in drawing people and be one course closer to your high school diploma after you complete your last exam.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: Valentine’s Day
It’s February 14, and the American School is celebrating Valentine’s Day. We love our students and love seeing them succeed and earn their high school diploma. Fortunately for us, love is a two-way street, and our students love us back. They love the ability to work at their own pace. They love learning new things in any of our 70 courses. They love the personalized feedback they get when they received a graded exam back in the mail. They love the convenience of checking their grades and receiving help through our Online Student Center. We’re confident that, if you haven’t enrolled already, you’ll love us too. Visit the enrollment pages on our Web site and make this a Valentine’s Day to remember by taking the first step toward your high school diploma.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Mike Krzyzewski
It’s February 13, and Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski turns 65 years old today. Earlier this season, he became the all-time winningest coach in Division 1 history, and currently he has 921 wins to his credit. He’s also won 4 national championships and an Olympic gold medal, and this summer he’ll again coach the Olympic team in London. Because Krzyzewski is a mouthful to say (it’s pronounced Sha-shef-ski) and spell, you might know him better simply as Coach K, but most words cannot be abbreviated, and some words aren’t spelled anything like they sound. That’s why the American School’s Spelling course benefits expert or novice spellers. View its description at http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/english/spelling. After you enroll, you’ll be a champion in spelling just like Coach K is in basketball.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: National School Counseling Week
It’s February 10, and we’re wrapping up National School Counseling Week. The American School is fortunate to have good working relationships with school counselors across the country. We strengthen these relationships by making in-school visits and by attending state and national school counselor conventions. This year we plan to go to state conventions in Texas Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Michigan, and we are looking forward to attending the national convention this summer in Minneapolis. We’re also proud to have a full-time counselor of our own to help our students with career advice and the college application process. One of the most common questions our counselor is asked is about ACT and SAT exams. If you call her department, she’ll tell you the dates that the ACT and SAT will be given in your area. If you’d like ACT or SAT prep courses, visit www.americanschoolofcorr.com/actsatprep and enroll in Method Test Prep’s courses. Those courses, along with our outstanding counselor, will make sure you are well-prepared to take the ACT or SAT when the time comes.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Joseph Stiglitz
It’s February 9, and economist Joseph Stiglitz turns 69 years old today. He was born in Gary, Indiana, not too far from the American School, and has had a long and distinguished career in economics. He’s been the chief economist of the World Bank, an advisor to President Bill Clinton, the recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economics, and has been a professor at many of the top universities in America, most recently Columbia University in New York. You can learn more about economics yourself by taking our print Consumer Economics course or our online Economics course. Both will give you a good overview of various economic concepts. Learn more about Consumer Economics by visiting http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/business/consumer-economics, and read more about Economics and our other online courses by visiting http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/online-courses. You’ll see that it makes “cents” to take an economics course with the American School!
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Bethany Hamilton
It’s February 8, and American School student Bethany Hamilton is celebrating a birthday today. Her inspirational story was made into the movie Soul Surfer, and to date, her Facebook page, which may be found at https://www.facebook.com/SurferBethanyHamilton has more than 375,000 fans. Visit that page or her Web site, www.bethanyhamilton.com, to learn more about this inspirational American School student.
Tuesday, February 7. 2012
Today’s Birthday: Charles Dickens
It’s February 7, and author Charles Dickens was born 200 years ago today. He’s one of the greatest British authors of all-time, with a string of books like Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, A Christmas Carol, David Copperfield, Bleak House, A Tale of Two Cities, Great Expectations and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. You can read the best of British literature by enrolling in the course of the same name. Read a detailed description of British Literature by visiting http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/english/british-literature and then add it to your exisiting curriculum or enroll in the course through our Independent Study program. You’ll be glad you did.
Monday, February 6, 2012
American School Releases New Chemistry (lab) Course
The American School’s Curriculum department works constantly and consistently to meet the ever-changing needs of our students. We are pleased to announce that one of their projects, a new Chemistry (lab) course is now available. The course will help bring to life chemistry concepts and topics in a new and exciting way, and the price of the course includes a full lab kit custom-designed for the American School. Read more about it here: http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/courses/science/chemistry-lab.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: National Wear Red Day
It’s February 3, and today the American Heart Association and the Go Red for Women organization are sponsoring National Wear Red Day to promote women’s heart health. We encourage all of our students, male and female, to be as healthy as possible. One way to do that is to take our Physiology and Health course. Another way is to visit http://goredforwomen.org/wearredday/, which contains health resources and suggestions for getting you and your community more involved in this important cause.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: Groundhog Day
It’s Groundhog Day, and we have good news from the American School. It’s overcast here today, so our groundhog did NOT see its shadow this morning. That means an early spring. It also means that if you wanted to get started on your high school diploma during the winter, you only have a little bit longer to do so. Don’t get caught in the scenario made famous by the movie Groundhog Day and relive the same day over and over again without your high school diploma. Visit our enrollment page to get started today.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
American School Celebrates Digital Learning Day
Last year, the American School began offering online courses, and later this year we will unveil more of them. Last month, we also introduced online ACT and SAT prep courses through Method Test Prep, and we have had several students visit www.americanschoolofcorr.com/actsatprep to sign up. Today, we are celebrating Digital Learning Day by encouraging our students to enroll in one of our online courses. You can learn more about Digital Learning Day and participate in live webcasts by visiting www.digitallearningday.org. Keep reading this blog for details on official launch dates of our new online courses.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
American School Releases New Independent Study Handbook
The American School has published an updated version of its Independent Study Handbook on our Independent Study page. We invite students and school officials to download and read this document so that they can have full knowledge of our policies and procedures before our busy spring season. Thank you!
Monday, January 30, 2012
Today’s Birthday: William Hunding
It’s January 30, and American School President Emeritus and Trustee William Hunding is celebrating a birthday today. He was President of the American School from 1992-2006 and is one of only seven people to hold that office. R.T. Miller founded the American School in 1897 and served as President until his retirement in 1945. The six people who followed in R.T.’s footsteps as President all share R.T.’s belief that all students should have the opportunity to earn a high school diploma, whether they enroll in our General High School or College Preparatory program and earn our accredited diploma or take just one course through our Independent Study program and earn a diploma from their resident school. We are proud to have stability and longevity among our Presidents and, on his birthday, we wish Mr. Hunding many more years of good health and happiness.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: National Chocolate Cake Day
It’s January 27, and our Instruction department is celebrating National Chocolate Cake Day by having a bake-off during their limited breaks from grading exams. You might have heard the expression, “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” but that’s not the case at the American School. You can have an outstanding education AND work entirely at your own pace while you study. Working at home affords you the opportunity to graduate faster and have a full-time job if you so choose. The icing on the cake will be your personally-signed American School diploma that you’ll receive in the mail after you complete your studies, so enroll today!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for a testimonial from one of our students. This one, from Sabrina of Indiana, just came in today. She writes, “I never really enjoyed homeschooling, but I’ve seen that I do much better in homeschooling and get much better grades, so I’m glad to say I’ll be staying in homeschooling for the rest of high school! It’s much easier for me to understand, and I even have colleges looking at me. I’m proud of where the American School has brought me, and I’m even graduating ahead of time thanks to the American School!” We thank Sabrina for her kind words. They are a reminder that even though homeschooling might be a leap of faith for you if you’ve never tried it before, the results can be far better than you ever imagined.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Today’s Anniversary: The League of Nations
It’s January 25, and on this date in 1919, the League of Nations was established. The goal of the League of Nations was to maintain world peace after World War 1 ended, but that didn’t last long. Because the League of Nations had no armed forces or real way of enforcing its policies, it was often just a symbolic organization. By the late 1930s and early 1940s, it was powerless against the forces that caused World War 2. When that war ended, world leaders knew what parts of the League of Nations worked and what parts didn’t. They used that knowledge to help form the United Nations, which exists today. You can learn more about the League of Nations by taking our World History course. View its description elsewhere on our site and then enroll today!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Neil Diamond
It’s January 24, and singer-songwriter Neil Diamond turns 71 years old today. As we often do when singers celebrate birthdays, we’ll incorporate the titles of some of Neil’s songs into today’s blog. If you haven’t visited this blog or our Web site in awhile, we invite you to say “Hello Again.” You’ll notice that we’ve added several new features, including several online courses toward your high school diploma, as well as non-credit ACT/SAT prep courses. If you are a “Kentucky Woman” or live anywhere else in America, you can take our courses and rest assured that they are fully accredited thanks to our accreditation by NCA-CASI/AdvancED. It doesn’t have to be a ”September Morn” for you to enroll since we accept enrollments year-round. Once you become our student, you might be a “Solitary Man” as you study independently, but you’re never completely alone. Our instructors are available during business hours, and our Online Student Center contains help sheets and links to homework Web sites. We think you’ll say, “I”m a Believer” in the American School after you complete our courses and earn your diploma from the leader in high school distance education in “America,” so get started today!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: Chinese New Year
It’s January 23, and, while most of us celebrated the new year on January 1, others are celebrating it today because today is Chinese New Year. The Chinese calendar is based on the moon and the sun, and so its new year starts anywhere between January 21 and February 20 on the calendar we use in the United States. Much like our zodiac, which has 12 signs, the Chinese calendar has a zodiac, too, but instead of signs and symbols, the Chinese calendar uses animals. This year happens to be the year of the dragon, so if you were born in 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, 1916 or 1904, this year has special significance for you. Regardless of which animal is associated with your birth year, or whether you celebrate the new year on January 1 or today, all of us at the American School wish you the best in 2012. We have a lot of exciting things planned for this year, so keep reading this blog to find out what we have in store for our students in the months to come.
Friday, January 20, 2012
American School Looks Ahead to Digital Learning Day
Digital Learning Day is February 1, and the American School is looking forward to participating. A year ago at this time, we were new to digital learning. Our online courses were just getting started. Now we have 7 online courses, and more will be on the way in 2012. Earlier this month we announced an affiliation with Method Test Prep, a leader in online ACT/SAT prep courses for more than a decade. We already have had several students enroll in Method Test Prep’s courses, and you can do so too by going to www.americanschoolofcorr.com/actsatprep. For more information on Digital Learning Day itself, visit www.digitallearningday.org.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Phil Everly
It’s January 19, and singer Phil Everly turns 73 years old today. His brother, Don, turns 75 years old on February 1, but you don’t know them on a first-name basis. You know them as the Everly Brothers. In the 1950s and 1960s, they had a string of #1 hits like “Bye Bye Love,” “Wake Up Little Susie,” “All I Have to Do is Dream,” “Bird Dog,” and “Cathy’s Clown,” but their biggest achievement may have been earning their high school diplomas from the American School. We are proud to count them among our famous students and graduates. Vist our Community page to learn more about our notable alumni.
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
American School Student Anna Tatishvili Competes in Australian Open
American School student Anna Tatishvili had a good showing in the Australian Open tennis tournament this week. She won her first round match 6-2, 7-6 over Ashleigh Barty of Australia before falling 6-1, 7-6 to #1 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the second round. Her strong showing Down Under continues the tradition of American School students performing well in the event. 1988 graduate Andre Agassi won the event in 1995, 2000, 2001 and 2003, and we have high hopes for Anna as her career continues to blossom.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Muhammad Ali
It’s January 17, and boxer Muhammad Ali turns 70 years old today. Born Cassius Clay, he changed his name after joining the Nation of Islam in 1964 and generated controversy by refusing to participate in the Vietnam War. That refusal led to his banishment from boxing for several years, but he would eventually come back, participate in some of the most famous fights in boxing history, and become the only three-time heavyweight champion. For all his accomplishments, Ali was nicknamed ”The Greatest,” and we feel that’s an appropriate adjective for the American School too. No other distance learning high school has the same combination of curriculum, cost, customer service and credibility. Visit the rest of this Web site to learn more about us, and if you have questions, use the Contact Us form and we will reply to you within one business day.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
It’s January 16, and the American School is commemorating the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During his life, Dr. King worked for civil rights and the same opportunities for people of all backgrounds. We are proud to serve all varieties of students, regardless of age, income or ethnic background. Our students’ common goal is to earn their high school diplomas and improve their lives, much like Dr. King wished to improve the lives of those who heard his message. We are proud to honor his legacy today.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Today’s Special Occasion: Friday the 13th
It’s Friday the 13th, a date that’s perhaps the scariest day on the entire calendar. If you are new to homeschooling or new to the American School, though, you shouldn’t be nervous or frightened. The American School’s Four C’s will calm all your fears. Our students study innovative curriculum, pay an affordable cost supplemented by our monthly payment plans, receive caring student service every step of the way, and earn their educations from an instituion with outstanding credibility and experience. Visit the rest of our web site today for more information.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Today’s Birthday: John Hancock
It’s January 12, and, according to an old style calendar, patriot John Hancock was born on this date in 1736. If you look at a copy of the Declaration of Independence, you’ll see his signature larger than anything else written on the document. Legend has it that he signed it that big so that King George of England would have no problem seeing it. Since then, the very name “John Hancock” has been used as a synonym for anyone’s signature. Two “John Hancocks” are important here at the American School. They are the signatures of our president and principal, who personally sign every high school diploma we award. It is one of the most rewarding parts of their jobs, and they and the entire American School staff enjoy helping students earn their diplomas. Get started today by downloading our enrollment application or by completing one online!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Today’s Anniversary: Snow in LA
It’s January 11, and on this date in 1949, Los Angeles received its first recorded snowfall. The American School is scheduled to get snow later in the week, and if we have to close due to the weather at any time during the winter, we will post a notice on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence and keep you updated via that page. If you are not a fan of us on Facebook yet, be sure to like us today!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
American School Earns Homeschool.com’s 2012 Seal of Approval
The American School is the proud recipient of Homeschool.com’s 2012 Seal of Approval. We have earned this seal for several years running, and we are grateful to Homeschool.com for giving us this award. To view our page on Homeschool.com, visit http://www.homeschool.com/resources/AmericanSchool/default.asp.
Monday, January 9, 2012
American School Continues Visits of Local Schools
Early in 2012, the American School is continuing to expand on a program we launched late last year. We are returning to our roots and making personal visits to local public and private high schools to meet with counselors and other school officials who might be interested in learning how our Independent Study program can help their students recover credits and graduate on time. We visited one such school last Friday and are making two similar visits today. So far, we have been greeted warmly by schools and counselors in Chicago and its suburbs. We look forward to visiting more schools and meeting more counselors in 2012. If you are a school official and would like to schedule a visit, please call our Independent Study department at 708-418-2850. Most visits last about a half hour, but the impact of our visit would be felt by your school and your students for years to come. We hope to meet you soon!
Friday, January 6, 2012
Today’s Birthday: Lou Holtz
It’s January 6, and football coach Lou Holtz, who is most famous for winning the 1988 national championship at Notre Dame, is 75 years old today. In addition to being one of the greatest college football coaches in history, he is also a successful television commentator and motivational speaker. Here is one of his inspirational quotes: “Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” On Coach Holtz’s birthday, think about those three things–your ability, your motivation and your attitude–and how they relate to your pursuit of a high school diploma from the American School.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Today’s Anniversary: The Golden Gate Bridge
It’s January 5, and on this date in 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Along with the Brooklyn Bridge, it’s one of the two most famous bridges in the United States. As we begin a new year, people make resolutions. Some of them may be already be broken, while others might have already been achieved. If you listed earning your high school diploma as a resolution for 2012, let the American School be the bridge you cross to achieve that goal. We offer innovative curriculum, affordable cost, caring student service and 115 years of credibility as a leader in distance education. Fill out the Request for Information form, and an enrollment packet will be sent to your home. Or, if you are ready to enroll today, you can do so by using our secure online enrollment application.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
American School Releases Updated Diploma Program Application
The American School has released an updated enrollment application for students wishing to enroll in the General High School or College Preparatory diploma programs. Blue is the predominant color on both the updated paper and online applications. We will continue to accept old paper applications, which have gold as their predominant color, for a limited time, but if you access the online application or request a paper application to be sent to you, you will be receiving the new version. Both the updated print and online applications are designed to be as user-friendly as possible, and we look forward to having you fill out a print or online application to become our student.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
American School Announces Affiliation With Method Test Prep
The American School is excited to announce, effective January 3, 2012, an affiliation with Method Test Prep, a company that has specialized in online ACT and SAT preparation for more than a decade. Under this arrangement, Method Test Prep will be responsible for all course content and billing, and their customer service team will answer any and all questions from those individuals who enroll in their courses through the American School’s Web site. Method Test Prep provides high-quality instruction and course content on a secure Web site that is easy to navigate. Students also will be able to work at their own pace while taking one or both of Method Test Prep’s courses, much like they do when they complete American School courses, but they will not earn high school credit. Although an entire ACT or SAT prep course is designed to be taken over a period of 20 weeks, Method Test Prep presents students with a simple checklist that is composed of 15-minute tasks, so students can study even if they have a limited amount of time. Students can expect a number of other things from Method Test Prep, including access to strategy guides for each test, complete full-length practice tests, hundreds of practice questions, practice quizzes to boost knowledge, immediate feedback on every question, audio and video explanations of test questions, easy-to-understand explanations to every question, tracking methods for strengths and weaknesses on each test, valuable test-taking tips, and access to courses on an unlimited 24/7 basis from any Web-enabled computer Method Test Prep offers a free two-week trial of their courses. If students wish to continue after that time, they pay on a monthly basis, either $39.95 per month for one course, or $59.95 per month for both courses. This pricing system ensures that you will receive high-quality test preparation for only the amount of time you need it. For more information on our new partnership with Method Test Prep, please visit www.americanschoolofcorr.com/actsatprep. We are confident this affiliation will be a great benefit to you!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Happy Holidays from the American School
The American School wishes everyone a happy and safe holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year. Even though the American School will be open throughout the holiday season (with the exceptions of Friday, December 23, after 12 p.m. and all day on Monday, December 26, and Monday, January 2), the American School Blog is taking a couple weeks off. Our next blog entry will be on Tuesday, January 3, when we will have a big announcement to ring in the new year. See you then!
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Today’s Birthday: The American School
It’s December 17, and the American School is 114 years old today. From our humble beginnings in Boston, to our longtime home in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, to our present home in Lansing, Illinois, our mission has always been the same: to provide the best education we can. Thanks to all of you who have helped us reach our 114th birthday. We have big things planned for our 115th year, and we will announce them soon!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Jane Austen
It’s December 16, and author Jane Austen was born on this date in 1775. She is well-known as the author of Emma and Sense and Sensibility, but perhaps her most famous work is Pride and Prejudice. Students can read that novel, along with three other classics, by enrolling in our Literature 4 course. In addition to Austen’s work, this half–unit course allows students to explore in-depth William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion and Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone. Emphasis is on reading for enjoyment and understanding through an analysis of the structure and themes of each work. In addition, the study guides for each work stress a different aspect of vocabulary development, including paraphrasing and analogies. In completing this course, among other activities, students discuss the use of various types of literary elements in the works, compare and contrast characters, and identify the rhyme and rhythm scheme of a poem. Visit the enrollment portion of this Web site to get started in Literature 4 or the subject of your choice today.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday again, so we’re proud to present another testimonial from one of our students. This week’s might be the shortest ever. Anna from Illinois writes, “Thank you very much for this opportunity. I don’t know what I would have done without it!” We know that, for a variety of reasons, not all students have the opportunity or ability to complete high school in a traditional school. We are happy to provide a quality education to these students. That education will get even better in a couple weeks when we kick off 2012 with a special announcement. Keep reading this blog for more hints and details.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Wright Brothers
It’s December 14, and on this date in 1903, the Wright Brothers attempted to fly their plane, the Wright Flyer, for the first time. Unfortunately, they did have much success, as their craft stayed in the air just three seconds before landing in a sandy area on the North Carolina shore. Three days later, however, they had much more success, and Orville and Wilbur Wright flew four short flights on December 17. If you are struggling in school, take a lesson from the Wright Brothers’ experience more than 100 years ago. Don’t give up just because something doesn’t go your way the first time you try it. Stick with it, work hard, make adjustments, and eventually you will get your desired results. The American School is dedicated to seeing students succeed. One way we do this by allowing students to work entirely at their own pace. Another way we do this is to offer assistance whenever possible. We have help sheets on our Web site, and we are also available to speak with students during normal business hours. Few things make us prouder than seeing a struggling student achieve new heights like the Wright Brothers, and we want you to be among those students whose accomplishments exceed their wildest dreams.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Taylor Swift
It’s December 13, and today the American School Blog is skewing younger by celebrating Taylor Swift’s 22nd birthday. You’ve probably heard her biggest hits, which are are You Belong With Me and Love Story, a million times, but you might not know that Taylor Swift was homeschooled. She didn’t earn the American School’s diploma, but if you want to follow in her footsteps and be homeschooled yourself, here are some reasons you belong with us. First, our innovative curriculum contains more than 70 courses, some in an entirely online format. Second, we boast nearly 114 years of excellence in distance education, and you can read more about our history in this blog later in the week. Third, we offer friendly and caring student service and support, and help for our courses is available in a variety of places. Finally, as a non-profit school, we are able to keep costs to an absolute minimum. We’re confident you’ll have a love story of your own after you become our student, so visit the enrollment portion of our Web site to get started today.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Speak Up and Complete This Online Survey
The American School is once again participating in the Speak Up Survey, sponsored by Project Tomorrow and several national educational technology organizations. The Speak Up data represents the largest collection of authentic, unfiltered stakeholder input on education, technology, 21st century skills, schools of the future and science instruction. Education, business and policy leaders use the data gathered to help local, state and federal education programs. American School students and parents are encouraged to complete the online survey, located at http://www.speakup4schools.org/speakup2011. Once there, choose “Illinois” from the drop-down list of states, and type “American S” into the School Name box. Choose American School from the list that appears. Students should select Grades 9-12, and both students and parents can enter our secret word, american, when they complete the survey. If you have not done so already, please take a moment to complete the survey by December 23. No personal information is collected during the survey, and the American School thanks you for your participation.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Articles Shed Light on Importance of Earning High School Diploma
Readers of the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this week found a brutally honest headline waiting for them on the editorial page: “If you drop out of school, prepare for miserable life”. The editorial discussed the findings of a study commissioned by the Alternative Schools Network and led by a team of researchers at Northeastern University in Boston. The study found these alarming statistics. First, dropouts are less likely to have a job. Nearly half of dropouts in Chicago didn’t work a single week in 2010. Second, lifetime earnings for dropouts are nearly a half million dollars less than those who have a high school diploma. Third, less than half of dropouts own a home, but more than 60% of graduates own their own homes. The Chicago Tribune‘s report on the study can be found here: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-brizard-dropouts-20111208,0,4708391.story. If you are on the fence about earning your high school diploma, please take a moment to read the article and do more research on our Web site. We are here to help you earn your high school diploma and not turn into a statistic.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another testimonial from one of our students. Today’s comes from Joshua from Michigan, who writes, “Everything was satisfactory, and I enjoyed the encouraging feedback from my instructors. Because of those comments, I was more sure of myself and motivated to not only complete my courses but to succeed in future studies. The American School is a great program, and it is very helpful to those who adhere to the program. Thank you to all of my instructors for helping me to achieve my goals.” We thank Joshua for his kind remarks, which are a reminder that we do more than just give students a textbook education. Indeed, we are proud of the quality of our curriculum, but we take special care to write constructive comments on students’ exams so that they will be inspired to do even better in the future, and not just in American School courses, but in whatever field they have in mind after they earn our diploma.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Pearl Harbor
It’s December 7, a date that will live in infamy. Seventy years ago today, the USS Arizona battleship in Pearl Harbor was attacked, and the United States was thrust into World War 2. One of the more moving things you will ever experience is to visit the USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. Upon arriving at the visitors center, you can watch videos and look at exhibits commemorating the attack. Then you get in a ferry and set sail to the actual site where the USS Arizona was sunk. The white structure that you have seen on television is built over the sunken remains of the ship, and it’s a solemn site and a burial ground for soliders killed in the attack. After you return from paying your respects, there’s a chance a Pearl Harbor survivor will be at the visitors center to meet you and share personal experiences from that fateful day 70 years ago. To learn more about events surrounding Pearl Harbor’s 70th anniversary, visit http://www.pearlharborevents.com/, and to learn more about the USS Arizona Memorial and other related sites, visit http://www.nps.gov/valr/index.htm and http://www.pearlharborhistoricsites.org/.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Today’s Special Occasions: Saint Nicholas Day/Cool School
It’s December 6, and children all over the world (and maybe some adults too) woke up this morning to find coins, candy or other gifts in their shoes to celebrate Saint Nicholas Day. The American School recently got a nice gift when The Mash, a weekly newspaper and Web site written by and for Chicagoland teenagers, recognized us as a Cool School. We are thankful for the recognition, especially since it comes from our students, and invite you to read all about it right here: http://www.themash.com/blog/news/2011/08/05/cool-schools/
Monday, December 5, 2011
American School Announces Holiday Schedule
The holiday season is upon us, and this year the American School will be closed on Monday, December 26, and Monday, January 2. We wish everyone a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous 2012.
Friday, December 2, 2011
American School Announces Online Payment System
Students, parents and school officials have loved our online enrollment applications ever since they were added to our Web site, but we didn’t want our current students be excluded from the ease and security of making online transactions. That’s why we are pleased to announce that current students can make monthly payments with their credit card or PayPal directly from our Web site. Go to our home page, scroll halfway down, and look for the Make a Payment button, or add http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/make-a-payment to your favorites. Your transactions will be 100% secure, and we are confident you will enjoy using this new feature.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: World AIDS Day
It’s December 1, and today’s blog recognizes World AIDS Day. It was on this date in 1981 that the AIDS virus was officially recognized, and seven years later, the first World AIDS Day was held. Modern medicine, especially in the United States and other developed countries, has greatly extended the life expectancy and life quality of those infected with HIV/AIDS, but such medical care, treatment and technology, isn’t as available in Africa, where the disease is still prevalent. Our Physiology and Health course contains a section on HIV/AIDS awareness, but if you want to learn even more, you can visit www.worldaidsday.org for more information.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Mark Twain
It’s November 30, and Mark Twain was born on this date in 1835. He was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens and lived much of his life in Hannibal, Missouri, where today you can visit his boyhood home and a museum containing many artifacts associated with him. Here’s another interesting fact about Twain: Halley’s Comet, which only comes around once every 75 years, appeared in the sky on the day he was born AND the day he died, which was April 21, 1910. The odds against that happening must have been astronomical, no pun intended. Twain’s most famous books are The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but you can read another of his classics if you enroll in our half-unit English 3: Selected American Classics course. The course contains Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Willa Cather’s My Ántonia; poetry by Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Robert Frost, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Langston Hughes and others; and short stories by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Washington Irving, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ambrose Bierce, Henry James, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe and Philip K. Dick among others. Emphasis is on reading for enjoyment and understanding through an analysis of the structure and themes of each work. In addition, the study guides for these works stress the development of specific writing skills, including writing synopses and descriptive sentences. In completing this course, among other activities, students prepare a synopsis, paraphrase passages, identify techniques used in descriptive passages, identify the rhyme and rhythm schemes of poems, and write a critical essay. What better way to celebrate Twain’s 176th birthday than to read one of his novels and earn high school credit in the process!
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Testimonial Tuesday
It’s November 29, and we’re making up for being off last Thursday by offering a testimonial today instead. Bethuel from Michigan “really loves the American School because I don’t need to worry about how early or late I can finish with the exams. The study guides were really helpful, and the instructors’ comments helped a lot too.” Bethuel’s comments touch on two things American School students love, namely the ability to work at their own pace and the handwritten, personalized comments our instructors write on every page of every exam. You can benefit from both of those things, in addition to our outstanding curriculum, if you enroll today!
Monday, November 28, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Cyber Monday
It’s November 28, the first Monday after Thanksgiving. In recent years, the first Monday of Thanksgiving has been known as Cyber Monday because many retailers, coming off the strong in-store sales of Black Friday a couple days ago, offer special deals to their online customers. The American School blog is celebrating Cyber Monday by highlighting some of the things our students, parents and school officials can do on our Web site (besides reading this blog every day, of course). Earlier this year we began offering online courses, and we are expanding our online course offerings all the time. You can enroll in either of our diploma programs or in our Independent Study program by using the appropriate online enrollment application. Finally, once you are enrolled, you can check your grades and academic progress by using our Online Student Center. We hope that these portions of our Web site will be of great use to you as you work toward your high school diploma.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Thanksgiving
It’s November 23, and tomorrow is Thanksgiving. For many people, that means turkey, football, shopping and the start of the holiday season. For us, it’s an opportunity to thank our students and the parents and school officials who work with us year-round. We are grateful that you’ve chosen the American School, and we hope that you are thankful for us as well. Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Denver
It’s November 22, and on this date in 1858, the city of Denver, Colorado, was founded. Each year the American School attends a number of conventions across the country, and one of the best conventions we’ve had was in 2007 in Denver. We are finalizing our 2012 convention schedule and look forward to posting it soon. Will we be returning to Denver next year? Keep checking our blog to find out!
Monday, November 21, 2011
American School Announces Thanksgiving Schedule
The American School will be closed Thursday, November 24, and Friday, November 25. Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving weekend!
Friday, November 18, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Regis Philbin Retires
It’s November 18, and earlier today Regis Philbin retired from hosting “Live! With Regis and Kelly”. It’s just one of the many show he’s hosted over years as he set a world record for most hours in front of a television camera. Several years ago, Regis hosted a game show that took America by storm. “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” featured a series of 15 trivia questions of increasing difficulty and increasing dollar value. When a contestant replied to a question, Regis would ask, “Is that your final answer?” and that phrase remains popular even today. We know you have a lot of options out there when you look for a distance education high school, but after you consider our curriculum, cost, credibility and caring student service, we believe your final answer will be the American School. You might not wind up a millionaire, but you’ll feel like a million bucks as you work toward your high school diploma the American way.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Christopher Paolini
It’s November 17, and one of our most famous graduates celebrates a birthday today. Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr, turns 28 years old today, and he got a nice early birthday present when his latest book, Inheritance, sold more than 500,000 on the day of its release last week. We are proud to count Christopher among our graduates and wish him a successful year ahead.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Coach K’s 903rd Win
It’s November 16, and last night Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski became the all-time Division 1 wins leader when the Blue Devils beat Michigan State, 74-69. The victory was the 903rd in Coach K’s career, but he only had 73 when he was hired at Duke in 1980. At his introductory press conference 31 years ago, Coach K spelled his last name for those reporters who were not famliar with him. Imagine those reporters’ surprise when he told them his name is pronounced Sha-shef-ski, which is nothing like his name is spelled. Coach K’s last name isn’t the only word in the English language whose pronunciation is much different than its spelling. In fact, there are more words like this than you realize, and our Spelling course can give you hints for spelling these tricky words successfully. You’ll also learn about root words, rules for forming the plurals of words and much more. You’ll be a big winner too if you enroll in this course and work toward your diploma with the American School, so get started today.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Geography Awareness Week
It’s November 15, and we’re in the middle of Geography Awareness Week, an initiative of the National Geographic Society. The American School offers Geography in both print and online forms, but this week is a great opportunity to do something special and enhance your work in those courses. You can complete virtual geographic missions by visiting http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/program/geographyawarenessweek/st/?ar_a=4. There, you’ll learn more about Geography Awareness Week and have access to a slew of interesting activities that will make your American School Geography course come to life in a whole new way.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Roger Apery
It’s November 14, and Roger Apery was born on this date in 1916. He was a mathematician who came up up with a theory involving powers of irrational numbers. This theory, naturally, is called Apery’s Theorem, and it’s a little too advanced for even the smartest American School student. We, however, have responded to those of you who wanted a more advanced math course added to our curriculum. Our Calculus course is one of our seven entirely online courses, so if you’re interested in a more advanced math course and meet all the academic requirements for enrollment, you can get started by sending an email to americanschoolonline@americanschool.org.
Friday, November 11, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Veterans Day
It’s November 11, and the American School is commemorating Veterans Day. Originally called Armistice Day in honor of the end of World War 1, today became known as Veterans Day in 1954. We are grateful to all veterans, living and deceased, for the sacrifices they made to keep America safe and free.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another testimonial from one of our students. Paul is “very grateful for the chance I had to study via correspondence as it has given me the chance to learn a broader range of subjects I would not have been able to study otherwise. The fact that I had to study by myself instead of at school taught me some very important lessons of self-motivation, as well as a love to learn without being forced.” Paul wrote those words to us from his home in Luxembourg. He is a perfect example of an international student who found academic success with us and a great reminder that, even though we have American in our name, we serve students all over the world.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
American School Celebrates National Distance Learning Week
It’s November 9, and we’re right smack dab in the middle of National Distance Learning Week. The American School has been a leader in distance education for more than a century, but over the years the ways in which we have provided distance education have changed. For the first 113 years of our history, we offered only correspondence courses. Earlier this year, though, we launched our first online courses. As we move closer toward 2012, we are working harder than ever to offer more courses online. You should see the fruits of our labors sometime in early 2012. NDLW is an event organized by the United States Distance Learning Association, of which the American School is a proud member. Visit http://www.usdla.org/ndlw/ for more information about this special week.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Christopher Paolini’s Latest Book On Sale Today
American School graduate Christopher Paolini’s latest book, Inheritance, is now on sale. His first three books, Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr, were huge hits and designed to be a trilogy, but Christopher discovered he had more tales to tell and wrote Inheritance, which completes the cycle. After you finish reading this blog, visit our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence, which has links to Christopher’s official Facebook page and to a bookstore Web site where you can order his books and watch videos of Christopher discussing his life and the process he goes through to write his best-sellers. We congratulate Christopher for his success and are proud to count him among our graduates.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Marie Curie
It’s November 7, and scientist Marie Curie was born on this date in 1867. She won Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry for her research in radioactivity, which included a theory of radioactivity and the discovery of two new elements: plutonium and radium. Her birthday is a perfect occasion to announce that the American School soon will have a Chemistry Lab course. Students won’t be working with any radioactive materials like Curie did, but they will have plenty of opportunities to perform safe activities which will bring science to life. We look forward to our Chemistry Lab course’s official release. Keep reading this blog for more details.
Friday, November 4, 2011
American School Honors Minnie Koske
If you’re an American School student, chances are your initial request for information and your enrollment application crossed the desk of Minnie Koske, who retired today after nearly 37 years of dedicated service. Minnie started in our Sales department and later becames its head, and in more recent years she led the Fulfillment department. Past and present American School employees honored her today at a luncheon, where she was joined by her family. We are grateful for Minnie’s 37 years of service and wish her good health and happiness in her retirement.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
American School Employees Receive Flu Shots
It’s November 3, and the American School celebrated Flu Shot Day 2011 earlier today. Each year, the Respiratory Health Association visits the American School to immunize those employees who wish to receive the flu vaccine. We are grateful to the RHA for helping us stay healthy this winter. Because of their inoculations, we will be able to serve our students more effectively in the coming months.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Cheerleading
It’s November 2, and on this date in 1898, University of Minnesota student Johnny Campbell stood up in front of the crowd at a Gopher football game and led them in saying, “Rah, Rah, Rah! Ski-u-mah, Hoo-Rah! Hoo-Rah! Varsity! Varsity! Varsity, Minn-e-So-Tah!” Thus, cheerleading was born. In the early days, cheerleading squads were all-male groups, but females joined teams in 1903, and most schools’ cheer squads have been co-ed ever since. We haven’t been able to find when the first costumed mascot with an enormous head joined the fun, but our blogger would love to know! In any case, we highlight cheerleading today because we think you’d have a lot to cheer about as an American School student. Past and present students have told us that they love working at their own pace, receiving personal feedback from their instructors, and working at home or wherever is convenient for them, just to name a few. Enroll today and you’ll discover your own reasons to cheer for the American School!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Stephen Crane
It’s November 1, and novelist Stephen Crane was born on this date in 1871. He wrote many short stories and poems and was even a journalist for a time, but by far his most famous work is The Red Badge of Courage, which is a novel set in Civil War times. Crane himself was never in the military, and yet that book is one of the most famous American novels ever written. You can read it for yourself and earn one unit of credit by taking our American Literature course. Visit the course descriptions and enrollment pages for more details.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Happy Halloween!
It’s October 31, and the American School is celebrating Halloween today. No employees are dressed in costume, though many are wearing orange and black to get in the spirit. We also don’t have any ghosts, goblins, witches or werewolves on staff, though in the 1960s we did have an employee by the name of Jack O. Brown, whose name resembles everyone’s favorite lighted pumpkin, the jack-o’-lantern. What we can offer to our students is a Halloween gift consisting of no tricks and plenty of treats. We won’t subject you to tricks like charging for transcript evaluations if you’re in the United States or additional fees for textbooks or shipping or extra supplies. All of those above services are free. Your treats will include accredited courses, the ability to work at your own pace, and the opportunity to go to the college of your choice or go straight into the workforce upon earning your diploma. We hope all of our students who are celebrating Halloween have a happy and safe day!
Friday, October 28, 2011
American School Announces November Convention Schedule
The American School will be on the road quite a bit during the month of November, attending four state school counselor conventions, including one in Alaska. The odyssey begins next week in Ohio when we attend the All-Ohio Counselors Conference in Columbus from November 3-4. A couple days later we will be in Kalamazoo on November 6-7 for the Michigan School Counselor Association Fall Conference. Then on November 10-11 we will travel to Indianapolis for the Indiana School Counseling Association Fall Conference. Finally we’ll head up north–way north–and attend the Alaska School Counselor Conference from November 16-18. We look forward to meeting counselors at each of these events and look forward to meeting even more people at conventions in 2012.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, and you know what that means: another testimonial from one of our students. Today’s comes from Tayler in Michigan, who writes, “The American School was so helpful. It’s better than sitting in a class. I understood everything, and I’m glad I took U.S. History because now my knowledge has increased and I’m very successful. Forcing myself to study on my own made me more responsible and eager to complete the tasks. It was an all-around learning experience. The American School is the way to go!” We are grateful for Tayler’s remarks and are pleased to provide students like Tayler the ability to complete innovative courses at their own pace in the comfort of their own home.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Pat Sajak
It’s October 26, and Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak turns 65 years old today. Longtime blog readers know that The Price is Right is mentioned in this blog more than any other game show. That’s partially because TPIR is our blogger’s favorite game show, but WOF is another staff favorite. In fact, our curriculum director never misses an episode, so we’re pleased to honor its host today. If there’s one thing players try to avoid on Wheel of Fortune, it’s landing on the Bankrupt wedge. The American School does not want you to go bankrupt, either, when you look for a distance education high school that will benefit you or your children. Our not-for-profit status helps us to keep costs to an absolute minimum. That’s why individual courses in our Independent Study program cost around $200 and a full, four-year high school diploma program consisting of 18 credits costs just $1399. That’s the best value in distance education, and you won’t need to win the bonus round on Wheel of Fortune to afford it. Visit the enrollment pages on this Web site to get started today!
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
American School Holds 114th Annual Meeting
The American School held its 114th Annual Meeting of trustees and corporate members earlier today. The meeting is a great opportunity to look back at the accomplishments of the past year and set goals for the weeks and months ahead. This year, there were many accomplishments to report. Some of them, such as improvements to our facility and upgrades to our internal computer system, aren’t seen by those who do not work here, but they are important because they allow us to provide better service to our students. Other changes are more visible. These include the seven online courses that debuted in 2011, and that number will expand in early 2012 with the debut of additional online courses. Those who attended the meeting were proud of what the American School accomplished in the past year but are more determined than ever to make 2012 and the years to come even better. We hope to have pictures from the annual meeting posted on the community page of this site, and you can read more about the meeting in a future edition of the All American newsletter.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek
It’s October 24, and Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was born on this date in 1632. He was a Dutch scientist who is considered the father of microbiology. His most famous accomplishment was developing the microscope into a valuable scientific tool. His original microscopes don’t look anything like the microscopes people use today, but they performed many of the same tasks. Students who enroll in our Biology Lab course do not receive a microscope in their lab kits, but they do receive a micro slide viewer, which performs many of the tasks a traditional microscope does and helps make biology come to life. We will soon introduce a Chemistry Lab course that we hope will be just as successful as our Biology Lab course. Today’s birthday honoree would be proud.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The USS Constitution
It’s October 21, and on this date in 1797 the USS Constitution was launched into Boston Harbor. Today, after serving in many wars and conflicts in the 19th century, the ship survives and remains as an educational and tourist destination in Boston Harbor, not too far from where the American School was founded exactly 100 years after this ship was launched. We are proud to have our roots in Massachusetts and proud to have served high school students across the country since 1897.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s Thursday, so it’s time for another testimonial from a satisfied student. “The Drawing Animals course taught me more about drawing than I could imagine,” said Michelle from Texas. “I’ve never enjoyed drawing, but the course gave me new confidence to keep practicing, and little by little my drawing has improved.” Students like Michelle now have the ability to receive more help in draawing courses than ever before thanks to new videos that have been uploaded to the Online Student Center. Even if you’re not taking an art course, stop by and view more than 500 career videos or download booklets that will be helpful to you as you begin thinking about college and the financial aid process. We are happy to provide the Online Student Center for our students and happy to hear that students like Michelle enjoy our courses.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
American School Student Has Olympic Dreams
The 2014 Winter Olympics will be here before we know it, and former American School student Alex Shibutani and his sister Maia have plans to make the U.S. ice dancing team and skate in Sochi, Russia. Read about their story at http://espn.go.com/espnw/more-sports/7116870/alex-maia-shibutani-make-ice-dancing-family-business.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Alaska Day
It’s October 18, and today is Alaska Day, which is the day Alaskans celebrate the official transfer of the territoy of Alaska from Russia to the United States in 1867. The American School has had a long affiliation with the Last Frontier. Many students who live in remote parts of the state use our General High School or College Preparatory program to help them graduate, and many schools in the state use our Independent Study program to help their students make up credits and graduate on time. We are excited meet some of them at the Alaska School Counselor Conference next month. Keep reading this blog to find out where else we will be in November.
Monday, October 17, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Boss’s Day
It’s October 17, and the American School is in the midst of observing Boss’s Day. Each year Boss’s Day is celebrated on October 16. Since that date fell on a Sunday this year, some departments chose to honor their bosses on Friday, while others are doing so today. This occasion is the perfect opportunity to take a look at the career of the American School’s founder and first boss, R.T. Miller. He was an educational pioneer of his day and wanted to make vocational and technical training more available for more Americans by offering correspondence courses. His idea was a huge success, and, within the first couple years of our existence, thousands of wage-earners signed up to receive additional training. The Armour Institute of Technology heard about the American School’s success and invited us to place our headquarters in Chicago for 5 years. That 5 years has turned into 109 years, since we have been based in Chicagoland since 1902. Two years after the move to Chicago, the American School exhibited at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, and in 1907, the American School moved into what would be its home for nearly 90 years, a building that still stands on the University of Chicago campus. In 1922, under Miller’s leadership, the American School began its Independent Study program which continues to serve thousands of schools around the country even unto today. Later in his tenure, the American School was one of the founding members of the National Home Study Council, and in 1945, after nearly a half-century of service, R.T. Miller retired. Thanks to his vision, the American School is one of the most respected home-study insitutions with a global student body. His successors as American School President, including most recently Gary R. Masterton, continue to be inspired by our founder and work hard to ensure R.T. Miller’s legacy continues for many years to come.
Friday, October 14, 2011
American School Expands Video Presence In Online Student Center
A week ago this blog announced the addition of the first video help sheet to the Online Student Center. Yesterday we added 500 more videos to the site. The career videos provide a brief visual introduction to the world of work and are especially useful for students in our Planning Your Career course. These videos have been made available courtest of the New Jersey Center for Occupational Employment Information (COEI) and were developed and distributed by them through a grant from America’s Labor Market Information System (ALMIS), a program of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA). Log into the Online Student Center with your code and password, look for the video camera symbol, and check out the career of your choice!
Today’s Birthday: Marie Osmond
It’s October 13, and Marie Osmond turns 52 years old today. Marie was one of several members of the Osmond family to atttend the American School, and we are proud to count them among our famous students. Even though we have had many famous students in our 114-year history, we treat every student in exactly the same way, whether he or she is famous or not. The personal attention we give students is one of the things they most enjoy about studying with us, and we’re confident you will enjoy that kind of personal care and service as well after you submit your online or paper enrollment application.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Day That Didn’t Exist
It’s October 12, and on this date in 1582 in Italy, Portugal, Poland and Spain, absolutely nothing happened. That’s because October 12, 1582 never existed in those countries. They were in the midst of transitioning from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar we currently use, and in the transition, some dates were lost. One advantage of making the American School your high school is that there are no lost days. That’s because you work entirely at your own pace. If that means that you want to devote a whole day to your job or other obligations and work on your courses another day, you can. If you want to devote a whole day to your American School work, you can do that. If you want to split your day between work and school, you can do that too. The choice is entirely yours. Don’t let today go by without making a decision that will benefit you for all your days. Become an American School student now!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
American School Staff Members Win Trivia Competition, Help Community
Six American School staff members won a trivia competition at a local high school last Saturday night, but the real winners were people in the community. The event helped fund emergency services such as shelter, food, clothing, emergency financial assistance, referral, benefits screening and short-term case management for residents of Chicago’s south suburbs. While we certainly are proud of our staff members for winning the competition, we are even more proud of them for helping us make a positive difference in our community.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: Columbus Day
It’s October 10, and today we’re observing Columbus Day. Columbus thought he was going to find a shortcut to the Orient when he set sail from Europe in 1492, but he found America instead. If you’re uncertain what’s ahead of you when you enroll with the American School, here’s what you can expect: innovative courses at a cost you can afford, backed up by caring student service and 114 years of credibility. Let today be the day you start navigating toward your high school diploma. Visit the enrollment pages to get started right away!
Friday, October 7, 2011
American School Posts First Video Course Help Sheet
Since 2007, thousands of students have visited our Online Student Center to check their grades and download course help sheets, but, until now, all of those help sheets were PDF documents. Thanks to our Curriculum department, the American School is pleased to offer our first video help sheet. The video help sheet, which is indicated by the small green icon of a film camera, will benefit students in any of our three drawing courses, but specifically will help students who are completing Exam 1 in Drawing Landscapes. The demonstrations in the video cover these skills: doing a rough sketch, warm-up exercises, enlarging to use the whole paper, how to use different line styles (gesture, scribbling, groping, and contour), deciding when to hard and soft lead pencils, and using line styles to capture a sense of movement in a drawing. We hope to produce more video help sheets in the future, but, for now, enjoy this one, and also check out two new PDF help sheets for drawing courses on the techniques of line styles and basic shapes.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
It’s another Testimonial Thursday, and today’s testimonial is from Samuel in New Mexico, who writes, “The American School’s study guides were one of the most practical tools I have ever used. I used it faithfully when I had to study for an examination. I also looked forward to my instructor’s comments and feedback on my exams. I was especially pleased when he or she praised me and wrote something encouraging about my essays.” We thank Samuel for his kind words. He makes two great points. First, the vast majority of our courses come with a study guide. The only ones that don’t are courses we create and write ourselves, but if a course uses a textbook written by one of the major textbook publishing companies, our Curriculum department creates a study guide containing discussions, self-check tests and unit exams. American School students who take full advantage of the study guides and use them wisely tend to do better on the unit exams than students who don’t do the self-check tests. Second, Samuel points out that our instructors write comments by hand on students’ exams. This has been our hallmark for many years and is one of the many ways we try to make distance education as personal as possible. See for yourself by enrolling today!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: PBS
It’s October 5, and on this date in 1970, PBS was launched. Most of us grew up with shows like Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street, and certainly children’s shows are a big part of the mission and programming of PBS, but let’s look at some of the other types of programming available on your local PBS station. You can watch fine arts shows like Great Performances or Masterpiece Theater. You can watch science shows like Nova. You can watch home improvement shows like This Old House. You can keep on top of public affairs by watching the NewsHour or Frontline. You can even watch old reruns of The Lawrence Welk Show! PBS is a great resource to supplement your American School courses, so keep them in mind as you work toward your high school diploma with us.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Rutherford B. Hayes
It’s October 4, and Rutherford B. Hayes, the 19th President of the United States, was born on this date in 1822. Hayes was a two-time governor of Ohio when he won the Repbulican nomination in 1876. He faced Samuel Tilden in the general election, and even though the Democrat won more popular votes, Hayes received more electoral votes and therefore won the White House. Hayes’ one-term presidency is best known for his work in civil service reform, and you can learn more about him by visiting his home, Spiegel Grove, which is located in Fremont, Ohio, right between Toledo and Cleveland. While you’re in Fremont, you can also visit his library, which is one of the first presidential libraries ever constructed. Presidential homes and libraries are located all around the country, usually in the president’s home state or on the campus of the university where the president attended college, so no matter where you are, it’s likely a presidential home or library is close by. Take advantage of them and visit them if you are able. You will get a first-hand look at history and learn more about the people who’ve led our country and their lives in and out of the White House.
Monday, October 3, 2011
New All American Newsletter Coming Soon
The American School will release a new All American newsletter in the next couple weeks, but we want your input on how we can make future newsletters even better. What types of stories–student profiles, instructor profiles, school news, etc.–would you like to see included? How often would you like to see the newsletter published? Send an email to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com or post on www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence and let us know what you think. We’ll take your ideas into consideration so that we can make the All American the best newsletter it can be.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
American School Releases New Independent Study Information
The American School has released a new Independent Study brochure and a new Independent Study enrollment application. These documents can be downloaded or accessed from the Independent Study portion of our Web site, or, if you are a school counselor and would like us to mail you and your school a supply, please contact our Independent Study Coordinator at asmail2@americanschoolofcorr.com, and your request will be processed shortly.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Babe Ruth’s 60th Home Run
It’s September 30, and on this date in 1927, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to hit 60 home runs in a season. Some people still regard that as the single-season record because Ruth hit 60 home runs in 154 games while, in 1961, Roger Maris hit 61 home runs in 162 games, not to mention the staggering home run totals of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds that were tainted by scandal. It’s appropriate that we highlight Ruth’s record today, not only because the baseball playoffs start this afternoon but also because we think you’ll find the American School to be a real home run too. We offer innovative courses, flexible tuition plans, caring student service and the ability for students to work entirely at their own pace. That’s a four-bagger you won’t find anywhere else. Visit the enrollment portion of this site to get started today, and you’ll have your first books by the time the World Series begins in a couple weeks.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Testimonial Thursday
Today the American School Blog is introducing a new feature. Occasionally on Tuesdays and Thursdays we’ll be posting a testimonials from one of the many students, parents or school officials who have used our courses to help them or their students earn their high school diplomas. Today’s testimonial comes from Eleanor from Texas, who writes, “The American School is in the process of upgrading its math and science textbooks, and the resulting new texts are amazing. The Algebra 1 and the Geometry are well organized, attractive, and thorough. The Biology and Earth Science courses are of a level used by our community college as well as attractive and in much more depth and detail than previous texts. The courses for the College Prep program now provide enough depth in each subject to prepare our students for any SAT/CLEP testing as well as college level work.” We are pleased that Eleanor and her students enjoy our new course materials, and we’re confident you will as well. Read our course descriptions to learn more about our 70 courses, and if you are ready to enroll, you can do that today, either by printing an application and mailing it to us or by filling out our interactive online application.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Confucius
It’s September 28, and Chinese philosopher Confucius was born on this date in 551 B.C. In honor of his birthday, here is a list of some of the most famous quotes attributed to him and found in his Analects. Read them and reflect upon how you might incorporate some or all of them into your life.
1. “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.”
2. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”
3. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
4. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”
5. “The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.”
6. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”
7. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”
8. “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”
9. “He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
10. “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Google
It’s September 27, and Google is celebrating its 13th birthday today. Where would we be without search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing? They help us navigate the Internet and find exactly what we’re looking for. Perhaps you used one of them to find www.americanschool.org. If so, thank you. We’re happy you’ve found us and we hope that you find useful information on every page of our site.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Jim Caviezel
It’s September 26, and actor Jim Caviezel turns 43 years old today. He is best known for his portrayal of the title character in The Passion of the Christ, but today you might see him on television as the start of the new series Person of Interest. One of our hallmarks at the American School is that we offer personal atttention in distance education. In other words, each of our students is a person of interest to our instruction staff. Our instructors call students by name, write personalized comments on their exams and take a genuine interest in seeing their students succeed. If you would like this similar kind of personal attention, now is the time to enroll. Visit the enrollment pages of this Web site and download an application to print, complete and mail to us, or better yet, enroll online and your application will be processed with 24 hours. We look forward to having you as a person of interest as you work toward your American School diploma.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: The First Day of Fall
It’s September 23, and the season of fall, sometimes more formally called autumn, began this morning. People associate lots of things with fall: leaves changing colors, football, pumpkins, cooler temperatures, and, most importantly, the start of school. If you are looking for the perfect day to begin your American School courses, today is the day. Start a new season with a new hope and a new goal: earning your high school diploma from the American School!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Today’s Special Occasion: The Last Day of Summer
It’s September 22, and, sadly, this is the last full day of summer. But here’s the good news: If you wanted to get started on your high school diploma this summer, you still have 24 hours to begin that process. Better yet, if you enroll today, you can get your diploma for just $1399, which includes all study materials. That price won’t last long and neither will summer, so get started today!
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: International Day of Peace
It’s September 21, and on this date in 1982, the second International Day of Peace was observed. If you’re wondering when the first International Day of Peace was held, it was on the third Tuesday in September of 1981. A year later, the United Nations moved it permanently to September 21, and so we’re commemorating its anniversary today. Even though we are called the American School, we are fortunate to have many international students taking courses with us. We welcome students from all over the world, whether they permanently live overseas or are just living abroad for a period of time. No matter where you are, if you need a high school diploma and want a great value and outstanding curriculum, you can enroll with us and have everything you want.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Christopher Paolini’s Latest Book On Sale November 8
A couple years ago, author and American School graduate Christopher Paolini visited the American School and signed Eragon, Eldest and Brisingr, which at the time was a complete trilogy. Now that he’s written Inheritance, we’re going to have to invite him back to sign a copy of his fourth book after it goes on sale November 8. Look for it wherever you buy books!
Monday, September 19, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Price is Right
It’s September 19, and today The Price is Right begins its 40th season on the air, which no doubt makes one American School employee very happy, especially if Cliff Hangers is on today’s show. American School students and parents tell us all the time that our price is right for them, and it’s true. You won’t find a better value for an accredited high school diploma through distance education. Think about this: our 18-unit diploma program costs just $1399 until October 1. That’s less than $80 per course, and tuition includes all study materials, grading of exams and access to the Online Student Center. We also have a variety of payment plans available so that you can pay for your high school education at a rate that is comfortable for you. Take a look around the rest of our Web site and learn what program is best for you. Then “come on down” and become our student by printing an application or enrolling online. You’ll be glad you did.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
It’s September 16, and scientist Albert Szent-Gyorgyi was born 118 years ago today. He discovered Vitamin C, which we know is so prevalent in citrus fruits such as oranges, and won the Nobel Prize in 1937. As you know, there are many differernt vitamins: Vitamin A, a whole series of Vitamin B’s, Vitamin C, Vitamin D and so on. American School students are concerned with other A’s, B’s, C’s and D’s because those are the letters we use in our grading scale. If you are in our diploma program, you’ll get an A if you score between 93 and 100 on a exam, a B if you score between 85 and 92, a C if you score between 76 and 84 and a D if you score between 65-75. If you are in the Independent Study program, the above grading scale applies except that 75 is the minimum passing grade. Any exam that is not passing will be considered a Partial, and your instructor will send back additional work for you to complete. For diploma program students, your final course grade is determined by averaging your unit exam scores. The same is true for Independent Study students whose school does not require them to take a final exam. If you’re an Independent Study student whose school requires you to take a final exam, that final exam is worth 50% of your grade, and the other 50% is determined by averaging your unit exam scores. Keep these grading scales and policies in mind as you study with us, and you’ll be on your way to good academic health.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The American School Blogger
It’s September 15, and on this date in 1998, I began my career at the American School. Back then, the American School didn’t have the type of Web presence we have today. We didn’t offer online courses, you couldn’t check your grades in the Online Student Center, you couldn’t enroll online, and we didn’t have a blog. So what did I do until this blog began in 2006? I started out grading a variety of English courses but later branched out to grade social studies courses too. Back then the size of the exams were smaller than they are now, and students and instructors had to fill out first page forms. Today, exams are standard size, and first page forms have been replaced by bar codes which allow us to better track your exam as it goes through the grading process. Near the end of my first year here, I was asked to do some work in the Curriculum department, and I liked writing study guides and exams so much that I remained there for the better part of the next decade while continuing to grade exams as well. When I first started in Curriculum, the staff was very small in number–just our curriculum director and two full-time assistants–but today the Curriculum department is larger than ever, in part because there is a greater need to update our print and online courses more rapidly than a decade ago, but moreso to take advantage of the vast expertise of our full-time and part-time Curriculum staff. Some are experts in science, some are experts in English, some are experts in design, and some are good at a little bit of everything. That combination has served our students well and will continue to do so in the future. About halfway through my time here, we began to expand our Internet presence, so I gave up grading exams to focus on computer projects alongside my Curriculum responsiblities. A couple years ago I bid farewell to full-time work in the Curriculum department and now devote most of my day to Internet, marketing and public relations endeavors, including planning and attending conventions across the country. Working at the American School has given me the opportunity to see places I wouldn’t normally visit, help students I will most likely never meet in person, and work with people who have had a great impact on my life. For all of those reasons and many more, I’m very grateful to have worked here the past 13 years, and I look forward to see what Year 14 has in store.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
American School To Attend Two Conferences
The American School is going on the road and attending conferences in Champaign, Illinois and Baton Rouge, Louisiana. First is the Illinois AdvancED Conference later this week. We are accredited by the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, and that organization is an accreditation division of AdvancED. Early next week we’ll be meeting counselors from the state of Louisiana at their annual conference. We look forward to talking with them about how our new online courses and Independent Study program can benefit them and their students.
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Bob Feller To Receive Lone Sailor Award
Former American School student Bob Feller posthumously will receive the United States Navy Memorial’s Lone Sailor Award at a September 22 banquet. According to the Navy Memorial’s Web site (www.navymemorial.org), “The Lone Sailor Award is given to Sea Service veterans who have excelled with distinction in their respective civilian careers while exemplifying the Navy core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. The 2011 award recipients will join an impressive list of men and women who have distinguished themselves by drawing upon their military experience to become successful in their subsequent careers and lives, while exemplifying the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment.” Other 2011 recipients include actors Lloyd, Beau and Jeff Bridges, C-SPAN founder and CEO Brian Lamb and former baseball player and current broadcaster Jerry Coleman. Past recipients include former Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and George H.W. Bush.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Battle of Marathon
It’s September 12, and on this date in 490 BC, the legendary Battle of Marathon took place. 2500 years ago, Persians invaded Greece, and the Athenians, though smaller in number, defeated their invaders and held on to the city of Marathon. Legend has it that a messenger named Philippides ran 25 miles from Marathon to Athens to declare victory and then dropped dead right after his announcement. That’s not an accurate tale, but the story of a man running 25 miles has captured the minds of millions of people over the years, and today runners compete in marathons of 26.2 miles, a distance that was established nearly 2400 years after the first Marathon run. If you’re a marathon runner, you know that you need to pace yourself so that you can cover the entire 26.2 miles. Similarly, American School students have to pace themselves as they study. The difference is that, while marathon runners normally go at a pretty steady pace, American School students go entirely at their own pace. If you want to work quickly in a subject, you can. If you want to take more time, you can. The choice is yours. The only requirement is that you reach the finish line and earn your diploma in no more than 4 years. If you finish earlier, that’s fine. American School students love working at their own pace, and we’re confident you will too. Enroll today and get your high school studies off and running!
Friday, September 9, 2011
Attend School in Chicagoland? Have the American School Visit Your School!
This blog is the flip side of yesterday’s, when we invited students and their families to tour the American School when they’re in Chicagoland. This time, we’re inviting ourselves to local high schools to meet with counselors and other school officials. With the new school year underway, and with the American School now having a new Web site and a new array of online courses, this is the perfect time for us to meet in person with people who use our Independent Study program. If you’re a student or counselor at a Chicagoland high school, send an email to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com if you’re interested in us coming out to your school. We’d love to meet you and show you how the American School can benefit your school.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Near Chicago? Visit the American School!
Last Friday the American School welcomed one of our students and her parents to our offices and gave them a tour of the building. It’s a rare treat for us to see students and parents in person, especially those who live in Alabama, but they were traveling to Chicagoland for a special event and decided to visit us, and we are glad they did. Whether you live near our headquarters in Lansing, Illinois, a far south suburb of Chicago, or just happen to be passing through town, the American School invites you to visit our office and see our school. Students and parents are always surprised when they visit us and see how the entire operation works, and we’re confident that you, like our guests from Alabama, will have an educational and enjoyable visit.
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: ESPN
It’s September 7, and on this date in 1979, ESPN went on the air for the first time. For any sports fan, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without ESPN showing games and highlights 24-7, so in honor of ESPN’s anniversary, let’s take a look at some American School students who have been on ESPN or who would have been on ESPN had the network existed when they were in their primes. We talked last week about all the tennis players we’ve had as our students, and Andre Agassi, Mary Pierce, Anna Kournikova and our latest prodigy, Anna Tatishvili, certainly have appeared on the network during their careers. Wilson Chandler is an NBA player, and he’s been featured on ESPN during his games with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets. Earlier this year ESPN planned a Pastranathon in honor of Travis Pastrana and his attempt to compete in the X-Games and in a Nascar race on the same weekend, and you can expect to see much more of him in the future as his star grows. But perhaps the American School student that would’ve gotten the most coverage of all on ESPN had it been on the air when he was pitching was Cleveland Indians great Bob Feller. He threw three no-hitters and won 266 games during his Hall of Fame career and would’ve gotten as much publicity as many of today’s top hurlers. We are proud to have so many athletes among our students, but they represent just a tiny fraction of the students we serve. If you’re an American School student with a unique talent or if you know an American School student doing good things, let us know. Send an email to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com and tell us about him or her. We may even feature that student on our Web site and in our newsletter!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Jeff Foxworthy
It’s September 6, and comedian Jeff Foxworthy turns 53 years old today. These days he hosts “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?” which asks adults to answer questions that are difficult for them but easy for classroom of fifth graders. We believe our students would have no problem succeeding on the show. That’s because we challenge our students by providing them with content-rich courses in a variety of disciplines. A quick visit to our course descriptions will give you a taste of the depth of courses we have in such broad subject areas as English, math, science and social studies. Indeed, your child will be far smarter than a fifth grader and in many cases will be smarter than the average high school student thanks to the combination of course content and the ability to work at his or her own pace. Visit our enrollment pages to get started today!
Friday, September 2, 2011
American School Celebrates College Colors Day
Today the American School joined with countless other schools and businesses around the country to celebrate College Colors Day. College Colors Day started a few years ago as an effort to get people to show pride in their favorite school as the college football season begins. So far today around the office we’ve seen people wearing the colors of Eastern Illinois, LSU, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue and Trinity Christian, just to name a few. If you’re an American School student, you can rest assured that your diploma will be recognized at those schools and many many more because of our accreditation with AdvancED. The American School is proud of our accredited status and all of our students, whether they choose to go on to college or enter the workforce. And speaking of working and laboring, we’ll be closed Monday for Labor Day, but we’ll be open and have another blog posted on Tuesday.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Dr. Phil
It’s September 1, and Dr. Phil turns 61 years old today. You’ve probably seen him giving advice on his television show, which begins its 10th season later this month, so here are some helpful tips for our students. First, remember that you can work entirely at your pace, whenever and wherever you want. That means if you want to take longer on a subject, you can. If you want to take shorter on a subject, you can. If you want to work in the morning, you can. If you want to work in the middle of the night, you can. The choice is entirely yours. As you progress in your courses, remember to read the study guides and do the self-check tests. Many times the material on the self-check tests will foreshadow the material on the unit exams that you submit to the American School for grading, so it’s in your best interest to do them and check your answers in the back of the study guide. Finally, after you get your graded exam back in the mail, be sure to review it carefully. All of our instructors will correct any questions you got wrong and will write detailed, personalized feedback on your exam. Reading their suggestions and putting them into practice on future exams will benefit you greatly. Follow these three pieces of advice, and you’ll be well on your way to success as an American School student!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Lewis and Clark Expedition
It’s August 31, and on this date in 1803, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set sail from Pittsburgh on what would be a three-year journey across the western United States, exploring territory recently acquired in the Louisiana Purchase and finally settling in Oregon. Even though they had the best maps possible and and a Native American girl named Sacagawea traveling with them, they still didn’t know for sure what to expect on their long journey. You might be feeling the same way about homeschooling. You’re ready to enroll, or maybe you’ve already sent in your application, but you don’t know exactly what to expect since you have never tried homeschooling before. Here are some things to put you at ease about your experience with the American School. You can rest assured that you are earning your high school diploma from an accredited school. You can also be sure that you are receiving innovative and interesting curriculum, with textbooks written by major textbook publishing companies and study guides written by the American School’s outstanding curriculum department. Our instructors will not only grade your exams by hand, but they also are available each day to help you with questions should you call. And finally, the American School’s Online Student Center gives students and parents access to academic records, help sheets and links to helpful homework Web sites day or night. So even though you might be beginning your homeschooling journey by yourself, you’re never really alone. We’re here to guide you every step of the way, from the day you submit your application until the day we send you your diploma!
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Ernest Rutherford
It’s August 30, and British scientist Ernest Rutherford was born on this date 140 years ago. His contributions to chemistry and physics are too numerous to list here in their entirety, so let’s just mention a few of them. He won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his research on elements’ half-lives and radiation. Later he proposed his own model of the atom. This appropriately-named Rutherford model, which proposed, among other things, that an atom’s positive charge is located in a central position called the nucleus, is still studied in science courses today. Later he split the atom and coined the term “proton” which is what we call the positive charge floating around an atom’s nucleus. Finally, Rutherford discovered an entirely new element which was eventually called, you guessed it, rutherfordium. You can learn more about the things Rutherford researched by taking our Chemistry and Physics courses. We can’t guarantee that you’ll discover a new element to name after yourself, but we can guarantee that you’ll become more aware of the world around you and earn a valuable credit as you work toward your diploma!
Monday, August 29, 2011
U.S. Open Tennis Underway in New York
The U.S. Open is underway in New York, and American School students and graduates have had great success in this event. Andre Agassi won the tournament in 1994 and 1999, and Mary Pierce was runner-up in 2005. Hoping to continue the tradition this year is Anna Tatishvili, who reached the second round at Wimbledon this summer and is hoping for even better results this time around. She opens play tomorrow against 17th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyucehnkova, and we are excited to track her progress throughout the tournament.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Illinois Statehood
It’s August 26, and on this date in 1818, Illinois became the 21st state. We are proud to call Illinois our home for more than a century now, but the American School, as our name implies, is a nationwide option for students who wish to earn their high school diploma while studying at home. Actually, we’re more than just a nationwide school since we have many overseas students who are choosing to study the American (School) way. As we continue to add online courses to our curriculum, it’ll be even easier to study wherever you are and whenever you want, whether you’re overseas, across the country, or right here in Illinois!
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Regis Philbin
It’s August 25, and Regis Philbin turns 80 years old today. He’s perhaps best-known as the host of “Live!” first with Kathie Lee Gifford and now with Kelly Ripa, but in 1999 his career took a bit of a different path when he became host of a prime time game show that would captivate the nation. As host of “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” Regis quizzed contestants from all over the country, and phrases like “fastest finger” and “Is that your final answer?” became part of American jargon. We can’t guarantee that earning your high school diploma from the American School will turn you into a millionaire, but we can guarantee that you will earn more money over the course of your lifetime as a high school graduate than if you did not have your diploma. Take a look around our Web site and discover how we can help you. We’re confident that we’ll be your “final answer” when it comes to choosing the distance learning high school that’s right for you.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
American School Renews Accreditation With Better Business Bureau
The American School recently renewed its accreditation with the Better Business Bureau–Chicago and Northern Illinois Chapter. This marks our 77th consecutive year of BBB accreditation. We are proud to be in a long-standing relationship with the Better Business Bureau and work hard to ensure that our students and their parents, as well as the school officials with whom we work, are completely satisfied with our services.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Online Student Center/Counselor Office Updates
We’re in the process of making a few updates to our Online Student Center and Online Counselor Office. For starters, you might have noticed that you can access either site by clicking the “Student Center/Counselor Office” link at the top right of our home page. Students and counselors now have access to a new homework Web site, and we’ve made some other improvements that we hope will make the site easier to use for counselors. If you have any suggestions for making the Online Student Center, Online Counselor Office, or our Web site in general better, email them to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com or post your thoughts on our Facebook page.
Monday, August 22, 2011
American School Attends ICP World Convention in Toronto
If you’re a regular blog reader, then you know that the American School goes to several education conventions a year. Many of these conventions are for homeschoolers, some are for school counselors, and a select few are for principals or other school administrators. Even though the conventions are for different groups of people, all of them have been held in the United States–until last week. The American School attended the International Confederation of Principals World Convention in Toronto. The event drew principals from as far away as Nigeria and Kenya, and the United Nations of people who stopped by our booth were impressed to learn that our diploma is accepted worldwide. We have two conventions in September, and both are back in the United States. Keep reading this blog to learn the specific dates and locations!
Friday, August 19, 2011
American School Nominated for BBB Torch Award
The American School has been nominated for the Better Business Bureau Torch Award, which recognizes excellence in business ethics and integrity. We are grateful for the nomination and are proud to have a long-standing relationship with the BBB.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
American School Attends Homeschool Day at Six Flags Great America
For the fourth consecutive year, the American School participated in Homeschool Day at Six Flags Great America located between Chicago and Milwaukee. We were excited to see the park full of people, including several who took time away from going on rollercoasters and flumes to visit our table instead. We hope to attend Homeschool Day in 2012, but we have a busy convention schedule between now and then. Keep reading this blog to find out where we’ll be next!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
College Plans of American School Scholarship Winners
One of the questions we’re most often asked is if colleges and universities accept our diploma. Thanks to our accreditation, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, but sometimes people go a step further and ask what specific schools have accepted our students. What better way to answer that question than to list the schools our scholarship winners plan to attend. Though is is just a small sample of the colleges and universities that have accepted our students, you’ll agree that the following list is both impressive and diverse. The schools are Rutgers, Excelsior College, BYU, Washington University in St. Louis, Arizona State, Liberty, East Central College, Montana State, Georgia Highlands College, Adams State College, Oklahoma, Spokane Community College, Pikes Peak Community College, Linn-Benton Community College, Idaho State, Kansas and New Mexico State. Be sure to read upcoming issues of the All-American newsletter to learn more about these students and their future plans.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
American School Releases Updated Print Version of English 4 Course
Last week we told you about our new English 1 course, but today we’re pleased to release a brand new version of our popular English 4: Composition and Grammar course. The textbook for this half-unit course is from the same family of textbooks that we’re using in our new English 1 course, and we’re confident students will enjoy it very much. This change applies only to the print version of English 4. The online version of English 4 remains the same. You can learn more about both versions by reading their detailed descriptions elsewhere on this site.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Amos Alonzo Stagg
It’s August 16, and legendary college football coach Amos Alonzo Stagg was born on this date in 1862. He coached for more than 56 years and won two national championships, but read this list of innovations that he brought to the game, and you’ll see that he was much more than just a good game coach. He is credited with helping to institute the forward pass, the center snap, the linebacker position, padded goal posts, and many more things that today’s football fans take for granted. Stagg won his national championships at the University of Chicago, whose football field is appropriately named after him. That stadium is located just north of the American School’s old building, which still stands on the University of Chicago campus. That building was our home for nearly 90 years, and we are proud to have been based in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago for much of our existence.
Monday, August 15, 2011
American School Releases Updated Geometry Course
The American School is pleased to have a brand new version of our Geometry course. The course still has 12 exams and still is worth one unit of credit, but students who take the course now will have the benefit of a brand new textbook and will be able to master geometric concepts in a different way. Visit our Course Descriptions page to learn more!
Monday, August 15, 2011
Jessica Alba Gives Birth
Former American School student Jessica Alba became a mother for the second time over the weekend when she gave birth to daughter Haven Garner Warren. Congratulations to Jessica, her husband, Cash Warren, and their older daughter, Honor Marie Warren, on their new bundle of joy!
Friday, August 12, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Sewing Machine
It’s August 12, and on this date in 1851, Isaac Singer received a patent for his sewing machine. The American School recommends that you have a sewing machine if you plan to take our Clothing course, but even if you don’t have access to one, you can still take the course and complete the final sewing project by other means. In addition to acquiring some basic sewing skills, you’ll also learn how to take care of your wardrobe, including how to pick the right colors and styles for your body type and how to redesign or recycle certain items to give them and yourself an entirely new look. Clothes might make the man (or woman), but our Clothing course could help make you a high school graduate, and a high school diploma never goes out of style!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
American School Releases Updated English 1 Course
The American School is pleased to release a brand new version of our popular English 1: Composition and Grammar course. The half-unit course still has six exams, but students who take this new version of the course will work with a brand new textbook and learn the material in an entirely new and exciting way. Go to our Course Descriptions page to learn more about this new version of English 1, and, if it strikes your fancy, enroll today and be among the first to take this updated course!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The Louvre
It’s August 10, and on this date in 1793, the Louvre, perhaps the most famous art museum in the world, opened its doors for the first time. Before it became an art museum, the Louvre was first a fortress and then an imperial palace for hundreds of years. It was during the French Revolution, though, that the new French leaders kicked out the king and queen and decided that the massive structure would best be used as a place where French citizens can view works of art. It’s been that way now for the past 218 years. The Louvre houses more than 380,000 pieces of art and displays 35,000 of them at any one time. Among the most famous are Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the Venus de Milo and Michelangelo’s Dying Slave. There is even a separate wing for the magnificent crowns worn by the French kings and queens when they were in power. If you’re ever in Paris, be sure to devote at least a day to exploring the Louvre and all its treasures. You won’t leave disappointed.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
American School Attends Social Media Conference
Today the American School attended a conference on social media. The presenters taught us new ways to use Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites and were impressed that we blog once a day. Now that the conference is over, we plan to put what we learned into practice, so look for some different things on our Facebook page and on our Twitter feed in the near future!
Monday, August 8, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Roger Federer
It’s August 8, and Roger Federer, perhaps the greatest tennis player of all-time, is 30 years old today. He didn’t attend the American School, but we’ve had several famous tennis players study with us over the years. The most accomplished of them is Andre Agassi, who won eight Grand Slam titles and an Olympic gold medal. Anna Kournikova, who is perhaps better known for her looks than for her tennis game, was also our student, as was Mary Pierce, who won a pair of Grand Slam titles. Other notable tennis pros/American School students include Andrea Jaeger, Kathy Horvath and Phillip Simmonds. These tennis stars had smashing results as our students, but they’re not alone. We’re proud to serve students with any number of talents. Check out our Community page to learn more about some of them!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Lucille Ball
It’s August 5, and actress and comedienne Lucille Ball was born 100 years ago tomorrow. She, of course, had the title role in I Love Lucy, so in honor of that show and her 100th birthday, let’s look at some of the things our students love about the American School. Many students love the textbooks and study guides they use in their classes. Others appreciate the handwritten feedback our instrcutors write on their exams. Still others like learning new things in any of our 70 courses. But far and away, the thing our students love best about us is that we allow them to work entirely at their own pace. Working at their own pace allows our students to put forth their best effort in all their classes, and that works for them and for us, since we want all of our students to succeed. Enroll now. We’re confident you’ll love the American School too!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Today’s Birthday: Barack Obama
It’s August 4, and President Barack Obama turns 50 years old today. Though this blog does not take political sides, we do agree with his “Yes We Can” motto when it comes to your high school education. Yes we can give you innovative curriculum. Yes we can give you friendly and efficient customer service. Yes we can assure that your cost will be kept to a minimum. Yes we can assure that you’ll be earning your diploma from an accredited institution. Finally, yes we can help you develop a “yes we can” attitude of your own by providing you with the education you need to be successful in college or in the workforce. Get started now!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: Columbus Sets Sail From Spain
It’s August 3, and on this date in 1492, Christopher Columbus and his ships, the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria, set sail from Spain. More than two months later, after a very long and sometimes very difficult journey, they discovered North America. Sometimes the most difficult part of making a journey of any kind, whether an overseas voyage or a more personal quest to reach one of your important goals, is just finding the wherewithal to get started. You’ve heard the Confucius saying, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” You can begin your journey toward a bright future by taking the single step of enrolling in the American School’s General High School or College Preparatory diploma programs. When you visit the enrollment section of this Web site, you’ll be asked to give us some basic information before proceeding to the applications. You can download and print an application if you choose to enroll through the mail, or you can enroll online using our live interactive enrollment application. Filling out either form and sending it to us is the first step in one of the most important journeys of your life, getting your high school diploma, so take that first step and enroll today!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: The United States Census
It’s August 2, and on this date in 1790, the first United States Census was taken. It’s been taken every ten years since then, the most recent happening last year. It’s important for everyone to be counted in a census. Without full participation, the government cannot properly determine congressional districts or allocate proper funding for many of its programs. If the American School were to conduct a census and count the number of students we have served in our 114-year history, the total would be more than 3 million students. As you might guess, some of our students have the same first and last names. That’s one reason why each student has a unique student number. Student numbers make it easier for us to track our students in our internal record system. Therefore, if you’re a current student, you should write your student number on every exam you send us. Also include your student number on any other written or electronic mail you send us. Finally, be sure to have your student number handy if you call us for any reason. And if you’re not a current student but would like a student number of your own, you need to do one simple thing: enroll in either of our diploma programs or in our Independent Study program! We’d love to count you among our students!
Monday, August 1, 2011
Today’s Anniversary: MTV
It’s August 1, and on this date in 1981, MTV debuted as a cable television network. People who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s know that, at its beginning, MTV really was music television, as its name implies. The channel showed music videos, had weekly top 20 video countdowns and aired interviews with musicians. At some point, though, the station evolved into showing more game shows and reality shows, one of which is True Life. That show once featured an American School student discussing his experiences with homeschooling. We were grateful for this national exposure and look forward to enrolling more students who will find us to be music to their ears!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Important Change for Pre-Algebra
If you are scheduled to take Pre-Algebra but have NOT received your study materials yet, please read the following information carefully.
The publisher of the Pre-Algebra textbook has informed us that they are discontinuing printing the textbook. Therefore, we cannot offer Pre-Algebra as a correspondence course to you at this time. We do offer Pre-Algebra as an online course. Because of the costs involved in offering online courses, however, we must make an additional charge of $190 if you wish to take the online version of Pre-Algebra.
If the above situation applies to you, please call our Student Service department to let us know if you prefer to replace Pre-Algebra with another elective or if you would like to enroll in the online version of Pre-Algebra.
Again, this blog applies only to those students who have enrolled in Pre-Algebra but have NOT received study materials. If you enrolled in Pre-Algebra and have your textbook and other study materials, you don’t need to do anything.
Thank you for your understanding.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Travis Pastrana’s Big Weekend Thrown Off Track
Of the more than three million students who have gotten their high school diplomas with the help of the American School, few have been in the news these days more often than Travis Pastrana. The extreme sports star is branching out into more mainstream Nascar this year, and this weekend those two worlds were going to intersect. He planned to compete in the X Games in Los Angeles, then fly to Indianapolis to compete in a Nascar event and then fly back to LA for more X Games events. Instead, he sufffered a broken foot and broken ankle in his first X Games event and is out for the weekend. We wish Travis a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in action again soon.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
July 27 Birthday: Bugs Bunny
It’s July 27, and on this date in 1940, Bugs Bunny made his cartoon debut in a feature called A Wild Hare. Since then he’s gone on to appear in countless television shows and movies, and he was even voted the greatest cartoon character of all time in a 2002 TV Guide survey! It’s not uncommon to see a costumed version of Bugs Bunny at Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, Illinois. In fact, a few years ago when the American School visited the park for its Homeschool Day, we got Bugs Bunny to pose with some American School signs and promotional items. This year Six Flags Great America will host Homeschool Day on Thursday, August 18. The park is open to the general public that day, but there will be special events planned for homeschool students and their families, so be sure to stop by our table after going on your favorite log ride or roller coaster and learn how we can help you earn your high school diploma!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Convention Reminder
A quick reminder that the American School will be in booth 806 at this weekend’s Southeast Homeschool Expo in Atlanta. The following weekend we’ll be in booth 418 at the Chicago Homeschool Expo. Scroll down to our July 19 blog to read more about each convention.
Monday, July 25, 2011
July 25 Anniversary: Transatlantic Two-Way Radio Broadcast
It’s July 25, and on this date in 1920, the first transatlantic two-way radio broadcast took place. Less than a century later, we can communicate with people overseas in many more ways, and thanks to the Internet, some of the forms of communication are instantaneous. To the best of our knowledge, the American School has never offered a radio-only course, though we do offer tapes and CDs in foreign language courses so that students can hear the words they are studying. Our newest way of offering courses to students is designed to take full advantage of the latest technology. Visit the online courses page of our web site to learn more about our seven online courses. While you’re reading descriptions of each of them, be sure to read the online course requirements document that is also on the online courses page. We hope that our students will take full advantage of this new and exciting way to learn!
Friday, July 22, 2011
July 22 Birthday: Emma Lazarus
It’s July 22, and Emma Lazarus was born on this date in 1849. She is best-known for writing the poem “The New Colossus” which is on the base of the Statue of Liberty. The poem refers to the Statue of Liberty welcoming immigrants to America’s shores and indicates that America will accept them regardless of their background. Similarly, the American School is open to people of all backgrounds. Our affordable tuition and flexible payment schedule ensure that cost will not get in the way of earning a high school diploma, and, in addition, we are able to service foreign students who desire to earn their high school diplomas through us. No matter where you live or what your background is, let us welcome you into the American School family and help you earn your high school diploma!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
July 21 Anniversary: Man Walks On The Moon
It’s July 21, and on this date in 1969, the headline in every American newspaper triumphed Apollo 11′s landing on the moon a day earlier. Today, astronauts would tweet from the moon’s surface as soon as they walk on it, but back then, there was no internet or social media. People had to rely on television and newspapers for all of their news, and this was one of the biggest news stories of the 1960s. In fact, man landing on the moon was one of those “I’ll always remember where I was when I heard or saw…” moments that only come around every so often. A similar seminal moment is the day you graduate from high school. People never forget the circumstances or events of that day, and yours can be unforgettable too if you earn the American School’s accredited diploma. We’ll send you a tassel along with your diploma so that you can celebrate your achievement in style. The only way you can have an out-of-this-world experience like this is to enroll in our General High School or College Preparatory diploma program today!
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Special Announcement Regarding Online Student Center Passwords
Special announcement: If your student number is between 1110784 and 1110828, it’s likely you received a dud Online Student Center password. We apologize for this error and will send out a fresh batch of new working passwords today.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 20 Birthday: Gregor Mendel
It’s July 20, and scientist Gregor Mendel was born on this date in 1822. He did many experiments with pea plants that helped lead to the modern science of genetics. The American School’s Biology course can give you a taste of what it was like for Mendel when you participate in several safe and educational lab experiments right in your own home. All of the experiments can be done using the materials provided in your lab kit and by making one trip to your local supermarket or discount store for other supplies. If you do not wish you do lab work, you can still take the Biology course. Either way, you’ll learn more about science and move one step closer to your American School diploma!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
American School To Attend Two Homeschool Conventions
The American School is pleased to announce plans to exhibit at two upcoming homeschool conventions. We will be in booth 806 at the Southeast Homeschool Expo in suburban Atlanta. Visit us there on Friday, July 29, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A week later, we will be in booth 418 at the Chicago Homeschool Expo in Schaumburg, IL. Visit us there on Friday, August 5, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, August 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We look forward to introducing you to the American School and our new online courses as well as answering any questions you might have about earning your American School diploma.
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 18 Anniversary: Disneyland
It’s July 18, and on this date in 1955, Disneyland opened to the public for the first time. When people think of Disney parks, their first thoughts naturally turn to Florida and all the Disney properties down there, but in reality, the two most famous parks at Walt Disney World didn’t open until 1971 (the Magic Kingdom) and 1982 (Epcot). On the occasion of Disneyland’s opening, Walt Disney said, “To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.” The American School has been helping youth savor the challenge and promise of the future for the past 114 years. Our interesting and innovative curriculum will prepare you for college or the career of your choice, and when your diploma arrives, the happiest place on earth won’t be Disneyland. It will be your home! The only way to get your American School diploma is to enroll, and you can do that today by going to the enrollment portion of this Web site!
Friday, July 15, 2011
July 15 Birthday: Clement Moore
It’s July 15, and literature professor Clement Moore was born on this date in 1779. You’ve probably heard of Christmas in July sales that department stores run this time of year, but today this blog is literally celebrating Christmas in July by honoring Moore. He wrote the poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas” for his children, and it was published anonymously in 1822. It was more than 20 years later that Moore acknowledged he was the author of the poem that you might know better by its opening verse, “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” You can read more examples of American poetry by taking our Literature 3: Selected American Classics course. This half-unit course includes several of the best books, poems and short stories this country has ever produced. Taking the course also brings you one step closer to something even better than a Christmas present, namely your high school diploma. Enroll now!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
July 14 Anniversary: Bastille Day
It’s July 14, and on this date in 1789, French citizens stormed the Bastille, which was a centuries-old prison in Paris and a sign of the power held by French kings and queens. Even though only seven prisoners were inside the Bastille and subsequently freed that day, the storming of the Bastille kicked off the French Revolution, which ultimately led to a completely new government for France. Today the country celebrates Bastille Day as a national holiday, and if you want to celebrate too (and not just by eating French food) then consider taking our French 1 or French 2 courses. Both courses will give you a great foundation in the French language, and both courses have tapes and CDs of people speaking French available to help you in your studies. There’s no more appropriate day than today to begin your study of French, so head over to our enrollment page and get started!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 13 Birthday: Julius Caesar
It’s July 13, and our birthday/anniversary blogs are back. Everyone knows that Julius Caesar died on the Ides of March (March 15) but not many people know that he was born on this date in 100 B.C. You might think that Julius Caesar and the Latin language itself are so ancient that they have no relevance in today’s world, but that’s not the case. During the Gallic War, Caesar wrote very detailed accounts of his military strategies and equally detailed descriptions of the lands and peoples he was conquering. Two thousand years later, his commentaries on the Gallic War are still considered one of the finest examples of first-hand war-time literature ever produced, and many of today’s generals and military leaders read Caesar’s words to help them prepare for military campaigns of their own. The Latin language itself can benefit people who are interested in careers in law or medicine, but even if you don’t plan on becoming a lawyer or doctor, you can improve your English vocabulary immensely by taking Latin. You’ll find that many English words are derived directly from Latin, and by translating sentences from Latin to English and vice versa, you will become better acquainted with the English language too. The American School offers a Latin 1 course that will give you great instruction in the Latin language with a bit of Roman history and culture sprinkled in. Read more about it on our Course Descriptions page or head over to the enrollment page if you are ready to sign up today.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Be an All-Star
It’s July 12, and tonight the Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played in Phoenix. The All-Star Game is sort of an anniversary for this blog because one of our very first blogs was about the 2006 All-Star Game. That blog described how the American School can help you be an all-star in whatever field you choose to pursue. A lot has changed since that original blog, namely this new Web site and our ever-expanding lineup of online courses, but our commitment to quality education remains the same. Our College Preparatory program can get you ready for attending the university of your choice while our General High School program is perfect if you are ready to join the workforce shortly after graduation. Both programs give you the opportunity to work entirely at your own pace. Visit the enrollment portion of this Web site to get started today.
Friday, July 8, 2011
What’s New on Our New Web Site
Our new Web site continues to get positive reviews, but in case you haven’t had a chance to explore it in great detail yet, here’s some of the new features that are now available. The Online Courses tab gives you descriptions of our seven online courses. We’re adding more online courses all the time, but be sure to visit this page right now and see if any of them interest you. The Contact Us page also has changed. If you’re a prospective student, there is a space for you to ask us a specific question before submitting your information. While current students also can use this form, we ask that you call us at 708-418-2800 for faster service. The American School Community page is brand new. For now, that’s where you’ll find bios of some of our famous students and graduates, but we plan on posting a variety of news items on that page, so check it often. Finally, you might notice a “Live Chat” button on our home page. These chats will be information sessions for prospective students. Dates and times will be announced soon. If you have feedback on our new Web site, we’d love to hear it. Comment on our Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence, or email us at followup@americanschoolofcorr.com.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Welcome to the New American School Web Site!
Yesterday afternoon we launched our new Web site. We hope you’ll find it informative and easy to navigate. Please be aware that there may be some bugs during the first few days and weeks of our new site. Our technical department is working diligently to identify these bugs and fix them as quickly as possible so that everyone can enjoy a better Web experience.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
American School Holds 73rd Annual Scholarship Meeting
Yesterday the American School held its 73rd annual scholarship meeting. The scholarship committee had a very difficult time selecting 18 winners from a group of more than 100 very qualified applicants. Winners will be notified shortly. To date, the American School has awarded more than $700,000 in post-secondary scholarships to our graduates, and information on entering next year’s scholarship competition will be available later this year or in early 2012.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
June 15 Anniversary: Arkansas Statehood
It’s June 15, and on this date in 1836, Arkansas became the 25th state in the union. We have students from all 50 states and from countries all over the world, but recently we’ve noticed that more and more schools in Arkansas are using the American School for credit recovery for their students. For this, we are very grateful. On this 175th anniversary of Arkansas becoming a state, we invite you to learn more about Arkansas’s government by visiting www.arkansas.gov and to learn more about the many tourist attractions in Arkansas by visiting www.arkansas.com .
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
June 14 Anniversary: The American Flag
It’s June 14, and on this date in 1777, the Second Constitutional Congress adopted the American Flag. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson declared June 14 to be Flag Day, and so for the past 95 years, the United States has recognized its flag in a special way on this date. It’s not a federal holiday, but you can expect flags to be flying in your hometown, and there might even be a parade too. We’ll be flying the American flag proudly outside our building too, and if you want to learn more about Flag Day, visit the National Flag Day Foundation’s web site at www.nationalflagday.com .
Monday, June 13, 2011
June 13 Birthday: John Forbes Nash Jr.
It’s June 13, and mathematician John Forbes Nash Jr. was born on this date in 1928. He was the subject of the movie A Beautiful Mind which focused on his brilliance as a mathematician while he battled schizophrenia. His specific areas of research were game theory, differential equations and algebraic geometry. You can learn more about geometry by taking our print or online Geometry course. The print version of Geometry introduces students to mathematics as a deductive science. It shows how a few simple assumptions about points, lines, etc., can lead to a substantial body of geometric theorems. In this course, students learn to follow a line of reasoning and construct their own proofs. Students are also introduced to the basic geometry of two- and three-dimensional space and figures. Students use the knowledge and reasoning strategies they learn to determine attributes of 2- and 3-dimentional geometrical figures, both informally and formally through proofs in traditional and paragraph form and also do constructions and are introduced to coordinate geometry. The online Geometry course begins by covering constructions, reasoning, and definitions. Mastering these topics form the foundation that supports the student’s progress through the remainder of this course. By understanding deductive reasoning students are able to comprehend the logical steps utilized to explain theorems, postulates and the relationship between triangles. Students proceed to study parallel and perpendicular lines, followed by lessons on angle measurements for polygons. Angle measurements and lengths are then utilized to explain triangular congruency. Triangles are explored in detail with a focus on midsegments, bisectors, concurrent lines, medians, and altitudes. Quadrilateral properties are investigated along with special parallelograms. Ratios and proportions are introduced and then utilized to show and prove similarity between triangles. After learning about the Pythagorean theorem, students are introduced to trigonometry followed by transformations of polygons. Area, surface area and volume of polygons, circles and 3-dimensional forms are explained. The course ends with an exploration of the circle and its chords, arcs, and inscribed angles. Algebra I is a prerequisite for this course as algebra forms a part of the discussions throughout online Geometry. This full unit course is self-contained with no additional textbook or print materials required. Whether you prefer to take Geometry in print or online, doing well in this subject can help give you a beautiful mind and move you one step closer toward your high school diploma. Enroll now!
Friday, June 10, 2011
June 10 Anniversary: Apple II Home Computer
It’s June 10, and on this date in 1977, Apple shipped its first Apple II home computer. Suffice it to say Apple, and the entire computer industry for that matter, has come a long way since that machine was first made available to the public. Today our curriculum department uses various Apple and Mac products to help produce the textbooks and study guides for many of our courses, and computers are a must if you want to take one of our seven online courses. Spots are available in our online Economics, English 4, Geography, Geometry, Pre-Algebra, Calculus and Earth Science courses. Send an email to americanschoolonline@gmail.com to begin the enrollment process!
Thursday, June 09, 2011
June 9 Anniversary: Chicago Blackhawks
Two blogs for the price of one today. One year ago today our hometown hockey team, the Chicago Blackhawks, won the Stanley Cup for the first time in 49 years. The team’s successful marketing plan centers around the theme of “One Goal” which leads to an important question. What is your one goal? Whatever it is, a high school diploma from the American School can help you achieve it. Our interactive online enrollment application is easy to use, and after you complete it, our admissions department will start processing your application immediately. If you enroll today, you just may have your first books before this year’s Stanley Cup finals end next week!
Thursday, June 09, 2011
June 9 Birthday: Donald Duck
It’s June 9, and today we’re celebrating Donald Duck’s birthday. If he was a real duck, he’d love the rainy weather we’re having this morning at the American School, but as a cartoon duck, he made his film debut on this date in 1934 in The Wise Little Hen. Though he had a small part in that movie, he later began to appear in more prominent roles, and by the time World War 2 broke out in the 1940s, he was an effective part of pro-American propaganda movies, so much so that his image appeared on combat planes that were actually fighting in the war. After the war, he was recast into the character with a very positive outlook but an incredibly short temper that we know today. You might not know these facts about Donald Duck, though. His middle name is Fauntleroy. Also, he’s very popular in Germany and in the Scandinavian countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. And finally, an agreement between Disney and the University of Oregon allowed Donald to be the official mascot of the University of Oregon. In fact, on his 50th birthday in 1984, Donald Duck was named an honorary alumnus! A quick look at the Internet can give you other facts about Donald Duck, including the answer to the question “Why does Donald Duck use a towel to dry off when he gets out of the shower when normally he doesn’t wear pants?” but you should be careful about believing everything you read on the Internet. You can, of course, trust this blog and everything else you read on this web site and our new web site that will launch next month, but do some digging before believing other things you read online, especially if you are doing online research for a school project or paper. There are quacks out there who post opinions or rumors rather than facts. These are not reliable sources for you to use. Use reliable sources and you’ll feel ducky about turning in well-written and well-researched exams to us!
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
June 8 Birthday: Frank Lloyd Wright
It’s June 8, and architect Frank Lloyd Wright was born on this date in 1867. He designed many buildings, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York, in many different innovative styles, but perhaps the best example of his Prairie School period is Robie House, which is located on the University of Chicago campus just blocks away from the building that housed the American School for nearly 100 years. You can take a tour of Robie House and walk past the old American School building if you tour the University of Chicago’s campus, but if you’re interested in constructing buildings, consider taking our Blueprint Reading courses. Blueprint Reading 1 is a half-unit course which introduces students to the fundamentals of printreading, particularly as it relates to residential construction. Students begin by learning about the various types of graphic information used to communicate construction ideas and information. They then are given the necessary background to read plot plans, floor plans, elevations, sections and details. In addition, students are introduced to building trades information. Two sets of plans are included with the course, one of which is also on the accompanying CD-ROM, which provides supplemental reference material. Blueprint Reading 2 is a half–unit course which provides printreading experience in residential and light commercial construction. The text/workbook is designed to reinforce concepts regarding elements commonly found on prints. The course provides a detailed description of various construction materials and explores the typical use of working drawings and written specifications by building trades for various types of construction. Real world building plans for a brick veneer residence, condominium, commercial building, bank, and restaurant are examined in detail. Written specifications for both the brick veneer residence and restaurant are studied, as are building codes. Five sets of plans are included with the course, many of which are also on the accompanying CD-ROM, which includes supplemental reference material. In completing Blueprint Reading 1 and Blueprint Reading 2, students take competency exams included as part of the textbook materials. These courses will give you the “Wright” stuff needed to have a successful career in the building industry, so enroll today!
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
June 7 Birthday: Anna Kournikova
It’s June 7, and Anna Kournikova turns 30 years old today. She was a professional tennis player for several years but eventually became more famous for her looks than her tennis game. Her looks and her athletic ability together helped her earn a spot as a trainer on the new season of The Biggest Loser coming up this fall. Before she hit the big time, though, Anna Kournikova took courses with the American School. She is a good example of a person who is willing to earn a high school education even though his or her lifestyle or career path might get in the way of attending a brick and mortar school. The American School’s curriculum is portable. We send you textbooks, study guides and exams that you can use anywhere, or, if you enroll in our new online courses, you can study anywhere you bring your laptop. Enroll today and you’ll see what we mean!
Monday, June 06, 2011
June 6 Anniversary: D-Day
It’s June 6, and beginning today, instead of highlighting birthdays of famous people, the American School Blog sometimes will highlight the anniversaries of major historical events. On this date in 1944, the Allies invaded Normandy during World War 2. This amphibious invasion, the largest-ever invasion of troops from the air and water, was the turning point in the war and occurred on D-Day, which was military code for the day the operation was to begin. Our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence) has a link to an article describing how D-Day is being observed today in France, so head over to our page and check it out. We’ll be posting more on our Facebook page, so be sure to become a fan today.
Friday, May 27, 2011
May 27 Birthday: Rachel Carson
It’s May 27, and Rachel Carson was born on this date in 1907. She started out as a marine biologist but later turned her focus to the environment. In particular, she was concerned about the effects that synthetic pesticides had on the environment. Her research was the core of her book Silent Spring, which enlightened the minds of Americans who never knew how dangerous pesticides were. Because of her work, the government banned the pesticide DDT and formed the Environmental Protection Agency. You can learn more about the environment and its living things by taking our Biology course. Biology introduces students to the study of living things, both plants and animals. Students learn about the basic chemistry of life, cellular processes, genetics and evolutionary theory in addition to tracing similarities and differences between the major kingdoms and phyla, from the simpliest to the most complex. There is an alternate unit on ecology for those students whose religious beliefs preclude studying the unit on evolution. Activities are included to introduce students to various topics and to expand their understanding and experience of what is being discussed in the written course materials. For each exam, students are asked to carry out and report on one of the unit’s activities. The examinations contain a wide variety of questions that ask students to apply what they have learned to understanding the natural world. For a nominal fee students may receive a laboratory kit and manual to perform and report experiments in conjunction with the exams submitted. Soon we will have a course devoted entirely to environmental issues, but until then, enroll in Biology!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 26 Birthday: The Indianapolis 500
It’s May 26, and this weekend the Indianapolis 500 is celebrating its 100th anniversary. Because there were no races during World Wars 1 and 2, this is only the 95th running of the Indy 500, but the 100th anniversary of the first race, which was held on May 30, 1911, is still cause for celebration. If you watch the race this weekend, you might see pictures or highlights of past races. You’re sure to be amazed by how much cars have changed since Ray Harroun won the first Indy 500 or even since A.J. Foyt won the 50th anniversary Indy 500 in 1961. One common thread across eras is that drivers and their crews know their cars and their cars’ systems quite well. Their expertise behind the wheel and in pit row is vital to their success in the race. It’s unlikely you’ll ever drive an Indy car at more than 220 miles per hour around the Brickyard, but the American School has two courses that will help you become more familiar with your car. Know Your Car is a half–unit subject designed to provide the average driver with a basic understanding of how a car works and what should be done to keep it working, whether as a do-it-yourself project or by the mechanics at the local service station. The course explains trouble signs to watch for and how to avoid potential problems by preventive maintenance. If a breakdown should occur, the course tells what is involved in getting the repairs made and gives a reasonable idea of the repair costs. The course also deals with the issues of deciding whether to keep or replace an old car and buying a new car. Automotive Systems, meanwhile, is a full-unit course which introduces students to the how and why of the design, construction, and operation of all makes and models of modern automobiles. This course begins each discussion of a major automotive system with basic theory and then proceeds to examine the major components until the entire system has been explored. Relevant areas from math, physics, chemistry, electricity, magnetism and hydraulics are introduced as appropriate. This course also stresses the proper use of tools and safety precautions. In completing Automotive Systems, students demonstrate an understanding of the functions of the basic components of the major automotive systems by answering objective questions and providing written responses. Students are also required to view an actual engine and describe its ignition and fuel system. Students show their knowledge of the formulas used in measuring engine performance by performing various calculations such as engine displacement and the force of a piston. Automotive Systems is particularly helpful for students who may want to have a career in the automotive industry, but both courses can give you practical knowledge and bring you one step closer to becoming a high school graduate. We look forward to the day when you take the checkered flag and earn your American School diploma!
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
May 25 Birthday: Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC
It’s May 25, and Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, turns 94 years old today. He was President of Notre Dame from 1952-1987, the longest tenure in Notre Dame’s 170-year history. That alone would be quite an accomplishment, but consider the things he did off campus. He was nearly selected to be one of America’s first astronauts. He was a champion for civil rights and served on the United States Civil Rights Commission from 1957-1972. He also served on an immigration committee at the request of President Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s. These achievements and many more helped him earn the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal, two of the highest civilian honors in the United States. Back on campus, perhaps the most influential thing Fr. Hesburgh did was to help turn Notre Dame from an all-male institution into a co-ed university, thereby ensuring that half the population would not be deprived of the opportunity to receive a Notre Dame education. The American School believes that no one should be deprived of the right to earn a high school education. That’s why we welcome students of all ages and students who live in different parts of the world. Visit our enrollment pages to learn more about our entrance requirements, and visit http://hesburgh.nd.edu and http://www.youtube.com/user/cscvocations#p/c/00C25CD8EEB6C92E/5/0cb0xQYXxmw to learn more about Fr. Hesburgh and his fascinating life.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
May 24 Birthday: H.B. Reese
It’s May 24, and H.B. Reese was born on this date in 1879. He had humble beginnings, working as a butcher and in factories and on dairy farms to support his wife and 16 children, but things changed for him when he went to work for Hershey’s. The chocolate giant inspired him to create his own candies. Some of them, such as the bars he named after his children, failed, but one of his ideas hit it big–really big. You know them today as Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. If you eat too many of them, though, then you might want to consider enrolling in our Food Study course. In this course, students focus on the principles of nutrition and the relationship of good nutrition to our well-being. Students learn how to plan diets appropriate for their age and lifestyle as well as how to find and evaluate information on nutrition. In addition, they are introduced to the fundamentals of food preparation for all the major food groups as well basic cooking tools, microwave cooking, and safety precautions in preparing and handling food. In completing Food Study students do activities such as identifying the nutrient content of food prepared in various ways, describing how to prevent foodborne illnesses, reading and understanding the information on a can of food and on a meat label, identifying nutritious and easy to fix snacks from the major food groups, and describing how to prepare food to preserve the nutrients. By taking this course, you’ll learn how to incorporate your love of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups into a more balanced diet, and you’ll also earn one unit of credit toward your diploma.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 23 Birthday: Drew Carey
It’s May 23, and Drew Carey turns 53 years old today. He had a self-titled sitcom in the 1990s and currently plays Plinko and Cliff Hangers, among other games, as the host of The Price is Right. A recent survey of American School students and parents discovered that the cost of our diploma program played a role in their decision to enroll with us. You might say, in other words, that, in addition to innovative curriculum, our price was right. As a not-for-profit institution, the American School puts students’ educations first. Our tuition is affordable—much lower than many other distance education and online high schools—and all textbooks and study materials are included at no additional cost. Our flexible payment schedule makes our low tuition even more affordable, and there are no interest charges, no charge for pre-evaluation of transcripts, and no extra fees along the way. Those who transfer to the American School from a local high school or who have completed homeschool courses can receive credit for previous work when properly documented. Finally, the School is proud to offer lower tuition for General High School or College Preparatory Program students who pay in full at the time of enrollment. So come on down and become one of our students. You’ll be glad you did.
Friday, May 20, 2011
American School To Attend FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention
The American School will attend the FPEA Florida Homeschool Convention next week. Stop by Booth 327 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee on Thursday, May 26 from 5-9 pm; Friday, May 27 from 9 am to 7 pm and Saturday, May 28 from 9 am to 6 pm. We look forward to meeting our current and future students, so be sure to visit us!
Friday, May 20, 2011
May 20 Birthday: James Stewart
It’s May 20, and actor James Stewart was born on this date in 1908. Perhaps you know him by his less formal name, Jimmy Stewart, but by any name he’s one of the greatest movie stars of all time. He starred in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Philadelphia Story and Shenandoah, as well as Alfred Hitchcok movies such as The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Rope, Read Window and Vertigo, but maybe his most famous role is that of George Bailey in the Christmas classic, It’s a Wonderful Life. If you want a wonderful life, the kind of life you’ve always dreamed about, a high school diploma can help you get there. Studies have shown that people who earn a high school diploma earn more money than their peers who have not completed high school, and, whether you need a full diploma program or just one course, the American School has something that fits your needs. View our enrollment pages for more details. We look forward to helping you achieve a wonderful day in your life–the day you earn your high school diploma!
Thursday, May 19, 2011
May 19 Birthday: Arthur Aikin
It’s May 19, and British scientist Arthur Aikin was born on this date in 1773. His interest in geology and mineralogy helped found the Geological Society of London in 1807, and his interest in chemistry led him to establish the Chemical Society of London in 1841. The Geological Society of London is the oldest such group in the world, and its mission is to investigate the mineral structure of the earth. You can do some investigating of your own by taking the American School’s Earth Science course. Earth Science is really made up of four different sciences: geology, oceanography, meteorology and astronomy. You’ll study the Earth and its internal structure, its changing surface, its oceans, its atmosphere and weather and its place in the universe. In this course you will view the Earth as a dynamic system and investigate such topics as the movements of land, air and water, rock formation, and how the Earth is affected by the sun and moon as well as its place within the universe itself. You will, among other activities, label features on a representation of the Earth, describe properties that identify minerals, provide examples of conservation and recycling of resources, use the concepts and knowledge gained to explain natural phenomena, interpret a weather map, explain why the world’s oceans are important to our environment, and express and support an opinion on whether the planet Mars could support life. Now you have the option of taking Earth Science in its traditional textbook and study guide format or in a new entirely-online format. Both methods offer the same high-quality instruction to which our students are accustomed. Send an email to americanschoolonline@gmail.com for information on how to enroll in the online version of Earth Science, or visit our enrollment page for details on how to enroll in the traditional version of the course.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May 18 Birthday: Mathew Brady
It’s May 18, and photographer Mathew Brady was born on this date in 1822. His tombstone reads “Renowned Photographer of the Civil War” and that is a fitting tribute to a man who revolutionized war-time photography and journalism coverage. He got so close to the action at the Battle of Bull Run that he almost got captured, but he escaped and, with the help of his associates, went on to take photographs of many other people and places related to the Civil War. Today these photos are kept in the Library of Congress, where they are a great resource for people interested in learning more about the Civil War. The American School’s United States History course contains a two-page spread of photos taken by Mathew Brady and his associates. The photos not only make the Civil War more visual, but they also contribute to the course’s goal of presenting United States History in a different and more interesting way. The course begins with an overview of Native American settlement of the New World and traces the major events and trends in United States History from those days to the present. In the process it seeks to develop various skills involved in comprehending, analyzing and interpreting the past. In completing this subject, among other activities, students complete a series of Skill Modules designed to progressively build their skills in comprehending, evaluating and synthesizing historical documents and information such as Brady’s photos. Students are also assigned to write various types of essays typically used in social studies, such as cause-and-effect and compare-and-contrast essays. Including Brady’s photographs in the United States History course also is an example of how the American School has greatly increased the use of graphics in our study guides. We do our best to make our courses as engaging as possible, and photographs and visual aids help in that endeavor. Enroll today and see for yourself how innovative our courses are!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
May 17 Birthday: Edward Jenner
It’s May 17, and Edward Jenner was born on this date in 1749. Back in the 1700s, the deadly disease smallpox was rampant in Europe. Sixty percent of the people caught it, and twenty percent of the population died of it. Through his research, Edward Jenner developed a vaccine for smallpox, and, long after his death but no doubt by the help of his vaccine, the World Health Organization declared smallpox an eradicated disease. You can learn about infectious diseases and much more by taking our Physiology and Health course. This course approaches health education from the perspective of wellness, meaning that it aims to provide the basis for wise decisions and choices that promote total physical, mental and social well-being. The first half of the course focuses on physical fitness, nutrition, body systems, the life cycle, and mental and emotional health. The second half looks more specifically at issues such as drug abuse, infectious diseases, safety and first aid, violence prevention, healthy relationships and environmental issues related to health. Among the activities students do in completing this subject are devising a plan to reach one of their goals, interpreting the information on a food label and on a medicine label, discussing ways to resolve a conflict peacefully, and identifying actions that can improve health. You’ll be a healthier person and one step closer to graduation after completing this course, so get started right away!
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 16 Birthday: Hazel O’Leary
It’s May 16, and Hazel O’Leary turns 74 years old tomorrow. She served as Secretary of Energy from 1993-1997, and to this day she is the only woman and the only African-American to hold this cabinet position. The Secretary of Energy as leader of the Department of Energy works to find the most efficient sources of energy for people in the United States. These include solar energy, hydropower, wind energy and many other renewable and sustainable sources. A common source of energy is electricity, and you can learn more about that source by taking our Fundamentals of Electricity course. This course gives students a basic understanding of electrical principles and their real world applications. From an introduction to the basic concepts of work, energy and charge, students proceed to a study of various types of circuits and the use of electromagnetism, capacitors, inductors and transformers. No previous knowledge of electricity is assumed, but students are required to have completed Algebra I as a prerequisite for taking this course. The math required for solving electrical problems is explained in detail with examples. In completing this subject students are required, among other activities, to calculate the efficiency of a motor and of a transformer, determine resistance, read circuit diagrams and determine circuit values, conduct a loop analysis of a circuit, use standard theorems to analyze circuits, and calculate voltage across a capacitor. We hope that this course, as well as our upcoming Environmental Science course, will cause you to become more aware of how you use energy in all its forms.
Friday, May 13, 2011
May 13 Birthday: Mark Zuckerberg
It’s May 13, and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg turns 27 years old tomorrow. He founded Facebook when he was a student at Harvard, and just seven years later, the site has more than 500 million users. If you’re among those who frequent Facebook, be sure to like our page. You can find us at www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence . Once you’ve added us to your list of favorite Facebook pages, watch your news feed for all the latest news from the American School. We post on Facebook often, so become a fan today!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
May 12 Birthday: Yogi Berra
It’s May 12, and baseball legend Yogi Berra turns 86 years old today. As a player with the New York Yankees, he won 3 MVP awards and was part of 10 World Series winning teams. To put that last number in perspective, his 10 titles are double the titles won by current Yankees Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and Jorge Posada, each of whom has been part of 5 Yankee championship teams. Off the field, Berra was known for witty remarks such as “When you come to a fork in the road, take it,” “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded,” and “It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over.” That last quote is important this time of year when many high schools and their students are nearing graduation. If your graduation deadline is fast approaching, remember that “it ain’t over till it’s over.” Send us your exams as quickly as possible, and we will do our best to grade them in time for your graduation ceremony.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
May 11 Birthday: Eugene Dynkin
It’s May 11, and mathematician Eugene Dynkin turns 87 years old today. He did extensive research in algebra and probability both in his native Russia, and more recently in the United States, where he continues to be a professor emeritus at Cornell University. His research was so influential that Dynkin’s diagram, Dynkin’s system and Dynkin’s lemma are all named in his honor. The American School offers several algebra courses to give you a solid foundation in this important field of mathematics. First, Pre-Algebra focuses on giving students the solid conceptual foundation andproblem-solving strategies necessary for first-year Algebra. It begins by connecting arithmetic and Algebra and explores solving equations, graphsand data analysis, number theory, rational numbers, and ratio, proportion andpercent among other topics. Throughout there is an emphasis on understanding and applying mathematical principles and concepts rather than on solving complex problems. In completing this course, students do activities such as using a table to find a function rule; graphing a function; solving problems in one unknown; using the four-step plan to solve word problems; determining range, mean, median and mode; drawing bar and line graphs; graphing expressions on a number line; creating a frequency table; interpreting scattergrams; and computing probability. Next, Integrated Algebra is a comprehensive course in first-year algebra that integrates algebra with elements of geometry and probability. It stresses a conceptual understanding of algebraic techniques and using these techniques as tools for problem solving. Beginning with a discussion of problem-solving strategies and estimation, the course covers such topics as solving linear equations and inequalities, polynomials, algebraic fractions, functions and their graphs, rational and irrational numbers, and quadratic equations. Integrated Algebra breaks the topics of a first-year algebra course into small segments that can more easily be approached by both the college and non-college bound student. It covers more topics in geometry than Algebra I, but does not discuss probability. Among the activities students do in completing this subject are systematically analyzing, translating into equations, and solving various types of word problems, including problems involving geometric figures and problems involving ratio and proportion. Students also perform operations on polynomials, solve quadratic equations using a variety of methods, graph inequalities and functions and solve systems of equations and inequalities using a graph and using algebra. Third, Algebra 1 is a comprehensive first-year course in basic Algebra. It stresses a knowledge of mathematical concepts and structure and the application of this knowledge to solving problems. Beginning with an explanation of variables and equations, the course covers such topics as solving linear equations and inequalities, polynomials, algebraic fractions, functions and their graphs, rational and irrational numbers, and quadratic equations. Among the activities students do in completing this subject are solving equations in one and two variables, solving quadratic equations; translating word problems into equations and solving; solving and graphing inequalities; and using the Pythagorean Theorem to solve geometric problems. Students must demonstrate to their instructors how they have solved problems and carried out operations. Finally, Algebra 2 is an advanced math course for the student seeking a strong background in this area. Beginning with a review of some of the concepts and principles introduced in Algebra 1, Algebra 2 deals with topics such as linear and quadratic relations, irrational and complex numbers, polynomial functions, logarithms, trigonometric functions and identities, statistics.and matrices. Among the activities students do in completing this subject are graphing relations, using systems of linear equations to solve problems, solving polynomial equations and inequalities, solving equations containing radicals, graphing parabolas and quadratic functions, using exponential and logarithmic functions to solve problems, finding specific terms of arithmetic and geometric sequences,writing equations for conics,determining the values of trigonometric functions, using periodicity and symmetry to graph functions, finding the probability that events will occur, and solving problems using matrices. Students will need to supply and use a scientific calculator for some problems in this course, but although a calculator may be used, students must show their work and demonstrate to their instructors how they have solved problems. Visit our course descriptions and enrollment pages for more information on these courses, and to learn more about Eugene Dynkin, visit http://www.math.cornell.edu/People/Faculty/dynkin.html .
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
May 10 Birthday: Wilson Chandler
It’s May 10, and Wilson Chandler turns 24 years old today. Before he became an NBA star with the New York Knicks and more recently with the Denver Nuggets, Wilson Chandler was an American School student. He took several courses with us through our Independent Study program, and those courses helped him pass high school, attend college at DePaul and then go to the NBA. More than 6,000 public, private and parochial schools across the country use our Independent Study program to help their students graduate on time, and enrolling has never been easier. Simply go to our Independent Study page, and you’ll have your choice of downloading and printing an application to mail to us or using our secure online enrollment page for faster service. Either way, you’ll get innovative curriculum and outstanding instruction and customer service all for a reasonable cost. Get started now!
Monday, May 09, 2011
May 9 Birthday: Billy Joel
It’s May 9, and Billy Joel turns 62 years old today. Like we sometimes do when singers celebrate birthdays, we incorporate the titles of many of the their hits into a blog that tells you how the American School benefits you as a student. One of the best things about the American School is that we accept you as a student “Just the Way You Are.” We won’t force you to do certain subjects at certain times, nor will we pressure you into taking courses that aren’t relevant to your interests. Our students work at their own pace and are able to take electives in subjects that interest them. If you’re in a “New York State of Mind,” you don’t have to worry because we have students from all 50 states, including New York, as well as many foreign countries. Our diploma is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and AdvancED, so you can become our student no matter where you live. We also believe that “Honesty” and integrity are important in education, so we have measures in place to prevent cheating and academic fraud. These policies ensure that the diploma you earn is one of which you can be proud. When you have completed your studies and received your American School diploma, you’ll think that “My Life” is full of many options and possibilities. You might immediately begin a career in the automotive or building industry or go on to attend the college or university of your choice. It’s all up to you. And if you have a friend who might be interested in us, then be sure to “Tell Her About It.” We offer tuition rebates for students who refer future students to us. As you can see, there are numerous benefits to becoming an American School student, so get started right now!
Friday, May 06, 2011
May 6 Birthday: The Kentucky Derby
It’s May 6, the day before the first Saturday in May, and tomorrow the Kentucky Derby will be run for the 137th time. If you watch the race, you’ll see 19 horses to go the post, and you’ll hear the track announcer talk a lot about the pace of the race. Some horses like to go right to the front and hope to hang on over the 1 1/4 mile distance. Others like to take it easy at the start and then come roaring toward the front as the race nears its finish. For a variety of reasons, some horses will be forced to go at a pace with which they’re not comfortable, and most likely none of these horses will receive the bed of roses in the winner’s circle after the race. One good thing about earning your high school diploma with the American School is that the pace of others won’t affect you one bit. You go entirely at your own pace. If you need longer to work on a subject, you can do it. If you just need a bit of time to work on a subject, you can do that instead. It’s entirely up to you. A recent survey of American School students indicated that students loved being able to work at their own pace. We think you will too. Enroll now!
Thursday, May 05, 2011
May 5 Birthday: Ferdinand von Richthofen
It’s May 5, and Ferdinand von Richthofen was born on this date in 1833. Once in awhile it’s fun to profile some obscure people in this blog, and today is one of those days. Ferdinand von Richthofen was an uncle of Manfred von Richthofen, whose name probably doesn’t ring a bell for you either. That’s because you know Manfred instead by his nickname, the Red Baron, which he earned because of his outstanding skills as a fighter pilot flying a red plane during World War 1. But back to his uncle, Ferdinand. He was a geologist and geographer who was particularly interested in China. He made several trips there and took note of the abundance of natural resources available in that country. Many of those natural resources have helped make China a major player on the world stage nearly 150 years after Ferdinand von Richthofen first visited there. If you are interested in geology and geography, consider taking our Earth Science and World Geography courses. Both are available in print and in online formats and each is worth one unit of credit. Enroll in one or both today!
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
May 4 Birthday: Horace Mann
It’s May 4, and Horace Mann was born on this date in 1796. He was author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s brother-in-law but is much better known as an American education reformer. It all started for him when he was appointed secretary of the Massachusetts state board of education. This position gave him the chance to travel to different schools throughout the state and observe teachers and students. He even travelled to Europe on his own dime to gather more data. What he found was an education system in need of much improvement. He advocated school for all children, not just those of a certain color, class or religion. He also advocated for better teachers and a wider curriculum. Massachusetts incorporated many of his ideas, and soon other states followed. Because of his work, today Mann is known as the father of American public education. You may think that public schools have nothing to do with the American School since we are a distance learning school, but that’s not true. More than 6,000 public schools use our Independent Study Program, especially at this time of year, to help their students graduate on time. We enjoy working with these schools and their guidance counselors, many of whom we meet at various conventions throughout the year. Our Independent Study Coordinator met with several counselors from Illinois this past weekend at their state convention, and in June we look forward to meeting counselors from around the country at the ASCA national convention in Seattle. Keep reading this blog and like us on Facebook to get our latest convention schedule!
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
May 3 Birthday: Rev. Edward Malloy, CSC
It’s May 3, and Rev. Edward Malloy, CSC, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, turns 70 years old today. He had the nearly impossible task of replacing Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, CSC, who led Notre Dame from 1952-1987, but Malloy’s presidency saw enormous growth for Notre Dame in many areas. The University’s student body boasted higher average SAT scores and became more diverse in terms of gender and ethnicity. Those students reaped the benefits of Notre Dame’s increased endowment and operating budget, attended class or resided in many newly-constructed buildings on campus, and had the opportunity to study abroad in nearly 20 foreign countries. Through it all, Fr. Malloy lived in dorm alongside students, taught a freshman seminar class and even participated in the campuswide Bookstore Basketball tournament. Read more about his life and legacy at http://monkmalloy.nd.edu . If you aspire to attend Notre Dame or another school of your dreams, know that you can do so with an American School diploma. Our graduates have gone on to attend colleges and universities across the country, including some Ivy League schools and others consistently ranked among the top 20 universities in America. The American School’s Scholarship Program can help with college tuition, too. Each year we award $21,000 in scholarships to 18 deserving graduates. We’re announcing this year’s winners in June, so look for a special announcement in this blog and on our Facebook and Twitter pages in the middle of next month.
Monday, May 02, 2011
May 2 Birthday: Dr. Benjamin Spock
It’s May 2, and Dr. Benjamin Spock was born on this date in 1903. Dr. Spock was an Olympic gold medalist in rowing when he was a student at Yale, but he is far more widely known for his work as a pediatrician. His ideas sparked a turnaround in parenting techniques, and his child care book, which was originally published in 1946 and has since sold more than 50 million copies worldwide, is still a popular reference even nearly fifteen years after its author’s death. You can learn more about child care by taking our Child Care course. In this course, you will study the care and guidance of children from infancy through adolescence. The focus of the course is on the physical, intellectual, and emotional/social development of the child at each stage of his or her life as well as on the role of the caregiver in promoting the child’s well-being at each stage. In completing this course you will be asked, among other things, to apply what you have learned to determine appropriate actions that a caregiver might take in a wide range of situations. Visit our course descriptions page for more details on Child Care and the rest of our outstanding curriculum.
Monday, May 02, 2011
American School Attends USDLA Conference
This week the American School is attending the United States Distance Learning Association Conference in St. Louis. We are excited to share ideas with our colleagues from around the country and to incorporate some of their ideas into our curriculum.
Friday, April 29, 2011
April 29 Birthday: Andre Agassi
It’s April 29, and American School graduate Andre Agassi turns 41 years old today. In the early days of his tennis career, he was known for his long hair and flashy clothes more than his game, but that changed as he got older. When he won the French Open in 1999, he became just the second player in the open era to complete the career Grand Slam (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open), and he has a total of eight Grand Slam titles on his Hall of Fame resume. He also won an Olympic gold medal in 1996, making him the first player to have won all four Grand Slam titles as well as Olympic gold. In his retirement Andre Agassi has become dedicated to education and opened a charter high school for at-risk children in his hometown of Las Vegas. We are pleased to count him along our graduates.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
April 28 Birthday: Jessica Alba
It’s April 28, and our former student Jessica Alba turns 30 years old today. She’s well-known for her roles in the TV show Dark Angel and in the Fantastic Four movies. In honor of those films, this blog will discuss the fantastic four reasons why you should become an American School student. First is credibility. We have been a leader in distance education, particularly at the high school level, for more than a century, and we are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. Second is curriculum. We offer more than 70 innovative courses in a variety of disciplines, everything from standard core subjects like English, math, science and social studies all the way to vocational courses, home living courses and hobby courses. Third is cost. We are a non-profit institution which affords us the opportunity to keep prices to a minimum. In addition, textbooks and study guides are included in your tuition. There is no separate fee for them or for access to the online student center where you can check your grades and receive additional help. Finally, fourth is caring student service. Our staff wants you to succeed, so whether you need assistance on an exam or need more books sent to you, you’ll receive helpful and friendly service every time you contact us. In fact, you’ll experience caring student service from the moment you send us your enrollment application, so why not do that today?
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
April 27 Birthday: Jerry Seinfeld
It’s April 27, and Jerry Seinfeld turns 57 years old on Friday. We’re celebrating his birthday a couple days early because we’ve got a two other birthdays already lined up for tomorrow and Friday. As for Jerry, everyone knows him from his starring role in Seinfeld, one of the greatest TV shows of all-time, but that show ended in 1998. Since then, he has gotten married, become a father of three, and has toured the country doing stand-up comedy shows. His routine usually includes at least one bit that begins, “What’s the deal with…,” and so this blog will answer the hypothetical question, “What’s the deal with the American School? How is it that the AMERICAN School is located in Lansing, Illinois? Why isn’t it called the LANSING school or the ILLINOIS School?” The answer lies in the fact that the American School truly is an American school and in many ways an international school. We have students from all 50 states, including many in Alaska and Hawaii, as well as students from foreign countries. Our diploma is regionally accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and because of that accreditation our diploma is accepted at colleges and universities across the country and around the world. You can rest assured that even though our office is located in Lansing, Illinois, just south of Chicago, that we are truly an American school just as our name implies. Enroll today and yada, yada, yada, you’ll have your high school diploma within four years!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
April 26 Birthday: John James Audubon
It’s April 26, and John James Audubon was born on this date in 1785. It’s not every day that one single blog can mention both our Biology and our Art Drawing Animals course, but this one can. That’s because Audubon was as much a scientist as he was an artist. In particular he was interested in birds, and not just one or two types of birds. Rather, he set out to catalog and draw every species of bird in North America. In the process, he discovered 25 new species of bird and 12 new subspecies. Those and many others are included in his book, Birds of America, which featured his drawings of 497 types of birds and was printed between 1827 and 1838. It is still considered a leading example of book art. You can try your hand at drawing birds and other species when you enroll in our Art Drawing Animals course. This half–unit course will introduce you to the basic skills needed to render animals realistically in pencil. Attention is paid to proportion, texture, shading and perspective with the goal of helping you capture through drawing whatever it is that you find interesting about an animal. You’ll be supplied with the appropriate drawing pencils and paper to complete the sketches and drawings needed for completion of the subject. These sketches and drawings require you to devote time and effort to mastering the basic drawing skills. If you don’t have an artistic flair but would like to learn more about birds and other living things, then enroll in Biology. You’ll learn about the basic chemistry of life, cellular processes, genetics and evolutionary theory in addition to tracing similarities and differences between the major kingdoms and phyla, from the simplest to the most complex. There is an alternate unit on ecology for those students whose religious beliefs preclude studying the unit on evolution. Activities are included to introduce you to various topics and to expand your understanding and experience of what is being discussed in the written course materials. For each exam, you will be asked to carry out and report on one of the unit’s activities. The examinations contain a wide variety of questions that ask you to apply what they have learned to understanding the natural world. For a nominal fee you may opt to receive a laboratory kit and manual to perform and report experiments in conjunction with the exams submitted. One of Audubon’s legacies is the National Audubon Society, whose goals include the conservation of natural ecosystems inhabitated by birds. Let your legacy include a high school diploma from the American School!
Monday, April 25, 2011
April 25 Birthday: Shirley Temple
It’s April 25, and Shirley Temple celebrated her 83rd birthday over the weekend. She is maybe the most famous child movie star of all-time. Back in the 1930s she starred in several movies, such as Bright Eyes, Curly Top and Heidi, and in 1935, at just age 7, she earned a special Oscar for her achievements. By her teenage years, though, her career began to sputter. She turned her focus to her education, and by 1950, she had retired from movies. Although she made several TV appearances in the years that followed, she continued to focus on other endeavors, including politics. Ultimately she was appointed United States Ambassador to Ghana in 1974 and to the former Czechoslovakia in 1989. The American School has had the distinction of educating several child entertainers over the years, including members of the Osmond family, singer Tiffany Evans and actress Jessica Alba. These people, like Shirley Temple, knew that education was important no matter what path their careers took. That’s why they chose to take courses with us. Enroll today and you’ll receive the star treatment from us as you work toward your American School diploma.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
April 21 Birthday: Queen Elizabeth II
It’s April 21, and Queen Elizabeth II turns 85 years old today. We’re going to be seeing a lot of the queen next Friday when her grandson, Prince William, marries Kate Middleton. That royal wedding is the latest in the long line of legendary events the queen has experienced in her 59 years on the throne. To put her reign into perspective, it’s longer than the combined reigns of the four kings who preceded her, and only the king of Thailand has been in power longer than she has! To celebrate her birthday, why not read some British authors? British Literature provides a survey of major British authors from the 7th through the 20th centuries, including those who have written during Queen Elizabeth II’s reign. It emphasizes understanding the content and form of the readings as well as how they reflect the literary trends of their time. The reading assignments include short stories, poems, nonfiction prose, a Shakespearean play and a complete novel, and included is a CD with readings of various selections by professional actors. Among the activities students do in completing this course are comparing and contrasting literary elements in different works,taking a position on the interpretation of a literary work and supporting the position with relevant details, and writing a compare and contrast essay on the novel read for this course. Literature 4: Selected English Classics is a half-unit course which allows students to explore in-depth four classics of English Literature: William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone. Emphasis is on reading for enjoyment and understanding through an analysis of the structure and themes of each work. In addition, the study guides for each work stress a different aspect of vocabulary development, including paraphrasing and analogies. In completing this course, among other activities, students discuss the use of various types of literary elements in the works, compare and contrast characters, and identify the rhyme and rhythm scheme of a poem. Take one or both of these courses to earn credit toward your high school diploma. We think you’ll find both to be a jolly good time!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 20 Birthday: John Muir
It’s April 20, and environmentalist John Muir was born 173 years ago tomorrow. Although he was born in Scotland, Muir moved to the United States as a child and, over time, became interested in preserving the natural wildlife in the western United States. His activism caused Congress to pass the National Park Bill, which established Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park, and Muir also founded the Sierra Club, which is a leading conservation organization. Each year Californians celebrate John Muir Day on his birthday, and you can celebrate his birthday by doing a number of things. First, you can read some of his writings, many of which exist in book form. Next, you can visit a national park. There are national parks in all 50 states, with the exception of Delaware, extending from Acadia National Park in Maine to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. Third, you can become more aware of your environment. Friday is Earth Day, and we’re optimistic about posting some Earth Day resources on our Facebook page, which is located at http://www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence . If you haven’t become a fan yet, do so today!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
April 19 Birthday: James Franco
It’s April 19, and actor James Franco turns 33 years old today. He was nominated for an Oscar this year for his portrayal of Aron Ralston in the autobiographical movie 127 Hours. The real Aron Ralston was hiking alone in Utah when a boulder fell on his arm and pinned it against the wall of the canyon. With no one within miles and limited options for survival, Ralston did something drastic. He cut off the part of his own arm that was pinned under the boulder. He later was rescued by a family making a hike and today is married with a child. American School student Bethany Hamilton lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing, and, like Ralston, her story was made into a feature film. Soul Surfer is in theatres now. Check out 127 Hours and Soul Surfer and be inspired by these stories of human triumph over adversity!
Monday, April 18, 2011
April 18 Birthday: Melissa Joan Hart
It’s April 18, and actress Melissa Joan Hart turns 35 years old today. Her first major role was that of the title character in the 1990s show Clarissa Explains It All, which took a humorous look at everyday situations encountered by teenagers. Everyday life for most teenagers consists of getting up early in the morning, going to school for 7 or 8 hours, and then, after completing after-school activities or putting in a shift at a part-time job, coming home and doing homework. Everyday life isn’t that way for American School students, though. Our students can work when they want and work entirely at their own pace. They’re not confined by classroom schedules, bogged down by students who work too slowly, or left behind by teachers who move too quickly. Our students set their own schedules. There is no one kind of everyday life for American School students, and our students like it that way. Enroll today and see for yourself!
Friday, April 15, 2011
April 15 Birthday: Gary R. Masterton
It’s April 15, and American School President Gary R. Masterton celebrates a birthday this weekend. During his presidency, the American School has made great strides in expanding its Internet presence. You’re reading one of them right now in the form of this blog, but there are many others. The Online Student Center has become THE place for students, guarantors and school officials to go and receive the latest academic records, help sheets and links to homework Web sites. Earlier this year we reached another milestone when we began offering online courses. There are still spots available if you’d like to enroll in Pre-Algebra, Economics, Calculus, English 4, Earth Science, Geography or Geometry, but time is running out for you to enroll during this trial period. Send an email to americanschoolonline@gmail.com today if you’re interested in enrolling in any of these courses!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Online Student Center Troubleshooting
If you are having trouble getting to the online student center, you may go directly to the site by typing the appropriate address from the following list.
For students and guarantors:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/student.asp
For counselors and other school officials:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/school.asp
If you have successfully gotten to the above sites, but the page does not advance when you click on the appropriate blue log-in button at the bottom of the screen, you may go directly to the log-in site you need by typing the appropriate address from the following list.
For student log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=1
For guarantor log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=2
For counselor/school log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=3
As previously posted, we recommend that you view the site using Internet Explorer. We hope that you are enjoying the benefits afforded to you by our Online Student Center, including secure access to your grades, help sheets for many of our courses, and links to useful Web sites, all of which are available exclusively to American School students.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
April 14 Birthday: Roberto De Vicenzo
It’s April 14, and golfer Roberto De Vicenzo turns 88 years old today. We had the Masters Tournament last weekend, but the Masters is an event our birthday honoree might want to forget. In 1968 he was tied for the lead in the Masters and might have won the green jacket had he not signed an incorrect scorecard. Because he didn’t check his scorecard, he ended up finishing second, somewhat tarnishing a career that included a British Open championship and a U.S. Senior Open championship among his 100 international victories. His Masters adventure is a good reminder to you to check your work carefully before mailing it to us. Taking an extra 5 or 10 minutes to look over your work, make sure word are spelled correctly, or double check your math calculations could result in higher grades. It’s a good habit to get into and one that will pay big divdends for you as you work toward your American School diploma.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
For Counselors: How To Download Final Exams
It’s nearing the end of the academic year and more and more counselors are needing final exams for their students. Since October 2010, the American School is no longer automatically sending final exams to schools. Instead, our final exams are available for counselors to download via our Online Counselor Office. Here are a few simple steps for counselors to follow while they attempt to download final exams for their students.
1. Go to our home page, www.americanschoolofcorr.com , and click on the Enter School link at the bottom of the page just below our school seal.
2. The next screen that comes up will be a hallway with a small black board in front of it. Click on the Counselor’s Office link in the lower right portion of this small black board.
3. The next screen is a gateway for the Online Counselor’s Office. Click on the large blue School Login button at the bottom of the page.
4. The next screen will ask you for your school code and password. At this time, there is one code and one password per school. Enter the code and password in the appropriate boxes and hit the login button. If you do not have your school code and password, please call us at 708-418-2800 and ask to speak with Jeff or Paul and we will get you a school code and password as soon as possible.
5. Once you have logged in successfully you will see a series of links. Click on the very first one, which allows you to retrieve your students’ academic records.
6. After clicking on the retrieve academic records link, you will see a list of all of your students who are taking courses with us. Click on the name of the student for whom you wish to print the final exam. That student’s entire American School academic record will appear.
7. On the student’s academic record page, any available final exam will appear in a blue link marked Final. Note that final exams are not available online until the first exam in the course has been graded. Click on the blue final exam link.
8. After you click on the blue final exam link, you will see an instructions screen. Click on the link on this instructions screen to proceed to the final exam itself. The final exam is in PDF format, so you will need Adobe Reader to view it.
9. Print the final exam, give the student the exam at a mutually convenient time.
10. Mail the exam to us for grading. There is no need to include a first page form with the final. Simply put the final exam in an envelope and mail it to 2200 East 170th Street, Lansing, IL 60438. We will do the rest.
We hope this process makes final exam season smoother for you and your students!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
April 13 Birthday: Thomas Jefferson
It’s April 13, and Thomas Jefferson was born on this date in 1743. All he did was write the Declaration of Independence, serve as Secretary of State, then serve as Vice-President, then serve eight years as the third President of the United States, and finally, in his retirement from political life, began the University of Virginia. Not bad, right? If you want to learn more about Jefferson and other historical figures, take our U.S. History course. Starting with an overview of Native American settlement of the New World, this course traces the major events and trends in United States History down to the present. In the process it seeks to develop various skills involved in comprehending, analyzing and interpreting the past. In completing this subject, among other activities, students complete a series of Skill Modules designed to progressively build their skills in comprehending, evaluating and synthesizing historical documents and information. Students are also assigned to write various types of essays typically used in social studies, such as cause-and-effect and compare-and-contrast essays. These skills will be useful to you if you attend Jefferson’s own university or the college of your choice, so enroll today!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
April 12 Birthday: David Letterman
It’s April 12, and late night host David Letterman turns 64 years old today. He’s known for his Top 10 lists, so here are the top 10 reasons why you should become an American School student. #10: We have been a leader in distance education since 1897 and since then have helped more than three million students earn their high school diplomas. #9: We are accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and recognized by the State of Illinois as a non-public high school. #8: We offer more than 70 courses in traditional subjects such as English, math, science and social studies and specialty courses such as foreign language, art or the trades. #7: We offer a general high school diploma program for students who wish to enter the workforce after high school. #6: We offer a college preparatory diploma program for students who wish to attend college after high school. #5: We offer an independent study program for students who attend a brick and mortar school but who need to make up a credit in order to graduate. #4: Our staff is friendly and willing to help you whenever you need assistance. #3: As a non-profit institution, costs are kept to a minimum. You won’t find a better educational value anywhere. #2: When you enroll, you’ll have access to our Online Student Center, where you can view grades, download help sheets and get links to homework Web sites any time you want. And #1: The American School allows you to earn your high school diploma entirely at your own pace. Many of our students say this is the greatest benefit of earning their diploma with the American School, so why not see for yourself. Get started today!
Monday, April 11, 2011
April 11 Birthday: Lew Wallace
It’s April 11, and Lew Wallace was born 184 years ago yesterday. It’s appropriate that we highlight him today because he was a general in the Civil War, which began 150 years ago this week, but Lew Wallace was more than a military man. Years after the Civil War, he was governor of New Mexico, which was at that time only a U.S. territory. Being a governor of a territory or state is a time-consuming job as it is, yet Wallace found time during his term as governor to write what would become the best-selling novel of the 19th century. That novel is Ben-Hur, which was made into a movie four times. One of those versions, the 1959 edition starring Charlton Heston, went on to win a record 11 Oscars, including Best Picture, and included one of the best movie scenes of all-time–the famous chariot race scene. So great are his accomplishments that Lew Wallace has several schools named after him, including an elementary school and a high school not too far from where the American School is located.
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
April 6 Birthday: Marilu Henner
It’s April 6, and Marilu Henner turns 59 years old today. This blog didn’t need to tell her that, though, because, in addition to being a successful television actress, she is one of a select few Americans who have hyperthymesia, sometimes called Superior Autobiographical Memory. This condition allows her to remember specific moments and details from every day of her life. Not all of us have phenomenal memories, so the American School has policies in place to help you remember the information you need to do well on your unit exams. First, all unit exams are designed to be taken open book. That means you can use your textbook, study guide and self-check tests to help you complete your unit exams. Second, our Online Student Center contains help sheets and links to homework Web sites. If you are having trouble in a course, check them out. You can call and speak with an instructor too if you need help. Remember to take advantaged of these resources we have provided to help you do your best. You’ll be glad you did!
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
April 5 Birthday: Colin Powell
It’s April 5, and Colin Powell turns 74 years old today. He was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the Gulf War of the early 1990s and was Secretary of State during President George W. Bush’s first term in office. These days, he and his wife Alma and son Michael are interested in education. They are among the forces behind America’s Promise Alliance, of which the American School is a member. Recently American School President Gary R. Masterton attended the GradNation Summit sponsored by America’s Promise Alliance. Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush were among the speakers who voiced their thoughts on the importance of students completing their high school educations and earning their diplomas. The American School always has been dedicated to helping students earn their diplomas, whether they earn our regionally-accredited diploma through our General High School or College Preparatory program or whether they use our Independent Study program to help them earn their diplomas from resident public or private high schools. We look forward to working with other America’s Promise Alliance partners to end the dropout crisis and ensure all high school students graduate.
Monday, April 04, 2011
April 4 Birthday: Maya Angelou
It’s April 4, and author Maya Angelou turns 83 years old today. She is known for her series of autobiographies, the most famous of which is “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and for reciting one of her poems, “On the Pulse of Morning,” at President Bill Clinton’s first inauguration in 1993. Angelou was introduced to authors like Dickens and Shakespeare at a young age but didn’t start writing until the 1950s. She has been a success ever since. Writing skills develop differently for different people, and you can start developing yours by taking our Build Your Writing Skills courses. Build Your Writing Skills 1 (Units 1-4) is the first half of a full year course intended to improve students’ ability to use written English. In pursuit of this goal, Build Your Writing Skills 1 (Units 1-4) combines the teaching of grammar witha variety of writing assignments, and exposes students to many examples of good writing, both fiction and non-fiction, by a wide variety of authors to serve as models. Build Your Writing Skills 1 (Units 5-8) is the second half and expands on the writing skills students develop in Build Your Writing Skills I (Units 1-4). It focuses on writing with coherence and unity as well as proofreading and the revision process. Like the first half of the course, it provides numerous writing assignments and exposes students to a wide variety of writing, both fiction and non-fiction, by a wide variety of authors. Enroll today, and you’ll be on the “write” track toward your high school diploma!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
American School Announces New Referral Policy
Word of mouth is the best form of recommendation. That’s why the American School is asking our students for help in referring prospective students to us. Send us your name, student number, home address, and the names and addresses of people you think would benefit from knowing about the American School. We’ll send them information, and, if they enroll in a high school diploma program for one year or more, you will receive a credit of $50 towards payment of your tuition (or a check if your account is paid in full). It’s a win-win situation! Contact our admissions department for more information.
Friday, March 25, 2011
American School Student Inspires Feature Film
American School student Bethany Hamilton is the subject of an upcoming feature film. The story of Hamilton, who was the victim of a shark attack while surfing and, as a result, lost an arm, will be told in Soul Surfer, starring Anna Sophia Robb, Helen Hunt and Dennis Quaid and featuring Carrie Underwood. Look for Soul Surfer in theaters April 8. We hope you find Bethany’s story inspirational!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
American School Earns Two Practical Homeschooling 2011 Reader Awards
The American School is the proud recipient of two Practical Homeschooling 2011 Reader Awards. Our Introduction to Computers course earned third place in the Computer Science category, and our Consumer Economics course earned third place in the Personal Finance category. We are very grateful for these awards, which prove our consistent efforts to give our students the best courses we can. Visit www.home-school.com for more information on Practical Homeschooling magazine and their awards program.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tips For Counselors Wishing To Download Final Exams
We’ve had several counselors call us for help with downloading final exams for their students. Since graduation will be here before we know it, here is a step-by-step guide to downloading these finals. Access the online counselor office as you normally do. Enter your school code and password to access that portion of our site. Once your code and password have been accepted, you’ll see a series of 10 links. Click on the very first one, which allows you to retrieve your students’ academic records. Now you should see a list of all your students who are also taking (or took) our courses. Click on the name of the student for whom you wish to print a final exam. You should now see that student’s entire American School academic record, which includes grades for all unit exams as well as a blue link for the final. Click on the link to open up a pdf version of the final. Print the final and administer it at your convenience. When finished, mail the exam to us. Counselors, if you have further questions about downloading finals, call Jeff at 708-418-2800. He’ll be happy to assist you.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Our Online Courses Launch Today!
Today is the big day! The American School is ushering in a new era of distance education by launching three new online courses, and today is the first day our new courses go live. Spots are still available in Pre-Algebra, Calculus and Economics. Pre-Algebra and Calculus are each one credit and cost $150 each, and Economics is one-half credit and costs $100. Pre-Algebra and Economics are open to all students, while students who plan to enroll in Calculus must have completed Algebra 2 in order to do so. Only the first 50 qualified students who apply can take these new courses, so think about enrolling today! For more details, email us at americanschoolonline@gmail.com .
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Accreditation Update
It has come to our attention that people are having difficulty verifying our regional accreditation in part because the American School is not listed on www.ncahlc.org, the Web site of the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association. The Higher Learning Commission accredits only colleges and universities. The North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), which accredits schools like the American School, is–along with its sister organization, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI)–an accreditation division of AdvancEd, an organization dedicated to advancing excellence in education worldwide. Therefore, information on the American School’s regional accreditation may be found on AdvancEd’s Web site at http://www.advanc-ed.org/oasis2/u/par/accreditation/summary?institutionId=35124 . We take our accreditation very seriously and are proud to have had North Central accredit us since 1975.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Like Us On Facebook
The American School now has its own official Facebook page. Simply direct your browser to http://www.facebook.com/americanschoolofcorrespondence and click the Like button. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @amerschoolcorr too. We’re on the verge of doing some very exciting things, starting with the three online courses we introduced yesterday, and Facebook and Twitter are great ways for you to hear about American School news as it happens.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Practical Homeschooling Readers Like American School Courses
The readers of Practical Homeschooling Magazine selected the American School’s Consumer Economics course and Introduction to Computers course as third-place winners in the magazine’s 2011 Reader Awards. We are thrilled that so many homeschoolers from around the country like our courses, but we are not resting on our laurels. In fact, we’re working more diligently than ever to offer our students the most innovative courses we can create. To that end, soon we will have a big announcement that will take American School courses in a new and exciting direction. Check back with this blog next week for more details.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
American School Offers New Final Exam Service To Counselors
The American School is pleased to announce that school counselors can now print the end-of-course final exams for their students whenever they need them simply by accessing the Online Counselor Center. Because we now have our library of final exams online and available for counselors to print, we are no longer automatically mailing final exams to counselors. If school counselors prefer not to print the final exams themselves, they may call our Student Service department at 708-418-2800 to request a copy be mailed to them. If school counselors do not have their school code and password to access the Online Counselor Center, they may call Paul at 708-418-2850 or Jeff at 708-418-2170 to request that a new code and password be sent to them through the regular mail. We hope that this new service will benefit both students and counselors alike.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Celebrating John Wooden’s 100th Birthday
Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, who died earlier this year, would’ve turned 100 today, but he was more than just a basketball coach. Consider the following quotes, all of which are attributed to him, and think about how they can influence your career as an American School student. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” “Never mistake activity for achievement.” “Adversity is the state in which man mostly easily becomes acquainted with himself, being especially free of admirers then.” “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” “Be prepared and be honest.” “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” “You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a weakness to get caught up in either one.” “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” “Winning takes talent; to repeat takes character.” “A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment.” “I’d rather have a lot of talent and a little experience than a lot of experience and a little talent.” “If you don’t have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?” “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything. I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.” “It isn’t what you do, but how you do it.” “Ability is a poor man’s wealth.” “Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.” “Consider the rights of others before your own feelings and the feelings of others before your own rights.” “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” “Don’t measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should have accomplished with your ability.” “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.” “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen.” “Talent is God-given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.” “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” “Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.”
Friday, June 04, 2010
New Help Sheets Now Available
New help sheets for Drafting, Photography and all three Art courses are now available in the Online Student Center. These help sheets are exclusively for American School students, and our Instruction and Curriculum departments are always working to add new help sheets to those already on the site. If you are a student in these or any of our courses, remember to use the Online Student Center to get help, either in the form of help sheets or by checking out the homework Web sites we have listed there. You may also call us at 708-418-2800 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m Central time to speak with an instructor. All of us are dedicated to seeing you do your very best and look forward to helping you in any way we can.
Thursday, April 01, 2010
Final Four Blog 4: Duke
Today we conclude our look at the teams and schools in the Final Four by discussing Duke. The Blue Devils are making their 11th Final Four appearance under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski and are looking to win Coach K’s fourth national championship. This year the Blue Devils relied on three elite scorers and good team defense to get to Indianapolis, and now they are just two wins away from reclaiming their place as college basketball’s elite program. In terms of your education, you can take a page out of Duke’s book and try to create a good support system for yourself. Coach K alone doesn’t make Duke great. Neither do the players themselves. Collectively, the coaches, players and staff work together and support each other. In the same way, you will be doing your own work throughout your American School curriculum, but surround yourself with good influences, whether they be your parents, friends, relatives or other people who believe in you. Looking ahead to college, Duke is a small private school consistently ranked in the top 20 universities in America. Attending a school such as Duke requires hard work, but you can do anything you put your mind to. Another point to remember is that the American School is fully accredited, so your American School diploma carries the same value as diplomas from resident schools. It should NOT be a hindrance in you being accepted at Duke, West Virginia, Butler, Michigan State or any other college you wish to attend. We hope you’ve enjoyed this week of Final Four blogs and that you came away with the impression that these schools are about much more than basketball. They are universities that happen to have sports teams, not the other way around, and the players in the games this weekend are student-athletes, not athlete-students. We’ll resume regular blogs next week, but for now, enjoy the Final Four and have a good weekend!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Final Four Blog 3: West Virginia
Our series of Final Four blogs continues today with West Virginia. The Mountaineers are making their first trip to the Final Four since 1959 and are perhaps the most athletic team in the field. That’s not to say WV has always been sharp this season. They found themselves trailing Notre Dame by 20 at halftime before making a furious comeback that fell just short. In several other games, they were down big but rallied for victories. Their ability to make comebacks is a reminder that they will not go down without a fight in Indianapolis. In your high school career, you’re going to have bad days. The important thing to remember is that you have opportunities to bounce back. There’s always the next exam on which you can do better and improve your overall grade for the course. No mountain is too big to climb if you put your mind to it. Looking ahead to college, West Virginia has many of the same characteristics as Michigan State, which we discussed in Monday’s blog. Don’t forget that our guidance office can help you with the college application process, and the American School offers scholarships to qualified graduates. We’ll wrap up our Final Four blogs tomorrow with a look at Duke, so make plans to join us then.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Final Four Blog 2: Butler
We continue our series of Final Four blogs by looking at the most unlikely of this year’s Final Four: Butler. If you think the Bulldogs’ run to the Final Four is something out of Hollywood, you’d be right. They play their home games in Hinkle Fieldhouse, where the movie Hoosiers was filmed. The small school on the north side of Indianapolis will bring its tough defense and winning attitude across town to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Final Four, and they’ll bring the nation’s longest winning streak–24 games–with them. Very few people thought Butler would get this far, and perhaps outsiders or maybe even you yourself feel the same way about your education. Maybe people have told you you’re not good enough or smart enough to get where you want to go. Don’t listen to them. Believe in yourself and you can do anything you want to do, including earning your high school diploma. Looking ahead to college, don’t be afraid to strongly consider smaller schools like Butler. Smaller schools can offer comfortable class sizes, a homey atmosphere, and are sometimes closer to your hometown than larger state schools. Remember that, while your friends may be attending the popular school, you have to choose the school that is best for you, whether it’s large, small, or someplace in between. Join us again tomorrow as our series continues with a look at West Virginia.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Final Four Blog 1: Michigan State
All this week, the American School Blog will be talking about the four teams participating in this weekend’s Final Four in Indianapolis. We’ll do so in a way that gives you some insight into the teams and some insight into your education, both at the American School and beyond. First up is Michigan State. There has been a Spartan existence in six of the last 12 Final Fours, but this year’s club is perhaps the biggest surprise of the six. Highly touted in the preseason (and indeed your blogger’s pick to win it all before the season began), MSU dealt with injuries in the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament but persevered and is now two wins away from its second national championship in 11 years. As you continue your American School work, earn a lesson from MSU and don’t let adversity get you down. You’re going to face tough classes and confront material which doesn’t suit your talents or interests. It happens to everyone at some point. Don’t give up and use that as an excuse for not giving your best effort. Learn to make the best of what you have and keep moving forward. Looking ahead to college, certainly state schools like Michigan State have a lot to offer. Large schools offer more majors, have thousands of students, are usually more affordable than smaller colleges, and are often located in urban settings. These are all things to consider as you decide which college is best for you. Be sure to come back tomorrow and read about Butler’s amazing run to the Final Four and what lessons you can learn from the upstart Bulldogs.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Reminder About Telephone Numbers
Recently we have seen an increase in the number of current or past students calling our 866 number to receive information about their records. The 866 number is only for prospective students. If you are a current or past student, please call 708-418-2800 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Central time, and we will be happy to answer your questions immediately. Thank you for your understanding.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Reminder About E-mail Addresses
A reminder to students and parents who use our Online Student Center to monitor academic progress. If you need to add or change your e-mail address, you MUST do this yourself after you log into the Online Student Center. Simply click the “change e-mail address or password” link and follow the instructions. You do not need to change your password in order to change your e-mail address. Also, be aware that we send grade notification e-mails only to e-mail addresses which have been entered after using the student log-in button and student code and password to access the site. We do not send grade notification e-mails to e-mail addresses which have been entered after using the guarantor log-in button and guarantor code and password to access the site. If you have questions about adding or changing your e-mail address, please let us know by writing to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com or by calling 708-418-2800 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. CST Monday through Friday. Thank you.
Monday, January 11, 2010
MTV Features American School In “True Life: I’m Homeschooled”
This week MTV has begun airing a homeschool-themed episode of its popular True Life series. The hour-long episode, entitled “I’m Homeschooled” includes a segment on an American School student and will air on Wednesday, January 13, at 1 p.m. EST, with additional dates and times to be announced on MTV’s web site, www.mtv.com, and, if possible, on this blog.
Monday, January 04, 2010
Enroll Online Today!
The American School is kicking off 2010 with a bang! Beginning today, you don’t have to print out an application from our Web site or request one be sent to you in the mail if you want to become our student. You can enroll with a credit card online. Visit http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/enroll. We look forward to having you as our student in the new year!
Monday, October 05, 2009
American School Receives Centennial Award
This past weekend, the Illinois State Historical Society presented the American School with a Centennial Award in recognition of the School’s 107 years of business in the state of Illinois. Originally founded in Boston in 1897, the School moved to Chicago in 1902 as part of a 5-year collaborative experiment with the Armour Institute of Technology, and the School has been headquartered in Illinois ever since. The American School is one of just 24 businesses or groups to receive a Centennial Award this year. Not only is this a significant achievement for the School, but it’s a significant achievement for our past, present and future students as well. It’s a sign that the American School has existed for a long time in part because it has adapted to the changing times. This is evident in recent years as the School has expanded its online presence, and we look forward to serving our students in the years to come.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
American School Receives A+ Rating From BBB
The American School is pleased to announced that we have been given a grade of A+ by the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois. The A+ grade is the highest a business can receive under the BBB’s new rating system, which replaces the previous ‘satisfactory’ or ‘unsatisfactory’ rating. Letter grades are calculated by computer using a ratings formula that takes into account 17 weighted factors, the largest single factor being the company’s overall complaint history with the BBB. We are proud of our 75-year affiliation with the BBB and even prouder to receive this A+ rating. When you enroll with us, you can be assured that you’ll receive A+ service from us as you work to achieve A+ grades of your own on your way to your high school diploma.
Friday, March 13, 2009
American School Honored By Better Business Bureau
The American School received special recognition from the Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois at the BBB’s 82nd annual dinner meeting. The BBB chose to honor us because we are in our 75th year of supporting their efforts to maintain ethical business practices in the marketplace. American School President Gary R. Masterton graciously accepted the award and described how we incorporate the BBB’s standards and values into our business model and policies. Other speakers and honorees include Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and Chicago television personalities Allison Rosati and Darlene Hill. We are proud of our affiliation with the Better Business Bureau because it helps us provide our students with the best service possible. We look forward to working with them for the next 75 years and beyond.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Online Student Center Reminders
Today’s blog entry continues our periodic series of reminders to students, guarantors and counselors who plan to access our Online Student Center. 1. Recently several people have called us to say that they cannot get to the screen where they enter their code and password. After they hit the appropriate blue log-in button, the screen does not advance, and the same screen comes up. This is likely caused by using AOL’s browser to navigate the Internet. We recommend using Internet Explorer as your main Internet browser when you attempt to visit the Online Student Center. Internet Explorer is pre-installed on most computers, and you can use Internet Explorer as your browser even though you are connected to the Internet through AOL. 2. For students and guarantors, once you have successfully logged into the Online Student Center, it is important to provide us with an e-mail address. You may do this by clicking on the ‘Change E-mail Address And/Or Password’ link that appears on your list of options on the first screen you see after you log into the Online Student Center. Providing us with your e-mail address allows us to resend your password to you in case you lose it and to send you periodic e-mails announcing chat sessions, new courses and more. 3. For students only, the e-mail address you provide will be the one at which you receive e-mail notification of grades. Thirty minutes after we enter your grade into our main computer system, it will be posted in the Online Student Center and you will receive a grade notification e-mail. Grade notification e-mails are not sent to e-mail addresses provided after a guarantor logs into the site, but those e-mail addresses will receive the e-mails described in Step 2 above. 4. For counselors only, you may provide us with an e-mail address at which we will send you weekly student progress reports. You may do this by following the steps for changing counselor report preferences that appear on the first page you see after successfully logging into the Online Student Center. 5. For anyone providing us with an e-mail address, please add the domain @americanschoolofcorr.com to your safe list. This will ensure that you receive e-mails from us. Many of the larger e-mail services mistakenly think our e-mails are spam because we send thousands of grade notification e-mails a day to our students all over the world. Any e-mail we send out is not spam. In fact, e-mails that you receive from us are some of the most important ones you’ll get all day. We don’t want you to miss them. We hope that the above reminders will enable to you get the most out of using the Online Student Center. Keep checking this blog for more reminders and announcements as we continue to update the Online Student Center to serve you.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Words About Passwords
It’s August 25, and entertainer Regis Philbin turns 77 years old today. He’s best known for hosting Live with Regis and Kelly and Who Wants to be a Millionaire?, but his latest game show success is as host of Million Dollar Password. The passwords that we assign our students after they enroll might not be worth a million bucks, but they are very important nonetheless. The password, along with your code, will give you access to the Online Student Center, where you can view your grades, download help sheets, visit homework web sites, and participate in chat sessions. From time to time, students, parents and counselors have questions about their passwords. Please take a moment to review the following reminders. 1. The American School sends code and password letters ONLY through the regular U.S. Mail. We do NOT send new codes and passwords by any other means, including fax or email. The only time a person can receive a password via email is if the person has previously entered an email address into our system and has forgotten the original password. Then we will be able to send you your original password via email. 2. Passwords sometimes contain commonly confused characters. These include the letter o and the number zero and a lowercase L and the number one. If you have one of these characters in your password and are not able to access the site, please try the similar-looking character and see if you can access the site by using it instead. We hope that these two reminders will help make your Online Student Center experience more efficient. We thank you for making the American School your final answer when it comes to earning your high school diploma.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Happy 1st Birthday, American School Blog!
Today is July 11, and one year ago today, this American School Blog was born. In that very first blog, we talked about the Major League Baseball All-Star game, which was being played in Pittsburgh that evening, and how earning your high school diploma from the American School can make you an all-star too. Since then, this blog has had a starring role in giving you the latest American School information. For example, regular blog readers were the first to know about the opening of the American School’s online student center, the first to know about the American School’s 3,000,000th student, and the first to know about the American School’s new service of having your grades emailed to you. As we look back over the blog’s first year, we hope that this blog has been both informative (since we’ve profiled all of our courses and have told you about many of our school procedures) and fun (see our Bob Barker Tribute last month). As this blog begins its second year, we’re looking forward to doing more of the same, but even better. This blog will be the place you find out the date and time of the first American School live chat session coming up later this summer, and when our other exciting changes and developments happen, you’ll be among the first to know those too! If this blog had a birthday wish, it’s that you tell your friends to read the blog too. Then even more people will become familiar with the American School and everything we have to offer.
Friday, June 22, 2007
American School Launches Grade Notification Service
From time to time this blog talks about the headway the American School is making in using the Internet to better serve its students. Today is one of those occasions. If you have a valid email address in our system, we will email you your exam grades within 15 minutes after they are entered into our system. As you know, grades are posted in our online student center within 15 minutes after they are entered into our main system, and this service has been met with rave reviews from students, parents and counselors alike. Now we are making it even easier by having your numeric grades delivered right to your inbox. In preparation for this new service, please put the domain @americanschoolofcorr.com on your email safe list. This will ensure that you receive your grades and other emails from us without interruption. As usual, your exams themselves will arrive at your home 5-10 days after they have been graded and entered into our system. Even though you can now have grades emailed to you, by no means should you shun the online student center. For one thing, the online student center is the only place where you will be able to see your entire academic history, and from there you will also have access to help sheets and helpful homework Web sites.
Friday, June 15, 2007
The Fabulous Showcases
Today as Bob Barker ends his run as host of The Price is Right, we end our series of tribute blogs in grand style. At the end of each episode of The Price is Right, contestants are shown two fabulous showcases filled with fantastic prizes. The contestant who bids closest to the actual amount of his or her showcase without going over wins all the prizes in that showcase, and if a contestant is within $250 of the actual price of the showcase, he or she will win both showcases. Since this is the final blog in our special tribute, it’s a good time to showcase what the American School can offer you. To do so, we’ll incorporate the names of some other pricing games that we didn’t have time to discuss in our series. One of the first pieces of information you’ll receive from us after you enroll is a Lucky Seven-digit student number. That student number is important because you will need it when you access our online student center. You don’t need to worry about one of those Safe Crackers having access to your records. Our online student center is completely safe, and to ensure security, we only issue codes and passwords through the mail. New enrollments now have the option of paying by Credit Card, and with our affordable pricing plans, you’ll never say That’s Too Much when talking about paying for your American School education. We are happy to serve students who need additional credits too. Sometimes people feel like they’ve already had their 3 Strikes and won’t complete high school. We believe that a student should have 2, 3 or even Ten Chances to succeed. When you near the end of your American school curriculum and are One Away from graduating, we will take special care to ensure that your diploma is sent to you as soon as possible after you complete your work. It’s a proud day for you and for us when your high school education is In The Bag and you’ve hit the Bullseye and earned your diploma. We’ll be back to our regular blogs on Monday, but our tribute wouldn’t be complete without a traditional signoff: ‘This is Bob Blogger reminding you to help control the uneducated population. Have yourself and your friends educated with the American School. Goodbye everybody!’
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Plinko
We close the pricing games portion of our Bob Barker Tribute with perhaps the best-known and most popular of all pricing games, Plinko. In this game, a contestant gets the chance to win five Plinko chips by correctly guessing the prices of small appliances. Then the contestant climbs a staircase to the top of the giant Plinko board, which is made up of many rows of pegs all offset from each other. At the bottom of the board are these slots: $100, $500, $1000, 0, $10000, 0, $1000, $500, $100. The contestant lays a chip flat against the board and releases it. The chip bounces off the pegs and ultimately lands in a slot, and the contestant wins money that corresponds to the slot in which the chip lands. In the early days of Plinko, chips would hit pegs and fly off the board and onto the stage. Other times they would get stuck on a peg and not go all the way down. These days the Plinko board is covered in clear plexiglas to prevent chips from flying off, but in the event that chips still get stuck, Bob uses the trusty Plinko stick to pry them loose. Since this is everyone’s favorite game, it’s likely to be played on Bob’s final episode, which airs tomorrow in daytime and in prime time. As exciting as it is to watch the Plinko chips fall down the board and into slots, you can’t just let the chips fall where they may when it comes to your education. Getting a good education requires hard work, determination and a can-do attitude. The American School can help you get the education you have always wanted and the education you deserve. Download, print, complete and mail your application today, and come back tomorrow for the fabulous showcases as our Bob Barker Tribute concludes.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Cliff Hangers
If you watched The Price is Right yesterday, you got a chance to see for yourself how Hole In One is played after reading about it in yesterday’s blog. As wonderful as it was to see the contestant roll in his second putt to win the car, yesterday’s show reached new heights in the following game, which was Cliff Hangers. We couldn’t do a series of blogs about The Price is Right without devoting a day to this great game. Cliff Hangers begins with a mountain climber at the base of a mountain. There are 25 steps from the base of the mountain to the top of the cliff. The contestant is asked to bid on three small prizes. If the contestant guesses a price exactly right, the mountain climber stays where he is. If the contestant misses (which is usually the case), the mountain climber will move one step for per dollar difference between the contestant’s guess and the actual price while yodeling music plays in the background. For example, a contestant might bid $35 on a handy appliance that lets you cook an egg and toast a muffin at the same time. The actual price of that item is $39, so the mountain climber would move 4 places while the audience yodels along with the music. If the mountain climber is still on the board after the contestant has bid on all three prizes, the contestant will win a larger prize such as a spa or furniture. If the mountain climber falls off the cliff, more’s the pity. When it comes to your education, maybe you think you have many mountains standing in your way. These mountains might include time, money and lack of self-confidence, and they might be steep mountains, but you shouldn’t be afraid to climb them. The American School can give you the tools you need: not ropes and hooks and things the mountain climber in Cliff Hangers would use if he was climbing a real mountain, but things like the ability to work at your own pace, flexible and reasonable payment plans, and helpful feedback from our instructors to boost your self-confidence. When you receive your American School diploma, you will feel proud that you conquered these mountains, and you’ll have the confidence and the skills you need to conquer any other mountains that come your way. Take a ‘peak’ at the rest of our Web site for more details, and be sure to come back tomorrow for the final pricing game in our Bob Barker Tribute.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Hole In One
Today’s pricing game in our Bob Barker Tribute coincides nicely with the U.S. Open golf tournament going on later this week at Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh. Holes in one will be rare at Oakmont, but holes in one happen about once a week on The Price is Right when the game called Hole in One is played. To win the car, a contestant must make a putt on a miniature putting green. The distance of that putt is determined by how accurate the contestant prices six grocery items from cheapest to most expensive. If the contestant prices all six items correctly, he or she wins a $500 bonus and has a tap-in putt to win the car, but the earlier a contestant makes a mistake, the farther his or her putt is. Needless to say, not all contestants are Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson or Jim Furyk, and many of them miss their putt. Fortunately for them, Bob gives them a second chance and the game becomes Hole in One (or Two). The American School gives students second chances too. Many of our students take a course with us to make up credits so they can graduate on time with their classes. We also give our students second chances to pass exams they have failed by assigning them alternate exams with specific helpful comments from our instructors. One of Hole in One’s best-known features is Bob’s inspiration putt, in which he’ll putt from the farthest point on the putting green in an attempt to inspire the contestant. It is our hope that after you read this blog and check out the rest of our Web site that you will be inspired to enroll with the American School and continue your education. Do that today, but come back tomorrow as our exciting Bob Barker Tribute will reach new heights. And yes, that’s a hint at what tomorrow’s game will be!
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Big Wheel
If there’s one item that immediately comes to mind when you think of The Price is Right, it’s probably the big wheel that contestants spin at the end of the first and second halves of the show to see who will advance to the Showcase Showdown. Contestants have up to two spins to see who is closest to a dollar without going over. If a contestant gets a dollar, he or she gets a bonus spin. If the bonus spin lands on the green 5 or 15, the contestant gets a $5000 bonus. If the bonus spin lands on the $1.00, the contestant gets a $10,000 bonus. Here at the American School, we are doing much more than spinning our wheels. In fact, our wheels are always in motion, moving the School and its curriculum forward. This blog has spoken several times about the online student center and all the new features that are available there to American School students, parents and counselors. Soon we will be giving you the option of having grades directly emailed to you within an hour of their entry into our main system. Those grades might come from some of our new courses too. A revised British Literature course will be available soon, and Latin 2 is in the early stages of development. Another new development just happened last week. We now accept credit cards as a method of payment. See our June 5 blog for more details, and come back tomorrow as we begin the second half of our Bob Barker Tribute.
Friday, June 08, 2007
Any Number
Today we wind up the first half of our Bob Barker Tribute by going all the way back to the very first pricing game played on The Price is Right when the show premiered in 1972. That game is Any Number, and 35 years later, it remains one of the show’s most popular games. The premise is simple. The contestant sees a board with three prizes and spaces for numbers in the prices of those prizes. One of those prizes is an automobile which costs at least $10,000, one is a prize which costs between $102 and $987, and the piggy bank consists of an amount between $1.02 and $9.87. The first number in the price of the car is given to the contestant as a freebie. The contestant then begins calling out numbers 0 through 9, and those numbers go where they belong on the board. Each number (not counting the first digit in the price of the car) is used only once. The contestant wins the first prize whose price is completed. When it comes to enrolling in high school, we know you have any number of options, from public school to private school to home school. Sometimes those who enroll in a large public school feel like a number or a face in the crowd rather than uniquely talented students that they are. We can ensure you that when you enroll with the American School, you won’t be just any number with us. Yes, you will be a given a student number, and that student number is important. It will allow us to better monitor your academic progress, and it, along with a password, will grant you access to our online student center. But more than that, you will be a student first, and our main goal is to give you a quality education. Others feel the cost of enrolling in a private school is just too big a number for their family to bear. Our four-year program costs $1189. When you do the math, that’s $297 a year, $5.63 a week, or 81 cents a day. No doubt our price is definitely right! Next week we’ll be back with a showcase showdown, three more pricing games, and the exciting showcases a week from today. Have a terrific weekend!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Master Key
Today we’re going to play Master Key. On The Price is Right, this game is played for three prizes, one of which is a car. By correctly guessing the prices of two smaller items, a contestant can select two of five keys. Each of the five keys has a different effect on the three locks which represent the three prizes the contestant can win. One key is a dud and opens nothing. Three of the keys open one lock each. One of the five keys is the Master Key, which opens all three locks. If a contestant picks the Master Key, he or she wins all three prizes. The American School works with keys too. Our Curriculum department, in collaboration with our Instruction department, puts together the keys that our instructors use to grade exams. You might think that keys only consist of the correct answers, but American School keys consist of much more. They include point values so that all of our instructors can grade your exams fairly, accurately and consistently. Our keys include page references so that, in the event you miss a question, the instructor can write on your exam the page number where you may find the correct answer. We also put supplemental information on each key so that our instructors can pass more information on to you if you are interested in a particular topic. You can also rest assured that the people who use our keys to grade your exams are highly-qualified. All of our instructors have completed at least 24 college hours in the subjects they grade, and many have advanced degrees. As you can see, well-written keys are, well, key to our success and your success. Let the American School unlock your future. Enroll today, but be sure to come back tomorrow for the next pricing game in our weeklong Bob Barker Tribute.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Golden Road
The Golden Road is always the first pricing game of the day whenever it is played on The Price is Right, so it is appropriate that it is the first game we talk about in our special Bob Barker Tribute. The Golden Road is very large and takes up the entire stage. Therefore, whenever it is played, Bob will make his stage entrance by walking through the audience rather than coming out of the giant doors. The game begins with a grocery item (such as a can of corn) which costs less than a dollar. The contestant sees the price of the grocery item and then goes over to a prize whose price is between $100 and $999. One of the numbers in that price is missing, and the contestant has to decide which of the two numbers in the price of the grocery item is the missing number. The process continues with a prize whose price is between $1000 and $9999 (the missing number in this price is found in the price of the three-digit prize) and continues to the end of the Golden Road where a prize whose price is usually over $50,000 awaits (the missing number in this price is found in the price of the four-digit prize). Your American School experience is much like the Golden Road. That game is set up so that the contestants will, at the very least, make it to the four-digit prize. Your first couple courses with us, Planning Your Career and Psychology, are designed to give you the solid footing you will need to continue in our curriculum. In these courses, you will learn more about yourself and become comfortable with the process of earning your high school diploma at home. Just like the prizes build on one another in the Golden Road, subsequent courses will build on the knowledge you learned in those initial courses. At the end of the Golden Road, the contestant, if he or she is lucky, will win a fabulous prize such as a sports car or a motor home. At the end of your American School experience, you, if you work hard, will receive something more fabulous: an American School diploma. Check out the rest of our Web site for more details, and come back again tomorrow to see which pricing game we’ll talk about next!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Come On Down!!!
Tomorrow legendary game show host Bob Barker will tape his final episode of ‘The Price is Right,’ retiring after 35 years on the show and 50 years in television. That episode is scheduled to air on Friday, June 15, but if you need a game show fix between now and then, be sure to read this blog every weekday from June 6 to June 15. To pay tribute to Bob Barker, we’ll be playing our own version of ‘The Price is Right’. The title of every blog will be the name of a pricing game on the show, and we’ll tell you how that game relates to what’s happening at the American School. Be sure to ‘come on down’ and check it out!
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
American School Begins Accepting Credit Cards
As of June 4, 2007, the American School is accepting credit cards as an additional form of payment for walk-in registrations and all incidental costs (transcripts, requests for overnight exams, duplicate books, etc.). In the near future, our Web site and registration forms will include information on how to pay by credit card. Once the credit card information and authorization forms are in place, existing students who have an outstanding balance will be able to pay their monthly fee or balance by credit card. The School has made every effort to ensure that your credit card information will be kept confidential, and we are confident that this is yet another way for us to better serve all of our students. Keep visiting this blog and our Web site for new developments.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Important Online Student Center Information
The American School’s Online Student Center is up and running, and we have received many calls from students, guarantors and counselors who are pleased with this new service we are providing. We have, however, received calls from a handful of people who, for a variety of reasons, have not been able to access certain portions of the site. This blog offers the following suggestions.
If you are having trouble getting to the online student center, you may go directly to the site by typing the appropriate address from the following list.
For students and guarantors:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/student.asp
For counselors and other school officials:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/school.asp
If you have successfully gotten to the above sites, but the page does not advance when you click on the appropriate blue log-in button at the bottom of the screen, you may go directly to the log-in site you need by typing the appropriate address from the following list.
For student log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=1
For guarantor log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=2
For counselor/school log-in:
http://studentcenter.americanschoolofcorr.com/form_login.asp?type=3
As previously posted, we recommend that you view the site using Internet Explorer. We hope that you are enjoying the benefits afforded to you by our Online Student Center, including secure access to your grades, help sheets for many of our courses, and links to useful Web sites, all of which are available exclusively to American School students.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Access the Online Student Center in Internet Explorer
Recently we have received a number of calls from people who have had minor difficulties viewing some portions of the Online Student Center. If you are having difficulty getting the log-in page to come up on your screen after pressing the blue Student Log-In, Guarantor Log-In or School Log-In button, try accessing the site using Internet Explorer as your browser. We have found the site works best when viewed using this browser. Keep checking this blog for further updates on the Online Student Center and all the other exciting things happening at the American School.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
American School Welcomes Three-Millionth Student
Recently the American School enrolled the three-millionth student in its storied 109-year history. Timothy Graziano, 15, of Tinley Park, Illinois, and his mother, Krista, visited the school last week, where they were given a tour of the building and received gifts commemorating Tim’s achievement.
American School President Gary Masterton presented Tim with a certificate, an American School pen and pencil set and an American School watch, among other gifts. Other American School dignitaries joining in the celebration were Roberta Allen (Vice-President/Curriculum Director), John McCulley (Vice-President/Educational Director), Marie Limback (Prinicpal), Vince Immordino (Comptroller) and William Hunding (Trustee).
Tim and Krista were very appreciative of the gifts they received. Even though they had never visited the School before, they knew about the American School because Tim’s brother, Tony, is also an American School student.
‘We enrolled Tim with the American School because we were familiar with it,’ Krista explained. ‘We knew what was expected, we are pleased with the customer service, and the School has an affordable montly payment.’
Tim is looking forward to a career in perhaps the education or medical fields, but before then, he is excited about taking the American School’s World History and Food Study courses, since becoming a chef is also a possible career option. When he visited the school last week, he also took note of the American School’s dedicated staff.
‘I was surprised by how many people work here,’ he said. ‘I thought it would be smaller, but it was definitely nice meeting everyone.’
And we at the American School enjoyed meeting Tim and Krista too. It’s not every day we meet our students and parents in person, but it’s not every day we enroll our three-millionth student either. We are already on our way to serving four million students, and you can be a part of it by enrolling today. You’ll receive the same outstanding customer service and affordable monthly payments that the Grazianos receive, and you’ll feel like a million bucks when you receive your American School diploma. Get started today!
