Welcome to the American School Blog!
Since 2006, the American School Blog has kept students, parents and school officials up to date on what’s happening at American School. Below are our most recent blog posts. Visit the American School Blog Archive to read noteworthy blogs from over the years.
2026-2027 Year-End Break Fourth Notice
Fall has just begun, but we’re already looking ahead to winter. Each year American School closes for a period of time at the end of the year, and this year American School’s last day of operations in 2026 will be Wednesday, December 23. American School will be...
First Full Day of Fall 2026
It’s September 23 and today is the first full day of fall. Many people associate fall with going back to school, and if you need an accredited middle school program or accredited high school diploma program for the new school year, you can enroll with American School...
Today’s Birthday: Michael Faraday
It’s September 22, and scientist Michael Faraday was born on this day in 1791. Although he was a chemist and physicist, his biggest contributions to science came in the fields of electricity. The standard unit of measure for capacitance, the ability for an item to...
Today’s Birthday: H.G. Wells
It’s September 21, and science fiction author H.G. Wells was born on this day in 1866. He wrote many novels and short stories but the one we’re going to focus on in today’s blog is The Time Machine. Perhaps you’re older than a traditional high school student who...
American School Staff Completes Mandated Reporter Training
All American School staff members recently completed mandated reporter training as required by our home state of Illinois. This training, which must be completed by all employees at the time of hire and every three years thereafter, educates us on signs of child...
Today’s Anniversary: The United States Constitution
It’s September 17, and the United States Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on this day in 1787. You can learn more about it by visiting the National Constitution Center in person or at the link in this blog. Today’s anniversary is a good...
Chicago and Northern Illinois Better Business Bureau 100th Anniversary Trivia
Earlier this year the Chicago and Northern Illinois Better Business Bureau celebrated its 100th anniversary. A recent BBB publication listed the first 10 businesses to become members of the Chicago and Northern Illinois BBB. They include Sears, Chicago Tribune,...
Celebrating 28 Years at American School
It’s September 15, and today the person who regularly writes this blog is celebrating 28 years at American School. September 15 also was a Tuesday in 1998, and on that morning, American School staff members were grading exams in high school correspondence courses,...
American School Earns Spot on Homeschool 100 List
American School is proud to be selected by HomeschoolAwards.com as a 2026 Top Educational Products Award winner. The award, which is given to only 100 organizations nationwide, shows that homeschooling families across the country appreciate our accredited middle...
Remembering September 11, 2001
Today we pause to remember the events of 25 years ago today. We encourage you to click on the links in today’s blog to learn more about what happened on September 11, 2001 in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania and to remember the lives lost on that day. ...
Grandparents’ Day 2026
It’s September 10, and this coming Sunday is Grandparents’ Day. It’s the perfect chance for us to thank the grandparents who helped choose American School’s accredited middle school courses and accredited high school courses for their families. We are grateful you...
Today’s Anniversary: California
It’s September 9, and California became a state on this day in 1850. California’s state motto is “Eureka” and sometimes that word is used as an exclamation when a person has a sudden realization or finally solves a long-standing problem. That word got us thinking...
American School and the U.S. Open
The U.S. Open tennis tournament is underway in New York, and today is the perfect time to mention that American School students have had great success at this event. Andre Agassi won the men’s singles title in 1994 and 1999 and was runner-up in 1990, 1995, 2002 and...
American School Closed September 7, 2026
American School will be closed on Monday, September 7. We will reopen with regular business hours on Tuesday, September 8, and look forward to assisting you with your accredited middle school program, accredited high school program or independent study program at...
Update for Students Taking Edmentum Courses
American School is aware that students taking online middle school courses and online high school courses might be having difficulty with some portions of their Edmentum courses. A special page has been added to our web site and contains the latest issues and updates...
Today’s Birthday: Christa McAuliffe
It’s September 2, and teacher Christa McAuliffe was born on this day in 1948. She was part of NASA’s Teacher in Space project and sadly passed away in the Challenger disaster of 1986. Had the Challenger mission been successful, Christa was set to conduct a pair of...
Today’s Anniversary: Emma Nutt
It’s September 1 and on this day in 1878 Emma Nutt became the world’s first female telephone operator. It’s a good occasion for us to remind you that you can reach us by telephone at 708-418-2800 during our normal business hours which are Monday through Friday from 8...
Today’s Birthday: Maria Montessori
It’s August 31, and educator Maria Montessori was born on this day in 1870. She believed in a certain type of educational philosophy that favored children’s talents and interests rather than more formal teaching methods which include exams as ways of measuring...
Today’s Anniversary: The “I Have a Dream” Speech
It’s August 28, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington, D.C. on this date in 1963. Whatever your dreams are, American School can help turn them into realities after you enroll in our accredited middle school courses...
The Gates Scholarship
The Gates Scholarship is accepting applications through September 15. Visit the link in this blog to learn more. As you know, we occasionally post blogs about scholarship opportunities for students in our accredited high school program who are working to earn a high...
Remembering Dolly Parton
It's August 26, and we are using today's blog to remember Dolly Parton, who died yesterday at age 80. Many people know her as an entertainer, but Dolly Parton was also a great philanthropist. One of her philanthropic endeavors was Dolly Parton's Imagination Library...
Today’s Anniversary: The National Park Service
It’s August 25, and the National Park Service was created on this day in 1916. With national parks spread out across the country, this anniversary got us thinking about travel and our Hospitality and Tourism course. If you’re interested in this field as a career,...
2026-2027 Year-End Break Third Notice
Summer might be drawing to a close, but we’re already looking ahead to winter. Each year American School closes for a period of time at the end of the year, and this year American School’s last day of operations in 2026 will be Wednesday, December 23. American...
Today’s Anniversary: Hawaii
It’s August 21, and Hawaii became a state on this day in 1959. This anniversary is an occasion for us to remind you of some of our shipping policies. In order to avoid increased shipping costs and customs delays, we ask that international students only take online...
Today’s Anniversary: Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
It’s August 20, and Charles Darwin first published his theory of evolution on this day in 1858. We are using this anniversary to point out that evolution is a sensitive subject for many homeschooling families. American School understands this and at the same time...