It’s March 11, and one year ago today the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 virus a global pandemic. People have lived in a much different world since then, and those of us here at American School are no exception. American School employees have adapted to the situation by working at work stations at least six feet apart from colleagues and wearing masks when they leave their desks. Even our lunchroom consists of several tables for one, all spaced more than six feet apart. Taking these safety precautions and being declared an essential business by the State of Illinois have allowed us to continue to provide accredited high school courses and accredited middle school courses to students in all 50 states and several countries around the world, many of whom are experiencing distance learning for the first time in the middle of a very difficult situation. Our staff is happy to provide some semblance of normalcy for our students and their families, and we do our best to support them however we can. The last twelve months have been difficult for so many people, but it is our wish that the next twelve months will be much better. No matter what the future holds, we are grateful to the students, families and schools who have chosen to work with us, and we are grateful to our staff for their efforts in keeping themselves, their families and their coworkers safe. We are proud to be a distance education high school and distance education middle school which serves students in the best of times and worst of times, and we plan to stay that way for many years to come.