|
American School of Correspondence Blog
Monday, July 19, 2010 Travis Pastrana Grants A Wish On ESPN American School graduate Travis Pastrana is one of five athletes granting wishes on ESPN this week as part of SportsCenter's My Wish feature. His segment airs Wednesday, July 21 and will be available for viewing online later this week. Monday, July 19, 2010 New Physics Course Available The American School's Curriculum department has released a new version of our Physics course. Physics is the science which explores matter and energy in terms of motion and force. While Algebra I is a prerequisite for the course and solving problems involving mathematical computation is required, the focus of this course is on understanding concepts, rather than on numerical manipulation. Everyday examples and illustrations are used wherever possible, and students are encouraged to think through specific applications of the general concepts which they study. In completing this subject, among other activities, students apply the concepts they have learned to explain the physics of actual situations. There are 11 examinations in Physics. For more information on our other courses or to enroll online, visit the Course Descriptions and How to Enroll portions of our Web site. Thursday, July 01, 2010 Graduate Katie Hoff Featured In Sports Illustrated 2007 American School graduate Katie Hoff is featured in the July 5 issues of Sports Illustrated. She and four other swimmers recently joined a newly-created training center in Fullerton, California, where she is preparing for the 2010 U.S. National Championships to be held in Irvine, California, from August 3-7. Hoff, who won a silver medal and two bronze medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, is hoping that her work in Fullerton will pay off not only in national events but also the 2011 World Championship meet and the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The American School wishes her the best of luck! Wednesday, June 30, 2010 American School Attends ASCA Convention The American School attended the ASCA Convention last weekend in Boston. We enjoyed meeting counselors from across the country and around the world and look forward to serving you and your students through our Independent Study program. We are already making plans to attend next year's ASCA Convention, to be held June 25-28 in Seattle. In the meantime, keep checking this blog for updates on which conventions and conferences we'll be attending next. 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. Friday, June 04, 2010 National Spelling Bee and National Geographic Bee On TV The finals of the 2010 Scripps National Spelling Bee air tonight. This event is a great opportunity for you to see some of the best young minds in America at work, and there's a chance some of the finalists might be homeschoolers. In fact, the 1997 and 2000 champions were homeschoolers at the time of their triumphs, and the 2001 and 2007 winners received much of their early educations at home before winning their titles. Homeschoolers have also had success in the National Geographic Bee, which airs on PBS stations across the country. Check your local listings for air dates and times. Thursday, April 22, 2010 April Special Events: Blog 5 Today is April 22, and the American School is celebrating Earth Day. In actuality, every day is Earth Day here because the American School has participated in two recycling programs for a number of years. We recycle aluminum cans, but we recycle a lot more paper. Every bit of recycling helps preserve the planet, so we encourage our students to do their part at home on Earth Day and every day! Wednesday, April 21, 2010 April Special Events: Blog 4 Tomorrow is Take Our Daughters And Sons To Work Day. There's no word on whether or not American School employees will bring their kids into the office tomorrow, but we all can agree that the day is a good occasion for kids to experience a little bit of what their parents do at work all day. Another way for you to get career information is from the American School's Planning Your Career course. You can read about it and our other courses in the Course Descriptions portion of our Web site. Tuesday, April 20, 2010 April Special Events: Blog 3 April is National Mathematics Awareness Month, and this year's theme is Mathematics in Sports. You might not be aware of it, but math and science play an enormous role in sports. www.mathaware.org lists several examples of math's influence on sports. Visit the site, and the next time you watch your favorite athletes in competition, you'll know just how much math is involved in their athletic accomplishments! Monday, April 19, 2010 April Special Events: Blog 2 We continue our series of special event blogs by mentioning that April is National Poetry Month. The Academy of American Poets started National Poetry Month in 1996 as a way to get people more interested in poets and poetry, and the American School does its part by including sections on poets and poetry in our literature courses. While we encourage our students to appreciate poets and poetry year-round, we invite them to especially enjoy them this month! Friday, April 16, 2010 April Special Events: Blog 1 Although April is half over, there is still plenty of time to highlight some special events happening in April. We are at the end of National Library Week and in the middle of School Library Month. Libraries are great resources for you as you work toward your high school diploma. You'll be able to supplement your American School studies and obtain a greater understanding of our courses thanks to the people and resources available at your local library. Next week we'll be back to highlight more fun happenings this month. Friday, April 16, 2010 New Blueprint Reading 1 Course Available The American School's Curriculum department has released a new version of the Blueprint Reading 1 course. This half–unit course 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. In completing this subject students take competency exams included as part of the textbook materials. There are 10 examinations in Blueprint Reading 1. For more details on our courses and for enrollment information, visit the rest of our Web site! Wednesday, April 14, 2010 New Blueprint Reading 2 Course Available The American School's Curriculum department has released a new version of the Blueprint Reading 2 course. This half–unit course 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 this subject students take competency exams included as part of the textbook materials. There are 10 examinations in Blueprint Reading 2. For more details on our courses and for enrollment information, visit the rest of our Web site! Tuesday, April 13, 2010 American School Attends AdvancEd Conference The American School attended the AdvancEd Conference this past weekend in Atlanta. This event was important because AdvancEd is one of our main accrediting bodies, and the information we received at this conference will help us become a stronger school. Tuesday, April 06, 2010 American School Attends Midwest Homeschool Convention The American School attended the Midwest Homeschool Convention last weekend at Cincinnati's Duke Energy Convention Center. We were excited to meet many homeschoolers and their families and are looking forward to helping you earn your high school diploma. Keep reading this blog for updates on our next convention appearances! Thursday, April 01, 2010 No Fooling: The Census Is Important It's April Fool's Day, but this year's census is no laughing matter. It's important for you and your families to fill out the forms the government sent you in the mail and to return them to the proper address. Doing so ensures that your community will get the services it needs to thrive in the future. 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. Wednesday, March 17, 2010 Happy St. Patrick's Day Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us at the American School. Green is a popular color here. After you enroll and become an American School student, you'll receive a green first page form to use on your first exam. That indicates to us that you're a brand new student, and our instructors will take special care to formally welcome you to the American School. You'll also save a lot of green because the American School is the most affordable distance-learning school on the market. Our four-year diploma program costs just $1399, and that price includes all books, study guides, personalized grading and access to our online student center. We're confident that your friends will be green with envy as they watch you earn your high school diploma from the American School, so enroll online today! Thursday, February 25, 2010 Chat Room Ideas Wanted In the past couple weeks, English department chairperson Sarah Hunter conducted a chat session on the novels in American Literature, and guidance counselor Janet Howe conducted a chat session on the ACT and SAT. We would like to conduct more topic-specific chat sessions in the future, but we want to know what you want. Give us your ideas for chat sessions by sending an email with the subject line "chat ideas" to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com. We will do our best to accommodate your ideas! Friday, February 05, 2010 Reminder About First Page Forms A reminder to our current students: please do not discard the first page forms of graded exams. Those first page forms and the hand-written grade and instructor's signature on them are, along with the graded exam itself, proof that you received a grade for that exam. We recommend that you save all graded exams and first page forms you that you have additional verification of your grades. Thank you for your cooperation! Wednesday, February 03, 2010 National Signing Day Today is National Signing Day, the day that high school athletes sign letters of intent to attend the college of their choice. If you are a high school athlete, you need to make sure you have the necessary number of credits and passing grades to play NCAA sports. Check with your guidance counselor, and if he or she determines you need more credits, the American School's Independent Study program can help. Our Independent Study program is like a year-round summer school. You can enroll any time, complete your work within a year, and potentially graduate on time with your class. Doing so helps preserve your NCAA eligibility. Over the years the American School has helped several high-profile recruits pass high school and attend college, and we'd like to help you as well. Check out the Independent Study portion of our Web site for more information. Tuesday, February 02, 2010 Happy Groundhog Day It's February 2, and world-famous groundhog Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, which means we've got another six weeks of winter ahead of us. In the movie Groundhog Day, the main character is faced with the prospect of reliving the same day--Groundhog Day--over and over and over again. That's what your life might be like if you don't have your high school diploma. A high school diploma can help you keep moving forward and headed toward the life you've always wanted. Enrolling in the American School has never been easier. Visit the How to Enroll section of our site and enroll online with a credit card or download and print an application to be mailed to us. Once you become our student, we promise you a brighter future than what the groundhog predicted earlier today! 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. Saturday, January 23, 2010 Easy As 1-2-3 Today is January 23, or, if you choose to write today's date in numbers, 1-23. Our new online enrollment application is as easy as 1-2-3. Filling it out and completing the enrollment process with a credit card allows you to become an American School student within a matter of minutes, so if you're looking for a jumpstart to your high school career, take advantage of our online enrollment application. You'll be glad you did! Tuesday, January 19, 2010 You'll Flip For Us It's January 19, and gymanst Shawn Johnson turns 18 years old today. Shawn burst on the scene in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where she won a gold medal in the balance beam and three silver medals, including one in the team competition. She then appeared on Dancing With The Stars and took home the title there too. Shawn is currently a student at a local high school in her hometown, but if you have similar talents that take you on the road for extended periods of time, whether for athletics or entertainment purposes, then consider earning your high school diploma through the American School. Our curriculum is portable. You can take your books, study guides and other materials anywhere and simply mail us your exams when you have finished them. If your training schedule requires you to work during the school day, you can complete your schoolwork at other times of the day which might be more convenient for you. Take a look around the rest of our site and read descriptions of the 70 courses you can take after you become an American School student. If you're ready to enroll, you can do so online with a credit card and we'll process your application the same day. We guarantee you'll flip for us! Friday, January 15, 2010 Hat's Off To You! Today is National Hat Day, and one of our favorite hats at the American School is the mortarboard. Even though we don't hold an official graduation ceremony or issue caps and gowns to our graduates, we like the mortarboard because it's a symbol of graduation, and there's nothing we like more than helping students graduate. In life, people wear many "hats" but the "hat" you will wear as a high school graduate will give you more career opportunities, earn you more money, and help you live the life you always wanted. The American School can help you achieve those goals. Visit our enrollment page and enroll online today! Friday, January 15, 2010 Happy Birthday, Mary Pierce American School graduate and tennis champion Mary Pierce turns 35 years old today. Mary won the 1995 Australian Open and the 2000 French Open and was runner-up in four other Grand Slam events. In between winning her two major titles, Mary earned her American School diploma, which showed that she is as dedicated to her education as she was to becoming a great tennis player. We are proud to count Mary among our graduates and wish her a happy birthday. 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. Thursday, January 07, 2010 But Since We've No Place To Go... It's snowing heavily today, but the American School is open for business and here to serve you. One of the advantages of being our student is that you can study in any type of weather. You don't have to stand in the cold and wait for a bus or fight slow traffic while you drive to school. All study materials are sent to your home, and you can complete high school in warm and cozy comfort. Visit www.americanschoolofcorr.com/enroll/hsapp.aspx to enroll online with a credit card today! Wednesday, January 06, 2010 Donny Osmond To Host Nationwide Radio Show Former American School student Donny Osmond is scheduled to launch a syndicated nationwide radio show on 60 stations across the country. The show, which first airs January 18, will be geared toward women who listen to adult contemporary or classic hits during the day, whether they are at work, in the car, at home, or someplace in between. In addition to playing music, Donny plans to include personal stories from his decades in entertainment as part of the show. In addition to his Dancing With The Stars triumph and his new radio show, Donny and his sister Marie, herself a former American School student, continue to perform shows at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, which recently extended the duo's run at the famed casino and hotel through 2012. Tuesday, January 05, 2010 American School Launches New Home Page Visitors to www.americanschoolofcorr.com are seeing the American School's new home page for the first time today. Don't worry--the famous hallway that has been our home page for the past four years is still there and may be accessed by clicking the link on the bottom of the new home page, but the new home page contains a brief history of the School, famous students, and why students should enroll. We hope you will enjoy the information on our new home page and use it as a gateway to check out the rest of our site. 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. To enroll in our high school diploma program, visit http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/enroll/hsapp.aspx. To enroll in our independent study program, visit http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/enroll/isapp.aspx. You will need a credit card to complete online enrollment transactions. If you prefer not to pay by credit card, you can still download applications at http://www.americanschoolofcorr.com/enrollment. We look forward to having you as our student in the new year! Friday, December 18, 2009 Educational Director John McCulley Retires John McCulley retired today after 16 years of service to the American School and its students. John first joined the American School as an instructor, where he graded students’ exams and played a prominent role in creating and writing revisions of the school’s World History and United States History courses. In 2002, he became principal, a position he kept until 2005, when he was promoted to educational director. He is also a trustee of the American School, a responsibility he will continue to hold even as he steps away from the day-to-day operations of the school. Prior to joining the American School, John was an instructor and principal in the Chicago Public Schools system for 33 years. Today American School President Gary Masterton, Trustees, members of the Executive Committee and the entire American School staff held a luncheon for John and his wife, daughter and grandchildren. All of us will miss working with John and wish him nothing but the best as he begins his retirement! Monday, December 14, 2009 American School Announces 2009 Holiday Schedule The American School will observe the following schedule during the 2009 holiday season. Our offices will be closed Thursday, December 24, Friday, December 25, and Friday, January 1, and our offices will close at 2 p.m. CST on Thursday, December 31. We will be open to serve you all other weekdays during the holiday season. On behalf of all of us at the American School, have a safe and happy holiday season, and best wishes for a prosperous 2010. Monday, December 07, 2009 Remembering Pearl Harbor Today is December 7, a day that will truly live in infamy as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt said. It was on this date in 1941 that the USS Arizona was attacked in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, killing more than 2000 American soldiers. If you are ever in Hawaii, a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial is highly recommended. Though their numbers are dwindling some 68 years after the attack, Pearl Harbor survivors still volunteer their time to educate visitors, and their stories are appreciated by all who hear them. We at the American School certainly appreciate our armed forces past and present, not only on Pearl Harbor Day, but every other day of the year as well. Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Thanksgiving Happy Thanksgiving! We are thankful for our past, present and future students! The American School will be closed Thursday, November 26, and Friday, November 27, and we will reopen Monday, November 30. Have a happy and safe holiday weekend! Monday, November 23, 2009 American School Announces New Student Co-Op Credit Policy Effective today, the American School no longer has a limit on the number of student co-op credits a referring student can receive. In other words, current students may now refer to us as many potential students as possible, and should those potential students enroll, current students will receive a tuition credit for each of them. That means if you are a current student and refer 10 students, you will get 10 tuition credits. Word of mouth is a great way of advertising, and we hope that this new tuition credit policy will give you more incentive to spread the word among your friends and let them know you enjoy earning your high school diploma the American way from the American School! Wednesday, November 18, 2009 New Child Care Course Arrives The American School's Curriculum department has released a new version of the Child Care course. Students who take this course 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 students are asked, among other things, to apply what they have learned to determine appropriate actions that a caregiver might take in a wide range of situations and will take six unit examinations to earn one credit. For more details on how to enroll in Child Care or any of our courses, visit the rest of our web site for course descriptions and enrollment applications. Tuesday, November 10, 2009 Happy 40th Birthday, Sesame Street! It's November 10, and on this date in 1969, Sesame Street aired for the very first time. In the 40 years that followed, millions of children grew up with the show and were both entertained and educated. They not laughed along with Bert and Ernie, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Elmo and countless other lesser-known but still-beloved characters such as Guy Smiley, but they also learned the alphabet and numbers and values such as respect and teamwork. Even though the American School only offers high school courses, we value education at all levels. Shows like Sesame Street provide youngsters with a good educational foundation, and we are proud to build upon that educational foundation once students are ready for high school. Monday, November 09, 2009 Andre Agassi Autobiography Now Available Andre Agassi's autobiography "Open" is on sale now wherever books are sold. You may have heard about this in the media or read excerpts from the book itself in the past couple weeks. Autobiographies attempt to paint the entire picture of a person, complete with good points and bad. While we do not condone everything in Mr. Agassi's autobiography, we are proud to count him among our graduates because he has done many good things both on and off the tennis court. We also want to clarify one published report which claimed that Mr. Agassi was a high school dropout and never graduated high school. This is untrue. He used the American School to earn his high school diploma and graduated in 1988. We cannot stress enough how proud we are of all our graduates, whether they become famous or not, and we hope that, if you choose to read Mr. Agassi's book, you find in it something that will motivate you to become the best person you can be. Thursday, November 05, 2009 Chat Room Update The American School Chat Room is currently closed for maintenance. We anticipate the chat room reopening Monday, November 16, at 1 p.m. Central time. Thank you for your patience. Thursday, November 05, 2009 Twitter Privacy Update If you'd like to follow us on Twitter @amerschoolcorr, simply send us a request along with a little bit about yourself, and we will be happy to add you. Wednesday, November 04, 2009 Christopher Paolini Releases New Book American School graduate and best-selling author Christopher Paolini has released "Eragon's Guide to Alagaesia" which is sure to give fans an ever deeper look inside Christopher's popular Inheritance cycle. Buy it wherever books are sold! Wednesday, November 04, 2009 New Carpentry Course Hammered Out The American School Curriculum department has released an updated version of our Introduction to Carpentry course. The course provides a systematic overview of the most common tools, materials and procedures used in residential construction, from laying a foundation to finish work. Students who enroll in this course will calculate board feet, interpret labeling information, identify components in drawings as well as complete objective questions which test their knowledge of the basic tools, materials and procedures. You'll hit the nail on the head if you take this course, so enroll today! Thursday, October 29, 2009 American School Holds 112th Annual Meeting The American School held its 112th Annual Meeting of Trustees and Corporate Members earlier this week, and those present, along with the entire American School staff, are determined to make 2010 an outstanding year for the School and its students. Before meeting participants began looking forward, they looked back at the many accomplishments of the past year. These include developing a School Improvement Plan as required by members of the CITA review team after their visit in late 2008, improving service in areas such as book shipments and exam turnaround time, developing new courses, and using the Web site to host chat sessions. The School will continue these and similar endeavors in 2010, and we look forward to serving our students in the months and years to come. Friday, October 23, 2009 Chat Room Update The American School's Online Student Center will NOT host a chat session on Monday, November 2, or Tuesday, November 3. We will continue to host general chat sessions on Wednesday, November 4, through Friday, November 6, from 1-2 p.m. Central time as regularly scheduled. If you have ideas for course-specific or topic-specific chat sessions, please send them to followup@americanschoolofcorr.com. We will consider all suggestions and look forward to providing you with more helpful chats in the weeks and months ahead. Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Celebrate National Arts & Humanities Month In accordance with National Arts and Humanities Month, Illinois governor Pat Quinn has proclaimed October 2009 as Illinois Arts & Humanities Month and encouraged citizens to celebrate and promote the arts and culture in their local communities. Even though you might not be an Illinois resident, the American School offers several courses that fit right in with Arts & Humanities Month. These include three art courses (Drawing People, Drawing Animals, and Drawing Landscapes), two history courses (U.S. History and World History) and a host of literature courses. Taking arts and humanities courses can enhance your life in several different ways, so consider taking some of our arts and humanities courses as you work toward your American School diploma. Friday, October 16, 2009 Happy Boss's Day Today is Boss's Day, and our bosses at the American School have been given cards, flowers, candy, lunches and more as employees show their gratitude and appreciation. Many people dream about being their own boss, and you can do that right now, at least when it comes to earning your high school diploma, after you become an American School student. Our program gives students the opportunity to work at their own pace and on their own time. You decide how much time you need to complete a course, how long you want to study, where you want to study and more. You won't be bound by someone else's schedule. Visit the rest of our Web site for more details on our courses and information on how you can enroll today! Wednesday, October 07, 2009 Idol Thoughts It's October 7, and American Idol judge Simon Cowell turns 50 years old today. For the past eight seasons, Cowell has panned contestants on American Idol, but if he reviewed the American School, he wouldn't find us horrendous at all! That's because we pride ourselves on interesting curriculum, affordable prices and outstanding customer service. We've also expanded our presence on the Internet to include 24-7 access to grades, help sheets and links to homework web sites, and recently we relaunched our chat room to give our students even more direct access to staff members. We have big plans for the future, so enroll today by going to our Web site, downloading our application, and mailing it to us. We think you'll idolize us as you work toward your high school diploma. 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. Monday, September 21, 2009 Chat Room Reopens! The chat room has been fixed. Starting today, visit with us every weekday from 1-2 p.m. Central time. More details may be found in additional blog entries on this page, on our Twitter account (@amerschoolcorr) and in the Online Student Center itself. We look forward to seeing you there. Friday, September 18, 2009 New Course Descriptions Added New and expanded course descriptions have just been added to our Web site. Our Curriculum and Instruction departments collaborated on this project, and the result is that students, parents and school officials can now see more details about every course, including what topics are covered, what kinds of activities students will undertake, and how many exams students will need to complete in order to pass the course. Check them out and see what courses interest you! Thursday, September 17, 2009 More Chat Room Information Now that our chat room has reopened, here are a few things to keep in mind. During general chat sessions, the facilitator will attempt to answer as many questions as possible, but if you have specific questions about a course or an exam, please call us at 708-418-2800 between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Central time and ask to speak with an instructor. In this way, we can accommodate as many of our chat room participants as possiblem, and during chats about specific courses or topics, please ask questions related only to that course or topic. Next, please refrain from asking questions about student accounts during any chat session. For privacy and security purposes, we will not discuss student accounts in any way during chat sessions. And finally, be polite and civil while in the chat room. We are aware that many people have concerns about chat room safety, so we have taken steps to ensure that your chat room experience will be both fun and informative. We hope to see you there! Wednesday, September 16, 2009 American School Chat Room Set To Reopen The American School is pleased to announce that its Online Student Center chat room is scheduled to reopen Wednesday, September 23. Current American School students will be able to participate in chat sessions every weekday (Monday through Friday) from 1-2 p.m. Central time. Some chat sessions will be open for general discussion, while others will be more focused on specific topics and courses and will be facilitated by a member of the Instruction department who has expertise in those areas. A list of these special specific chat sessions will be posted in the Online Student Center as soon as dates and facilitators become finalized. On dates where no specific chat session is scheduled, the chat room will be open for general discussion. Thank you to all the students who gave us ideas and feedback for improving the chat room. We hope that all of our students will take advantage of this opportunity to interact with fellow students and American School employees and enhance your educational experience. Monday, August 17, 2009 We're Not Run Of The Mill Oreo might be milk's favorite cookie, but Oreo the Cat in Georgia is a high school graduate. How can this be? Simple. His owner, the head of Central Georgia's Better Business Bureau, enrolled Oreo in high school courses from a diploma mill. With minimal help from his owner, Oreo earned a diploma in a matter of weeks. When considering correspondence and online high schools, please be careful to avoid diploma mills. Your diploma could turn out to be worthless. The American School is not a run of the mill correspondence high school. We offer personalized attention, quality courses, detailed handwritten comments on exams, and much more, and we do all of it at a reasonable cost. Check out the rest of our Web site to learn more about us. We think you'll find us to be the cat's meow! Friday, August 14, 2009 Homeschool Conventions Wrapup The American School recently attended homeschool conventions in Atlanta and suburban Chicago and enjoyed meeting all those who stopped by our booth. The conventions were part of a busy summer in which we have criss-crossed the country meeting students, parents and counselors. Even though we don't see our students in person very often, we make every effort to create a personal connection between ourselves and our students. Our instructors write personalized comments and call students by name when they grade exams. Our president personally signs each student's diploma. And whenever you call us for assistance, we will be polite and give you attentive personal service. If you're ready to enroll today, download the application on our Web site, and keep checking this blog for an updated list of where we'll be visiting next. Wednesday, July 29, 2009 Follow Us On Twitter If you like the American School blog, then you'll love following the American School on Twitter. We're on Twitter @amerschoolcorr, so be sure to check us out. We'll be tweeting often, and, while we won't be able to write back to any tweets you send our way, we'll be more than happy to have you follow us! Friday, July 10, 2009 American School Attends ASCA Convention In Dallas The American School attended the American School Counselor Association Convention in Dallas in late June. Students from all across the country use our independent study program to help them make up credits, and our presence at this national convention gave their counselors the opportunity to meet with us face to face to discuss our program and what we can do to improve it. We look forward to implementing some of their suggestions in the weeks and months ahead so that we can give all our students the best educational experience we can. Tuesday, June 16, 2009 American School Holds 71st Annual Scholarship Meeting Today the American School is holding its 71st annual scholarship meeting at nearby Lansing Country Club. American School President Gary Masterton, President Emeritus William Hunding, and Guidance Counselor Janet Howe are helping to choose this year's winners along with permanent scholarship committee members, Dr. John Kemp and Ms. Cher Tufly, and this year's guest member, Dr. John Murphy. Together, they will select three graduates to receive $2000 scholarship awards and 15 graduates to receive $1000 scholarship awards. Over the years, the American School has awarded more than $700,000 in scholarships to our graduates. Profiles of this year's winners will appear in an upcoming All-American newsletter, which will be posted on our Web site as soon as it becomes available. 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, April 03, 2009 American School Attends Inaugural AdvancEd Conference The American School recently attended the inaugural AdvancEd Conference in downtown Chicago. AdvancEd is a new organization which combines the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement (NCA CASI), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI), and the Commission on International and Transregional Accreditation (CITA) into a single body. Nearly 1400 educators from across the country attended the conference and went to sessions to learn about the latest innovations in education. American School staff members attended some of those sessions and greeted people who stopped by our display to learn more about our school and the services we offer. Keep reading this blog for details on our upcoming conferences and conventions. 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. Monday, March 02, 2009 NASSP Convention Recap The American School attended the NASSP Convention this past weekend in San Diego. Educational Director John McCulley met with several high school principals from across the country and introduced them to our Independent Study program. The Independent Study program is a great way for students who attend local high schools to make up credits so they can graduate on time with their classes. More information on this program can be found in the Independent Study portion of this Web site. Keep checking this blog for a list of upcoming conventions we'll be attending. We could be coming to your hometown next! Thursday, February 19, 2009 February Chat Session Recap Students and parents who attended our Online Student Center's chat sessions yesterday learned about several policies and procedures that are in effect during the spring months. If you were unable to attend the chat session but would like to learn more about these policies, simply log into the Online Student Center and look for the Student Center News box on the right side of the screen. Click on the link in the box and you'll be all set. We are also looking forward to adding additional dates to the chat room schedule. Keep reading this blog for more details. Wednesday, February 04, 2009 Independent Study Brochure Now Online For years the American School has had its Independent Study program application on our Web site with great results. Many people have found it convenient to simply download the application, fill it out completely and mail it to us, and they wind up getting started on their courses as quickly as possible. Now, in addition to the Independent Study application, you can download our Independent Study information brochure from the Independent Study page of this Web site. The information brochure gives you some guidelines to follow while you're taking our courses and informs you of our policies and procedures for Independent Study students. Please take a moment to download the brochure. It's a great resource for students, parents and school officials alike. Wednesday, January 28, 2009 Important Notice For Independent Study Schools And Students The American School is proud to serve thousands of high schools and their students through our Independent Study program. The Independent Study program allows students to make up credit so they can graduate on time with their classes. Every year during the spring months we experience an increase in the volume of exams from Independent Study students since many of them need to complete courses in time for graduation in May or June. This year, we STRONGLY RECOMMEND that students who need to complete one or more of our courses in order to graduate from their high schools this spring have ALL their exams submitted to us by April 15. We thank you for your cooperation and look forward to serving you this spring. Wednesday, January 28, 2009 WASB Convention Recap The American School attended the 88th annual Wisconsin Association of School Boards Convention last week in Milwaukee. We were excited to introduce our Independent Study program to school board members and superintendents from across the Badger State, and we look forward to helping their districts improve their completion rates through our convenient home study courses. Next up on our schedule is the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention from February 27-March 1 in San Diego. Keep reading this blog for more details about our appearances at conventions across the country. Monday, January 05, 2009 American School Announces Departmental And Policy Changes The New Year has brought several changes to American School departments and policies, including the following: Effective January 5, the Student Service and Customer Service departments have been merged into a single department, known as Student Service, under the supervision of Robin Fisher. Meanwhile, the Admissions department has been reorganized into two distinct departments. The new Admissions department, under the supervision of Registrar Donna Stimac, will process high school and Independent Study enrollments and handle inquiries about those matters. The Admissions department will also have the responsibility of evaluating transcripts. The newly-formed Fulfillment department, under the supervision of Minnie Koske, will organize and distribute enrollment packets, folders and similar documents created when a student enrolls. In addition, the following prices are now in effect for duplicate textbooks, study guides and examination booklets. Textbook or Instruction Book: $40 (For Essential Math I and II and Understanding English I and II, the charge will be $20 if only one book is needed.) Study Guide: $10 Examination Booklet: $5 (Planning Your Career, Sociology, General Science and Earth Science only) If a student request duplicate copies of examinations and needs to complete more than half of the exams in a course, the student must purchase the publication that has the examinations in it: either a study guide or examination booklet, depending upon the course. The item(s) will be sent only after payment is received, either by mail or by credit card over the phone. Thank you for your cooperation with these matters. We are confident that these changes will allow us to more effectively serve you in 2009 and beyond. Wednesday, December 17, 2008 American School Celebrates 111th Anniversary It's December 17, and on this date in 1897, the American School received its charter in Massachusetts. We were founded out east, but for more than a century, our home has been in Chicagoland, first in the Hyde Park neighborhood near the University of Chicago and now in the far south suburb of Lansing, Illinois. We've seen a lot of changes in the past 111 years, but our mission has always remained the same: to serve our students first. We've always endeavored to give our students the most informative courses we can. In the past two years, our service has expanded through the Online Student Center, where students can view their grades and download help sheets any time of the day or night. We are excited about what the next year has in store, and you'll read about it first right in this blog! Wednesday, December 10, 2008 December Chat Session Recap Students who stopped by the chat sessions held earlier today learned more about the American School's course offerings, as well as how and when to choose electives. Because only a few students participated in each session, those who attended received extra special personal attention, which has been a hallmark of the American School for its entire 111-year history. We look forward to holding more chat rooms sometime in early 2009. Be sure to check this blog and the chat page in the Online Student Center for exact dates and times. Wednesday, November 26, 2008 Introduction To Computers Course Expanded The American School is proud to add a new and expanded Introduction to Computers course to its curriculum. The new course is a one-unit course for both students who are experienced computer users and those who have had little or no experience in using a computer. The aim of the course is to give students a general overview of how computers operate and, given the proper software, what they can do, including word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and online photoediting. Students also develop skills in using the Internet to obtain useful information and learn how to protect their privacy and their computers from outside threats. Access to a computer and to the Internet is required in this course. The cost of this full-unit course is $170 for students in our independent study program, and students in either of our two diploma programs may take this new course as an elective. Thursday, November 13, 2008 November Chat Session Recap This month's chat sessions gave students the opportunity to share their ideas and experiences with each other and with the American School staff member who facilitated the chat. Those who attended the chat sessions had great ideas for making the chat sessions and the School in general more effective. We are always open to new ideas for making ourselves better, and it was beneficial to us to hear exactly what our students are thinking so that we can give them better service. Keep watching this blog for dates and times of future chat sessions. Tuesday, October 28, 2008 American School Holds 111th Annual Meeting The American School held its 111th Annual Meeting of trustees and corporate members earlier today, and all who attended were pleased with the accomplishments of the past year and excited about what the future holds. President Gary Masterton praised the entire staff for their efforts in serving our students and making their educational experience the best it can be. Their efforts in the past year included taking steps to improve turnaround time on students' exams, instituting new shipping and mailing procedures, updating courses to give students the most current material possible, producing cable television ads, and modernizing our accounting system. We are considering many other possible improvements, but they will be implemented only after a careful review to ensure that they truly benefit our students. We have not held 111 Annual Meetings by making rash decisions. Rather, it is our 'conservative progressive' approach which guides us and keeps us moving forward into a future with unlimited possibilities. Thursday, October 09, 2008 October Chat Session Recap Yesterday the Online Student Center hosted two more chat sessions. Students who attended the sessions learned about the American School's grading scale and turnaround time for exams and received tips on how to get into the college of their choice. Currently the chat room is open two hours per month, and the next chat sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, November 12, from 1-2 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Central time. We hope to see many of our current students there, and if you haven't enrolled yet, do so today so that you have your Online Student Center code and password in time for the November chats! Monday, October 06, 2008 Christopher Paolini Featured In People Magazine American School graduate Christopher Paolini is featured in the October 13 issue of People magazine. In the one-page interview, Chris describes the process he went through to write Brisingr, his latest best-selling novel, and discusses how he rewarded himself after he completed the book. Be sure to keep reading this blog later this week, when we will again feature Chris and update you on his travels as he criss-crosses the country promoting Brisingr. Wednesday, October 01, 2008 CITA Reaccredits The American School Shortly after visiting us last week, CITA wholeheartedly reaccredited the American School for another five-year period. We are very pleased by this news and most grateful to CITA, not only for reaccrediting us, but also for their help and suggestions in making the American School even better. We look forward to implementing many of their ideas and giving our students the best educational experience possible. Wednesday, September 24, 2008 CITA Visits The American School Yesterday and today, the American School played host to an accreditation team from CITA (The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation). We were very happy to welcome Dr. John Murphy and Ms. Laura Fischer into our building so they can see first-hand how we operate. The purpose of their visit is to review our self-evaluations and to steer us in the right direction so that we can become an even better school. We take our accreditation very seriously. We are proud to be accredited by CITA and by NCA (North Central Association) and recognized by the state of Illinois as a non-public secondary school, and we look forward to reading the report prepared by Dr. Murphy and Ms. Fischer in the coming months. Their insights will help us do a better job and, therefore, will ensure that all of our students get the best education we can offer. Thursday, September 18, 2008 American School Releases Two Updated Courses The American School is proud to release two newly updated and revised courses. One is our popular Planning Your Career course, now in its sixth edition. The course, which is designed to assist individuals in making decisions about their career both now and in the years to come, begins by helping students explore how their interests, abilities, values and personality relate to choosing a career and ends with practical advice on how to get a job. Students who take this new edition of the course will receive the latest information on topics such as sources of career information, training and educational options, financial aid for going to college or vocational school and much more. Now in its third edition, our Keyboarding course will benefit both the beginner as well as the individual who has learned the keyboard but wishes to improve his or her technique. Efficiency, accuracy and speed are all emphasized in specially designed exercises. Students also learn how to type copy in the most commonly used formats. Revising courses is one of the specialties of our Curriculum department. We make every effort to provide students with the most current course content possible. If that means revising a current course, we'll do it. If it means creating an entirely new course to suit our students' needs, we'll do that too. Take a look at the Course Descriptions portion of our Web site and you'll see for yourself how diverse our course offerings are. If you see something you like, don't delay. Enroll today! Monday, September 15, 2008 A Perfect Ten It's September 15, and ten years ago today, the American School Blogger's career began. Of course, there was no American School blog last century when the Blogger's career first started. The Online Student Center was several years down the road as well, and this very Web site was just a shell of what it is now. So needless to say, there's been a lot of changes around here in the past decade. Our Curriculum department has developed several new courses, and I've had the opportunity to work on several of them, including Build Your Writing Skills, Spelling, United States History, Physiology and Health and Latin I, just to name a few. We've also reached out to more school board members, principals, counselors, and parents than ever before thanks to our appearances at conventions across the country. I personally have enjoyed meeting people in Orlando, Philadelphia, Columbus, Denver, Milwaukee, Atlanta and Chicago, while other staff members have attended conventions in other cities. Of course, I did none of these things completely on my own. I'm one of nearly 300 American School employees, and each of us has a unique set of responsibilities which are vital to the success of the School. When I've collaborated on projects, many times I've done so with people who are not only my co-workers but also my friends. And when the situation called for me to take action on my own, I did so with the encouragement of supportive supervisors. Past blogs have made reference to our Double Decade Club, a select group of employees who have been with the School for at least 20 years consecutively. As of today, I am halfway to joining their ranks. The Double Decade Club's mission, my mission, and our newest employee's mission are all the same: to serve our students the best we possibly can. It's a mission all of us at the American School look forward to carrying out in the years and decades to come. Wednesday, September 10, 2008 September Chat Session Recap Students from across the country partcipated in the afternoon and evening chat sessions held earlier today in our Online Student Center. The chat sessions gave them the opportunity to learn more about the School and about each other. Many of them had such a good time in the afternoon chat session that they returned this evening to chat some more. The next chat sessions will be held in early October. If you enroll now, you will have your Online Student Center code and password in time to participate. Get started today! 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. Thursday, August 14, 2008 August Chat Session Recap Students from across the country gathered yesterday in the American School's Online Student Center to participate in a pair of chat sessions. In addition to getting answers to their questions about American School courses and procedures, the chat sessions gave our students the opportunity to share experiences and get to know each other better. The monthly chat sessions are a great place to meet other students and to remind yourself that, even though you are working independently, you're not working alone. The chat room will be open on Wednesday, September 10, from 1-2 p.m. and 7-8 p.m. Central time. If you are an American School student, please make plans to stop by. If you have not yet enrolled, do so today, and you will have your Online Student Center code and password in time for the September chats. Wednesday, July 16, 2008 AFT Convention Recap The American School had a booth at last week's American Federation of Teachers convention at Navy Pier in Chicago. While convention delegates weren't listening to speeches from Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, many of them stopped by our booth to learn more about our program and how we can serve their students. We enjoyed meeting educators from all across the country and look forward to being of service to their students. Thursday, July 10, 2008 July Chat Session Recap Those people who attended the American School's chat sessions yesterday received the personalized service and attention that have been our trademarks for over 110 years. They learned more about our courses and policies and shared some of their post-high school plans with our facilitator and their fellow students. The chat sessions are a great way to connect with your classmates all over the country. We hope more students and guarantors will take advantage of this opportunity and join us at future chat sessions. Keep reading this blog for exact dates, times and topics. Wednesday, July 09, 2008 American School Has Peachy Time In Atlanta The American School's booth at the ASCA conference last month in Atlanta was abuzz with excitement as hundreds of school counselors from across the country and around the world stopped by to learn more about our Independent Study program. Many counselors who visited the booth were already familiar with what we offer, and they were pleased to know that student records are now available in a secure online counselors office. Those guests who were previously unfamiliar with us were excited to learn how we can offer their students interesting courses at a reasonable price to help ensure they graduate on time with their class. Nearly 200 counselors entered their names in our special gift card raffle, and the winner was Lakya Washington of Macomb, Missisippi. We thank Lakya and all of the counselors who stopped by our booth. We look forward to helping your students during the 2008-09 academic year and seeing you again at the 2009 ASCA Conference in Dallas. Wednesday, June 25, 2008 Important Notice Regarding Introduction To Computers We have received word that the publisher of the textbook used in our Introduction to Computers course has removed the links for online help for those students using the 4th edition of the textbook. Therefore, the Web address that was printed in the introduction of the study guide is no longer valid. Please follow these steps to access the online materials that supplement that course. 1. Go to www.mhhe.com/teched/norton. 2. Click on the 6th edition. 3. On the left side of the page, click on the Online Learning Center link. 4. Select student edition. 5. Choose a chapter from the left side of the page. 6. Begin your online quiz, access online presentations, and more. We are currently revising our Introduction to Computers course. Thank you for your patience as we update this course to include the most relevant information possible. Monday, June 16, 2008 American School Announces Changes To Home Page Visitors to the American School's home page now see a new pop-up menu that will take them directly to useful parts of the site, including the enrollment application and the online student center. If you choose to visit parts of the site not listed on the new menu, simply click on the link that allows you to explore the rest of the site. The menu will disappear and you will have access to the rest of the site. We hope this new menu will make your time on our web site even better. Thursday, June 12, 2008 June Chat Session Recap Yesterday the American School's chat room was open for business, and we welcomed several students who visited the chat room for the first time and others who are regular participants. One topic that arose in both chat sessions was the American School's curriculum and what new courses are in the works. A newly-updated Careers course will soon be available and will include the latest news and trends from the job front. Build Your Writing Skills 2 and Latin 2 are currently in production, and Introduction to Business is currently being revised. We are always updating and revising courses so that our students get the most out of their American School education. Keep reading this blog for further updates, and if you are a current student, make plans to attend the July chat sessions, which will be held Wednesday, July 9, from 1-2 p.m. Central time and 7-8 p.m. Central time. Tuesday, June 10, 2008 American School Holds 70th Annual Scholarship Meeting The American School held its 70th annual scholarship meeting earlier today and is pleased to once again award $21,000 in college scholarships to 18 deserving graduates. President Gary Masterton was joined on this year's scholarship committee by School trustees Dr. Fred Aho, Dr. John Kemp and William Hunding, guidance counselor Janet Howe and CITA regional coordinator Cher Tufly. Together, they reviewed this year's applicants and selected three graduates to receive $2000 scholarship awards and 15 other graduates to receive $1000 awards. All awards are paid as tuition to the accredited college or university selected by each winner. In his remarks to the School's corporate members, President Masterton thanked them and the entire American School staff for working hard to ensure the success of all of our students, not only those who were awarded scholarships today. In our history, the American School has awarded nearly $700,000 in scholarships. Information on scholarships to be awarded in 2009 will soon be available in our guidance department. Please contact them for details as to how you might continue the tradition of those outstanding students who have received American School scholarships to further their education at colleges and universities across the country and around the world. Thursday, May 15, 2008 May Chat Session Recap Yesterday a record number of visitors participated in the American School's monthly chat sessions. Those who attended comprised a nice mix of students just starting their programs and others who are close to graduating in a matter of weeks. In the presence of an American School employee who acted as facilitator, students shared their experiences in certain courses and discussed their post-high school plans. The chat sessions are a great way to connect with fellow students and to share experiences, but the only way you can participate in our chats is to become a student yourself. Whether you need one class to graduate from a resident school or 18 classes to earn the American School's diploma, we have the curriculum to suit your needs. Take a look around the rest of our site. Then download the enrollment application, complete it, and mail it to us. We will send you a student code and password in time for the June chat sessions. Keep reading this blog for exact dates and times. Tuesday, April 22, 2008 Wrapping Up April Conventions The American School recently attended two conventions and got to meet counselors from Illinois and Indiana who use our courses to help their students graduate from high school. Many of them were impressed that they can now view their students' progress any time they want in our online student center and were equally pleased when we told them that they can receive weekly student activity reports delivered to their email inbox every Monday morning, provided they supply us with an email address after logging into our site. We are looking forward to meeting counselors from across the country at the American School Counselors Association convention from June 28-30 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. More details about this convention and some special events we have planned will be posted on this blog soon! Wednesday, April 09, 2008 April Chat Session Recap We just wrapped up our April chat sessions, and in addition to the usual orientation topics, today's chat session talked about the American School's scholarship program. Each year we award $21,000 in scholarships to graduates who meet certain academic requirements. The $21,000 is split so that three students receive $2000 awards and 15 students receive $1000 awards. Information on our scholarship program is available by calling the School during our regular hours. In addition, one of today's chat participants mentioned that he stopped by for a tour of the American School. Even though we do not see our students on a daily basis, that doesn't mean we don't like to see them. In fact, we love meeting our students, and, in some cases, personally presenting them with their diploma. Our next chat sessions are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14, at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Central time. Make plans to attend, and keep reading this blog for further details on our chat room and other events happening in the Online Student Center. Monday, April 07, 2008 The Rice Is Right Occasionally students will contact us and ask for help preparing for the SAT. There are, of course, countless books and Web sites that you can consult, but only one of them will help feed the hungry. People magazine recently highlighted www.freerice.com, which was created by John Breen. The site contains a multiple-choice word quiz that will help you build your vocabulary as you prepare for the SAT. Every time you guess a word's definition correctly, freerice.com donates 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program to help end hunger worldwide. The more words you get right, more rice is donated, and more people are fed. Everyone comes out ahead. So visit the site today and help others while you help yourself study for the SAT. Friday, April 04, 2008 American School Attends Chicago Southland Business Expo Yesterday the American School attended the annual Chicago Southland Business Expo in nearby Tinley Park, Illinois. The event was a great opportunity to meet nearby businesses and to introduce them to what the American School is all about. One of our fellow exhibitors, however, already knew about us. That's because he's an American School graduate. With a high school diploma, you're on the right path to having the life you've always wanted. Maybe you'll even have your own business to exhibit at a convention someday. And if you do, be sure to stop by the American School's booth. We're always happy to hear from our graduates who have gone on to lead successful lives after earning their American School diploma! Friday, March 14, 2008 American School Honors Double Decade Club Members Yesterday the American School honored members of its Double Decade Club. This select group consists of employees who have logged 20 or more continuous years of service with the School. In his remarks, American School President Gary Masterton praised these employees, not only for their dedicated service to the School, but also for their dedicate service to millions of students over the years. The very fact that the American School has a Double Decade Club should tell you something about the School and its employees. We have been around for over 110 years, and our mission and philosophy have always been the same. The student comes first. Our employees feel the same way and enjoy working with others who share that belief. The result is that many of our employees make careers out of serving our students. To them, the American School is most grateful. We are also grateful to those students, parents and school officials who have put their faith and trust in us to give their children an outstanding education. It is a responsibility that all our employees, both those in the Double Decade Club and those just beginning their American School careers, take very seriously. Thursday, March 13, 2008 March Chat Session Recap Yesterday the Online Student Center hosted two chat sessions for current American School students and guarantors. Each chat session had a nice mix of students and guarantors, some of whom were just starting their program and others who are close to graduating. Those who are very familiar with how the American School works were able to assist the facilitator in making newer students feel more comfortable and confident in the program. Next on the agenda is a special counselors-only chat session on Wednesday, April 2, at 1 p.m. Central time. Dates and times for the next general chat sessions will be posted in this blog and on the schedule of chats in the chat room itself as soon as they become available. Friday, February 29, 2008 Happy Leap Day It's February 29, and, no, that's not a typo. Today is the extra day added to the calendar every four years because the time it takes the earth to travel around the sun is not exactly 365 days. It's more like 365 1/4 days. It would be impossible to add 1/4 day to the calendar every year, so every four years, an extra day, namely February 29, is added. Normally American School students can view their grades 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, but not in 2008! They're able to view their grades all 366 days of 2008, including today! If you want to be like them, there's no time like the present to get started. What better way to celebrate this extra day than by making the most of it and committing yourself to earning the high school education that will serve you well for endless days, weeks and years to come. After you download and complete our application, hop over to the post office and mail it to us. Once we receive it, we will send you your first two courses so you can jump right into your studies. Our instruction department and online student center will do their best to ensure your grades never take a dive, so take a leap of faith and get started today! Tuesday, February 19, 2008 February Chat Session Recap The American School's Online Student Center once again hosted a pair of chat session last week, and those who attended either the afternoon or the evening session got the benefit of talking directly with an American School representative about a variety of topics related to their program. There is no more personal service than that! Our next chat sessions are scheduled for mid-March. Exact dates and times and topics will be made available in this blog and in the Online Student Center chat room page as soon as they are finalized. You still have time to enroll and receive your Online Student Center log-in information which you will need to access the chats. Simply download our application and mail it to us, and we will process it and send you your log-in letter in no time. Friday, January 25, 2008 WASB Convention Recap Earlier this week the American School had a booth at the Wisconsin Association of Schools Boards' annual convention in Milwaukee. Special guests at the convention included Henry Winkler of 'Happy Days' fame and 3 of the sausages who race around Miller Park during Brewers baseball games. While we were there, we met many school board members who were excited to learn about what we can do for students in their districts. We can help their students graduate on time by offering independent study courses that they can take to make up credits. We offer students, parents and counselors access to our online student center, where they can view grades and download help sheets whenever they want. And since we are a not-for-profit institution, we do all of this at a very reasonable cost. So if you are ready to take a course, we are confident that you'll find us to be 'cool' like the Fonz himself. And like the hot dog who wasn't there to participate in the sausage race yesterday, let us be your 'missing link' that will connect you to a high school diploma and the life you've always wanted! Thursday, January 10, 2008 January Chat Session Recap Yesterday the American School's Online Student Center hosted two chat sessions, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, and those who attended exchanged study hints and learned how the American School's guidance department can help them prepare for college. Our chat sessions are a great way to meet other American School students and learn about the latest developments here at the School. Make plans to join us Wednesday, February 13, again at 1 and 7 p.m. Central time, and keep reading this blog daily for further updates. Thursday, November 29, 2007 November Chat Session Recap Last night we had another successful chat session as several new students and guarantors dropped by the online student center. The chat room facilitator discussed American School policies and procedures and answered students' questions about final exams, receiving more subjects, and how to apply for our annual scholarships. We're looking forward to the new year and new chat sessions, the first of which is scheduled for Wednesday, January 9, at 7 p.m. Central time. If you enroll soon, you will have the code and password you need to access the online student center in plenty of time for the January chat session. Get started today by downloading and filling out the application and sending it in to our admissions department. We hope to chat with all of you in January! Tuesday, October 30, 2007 American School Holds 110th Annual Meeting A week ago today, the American School's trustees and corporate members gathered for the School's 110th annual meeting. The event gave attendees the chance to look back at the accomplishments made by the School in the past year, and indeed, there were many accomplishments since the 109th annual meeting, not the least of which is the expansion of the online student center. A year ago, you could not view your grades any time of the day or night. Now you can. A year ago, you could not receive grade notification via email. Now you can. A year ago, you could not participate in monthly chat rooms. Now you can. You get the picture. The coming year is going to be even better. We will soon have new courses that will both challenge and inspire our students. We are also phasing in new and more efficient customer service methods, everything from how you can pay for your education to how your exams are returned to you. Keep reading this blog for more details. A lot has changed since the American School's first annual meeting in 1898, but our commitment to serve our students has never wavered. That commitment has only gotten stronger, and we are looking forward to another great year of serving our students! Monday, October 29, 2007 October Chat Session Recap Last Wednesday night a record number of students and guarantors gathered in our online student center for our October chat session. The one-hour event gave people from all over the world the chance to talk about their American School experiences in a supervised, moderated setting. Plans are already in place for the November chat session, which will be held Wednesday, November 28, at 7 p.m. Central time. If you download our application and enrol today, you will have access to the online student center by that date. Not only will you be able to participate in chats, but you will also have 24-7 access to your academic records, help sheets and links to homework Web sites. Get started today, and we'll look for you in our chat room November 28! Thursday, September 20, 2007 September Chat Session Recap Students and parents from as far away as Hawaii gathered in the American School's chat room last night to discuss a variety of topics. A handful of students who were just starting their American School program were excited about Build Your Writing Skills and many of the other courses awaiting them. Several students who are nearing the finish line are already thinking about receiving their American School diploma, class ring and applying to colleges. Parents who stopped by were interested in how to more effectively motivate their children to complete their studies. The chat session allowed the participants to share experiences and support each other as they all work toward a common goal: earning a high school diploma. The chat sessions are open only to American School students and guarantors, and if you enroll today, you should have access to the online student center in time for the October chat session. We are happy to provide the chat room, and we hope to see you there next month. Keep reading this blog for the exact date and time! Saturday, September 15, 2007 To The Nines It's September 15, and nine years ago today, your faithful blogger's career at the American School began. During those nine years, I've had the opportunity to do many things, from grading exams, to writing and editing study guides, to representing the School at conventions across the country, and, of course, writing this blog. And, as you might have guessed, there have been plenty of changes in those nine years. For example, blogs didn't even exist nine years ago, and our online student center didn't launch until earlier this year. The one thing that hasn't changed in the past nine years, though, is the American School's commitment to providing students all over the world with the best high school education possible. It's a commitment we've had since our founding in Boston in 1897, and it's a commitment I and over 300 fellow American School employees will always honor. Thursday, August 23, 2007 August Chat Session Recap Last night's inaugural chat session in the American School's online student center was a success. Several students and parents stopped by to learn more about our program and to share experiences with other students and parents. We are hoping for an even bigger turnout on Wednesday, September 19, at 7 p.m. Central time for our next chat session. You yourself can participate in the chat room, but only if you're an American School student. If you have not enrolled yet, today is the perfect time to do so. You will get a welcome letter containing the information you'll need to log into the online student center and participate in the September chat, as well as view your academic records, download help sheets, and view links to homework Web sites. See the rest of our Web site for more details. Tuesday, August 07, 2007 Important Notice Regarding British Literature CD The CD which comes with our new British Literature course contains spoken versions of some of the written selections assigned in the course. Students who take British Literature are NOT required to listen to the spoken versions in order to successfully complete this course. The CD is provided as a supplement to enrich the experience of the literature. Recently we have discovered that the CD included in this new course was inadvertently formatted by the publisher to only play using Apple software. If you already have a Mac or a PC which has Apple QuickTime Player, you can play the CD. You can also download for free the appropriate software at: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ The publisher is preparing new CDs with audio files that can be played on standard compact disc players and on PCs using other common software. If you are enrolled in the new British Literature course and would like a copy of this CD when it becomes available, please contact the American School, and we will be happy to send one to you when we receive them. This offer is only for students enrolled in British Literature. While we are disappointed that the current CD is not compatible with all software, we are excited that a new CD is being produced so that all students may experience British Literature to the fullest. Thursday, July 19, 2007 American School Introduces British Literature The British Open is underway at Carnoustie in Scotland. Tiger Woods is trying to become the first golfer in 51 years to win the Claret Jug three times in a row, and he's off to a good start, shooting a 2-under 69 that places him in the top 10 as of this writing. If you're feeling British this weekend but can't cross the Atlantic to be there to follow Tiger's progress in person, the American School has a brand new course that will allow you to experience the literature of Scotland and the rest of the British Isles like never before. British Literature, which replaces English Literature in our curriculum, is a detailed survey of British literature from the Middle Ages to the present. You'll read works from such authors as Shakespeare, Chaucer, Donne, Heaney and many others, but you'll do more than just read stories, plays and poems. Rather, thanks to the course's study guide, you will learn about literary devices and terms and how to best critique and analyze what you have read. An accompanying CD includes audio excerpts to make what you read come alive. The course culminates with the reading of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility or one of three other novels you may choose to read and critique instead. We hope that you have the good sense and sensibility to sign up for our new British Literature course or any of our other offerings. You'll find that our courses and service are much more than just par for the course! Enroll today! Monday, July 16, 2007 American School Forms Admissions Department This blog has talked many times about the numerous changes that have occurred at the American School in the past 13 months, and today we are proud to announce another change. The American School has combined the talents and resources of the Sales and Registration departments to form the Admissions department. Thanks to upgrades in our computer system, this new department will process your enrollment applications more quickly and more accurately than ever before. Once you are enrolled, these upgrades will also result in you getting your books quicker, which ultimately leads to you earning your diploma in a shorter amount of time. This new department is just another example of how the American School is adapting to the needs of our students, parents and school officials. We are happy to serve you, and we hope you will become acquainted with the Admissions department soon when you enroll with the American School. 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 To Launch Two New Internet Services 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. Soon, two exciting things will be happening. First, 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. The online student center will also be the home of the second exciting thing that will happen soon: the American School chat room. The chat room is scheduled to open in mid-July and will be a forum for enrolled American School students to become acquainted with the School and its procedures. Keep reading this blog for more details about this new service and when it will make its debut. We're looking forward to serving you in new and exciting ways! 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 Awards Scholarships The American School's Scholarship Committee will meet over the next two days to determine scholarship winners for 2007. Every student who is enrolled to earn an American School diploma is eligible to receive one of 18 scholarships totalling $21,000. Scholarship candidates are the highest-ranking graduates for the calendar year, but while high scholastic achievement is essential, the Scholarship Committee considers other factors as well. These include character and personality traits and community activity, among others. Three graduates will win $2000 scholarships. These awards are the R.T. Miller Scholarship, the Henry Buresh Scholarship and the President Emeritus Scholarship. The other 15 scholarships are for $1000 each. All awards are paid as tuition to the accredited college or university selected by each winner. For more information on our scholarship program, contact our guidance department. 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. Thursday, March 15, 2007 Latin I Now Available Today is March 15, and on the Roman calendar, today is known as the Ides of March. For the ancient Romans, the Ides was the middle day of the month. Sometimes it fell on the 13th, but in most months the Ides was the 15th. The Ides of March is the best-known of all the Ides because it was on this day in 44 B.C. that Julius Caesar was assassinated by a group of conspirators who worried he was gaining too much power. A seer warned him to 'beware the Ides of March,' but Caesar went to the Senate anyway. The rest, as they say, is history. 2051 years after Caesar's death, the American School is proud to mark the Ides of March with happier news. The long-awaited Latin I course, which contains 12 exams and is worth one unit of credit, is complete and now available to students. Contrary to popular opinion, the Latin language did not die with Caesar. Rather, it is alive and well throughout the world, particularly in the medical and legal professions. In addition, many world languages, including English, derive at least half their words from Latin. If you take this course, your command of the English language and vocabulary is sure to improve. You will also learn about the fascinating culture of the Romans and read about some legendary Roman heroes. 'Carpe diem' is a popular Latin expression. It means 'seize the day,' which is what you should do when it comes to completing your high school education. Now is the time to get started and enroll in Latin I or any of our other courses. You may do so by printing out the application from our Web site, filling it out completely, and mailing it to the School for processing. Monday, December 18, 2006 Another American School Milestone This blog has often talked about the American School's illustrious past and its strong connections to Chicago, but you might be surprised to know that the American School wasn't always located in or near Chicago. In fact, the American School was founded in Boston in 1897 by R.T. Miller with the help of some of his Harvard classmates. Later that year, in keeping with its instructional objectives, R.T. Miller and other school officers applied for a charter as an 'educational institution not for profit.' The Commonwealth of Massachusetts granted that charter on December 17, 1897. 109 years and 1 day later, that same charter still governs and guides the American School. Times have certainly changed, but the American School's commitment to quality, affordable education through correspondence has not. That commitment remains as strong as ever, and it's only getting stronger. You, too, can be a part of our storied history and our bright future. Enroll today! 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! |
Back To Recent Blogs |