I would like to introduce myself and provide a brief overview of my class.  I am the Social Studies teacher at Cumberland Academy.  I have been an educator since 1998 and at Cumberland since Jan. 2012.  I have worked my entire teaching career in the alternative school setting.  I previously spent 14 years as a teacher and administrator at Holy Cross School on the Gibault campus in Terre Haute. Prior to being a teacher, I spent almost a decade working in a group home serving the needs of physically and mentally challenged individuals.  I have a BS in Sociology, a BS in Social Science Education and my Masters in Administration.  I currently reside just south of Terre Haute and have been married with two children since 1998.  I currently reside just south of Terre Haute.

Your child can be successful in my classroom if they can do four essential things. 

1. Attend class regularly
2. Participate actively in class.
3. Complete assignments.
4. Demonstrate proper school behavior.

Appropriate student participation and behavior is critical to your child’s success in my classroom.  Simply showing up will not suffice, they need to be engaged and actively participating in class.

I encourage you to check your child’s grades, through the Corporation website.  I will update the grade book at least once a week; my goal is to have all grades entered on Friday before I go home.  I typically update the gradebook several times a week.  If you see and assignment in the grade book and your student does not have a score entered there, it is highly likely that I am waiting on them to turn in their assignment. I track missing assignments on the classroom whiteboard.  I list late assignments from the current week that can be turned in for full credit.  At the end of the week, the Late Assignments move on the board to the Zero Scores entered category and the zero score is entered in the gradebook.  The zero scores have two weeks to turn in the assignment for 75% credit.  At the end of this two-week period the zero score will remain, the student may still turn in the late assignment but no credit will be issued.  This gives the students 3 weeks to turn in an assignment for full or partial credit.  I do however reserve the right to make a point deduction if turning work in on time is an ongoing issue.  If a student routinely takes advantage of my more than lenient policy towards late assignments, it is entirely possible they will lose the privilege of turning in late assignments for full or partial credit.

If at any time you want to speak with me, you can contact me at my school e-mail address or contact me directly at the school.

I look forward to working with you and your child this semester.

Brion Blanc

Cumberland Academy

blancbr@clay.k12.in.us

812-446-4120