Mrs. Spannaus Delivers More Than Just Starbursts

By Barbara Bell- 10/12
More by Barbara Bell

NEIRAD enilno edition

Hometown: Simsbury, Conn.
Education: Westminster School (high school), Ithaca College then transferred to University of Colorado at Boulder; Masters at Fairfield University
Most Exotic Vacation: St. Lucia
Family: Husband and two children. Daughter married and son student at Boulder
Favorite Comfort Food: Jelly doughnuts
Favorite Subject: English
Favorite Season: Autumn in New England; winter in Colorado
Favorite Part of the Job: Interaction with students and diversity of the day

Guidance counselor Rudy Spannaus knows exactly how kids feel when they walk in the door and realize they’re now in high school. Mrs. Spannaus knows about the overwhelming stress, and she’s gone through it as a parent. Mother of two children, Mrs. Spannaus also sees the rewards of all that hard work. What’s her advice? “Take a deep breath. It’s all going to be okay. We’ll figure it out step by step. We’re here to help you.”

Mrs. Spannaus said there are two points of her job that stand out. The first is the interaction with students. “Both in the office and out, it’s fun to watch them participate in the school and build relationships,” she said.

The second aspect that she loves is the diversity of her day. “I talk to everyone: teachers, students and parents.” Mrs. Spannaus’s day can be so hectic that she doesn’t get to spend enough time with every student. It can be a challenge. “I probably have around 200 students, a little more, a little less. Honestly I don’t keep track. But it’s really hard- the day is constantly busy. I wish there was more time to see students.”

Having said that, it definitely makes Mrs. Spannaus’s day when kids stop by to say hello. Freshman Phoebe Taylor says, “I love to visit Mrs. Spannaus! She’s so nice, friendly, and easy to talk to.”  Her visiting students tend to reach for the Starbursts that she keeps in her office, she jokes. Mrs. Spannaus constantly refills the basket, but somehow the orange ones are the only ones that students don’t eat.  

Even though she’s been a guidance counselor for three years, going on her fourth, Mrs. Spannaus wasn’t always one. “I was certified to teach English in Armonk, NY. I took time off to have kids, and I wanted to come back and have a different role and relationship with the students.”

That change was moving into her role as a counselor. Even though she loves her current job, there is one class that Mrs. Spannaus wishes she could teach. “I don’t teach a class, but if I did, it would be called Decision-Making 101.” She thinks this is an important life skill. “We are asked to make decisions every day. It’s a good skill to have.”

Mrs. Spannaus enjoys being able to work with students for four years and watch them turn into people ready to go into the world of work. “It’s a fascinating, exciting, challenging, experience to share with a young person,” she says. The class of 2011 is the first class of seniors that she’s worked with for all four years, so they hold a special place in her heart. The senior class is a “very proactive, academically-motivated, successful group of students. They bring leadership to the school, and that shines through.”

Outside of the guidance department, Mrs. Spannaus is a member of the Wilton YMCA. She spends time visiting with her two grown children, one of whom attends the University of Colorado at Boulder, just like she did. She confesses to Boulder being her “favorite place on the planet.”

Both she and her husband like to hike and travel. She loves autumn in New England “hands down.” Her favorite vacation might have been St. Lucia, in the Caribbean, which she describes as “gorgeous,” but Mrs. Spannaus loves to be at the ocean or the lake as well.

She describes Redding, where she lives, as “a great place to be,” but loves teaching in Darien. At the end of the day, she looks forward to being able to just relax, watch a Yankees game, or go out to dinner. She also confesses, “I sometimes get excited for a snow day.”