Mrs. Spellman Cann
The Smallest Good Deed Is Better Than The Grandest Good Intention J Burroughs
Susan Spellman Cann R. Psych
A little about me.
I was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and grew up in Dartmouth. I moved to Alberta in 1980 to teach and I have lived in Calgary since 1981. This is my 43 rd year in education working with elementary, junior high and high school students as well as teaching special education for five years. I had the pleasure of teaching at the University level as a sessional. I became a Psychologist in 2013.
My favourite job has been as a School Counsellor. I love working with students helping them find all the good inside of themselves and assisting them to use their strengths to be the best possible version of themselves that they can be. I am a mom of two fabulous grown children and married to a man I love and respect for 38 years.
- I am a life-long learner always looking for new ways to professionally develop myself.
- I play pickleball.
- I am an artist.
- I love technology.
- I love to read.
- I love the beach and spending my summers in our cottage in Cape Breton.
- I love and played lacrosse for many, many years.
- I have a progressive eye disease called keratoconus. More specifically pellucid marginal degeneration. I had eye surgery (cross-linking and PRK) in 2017. In case I miss something visually or make mistakes you will know why. I usually catch it , but sometimes I don't. I now have sclerals which are like a true miracle for me.
Know that I am here to support and help you in this community.
I am here for YOU.
Thank you for all you do teachers
“If I tell my School Counsellor something, will they tell someone else?”
This is a very important question, and students deserve to have the facts.
All sessions with a school counsellor are confidential. Counsellors have an ethical responsibility to take every reasonable precaution to respect and safeguard a student’s right to confidentiality. But…there are times when a school counsellor must disclose (tell someone else) something a student has told them. This only happens when:
A counsellor suspects abuse (physical or sexual) or neglect, based on what a student has told them.
A student reveals that they are at risk of harming themselves or an identifiable other person.
A student requests disclosure.
A disclosure is ordered by a court.
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP Your Online and Off Line Presence is Important
Use your purpose to make a difference. Use civil discourse online.
Here is a link to some digital citizenship activities from grades 7-12
A message from the School Counsellor
As school counsellors, there are some very important things we wish to share with you.
You are the reason we do what we do.
We care; we mean really care about teenagers. We do our best to touch as many students as we can, being advocates for you in school. We feel you have a right to know why we do what we do. We are counsellors by choice. Some of the things we have to do are difficult, but we choose to be here.
We are here because we believe we can help.
As your School Counsellors, we have several roles. Even if we get caught up doing several things at once, our hearts are with you, the student.
What you do with your life is up to you.
You are in charge of you. We are here to help you reach your full potential. We will insist that you learn. It is your ticket to absolute freedom.
Be all that you can be!
It isn't easy being a teenager; even we can get frustrated with your raging hormones. You are growing and changing. We understand that. Take responsibility for your life and your actions and your teachers and others will respect you.
We do care, don’t ever forget it. That’s why we are here. That’s why we choose to do what we do.
We are School Counsellors, people who will help in any way we can. We may get you support with a mentor, another counsellor or whomever can help us help you.
Stop…Think…Speak
Remember, your thoughts lead to feelings lead to your actions. Change your thinking and you will have control of your life.
No matter what anyone else says or does to you, you are a worthwhile person. A gift from God. You are somebody.
There will be times during your school experience where negative things are said or done to you. You may experience painful times. Life can be difficult. It's not what happens in your life that matters, but how you choose to respond to it.
What you put into school is what you will get out of it.
With your help, we can make a difference. If you choose to share a part of yourself with us, we can work together to make changes in your life. Your school experience will become everything you hoped it could be. Get involved and you will feel better about yourself.
Give life a chance.
One of the easiest things to say and one of the most difficult things to do are to live one day at a time. If you can master letting go of the past, not worrying about the future, but living each day to the fullest, then you will have lived a great life full of few regrets.
Be patient.
Change takes time. Let yourself grow. We all can change if we have the courage and the wisdom.
We have faith in you.
Never give up! Have Hope! Become the gift from God you were meant to be and you pass it on to others.
Susan Spellman Cann is a Registered Psychologist who loves working with adolescents. She has been in education since 1980 as a regular and special education teacher as well as a counsellor in junior and senior high schools. She has taught courses at the university level and is passionate about helping young people especially when it comes to mental health and wellness.