• Our Guidance Counselor: Ms. Deborah Dillard
       
    Welcome to the counselor website for Elk Ridge!

    Let me take this opportunity to say that is a privilege to work with the students and staff of Elk Ridge School.  My focus here as a guidance counselor is to support our students with their individual needs so that they can experience success both in school and at home. Each student comes to us with unique gifts, talents and challenges. As their guidance counselor, my role is to encourage them to develop in all those areas and cheer them on with their families! With that said, I encourage families of our students to contact me at any time so that we can work together as we navigate our students’ success.
    There are a few focus areas that the guidance department offers:

    Throughout the year I run support groups on a variety of topics, the topics changing to meet the needs of the student population. Students are referred for groups by both teachers and parents. Small groups are designed to be a safe place where students can work through challenges and learn new skills to cope with difficult situations. Your student will bring home a permission slip if they are to be included in a small group.
    Individual counseling is provided to students on a short term, solution focused basis. I am not able to provide long-term therapy but am able to provide information and referral services for outside counseling options.
    At Elk Ridge, we use a team approach to meet the individual needs of our students. As a result, a good portion of my time is spent consulting with parents, staff and other professionals to develop a plan to ensure our students success.
    We at Elk Ridge take attendance and tardiness very seriously. As a result, I often set up Student Attendance Improvment Plan (SAIP) meetings when our students seem to be struggling in this area. We meet as a team with the family to develop a plan to eliminate the problem whether the problem stems from home or school.
    These are a few of the many hats I wear at Elk Ridge! Please feel free to contact me at any time about any concerns you have about your student.

    My direct line is 610-932-6694 and my email is dhouseknecht@oxfordasd.org

    We are looking forward to a great year!