Paraprofessionals have a variety of roles in schools and are “right there with us,” according to East Evergreen Elementary second-grade teacher Mary Goldberg.

Beyond serving as teacher aides and tutors, paraprofessionals work in and outside the classroom — helping students cross the street, monitoring hallways, supervising lunchrooms, playgrounds and buses and assisting in school offices, libraries and computer labs.

The Office of Public Instruction proclaimed Feb. 1-5 as Paraprofessional Recognition Week.

Evergreen School District has 24 paraprofessionals working at the junior high, elementary and Crossroads (a school for students with behavioral and social needs).

“The teachers here are amazing,” East Evergreen Elementary paraprofessional Kim Krueger said. “They assess what each kid individually needs and then they give you the materials and they are your go-to person.”

In Goldberg’s classroom on Friday, students split into three groups for small-group learning. Teaching in small groups is possible because Goldberg has two paraprofessionals — Krueger and Monica Woodward — to help teach.

“Without them being here we wouldn’t be able to meet everyone’s needs at an individual level,” Goldberg said. “The groups that need extra support can take longer on a reading unit where other groups that are ready to accelerate their reading can move forward.”

Woodward’s station focused on comprehension, Goldberg’s on reading and Krueger’s on phonics and vowel patterns.

Krueger takes a lively approach to helping the second graders sound out words. Her enthusiasm helped keeps them engaged, but when a student’s attention wandered elsewhere, Krueger was right there with a smile on her face re-directing their attention back to the lesson.

“This next one is kind of weird, it’s a big word, do you know what it is, Robert?” Krueger asked one student.

“Jitterbug,” the student answered.

“And what is a jitterbug,” Krueger asked.

“It’s a little dance,” he answered.

Pleasantly surprised, Krueger called him up to do a quick jitterbug twirl before returning back to the lesson.

With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, Krueger gave out candy hearts to students who did good jobs. Even then, learning doesn’t stop when she has them read aloud the sentiments on the candy hearts.

This is Kruger’s fourth year as a paraprofessional; she works with second- through fourth-graders.

“I used to work in the Missoula Children’s Theater,” Krueger said.

When she moved to the valley she wanted to continue working with children and got involved directing Evergreen Junior High’s theater production. Eventually, the junior high principal recommended she apply for an open paraprofessional position, Krueger said.

“It’s been like a second joyful career that I thought I would never find,” Krueger said.

Paraprofessionals often play crucial roles in helping schools deliver special education programs and one-on-one interventions in addition to helping many students in a classroom.

One of those paraprofessionals is Olivia Frick, who works at Evergreen Junior High. On Friday she worked one-on-one with a sixth-grader in the middle of completing a science worksheet on atoms, elements and molecules.

“Everything comes from the science teacher. I just implement it. I teach it to him whether it’s the first go-through or you have to do a second teaching of it,” Frick said.

This is her second year as a paraprofessional, which she decided to do after working as a substitute teacher. The experience has given her insight into teaching.

“I think it’s been an awesome experience to see how it works inside the classroom,” Frick said.

Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.