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Westonka Celebrates Work of District Paraprofessionals
Click on the above image for more photos from Paraprofessionals Recognition Week.
January 29, 2025 — Despite the shortened week due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday and Mother Nature’s cold snap, Westonka Public Schools celebrated 75 dedicated paraprofessionals, who provide a wide range of services to students, in honor of Paraprofessional Recognition Week in Minnesota.
Shirley Hills Primary School teachers provided a taco bar for their paras. The school was decorated with signs and dozens of students wrote thank you cards. Treats and goody bags rounded out the celebration.
At Hilltop Primary School, paras were celebrated this week with special activities scheduled for each day. Coffee, sweet treats, thank you banners, and a “You’re a BIG DILL – pickle” themed day were all part of the fun. The Hilltop PTA also sponsored an all-staff catered lunch.
The Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) put together appreciation gifts that included notebooks with personalized poems for each special education paraprofessional, along with a special pen and chocolates. SEAC wanted to show appreciation for the work that the paras do for their children with special needs throughout the district.
“I am beyond grateful for the dedication and care that our special education paraprofessionals provide to our students and staff,” said Special Services Director Emily Rustman. “Their involvement with students is so special, and operationally, we wouldn’t be able to succeed without their support.”
Mound Westonka High School will recognize their paraprofessionals on National Para Recognition Day on April 2.