Three new staff members join Blue Valley Northwest administrative team

Photo courtesy of Jeff Aman.

Jeff Aman, Associate Principal of Curriculum and Instruction

Q: What is your plan of action for the curriculum and how will it affect students?

A: This first year, I’ll largely kind of watch and learn and continue to kind of manage the programs that we've begun. I'm taking over for Mrs. Vomhof who's now the principal so things are in good shape. You know, Northwest is a great school. I'll also look at data and see if we look for growth areas. So for instance, my background is in [teaching] AP classes, I was a social studies teacher, so I'm interested in growing that program and increasing their access and opportunities for all students. But also just continuing the excellent traditions we have here. I love reading research about the best teaching and learning practices, and then disseminating those with staff. I love spotlighting innovative strategies that teachers in this building are doing and [trying] to increase best practices, so that all students can enjoy those opportunities.

Q: Which area do you plan to focus on most and why?

A: I'd say teaching practices, just because I feel like we're given time and Blue Valley has this wonderful schedule where every Tuesday and Thursday the students get to sleep in and the teachers can meet and talk about best practices. So sharing those across the building I'm also interested in supporting our new teachers and getting them really set up for success. Like I said before, increasing access and opportunity for advanced classes for our students.
New administrative consultant Gary Howard. (Madison Kraft)

Gary Howard, administrative consultant

Q: What are your job responsibilities at BVNW as an administrative consultant?

A: I'll be supporting Mr. Richards in the athletic department. I will be helping Mrs. Bakalar in the activities. I'll be helping with the attendance and tardies. Just basically day-to-day operations for what school administrators do in the building.

Q: What qualities will you take from being an experienced Athletic Director and use as an administrative consultant? How will they help you?

A: One of the things that I've really enjoyed in my career has been being able to build relationships with kids, and not just athletes, but kids of all abilities [and] all levels. Also, organization as an athletic director, you have to be pretty organized and you have to have good attention to details, you have to be personable and you have to love the school environment. I feel very, very, very fortunate in my career that I've worked with good staffs, good people, good educators, but also good students that have made my job very fulfilling and very rewarding. Sometimes this job can be very stressful, but the people that you work with can also make it very rewarding.
New Athletic Director Michael Richards. (Madison Kraft)

Michael Richards, Athletic Director

Q: Why did you decide to return to Northwest after two years at Leawood Middle?

A: I had a great experience at Leawood Middle School and was able to learn a lot of the roles of an assistant principal in my first two years there. That was my first two years as an assistant principal. When I saw the job in Northwest come open, I knew that this is where I wanted to be because of the kids. I have a relationship with a lot of the kids being a previous teacher at Oxford Middle School, and then also teaching two years here and then coaching for three years at Northwest as well. Along with the kids, we have a great staff here at Blue Valley Northwest. My time here was amazing. It was difficult to leave but it was a professional advancement decision to go to Leawood. Like I said when I saw that it was Northwest again. It's the relationships that I feel that I have with the kids and the staff that made it just a wonderful place to be. And then lastly, the community. I love the Northwest Community. The parents are so supportive. I have just a lot of positive experiences with the families at Northwest.

Q: What changes or goals do you have in mind for our program and how will they affect coaches and athletes?

A: So a lot of the stuff that I've been working on this summer is making sure that all of our game schedules are 100% accurate. So a lot of what that involves is reaching out to fellow Blue Valley Schools and making sure that our matchups are accurate, and then also reaching out to schools all throughout the state of Kansas and Missouri. For example, we're playing in a tennis tournament in Columbia, Missouri, against a bunch of Missouri schools, and so I just had to make sure that those schedules were accurate and make sure we have busing so we can get our kids there. Then as far as home games, making sure we have the facilities reserved and just all the ins and outs of scheduling events and competitions. I plan on meeting with kids. First off, once you are all back in the building, I want to meet with different groups of kids and see what they want Northwest to be and what kind of changes they would like to see at athletic events. That is something that I feel is very important is to hear the perspective of a kid. So how was that varsity soccer game against Blue Valley North? What do you all want that to look like on October on August 30 when we play at the DAC because that's the very first varsity competition that we have outside of our volleyball Jamboree. So some goals of mine are to get the kid's perspective and see what they want in their experience and their time at Northwest to be and then try to make some positive changes based on the feedback that I get from the kids.

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