Principal Amy Pressly announced to staff members in a meeting after school Tuesday, and the Northwest community in an email, that she will retire at the end of this school year. 

Pressly had eight years of teaching experience when she came to Harmony Middle School to teach math in 1996. 

The following year, she helped open Pleasant Ridge Middle School as an assistant principal. After spending three years at PRMS, she took on the role of associate principal for curriculum at Blue Valley North. 

After four years at BVN, she was named principal at Northwest in 2004. Pressly said she learned to challenge the status quo as principal. 

“[I learned] to not stay with the status quo, to continue to [ask] ‘how can we get better, how can we make this experience the best for our kids?’ Pressly said. 

Balancing life between home and work is another lesson Pressly said she learned throughout her time at Northwest. 

“One of the things that led me to go ahead and decide to retire was the need to balance life. You have to have that balance between home and work,” she said. “If you are taking care of yourself, then you are also being better for those you serve.”  

Assistant Principal and Activities Director Kelsey Bakalar, whose dad, Russ Kokoruda, was Pressly’s predecessor, said Pressly was a great mentor to her. 

“I learned so much from her. She is a very patient teacher,” Bakalar said. “I am hard on myself when I make mistakes, but she always saw them as opportunities for growth, and I am very grateful for that.” 

During her time as principal, Pressly faced challenges both personal and professional. Pressly said she is forever grateful for the support she received from the community during these times. 

“I will admit the last four years have been tough, with the loss of my husband, loss of Dr. Gerke and the [civil] lawsuit,” Pressly said. “I appreciate the love and support I got from the community. I am not sure I would have been able to get through any one of those things if it had not been for the support from this community.” 

Pressly said some of her fondest memories from Northwest surround spirit week activities. 

“I remember my first year during spirit week, we ended up with Slugger [the Kansas City Royals mascot] and KC Wolf [the Kansas City Chiefs mascot] both here, and they were squared off in the commons,” Pressly said. “I thought, ‘are they going to get into a blow and am I going to have to mediate between them?’”

Bakalar said she will remember Pressly’s love and passion for Northwest.

“She shows love through her craftiness, and her projects were always with other people in mind,” Bakalar said. “[So I will miss] her passion for purple and her giving nature.” 

Pressly said she plans to spend time with her family in her retirement. 

“I do not want to look back and say, ‘well if I had not been at work,’” Pressly said. “I have  three grandkids, so I hope to take a vacation and hang out with them for a little while and be here to hang out with my friends.” 

As for her advice for her successor, Pressly said to be thankful for the school, love the community and carry Northwest traditions proudly. 

Bakalar said while she believes the school district will hire a great new principal, she said no one will replace Pressly. 

“My dad has always told me that you can replace anyone, I would argue that yes, there will be a replacement, but it will not be Dr. Pressly,” Bakalar said. “People [like Pressly] are special and leave a legacy.” 

As for what she believes Pressly’s legacy is, Bakalar mentioned Pressly’s dedication to the school, risk-taking and innovation. 

Pressly said she hopes she impacted people’s lives while at Northwest. She also shared a final word of thanks for her colleagues and students. 

“‘I love you guys. You have given me so much, and you have filled my heart,” Pressly said.