After 39 years of working as the North Platte Elementary School secretary Arlys Kampmeyer made the decision to retire at the end of the recent school year.
After working in the front office of the school from 1985 to 2024, this was a very hard decision for her and she knows she will miss her job and the people she worked with very much.
During her firrst year at the school in 1985, her youngest child started kindergarten. During this last year, that same daughter’s youngest child began her Kindergarten year at North Platte.
“She has come full circle and was able to see all six of my sister’s children through North Platte Elementary,” her son, Tom Kampmeyer said.
Arlys was trained to be an X-ray technician in Sioux Falls, S.D. and she worked in that profession from 1962 until 1980 in Orange, Calif. after marrying in 1966.
When her youngest child was born in 1980, she decided to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, and the family moved near Edgerton in 1982.
When her daughter, Kari entered kindergarten, she decided to apply for the secretary’s position at North Platte Elementary School.
“I never thought in a million years that I would see all six of Kari’s children through their school years,” Arlys said. “The youngest, Madilyn, started her Kindergarten year this past year, and will be in first-gade this upcoming year. I won’t be able to see her all the way through like the other five, (Kalli, Grant, Megan, Hannah, Hope), but at least I was able to be here for her kindergarten year.”
Her years at the school have given her many rewarding moments working with all the principals and faculty throughout the last four decades.
“I have made so many great friends at North Platte over the years and that’s the part I will miss the most,” Arlys said. “I will also miss helping all the kids and their parents with their journey through their years at North Platte Elementary School.”
She regularly sees former students throughout the community, and many of them are parents themselves now, and have kids of their own, who she has seen come through North Platte.
“It’s very rewarding to know that I have been able to help so many students, parents, and faculty members over the years,” Arlys said. “As other school secretaries can attest to, the front office of an elementary school can be a hectic environment. Somebody always needs something, and it was very rewarding knowing so many people relied on me being able to help them.”
Many changes have been made in schools over the last 40 years, and for Arlys, one of the biggest has been the growth of technology.
“Almost everything was analog when I started in the 1980s. I have needed to adapt to many technological advances throughout the years. Parents used to send handwritten notes with their kids and I had a process for organizing that. Now everything is done on the computer.”
Her favorite memories of her years at North Platte are numerous.
“There are so many it’s hard to know where to begin,” Arlys said.”Being able to be a part of a school district where my children and grandchildren both attended (although my other two grandchildren currently attend school at Platte County schools in Platte City, Kaden will be a sophomore and Anna will be in eighth grade). Plus all the school events I’ve been able to participate in, and all of the great people I have been able to work with over the years.”
For Arlys, the most important qualities for a good secretary in a school are patience and the ability to work well with others.
“As you can imagine it was a common occurrence to address the needs of an upset student or parent,” Arlys said. “Being able to have patience and to be able to calmly help them find the solution to their problem is a necessity when working in the office.”
For those who aspire to work as a school secretary, she stresses the importance of having patience and developing good working relationships with co-workers. “You will need to rely on each other a lot, and enjoy the ride,” Arlys said.
A recent retirement celebration celebrated her many years at North Platte.
“I was shocked at how many community members and former co-workers showed up,” Arlys said. “We had more than 50 people show up to wish me a happy retirement. Having two superintendents (Francis Moran and Karl Matt) and three former principals (Louis Buntin, Karen Seckel, and Kellie Goodlet) show up was a pleasant surprise.”
She will miss her daily interaction with the teachers, administrators and students at North Platte, and she said it makes her sad just thinking about it. She has just turned 80 and she is reviewing her bucket list. Above all, she is looking forward to having more time to spend with her family and her grandchildren.