How many days a week do you enter the main office on average? The answer is probably at least once or twice. With that in mind, would you say that you have ever really taken the time to get to know the staff that manage the front office? That answer is most likely a no, however, this is your chance to get to know one of those hard-working staff. One of the staff members in the front office is Ethel Opie who was recently nominated for Staff Member of the Month.

Opie has been working for Fluvanna County Public Schools for 28 years. While she is now working as the Instructional Assistant for the school, she was not always in this position. Originally, she worked in the special education department as an aide. Opie talked fondly of the students that she worked with. “They’re all such sweet kids. They really try their hardest to be funny and to make others laugh,” she said.

For her job specifically, Opie answers the phone calls made to the front office, she reviews the messages left for the school and makes call-backs, keys in the entry data for the school, and deals with the parents and general public. “My busiest days are usually Thursday and Friday because we have so many early dismissal notes and bus passes,” She said. Opie says that the reason she decided to work at Fluvanna County schools was because she is a Fluvanna native. She didn’t have to take any special college courses for her job, but she does enjoy getting summers off.

The youngest of three, Opie grew up with two older twin brothers. “I loved playing cowboys and Indians with my brothers. I always thought that I was old enough to do anything that they did,” she recalled. She has two daughters of her own now, along with grandchildren. Both of her daughters went to Fluvanna County schools and one of them now attends Longwood University. If she was able to choose any profession aside from working in the school systems, Opie said she would love to drive tractor trailers again, something she used to do. “I really enjoyed just being able to drive for a living.” For now, however, it appears that there was nothing she would rather being doing more than working in the school system, “I’ve always wanted to teach, ever since I was younger.”