Chances are, the notion of retirement won’t sink in with Janet Wodjenski for quite some time.

After spending 25 years as a secretary and administrative assistant in the Coupeville School District, following four years on the school board, she’s trying to figure out what she’ll do with all this free time on her hands.

For the short term, that is.

“I’m giving myself four months before I volunteer for anything,” Wodjenski said.

Starting Friday when she closes the door of the school district office, Wodjenski will catch her breath and unwind, retreating to the home she and her husband had built in Coupeville in 1979, and join him in retirement to start a new chapter in their lives.

“He’s trying to coach me what it’ll be like,” Janet said of Don, who retired last spring after 20 years as an art teacher at South Whidbey High School.

If it’s going to feel foreign to Wodjenski, it will only pale in comparison to the only natural feelings of co-workers who’ve come to depend on her attention to detail, organization and vast knowledge base of the district’s policies and procedures that comes with nearly three decades of careful study and input.

“She’s the finest assistant I’ve ever worked with,” said Superintendent Jim Shank. “She’s incredibly valuable to us. She’s phenomenal.

“When someone goes out after 25 years, they’re taking a ton of institutional knowledge with them. We’ll really miss that.”

The feeling is mutual for Wodjenski, a self-described “word nerd” who enjoyed the people and the duties she performed.

With her main priority to provide support for the superintendent and the school board, she found herself wearing many different hats in the small school district.

Over the years, she’s prepared countless reports, scheduled meetings and events, updated the website, created the newsletter and updated the school district’s manual on policies and procedures in more common language.

She’s served as the school district’s communications officer and led community education efforts.

“I’ve never had a dull day in this job,” Wodjenski said.

In her 25 years, she served under nine superintendents, including five within a year’s span at the time Shank arrived in 2013.

“Every superintendent brought something unique to the district,” Wodjenski said. “I have enjoyed working with each person.”

Wodjenski is one of five Coupeville School District employees retiring this spring. Four are teaachers: Sheila O’Rourke, who’s been both a teacher and counselor at the elementary school; Liz Sherman, who’s taught at both the elementary and middle school; Barbara Nichols, a special education teacher at the elementary school; and Tom Eller, who is finishing 25 years at the high school and middle school.

Wodjenski has spent recent weeks working closely with Julie Hunt, calling her a “very capable” replacement, sentiments shared by Shank.

Hunt said the job can still feel overwhelming at times but is thankful she’s been able to spend time learning from Wodjenski.

Wodjenski said she plans to keep her phone handy should questions arise.

“Julie has my phone number,” she said. “And actually I don’t mind taking their calls. I plan to stay in touch with a number of people in the district. I really have enjoyed working here.”