Handling the COVID-19 pandemic over the last couple years has presented our community with many challenges, but ultimately helped to bring us together. Rebecca Sharp played a major role in this, from managing and organizing vaccines clinics for all of Falls Church City Public Schools, to overseeing mitigation policies that helped limit the spread of the virus.

Sharp outlined the administration’s success in controlling the spread and following the recommendations of reputable organizations, saying, “We have exceeded the guidelines that have been established by the CDC and by the Virginia Department of Health. I’m also very proud of our testing program. That we really do have a comprehensive program available to our students and our staff so that if at any time they are concerned that they’ve been exposed or are experiencing symptoms, that we can get them immediate access to testing.” 

She explained how her duties as Executive Director of Special Education and Student Services have shifted following the pandemic, sharing, “One of the biggest changes is the increased need for health services. I’ve always had health service under the umbrella of special services but since COVID, it has exponentially increased the amount of time that I have to spend focused on health work.”

Sharp commented on the struggles of keeping transmission rates low both in and out of school, admitting, “Fighting a virus is a 24/7 operation. So it’s not just what happens in schools. It’s what happens when you’re at home, on the weekends, or you’re going to the movies or to hang out somewhere.” She continued saying, “You have to keep the mitigation in place in all of those places as well, not just in school. So I think that’s probably been more of a struggle, hoping to make sure that in places where we don’t have any say so in what’s going on, trying to minimize the impact of that on the school environment.”

Along with balancing mitigation in schools and getting students vaccinated, Sharp shared how the pandemic has affected her and her family personally. She talked about her daughter in particular, who has worked in the healthcare field throughout the outbreak. 

“It’s been a struggle, because two of my children live far away, so I haven’t been able to see them as much,” she confided. “My daughter works in the healthcare field, so I’ve always had an extra worry for her because of her job. That’s eased over time with vaccines.” 

Despite those challenges, Sharp spoke of her excitement for the future and her hope to return to some version of normal, expressing, “I know that it sounds corny when I say this, but I’m hopeful for a new normal. I think it’s unrealistic for us to expect that we’re going to go back to the way things exactly were, but I do think that we are coming out of this.” She continued, recognizing that things wouldn’t look completely the same, “It’s going to look a little bit different. There are going to be times where we have high transmission and we might have to put our masks back on.” 

Sharp carried on, discussing the present state of our transmission rates, “We’re in low transmission, we’re okay, but we have good structures in place. It provides a sense of ease that it’s being done slowly and thoughtfully, so I’m excited about that.”   

While Sharp’s part in controlling the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of students and staff is admirable, she also cherishes time with loved ones and has an extensive list of interesting hobbies. 

“I like to play with my dog,” she said, adding, “I really enjoy traveling and I have taken up knitting and crocheting. I enjoy making gifts for people.”

Furthermore, she spoke of her and her husband’s favorite sports team, sharing, “My husband and I are huge Green Bay Packers fans and we’ve recently bought stock in the Green Bay Packers.” 

She went on to express her love for the Little City and her desire to continue living in Falls Church, as she really enjoys the community and its closeness. 

“Hopefully, I’ll still be here in Falls Church, because I love this community. And then after that I’ll probably retire because this is my 30th year,” she answered when asked about her future plans. “I love the sense of community and the sense of family here. And that it is a very close tight-knit community that cares about each other. Even when we disagree, everyone still cares about each other.”