By Erica Garman
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Living in LoCo is Erica Garman's blog devoted to Loudoun County. You can find it at http://www.loudounextra.com. This column of highlights appears every Sunday.
It's a pleasure to go to the hospital to celebrate a happy occasion, such as the birth of a child or, as was the case Tuesday night, to welcome the arrival of improved pediatric care in our area.
Inova Loudoun Hospital launched its state-of-the-art pediatric unit and pediatric specialty center in Lansdowne. The unit will serve young people suffering from bad bouts of flu or asthma or recovering from appendicitis, orthopedic surgeries and other relatively routine procedures. It also will offer expanded pediatric specialties such as infectious disease care, nephrology, neurology and psychiatric care.
The real star of the evening was the 14-bed facility's appearance. It has large private rooms, each containing two flat-screen televisions, a PlayStation unit, a DVD player and a futon-like pullout bed for parents. There are turtle and dinosaur exam tables and child-sized "body maps" that clinicians can use to show a pint-size patient exactly what they will be examining or X-raying.
Also, for the first time at Inova Loudoun, a certified child life specialist will work one-on-one with patients and siblings to explain at a child's level what to expect from required medical procedures.
Add to these features a maxed-out communal playroom with toys, books and a simulated fish tank (that is also a television), and you've got a place that makes an unfortunate visit a tad more palatable -- kind of like that spoonful of sugar Mary Poppins used to help the medicine go down.
Group Urges New Grading ScaleThere's a growing advocacy group in Loudoun County that is lobbying to change the public school system's grading scale to the one most commonly used by other secondary schools across the country.
"Changing the grading scale is not about lowering standards or trying to get higher grades," said FairGrade Loudoun activist Kathy Lague of Cascades. "We are satisfied with the school system and believe that our School Board and school administrators do what they think is best for the students 100 percent of the time."
But parents such as Lague say that the current grading scale puts Loudoun students at a disadvantage when it comes to college admissions, scholarships, NCAA playing eligibility and even good-student discounts on car insurance.
In the Loudoun school system, a 92 is a B. In Arlington public schools, a 92 is an A.
This difference doesn't really mean much if college admissions officers or insurance agencies look at numeric grade averages. But they typically look only at an applicant's grade-point average, which is based on a student's letter grades, say FairGrade Loudoun activists.
Loudoun school officials say that area colleges are aware of Loudoun's grading scale and that it doesn't need to be changed. Some School Board members have said that changing the system would lead to grade inflation.
"If the 10-point system leads to grade inflation, then why aren't school systems across the country scrambling to convert to our seven-point scale?" Lague asked.
FairGrade Loudoun said that many Loudoun families could save hundreds of dollars annually on car insurance if their children maintained a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
"I'm frustrated because it seems like a no-brainer," Tania Olsen said, after listening to the group's presentation at the Lansdowne Potomac Club on Friday.
Olsen has two children at Seldens Landing Elementary School and questions why the School Board doesn't change the scale. "I don't know who to fight against -- are we fighting against an old boy network?" she asked.
The School Board is waiting to see what Fairfax County public schools will do on this issue. FairGrade Fairfax is fighting a similar battle, and that county's School Board has ordered a study to explore switching to a 10-point grading scale.
School Flies Special FlagStudents at Sanders Corner Elementary School raised a special flag in front of the Ashburn school Tuesday in honor of Veterans Day.
The flag, which once flew over the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, was a thank-you gift to the students from the U.S. Marine Corps.
Last fall, students participating in the school's Community Awareness Club sent 22 boxes of goodies -- handwritten letters, gum, magazines, snack bars -- to U.S. soldiers in Iraq.
The shipping bill was approximately $200, PTA President Donna Columbo said. Fortunately, she added, the local Parcel Plus store gave the school's service club a discount on postage to support the cause.
The students were excited during the school year to receive the many notes of thanks from soldiers who had received their packages, and, over the summer, a parcel arrived addressed to the school with the flag inside.
The certificate enclosed with the flag reads:
"This flag was flown in the face of the enemy and bears witness to the strength and resolve of the American spirit. This flag represents the sustained sacrifices of all Americans. This flag honors those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the war against terrorism."
School organizers plan on flying this special flag each Veterans Day in honor of those who serve in the military.
View all comments that have been posted about this article.