To prepare for a cooking class, fourth-graders at Eldersburg Elementary School learned sign language.
The 9- and 10-year-old children would be helping handicapped children bake cupcakes, so they practiced signing the alphabet, a few cooking terms and a short list of ingredients.
Anybody unsure of how to sign "friend" could ask Andi Lentino, a 10-year-old student at Carroll Springs School for special education in Westminster, where the Eldersburg students visited Tuesday.
As Andi waited for the children to arrive, she signed "friends" repeatedly.
"Whenever Andi is with these children, she signs 'friends' over and over," said Meredith Williams, Andi's teacher.
Cooking class was the second experience the children have had working together. In December, Andi and four Carroll Springs classmates traveled to Eldersburg for a fourth-grade science lesson. The Eldersburg children were returning the visit and helping their new friends measure, mix, beat and bake.
Brian Farley, 10, said he "learned a lot of stuff about people with disabilities." Still, working beside a handicapped student and trying to communicate made him nervous, he said.
"I am afraid I might say the wrong thing in sign language and hurt their feelings," he said.
Brian made no errors as he helped Holly Roberts, 10, put together ingredients for pumpkin spice cupcakes. Holly understood his signs for flour, sugar and spice, and gave Brian a smile for his efforts.
Ms. Williams had surrounded each of her students with children from Eldersburg at tables with recipes and picture boards.
"Make sure Andi, Holly, Erika and Henry can see what you are doing," she said to her guests. "Everyone is working as a team."
Ms. Williams moved among the children and encouraged each to participate in the project.
"This gives my students a chance to interact with their peers," she said. "It teaches the Eldersburg children awareness, compassion and patience."
Andi had studied a picture of a flour sifter, but she hesitated when she was asked to get one from the front of the classroom.
"She won't go by herself," Ms. Williams said.
Geoffrey Caruso gently led Andi to a table with several cooking utensils.
"Keep telling her to come on," Ms. Williams said. "You can grab her hand. She won't break."
When Andi selected a sifter, the class applauded.
Cooking class is held weekly at Carroll Springs, because, Ms. Williams said, it allows the children to use all five senses and work on their motor skills.
"Andi has learned to identify many ingredients," she said. "Her parents tell me she can get many things from the cupboard by herself."
Henry Hall, 11, can't hear, but he could feel the hand mixer's vibrations on the table. In his excitement, Henry grabbed the mixing bowl and nearly spilled the contents.
"Think how hard it would be if you wanted to say something and you couldn't," said Anne Niedzielski, the speech pathologist at Eldersburg, who arranges the monthly visits.
So, Mikey Kincaid helped Henry hold onto the mixer.
"Henry, look what you can do," said Mikey, as the two boys mixed the batter together.
The schools plan to continue the exchange visits monthly.
The fourth-grade health curriculum includes a unit on disabilities, but sharing learning experiences with the Carroll Springs students "makes the concepts so much more real," Ms. Niedzielski said.
"We need to know how to help these kids and get to know what it's like to be handicapped," said Rachel Ricklis, 9. "Anyone of us could be disabled like them."
Tuesday was the first day back at Carroll Springs for Erika Nell, 11, who has been recuperating from surgery. "She really wanted to be here today to see our friends," Ms. Williams said.
Erika could do little more than watch from her wheelchair, but the visitors talked to her constantly.
As the Eldersburg children filed out of her classroom, Erika turned her head and smiled at them. "Erika, I am so proud of you," Ms. Williams said. "You watched them all."