EMILY FISHER and Kasey Parr have been best friends since they met in kindergarten at Sandymount Elementary School three years ago.
They love to play soccer and talk (and talk and talk) on the phone. But what holds this friendship together is their pact to make the world a better place.
"These two friends are from a whole class of motivated learners, and they have vowed to stay motivated to help other people," said Kasey's third-grade teacher, Karen Jolle. "When they write paragraphs or papers, they write about how to cure diseases or how to help people."
Last year Kasey and Emily organized a "Have A Heart" drive at their school to collect crayons and coloring books for children at Carroll County General Hospital.
Last month they launched the "Lend a Helping Hand Clothes and Book Drive" at Sandymount. The drive has been so successful that the school's building supervisor, Michael Risner, had to move donations from the teachers' lounge to the gym.
This week Jolle's mother, Brenda Jolle, will haul two truck loads of clothes to Human Services Program Inc. of Carroll County. By the time the drive is over at the end of this month, the girls expect to have gathered as many as 40 boxes of clothing and five big boxes of books.
The books were taken by students from Carroll Community College to add to a book drive at their school.
"I like how you organize things like this," said Emily, daughter of Melinda and Eric Fisher. "We talk to friends and teachers and share ideas. In the end, you know that you've helped somebody."
"It makes me feel a little better when I help others," said Kasey, daughter of Cindy and Tom Parr. "Emily and I talk about this stuff a lot."
The girls' parents applaud the teachers at Sandymount Elementary for taking the time to help Kasey and Emily complete their benevolent tasks.
Karen Jolle thanks her mother for helping the girls get organized and complete this year's clothing and book drive.
"Plus, these girls have great role models -- their parents," Jolle said. "They are great kids, and they have great parents."
Talk about books
For two years, teachers and staff at Sandymount Elementary School have gathered for a monthly book club to discuss books that are challenging and inspiring and just plain fun.
Sixteen members of "Book Talk" have met in the parent/teacher lounge at the school and pored over books like "Catcher in the Rye," "She's Come Undone" and "Snow Falling on Cedars." One month, after reading Jane Smiley's "A Thousand Acres," they watched the movie and then went out to dinner.
"It's great fun when we meet," said Jeanne Fink, a secretary at Sandymount and a Book Talk member. "Plus it lets the children see that we are reading, too."
Tomorrow Sandymount's book club will join the book club from Westminster Elementary, called Literary Teachers, to hear author and newspaper columnist Dean Minnich talk about his novel "Angel Summer."
"I have always told Dean that his column is popular because he writes about the good things that we don't always stop to write down," said Ann Gifford, a speech pathologist at Westminster Elementary and a member of Literary Teachers.
"We decided that since we have an author here in town, we wanted to support his works," Gifford said. "Plus, many of the book club members grew up in small towns during the time that Dean writes about in 'Angel Summer.' "
Country gospel music
The Isaacs, Brian Free, and the Dixie Echoes: Gospel music fans are expected to pack the house to hear these singers perform at the 21st Annual Country Gospel Music Show from 2 p.m. to 7: 30 p.m. March 28 at Westminster High School.
Tickets are available at Bullock's Airport Inn, Bullock's Country Meats, Zinn's Service Center, Bibles Plus. Menchey's in Hanover, Pa., and McDougall's in Eldersburg.
Advance tickets are $9 or $5 for balcony seats. Tickets at the door will be $1 more.
Information: 410-848-9080 or 410-848-7981.
Lisa Breslin's Central neighborhood column appears each Monday in the Carroll County edition of The Sun.
Pub Date: 3/15/99