By Kelly Morgan,Staff Writer

HARRISON – Red Sox fans may see some familiar faces on the television next week when 10 fourth-graders from Harrison Elementary School make their way to Fenway Park to perform a sign-language rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

On Aug. 10, the members of Rockin’ Hands Across Harrison will gather at 5:30 in front of Gate D at the ball field. Shortly thereafter they will be brought onto the field to open the game.

The opportunity to perform before 35,000 baseball fans is almost as special as what has led to the event. Three years ago, in an effort to better communicate with deaf classmate Chelsea Warner, Corrine Pratt’s first-grade class began studying sign language.

“It’s a pretty neat story; we’re just so proud of them,” an enthusiastic Pratt said Wednesday. While the 21 students who began the sign language lessons in first grade have moved on to another classroom, 10 have been giving up free time on a regular basis to continue their studies.

And since forming Rockin’ Hands Across Harrison, the students have performed for friends and family, at trials for the Special Olympics, and twice at Sea Dogs games in Portland. The performances began after Pratt and interpreter Joanne Ridlon started teaching the students to sign patriotic songs and show tunes to advance their communication skills.

The group really “get” the patriotic songs and perform them beautifully in sign language, Pratt said. “There’s never a dry eye in the house when they get up there.”

And after appearing at the second Sea Dogs game, she added, “we said, well, if the Sea Dogs liked us enough to ask us to come back a second time, why not the Red Sox?”

That’s when parent Jodie Martin began making phone calls.

“It doesn’t hurt to ask,” Martin said when reached at home Wednesday. After weeks of calling and sending e-mails, it was July 28 when she finally got word the students would be invited to perform.

The parents, Martin said, “are beside themselves.” And some of the students are excited, too, although some aren’t fully aware of what they will be doing.

Martin said her 9-year-old daughter Shelby is sort of blas about the whole thing, especially having performed before the Sea Dogs audience. Martin Expects Fenway Park to be an entirely different experience.

“I think when they get out there, they’re going to be nervous,” she said, remarking on the size of the stadium. “But as long as they look straight ahead at their teachers, they’re going to be fine.”

The mother of 10-year-old Chelsea Warner, Athena Warner, said her daughter probably wouldn’t have much to say about the pending performance now. “She probably wouldn’t understand because it’s too far away.”

Next week, however, Warner expects the excitement to come through as the family travels to Boston.

The students have worked hard for this opportunity, she said. “They’ve done awesome.”

And most important, they have been willing to learn how to communicate with a classmate who otherwise may have been forced to leave home three full days each week to attend the Baxter School for the Deaf in Falmouth.

“She’s getting more here than she ever would at Baxter,” Warner said.