JAMES MADISON HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES LIBRARY MAKEOVER

Madison High School, along with Capital One and the Heart of American Foundation, celebrated the unveiling and ribbon cutting of the schools new READesign Library this past week. Capital One and the Heart of American Foundations teamed up to provide an updated and refreshed library space with hundreds of company volunteers.

The school held a ceremony to officially dedicate the space with speakers including Principal Gayle Smith; former Dallas City Councilwoman Diane Ragsdale, for whom the library is named; District 9 Trustee Bernadette Nutall; District 7 City Councilwoman Carolyn Davis; Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings; Chief of Schools Officer Sylvia Reyna; Kent Eastman, Texas president of Capital One Bank; and Dan Horgan, vice president of development for the Heart of America Foundation.

The Heart of America Foundation has coordinated library makeovers at several district elementary schools. The project at Madison is the first high school library renovation to be coordinated by the organization in Texas.

A new layout maximized the library’s square footage, and includes new carpet, newly painted walls, furniture, bookshelves and 300 new books. Literacy-themed quotes were added to the walls as well. A former storage room was converted to focus on college readiness and serve as inspiration for students. New books, new seating and a wall of photos of historical figures are among the highlights.

Madison students will each receive three books of their own to take home to build their at-home libraries.

Capital One employees also helped sharpen students’ job interviewing skills by leading them in mock interviews.