October 19, 2012
You know you’ve succeeded in creating a great library when such notable literary characters as Captain America, Tom Sawyer, and Little Red Riding Hood show up to see the new product.
Even though those characters were represented by the principal and staff members playing dress-up at Marshall Middle School on Wednesday (Oct. 17), the air of celebration was still the same surrounding the school’s new READesign library.
Through a grant from Capital One Bank, the Heart of America Foundation’s READesign team provided Marshall MS with a revamped library and more than 800 books. Capital One also donated three books for each student to begin building his or her own home library.
Principal Michael Harrison said the new library is step in the right direction for his students.
“Ever since I became the principal of Marshall Middle School, I have made it my mission to improve the literacy rate among our students. I believe this new library will have a tremendous impact on our students,” he said.
Capital One Bank volunteers completed the renovation in only one day. The volunteers began the project just before 9 a.m., and within a few hours they had decorated and assembled furniture, sorted and stocked books, and painted a mural outside of the school’s library. They also spoke to the students about the importance of financial literacy.
The new library was unveiled that afternoon during a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by HISD Board of Education Trustee Anna Eastman.
Since 2002, Capital One Bank and The Heart of America Foundation have donated more than one million books to students nationwide.
