Four years ago I received a call from a friend that changed my life forever. From that call I was offered a leadership position in the Grand Canyon Unified School District. After my wife and I conferred with our daughters we decided to accept the challenge. In late July we left the comforts of retirement in Texas and moved to one of the most beautiful places on the earth to practice our professional skills. I submit that we made an excellent choice. The opportunity to work and live at the Grand Canyon, the pleasures of being part of an excellent educational community, the rewards of watching a school change before our eyes has made these four years a remarkable, unforgettable experience.
We have been allowed to participate in a growth experience that has moved a school toward excellence. We have worked with a dynamic team that has completely restructured a curriculum, that has completely changed the ambiance and trust of a campus, that has led the schools of the Grand Canyon to loftier level than ever imagined.
This past Summer we received word that the Grand Canyon High School was awarded an “A” grade by the Arizona Department of Education. The Grand Canyon Elementary School (includes the 6th, 7th and 8th grades) barely missed the “A: rating. The Elementary school scored in the top 25% of the state and was awarded a “B”, a true testament to the strength of commitment by both the students and teachers. These two grades represent many, many hours of our students and teachers working together as an academic team.
In early February of 2019, we were notified that the U.S. News and World Report ranked Grand Canyon High School as the 44th best high school in the state of Arizona - that is 44th out of 463 high schools in the state! Many of the high schools listed above us were either charter or private schools - they select their students. Grand Canyon High School was the only rural school in the top 60 high schools. The U.S. News and World Report used a matrix provided by the Arizona Department of Education that included AzMERIT growth, attendance, AP scores, graduation rate and a volley of other criteria. Wow!
Last Spring our Track Team placed over ten students in the State Meet. Both our Boys and Girls Basketball teams are playing in regional tournaments. Over the Winter Break our Lady Phantom Basketball team was invited to a tournament in San Francisco, California.
Phantoms continue to climb the ladder of success in all categories It is a pleasure to be part of the team. Judy and I made an excellent choice four years ago.
Hello, I’m Hap Maxwell, GCHS Class of 1968. My sister Jeannine Maxwell, Class of 1965 (pictured in the summer snow to the right) along with my good friend Judy Lee Walker, class of 1979, are working with Superintendent Shonny Bria and Principal Matt Yost to mobilize alumni in support of ongoing efforts to bring high-speed internet to the school.
For some background on the high speed internet project, see this short synopsis, or checkout this presentation for the gory details.
The image below is the beginning of our alumni association, that's Matt Yost, the new incoming principle on the left, Judy Lee Walker next, then John Quinn and I'm on the right.
We hope to have a Grand Canyon School Alumni Association up and running in a little while, and will be reaching out to all the Alumni we know about in the near future. If you haven't heard from me, and would like to be included, please contact the school at the contact information at the bottom of this page.
-Hap
