Maxwell High School of Technology
Fall 2021
Principal's Message
Greetings from Maxwell! I invite you to enjoy our fall newsletter. We are having a wonderful school year and have many exciting things happening at Maxwell. You will find this edition of our newsletter features our fabulous Student of the Year, Nicole Jackson. Also, we feature our talented Teacher of the Year, Brandon Myers. I encourage you to read about the Maxwell Work Ready program and our Dress for Success and Getting Along with Others sessions. Our SkillsUSA and HOSA organizations are off to a great start, and students participated in the fall rally and fall leadership conference. Also, we are grateful for Pippin Property Group and their financial donation. We proudly feature our first Auto Services Career Fair. Please enjoy learning about Darcie Johnson, who served as our Principal for a Day. We share some cool things happening in both our Digital Media and Animation program and our Graphic Design program. This edition highlights our Healthcare Science and Fire Services programs. Finally, we are excited to continue to be a part of the Quinn House service project. Each class selects a child in need and helps their child have a wonderful holiday season. We are sponsoring 80 children this year! We look forward to another successful school year. Please know our doors are always open to you and thanks for your support. Go Navigators!
-Dr. Jeff Hall
Principal
Maxwell High School of Technology
Maxwell's 2021-2022 Student of the Year
In addition to Nicole's academic success, she is also a level 10 gymnast. Nicole plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering next year at the University of Oregon on an academic and athletic scholarship for acrobatics and tumbling.
We are very proud of Nicole and know that she will represent Maxwell well in her pursuit to be the Gwinnett County CTE SOTY. Congratulations, Nicole!
MAXWELL WORK READY PROGRAM
Dress for Success
Work Ready is the advisement program at Maxwell High School of Technology that ensures its graduates have the essential soft skills needed to successfully enter the workforce and/or post-secondary education. This program is coordinated by Maxwell counselors, Dr. LaVonna Groce and Ms. Emily Latone.
Dr. Jon Valentine, GCPS Director of Foreign Language, was the keynote speaker for the Work Ready Dress for Success session. After one year of being virtual, Dr. Valentine spoke in person to students for the first Maxwell Work Ready session this school year. He talked with students about looking their best, the importance of punctuality, and the steps of interviewing. In addition, Dr. Valentine discussed how to give a good first impression even if your interview is in a digital or virtual setting. Maxwell students learned many life lessons in this session that will help them succeed in the working world. It was so good to be back in a session with students live and in person!
Dressed for Success
The Electronics students, along with Mr. Womack, came prepared and ready for the first Work Ready session.
Showing Confidence
Gaining Life Skills
Getting Along with Others: Empathy and Personality In the Workplace
The second Maxwell Work Ready session this semester, Getting Along with Others: Empathy and Personality in the Workplace, was led by Maxwell counselors, Dr. LaVonna Groce and Ms. Emily Latone. In this session, Maxwell students learned about their personalities and the personality differences of their peers. Empathy was also discussed and why it is an important characteristic for future leaders. This was an interactive session in which students completed the True Colors personality assessment and presented with other students who shared similar personality traits. Students enjoyed this Work Ready session and learned a lot about each other.
Pictured below: Maxwell students presenting their similar personality traits using the colors blue, green gold, and orange.
SKILLSUSA EVENTS
Champions Rally 2021
SkillsUSA is a national, nonprofit student organization for students enrolled in technical education programs. Maxwell currently has 164 SkillsUSA members. Students have until January 20, 2022, to join SkillsUSA. The $25 SkillsUSA Maxwell membership dues are payable through MyPaymentsPlus.
Maxwell's SkillsUSA chapter kicked off the school year by taking 45 members to the SkillsUSA Georgia Champions Rally at the Georgia National Fairgrounds on Friday, October 8. High school chapters from around the state gathered for inspiration, competition, and fun. Students had a grand time meeting other new members while enjoying all the fun rides and good food at the fair. Maxwell's chapter also won 1st Place for Chapter T-shirt Design, 5th Place for Chapter Recruitment Poster, and 8th Place for Career Pathway Poster.
1st Place Chapter T-shirt Design
5th Place Chapter Recruitment Poster
- Carl Peterson, Isabel Reyes, and Sophia Ying (Graphic Design) worked together to create the winning poster design.
8th Place Career Pathway Poster
Fall Leadership Conference
1. Anaya Doobay (Smith AM)
2. Alondra Garcia (Smith PM)
3. Caitlyn Monroe (Richards AM)
4. Aniya Rashid (Loyd PM)
5. Dahra Santiago-Hiraldo (Richards PM)
6. Wyatt Straksis (Richards PM)
Architecture Career Q & A
AM class attended by:
- Stephen Fleming, former student and now Advisory Board Member and Project Architect at RJTR in Atlanta
- Jennifer Wong of TVS in Altanta, invited to the event by Truc Tran Pham from Mountain View H.S.
- Mike Clifford, Principle at BCA Architect's in Decatur, GA, and current Advisory Board Member
PM class attended by:
- Carlos Rodriguez, BLUR Workshop in Atlanta, invited to the event by Bryson Quevedo of North Gwinnett H.S.
- John Miller, former student and now owner of Miller Contracting, LLC, Roswell, invited by Diana Quiroz-Medrano of Discovery H.S.
- Chuck O'Brien, Pieper O'Brien Herr Architects, Alpharetta, invited by Sophia Campino-Villada of Duluth H.S.
HOSA HAPPENINGS
HOSA Fall Rally
HOSA-Future Health Professionals is a national student organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Health Science Education Division of ACTE. It provides a unique program of leadership development, motivation, and recognition exclusively for secondary, postsecondary, adult, and collegiate students enrolled in HSE programs.
15 Maxwell HOSA students qualified and passed the HOSA Statesmanship Test. The following students were recognized at the HOSA Fall Rally:
- Deborah Adeojo
- Ashley Adjei
- Liyah Allison
- Cristina Broome
- Symia Brown-Blackmon
- Silniya Brown
- Robin Chime
- Samairra Coward
- Carmel Essayas
- Madison Jones
- Staci McGee
- Chase Mosby
- My Chael Ros-Champman
- Makayla Williams
- Nyla Williams
Maxwell's Winning Design!
HOSA Fall Leadership Conference
HOSA Georgia held its annual Fall Leadership Conference November 9-10 at the Omni Atlanta Hotel. Throughout this conference, members had the opportunity to gain skills in leadership through several competitive events, sessions and workshops. Student members, advisors, and guests came together to celebrate their success and develop their leadership skills. In addition to the incredible leadership workshops, exhibitors, HOSA dance and exciting and inspiring general sessions, students also received a HOSA t-shirt.
Maxwell on stage at FLC!
Maxwell HOSA Fall Leadership
3rd Place Winners!
Pippin Property Group Donates $500
Architecture Earns Industry Certification
Left to right: Mr. Mike Rossi, Hill Foley Rossi + Associates LLC; Ms. Ina Bachmann, Nelson Architects; Ms. Dee Tillman, Maxwell architecture instructor; and Mr. Stephen Fleming, Rule Joy Trammell + Rubio, LLC Architecture and Interior Design
Automotive Career Fair
2021 Participant List
- Acura Carland/Honda Carland
- Akins Ford
- Audi Atlanta
- Gwinnett Place Ford
- Gwinnett Technical College
- Hayes Family Automotive
- Hendrick Automotive Group
- Hennessy Automotive
- Jim Ellis Automotive
- Lincoln Technical College
- Mercedes Benz Atlanta NE
- NAPA and NAPA Auto Care Centers
- Penske Automotive/Atlanta Toyota/United BMW/Honda Mall of Georgia
- Potamkin Hyundai
- TERC (The Equipment Rental Company)
- Universal Technical Institute
Penske Automotive Group
Penske representatives Collier Lewis, Ciera Farr, Bryan Whits, and Melanie Bevil discussed career opportunities with Maxwell automotive students.
Audi of Atlanta
Jerry Kimbrough, Audi Service Director, and Lee Ludolph, Audi Shop Foreman, gave students valuable information about pursuing careers at Audi. Students also enjoyed receiving the Audi swag!
Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
Mr. Ted Hayes, owner of Hayes Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Lawrenceville, has supported Maxwell's Automotive program for the past 20+ years. Maxwell students came prepared with questions about career opportunities available at Hayes Chrysler.
Community Leader is Maxwell's Principal for a Day
Animation Students Create 3D Islands
Graphic Design Students Collaborate with Pre-K
Ms. Snelling's Graphic Design students worked with Maxwell’s Pre-K classes to write and design personalized books that the Pre-K students will receive as gifts.
Healthcare Gets New Lab and Equipment
New Healthcare Lab
Healthcare Lab
Anatomage Table
Firefighting Students Train with Gwinnett Fire
SCBA Training
Fire Tower
TIC Training
NEW SEMINAR OFFERED
Coping with Stress and Grief
Due to the pandemic and the rise in stress and grief issues, Maxwell counselors, Dr. LaVonna Groce and Ms. Emily Latone, facilitated a Grief and Stress educational session that was led by Ms. Gaan Akers, Education Manager of Hillside Atlanta Therapuetic Center (pictured below). 64 Maxwell students attended the session, and they were taught coping skills for grief and stress. Some of the students gave the following feedback after the session: "I feel more at peace," "This is what I needed to hear," and "I learned a lot."
Quinn House Service Project
This holiday season, Maxwell sponsored 80 children for the Quinn House service project: students provided gifts for children in need. Maxwell has been helping Quinn House children for the past 25 years, providing gifts to over 2,400 children. The Quinn House is a non-profit corporation established to offer an alternative to the homeless and those in need, operating solely on donations from the public. It is a full-service group home in Gwinnett County and offers a variety of programs that assist adults as they transition back into society as productive citizens.
Maxwell High School of Technology
Website: maxwellhigh.com
Location: 990 McElvaney Lane, Lawrenceville, GA 30044
Phone: 770.963.6838
Facebook: facebook.com/MaxwellHighGCPS
Twitter: @MaxwellHighGCPS