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Wildcat Growl
December 17, 2023
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Our Vision:
De Soto High School ensures all students learn at a high level and have a positive sense of belonging, developing each student to be ready for their future.
Principal's Message
Wildcats and Families,
The winter break provides a chance to reconnect with friends and family. Hopefully, we carve out time for ourselves to unwind, de-stress, and recharge. For numerous students, it serves as an occasion to contemplate both personal and academic achievements, paving the way for the setting of goals for the upcoming second semester.
Final Exams begin Monday, December 18th and conclude Thursday, December 21st. We will not have a Delayed Start on Wednesday, December 20th, due to final exams. The final exam schedule can be found on our website, here.
Seminar will be open for students to travel on Monday, December 18th and Tuesday, December 19th. Students can register to travel via Minga.
DHS and the Main Office will be closed Friday, December 22nd, until Thursday, January 4th, 2024. Classes resume on Monday, January 8th, 2024.
We want to thank our teachers and students for assisting with Cocoa and Cram - our afterschool study tables focused on Final Exam preparation. We also want to thank Cat Monroe for organizing the event!
Thanks to support from the USD232 Foundation, our district will be presenting ANGST (video trailer) on January 25, from 7:00-8:30 PM in the De Soto High School Performing Arts Center. In partnership with the KC Center for Anxiety Treatment, the event will include a paneled discussion following the viewing.
During our band concert on December 14, a grandparent of a student suffered an unexpected health incident in the Performing Arts Center. We are grateful for the families, students, and staff in attendance and the way in which they responded. We understand that our students and staff can be impacted by the event in different ways and will continue to provide support for students through our Student Services staff.
Thank you,
Sam Ruff
Principal
De Soto High School
Kansas Teacher of the Year Program
USD 232 has been an important and strong participant in the Kansas Teacher of the Year Program for many years. De Soto has had fifteen state finalists and twelve semi-finalists represented in the program since 2000.
We would like for you to nominate any teacher whom you consider to be an outstanding and effective educator. This person must have completed 5 years of teaching with at least 2 of them having been in USD 232. If there is a USD 232 educator whom you believe to be outstanding and deserving of special recognition, please fill out the nomination form at www.usd232.org/ktoy . This form needs to be completed by 4:00 PM on January 19, 2024.
December features DHS Artwork at the district office
DHS Student artwork is on display at the district office, 12/4-12/15. Please stop by and view the work of our talented DHS Art students if you get the chance. The district office is open from 8:00- 4:30 M-F.
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHILE EARNING A LITTLE EXTRA INCOME
USD 232 is looking for one or more individuals to split a bus route that have either their LPN or RN licensure. We have some wonderful students with medical needs who are in need of either an LPN or RN to assist them while riding the bus to and from school. The hours are listed below and days to work flexible. If interested, please contact Sara Hoepner, Special Services Coordinator at shoepner@usd232.org, or Lee Hanson, Director of Special Services at lhanson@usd232.org, or Tara Harmon-Moore, Coordinator of Nursing Services at THarmonMoore@usd232.org for additional information. The job is also posted on our district website at https://www.applitrack.com/usd232/onlineapp/default.aspx?Category=Health+Services.
Bullying and Online Harassment
Cat Booster Club
Note from the Counselors:
DHS Counselors and Social Worker
Crissy Johns (A-G): CJohns@usd232.org
Abbey Heller (H-N): aheller@usd232.org
Kaitlin Britt (O-Z): KBritt@usd232.org
Joe Kordalski (Social Worker): Rkordalski@usd232.org
Securly App
Parents can have peace of mind in knowing your student’s search history and time on their device. See your student’s online activity in real-time and catch up with weekly email snapshots by signing up with the Securly app. Follow the link for more information and directions.