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Wildcat Growl
November 26, 2023
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,
DHS would like to thank our community for providing Thanksgiving pies for our staff. Over 100 pies were delivered to the office by students and parents last week. We are incredibly appreciative of your support. Thank you!
On Tuesday, November 14th, the following students were inducted into the De Soto High School National Honor Society: Dakota Appl, Davis Barr, Margaret Bichelmeyer, Sarah Blanck, Leah Blom, Emma Brady, Lucille Brandmeyer, Austin Chase, Sydney Coffman, Andrew Dondzila, Ava Dougherty, Reese Doyle, Makenzie Farmer, Maite Foss, Isabella Guess, Elaine Huggins, Gavin Hunerdosse, Kylee Hunter, Reid Kalkman, Pierce Krehbiel, Remington Kutscher, Alyna Marovec, Emma McCracken, Claire McGinn, Renee Mitchell, Andrew Parks, Kyan Rice, Jack Richards, Taryn Roy, Rose Rulifson, Reaghan Sabo, Anastasia Schultze, Stella Showalter, Ivy Stoltz, Luke Swarts, Brett Tickle, Kennedy Tilley, Amanda Tower, Ellie Upp, Joshua VanDeCreek, Kamdyn Wedel, and Macey Zebley. Congrats, all.
Great Job, Diamond Dancers! The Dance Team qualified for the KSHSAA Spirit Showcase on Friday, November 17th, placing 6th among 5A teams.
Our Wildcat Cheer Team also participated in the KSHSAA Spirit Showcase on Saturday, November 18th. They placed 7th out of the 5A teams competing. Way to go, Wildcats!
Many of our winter sports begin their 2023-2024 competitive season this week. Good luck, Wildcats!
The Cedar Trails Exploration Center (CTEC) Open House will take place Wednesday, December 6th from 6:00-7:30pm.
Cocoa & Cram returns to DHS the week of December 11th through the 14th. Check out the information below.
We have three full weeks of school before first semester final exams begin on Monday, December 18th, and end Thursday, December 21st. Winter Break begins on December 22nd. If students must leave town prior to or during finals week, they will need to work with the teacher to make up the final within two weeks of their return (not before).
Before Thanksgiving Break, we announced a new second semester incentive program called, Skip-A-Final. This incentive focuses on student attendance and grades. Information can be found on our website, here. A full list of courses participating will be posted to the site this week.
With the winter months ahead and the possibility for inclement weather, the Text Message Alert system can be used to receive the most timely information about changes in our schedule.
Thanks, and have a great week.
Sam Ruff
Principal
De Soto High School
Senior Ads in the Winter Sports Program – It’s not too late
If you have a senior who participates in Boys or Girls Basketball, Boys Swimming, Boys or Girls Wrestling, Boys or Girls Bowling, Cheerleading, Dance Team, or Band consider placing a Senior Ad in the Winter Sports Program. Deadline for submission has been extended to Friday, December 1st. More info on Senior Ads here: Senior Ads
Second Semester Schedule Changes:
As we approach the end of first semester, many students have inquired about schedule changes for second semester. Second semester schedule change forms will be available in Student Services on Tuesday, December 5th. Forms are due no later than 3 pm on Friday, December 8th. This will be the only time frame in which students can request a change to their second semester schedule. A list of elective class openings by block will be posted outside Student Services. As a reminder, requests that involve a change or flip-flop of blocks (e.g. G1 needs to move to G4) and/or a change in teacher are not eligible for a schedule change request.
Science Olympiad Invitational
The DHS Science Olympiad team pulled it together for our first competition of the season, the “O-Town Throwdown” at Olathe North on Saturday, November 11th. Our small team of six put forth a solid effort to make up for other member absences and try some new events outside of their comfort zones. Creating a schedule to cover as many of the 23 events as possible with only six time slots and six people on various teams was a challenge; despite the chaos, we experienced some individual successes:
Evan Johnsson and Addy Easter = 6th place in Astronomy
Diego Diaz and Matthew Barber = 6th place in Anatomy & Physiology
Please congratulate and cheer on the following students if you see them; they appreciate your support.
Seniors: Isabella Holwick & Cael Province
Juniors: Diego Diaz & Evan Johnsson
Sophomores: Matthew Barber
Freshmen: Addy Easter
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.