Wildcat Growl
March 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
Wildcat Family,
The Class of 2023 graduation announcements will be available for pick-up in the Commons during lunch on Monday, March 27th. Seniors, don’t forget to order your activity patches for your graduation stole. Information was emailed to you over Spring Break. The deadline to order the patches and honor cords is April 14th.
DHS Spring Sports ‘Opening Day’ is being held on Tuesday, March 28th. Multiple home events will occur, including Tennis, Soccer, Baseball, and Softball games. The Wildcat Booster Club is also arranging for food trucks and other activities to take place that evening. Check out the flyer below for more information.
The Junior class will take the science state assessment this week. The assessment is scheduled to take place during the student’s regularly scheduled science class. Good luck, students!
The Sophomore class will take their assessments the weeks of April 3rd (English) and April 13th (math). We ask for and appreciate the scheduling of appointments outside of these dates.
The CLASS Awards Ceremony for the 3rd quarter will take place in the DHS Performing Arts Center on Thursday, March 30th. Students receive Class Awards by being recognized by a teacher for demonstrating one of the dispositions/character traits of our Portrait of a Graduate. We look forward to recognizing 60+ Wildcats on Thursday.
Make plans now. The last 2-Hour Delayed Start Day, scheduled for all USD232 schools, is April 12th. Students will begin school two (2) hours later than normal, and will need to be at school for the first block (White 1) at 9:50 a.m. This schedule differs from our recent High School Collaborative Team Delayed Start Wednesdays.
Spotlight-DHS will take place on April 26th. During this community open house event all senior students will be recognized and celebrated for their post-secondary plans. Seniors, please complete the survey emailed to you by The Green Pride. We will also showcase many outstanding student projects and activities. We hope to see you there.
The Final Exam schedule for the second semester can be found on our website. It will be important for students to attend during this time. We will expect students that are absent during final exams to take their exams when they return.
Thanks, and have a great week!
Sam Ruff
Principal, DHS
Wednesday March 29th Collaborative Team Time Late Start
Spanish NHS Induction
Brooklynne Clark, Jacqueline Marquez, Lauralyn Shantel De Leon
Kennedy Farrier, Mimi Martinez, Christian Showalter
Justin Flagor, Abigail Megee, Brady Swarts
Ailey Freeman, Nate Meyer, Luke Swarts
Natalia Headly, Blake Miller, Henry Walawender
Ryan Jenkins, Jack Murillo Porras, Sydney Zymball
Erin Kiewiet, Zoe Reith, Vance Krudwig, Aubrey Scott
Advanced Placement Seminar
Dear Parents of College-Bound Students:
Recently, De Soto High School has added a course called Advanced Placement Seminar that is specifically designed to help students prepare for and succeed in Advanced Placement and future college courses. Not to be confused with our Seminar class, which is a study hall, Advanced Placement Seminar is a full class meant to help college-bound students improve the skills that they will need at the next level.
In AP Seminar, students will encounter both team and individual projects that help prepare them for the next level. The projects enhance their chances of being successful in college in the following ways:
- Develop Web Literacy Skills – Students learn how to navigate the obstacles of finding good information on the web, avoid misinformation, and select quality research, both for college courses and their own personal lives.
- Grow and Mature as Leaders and Teammates in an Academic Setting – The team project requires students to learn how to navigate interpersonal challenges and find success while supporting their groupmates. Students each write a paper from a different perspective of the same challenging issue that they have selected to explore as a team and use that research to build a team argument that they present to the class.
- Supports and Supplements Other Advanced Courses – The course builds general writing, reading, speaking, listening, and collaboration skills, which help across a variety of different content areas. It enhances Pre-AP and AP English classes with further reading and writing. It works on reading informative texts like what might be featured in AP Biology or AP European History. It helps students organize and keep track of long-term projects. It helps students improve both timed and formal writing like what they will find across a variety of demanding, college-level courses. It allows them to develop a comfort level with giving presentations to other learners.
- Manageable Course Load that Helps Students Get Ready to Be Successful in College Classes – While there is consistent homework in the class, the homework is designed to be manageable for students who are still new to college-level coursework. A single, dedicated study-hall session in regular seminar will usually be enough to complete the homework.
- Take it Any Year and Reap the Benefits – Advanced Placement Seminar is a great starter AP course for sophomores, a wonderful supplement to typical junior classes like AP Language and Composition and AP U.S. History, and an outstanding course for seniors who are making a final push to prepare for college.
- Gain College Credit and an AP Capstone Diploma – Students can gain credits that will transfer as either a research credit or an English credit at most universities. If the student moves on to AP Research and takes four other AP tests in high school, they will receive a special commendation from Advanced Placement that demonstrates to colleges that they are ready for the highest-level courses.
Even if your student has already selected classes for next year, it is not too late to switch into the course. We would love to have your advanced teen student in our class next year.
Sincerely,
Phillip Hamilton
AP Language and Composition, AP Seminar, and AP Research
USD232 Secondary Teacher of the Year, 2016
Drew Proctor is the DHS Kansas Teacher of the Year Nominee!
Prom Dress Giveway:
The First Baptist Church of Grandview is hosting a prom dress giveaway. The event will have dresses, jewelry and shoes at no cost to the student. Students are encouraged to bring and donate any old dresses that they may have to donate to this cause. The church is located at 1416 Main Street, Grandview, MO. Below are the dates and times the venue will be open:
- Tuesday, April 4th, 4 pm to 7 pm
- Thursday, April 6th, 4 pm to 7 pm
- Thursday, April 13th, 4 pm to 7 pm
- Saturday, April 15th, 10 am to 1 pm
Attendance Information
We want to share some important information and reminders for parents. We added a new Attendance Office to the north student entrance (door #21). This new student-only entrance/exit will be where students should be dropped off or picked up during the school day (7:50 am - 2:55 pm). Visitors will continue to use the Main Entrance on the south side of the building.
School Meals
Homework Request Information
When your student is absent from school, please encourage your student to reach out to teachers requesting assignments missed due to the absence. Certainly, parents can also reach out to teachers, but part of becoming a self-directed independent learner is communication, being organized, and advocating for yourself. If your student is experiencing a longer-term absence (a week or more), our counselors are available to assist in this process.
Need to contact 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
DHS Senior Only Scholarships
Scholarships for the De Soto High School Class of 2023 are now available. All applications can be found at https://www.usd232.org/Page/3287. Please follow the instructions for each individual application and submit by the deadline. All scholarship winners will be announced at the Senior Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 17th, 2023.
· DHS CAT Booster Scholarship: Deadline April 7th.
· De Soto Alumni/VFW Scholarship: Deadline April 22nd.
· De Soto Teachers Association Scholarship: Deadline April 15
· Shawnee Vision Care Scholarship: Deadline April 14
· McCarthy Auto Group Scholarship: Deadline April 14
· Trenton Hughes Scholarship: Deadline April 21
· Casey Blake Johnson Running Scholarship: Deadline April 21
· Jess Johnson Scholarship (Rotary Club): Deadline April 30
Boys State of Kansas
Applications are now available for Boys State of Kansas. Boys State is week-long camp opportunity for current sophomore/junior boys to strengthen confidence, inspire leadership, build bonds of friendship, as well as an introduction to civic responsibility. Students must be ranked in the upper half of their graduating class, be a self-starter, and be involved in school and community extracurricular activities. Students who attend Boys State are eligible for college scholarships. Applications are due March 31st. For more information and to access the application, please visit https://ksbstate.org/.
JCCC Scholarships for the Senior Class of 2027
Seniors who are planning on attending JCCC next school year, need to fill out the JCCC Scholarship application by April 1st. Students who fill out the application by the deadline will be considered for all JCCC Scholarships including the ones listed below. To qualify for JCCC scholarships, students must be degree seeking. To access the JCCC Scholarship application, please visit https://www.jccc.edu/admissions/financial-aid/aid-types/scholarships/.
- Presidential Scholarship: This scholarship will be given to one high school senior from DHS. Students must have a 3.5 high school GPA or higher to be considered. Tuition for two years and a book stipend each semester will be awarded
- JCCC CavGuarantee Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded to any resident of JCCC who graduates from high school with a 3.25 unweighted GPA. Students will be awarded $500 for each semester, fall and spring. The scholarship is non-renewable and non-stackable. Students who receive other institutional scholarships
- Kansas Promise Act Scholarship: Covers two years of tuition at JCCC if you promise to live and work in Kansas for two years after finishing your degree. For more information, please visit their website at https://www.jccc.edu/admissions/financial-aid/aid-types/scholarships/kansas-promise/.
Kansas ScholarShop
In partnership with Sallie Mae, Kansas State Treasurer’s office has launched the Kansas ScholarShop initiative. ScholarShop aims to restore hope and excitement for students seeking educational and career advancement after high school. With access to 6 million scholarships worth up to $30 billion; students can search and find scholarships, grants and awards tailored specifically to their deepest passions. For more information visit: https://kansascash.ks.gov/scholarshop.html
Cat Booster Club
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.