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.

Wildcats and Families,

We hope everyone enjoyed a safe and healthy Winter Break. We look forward to seeing our students back for the start of the second semester with a Green Day on Tuesday, January 7th. The building opens at 7:30 AM, with students reporting directly to their Green 1 class at 7:50 AM.

Inclement Weather: The Text Message Alert system can be used to receive the most timely information about any changes in our schedule.

State Honor Choir: Congrats to Savannah Hendry for earning KMEA All State Treble Choir. Great job!

DHS Debate: Congratulations to the DHS Debate team for winning the KSHSAA 5A Regional Championship on December 21st. The affirmative team of Chloe Yamaashi and Elodie Monroe and the negative team of Austin Chase and Zaiden Celis finished 8-0 to win the championship and qualify the team for the State Tournament in the 4-Speaker division. Additionally, Aurora Straight and Amelia Caylor qualified for state and will represent DHS in the 2-Speaker division. Way to go Wildcats!

First Semester Incompletes: Students earning an incomplete as a result of missing a final exam have until Friday, January 17th to make up semester 1 final exams. Students will need to reach out to their teachers in order to schedule a time to make up these exams.

Second Semester Schedules: As we embark on the new semester, we'd like to update you on a few important details for the first day back. Please be aware that all schedules are now finalized in Skyward. To reduce paper usage, we will not be providing printed schedules for students. Please double-check your schedule on your Skyward account. Please note that some yearlong classes may now be scheduled for a different block. Any schedule change requests were reviewed during the week of December 2nd, and we are unable to accommodate further changes at this time.

Paying for College: The DHS AVID program is hosting an event from 6:00-8:00pm on Monday, January 13th, for those junior or senior students interested in information about paying for college. College representatives will be in attendance to help senior students and families navigate the FAFSA form and answer questions about Financial Aid. There will also be sessions on finding scholarships and tips to make your scholarship application stand out. Please be sure to bring a computer and we hope to see you there!

Future Wildcat Night: Academic and Activity Expo: Join us on Wednesday, February 5th, for an exciting evening to explore all that our school has to offer! The event kicks off with an information session for current 8th-grade students and their parents from 6:00 PM to 6:30 PM in the PAC. Following this session, from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM, students and parents in grades 8–11 are invited to meet our teachers and student leaders to learn about academic programs, course pathways, and extracurricular activities. This event is a great opportunity to gather the information you need to make informed decisions about course selection and activity involvement for the upcoming school year.

Course Selection, 2025-2026: During 3rd quarter, students will complete the process of course selection for the 2025-2026 school year. Directions and information will be shared via our website and Canvas in the coming weeks. Students and parents should follow the provided instructions, review our website and course guide, and then select courses through Skyward together. Students will finish the process by meeting individually with their school counselor to discuss how their course selection fits into their Individual Plans of Study (IPS).

ACT for Junior Students: On Tuesday, February 25th, Junior students will take the ACT at DHS. More information will be coming as the date nears.

Senior Shortened Day:

1) During the school day (7:50 am - 2:55 pm), students must enter and exit the building through the attendance office doors (failure to do so will result in school consequences),

2) If a senior does not have an assigned seminar for 2nd semester but wants to meet with a teacher or is assigned to see a teacher during that time, the student will need to register via Minga and sign in through the attendance office upon arrival/departure,

3) Having a shortened schedule is contingent on regular attendance and passing all of your courses.

Future Events:

• Thursday, January 9th: Cats Booster Club Meeting, 4:30pm (FlexA)
• Monday, January 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School
• Wednesday, February 5th: Future Wildcat Night, Academic & Activities Expo
• Wednesday & Thursday, February 12th - 13th: Spring Parent Teacher Conferences

Thank you,

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

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.

On Saturday, December 7th, the DHS Science Olympiad team successfully hosted the 5th annual Schrödinger’s Invitational with Mill Valley. The team’s overall placement left much to be desired, but we had some individual successes:

Materials Science, 3rd place: Diego Diaz & Evan Johnsson

Fossils, 3rd place: Diego Diaz

Astronomy, 3rd place: Evan Johnsson & Addy Easter

What our team lacked in competition prowess, they more than made up for in their representation of DHS. I received many compliments about how polite, helpful, and attentive they were to all the staff who helped make the 23 events possible. Please congratulate the following students if you see them.

Seniors: Diego Diaz, Evan Johnsson

Juniors:

Sophomores: Evan Brame, Addy Easter, Gavin Meisch, Faith Settelmeyer

Freshmen: Zaiden Celis, Wyatt Lux

Our next invitational will be a challenge as we take on the private school crowd at Pembroke Hill on January 11th. Thank you all for your support and good vibes! 😊

Laura Sixta (Coach)

Families, the State of Kansas provided free over-the-counter covid tests, which are located in a basket in the front office. Free to take, no names or sign up required; no need to share the result with the school nurse unless you choose to do so.

This year, the DHS athletics department will be using HUDL (not NFHS) to live stream all home events. To get your subscription, use this link: https://fan.hudl.com/dhswildcatnation

Single game, monthly, or year long subscription options are available.

DHS Counselors and Social Workers

Mrs. Crissy Johns (cjohns@usd232.org): Last name A – D

Ms. Abbey Heller (aheller@usd232.org): Last name E – K

Mrs. Lainee Graham (lgraham@usd232.org): Last name L – Q

Mrs. Kaitlin Morrell (kaitlin.morrell@usd232.org): Last name R - Z

Mr. Joe Kordalski, Social Worker (Rkordalski@usd232.org)

Mrs. Debra Landis, Social Worker (dlandis@usd232.org)

Here is some information to share with families from Sources of Strength designed to support families during the winter break. The "Practicing Strengths at Home" toolkit offers conversation starters, activities, and check-ins to help families focus on building hope, resilience, and connection during this unique time. It includes fun and practical tools like gratitude practices, strength-based discussions, and self-care activities, making it an excellent resource for fostering mental well-being at home.

Additionally, don’t forget to register for our January 17th SPARK Webinar, "Kindness as Protective Factors". This session will explore how kindness can prevent school violence and foster student resilience. We hope you’ll join us for this impactful discussion.

While we plan to continue to allow students to use their mobile devices during passing periods and lunch, we would also ask that parents have a conversation with their students about appropriate use. Taking pictures or videos of other students without their consent and then sharing those pictures/videos or posting them online can be a form of social harassment or bullying, and will be handled as such. Please refer to the information posted on the district website regarding bullying and harassment. Thank you for helping us address this issue with our students.