Wildcat Growl
October 13, 2019
Future Ready Wildcats
De Soto High School staff and students endeavor to model the following core values:
INTEGRITY, INQUIRY, COMMUNICATION, PERSEVERANCE, and REFLECTION.
Principal's Message
Wildcat Students and Families,
We want to welcome Mrs. Janet Morgenstern, one of our new Special Education teachers. Mrs. Morgenstern teaches Resource and Tier II Reading. We are excited that Janet is a part of our team.
Homecoming week begins Tuesday, October 15th. Fun activities are planned to take place all week long, ending with the dance on Saturday, October 19th. More information is included in this newsletter or can be found on our website, here.
The end of the first quarter of the school year was October 10th. After teachers submit quarter 1 grades, they will be posted to Skyward on October 18th.
Information about the variety of activities we have planned for October 24th is included below. It will be important for students to return permission slips (WWI field trip, DHS planned college visits and service activities) this coming week. The senior college visit/job shadow forms will be due October 25th.
The school year is flying by, and soon it will be time for graduation. Important information for seniors and senior parents regarding graduation is posted on our website, here. This year, the ceremony will begin at 2:00 PM on Saturday, May 16th.
Please note, the staff has professional development on Monday, October 14th. Students do not have school on this date.
Kind Regards,
Sam Ruff
October 24th - Future Ready Wildcats! - UPDATE
Class of 2020 - Seniors
The Senior students selected from several different activities to take part in on October 24th, including:
- Senior Service Day - community service projects planned by StuCo,
- taking the ASVAB - a test provided by the United State Military Entrance Processing Command measuring developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success),
- individually/self-planned college visits or job shadow*, or
- Study Hall.
Students participating in the Senior Service Day need to turn in permission slips to the staff supervising your activity, ASAP.
Students taking the ASVAB will report to Student Services at 7:50 AM on October 24th.
Seniors planning their own college visits or job shadows must pick up a form found in Student Services before October 24th. The form is then completed and returned on October 25th.
Seniors not selecting one of the activities above will be assigned to a study hall during the morning of October 24th.
Class of 2021 - Juniors
Those attending a college visit on Oct. 24th will attend a field trip to the World War I Museum on November 5th. Those who attend the World War I field trip on October 24th will attend a college visit on November 5th
Freshmen and Sophomore Students
All Freshmen and Sophomore students are scheduled to take the Pre-ACT. This important assessment simulates the ACT test experience, predicts ACT test scores, and offers insight to students towards post-secondary readiness. Students will be asked to report to an assigned testing room (ATR) for the morning assessment. Students will attend their 3rd and 4th Block classes in the afternoon.
Pre-ACT: Just as we did last fall, 9th and 10th-grade students will be taking the PreACT on October 24th from 7:50-10:48.
The PreACT simulates the ACT testing experience within a shorter test window on all four ACT test subjects: English, math, reading, and science. Results predict future success on the ACT test, and provide both current achievement and projected future ACT test scores on the familiar 1-36 ACT score scale. This information will be especially helpful as we prepare our students for college and career. For more information regarding the PreACT, please click here. It will take 4-8 weeks to get our results back.
DHS teachers will be proctoring the test in classrooms around the building that morning. We ask for your help in making sure students get a good night’s sleep, that they eat breakfast the morning of the test, and that they arrive at school on time. If students arrive late to school, they will not be able to test as scheduled.
On October 24th, students will report to their testing room at the start of the 1st block. They should bring a few #2 pencils and an approved calculator for the math section of the test.
For the purposes of the PreACT, DHS is providing test accommodations based on students’ IEP, 504 or ELL plan. If your student takes the ACT, it is the responsibility of the parent/student to register for the ACT and indicate a need for test accommodations. For more information regarding this process, please click on this link.
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 an 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.
Study Tables
Study Tables:
De Soto High School is providing time and space for students to collaborate and study after school. Study Tables will take place in the Student Union Monday through Thursday from 3:00 pm until 4:00 pm. Students will have the opportunity to give and receive academic assistance from classmates. this supervised time is intended to support students in pursuit of academic success.
Angst: Raising Awareness about Anxiety
On Tuesday, October 15, 2019, 7:00 p.m., USD 232 will hold a special screening of the documentary Angst: Raising Awareness about Anxiety, at the Mill Valley High School Theater.
Free tickets for this event are now available and space is limited. For planning purposes, interested parents are encouraged to register for this event by Friday, October 11.
Free tickets are available here.
Learn more > Angst: Raising Awareness about Anxiety.
Message from Student Services
De Soto High School students are invited to attend the Shawnee Mission College Clinic on Wednesday, October 16th at 6:30 p.m. at Shawnee Mission East High School where over 200 colleges will be represented! You can find more information by clicking on the link below.
shawneemissioncollegeclinic.com
Upcoming College Fairs:
• October 16th, 6:30-8:30 pm: Shawnee Mission College Clinic at Shawnee Mission East
• October 22nd, 8:30-11:30 am and 5-7 pm: Kansas City National College Fair at KC Convention Center, KCMO
College Credit Deadlines Approaching:
Students who are enrolled in DHS Classes that count toward college credit, need to be aware of the upcoming deadlines. Please visit the College Credit/Dual Enrollment page for more information
For more information on each of these programs and how to enroll please click here.
KSU Engineering Nights:
K-State Engineering is offering free events in the Kansas City area for high school students who are interested in the engineering field. For more information and to register for the event please visit: http://engg.k-state.edu/engineering-night
- Thursday, November 7th: Kiewit, Lenexa, KS
- Tuesday, November 12th: Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, Independence, MO
Scholarship Information:
Looking for money to help pay for college? Check out the DHS Student Services Scholarship page! Throughout the year scholarships will be posted that are available to seniors. There is also a “Scholarship Search Tips” that can help aid the search process. Click here to go to the page.
College Visits:
If your student will be going on a college visit, students must fill out a College Visit Form. Forms are available in Student Services or online by clicking here. Students are to take the form with them on the day of the visit and bring it back signed by an admissions representative.
AP Exam Registration
AP Exam Registration Information Coming Soon!
College Board has made some changes in regards to exam registration. In the past, students registered in the spring. Starting with this school year, AP exam registration will take place during the month of October. Students will need to fill out an AP exam registration form, that will be available after October 1 and pay the $94 per exam fee to DHS no later than November 1st.. All AP teachers will be given the registration form to distribute to their AP students. For more information, contact, Mrs. Johns at cjohns@usd232.org.
FAFSA Application is Open!
FAFSA Application Opening October 1st!
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) opens October 1st. This is the form that current senior students and parents fill out for federal aid for college. Federal Aid comes in the form of Grants, Loans, and Scholarships.
If you are looking for assistance with the FAFSA, JCCC is offering an event. They are offering an opportunity for students to get FREE help with their FAFSA! The event is going to be Tuesday, November 5th, 2019 from 6:30-8:30 pm. This event is open to the public and will be held on the JCCC campus, in the Regnier Center. More event information including RSVP and a map can be found online: www.jccc.edu/freefafsa.
ACT Registration Deadline:
- The registration for the October 26th ACT is Friday, September 20th. To register for the ACT, students need to go to www.actstudent.org. DHS is a test center for this date.
- Seniors: Please keep in mind that the October and December ACT’s are the last test dates that KU and KSU will use for their university scholarships that they award.
- Additional test dates this year are: December 14th, February 8th, April 4th, June 13th, and July 18th.
All proceeds will go to Braden's Hope for Childhood Cancer. https://www.bradenshope.org/wp/