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,

Student Wildcats of the Month: Congratulations to the following students for being recognized as the Wildcats of the Month for November. Each department is recognizing the following students for being academically engaged as part of The WildCAT Way.

• Performing and Fine Arts – Levi Fandel
• CTE – Brooke Wagner
• English – Riley Ericson
• Math – Anna English
• Social Studies – Ellie Gress
• Science – Oscar Marquez Carlos
• PE – Evan Fleet
• World Language – Viviana Haro

Staff Wildcats of the Month: Congratulations to Alison Hanks and Drew Proctor! Both are our Wildcats of the Month for November. Mrs. Hanks serves DHS as our Speech and Language Pathologist. Mr. Proctor is a technology teacher and Head Coach of our boys soccer team. We appreciate all that they do for our students.

Thoughtful Wildcats! At DHS, we continue to encourage and recognize students who exemplify The WildCAT Way, specifically acts of thoughtfulness. Students who were recognized by staff members in the month of October for demonstrating a service orientation, treating others with respect, or engaging in planning and time management are listed below. Four nominated students are chosen at random each month to receive a Thoughtful Wildcat t-shirt and a free drink from Cat's Corner. Congratulations to these students and keep up the great work Wildcats!

Elijah Anderson, Jackson Arrandale, Elle Brady, Emma Brady, Charlie Brewer, Isabella Brush, Andrea Burns, Ailyn Calderon, Sloan Carpenter, Liesel Cedarholm, Abigail Champlain, Xavier Chaney, Jannelle Conley, Preston Daniels, Reagan Doyle, Sydney Duncan, Edik Erickson, Lillian Fandel, Fox Farley, Addison Fleet, Sarah Folmer, Daniel Gonzalez De La Cruz, Rory Groner, Keira Hartmann, Evelyn Hernandez, Laney Huggins, Kennedy Hunderdosse, Beau Kalkman, Eli Knapitsch, Tucker Lee, Bo Leever, Jackson Luchene, Nico Martinez, Sydney Mater, Colin McGinn, Archer Meeks, Gavin Meisch, Tate Petersen, Anna Plum, Claudia Porras, Willa Prothro, Ailene Rhodelander, Easton Rice, Samuel Robinson, Jaxon Schoen, Chloe Snyder, Aurora Straight, Christian Tapia, Cole Urban, Serenity Vogts, Ava Waller, Jacob Withrow, Laurel Zarda

Squad of the Month: Each month we are recognizing a DHS Collaborative Team as our "Squad of the Month". This is a team of educators collectively committed to improve student learning. Our October Squad of the Month members include Joe Kordalski, Autumn Reece, and Jess Kelley! Congrats!

On Monday, November 11th, our De Soto Cats in Action Leadership class is organizing an all-school assembly in honor of Veteran's Day. The assembly will take place from 10:30 - 11:30am in our main gymnasium. As a result, we will be on our assembly bell schedule on this day.

On Wednesday, November 13th, we will host our next Career Panel during seminar in Architecture and Construction. Students interested in either of these fields should sign up in Minga Flextime. The panel discussion focused on Education and Training will be the last session of the semester, and will take place on December 4th. Parents interested in sharing your career story and contributing to our students' future successes, please complete this link.

Blood Drive: On Thursday, November 13th, DHS is hosting a Blood Drive from 1:00pm to 5:00pm in the main gymnasium. Community members are asked to use the activity entrance on the north side of the building to gain access to the blood drive. Use the link in the flyer below to sign up.

Mary Poppins: Tickets are now available for purchase for our fall musical, Mary Poppins. The link and show dates/times are included below. We hope to see you there.

The first day of tryouts and practices for winter sports is quickly approaching. Make sure you are ready and know where to be after school for tryouts on Monday, November 18th by reading all information here: Winter Sports Pre-Season Information

The Academic Recognition Night is just one week away! The event will be held on November 19th at 6:30pm in the De Soto Performing Arts Center. Seniors who have earned an Academic Letter by maintaining a GPA of 3.7 or higher during their Junior year will be recognized individually on stage. Juniors and sophomores will be acknowledged as a class for their accomplishments. All students being recognized will receive a certificate and an academic letter or pin for their accomplishments.

Thanks, and have a great week.

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

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 thirteen semi-finalists represented in the program since 2000.

We would like to invite 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 use the link below to fill out the nomination form. Nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Kansas Teacher of the Year Nomination Form

Jostens shared information about ordering graduation packages including optional announcements, and other apparel. The only required items for participation in the graduation ceremony are the cap, gown, tassel and custom stole. The link will take you directly to the item needed. The order deadline is October 30th. Information about the Class of 2025 graduation ceremony can be viewed on our website (here).

The USD 232 Education Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the Making a Difference Award for the month of November. All submissions are due by Friday, November 22nd, 2024. Nominations for this award for ANY USD 232 Staff member are accepted and reviewed each month. > https://bit.ly/USD232MAD

Members: Joe Kordalski, Autumn Reece, and Jess Kelley

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.

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.

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)

Filing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) is now simpler than ever—and JCCC’s Financial Aid team will get you prepared. The FAFSA® opens December 1. This FREE event is dedicated to FAFSA® prep (Federal Student Aid ID setup), Scholarship information, and other college funding options.

Tue. Nov. 19 | 4:30-7 p.m. | Regnier Center 101

To register for the event click: RSVP for College Financing Night

Need a different time? We have flexible meeting options! Contact the Financial Aid team at finaid@jccc.edu to schedule an appointment at your convenience.

Benefits:

• 4-year, full-tuition coverage
• Monthly Stipend
• Summer training and leadership development
• Career paths in the US Navy
• Commission as a Navy Officer upon graduation

Key Considerations:

• No obligation to commit until scholarship is awarded and accepted
• Ideal for high-achieving students in STEM fields and leadership

We kindly request your assistance in sharing this information with students and their families

Upcoming Q&A Session

Date: November 13th

Time: 4-8 PM

Meeting Link

More information: https://www.netc.navy.mil/NSTC/NROTC/

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.

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.

https://www.usd232.org/Page/7956