Wildcat Growl

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,

Just a reminder that we do not have school on Monday, October 21st.

Congratulations to the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams. The teams completed in the UKC Championship last week. The boys team finished as UKC Champions, the 5th straight. The girls team earned Runner-Up. 1st Team UKC Honors went to Brooke Bundt, Vance Krudwig, and Luke Vogt. 2nd Team Honors include Sydney Duncan, Aaron Vogt, and Devin Murrell. Honorable Mention included Kat Meyer, Jocey Marquez, and Bridger Reimche. Both teams look to qualify for the 5A State Cross Country meet as they travel to the Topeka on Saturday, October 26th. Good Luck, Wildcats!

The Wildcats girls golf team earned a spot in the 5A state golf tournament today after an outstanding performance at the 5A regional tournament at Cypress Ridge GC, where they finished in 2nd place. The team, led by sophomore standout McKenzie Laster, put together a strong collective effort that secured their spot in the state tournament.

Laster ended the day with her name atop the leader board, claiming the individual regional championship by shooting an impressive 89. Close behind Laster was junior Zella Kiewiet, who turned in a solid performance to finish in 6th place with a score just 8 shots back. Junior Alli Fandre also contributed to the Wildcats’ success, finishing 12 shots behind Laster to take 8th place overall. The Wildcats’ impressive showing continued with senior Gracyn Brock, who finished in 10th place, making her the fourth team member to secure a top-10 spot. Freshman Emily Taylor and senior Andrea Cabral rounded out the Wildcats’ roster at the regional tournament, finishing in 17th and 21st places, respectively. Great job and good luck, ladies!

Congratulations to the DHS Marching Band! They qualified for the finals, placing 3rd out of 5A schools at the KBA Marching Championships at Emporia State University this weekend. Great job!

Seniors: Last Monday, October 14th a representative from 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).

Veterans Day: The De Soto Cats in Action Leadership class has been hard at work planning our third annual Veterans Day Assembly. If you know a Veteran, we would love the opportunity to invite them to attend our assembly. Our goal is to honor as many Veterans as possible. If your Veteran is unable to be in attendance, please send in a photo for our slideshow. There is a flyer below with a QR code to sign up to attend. If you have any questions please direct them to mcfriday@usd232.org.

Athletic Signing Day: Attention seniors and senior parents - the DHS athletic department is planning Athletic Signing Days for the Class of 2025, one in December and one in late April. We are currently compiling a list of students in the class of 2025 that plan to continue their athletic careers after high school. If you have signed a letter of intent or have been offered and plan to sign a letter of intent with a college/university, please use the link below to complete a Google form. Note that student-athletes will need to choose only one signing day event and will not be able to participate in both events. Link to form: https://forms.gle/sdRJPRK3PzW11cMW7

Career Panel Series: Our next panel is Information Technology, Arts AV, Communications on October 30th. The panel on Architecture and Construction will take place on November 13th. Students interested in either of these fields should sign up in Minga Flextime. Parents interested in sharing your career story and contributing to our students' future successes, please complete this link.

Breakfast Club has returned! Thanks to the USD232 Education Foundation and the K12 itc Spotlight Grant, the popular 7:00 - 7:30 am - Tuesday/Thursday morning math homework help sessions, known as Breakfast Club, returns to DHS!

Semester Final Exams & Skip-A-Final: Semester final exams are scheduled to begin Tuesday, December 17th, and end Friday, December 20th. Pre-approved prearranged absences will not be granted during final exam week. If students are absent during finals week, they will need to work with the teacher to make up the final within two weeks of their return in January (not before). Information about our attendance incentive "Skip-A-Final" can be found on our website.

Important Future Events:

• WildCAT Awards: 60+ students will participate in the Quarter 1 WildCAT Award Recognition Ceremony to be held during seminar, at 10:50 am in the Performing Arts Center.
• Father's Club Information Meeting: November 5th @ 6:00PM - Link to information below
• Coffee & Conversation: 8:00AM, Thursday, November 7th
• Veteran's Day Assembly: Monday, November 11th - Recognition link is below
• Academic Recognition Night: November 19th - Academic Letter Winners in 12th-10th grade (more info to come)

Warm regards,

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

The USD 232 Education Foundation is currently accepting nominations for the Making a Difference Award for the month of October. All submissions are due by Thursday, October 31, 2024. Nominations for this award for ANY USD 232 Staff member are accepted and reviewed each month. > https://bit.ly/USD232MAD

Members: Emily Thayer, Susan Coffee, and April Bergkamp

We want to continue to highlight the importance of regular school attendance. Citing the National Center for Education Statistics, it has been demonstrated that students who consistently attend school tend to attain higher levels of academic achievement compared to those with irregular attendance patterns. Recreating high-quality classroom instruction and valuable learning experiences missed during an absence can be challenging, not to mention the missed opportunities for enhanced comprehension that often arise from peer interaction and classroom discussions. Please take a moment to review the details regarding student attendance on our website.

Nominations are now open for the De Soto Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Use the link below for more information and to submit an individual or team deserving of this honor. Nomination deadline is Nov 3rd, 2024. https://dhswildcatnation.com/hof-nomination/

“I'm starting with the man in the mirror…..I'm asking him to change his ways…”

These words made famous by Michael Jackson inspired me to step up and join Fathers Club—a Dad-led, grassroots effort creating simple ways for Dads to be intentional with their KIDS, with other DADS, and within the COMMUNITY.

Several schools in the KC metro are associated with the Fathers Club organization and are doing great things for their school system. We certainly have men accomplishing much within our schools but the reality is that there’s more to do. Please join me at the upcoming informational meeting at 6:00pm on November 5th, 2024 in the DHS Blackbox Theater. I’m excited about establishing a DeSoto Fathers Club and it would be wonderful to see more men step up and make an impact on the kids who call DeSoto their school district.

- Mark Martinez

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)

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.

The CBYX is a student exchange program that offers young Americans the opportunity to live with a host family and attend high school in Germany for an academic year. CIEE administers CBYX on behalf of the U.S. Department of State.

• CBYX is a fully-funded scholarship sponsored by the Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and jointly funded by the German Bundestag and the U.S. Congress.
• Academic merit, motivation, curiosity, and flexibility are key components to a competitive application.
• Previous German language experience is not required. Participants become fluent in German.
• This is also an excellent gap year program for students applying as current high school seniors
• Students who are U.S. Citizens born between February 1, 2007 and August 1, 2010 with a GPA of 2.5 or higher are eligible to apply.
• Visit our website www.ciee.org/cbyx or email cb@ciee.org for more information.

The online application can be found at https://usagermanyscholarship.org/ The deadline to apply is Friday, November 1, 2024. Visit our website www.ciee.org/cbyx or email cb@ciee.org for more information.

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