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,

Homecoming week begins Monday, September 16th. The week includes daily dress-up themes and door decorating. A staff vs. student dodgeball game is scheduled during seminar on Tuesday. The parade, spirit rally, and powder puff game are scheduled for Wednesday evening. Our all-school assembly takes place during Seminar before Friday night's football game against Piper. The dance is on Saturday, September 21st.

The National Merit® Scholarship Corporation named De Soto High School senior Austin Chase, as Semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Congrats, Austin!

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

• Performing and Fine Arts – Kyla Jacobs
• CTE – Gabby Chaney
• English – Logan Wagoner
• Math – Maci McDowell
• Social Studies – Cadence Shrout
• Science – Ben White
• PE – Gabby Chaney
• World Language – Josi Kral

Staff Wildcats of the Month: Congratulations to Christy Miller and Brian King! Both are our Wildcats of the Month for September. Mrs. Miller serves DHS as our Registrar. Mr. King is a physical education teacher and Head Coach of our football team. We appreciate all that they do for our students.

Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday, September 25th from 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM and Thursday, September 26th from 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM (with a break from 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM). Detailed information is included below. ​

Career Panel Series: We are excited to invite our parents and community members to play a pivotal role in our students' career exploration journey by volunteering as a panelist for our upcoming Career Panel series. Over 14 scheduled dates (listed below), students will have the opportunity to hear from professionals across various career clusters, helping them gain valuable insights into potential career paths. If you are interested in sharing your career story and contributing to our students' future successes, please complete this link. Our greatest need is for our Finance, Business Management and Administration panel that will take place October 9th. Thank you!

Important Future Dates:

Coffee & Conversation: 8:00 am, Thursday, October 3rd - Information below

Anti Bullying Week: Monday, October 7th through Friday October 11th - Info coming soon

Career Panel Series: Wednesday, October 9th - Finance, Business Management and Administration

Future Ready Day: Tuesday, October 15th - Information below

End of Quarter: Thursday, October 17th - no school, Friday, October 18th, & Monday, October 21st

Trunk or Treat: Sunday, October 20th

Veteran's Day Assembly: Monday, November 11th - Recognition link is below

In light of recent events, we want to thank our students, parents, and staff for reporting the concerning social media post involving a DHS student. The swift action taken by our community members, coupled with the diligent work of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, has been crucial in addressing the situation. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure environment for all students and staff at De Soto High School, and we encourage everyone to continue to report any concerns or suspicious activities. We appreciate your support and cooperation as we work together to uphold the safety of our school community.

Warm regards,

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

We invite you to volunteer as a panelist for our Career Panel series, where students will learn about different career paths from professionals in various fields. We are hosting 14 sessions and would love your participation to help guide and inspire our students. If you're interested, please sign up using this link. Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a difference!

Finance, Business Management and Administration - October 9 (Biggest Need)

Agriculture Food & Natural Resources - October 16

Information Technology, Arts A/V, Communications - October 30

Architecture & Construction - November 13

Education & Training - December 4

Engineering - January 15

Government & Public Administration - January 22

Health & Bio Sciences - February 5

Hospitality & Tourism - February 26

Human Services - March 12

Marketing - March 26

Law, Public Safety, Corrections and Security - April 9

Manufacturing - April 23

Transportation, Distribution and Logistics - May 7

To become a National Merit® Scholarship finalist, each Semifinalist will provide information about their academic record, participation in school and community activities, demonstrated leadership abilities, honors and awards received. A Semifinalist must have an outstanding academic record throughout their high school career, provide a recommendation from a high school official and write a personal essay as part of the national competition. These academically talented seniors will learn if they advance to the Finalist level in February 2025.

The finalists learn if they are a 2025 National Merit® Scholarship winner beginning starting April through July. In the National Merit® Scholarship Program, three types of scholarship awards are offered to Finalists: National Merit $2500 Scholarships, corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, and college-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. In addition to these three awards, Special Scholarships are awarded to outstanding students who are not Finalists but meet a corporate sponsor's criteria. These scholarship recipients will join more than 382,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

DHS would like to extend a warm welcome as we invite you to our fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conferences are a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to come together and focus on the individual growth and success of your student. Unlike Back to School Night, this setting allows for more time and personalized conversations, where we can collaborate on helping each student achieve their fullest potential.

We value the insights you bring as parents, and these conferences allow you to share important perspectives about your child. In turn, our teachers will provide valuable feedback, outline course goals, and share their observations on your student’s progress. This dialogue is crucial in ensuring that we are all working together to support our students’ academic and personal development.

Conference Details:

• Dates:
  • Wednesday, September 25th from 4:00 PM – 7:30 PM
  • Thursday, September 26th from 9:30 AM – 8:00 PM
    • (Please note that teachers will be unavailable on Thursday from 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM for a scheduled break.)

Conference Format:

• In-Person: Teachers will be stationed at tables in the Commons and Auxiliary Gym, and meetings will be held on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Virtual Option: If you prefer a virtual meeting, please reach out to your student’s teachers directly to schedule a time.

We truly look forward to partnering with you to ensure your student's success. Your involvement makes a meaningful difference, and we are excited to meet with you soon.

Future Ready Day is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15th. On this day, students at DHS will participate in a variety of activities assisting them in planning for their future.

12th-grade students will choose from the following activities:

• Taking the ACT
• Participation in organized community service projects.
• Taking the ASVAB - a test provided by the United States Military Entrance Processing Command measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success. This option may also include a field trip to the Armory to meet with and listen to presentations given by US Armed Services personnel.
• Individually/self-planned college visit,
• If there is space - participate in a school-supervised college/trade school visit, or
• Job shadow

11th-grade students will choose from the following activities:

• Taking the ACT, or
• Participate in a school-supervised college/trade school visit.

9th/10th-grade students will take the Pre-ACT. This important assessment simulates the ACT test experience, predicts ACT test scores, and offers insight to students toward post-secondary readiness.

Enrichment Activities – Afternoon

On the afternoon of the 15th, teachers will be facilitating differentiated activities covering a wide variety of areas. During this time, students can explore topics of interest they may not be exposed to during traditional class times.

During seminar on Monday, October 7th, students will use Minga Flextime Manager to sign-up for the sessions they want to attend. Each session will be approximately 45 minutes in length. Students are expected to sign up for three total activities and attend all activities for which they are registered.

If you have any questions, please contact Cat Monroe at cmonroe@usd232.org.

Head to Smoothie King’s “Dollar Back Day” on Thursday, September 26th between 11am and 4pm to support the Musical! For each drink purchased we receive $1 back from the sales! Just mention the DHS Theatre Fundraiser when you check out, enjoy a sweet treat, and come see Mary Poppins, November 14th and 16th!”

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 Families! Would you like to show our fabulous staff at DHS appreciation for all they do for our kiddos? We are starting up the DHS Staff Snack Cabinet, and we are looking for businesses or families who would like to volunteer to fill that cabinet. We are looking to stock the cabinet at least once per month with easy grab-and-go snacks that the staff can enjoy. It can be fresh fruit, prepackaged snacks like cookies or granola bars, anything is appreciated. We'd also like to provide them with drink choices like soda or flavored waters. We have 110 staff members at the school.

You can participate in 2 ways: First, you can sign up and donate $200 to the DHS Cat Boosters Venmo @desotocatboosters and then we will do the shopping. Second, you can sign up to bring the items into the office yourself during the week specified on the sign-up genius. Either way, you can provide us with your business logo or family information, and we'll create a sign that will be on the cabinet during the time the snacks are distributed. You can also bring coupons or business cards to put out with the snacks. It's a great way to promote your business and let the wonderful DHS staff know we appreciate them.

Please use the following signup to select your month. Please indicate on your sign up whether you will be doing the shopping or sending Venmo. Thanks for your support!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080D49AEA72EA75-50924616-dhsstaff

The Remarkably Resilient Together parent event is scheduled for 6:30PM on September 17th at Cedar Trails Exploration Center. This program was especially created to teach regulation to everyone while also highlighting the importance of self-care. Parents/Guardians are asked to RSVP, as space is limited. Children in grades 6-12 may attend with their parents/guardians.

Remarkably Resilient Together® Program for September 17:

6:00 PM – Remarkably Resilient Together® and Johnson County Mental Health resource tables

6:30 PM – Remarkably Resilient Together® Presentation and interactive exercises

6:45 PM – Remarkably Resilient Together® interactive exercises

USD 232 Student Well-being series event: Remarkably Resilient Together | Post Details

We highly value the importance of regular attendance in ensuring your student's academic success. Our attendance policies and practices are designed to support your child's growth and development in a nurturing and engaging environment. Information regarding attendance policy and practices can be viewed on our website.

If your student has not yet gotten their picture taken or would like to re-take their photo, our final picture re-take day is Wednesday, October 2nd. The photographers will be set up in the Black Box during lunch and seminar (students will need to sign up via Minga). These pictures are for the yearbook and for student IDs, which for most students are also their activity pass so they don’t have to pay to get into home sporting events. This is the final opportunity for students to get a yearbook and student ID photo taken.

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)

The Cat Booster Club works to support all of our students at DHS. They provide teacher grants for classroom needs, support Gradfest, assist school activities in fundraising, organize Teacher Appreciation Week, and fund scholarships to graduating seniors. They are able to do all of this by selling spirit wear and donating their time in the concession stands. We are so appreciative of them. The membership drive for this year is currently underway, with multiple levels to choose from. Check out their website - here.

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.

We prioritize safety and security through a multilayered Safety Vision categorized into three areas defining our intention and guiding our direction: Communication, Secure Facilities, Response to Crisis. Below is a little information about our most recent safety and security initiatives as outlined by our Safety Vision.

Communication

• We continue to expand the principle of “See Something. Say Something.” This simple message is pushed through multiple avenues, most commonly by building positive relationships among students and staff to establish the kind of trust needed to create a culture of open and shared communication. This past year, the district entered into an agreement with the Kansas City Crime Commission for inclusion in their Scholastic Crime Stoppers Program. Through this program, students and staff have the ability to provide anonymous tips on potentially threatening activity. Information for providing tips is located on the district’s website and posted throughout schools.
• A soon to be completed project includes the numbering of exterior doors on all buildings district-wide. This type of communication is critical when guiding emergency services and other district staff to the specific location of a crisis or medical emergency.

Secure Facilities

• Glass Safety Laminate. One project currently underway to better secure our facilities and help support a safe learning environment is the protection of our windows and glass doors from becoming a potential entry point. District staff worked diligently with Safe Haven Defense, a large, national company offering a proven product in providing protection and meeting standards for high value infrastructure, to identify the most critical areas requiring protection. This project is scheduled to be completed this fall.
• New! Enhanced Visitor Management. Another project underway is the bolstering of our visitor management process. This initiative, scheduled to be completed for the start of school, will replace the previous system of visitors signing in on paper. Family members, vendors, and other visitors to the school will now be required to scan their identification (driver’s license) to gain access. The system will automatically search public offender registries to help prevent unauthorized access, and will print a sticker displaying the visitor’s name, photo, and intended destination as entered by the visitor. The sticker will be worn by the visitor throughout their time in the building, and a simple scan of the sticker upon leaving will record their departure.

We understand a new system of this nature can create concerns, but hope those concerns are alleviated by the fact we only use a visitor’s identification to search information already available to the public, and that nearly every peer school district in the county is using a similar system. Knowing who is in our buildings, and where they are, with a more comprehensive visitor management system strengthens our efforts to better secure our facilities.

Response to Crisis

• The district completed one full year of using the CrisisAlert badges implemented in the fall of 2023. This system provides all district staff the ability to call for help from anywhere on campus at the touch of a button. Data shows staff used the system over 400 times during the 2023-2024 school year, with the large majority of alerts being for medical issues and other student-related matters. The badges can also be used to alert threatening behavior, and have been integrated with local law enforcement for a timelier response to lockdown-type situations.
• Internally, the district expanded crisis response training to all staff, not just those in constant contact with students. Having all staff trained in the same manner will help ensure a consistent response when action is needed. Externally, the district encourages local law enforcement to conduct training in schools and on district property, working around school schedules. This occurs frequently and provides a sense of familiarity for first responders when their assistance is needed.

The district continues to maintain healthy relationships with the three law enforcement agencies serving our district, the Shawnee Police Department, Lenexa Police Department, and Johnson County Sheriff’s Department. School Resource Officers from these agencies are embedded into secondary schools, but are also assigned elementary schools within those areas to maintain professional, working relationships with administration for when law enforcement needs arise. SROs also serve as positive role models for students, and provide various resources for families.

School safety is a responsibility we all share, and the district will continue a tradition of providing these safe learning environments by building on the strong partnerships created between schools and the community.

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