Wildcat Growl

Mission: The Mission of De Soto High School is to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to build successful lives.

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,

The start of the 2024-2025 school year is right around the corner and we are excited to get the year underway. This week's "Principal's Message" portion of the newsletter is packed with important information. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

New Staff: We are pleased to announce that we will welcome seven new teachers to the staff at DHS this year. Each will be highlighted in the GROWL over the next few weeks. This week, we want to introduce Reagan Lathem. As a member of our Science Department, Ms. Lathem will be teaching Chemistry. We also want to welcome Claire Neuberger to DHS. Ms. Neuberger joins our Math Department and will be teaching Integrated Math 2 and Integrated Math 2 Support.

Back-to-School Night: We are hosting Back-to-School Night on Monday, August 12th. We will begin the evening with an Activity Fair from 5:00pm - 6:00pm. The Back to School event will take place from 6:00pm - 8:00pm. The format is a change from the past to an open house style event in which parents will be free to walk the building and visit with classroom teachers. We also plan to provide a variety of sessions designed for parents. The schedule is posted below.

Important information regarding Future Ready Day (October 15th) was sent via Skyward on Friday, July 26th. The deadline for Juniors/Seniors to register to take the fall ACT at DHS is August 14th. Please review the Skyward communication (sent 7/26) for details.

Wildcat Kick-off: The first day for 9th-grade students is Wednesday, August 14th. This is a half day of school. Doors will open at 7:30am and the day begins at 7:50am. Students will be dismissed at 11:07am. Students will only need to bring something to write with for Wildcat Kick-off (laptops/backpacks are not needed). Students will receive a Forever Green T-shirt to keep/wear for a class picture taken at Wildcat Kick-off.

The first full day for all students is Thursday, August 15th, and will be a Green Day. Doors open at 7:30am, and classes start at 7:50am. Students are dismissed at 2:55pm.

Traffic Pattern: The DHS traffic patterns before the school day and at dismissal are posted on our website. With beginning drivers, busses, and students walking from the lot into the building, we can't stress enough the need for increased awareness and a reduction of speed while in our parking lot. If you drop off and/or pick your student up from DHS, we ask that you pull as far forward along the curb as possible before stopping your vehicle. Thank you.

Schedule Change Requests: Draft student schedules became available to view online in Skyward on August 1st. Please note that students' schedules will not be finalized until the end of the day on August 13th for 9th graders and the end of the day on August 14th for 10th-12th graders. If a student does not have a full schedule (usually due to conflicts or course availability), their counselor will contact the student to set up an appointment prior to the first day of school. Students with a full schedule who would like to request a schedule change will need to fill out the Schedule Change Request Form. The form becomes available to students on August 16th at 3:00pm in Student Services. The deadline to submit the schedule change form will be 3:00pm on August 20th.

Senior Parents: If you have a senior who participates in Football, Volleyball, Boys Soccer Cross Country, Girls Tennis, Girls Golf, Cheerleading, Diamonds Dance Team, Marching Band or Color Guard consider placing a Senior Ad in the Fall Sports Program. Deadline for submission in the Fall Sports Program is: Monday, August 26th. If you have questions, contact athletic director Michelle Mages at mmages@usd232.org. More info on Senior Ads here: Senior Ads

Site Council: Site Council at DHS is a small group of parents, teachers, and students who will meet to discuss the DHS School Improvement Goals. We are looking to add parents of 9th-grade students to the council. Our hope is that parents remain members of the group throughout their student's four years. If you are a 9th-grade parent/guardian and have an interest in assisting, please complete this form. Students on the council are selected from the pool of students involved in Student Council or those who submit an application to be on the District Student Advisory Council. The District Student Advisory Council applications become available once school begins.

Summer assignments: Many of our students enrolled in Honor and Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the fall have summer assignments. Information about the assignments can be found on our website [link].

Important Future Dates:

All Sports Meeting: On Thursday, August 22nd DHS will host an all-sports parent meeting in the PAC from 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

Fall Fest: Fall Fest will take place from 5:00pm - 8:00pm on Friday, August 30th. More info to come.

Homecoming Week: Homecoming week begins Monday, September 16th. The parade, rally, and powder puff take place on Wednesday, September 18th; with the pep session and football game on Friday, September 20th. The homecoming dance will take place on Saturday, September 21st.

Fall Parent Teacher Conferences: Fall Parent Teacher Conferences are scheduled to take place Wednesday, September 25th, and Thursday, September 26th, 2024.

Thanks, and have a great week.

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

Picture retakes will be August 21 during the school day. The photographers will be set up in the Black Box during seminar and lunch. These pictures are for student IDs and the yearbook.

Be sure to get your picture taken. The last picture retake will be in October.

We are kicking off the 2024-2025 year for the Black & Veatch Engineering Explorer Post Program on August 20. We’re excited to have returning students, as well as new Explorers this year! This program offers 9th – 12th grade students an opportunity to explore various disciplines in Engineering. Please invite your students and their parents to join us at the Black & Veatch Headquarters located in Overland Park, KS for the Kickoff Meeting. Attached is the general info flyer for the Explorer Post Program.

If you have any 9th-12th grade students who might be interested in joining the program, please share this information and the general info flyer with them and their parents. Below is the information for the program Kickoff meeting.

Explorer Post Kickoff Meeting:

Date: Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Location: 11401 Lamar Ave, Overland Park, KS 66211

Entrance: South Side Main Entrance

Meeting Schedule:

7:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Check in & Registration

7:30 PM – 8:00 PM | Explorer Post Overview in Ruisch Auditorium

8:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Q&A / Finalize Registration

Link for the Youth Explorer application - http://www.exploring.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/524-00919-Exploring-Youth-App_Oct-2019-Printing.pdf

Link for the Adult Explorer application (required for students 18 years old and older) - http://www.exploring.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/524-01019-Exploring-Adult-App_Oct-2019-Printing.pdf

Youth Protection Training (required for students 18 years old and older) - https://www.scouting.org/training/youth-protection/

At the Kickoff meeting, students will have the opportunity to check in, complete the student application for the program, and meet the Explorer Post Advisors at the Black & Veatch campus. Students can also use the link(s) above to complete the application beforehand to bring to the Kickoff meeting. Please see the attached general info flyer for application and application fee information. During the meeting, students will learn more about the Explorer Post program and what we have planned for each month and throughout the year.

Below is the program schedule for this year. Please let me know if you have any questions, and thank you so much!

2024-2025 CALENDAR

August 20 – Kickoff Meeting

Sep. 10 – College Night

Oct. 8 – Mechanical Engineering

Nov. 12 – Electrical Engineering

Dec. 10 – Computer Engineering

Jan. 14 – Chemical Engineering

Feb. 11 – Nuclear Engineering

March 11 – Civil Engineering

April 8 – Construction Engineering

May 6 – Aerospace Engineering

*Dates and topics are subject to change.

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.

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.

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.

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)

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