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,

As we enter November, it’s the perfect time to pause and reflect on all we are thankful for. This season reminds us of the importance of gratitude—for the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our families. Together, we are building a space where learning, growth, and kindness thrive. As we move through the month and get closer to Thanksgiving Break, let’s continue to celebrate the connections that make our school a welcoming place for all.

Congratulations to the boys and girls cross country teams who finished their seasons at the 5A state meet at Rim Rock Farm on Saturday. The girls finished in 9th place as a team highlighted by a 9th place individual finish for senior Brooke Bundt who achieved all-state honors for the 4th time. The boys finished 6th as a team highlighted by senior Vance Krudwig who finished his high school cross country career as the 5A boys state runner-up. Way to go Wildcats!

Congratulations to the following Wildcats who earned 1st team all-conference volleyball honors. Chloe Kmiecik, 1st team all-UKC. Ashley Scott, 2nd team all-UKC. Kylie Groves and Makenzie Farmer, Honorable Mention all-UKC. The girls volleyball team finished their season at the state tournament on Friday afternoon. Great season, Wildcats!

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

Invitation: Dads, you are invited to join us for an informational meeting in the DHS BlackBox Studio Theater at 6:00pm on Tuesday November 5th. The Father’s Club is a dad-led, grassroots effort creating simple ways for dads to be intentional with their kids, with other dads. We look forward to seeing you Tuesday night.

Coffee and Conversations: Our second Coffee and Conversation will take place from 8:00AM - 8:45AM Thursday, November 7th. Have a question about DHS? Stop in for a few minutes or join us for the entire time. Building leaders, a free Cats Corner beverage, and informal conversation await. Please park in the north student parking lot and enter through the Attendance Office doors. We hope you are able to join us.

Veterans Day: The De Soto Cats in Action Leadership class has been hard at work planning our third annual Veterans Day Assembly on Monday, November 11th. 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.

Career Panel Series: Our next panel is Architecture and Construction which 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.

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

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.

Reminder: If your student is absent from school, please remember to inform us as soon as possible, even if your student is 18 or older. Students 18 or older cannot call themselves in or out of school. Timely notification helps us ensure accurate attendance records and supports your student’s success by keeping communication open. You can call the attendance office or send an email to report the absence. Information about attendance can be found on our website. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our records up to date!

Important Future Events:

• Veteran's Day Assembly: Monday, November 11th - Recognition link is below
• Cats Booster Club Meeting: 4:30 PM, November 12th in Flex A
• Blood Drive, November 14th - Information is below
• Theatre Dept. Presents - Mary Poppins: November 14th & 16th (ticket information below)
• First Day of Practice for Basketball, Wrestling and Boys Swim & Dive: Nov 18th
  
• Academic Recognition Night: November 19th - Academic Letter Winners in 12th-10th grade

Thanks, and have a great week.

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

Congratulations to the 26 new 2024-25 Spanish NHS inductees.

Macie Brown, Kayla Carroll, Sadie Clarke, Sydney Coffman, Alexandra Culliss, Charlotte Daniels, Jose Arturo De Leon, Viviana Haro, Christina Headley, Maddie Hellerich, Maddie Hillaire, Maria Hudson, Arabella Flanagan, Lillian Flanagan, Kennadi Fuhrman, Peyton Gab, Tania Gamboa, Paige Kerr, Austin J. Kohles, Bianca Mendez-Esparza, Brooke Mermis, Elizabeth Meyer, Dulce Rico-Iglesias, Lily Sphar, and Nolan Christopher Wise.

Attention male athletes! If you're looking for a fun and challenging way to stay fit, strengthen muscles and make new friends, then the DHS swim team is the place for you! Whether you're an experienced swimmer or are looking to improve your skills, being a member of the swim team is a great opportunity to compete while improving your overall fitness. There are lots of benefits to athletes in other sports; shoulder strength for baseball players, leg strength and endurance for soccer and track athletes, and more! So dive in and give it a try—we’d love to have you with us! Contact head coach Logan Myers to get more information: lmyers1@usd232.org

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: Emily Thayer, Susan Coffee, and April Bergkamp

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/

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