Wildcat Growl
November 7, 2021
Future Ready Wildcats
De Soto High School staff and students endeavor to model the following core values:
INTEGRITY, INQUIRY, COMMUNICATION, PERSEVERANCE, and REFLECTION.
Principal's Message
Wildcats and Families,
Congratulations to Emma Klingler and Reed Richards. Both are our Students of the Month for October. In addition to being active in multiple activities, Reed and Emma are positive student leaders at DHS.
Congratulations to Crissy Johns and Andrew Pinnell. Both are our staff Wildcats of the Month for October. Mrs. Johns serves as a counselor at DHS and planned and organized #FutureReadyDay. Mr. Pinnell is a Special Education teacher at DHS and developed SnackVenture a student-run snack and refreshment delivery service for staff. Thank you, Mr. Pinnell and Mrs. Johns!
Congratulations to our Wildcat Football team! On Friday, November 5th, the Wildcats traveled to Pittsburg and defeated the Purple Dragons, 31-0 to win our 5th consecutive KSHSAA Regional Championship. We will host St. Thomas Aquinas at 7:00 PM on Friday, November 12th. Let’s Go, Wildcats!
This week is Community Week at DHS. Activities are planned all week highlighting community, gratitude, and belongingness at DHS.
Our second Delayed Start this year will take place Wednesday, November 10th. The building opens to students at 9:30 AM, and the first block classes begin at 9:50 AM. Breakfast is not served on Delayed Start days.
The junior class will meet in the theater during seminar on November 30th. The senior class will meet in the theater during seminar on December 1st.
Earlier this year, some of our students experienced the loss of a close friend - Mill Valley junior, Cooper Davis. Cooper’s death has raised awareness around adolescent drug use, and the dangers of the drugs our students are exposed to. The Davis family is committed to using Cooper’s story to save lives, and we are working with them to plan optional programming for students and parents at DHS. We will communicate more information next week about this opportunity that will fall under our District approved, Student Well-Being series.
Just a reminder to contact DHS if your student is absent from school. Parents or legal guardians can call the 24-hour attendance voice mail line (913- 667-6259) on the day of the absence.
The graduation ceremony for the Class of 2022 is scheduled to take place at 7:00 PM on May 21st, 2022 at our outdoor stadium. Information was sent to senior students and families last week regarding the ceremony.
Thanks, and Go Wildcats!
Sam Ruff,
Principal
Paraprofessionals and Student Nutrition Positions Available Now
Attendance
Kansas Compulsory Attendance Statutes
Regular attendance is required of all pupils enrolled in elementary and secondary school under Kansas compulsory attendance statutes. It is a parental responsibility under Kansas statutes to require the regular school attendance “of any child who has reached the age of seven (7) years and is under the age of eighteen (18) years,” unless the child is exempted by statute.
The State of Kansas delegates to the Board of Education the responsibility of determining reasons for excusable absences.
The following are reasons for excusable absence:
1. Personal illness. A physician’s note will be required for chronic absenteeism.
2. Serious illness or death of a member of the family or close friend.
3. Obligatory religious observance of the student’s own faith.
4. Participation in a school-approved activity.
5. Physician or dentist appointments that can be verified by appointment card.
6. Court appearance that can be verified through court services’ officer.
7. Verifiable, emergency situations requiring immediate action at the request of the parent. Limit of five.
8. An absence that has been requested in writing and approved in advance by the building administrator.
Parents will be notified after five, and then again after ten absences making them aware of their student’s attendance record. A student who is absent from class or school without an excusable reason, as outlined above, will be considered unexcused. An unexcused absence for one or more classes will receive disciplinary consequences and credit may not be given for missed classes.
Procedure for reporting absences
1. Parents or legal guardians are requested to call the 24-hour attendance voice mail line (913- 667-6259) on the day of the absence. If a call is not received the day after the absence, the absence may be considered unexcused.
2. A telephone call will be required each day the student is absent unless prior arrangements have been made.
3. When reporting an absence, the parent or guardian should give the following information: • His or her name and relationship to student • student’s name and grade in school (please spell the name) • reason for absence • the date and hours of absence
4. Upon returning to school the day following an absence, the student should go directly to class. If there is a question about the absence, the Main Office will contact the student.
5. If a student leaves the school building during the school day, the student must sign out with the Main Office. Students must sign in at the Main Office upon returning to school that day or arriving at school after the school day begins, even if returning or leaving during a passing period. Failure to properly sign in or out could result in the student’s absence being marked as unexcused.
Varsity Scholars Bowl takes 1st Place at Tonganoxie and 3rd at Washburn Rural
Ava Taylor
Congratulations!
"The Gecko Eye"
Note from the Counselors:
As we near the end of semester 1, now is a good time to start preparing for finals. Here are a few helpful tips. Visit your teacher for classes that you need the most help with during seminar. Ask clarifying questions in class. Review old tests (if possible) to understand what you missed. After completing the review and studying it, try filling it out based on what you remember. Need extra help? Visit the student union after school, Monday – Thursday from 3-4.
Schedule Change Requests:
Students who would like to submit a schedule change request for the second semester will need to fill out the schedule change request forms. The forms will be available in Student Services upon the return from Thanksgiving break. Schedule changes will only be approved if it meets the criteria on the form.
Senior Scholarship Information:
Now is a good time to start looking for scholarships for college. If you haven’t already done so please check out the DHS Student Services site: https://www.usd232.org/Page/3287. Click on the Financial Aid/Scholarship tab. Scholarships for DHS seniors only will be posted in January/February. General scholarships are updated on a regular basis so check the page often.
FAFSA Application Open for the 2022-23 School Year:
In October the 22-23 FAFSA application opened. This is used to determine financial aid which comes in the form of grants or scholarships. It is also used for parents/students qualify for loans to help subsidize the cost of college. For more information on financial aid go to: https://studentaid.gov/
Upcoming Deadlines for University Scholarships:
Seniors who apply for these schools by the deadline listed will be considered for scholarships that are typically based on high school GPA and ACT scores:
· Kansas State University: December 1st
· University of Kansas: December 1st
· Wichita State University: Freshman Merit Scholarships – December 1st,
Individual Plan of Study (IPS):
Every DHS student will have a completed Individual Plan of Study upon graduating De Soto High School. Students complete different IPS lessons approximately twice each month during seminar. Xello is the platform for IPS and contains all kinds of important information, specific to each student including career matches, personality styles, skills, interests, saved colleges, saved careers, scholarships, etc. Students will review their IPS with their seminar teacher and their parents during spring conferences. This video gives a short summary of why IPS is important and gives students/parents an idea of what is to be expected.
Social Emotional Lessons (SEL):
DHS seminars are now including SEL (Social-Emotional Learning) activities to help provide tools and resources for students. Upcoming topics include: analyzing emotions, goal setting, perseverance, and managing responses to emotions. The overall health and well-being of our students are important to us. If you are ever concerned about another student or your own, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their counselor or the social worker.
Resources from CollegeBoard:
Parent Action Plan for Seniors
FAFSA Resources:
Quick Video Instructions on how to fill out the FAFSA
Scholarships:
DHS Student Services Scholarship Page (updates frequently)
DHS Counselors and Social Worker
Crissy Johns (A-G): CJohns@usd232.org
Lindsay Hothan (H-N): LHothan@usd232.org
Kaitlin Britt (O-Z): KBritt@usd232.org
Joe Kordalski (Social Worker): Rkordalski@usd232.org
JCCC Academic Campus Visits
If you want to explore possible JCCC careers and imagine their future as a college student, then you should attend JCCC’s Academic Campus Visits. These visits allow students to take a deep dive into specific programs and experience what it’s like to be a Cavalier. At the visit they will hear from our admissions representatives and faculty, get answers to questions that matter to them, and tour our state-of-the-art facilities.
- Computer Science: Wednesday, November 10th, 3:30 – 5 pm
- CS/IT: Wednesday, November 17th, 3:30 – 5 pm
To register for any of these events, go to JCCC Academic Campus Visits
K-State Engineering Nights
K-State Engineering is hosting events in our area for high school and community college students. Students can join us at 6:30 p.m. CT on —
- Thursday, Nov. 18 | Lenexa – Kiewit
Students will learn more about engineering degrees, scholarships, career opportunities and industry partners. We encourage all interested students to register at engg.k-state.edu/engineering-night.
Kansas Promise Scholarship
The state of Kansas is starting a new initiative called the Kansas Promise Scholarship.
Kansas Promise Scholarship is a “last dollar” scholarship that can pay for tuition, books and other Promise-eligible, course-related materials, not covered by other scholarships or grants. In exchange, students agree to work in Kansas for two years after completing their program.
Kansas Promise dollars subsidize middle or high-income students who might not qualify for federal and state aid to cover all college expenses.
For more information, visit Kansas Promise Scholarship.
Senior Shortened Day Application
Starting Monday, November 1st, the senior shortened day application will be available in Student Services. This application allows seniors to shorten their schedule for semester 2, dropping their classes that are not needed for graduation or KSHSAA eligibility. There are certain requirements in order to participate in shortened day second semester. Please read through all requirements on the application.
Once applications are submitted, counselors will call students in on an as needed basis to discuss any scheduling conflicts or issues. Students who turn in the application by the priority deadline of November 12th, can view their updated schedule in Skyward by December 1st. This worksheet is for planning purposes only. There is no guarantee of a student’s requested schedule.
Updates from our Missouri Colleges and Universities!
Missouri University of Science & Technology:
· #1 public engineering college in the US
· Awarding 50 $1000 scholarships to PLTW students
· Qualifying Kansas Students: out of state portion is waived (approximately $18,000)
· December 1st scholarship priority deadline
University of Missouri:
- Superscore ACT for Scholarships
- Journalism is direct admit program
- Esports: one of the top programs available
- December 1 scholarship priority deadline
University of Missouri-St. Louis:
- No application fee
- Criminology and Criminal Justice ranked #4
- International Business ranked in the top 25
- Nursing: guaranteed spot for incoming freshman with a 3.0 GPA and a 24 ACT
- January 1 scholarship priority deadline
UMKC:
- Race, Ethnic and Gender Studies
- Fall 2022: Bachelor of Media Arts and Design and Bachelors of Applied Sciences
- 40% students of color, Over 85 countries represented, multiple LGBTQIA scholarships
- Test Optional Admissions and Scholarships ($1500-2000)
- Kansas Residents pay nearly the same tuition as In-State residents
Last Chance for Yearbook Photos
If your student missed all three opportunities to have their school picture taken this year, there will be one final chance on Saturday, November 6. However, this will take place at the photographer’s studio in Lenexa.
You will need to call Inter-State Studio directly at 816-600-2454 to set up an appointment. This will be the last opportunity to have your student’s school picture taken for the yearbook and composite (seniors only).
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Michael Sullivan
DHS Journalism Teacher
Children's Mercy Hospitals Prepped and Ready Series
DHS families, Children’s Mercy Hospitals have graciously kept the Prepped and Ready: Experts Edition video series open for the community!
As a reminder, the series is a collection of 3-5 minute videos addressing difficult topics that pertain to raising teens. It takes less than an hour to watch the videos and complete the research surveys. The content touches on a variety of topics, but a major focus is empowering parents with tools to prevent suicides in our community.
Excerpts from the videos are below, and showcase a variety of speakers from CMH and our community:
Intro to Prepped and Ready Trailer - https://youtu.be/ECsW7XbsSqo
Prepped and Ready Impulsivity Trailer - https://youtu.be/TnJcmzcIGLc
Prepped and Ready Asking Tough Questions Trailer - https://youtu.be/O-uvmB8xlhg
Prepped and Ready Ingestions Trailer - https://youtu.be/D_sP7PyQZV8
Prepped and Ready Vaping Trailer - https://youtu.be/34r5_xOIKCg
Prepped and Ready Safe Storage Trailer - https://youtu.be/24SPNXfHAGE
Prepped and Ready Eating Disorders Trailer - https://youtu.be/6k6n_DYP0IA
Securly App
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.