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,

As we approach Winter Break, this time offers a wonderful opportunity to relax, recharge, and celebrate the season with loved ones. It’s a moment to reflect on the progress and successes of the first semester, both in and out of the classroom. For many students, this pause allows them to set meaningful goals for the new year, preparing them for a strong and focused start to the second semester. We hope everyone takes time to unwind, find joy in the holiday spirit, and return to school refreshed and ready to learn.

Squad of the Month: Each month we are recognizing a DHS Collaborative Team as our "Squad of the Month". This is a team of educators collectively committed to improve student learning. Our November Squad of the Month members include Justin Hoffman, Abby Adam, and Kylee Moran! Congrats!

Seminar will be open for students to travel on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. Students can register to travel via Minga.

Donuts! The DHS Father's Club will be handing out donuts to students at the start of school on Tuesday, December 17th. Dads interested in joining, contact the DHS Chapter Chair: Mark Martinez.

Final Exams begin Tuesday, December 17th and conclude Friday, December 20th. We will not have a Delayed Start on Wednesday, December 18th, due to final exams. The final exam schedule can be found on our website, here.

9th - 12th-grade Skip-A-Final Information: If students are eligible to skip a G1, G2, G5, W1, W2, or W5 final, they are not expected to attend the final exam block. However, students must attend blocks G4 and W4, even if they qualify for Skip-A-Final.

If students are absent from a final exam during finals week, they will need to work with the teacher to make up the finals after they return. All semester grades will be submitted on January 6th, with any incompletes finalized by January 17th.

DHS and the Main Office will be closed Monday, December 23rd, until Monday, January 6th, 2025. Classes resume as a Green Day on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025.

Seniors and Senior Parents: This is an exciting time. Students have what will become a very short spring semester left before graduation on May 18, 2025. Seniors should focus on the goal of a strong finish to their high school experience. Attendance is especially important.

Several Seniors have applied for a ‘Shortened Day’ during the spring semester. Those students are reminded of a few key points:

1) During the school day (7:50 am - 2:55 pm), you must enter and exit the building through the attendance office doors,

2) If you do not have Seminar – you will need to register via Minga and sign in through the attendance office to meet with a teacher during that time, and

3) Having a shortened schedule is contingent on you having regular attendance and passing all of your courses.

Future Events:

• Tuesday, January, 7th: Welcome Back! First Day of Semester 2 (Green Day)
• Thursday, January 9th: Cats Booster Club Meeting, 4:30pm (FlexA)
• Monday, January 20th: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, No School
• Wednesday, February 5th: Future Wildcat Night, Academic & Activities Expo

Thank you, have a great week and Winter Break -

Sam Ruff

Principal

De Soto High School

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.

On Saturday, December 7th, the DHS Science Olympiad team successfully hosted the 5th annual Schrödinger’s Invitational with Mill Valley. The team’s overall placement left much to be desired, but we had some individual successes:

Materials Science, 3rd place: Diego Diaz & Evan Johnsson

Fossils, 3rd place: Diego Diaz

Astronomy, 3rd place: Evan Johnsson & Addy Easter

What our team lacked in competition prowess, they more than made up for in their representation of DHS. I received many compliments about how polite, helpful, and attentive they were to all the staff who helped make the 23 events possible. Please congratulate the following students if you see them.

Seniors: Diego Diaz, Evan Johnsson

Juniors:

Sophomores: Evan Brame, Addy Easter, Gavin Meisch, Faith Settelmeyer

Freshmen: Zaiden Celis, Wyatt Lux

Our next invitational will be a challenge as we take on the private school crowd at Pembroke Hill on January 11th. Thank you all for your support and good vibes! 😊

Laura Sixta (Coach)

Families, the State of Kansas provided free over-the-counter covid tests, which are located in a basket in the front office. Free to take, no names or sign up required; no need to share the result with the school nurse unless you choose to do so.

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)

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.