Wildcat Growl
Sept. 10, 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,
We are very excited to announce that we are able to use the new westside bleachers of the stadium for tonight’s football game vs Blue Valley Southwest. The kick-off is at 7:00 PM. If you are able to attend, please park in the De Soto High School parking lot (south of the tennis courts) and use the sidewalk just west of the tennis courts to the stadium.
We would like to recognize our two Students of the Month for August, Abby Campbell, and Brady Huggins. Both students are part of our student council and have demonstrated leadership in getting the school year off to a positive start. Thank you, and congrats to you both!
Congratulations to Abby Adams and Johnny Lewis for being nominated as our Wildcat Staff of the Month for August. We appreciate both for what they bring to DHS!
This week the senior class selected from a variety of activities in preparation for October 20th, #FutureReady Day. Seniors will participate in service-learning, college/tech school visits, job shadows, or ASVAB testing on this date. The USD232 Education Foundation provided DHS with a Spotlight Grant that helps us provide these experiences for our students.
Homecoming week begins Monday, September 20th. Fun activities are planned to take place all week long, ending with the dance on Saturday, September 25th. More information is included in this newsletter or can be found on our website, here.
Our first Delayed Start day is Wednesday, September 22nd. The building opens to students at 9:30 AM, and the first block classes begin at 9:50 AM.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held virtually on Wednesday, September 29th, and Thursday, September 30th. Each teacher will send families information on September 13th about conference appointment sign-up. We look forward to the opportunity to connect with you to discuss student progress.
Some of our families have found that by completing the Economic Survey in Skyward Family Access they may qualify for reduced fees and other benefits including four free ACT tests for Junior and Senior students, college application waivers, Advance Placement fee reductions, and CollegeNow grant application eligibility. September 20, 2021, is our target date - so if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Thanks, and Go Wildcats!
Sam Ruff,
Principal
Wildcats of the Month for August!
2021 Homecoming Court
The Freshman Princess is Emerald Morton
The Freshman Prince is Evan Johnsson
The Sophomore Princess is Peri Schmidt
The Sophomore Prince is Bennett Hutchison
The Junior Princess is Paige Hennager
The Junior Prince is Caleb VanBooven
The Senior Queen Candidates are:
Reagan Ames
Lauren Bradley
Abby Campbell
Lily Thompson
The Senior King Candidates are:
Jacob Dority
Ryan Handley
Brady Huggins
Keith Juenger
Congratulations!!
Paraprofessionals and Student Nutrition Positions Available Now
JOCO Library offering FAFSA Programs
Step-by-Step through the FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the federal application necessary to get free and low-cost money for college.Join us as Jason Anderson, CPA, CFP®, Managing Member and Senior Consultant at Gradmetrics, as hewalks line-by-line through the FAFSA form, using it to explain the ins-and-outs of the college admissions, and financial aid process.
Program dates:
Thursday, September 16, 2021, 6:30-8pm
Wednesday, October 14, 2021, 6:30-8pm
It’s Never Too Early to Start Planning for College:
The earlier you invest, the better the chance your investment will grow over time. With contributions to a 529 account as part of your plan for college savings, you have a tax-advantaged investment option to help cover the ever-increasing costs of college, while potentially reducing reliance on student loans. Join Teresa Stewart, 529 Business Development Consultant, and Jason Anderson, Managing Member and Senior Consultant at Gradmetrics, as they answer questions about financial aid and the Kansas Learning Quest 529 Education Savings Plan. Topics covered will include tax-deferred growth in a 529 plan, tax-free withdrawals on the growth in your account when used for qualified expenses and possible state tax deductions, and how you can use a 529 plan for student loan repayment up to $10,000 lifetime limit.
Program date:
Wednesday, September 22, 2021, 6:30-8pm
To register to attend these virtual programs, please visit our calendar:https://jocolibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/search/fq=types:(5ed14ce9e19e6b240078c0d0)
Note from the Counselors:
It has been great to see our students in the building the past couple of weeks! All students should have full schedules and the deadline to request any schedule changes has passed. We are excited to get to know all of the students in our alphabet this year! Contact information for counselors and our social worker is below.
Senior Meetings: Counselors are now meeting individually with seniors to discuss plans for after high school. Some of the topics included in the discussion are: Post-Secondary options, How to Apply to Colleges, FAFSA Information, Scholarships, Transferring Credit from JCCC, etc. We have included some helpful links below to resources we reference in our meetings.
College & Military Representatives: This year we are allowed to have visitors in the building! We will be inviting various college and military representatives to DHS to share about all the opportunities their institutions offer. Students will have the opportunity to meet with the representatives during seminar. We will have the representatives from the following schools available to talk with students during seminar on Tuesday, September 14th: University of Arkansas, Missouri State, Pittsburg State, Wichita State, JCCC, KU and K-State.
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, Distinguished Scholarships – October 15th (Application deadline) and Scholarship Application – November 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 is 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
Essay Contest for Students in Kansas, Grades 5-12
The State of Kansas holding an essay contest for all Kansas students in grades 5 - 12! What's their prize? A chance to win a $529 award to invest in a new or existing Kansas Learning Quest 529 Savings Account! Submissions will be accepted now until October 8th. To fill out the application and submit the essay, please visit: State of Kansas Essay Contest.
Career Expo Event
Click here for more information
- Nov. 3-4
- Public Sector Careers
- Free virtual event
- Deadline to register your class/school is Oct. 15th
Event Questions?
Contact Annette at avaughn@marc.org or visit careerexpokc.org
Registration Questions? Contact Carmellya at canderson@marc.org
Notes from the Nurse
VACCINATIONS
The State of Kansas requires incoming 11th graders to have one Meningococcal vaccine on or after their 16th birthday. Your shot record might say MCV, MCV4, MCV40, MCV4P, Menveo or Menactra or just meningococcal. All of these meet the requirement.
If your student has already had these vaccinations, please email Anne Lightcap, BSN, RN the shot record (mfarverlightcap@usd232.org). If you have already submitted a shot record containing this vaccine, you do not need to send it again. How can you check? From your desktop (it will NOT work on your phone), go to Skyward, then choose:
Health Info (tab on the left side) Display Options Show Vaccinations
UPDATED Immunizations
If your child has received any UPDATED immunizations since last Spring- please send these to the nurse at mfarverlightcap@usd232.org
If no changes to your current immunizations, I do not need another copy unless you are a new student or have been contacted by me about state required immunizations.
Medications to be given by the nurse
For students that take a medication to be given by the nurse at lunch or during the school day. Please remember I must have a signed doctor's order. A link to medication form on the USD 232 district Health services website can be found here. Or you can print the form below.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Thanks,
Anne Lightcap BSN, RN
De Soto High School Nurse
fax-913-667-6251
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.
DHS Band Mattress Sale Fundraiser
Our 7th Annual Mattress Sale Fundraiser is on Saturday, Oct 2nd. If you need to replace a bed in your home, we hope you’ll consider this event!
Quick overview: On Oct. 2nd we will have a mattress showroom set up at the school from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be about 25 floor models on display for customers to try. Brand name beds from Simmons, Wellsville, Therapedic, Southerland, and more! All models come in all sizes, are made to order, and come with factory warranties. Pillows, adjustable power bases, sheets, frames, and mattress protectors will also be available. Delivery and haul away are available. Best of all, prices are up to 50% less than suggested retail because of the fundraising company's unique business model. Financing is available, with special promotions. Every purchase supports students in the De Soto Music Programs!
Special Deal: as a school employee, you and your family receive a special discount of 10% off your bed and/or adjustable base purchase.
If you’re not familiar with the “Mattress Sale Fundraiser” you can check out this 1-minute video to see how it works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_pQ6O8aVus
For more details about the fundraiser, visit the Facebook event page: https://fb.me/e/2ougFDxLF