Wildcat Growl
November 20, 2022
Our 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.
Principal's Message
Wildcat Family,
Thank you to our entire student body for the impressive participation in the Holiday Food Drive organized by Cats Care. DHS contributed over 500 food items to the De Soto Food Pantry.
On Monday, November 14, the following students were inducted into the De Soto High School National Honor Society: Erin Barr, Alexis Berard, Miah Burch, Isabelle Butler, Cohen Cisneros, Brooklynne Clark, Violet Conley, Gibson Daise, Kaelin Davies, Kennedy Farrier, Ailey Freeman, Emily Hamer, Ashlyn Hammel, Maleigha Harris, Ariel Hircock, Isabella Holwick, Ryan Jenkins, Leah Jernigan, Marisa Johnson, Gabriella Lawson, Landen Lawson, Aubrey Leonard, Mia Lowry, Addison Mages, Edith Marquez Flores, Hope Marriott, Blake Miller, Carson Miller, Ava O'Brien, Lauren Owens, Lexi Parish, Andrew Powers, Cael Province, Colton Rhoads, Dawson Roth, Peri Schmidt, Rhyan Schmidt, Ryan Schottler, Lillian Schroeder, Ashton Sheppard, Lilia Spiess, Carly Tuttle, Mason Van Allen, Ashtyn Van Hoecke, Caleb VanBooven, Josh Vinod, and Sam Vogel. Congrats, all.
Great Job, Diamond Dancers! The Dance Team qualified for the KSHSAA Spirit Showcase Finals on Friday, placing 7th among 5A teams.
Our Wildcat Cheer Team also participated in the KSHSAA Spirit Showcase on Saturday. Also making the Finals, they placed 6th out of the 17 5A teams competing. Way to go, Wildcats!
Congratulations to Mindy Fry! Mrs. Fry has been selected as the 2022-2023 ECKMEA High School Choir Teacher of the Year. Congratulations to Phillip Kaul! Mr. Kaul has been selected as one of the recipients of the 2022-2023 ECKMEA Outstanding Young Music Educator Award. Congratulations to Matt Bradford! Mr. Bradford has been selected as the 2022-2023 ECKMEA High School Band Teacher of the Year. If you're keeping track, 100% of the teachers in our Music Department at DHS earned recognition! 100% - Teachers of the Year. Amazing!
Congratulations to Amy Riley, digital media teacher at DHS, for being recognized as the USD 232 Making a Difference Award winner for October 2022!
“Mrs. Riley is one of the most kind, considerate, and caring faculty members at DHS” her student nomination shared. “She is brand new to the district this year but has already made a lasting impact on me and my peers. She has not only been an amazing teacher but also someone I am able to turn to if I am struggling. Every day I walk into her classroom, I feel safe and happy to be there.”
For more details about Amy’s surprise award presentation, sponsored by Great American Bank, check out this link > http://bit.ly/3EdGedl
Additionally, congratulations to Solitare Ware, Abby Huggins, Anne Cahoone, Philip Kaul, and Scott Sharp! They are being recognized with a Making a Difference Award during the month of October. Nominations are currently accepted for the Making a Difference Award for the month of November with the award being presented in December.
Anyone can submit a form for any USD 232 District Employee so nominate someone who has made a difference in your life! Making a Difference Nomination Form
Just a reminder that we will have school on Monday and Tuesday, November 21st & 22nd. We will not have school from Wednesday, November 23rd thru Friday, November 25th, and will return to school on a Green Day, Monday, November 28th.
Beginning November 30th and taking place each Wednesday for the rest of the school year, De Soto High School will be on an adjusted schedule called - Collaborative Team Time (CTT). The first class of the day will begin at 8:20 am. Students arriving between 7:30 am and 8:15 am will need to enter the building through the front main entrance or through the attendance office entrance. They will be directed to a study hall environment in the Commons or Union. Teachers will be engaged in professional collaboration during this time. This schedule only impacts the high schools and does not impact students using bus transportation to school. Bus riders are expected to enter the building on arrival and cannot leave school unless called out by a parent or guardian.
Thanks, and have a great Thanksgiving!
Sam Ruff
Principal, DHS
The Diamonds earn 7th place at the KSHSAA 5A Spirit Showcase
The Wildcat Cheer Team earns 6th at the KSHSAA 5A Spirit Showcase
Attendance Information
We want to share some important information and reminders for parents. During the summer, we added a new Attendance Office to the north student entrance (door #21). This new student-only entrance/exit will be where students should be dropped off or picked up during the school day (7:50 am - 2:55 pm). Visitors will continue to use the Main Entrance on the south side of the building.
Science Olympiad Invitational
The DHS Science Olympiad team pulled it together for our first competition of the season, the “O-Town Throwdown” at Olathe North on Saturday, November 12th. The team earned 10th place out of 20 teams in this invitational, so we are working to build up our skills for the next tournament; for some, that means constructing a bridge that is able to hold close to 15 kg of sand from the bottom during competition while being able to hold the weight of a hefty house cat from the top at any given time.
While our overall ranking can be improved, there were victories in a few events. Shout out to our awesome math teachers – Alex Boresow and Isabella Holwick earned 2nd place medals in an event called Fermi Questions, in which students use their ability to manipulate powers of ten in estimating quantities that are impossible to measure directly (ex. The number of water molecules in the human body). We also had members earn 5thplace in detector building and 6th place in astronomy.
Seniors: Alex Boresow, Lauren Fandre, Zach Myers
Juniors: Isabella Holwick, Daniel Morozov
Sophomores: Diego Diaz, Evan Johnsson, Lily Slocum
Freshmen: Devin Murrell, Matthew Barber, Micah Douglass
Scholars Bowl
2023 Sousa Honor Band
CONGRATULATIONS to the following DHS band students for auditioning and being selected to perform in the 2023 Kansas Junior John Philip Sousa Honor Band! This band consists of the top 6th-9th grade instrumentalists from Kansas and will present a concert at the KU Lied Center on January 21. These students were selected from over 500 students who submitted recordings!
2023 BLUE SOUSA BAND
Keegan Flynn-16th chair clarinet
Nick Maskil-2nd chair trombone
2023 RED SOUSA BAND
Alyssa McNemee-1st chair flute
Maggie Stelzer-4th chair flute
Luke Vogt-7th chair trumpet
Reese Halvorsen-13th chair trumpet
Beauty and the Beast Fall Musical
School Meals
Homework Request Information
When your student is absent from school, please encourage your student to reach out to teachers requesting assignments missed due to the absence. Certainly, parents can also reach out to teachers, but part of becoming a self-directed independent learner is communication, being organized, and advocating for yourself. If your student is experiencing a longer-term absence (a week or more), our counselors are available to assist in this process.
Need to contact the Counselors?
DHS Counselors and Social Worker
Crissy Johns (A-G): CJohns@usd232.org
Abbey Heller (H-N): aheller@usd232.org
Kaitlin Britt (O-Z): KBritt@usd232.org
Joe Kordalski (Social Worker): Rkordalski@usd232.org
De Soto High School students are invited to A Night With K-State Engineering!
The Carl R. Ice College of Engineering is hosting events for high school and community college students. Representatives will lead an interactive presentation for students and their guests to learn more about engineering. We would love for your students to join us at one of the following events:
· YouTube Live | Tuesday, Nov. 29
Learn more about engineering degrees, scholarships, career opportunities and industry partners.
Kansas ScholarShop
In partnership with Sallie Mae, Kansas State Treasurer’s office has launched the Kansas ScholarShop initiative. ScholarShop aims to restore hope and excitement for students seeking educational and career advancement after high school. With access to 6 million scholarships worth up to $30 billion; students can search and find scholarships, grants and awards tailored specifically to their deepest passions. For more information visit: https://kansascash.ks.gov/scholarshop.html
Cat Booster Club
Lauren U took 1st Place in Portrait photography for her picture of Jackson Adair at the Walk-a-Thon.
Maleigha Harris took 3rd in Video News for her story about the coffee shop. It’s at minute 6:43.
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.