Wildcat Growl
November13, 2020
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
Dear Wildcats and Families,
Congratulations to Carson Sturdy and Lynlee Hutchinson. Both have been named the October Students of the Month. Carson and Lynlee are both involved in multiple activities at DHS and we are proud they are Wildcats!
I'd also like to congratulate Anne Lightcap and Phillip Kaul. Anne is our school nurse and Phil is our Assistant Band Director. Both have been named the October DHS Staff Wildcats of the Month! We appreciate all that they do for DHS!
Congratulations to all the DHS Wildcats involved in this year’s ECKMEA Band Honor groups. The students selected include: Nic Weaver, Connor McCall, Nick Budimlija, Ryan Handley, Jacob Dority, Austin Mills, Anna D’Andrea, Cole Bichelmeyer , Kellen Flynn, Jack Peterman , Ryan Lange , Aidan Hamer, and Dylan Handley .
DHS also had 8 choir students selected for ECKMEA Honor Ensembles. The students include: Elizabeth Ashley, Alex Bonilla, Mallory Charcut, Bryson Kendall, Grant Kennedy, Mathys Moore, Brayden Wadehra, and Annie Winter.
Congrats to the following Wildcats for earning All-UKC soccer honors: Ashton Hoffman, Austin Lum, Brody Macoubrie, Kyle Newberry, Jackson Porras, Logan Boehm, and Luke VanBooven.
De Soto High School had 13 members of the Cross-Country team earn All-UKC honors.
Congratulations to Carson Sturdy, Kyle Newberry, Brady Huggins, Owen Gier, Connor Gibson, Luke LaCombe, Jamie Brown, Sophie Landrum, Nicole Schottler, Katie Beyer, Hope Marriott, Katelyn Gress, and Isabelle Butler.
CLASS Awards: Each quarter teachers select students to recognize as demonstrating the De Soto High School core value of perseverance. Students were recognized via a virtual recognition on our website (here). The students include: Abigail G Megee, Addison Mages, Alexis Berard, Alijah Marrell , Angel Olivera, Angelo Saunders, Ashton Sheppard, Austin Sleep, Ava O'Brien, Ben Longren, Bobby Remillard, Brayden Wadehra, Brooklyn Clark , Carter Comer, Dakota Timberlake, Alex Dixon, Didier Carillo, Dylan Handley, Edith Marquez-Flores, Elizabeth Polito Mena, Ella Fixen, Elvia Nino-Elliot, Erin Parker, Evan Carter, Evan Rhodelander, Gavin Hunnerdosse, Jada Wolf, Kaden Neal, Keith Juenger, Kellan Flynn, Kennedy Farrier, Kylee Hunter, Lauren Cook, Lauren Fandre, Matison Bregel, Max Knight, Mic Honomichl, Michael Opuni Frempong, Morgan Bregel, Nayeli DeLeon Marin, Nicholas Budimlija, Noah Beggs, Pedro Carrillo Ortega, Pricilla Albarran, Ryan Barber, Sabrina Reed, Salvador Montoya, Sergio Jaramillo, Sunny da Silva, Taya Handley, Trista Brownell, Waverly, Atlis, Wyatt Barney, and Zach White.
Quarter 1 report cards are now posted in Skyward.
The schedule for next week – the Academic Week at a Glance, can be viewed on our website (here).
Kind Regards,
Sam Ruff
Paraprofessional Substitutes needed!
USD 232 is in need of paraprofessional substitutes who are flexible and willing to substitute throughout the district on an as needed basis. Stay-at-home parents make great substitute paraprofessionals! The ideal candidate is caring, compassionate and dedicated to the students’ success by looking for ways to support the teacher and making a positive difference in the lives of our children. Becoming a para sub is a great way to support the district, our students and our teachers which is needed now more than ever.
To learn more about becoming a substitute paraprofessional for the district, please speak with your Principal or contact Human Resources at the USD 232 District Office. Ready to apply? Click here > Paraprofessional Substitutes for USD 232
Attendance Procedure and Tips
Please remember to call DHS, preferably before 10:00 am on the day of the absence if your student is absent. This also includes Optional Remote Students.
You can also call in a prearranged absence ahead of time. The 24-hour attendance voicemail
is 913-667-6259. We also ask that students missing school as a result of an appointment to verify the appointment by turning in an appointment note/slip. This helps us ensure the absence is excused rather than considered as a parent request. Students can turn the note into the school office when they return from the appointment or email the attendance secretary at mpartlowwilliams@usd232.org.
ECKMEA District Honors Ensembles
8 DHS choir students made the ECKMEA Honor Ensembles. Listed below! Super proud of all these musicians for persevering in excellence during a very tough year.
TREBLE CHOIR
Elizabeth Ashley - Alto 2
Alex Bonilla - Alto 1
Mallory Charcut - Alto 1
MIXED CHOIR
Bryson Kendall - Tenor 2
Grant Kennedy - Bass 2
Mathys Moore - Soprano 2
Brayden Wadehra - Bass 1
Annie Winter - Soprano 1
Dropping off forms or items for your student?
ECKMEA District Honor Groups
2020 ECKMEA District Jazz Band:
Nic Weaver – Trumpet
Connor McCall – Bass Guitar
Nick Budimlija – Drum Set
2020 ECKMEA District Gold Band:
Ryan Handley – Bari Sax
Jacob Dority – Trombone
2020 ECKMEA District Blue Band:
Austin Mills – Tenor Saxophone
Anna D’Andrea – Trumpet
Cole Bichelmeyer – Trumpet
Kellen Flynn – Tuba
2020 ECKMEA District Red Band:
Jack Peterman – Bari Sax
Ryan Lange – French Horn
Aidan Hamer – Trombone
Dylan Handley - Euphonium
Face Mask Facts
Face masks are required to be properly worn by all individuals in K-12 schools by Kansas Executive Order 20-59.
Wearing a mask is an important tool to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. This evidence-based approach is supported by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment.
In compliance with the state order, USD 232 requires the wearing of masks at all times, with few exceptions. Exemption requests will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and require medical verification. Requests can be made by contacting our nurse at 913-667-6250 or mfarverlightcap@usd232.org.
PSAT Registration
PSAT Registration
This week an email was sent out via Skyward to all 10th and 11th grade students and their parents/guardian about registering for the PSAT. This is an optional exam. If you would like to learn more about the benefits of taking the PSAT please click the link below! If you have specific questions about how to register please check your email sent on 11/2 titled “PSAT Registration.”
https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/psat-nmsqt-psat-10
College Fair
Upcoming College Fair:
The National Association of College Admission Counseling is hosting 3 upcoming virtual college fairs on November 8th. For more information please visit: www.virtualcollegefairs.org.
KCKCC What to Expect Wednesdays:
Join KCKCC on Wednesday nights at 6 P.M. on the KCKCC Admissions Facebook page for a Live interactive event, "What to Expect Wednesdays"! Join our Admission Coordinators as they dive into topics like the enrollment process, college terms and how to get involved. The Coordinators will answer questions from parents and students as they come in live! This is a great way for students and parents to get started on their transition into the collegiate experience!
District Recommendation for Students Returning from Quarantine or Isolation
If a student is gone from school due to a COVID-19 quarantine or isolation, the district is recommending that students disinfect their textbooks, library books and MacBook at home before coming back to school.
Thank you.
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.
Prepped and Ready
Prepped and Ready is a presentation to help equip parents for the transition into parenting teenagers. Prepped and Ready aims to help you learn what steps you can take before a crisis develops with your teenager. We seek to empower you to address the hard topics that can be very uncomfortable and we talk about changes each one of us can make within our own homes to make them safer.
The Prepped and Ready presentation was developed after Shayla Sullivant, MD spent many hours with families in crisis at Children's Mercy. After providing advice to parents on the next steps to take, many parents asked an important question: Why didn’t anyone ever tell me this sooner?
The Prepped and Ready presentation provides a brief overview on the following topics, with an emphasis on suicide prevention:
Eating disorder prevention
Home safety (including storage of firearms, medications, etc.)
Screen time
Self-care
Substance use (including vaping)
Suicide prevention
As a parent, you face new challenges that our parents never encountered, but there are steps you can take that make a difference. Prepped and Ready can address problems before they become too big and together, we can take steps to prevent tragedies from happening within our own homes.
Register for an upcoming online presentation:
December 8, 2020 – 7:00 p.m. Register for the virtual event sponsored by ADHD KC.