Wildcat Growl
August 28, 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
Wildcats and Families,
On Thursday, August 25th, we hosted over 400 parents for Parent Information Night. Hopefully, you were able to attend. If not, feel free to reach out to any of our teachers with questions or insights concerning your student. I also want to mention our appreciation to the students of the A & M Crew who assisted. Thank you!
Congratulations to Mindy Fry’s Seminar! They won the seminar competition during Parent Information Night. Mrs. Fry’s seminar had the highest percentage of parents in attendance. Congratulations!
Thanks to everyone that helped make Fall Fest at DHS a huge success. We are so fortunate to have the level of support from our community for our student body displayed Friday night. The evening wrapped up with an informal dance/Mixer in the Union. They had tons of fun. Thanks to our STUCO students and Mrs. Friday and Mrs. Thayer for organizing the Mixer.
We want to welcome Abbey Heller to DHS. Ms. Heller is our new counselor serving students with the last name H-N. Adrianna Christopher, a DHS Alumni returns to teach Family and Consumer Science. We also want to welcome Ryan Meara. Mr. Meara teaches English 9 and Creative Writing. Please help us welcome all of our new staff.
Just a reminder to our 9th-grade students that might have an interest in representing DHS on the District Student Advisory Team – the deadline to apply is September 3rd. The application is included below.
Picture retakes will take place Wednesday, September 7th during the 4th block class. Students will need to make their way to the Blackbox during their lunch if they need picture retakes.
Homecoming week begins Monday, September 12th. Fun activities are planned to take place all week long, with an all-school assembly and Football game vs. Topeka West on Friday, September 16th, and the homecoming dance scheduled for Saturday, September 17th. Student Council is looking for assistance with the parade. The details are below.
The Board of Education approved three (3) delayed start days for the 2022-23 school year. The first delayed start date is Wednesday, September 21. Students will begin school two (2) hours later than normal. Students will need to be at school for their first block class at 9:50 a.m. The other two dates for delayed starts will be November 9 and April 12.
Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held Wednesday, September 28th, and Thursday, September, 29th. We will send out detailed information regarding Parent Teacher Conferences soon.
Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Kaul are hosting a PSAT prep Camp in the weeks leading up to the PSAT. The purpose of the camp is to help students maximize their score potential. Sophomore and Junior students taking the PSAT in October may want to check it out. Detailed information is included in this newsletter.
Thanks, and have a great week!
Sam Ruff
Principal
De Soto High School
Attendance Procedure and Tips
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.
Please remember to call DHS, preferably before 10:00 am on the day of an absence if your student is absent. 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 a physician/medical/dental appointment verify the appointment by turning in an appointment note/slip from the healthcare provider. This helps us ensure the absence is excused rather than considered as a parent request. Students can turn the note into the attendance office when they return from the appointment.
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.
School Meals
Beauty and the Beast Audition Information
Auditions are next week for our fall musical production, Beauty and the Beast. You absolutely want to be a part of this first show in our brand new Performing Arts Center. Please see Mrs. Fry or Ms. CK if you are interested! Here is a link for audition information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Uz0Z3Lrn_WdnI4efyIDcGzZntDyDNIemlqvta0shZS8/edit?usp=sharing
DHS Band Student News
NAfME All-National Ensembles
Each year, students across the country that are selected to their All-State groups (band, choir, orchestra, etc.) are eligible to audition for the All-National ensembles. This year, we had two DHS students selected! Nic Weaver was selected for the third consecutive year as a member of the All-National Jazz Band. Aidan Hamer was selected as a member of the All-National Orchestra. They will both travel to Washington, D.C. in November to participate in the national conference with the top band students from around the country. Please congratulate them when you see them next week.
KMEA Performance Group
Last year, the DHS Wind Ensemble was selected to perform in the Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA) In-Service Workshop, the top honor that a band in Kansas can receive. This year, the DHS Jazz Combo has been selected to perform! We are one of two combos from Kansas that were chosen through a blind audition process and we are looking forward to representing our district again. Students that will be performing include Cole Bichelmeyer, Nick Budimlija, Kellan Flynn, Aidan Hamer, Kelsey O’Donnell, and Nic Weaver. We’re very proud of their hard work!
Cat Booster Club
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
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.