Wildcat Growl
January 15, 2023
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,
This a reminder that in observance of the national holiday recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we will not have school on Monday, January 16th. We will return to a White Day on Tuesday, January 17th.
Congratulations to Nic Weaver and Cael Province! They are the KSHSAA 5A State Runner-ups in the 2-speaker debate. Great work!
Congratulations to all of our Wildcats for being recognized for UKC and All-State post-season awards. Many of those recognitions are listed below.
Congratulations to Lauren Zitlow and Dylan Handley. Both are Students of the Month for December. We appreciate the positivity and engagement that both students bring to DHS.
We also want to congratulate Janet Morgenstern and Javier Vieyra, our December Wildcat Staff of the Month. Mrs. Morgenstern is one of our Special Education teachers, and Mr. Vieyra teaches Social Studies and is our Head Wrestling coach. We appreciate our outstanding teachers!
The Quarter 2 CLASS Awards ceremony was held Thursday, January 12th at 10:50 (during Seminar) in the PAC. Families of award winners were invited to attend. Congratulations to the following nominated students: Breyden Audiss, Nevaeh Bartlett, Alexis Berard, Sydney Bonnstetter, Alexander Boresow, Mason Branstetter, Sophia Chapman, Austin Chase, Ali Cheema, Elizabeth Coenen, Logan Coffman, Katelyn Deibert, Lauralyn DeLeon, Fabian Dorado, Donovan Dougherty, Carmin Espeleta, Kylie Groves, Emily Hamer, Dylan Handley, Riley Hartman, Gunison Hastings, Emma Hellerich, Joseph Hernandez, Rileigh Hernandez, Elaine Huggins, Laina Jernigan, Elizabeth Kalafut, Carter Kennedy, You-Ha Kim, Ethan Klaassen, Sophie Landrum, Corina Layne, Nicholas Lohman, Emma McCracken, Emilee Meyer, Renee Mitchell, Kyla Morrow, Addison Myers, Diana Nava Hernandez, Madison Neal, Haiden Newell-Green, Avery Noble, Addison Ourada, Leonel Reyes, Kyan Rice, Dulce Rico-Iglesias, Angel Rivera Villaneda, Emerson Rock, Natalie Rodriguez-Randolph, Kirstin Ryan, Reaghan Sabo, Ashton Smith, Dalton Springer, Ava Starforth, Treverton Tilton, Ashtyn Van Hoecke, Brooke Wagner, Blake Warner, and Bo Wiegmann. Congrats!
Students earning an incomplete due to missing a final exam have until Friday, January 20th to make up semester 1 final exams. Students will need to reach out to their teachers in order to schedule a time to make up these exams.
We are excited to host Future Wildcat Night on Tuesday, January 31st from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm. 8th-grade students (the Class of 2027) and their parents are invited to visit DHS. We will host an Activity Fair for extra & co-curricular groups and provide school tours from 6:30 to 7:00. The academic transition presentations will begin in the Mian Gym at 7:00 pm.
Thanks, and have a great week!
Sam Ruff
Principal, DHS
Our Wildcats (Nic Weaver and Cael Province) are the 2-speaker State Runner-ups!
Wednesday, January 18th Collaborative Team Time Late Start
Attendance Information
We want to share some important information and reminders for parents. 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.
All State Honor Band
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to the KMEA All-State Band, Orchestra and Jazz Band:
KMEA All-State Jazz Band:
Nic Weaver Trumpet 2nd Chair
Aidan Hamer Trombone 1st Chair
KMEA All-State 5-6A Band
Nick Maskil Trombone 1st Chair
Gavin Billinger Trombone 6th Chair
Dylan Handley Euphonium Alternate
KMEA All-State Orchestra
Ryan Lange French Horn 8th Chair
Cole Bichelmeyer Trumpet 3rd Chair
These students will be performing at this year’s KMEA Inservice in Wichita at the end of February. We are proud of every student that auditioned.
Science Olympiad Invitational Results
On Saturday, January 7th, the DHS science olympiad team competed in the Pembroke Hill invitational tournament at Pembroke Hill Upper School. Twenty-eight area high schools competed in 23 events ranging from building and engineering challenges to knowledge and skills testing across the scientific disciplines. The team is heavily involved in other activities, so we continue to be shorthanded at tournaments. Despite our low numbers, the team brought home placing ribbons in five events:
-5th Place in Fermi Questions
-5th Place in Forensics
-6th Place in Astronomy
-6th Place in Detector Building
-6th Place in Green Generation
Worth mentioning is that a majority of these placements were won by sophomore members Diego Diaz and Evan Johnsson, who have worked hard over the past two years to finally earn their first ribbons (and some of them singlehandedly) in challenging events. Our senior members Alex Boresow and Lauren Fandre earned the other top placements. Other participants who helped contribute to our overall 13th ranking out of 28 teams include Daniel Morozov, Isabella Holwick, Isabelle Butler, Devin Murrell, and Matthew Barber.
Our next competition is the regional tournament at JCCC on Saturday, February 25th.
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.
The Diamond Dancers participated in a competition at Miss Kansas!
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
Power Prep ACT Test Prep
For more information and to register for the event click here.
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
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.