The deadline for ordering a yearbook is January 17, 2014. Click here to order today!

The Westside facebook page is better than ever!  Drop by and catch up on events through pictures and posts.

Don't forget to like us.  Click here to go right now! 

As the last semester of her Westside career approaches, Emma Center is ready for it to be her curtain call. The actress and scholar is this week's Westside High School Student Spotlight.

It's not too late to honor your senior with a Senior Ad in the yearbook. The deadline has been extended to January 13, 2014.

The Westside Wolves Boys Basketball team put on an awesome performance at the 2013 Katy ISD Boys Basketball Nike Invitational Tournament.  

The Wolves won the championship trophy by defeating Katy and Conroe High Schools in pool play.  

Westside rolled in the Gold Bracket by defeating Friendswood, Seven Lakes, and then Cinco Ranch in the championship game at the Merrell Center.  

Kevin Baines was awarded the tournament's Most Valuable Player honor while Wesley Van Beck (pictured above) and Daniel Utomi won All-Tournament honors.  The kids had a great time with each other, competed like champions,  and they represented Westside High School well. 

To go along with the Choices topic of the month, stress management, I thought it would be quite fitting to talk about meditation. To meditate is to think calm thoughts in order to relax or have a spiritual activity. Meditation is a word adopted in the late 19th century to refer to various spiritual practices from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern religions. It is commonly defined as a state that is experienced when the mind is free of all thoughts, when the mind is quiet, focusing the mind on a single object, or focusing thought on a particular topic. Meditation is meant to calm the body, mind and spirit (click here for the source). 

If you have never meditated before, there is no time like the present! Meditation is a great way to deal with the multiple stressors we experience daily, including the influx of family members during the holidays. In order to prepare for meditation, begin by sitting comfortably in a calm and quiet space. Start by breathing easy from the abdomen, often referred to as "belly breathing". Then, rotate the head in easy, slow circles; change direction and rotate in slow, easy circles. Look up, tilt your head way back, look down, and put your chin to your chest. Next, drop your arms and hands to the side and shake them gently and easily. Raise your feet off of the floor and gently and easily shake the knees. Make sure to straighten your spine while meditating. Practice and repeat two times. 

After repeating this twice, close your eyes and try to relax your mind and do not make an effort to think about anything; slowly your mind will clear and relax. Do this for about two minutes and then open your eyes. Close your eyes and repeat. When you are done, check in with yourself, are you feeling more relaxed and balanced? Stay tuned for next week's Choices Corner article for another stress management technique.