WHS CALENDAR 
Tuesday, February 23

Softball - Varsity
vs. Sam Houston @Delmar 4 p.m.

Baseball - Varsity
vs. Carnegie @Delmar 4:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer - Varsity
vs. Bellaire @Butler 4:30 p.m.

Boys Soccer - Varsity
vs. Bellaire @Butler 6:30 p.m.

Shades of Blue Concert
@Commons 6:30 p.m.

Boys Basketball - Varsity
vs. Tompkins @Morton Ranch HS 7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 24

***EARLY DISMISSAL

ABC Golf Tournament
@Cinco Ranch GC 1:30 p.m.

Track - JV
vs. Chavez @WHS 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, February 25

***NO LATE START

Baseball - Varsity
vs. Laredo Martin @Veterans 10 a.m.

Girls Soccer - JV
vs. Davis @WHS 4 p.m.

Baseball - JV
vs. Clear Brook @ Clear Creek HS 4 p.m.

Baseball - Sophomore
vs. Terry HS @WHS 4 p.m.

Boys Soccer - JV
vs. Reagan @WHS 4:30 p.m.

Baseball - Varsity
vs. Eagle Pass @Unitrade 5:30 p.m.

Friday, February 26

Baseball - Varsity
vs. CC King @Slaughter 9 a.m.

Track - Varsity
Relays @Clear Falls HS 3:30 p.m.

Water Polo - Girls (2 matches)
@Spring Branch Nat. 4 & 5 p.m.

Baseball - Sophomore
vs. College Station @WHS 4 p.m.

Baseball - Varsity
vs. San A. Reagan @SAC 4:30 p.m.

Water Polo - Boys (2 matches)
@Spring Branch Nat. 4:30 & 5:30 p.m.

Softball - Varsity
vs. Chavez @Delmar 6 p.m.

Boys Soccer - Varsity
vs. Reagan @Dyer 6:30 p.m.

Girls Soccer - Varsity
vs. Reagan @Delmar 6:30 p.m.

Baseball - JV
vs. Clear Falls @CFHS 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, February 27

Track - WHS Middle School  Inv.
@WHS 8 a.m.

Saturday Tutorials
@Commons 9 a.m.

Cheer Clinic
@Gyms 9 a.m.

Boys Soccer - JV A&B
vs. Sharpstown @WHS 10 a.m.

Baseball - JV
vs. Clear Creek @CCHS 10 a.m.

Lacrosse
vs. Katy @WHS 11 a.m.

Baseball - JV
vs. Clear Lake @CCHS 12:30 p.m.

Baseball - Sophomore
vs. Manvel @WHS 4 p.m.

HISD Chinese New Year Celebration
@Auditorium 6 p.m.

Click here to access the WHS Calendar for more events.   
WESTSIDE WISHES

Make wishes come true for some teachers.  Donate here, now!
THIS WEEK
Westside High School will be participating in the HISD dates for Early Dismissals.   
 
February 24 

On
the Thursdays immediately following the Early Dismissal Days, there will not be a Late Start. 
BOYS PLAYOFF RUN BEGINS TUESDAY
The Wolves begin their run for a State Championship this Tuesday night against Tompkins High School. Tip off is at 7 p.m., at Morton Ranch High School.
FAFSA ROADSHOW

The FAFSA Roadshow is next Monday, February 29, in the Library.

For students, it is an all day event; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Parents are welcome to come and join from 4 - 6 p.m.

It's the last chance for help - but you can still make the Texas Financial Aid Priority Deadline - March 15.

Please bring with you - the parent and students 2015 Tax Return and W-2's, permanent resident number (if applicable), dates of parents marriages, divorces/separations, and birthdates.

For more information contact: Alaina Turner
Courtney Adams
GOLF TOURNAMENT
Come join us on Wednesday, February 24, at Cinco Ranch Golf Club (23030 Cinco Ranch Blvd Katy, Tx 77450) for a day of fun to support Westside High School athletics.
 
Events include:
  • Putting Challenge
  • Longest Drive
  • Closest to the Pin
  • Chip'N Challenge
  • Hole-in-One Shootout 
Check-in time is at noon, while Tee-time is promptly at 1:30 p.m. (shotgun start)". Individual Registration is $100, while sponsoring a hole starts at $150.

This includes Lunch, 2 Drink Tickets, 18-holes of Golf, Golf Cart, Gift Bag, Auction, Awards, and Fajita Dinner

Golf attire is required. Collared shirts and slacks. No steel spikes are allowed on the course. 
 

To register please email Dana at [email protected].

For more information, contact Dana Aleman @832-661-5040.
'WE'VE GOT SPIRIT'
CHEER CLINIC
 
Calling all K-8th graders! Get your "Cheer" on with the Westside High School Cheerleaders! Learn cheers, jumps and tumbling skills.

Where:  Westside High School
             14201 Briar Forest Dr. 
When:   Saturday, Feb. 27 
     9 a.m. - Noon

The Parent Show Off starts at 11:15 a.m.

Commemorative Cheer T-Shirt, Bow, & Photo with WHS Cheerleaders included! Registration is $45 per person. Group Photos with Cheer Team and Participants are $10. Registration deadline is February 18, 2016. Click here for the registration form.
COLLEGE FAIR OPPORTUNITIES
Black College Expo
Hurry up and sign up for the field trip to the Black College Expo on Saturday, February 27. This event is for Juniors and Seniors with a 3.0 GPA.

Drop by the College Center and get your permission slip. 
SATURDAY TUTORIALS
Tutorials are available in all levels of math, biology, chemistry, and physics on Saturdays. English and Social Studies are on some weekends, so check with your teacher.

Tutorials are from 9 a.m.-noon. Check in at the Welcome Desk in the Commons. All tutorials are held in the S2 house.
PHOTO & ESSAY CONTEST

The Houston Bar Association is conducting Essay and Photography contests in connection with Law Day, an annual event celebrating democracy and citizenship in the United States.

This year's Law Day theme, "Miranda: More Than Words," calls on students to respond to the following prompt: "Why should all people be treated fairly, even if they are suspected of wrongdoing?" 

The following categories are included in the contest. Please click on the link below for each category to download the contest information:

Essay Contest - 9th - 12th Grade
Photo Contest - 9th - 12th Grade
Click here for contest entry form.
TRANSCRIPT REQUESTS

If you request a transcript from Naviance, you must come to A205 and pay for it, or it will not be sent.
CHECK OUT THE ON-LINE STUDENT NEWSPAPER

Click here to go to the Howler, Westside's online, student newspaper. 
THERE IS STILL TIME TO ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK

Click here to find out how to order your 2015-16 yearbook.
FACEBOOK

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! 

 E-NEWS ARCHIVES 

JOIN OUR LIST

QUICK LINKS

FEBRUARY 22, 2016
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
  • INERTIA SWEEPS UP AT COMPETITION
  • PRIDE DANCES AWAY WITH AWARDS
  • DEBATE ROCKS CITY CHAMPIONSHIPS
  • WRESTLERS MEDAL AT STATE 

  • SWIMMER FINISHES OUTSTANDING SEASON AT STATE
  • GOLF SEASON IN FULL SWING
  • EYE ON HOUSTON: KARINA RAMIREZ
  • SHADES OF BLUE RETURNS
  • TEEN LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
  • WESTSIDE WELLNESS: SLEEP STRATEGIES
INERTIANS SWEEPING UP!


The Inertia Dance Co. and Inertia 2 competed in the HISD MA Dance Competition at Waltrip High School. Leading up to this competition, all Inertians exemplified grit and dedication as rehearsals went on as late as 8:30 in the evening. It paid off as both teams walked away with the following awards:
  • Super Sweepstakes awards: receiving a 90 or more by all judges on at least 3 routines entered.
  • Inertia 2: Super Sweepstakes awards for their Novelty, Hip Hop, and Open routines.
  • Inertia Dance Co.: Super Sweepstakes awards for their Jazz, Hip Hop, and Novelty routines. The Inertia Dance Co. was the highest scoring team of the entire competition which makes them the HISD District Champion Team!
  • Sarah McBride and Kiki Fernandez walked away as duet champions. (1st place)
  • Westside also had 3 solo finalists: 3rd runner up Marissa Hernandez, 1st runner up Kiara Guyton, and HISD Senior Solo Champion Kiki Fernandez
It was a great day to be a Westside Wolf! #InertiaProud
PRIDE DANCES AWAY WITH AWARDS


Pride competed at Dawson High School in an elite competition, with great results.
  • Mrs. DeMartino won a choreography award in all three team routines she choreographed (Jazz, Kick, Lyrical)
  • Baylee Nelson placed 5th out of 72 soloists in the 11-12 grade division
  • Kennedi Taylor placed 6th out of 55 soloists in the 9-10 division
  • Vivi Lanman and Lindsey Staskus placed 2nd overall in their duet
  • Officers won 1st place in their Jazz and a Showmanship Award
  • Super Sweepstakes Officers
  • Super Sweepstakes Team
  • 1st place Lyrical Team
  • 1st place medium ensemble
  • 2nd place Team Jazz
  • Overall 2nd place Medium Team
Pride has one more competition this weekend, then it's off to Los Angeles, California where they will perform a 20 minute show in Disneyland and take a dance class at Abby Lee's LA studio from the TV show Dance Moms!  
DEBATE PRODUCES 2 CITY CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS



The Westside Debate team competed in the Houston Urban Debate League city championship tournament this past weekend and came home with our most successful showing in the team's history.
 
In Varsity Public Form Debate, Timothy Gao and Caroline Salguero placed third overall, making it to the semi-finals.
 
In Varsity Lincoln Douglas Debate, Dean Vicerra placed second overall and made it to the finals.  He also earned $750 in scholarships for his performance.
 
In Varsity World Schools Debate, the team of Syed Raza, Jacia Ali, Nicholas Abraham, and Ja'Dayshia Garrett placed first overall, after making it to finals and defeating DeBakey.  They also earned $1500 in scholarships, and qualified for the National Tournament this summer in Salt Lake City. HUDL will also pay for their trip, which should be considered a further scholarship.
 
In Varsity Cross-Examination Debate, the team of Aditya Pethe and Dhanush Nadella placed first overall, making it to finals and defeating the team from DeBakey.  They also earned $2500 in scholarships, and qualified for the National Urban Debate League tournament in San Francisco, this coming April.  HUDL will also pay for their trip, which should be considered a further scholarship.
 
In all, of the 21 students to make it to this round, all 21 brought home either a trophy or medal, and we had finalists in 3 of the 4 events offered at the tournament (winning two of them outright), and a semifinalist in the fourth.
WRESTLERS MEDAL AT STATE
For the 7th time in school history and the first time since 2009, a Westside Wrestler made it to the State Championship Final. Junior Ty'Rae Carter (113) capped off an amazing year going 49-5 and finishing 2nd in the State.

On his way to the Finals, Ty'Rae defeated the #3 and then the #2 ranked kids in the State. It was an amazing run and Ty represented Westside very well.

Senior Myles Hampton (138) became a 3 time State qualifier this year. Despite battling a serious injury, Myles became just the fourth wrestler in school History to qualify for the a State tournament at least three times, and will go down as one of the greatest Wrestlers to ever compete for Westside.
SWIMMER ENDS SEASON WITH TWO GREAT FINISHES

Kaley Hoffman was great at the 2016 UIL 6A State Swim Meet this past weekend. In a very fast field of swimmers from around the state, Kaley finished 12th overall in the 200yd IM with a time of 2:05.88, which is a new Westside team record. 

Kaley also finished 15th in the 100 yd Backstroke with a time of 58.46.  It is an honor and a privilege to just qualify for the State Swim Meet, and Kaley swam her events with great enthusiasm and pride. She is just a junior, so she should be back at the State Meet again, next year.
GOLF IS IN FULL SWING

The Girls Golf Team and Boys Golf Team played at Sharpstown Golf Course last week and brought home awards. First, it was the girls with the team placing 2nd.  Niccia Pollard came in 1st overall and Tiffany Marx 3rd overall! Awesome job girls!

The boys were 3rd overall with Tim O'Connor placing 8th overall.
It was a great week for golf!
KARINA RAMIREZ - EYE ON HOUSTON: 
HIGH SCHOOL DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY
This is our ongoing series feature on the Museum of Fine Arts Houston's Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography exhibit, running from January 12 through May 1. It features several of our photography students. Make sure you drop by the Museum of Fine Arts and check out all of the amazing work.
Expanding on the topic of city life, Houston has one of the best. This was taken right outside the Bayou Music Center around that area of restaurants. I wanted to show people how great of a city Houston was. I wanted everyone to enjoy the great scenery and party life Houston has. It's one of the most culturally diverse cities which only adds to the different things that go on during the night.


This was taken by the Museum of Fine Arts by a little corridor next to the MFAH Caf�. Little activities were going to help children learn how to make paper boats and various things made from paper. The museum district is another big reason Houston is so widely known, you can walk around looking at the different exhibits or you can just spend time making paper boats.
SHADES OF BLUE RETURNS

Shades of Blue 2016 is shaping up to be quite an experience! This year, Outback Steakhouse will be catering dinner, so for the low price of $10, you can get a meal and a drink, as well as a wonderful evening of musical performances!
  • If you RSVP, please commit! - We need to provide Outback with a 'hard' number well in advance of the actual night, so please attend if you decide to RSVP!
  • "Can I buy tickets at the door?" - Yes! But, doing so does not guarantee you a meal because of the reason stated above.
  • The Outback Experience - For $10, you will receive an entree with 2 sides, a roll, and a beverage, plus dessert! This is a great value deal!
  • "Can I reserve an entire table?" - We are not offering pre-sale table tickets. What you can do is coordinate with your group and plan on claiming a table once doors open. Each table seats 8 people, so if you have a small group, try to find another small group with whom to share a table.
  • "Can I purchase multiple tickets?" - Yes! Simply select the number of tickets from the options below, and list all members of your party in the Comments area in the last cell of the row. 
TEEN LEADERSHIP

This past weekend, Nicole Saldivia, Lindsey Staskus, Paola Ontiveros, Anthony Sakr, Laklyn Benton, Logan Hearne, Alexandria Owens and Alexander Emami, attended the West Houston Teen Leadership Summit hosted by State Representative Jim Murphy.  It was a very impressive group of students from 20 West Houston high schools.

The event started with Mayor Sylvester Turner sharing his story on becoming the Mayor of Houston.  During the day, they heard from Houston's leaders in the business, media, and political community, such as Renu Khator, the President of the University of Houston, Devon Anderson, Houston's District Attorney, Jim Parisi, CEO of Memorial Hermann Katy Campus, and Andrew Roberts with Conoco Phillips.

The students listened to former mayor of Houston, Bill White, and former lieutenant governor, David Dewhurst, in an informative and reflective discussion of politics and what it takes to be a leader.  It was a memorable day in which the students greatly benefitted from the wisdom of so many leaders.
WESTSIDE WELLNESS: SLEEP STRATEGIES
In a previous post, I discussed the many benefits of getting adequate sleep, as well at the pitfalls of getting less sleep than our bodies need. We all know we need it, and most of us could use more of it, so let's look at helpful ways to get more quality sleep!
  • Put away electronics at least 30 minutes (15 if you must!) before you settle into bed. Artificial light triggers daytime hormones, confusing your body at bedtime.
  • Eat dinner as early as you are able to; Digestion requires a lot of energy, and you need your body to focus on growth and cell repair by the time you are ready to sleep.
  • Practice calming activities such as stretching or drinking a glass of tea to unwind and begin relaxing.
  • Write down everything that you are thinking about in a "brain dump" to prevent your mind from racing when you lay down.
We value your feedback!

Please direct comments or questions to Craig Malinsky
at [email protected].

Visit us on the web at www.westsidewolves.org.

It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability, ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.