August 15, 2025 Purple Page

Welcome Back, Lanier Families!

We hope your summer was restful and that the first week back has been a great start to the school year! I'm Katie Gould-Marks, and I’m honored to serve as your PTO President for this exciting year—especially as we prepare to celebrate Lanier’s 100th anniversary!

Summer Refresh & Campus Improvements

Over the break, the PTO partnered with the school to tackle some much-needed organization and upgrades. A huge thank you to our Dad’s Club, who helped with:

Removing bulky and broken furniture from the uniform store and copy room
Power washing gym windows
Building cabinets and assembling smart boards
Coordinating and moving new furniture into classrooms

We’re also grateful to DeKasa (owned by a former Lanier parent) for their generous support in completing ongoing projects:

Refinishing and painting the black benches outside
Repainting handrails
Repairing and repainting hallways, stairways, and classrooms

And this weekend, we’re giving the teacher’s lounge a much-needed upgrade with new refrigerators replacing the old, barely functioning ones!

Auditorium Sound System Upgrade

Last year, we kicked off plans to enhance the auditorium’s sound system. Thanks to funds raised through our annual Raise Your Paws fundraiser, installation is now underway and slated for completion this fall!

Raise Your Paws: Annual Fundraiser Launch

None of these improvements would be possible without the generosity of our Lanier families and community partners. As we launch this year’s Raise Your Paws, please know your contributions directly support:

Teacher resources
Campus enhancements
Expanded student programming

We hope you’ll consider giving and being part of the impact.

Get Involved with PTO

Our PTO thrives because of YOU! There are many ways to get involved—from volunteering to attending our coffees and meetings throughout the year. We’d love to see you there.

Here’s to a memorable year as we celebrate Lanier’s Centennial together!

Warmly,
Katie Gould-Marks
PTO President

Katie Gould-Marks

Lanier PTO President 2025-2026

A BIG Thank You to the Lanier Cheerleaders for welcoming all students the first day of school. A fun way to start another fantastic school year!!!

Important Upcoming Dates

August 18th Monday - 7th Grade Volleyball Tryouts 4:15pm - 6:15pm

August 18th Monday - Football Equipment Distribution (Students Only) 4:15pm - 5:30pm

August 18th Monday - Football Parent Meeting 5:30pm - 6:00pm

August 19th Tuesday - 7th Grade Volleyball Tryouts 4:15pm - 6:15pm

August 19th Tuesday - BOY MAP Growth Math

August 20th Wednesday - BOY MAP Growth English

August 21st Thursday - BOY MAP Growth Science

August 22nd Friday - Parent Coffee 8:30am - 9:30am

September 1st Monday - No School Labor Day

September 2nd Tuesday - No School Staff PD Day

September 3rd Wednesday - Open House 6th grade 5:00pm - 7:00pm

September 4th Thursday - Open House 7th & 8th grade 5:00pm - 7:00pm

NWEA MAP TESTING

Next week, all Lanier students will take the beginning of the year NWEA MAP assessments for math, reading, and science. NWEA MAP assessments are adaptive assessments used to monitor student growth over time. Middle of the year testing will be in January and end of the year testing will be in May.

Here are a few important reminders to help your student stay on track:

Punctuality: Classes and testing begin promptly at 8:30 AM. Please ensure your student arrives on time so they can settle in and perform their best. The building opens at 7:45 AM, and the first bell rings at 8:20 AM.
Charged and ready: Make sure your student charges their Chromebook each night and brings it with them on testing days. Having everything they need helps students feel more confident and prepared.
Rest matters: Encourage your student to get a good night’s sleep. Being well-rested can make a big difference in their focus and energy during the day.
Don’t skip breakfast: If possible, provide time for breakfast before school. Testing schedules can sometimes shift lunch times, and starting the day with a meal helps students stay energized and focused.

***Stay Up To Date***

Parents/Guardians, please go to the Lanier PTO website hosted on Membership Toolkit and register with the Lanier PTO. If you are already registered, please update your student's information.

TO UPDATE:

Go to “My Account”

Select “Update Directory Information”

Under “Student Information” select their Enrichment Class first; it will tell you the cluster they are in

https://www.lanierpto.org/home

Lanier Athletics

Fall athletics has begun. Please make sure all paperwork is complete so your student can participate in tryouts and practices when they begin. For details on HISD paperwork, please visit the Lanier website Athletic page.

https://lanier.houstonisd.org/our-athletics-extracurriculars/athletics

Important upcoming dates:

7^th grade Volleyball Tryouts

Monday August 18th Tuesday August 19th

4:15 - 6:15pm

Football - Equipment Distribution (Students only)

Monday August 18^th

4:15 - 5:30pm

Football - Parent Meeting (Cafeteria)

Monday August 18th

5:30 - 6:00pm

DONATE TO OUR ANNUAL FUND

Attention All 8th Grade Families

Pay your student's Great 8 Dues Here

https://www.lanierpto.org/form/m/345146

Dues Cover

Class picture

Centennial class t-shirt

8th Grade Dance

8th Grade Field Trip

Promotion Ceremony and brunch

Be VIPS Approved in order to Volunteer

Register Below

https://lanier.houstonisd.org/support-our-school/vips

Please consider donating something from our wonderful teachers Amazon wishlists.

As always tissues and pencils are greatly appreciated too. You can drop them off at the front desk with the cluster and/or teacher you are giving them to.

Thank you for your generosity!

https://www.lanierpto.org/story/340515

Pedestrian Safety &

Drop-Off/Pick-up

The safety of our students is very important to Lanier Middle School. Please review the drop-off and pick-up map carefully to assist us in assuring that this process runs smoothly. Please be patient, considerate, and careful. Your child’s safety and the safety of all of our children are at stake. Your cooperation is appreciated.

DROP OFF AND PICK UP

Due to ongoing construction in the surrounding neighborhoods, direct access to or from Lanier may be impacted by detours.

We recommend giving yourself a few extra minutes in the morning and afternoon to accommodate any delays.

Look at the map to see how traffic flows around campus.

The following rules apply for both drop off and pick up.

- There is NO stopping northbound on Woodhead.

- Carpool line moves south on Woodhead from Westheimer toward Harold street. Please pause *briefly* to allow your student(s) to exit the car safely and move on. Carpool line is not the place for a chat - it will cause backups.

- There is NO passing on Woodhead. Woodhead is not designed for three or more lanes of traffic.

- Do not block crosswalks and do not make U-turns.

Phones down, eyes up: there are approximately 1500 students entering/exiting Lanier at peak times. Please pack your patience and observe ALL cross-walks and signals!!

Slow down!! Please observe both the posted speed limit and be mindful of distracted students walking.

No j-walking. Please encourage your students (and model yourself) only crossing at intersections or areas with marked cross walks. And remind them to ALWAYS look before getting out of the vehicle or crossing.

Peak drop off is 8:15-8:30. (Remember that teaching actually starts at 8:30!) Doors open at 7:45 and students will gather in the auditorium or cafeteria before the 8:20 first bell.

Peak pick up is 4-4:10.

No Parking Zones: There are designated no parking zones around campus. Vehicles may not be left unattended at any time.

Respect Our Community: Please be considerate of our neighbors and nearby businesses. Avoid blocking driveways, trash cans, or entering restricted areas. Please do not litter or loiter on private property.

We recommend looking at a map of the neighborhood with your student. Pick a spot (or two) a block or two away as your designated meet up spot to avoid peak congestion immediately adjacent to campus.

Model IB Characteristics: As an IB community, we encourage everyone to demonstrate respect, care, and responsibility while driving through and around our campus.

Thank you for making safety a top priority.

Join us on Social Media

Our Parent Facebook page is full of lots of useful information and a great place to connect with parents that have similar questions. Instagram and WhatsApp are a good way to keep up with Lanier as well.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/purplepups

https://www.instagram.com/laniermspto/

https://chat.whatsapp.com/BvMvLBshDRjFt66qE8kjZH

Please remember the following before you post a question or interact on Lanier social media:

Ask your student
Look at the pinned posts
Use the search feature
Check the school website
Check the PTO website
Check the Purple Page
Always be kind and courteous

Facebook

Instagram

Stay Up to Date from HISD

Download Parent Square and Power School to receive updates from Lanier and HISD

www.houstonisd.org/our-families-students/family-corner/parentsquare

https://hisdconnect.powerschool.com/public/

ORDER HERE /ONLINE UNIFORM STORE

Uniform Store

Thank you to everyone that pre-ordered uniforms before school started or visited us during Leadership camp, PUPS camp or Back To School Night! The on-line store is now open through mid December. We are in the process of restocking and expect to be fully restocked by month end with dry fit being restocked sooner. Updates on restocking will be provided via the Purple Page and social media. For August, please allow a week for orders to be filled.

As a reminder, the Uniform store is volunteer run and CASH is NOT accepted. As always, your student can pick up orders any time the store is open which includes Wednesdays during PUPS/Enrichment class. The Uniform store hours for August are as follows:

Monday: 4:00pm - 4:30pm

Wednesday: 11:30pm - 1:00pm (we will assist adults from the lobby)

Friday: 8:30am - 9:00am

HISD 2025 - 2026 Calendar

LUNCH & EARLY DISMISSAL CUTOFF TIMES

Please note that the cutoff time for dropping off lunch to your students is 10AM.

NO Ubereats orders (or other food delivery services) will be accepted for students.

Please also note that the cutoff time for early pick up of students is 3:30PM. If you arrive past this time you will need to wait until official dismissal at 4:00PM to collect your student.

Retail Fundraising

If you shop at any of these retailers, please take a minute to sign up for the loyalty programs, which donate a percentage of your purchases back to our school or PTO. The more families that participate, the more we will earn!

Lanier's Randalls Good Neighbor #6169

Lanier's Kroger #YY100

https://www.kroger.com/i/community/community-rewards

https://www.randalls.com

Corporate Sponsors

We have kicked off the 2025/26 Raise Your Paws for a Cause Annual Fund Campaign

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, Lanier continues to reach new heights. We’re proud to recognize the following corporate sponsors for their outstanding commitment to our school.

Ready to make a difference?
Join our growing network of sponsors and help shape the future at Lanier.

https://www.lanierpto.orghttps//www.lanierpto.org/form/m/291752

Need Something in the Newsletter?

The Lanier Middle School PTO publishes this weekly newsletter during the school year. Deadline for inclusion in the Purple Page is Wednesday at 5:00 p.m.

Please direct any questions or article submissions you may have to purplepage@lanierpto.org

Lanier Middle School PTO

2600 Woodhead

Houston, TX 77098

SUBJECT: The Purple Page- August 15, 2025

Drop-Off/Pick-up