***Please make sure to read to the very end of the newsletter. New Centennial information, volunteer opportunities and upcoming Spirit Nights!!***
***Important Upcoming Dates***
May 9th Saturday - Incoming 6th Grade Open House 9:00am - 12:00pm
May 12th Tuesday - Lanier Choir POP Show 6:00pm Lanier Auditorium
May 13th Wednesday - Lanier Band Spring Concert 6:00pm Lanier Auditorium
May 14th Thursday - Orchestra Spring Concert (All 4 groups Preform) 6:00pm Lanier Auditorium
May 15th Friday - Parent Coffee
May 16th Saturday - 8th Grade Dance 6:00pm - 9:00pm
May 17th Sunday - Centennial Open House 1:00pm - 3:00pm Lanier Middle School
May 21st Thursday - Lanier Choir Spirit Night (Ducky's Pizza & Tavern) 4:00pm - 8:00pm
May 23rd Saturday - International Peace Festival
May 25th Monday - Memorial Day Holiday (No Classes)
May 28th Thursday - General PTO Meeting
May 29th Friday - 8th grade Field Day Celebration
Lanier Fun Fact
Here is a fun fact that makes Lanier shine. This year the National Jr Honor Society has over 150 members. Besides keeping grade averages up and having excellent behavior, each member is required to completed at least 20 community service hours. Many members are Lanier Leaders as well who are required to complete more. Some NJHS members just chose to complete more than 20. This year the 2025-2026 NJHS Lanier Chapter has a total of 4,811 community service hours. Amazing!!!! Lanier is so very proud of this group of students who represent our community. The hard work and giving nature of these students does not go unnoticed. So many hours at the Houston Food Bank, tutoring students, helping pet shelters, making cards for the elderly and hospitalized, and so much more. Let's commend these amazing students for putting others first and for their giving nature.
Lanier Spotlight
Mr. Williams
Mr. Williams is Lanier's Principal. He joined Lanier in the 2018 - 2019 school year and has been with HISD since 2009. Before becoming an administrator Mr. Williams taught 5th grade math and 3rd grade science, social studies and writing. He is originally from Lake Charles, Lousiana and moved to Houston in 2009. He attended Morehouse College and then Prairie View A&M for his Masters.
When not at school Mr. Williams enjoys cooking, (we might need him to make his famous roast for us to sample). He loves spending time with his family and friends. He is married and has 2 adorable children and 2 pups, Austin and Gus. He also likes to rest and catch up on sleep like so many of us.
Is there a way to describe the tasks and responsibilities Mr. Williams handles every day? Honestly the newsletter may go on forever if I wrote them all. Let's focus on this: He is THERE in the morning and afternoon monitoring traffic and students at the Westheimer - Woodhead intersection. He is THERE every day outside talking to parents and students. He is THERE in the halls making sure students get to class. He is THERE when parents have questions and concerns. He is THERE for the teachers and staff. He is THERE making sure Lanier stays the top-notch school that it is. He is THERE seeing that all students get the best education possible. He is THERE putting others before himself.
Thank you so much Mr. Williams for everything you do for the Lanier students, staff and community. You are a wonderful leader. Thank you for being THERE for all of us.
Mr. Lyons
Mr. Lyons is Lanier's Assistant Principal. He has been at Lanier 2 years and in Education for 12 years. Before becoming an administrator, he taught high school English and coached swimming. As part of the Lanier admin team Mr. Lyons has many responsibilities and wears many hats. He deals primarily with 8th grade, instructional scheduling and discipline. Of course, his daily duties do not stop there. Basically, he will go to where needed and take care of any task at hand. He is a wonderful team player and a truly important part of the Lanier family.
Mr. Lyons is originally from El Paso Texas. He moved to Houston three years ago. In his spare time, he enjoys resting and binge-watching his favorite TV shows. He has a Mexican Hairless dog named Pepita which he enjoys walking (as some of the students know). Mr. Lyons lives in the Lanier community. He enjoys the students and families and looks forward to many more memorable moments at Lanier. Thank you Mr. Lyons for all your hard work and dedication, it does not go unnoticed.
What's Going on in the Halls?
There have been so many beautiful bulletin boards this month. Spanish classes have made displays and 8th grade art has oil pastels and watercolors.
A little Cinco de Mayo Fun
Lanier faculty and staff enjoy celebrating all cultural days. Cinco de Mayo was no different. So many staff members dressed the occasion.
PTO Uniform Store Update
The uniform store (both physical store and on-line store) will be closing on May 18th. We have reached out to families via text to remind them to pick-up orders.
Since we do not offer refunds, any unclaimed orders will be considered a donation to the PTO. To help your kids remember, try putting a sticky note on their computer.
The on-line uniform store will open again on July 5th for incoming and current students. Further details regarding ordering and pickup will be posted on social media and the PTO website in June. Please keep in mind that bottoms (skirts, shorts or pants) are NOT sold by the PTO Uniform store but must follow Lanier Middle School policy which is on their website under 'Our Families and Students'.
New Ice Machine for our Fabulous Lanier Staff
A HUGE Thank You to the parents and anonymous donors who helped the PTO purchase a brand-new ice machine for the teachers' lounge area. The old machine has needed to be replaced for a while, and this week the ice is now making. Thank you again!!!!
Parents, to volunteer for the Centennial Open House click the flyer above or the link below
A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated/purchased items for the 8th Grade Centennial Dance. Our Amazon Wish List was cleared in record time.
Fun Update from Ms. Maja Dimitrijevic
MUN had two recent events:
Village School MUN Competition - Students won three awards.
(Pictured below Genesis Pino, Felix Amya Franco, Arya Kapadia, Malcolm Essinger and Nashwan Makud)
Lanier MUN Club Leadership hosted its first competition at Lanier.
Student Council:
Students received their new shirts. (Pictured below Student Council future president Arya Kapadia, current president Liya Sumazin and future event coordinator Gwendolyn Watson)
Students participated in the last Sandwich University with Rice University. Over 1,000 sandwiches were made for the homeless. Student Council will continue the partnership next year.
Lanier Karate Competes in State Championship Tournament
Lanier was represented with 9 competitors in the state championship tournament this past weekend. With over 900 participants in attendance, the competition was fierce; nonetheless, Lanier secured 2 first places, 2 second places, and 1 third place. Congratulations to all participants; their efforts are truly valued.
Safety is of the utmost importance at Lanier. When requesting entrance into the school please press the button and state the reason for your visit.
Please DO NOT hold the door open for other guests to enter. They must be let in one at a time by pressing the button and stating the reason for their visit.
When you enter the building please close the door behind you.
When LEAVING the building, please close the door behind you. Please DO NOT let the door close freely as to let others grab the door to enter without being let in by proper methods.
The above reminders are for the safety of everyone on campus. We understand the need to visit campus and want visitors to feel welcomed and safe.
Forgotten lunches must be dropped off before 10:00am
Please have Proper ID ready when picking up students. It is a requirement.
Doors open at 7:45am
ADA time for attendance is 10:15am
If you have a change in your student's transportation for the day, please call the school before 2:45pm to allow time to get the student the correct information.
To see an administrator please email them to make an appointment. With daily schedules they are not always readily available to meet at a moment's notice.
Gordon Education Launches 2026 Summer Filmmaking Camps
Gordon Education is excited to announce its 2026 Summer Film Camps, offering four immersive programs for young creatives aged 9 to 17. Each filmmaking camp focuses on a different genre:
Historical, Changemakers, Documentary, and Narrative Fiction, allowing aspiring filmmakers to explore the art of cinema from multiple perspectives while developing their own voice. All camps offer a range of experiences from production to on-camera acting, and conclude with a red-carpet film premiere for family and friends. Prior experience is not required to enroll in any filmmaking camp.
Emerging filmmakers create an original time-traveling movie set on the historic grounds of the Heritage Society. Campers are mentored by professional filmmakers, community leaders, and professional storytellers. After a successful 2025 launch, Gordon Education is thrilled to be back in partnership with The Heritage Society to produce a one-of-a-kind film that uncovers Houston’s fascinating history.
Inspired by global social justice leaders showcased at the Eternal Gandhi Museum, campers create their own narrative film about the footprint they want to leave on this planet. Special guests include inspiring young Houston artists, poets, and peace activists. Campers visit Houston’s own Eternal Gandhi Museum.
June 29-July 10 at St. Paul’s School (No camp on July 3)
Houston teens collaborate on a documentary examining gun violence as a national public health crisis through interviews with individuals personally affected, those in rehabilitation, and those actively working to make the community safer. In partnership with the nonprofit BYkids, this project gives Houston youth a powerful platform to present solutions and spark national change. Includes guest speakers and field trips in the Houston community. Select footage from this camp will be featured in a national PBS film.
Young storytellers unleash their wildest creative visions in this story-driven filmmaking camp. Whether their movie is set in outer space or under the sea, campers have full artistic license to bring their unique ideas to the screen. Together, they will write, film, direct, and act in an original production, using the "Hero’s Journey" as a roadmap to learn the essentials of storytelling. Camp Leaders are Dan Gordon and Bri Guerrero. Dan Gordon is a documentary filmmaker, director of Gordon education, and brings 20 years experience as an arts educator in Houston and NYC. Bri Guerrero is a professional Film Art Director in Houston bringing her design expertise to many local projects. Bri has been teaching with Gordon Education in schools and summer camps since 2023.
Space is limited, and scholarships are available. More information can be found at:
Founded in 2014, Gordon Education is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young voices through the art of filmmaking. The organization has produced Take the Stage, a bilingual PBS Learning Media series, a national PBS documentary on Indian classical dance, and a music video promoting library access. and has been teaching film workshops in schools, museums, and juvenile justice centers across Houston and NYC. Learn more at www.gordoneducation.org
Lanier MS Student and Family Handbook
If you have questions, please consider looking through the handbook. Lots of answers found here!!!
Family Handbook
We are pleased to share the 2025-2026 Lanier MS student and family handbook. This handbook serves to provide a normed resource for all Lanier MS stakeholders to reference for answers and information about some of the most common, but essential questions and areas of interest. While this is not an exhaustive document nor does it supersede HISD board policy, state, and federal education laws we hope you find it helpful and informative as you navigate your journey as a Purple Pup.
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.
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.
The Lanier Middle School PTO publishes this weekly newsletter (The Purple Page) during the school year. Deadline for submission in the Purple Page is Wednesday at 5:00pm.
It is the responsibility of the coaches, sponsors, teachers, parents or team members of an event or activity to submit information to the Purple Page editor.
With so many competitions, performances, club happenings and sports events we rely on submissions.
We want to showcase Lanier students, teachers and staff in all they do.
