Hello Bobcats! As you are all aware, our OPS school community recently experienced a difficult and unexpected situation. Our thoughts and hearts are with our friends at Northwest High, today and for as long as they need our support. Our primary concern is always the safety and well-being of your children and we want to assure you we were monitoring yesterday's situation closely and were prepared to take any immediate action, should that have been needed.

We understand this may be a stressful time for you and your family. We know many of you have connections to Northwest High and we are here to support both you and your Bobcats. Our team is available to answer any questions you may have and provide assistance. To support our students emotionally, we will have counselors and staff available at school to help anyone who may need to talk or process what has happened. We encourage you to speak with your child(ren) and let us know if they require additional support and attention during this time.

We are grateful for your continued trust and cooperation as we navigate through this together. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us directly if you have concerns or need further support. It takes a village and our school community is here to support all of you.

Our Buffett Middle Counseling Team:

Maraleigh Lewandowski - Counseling Team Lead/7th Grade Counselor

Kathy Janata - 8th Grade Counselor

Chad Knihal - 6th Grade Counselor

Leanna Johnston - Buffett Middle Social Worker

In addition to the in-house supports at Buffett Middle, please know the Safe2Help Nebraska is available 24-7 for all: 1-833-980-7233

#TogetherWeThrive

Dr. Pick

OPS offers optional device protection for student iPads for $20. This protection plan pays for a replacement of the iPad should it be lost or stolen.

You can purchase this protection plan through the parent portal at any time.

The fee for a lost/stolen iPad not covered by the protection plan is $541.00.

September 24 - Late Start for Students (see bell schedule below)

October 4 - No School for All Students

It is wonderful to see our Bobcats enjoying the after school athletics and activities. This week was the start of Robotics and Speech and Debate club along with Volleyball and Cross Country and Football practices. We have a busy week ahead, so check out the opportunities for your Bobcats on the Athletic and Activities calendar linked below.

We have student work available for viewing in our front office. Thankful for our Journalism students for their August Buffett Bugle! As you can see in the picture and attachment below, we have some amazing talent in our classrooms!

Friday, September 6th was "National Read a Book Day". Teachers spent the day sharing their favorite childhood books with their students at the beginning of each block. It was a great day for literacy!

Buffett's NJHS students also took the opportunity to read to our favorite neighbors at Fullerton Elementary! They loved sharing stories with the little kids!

Any 8th grade girl who is interested in in girls lacrosse can practice for free with the OPS Eagles. Equipment is provided. Contact Ruth.sitzman@ops.org for information.

PTO Mission: Partner in Buffett Middle's mission of high performing teachers and students in every classroom. We foster a supportive and inclusive community through championing resources, collaboration between parents, teachers and staff. Through our efforts, we encourage more cohesive communication that supports building stronger relationships, leading to enhanced student achievement, more enriching programs and a greater sense of community and belonging for everyone.

Meet the PTO Board Members:

President - Christina Liermann

Vice President - Moreal Wilson

Secretary - Joanne Bray

Marketing/Communications - Teia Goodwin

Treasurer - Rachel Krueger

PTO Liaison - Kyle Carruthers

Overview of Meeting: Discussion of current and projected budget for 2024-25, feedback on family engagement nights, shared information on teacher grants, brainstormed PTO initiatives, discussed upcoming kick off for POP fundraiser (October 1), and review of upcoming events.

Current 8th grade students: the deadline is fast approaching to register for the 2025 Spring Break New York trip! All students must be registered by September 30. We will hold an informational meeting on Tuesday, September 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Buffett Library. You do not need to attend if you attended in the spring.

Please reach out to Ms. Moyer (jennifer.moyer@ops.org) or Ms. McKain (dawn.mckain@ops.org) if you have any questions.

Website: buffett.ops.org
Location: 14101 Larimore Avenue, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 531-299-2320
Twitter: @BuffettMagnet