Book Blasters (6th-8th): Book Blasters is a district-wide competition that involves a team of students who are responsible for reading approximately eighteen to twenty selected novels.  Teams then compete to see who reigns supreme in knowledge of the novels’ content.

National Junior Honor Society (7th-8th): National Junior Honor Society is open to 7th and 8th grade students with a 3.75 cumulative grade point average or higher.  Acceptance is based on scholarship, leadership, service and character.  Induction of new members takes place in the spring.

Student Council (5th-8th) Elected by their peers, Student Council members meet daily during Bobcat Den to make improvements to our school. 

Spelling Bee (5th-8th):  The Spelling Bee is sponsored by the Omaha World-Herald.  All Buffett students take a written spelling test to determine the field of eligible candidates.

Think Tank (8th):  Think Tank is a competitive problem solving event for 8th graders at UNO.  It features a game that involves creative problem solving.

Math Contests (5th-8th):  Math contests/competitions are available for all grade levels throughout the year.  Students in Grades 5 and 6 are selected to participate by classroom performance and teacher nomination.  Students in Grades 7 and 8 must be a member of MATHCOUNTS to participate in competitions.

Quiz Bowl (7th-8th):  Quiz Bowl is an academic competition for students in grades 7 and 8.  A four member team competes against the clock answering questions from various disciplines.  Skills such as team work, cooperative group discussion, problem solving and reaction time are enhanced through practices and competition. 

FERMI Math League (5th-8th): FERMI Math takes students through the problem-solving process and use of metacognition skills to solve what seems to be unsolvable math problems. Students work in grade level teams of 2-5. The league goes all year long. Their team receives math problems every few weeks and they have to work together to come up with the best solution and prove their thinking. The solution, written in a PowerPoint, then gets sent off to the judges for feedback and points. Earn enough points and their team gets to attend the EXTREME MATH DAY at the end of the school year.

MATHCOUNTS (7th-8th):  MATHCOUNTS Competition is a national middle school coaching and competitive mathematics program that promotes mathematics achievement through a series of fun and engaging “bee” style contests.  It is supported by the National Society of Professional Engineers at the state and local levels.

African American History Challenge (6th-8th):  The AAHC is a national educational program designed by the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. to enhance the study of African-American history.  The goal of the local competition is to encourage pride, self-worth, and an appreciation of the African-American legacy and culture in Omaha youth.

Poetry Slam (6th-8th): A poetry slam is a competition at which poets read or recite original work. It puts equal emphasis on writing and performance and encourages poets to focus on what they say and how they say it. The Office of Gifted & Talented sponsors a fall and spring slam.

LAUNCH Leadership (5th-8th): The mission of Launch Leadership is to empower young leaders to transform their communities and change our world. Buffett's LAUNCH group focuses on helping students find out who they are and how they want to lead. Students participate in leadership and team-building activities.

National History Day (6th-8th): Each year, National History Day® frames students’ research within a historical theme. The theme is chosen for broad application to world, national, or state history and its relevance to ancient history or to the more recent past. Each year, NHD decides on a theme and student contestants create projects surrounding the theme. Check out National History Day's website for more information. 

Music and Drama Performances (5th-8th): Buffett offers stellar Performing Arts, Choir, Strings, and Band Programs for our students. Students can chose to participate in one of our music programs, audition for a play, and/or participate in Buffett show choir/performance groups.

Robotics (5th-8th):  Teams of students are tasked with designing and building a robot to play against other teams in a game-based engineering challenge. Classroom STEM concepts are put to the test as students learn lifelong skills in teamwork, leadership, communications, and more.