Bear Buzz April 2026

Many Bears, One Bryan. Every student on track. Every student graduating.

April Update: Momentum in Bear Country

April has been a strong and meaningful month in Bear Country, and there is a lot to be proud of.

On April 7, our juniors took the ACT, and we saw excellent attendance across the building. That level of presence speaks to the resilience of our students and the commitment of our staff to support them.

We also had the opportunity to celebrate many of our students at our Academic Excellence Ceremony, recognizing those who have earned a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher. It was a special event and a powerful reminder of what our students can accomplish when they stay engaged and push themselves.

In addition, our overall attendance is up 8.67 percent compared to this time last year. That kind of growth does not happen by accident. It reflects daily effort, strong systems, and a shared commitment from students, staff, and families.

As we move through April and into May, our focus is clear; we must finish strong.

These final weeks matter. Attendance, engagement, and effort must remain high all the way through the last day. Learning continues, expectations remain, and every class period counts as students prepare for final exams and what comes next.

Senior Information (Grade 12):

· May 6 (B Day) & May 7 (A Day): Senior Final Exams Only

· May 8: Seniors’ last day

Grades 9–11 Information:

· May 18 (B Day): Final Exams

· May 19: No school (Due to Graduation)

· May 20 (A Day): Final Exams

Many Bears, One Bryan. All students on track. All students graduating.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership and support. We are proud of our students, and we are excited to finish this year together.

Parent Voice Survey

Families are invited to participate in the OPS Parent Voice Survey. This survey provides feedback in six important areas: Climate and Culture, Support Staff and Services, Communication, Safety and Discipline, Instruction, and Principal and Administration. Your voice directly informs our improvement efforts.

The survey link is www.TinyURL.com/OPSParentVoice. Families will also receive a direct message reminder on March 9. We encourage every family to take a few minutes to complete the survey, especially the Climate and Culture section. Your feedback helps us strengthen Bryan High for every student.

Important Calendar Dates

April 17: No School for All Students

April 20: No School for All Students

May 8: Senior Last Day

May 18: Graduation Rehearsal 10:30am @ Baxter Arena

May 19: Graduation 2:00pm @ Baxter Arena

May 20: Last Student Day; End of Quarter 4

June 1-July 3: Summer school

Please click here to access our District Calendar for other upcoming dates and events!

Academies in Action: Education Academy

Student Voice at the EmPOWER Youth Summit
Education Academy students recently participated in the Youth Empowerment Summit, where hundreds of students from across the metro came together to focus on mental health, resiliency, and suicide prevention. Led by Ms. Stephanie Wagner, Bryan students engaged in meaningful learning that supports both personal growth and peer advocacy. A special highlight was Senior Class President Kevin Trejo-Orea, who represented Bryan in a featured news interview, speaking thoughtfully on issues that matter to students today. His leadership, confidence, and authenticity reflected the strength of our school community. This experience empowered students to use their voices, support one another, and lead with purpose—demonstrating the impact of education beyond the classroom.

Academies in Action: Education Academy

Excellence in Action at HOSA State Leadership Conference
Education Academy students also showcased their skills at the HOSA Spring Leadership Conference, competing against peers from across Nebraska in a variety of health science events. Their participation highlighted not only their academic preparation but also their commitment to future careers in healthcare and education. A special congratulations goes to Yaneli Quiroz Tavizon, who earned 2nd place in her event and qualified to compete at the international level—an outstanding accomplishment. All participating students demonstrated professionalism, perseverance, and a dedication to excellence throughout the competition. Experiences like HOSA allow students to apply their learning in real-world contexts while building confidence and leadership skills that will serve them well in their future careers.

Academies in Action: Education Academy

Record-Breaking Success for Ed Rising Students!

The Education Academy is celebrating a milestone achievement as 13 Bryan students qualified for Ed Rising Nationals, the largest group in school history. Through their coursework and competition preparation, students demonstrated strong instructional knowledge, leadership, and a commitment to future careers in education. These students competed in events that highlighted lesson planning, public speaking, and educational leadership—skills essential for tomorrow’s educators. Their success reflects hours of preparation, collaboration, and dedication to their craft. Qualifying for Nationals is a significant accomplishment that places these students among the top aspiring educators in the country. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and excited to see them represent Bryan on the national stage.

Attention, Freshman Families: IXL is Here!

Freshman Families,

IXL is an education technology tool that has been purchased by Omaha Public Schools. Freshman are currently practicing grade-level skills within the platform, assigned by their Math and Freshman Seminar teachers in alignment with the curriculum for rigorous practice opportunities. IXL helps students not only achieve success on grade-level content but with college entrance and high school exit exams. IXL StudyWise is a tool for standardized tests (ACT, SAT, PreACT) and state assessments (NWEA MAP, i-Ready, etc.) that turns students’ previous test scores into their very own personalized study plans. Then, each student can focus on the exact skills that will improve their scores and prepare them for their lives ahead. These plans have been created for your students and currently live on their dashboards.

Students will use these study plans in their Freshman Seminar and Math classes along with learning essential testing-taking skills, executive functioning skills, and project management. We are very excited to provide students with a tool that meets their current needs while preparing their learning for upcoming high stakes assessments. Students can continue to work on skills by logging into Clever at home, using any device. It is recommended that they complete skills in IXL to a SmartScore of 80 before starting new skills. This flyer provides more information about how to make the most out of the Studywise tool.

Please reach out to your child's teacher for any questions about accessing and achieving the most out of the IXL Studywise plan!

Parent/Guardian Login to SchooLinks

You do not need a claim code as your Schoolinks login has already been created for you and matched to your student! Check out our Schoolinks Platform overview: https://youtu.be/5YBM2SwfD94?si=Ex4hnymPJ5CoqM27

How you can connect:

Go to app.schoolinks.com.
Type in your email address in the Email spot and click Forgot Password.
It will prompt you to check your email for a link and “reset” your password.
Make sure to use the same email address that you have shared with OPS previously. That is the email address that was used to create your account.

Need support, contact support@schoolinks.com

School Safety and The Standard Response Protocol

Safety is a top priority at Bryan High. Our district uses the terms and actions outlined in the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) as we manage events outside of our regular routine such as a fire, evacuation, severe weather or other disruption.

We regularly practice Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter procedures so students and staff can easily understand what to do and expect in each situation.

To ensure open communication, families will receive a message when we have an SRP response at Bryan High.

How Nebraska SMART Works:

Parents must register their children for tutoring through the Nebraska SMART website.
Once registered, students (or parents) can schedule sessions or connect instantly using our on-demand feature.
Tutoring is available in 15-, 30-, 45-, or 60-minute increments; on-demand sessions are available in 10-minute blocks.
All sessions take place on Pearl, a secure online tutoring platform that records and manages communication.
Tutors are education majors who have been admitted to their programs, completed background checks, and are mentored by College Program Coordinators.

We’d appreciate your help in sharing this resource with students and families in your district. The Nebraska SMART flyer (available in English and Spanish) can be distributed electronically or printed for your schools.

I’d also welcome the opportunity to visit with you to share more about the program and how it can support your students’ success.

Thank you for your continued partnership in helping Nebraska students thrive.

Click here to apply for your student for the fall:

https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=tm3mWBshN0q36A72lnQgwfEdpPK34DlJvx7U9gVb_zpUNExUODhZVFhKTzVTVVhFTEtRWkFTRlBLMC4u&route=shorturl

Career Center's 26-27 Application is LIVE!

Below please find the link of the application for convenience.

Career Center will send this link out to all students via SchooLinks. There will be directions for students to plan to allow 15 minutes to complete and submit the application in one setting. We will also direct them to inform their counselor of their application.

https://ops.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe /form/SV_dbuNeXE0HQOsb3M

UNO’s Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI)

We from UNO’s Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI) want to share our upcoming opportunities with you and your students! In Summer 2026, we will again be offering our Summer Scholars program, which provides college-bound high school juniors the opportunity to enroll in a course at UNO to earn college credits, prepare for college life, and connect with UNO faculty, staff, and students.

In the months leading up to summer, we will also be continuing our Monthly Maverick Workshops tailored to prepare high school students for the unique challenges and opportunities they may encounter while applying for and attending college. Our spring workshops will include topics such as:

Scholarship Writing: Tips and strategies for creating standout scholarship applications and strong college applications
Wellness and Development: Fostering conversations and reflections about holistic wellbeing
Financial Aid 101: An introduction to the FAFSA, financial aid processes and deadlines, and tips for managing finances

As preparations are beginning, we would like to share both informational flyers and ask that you share it with your students. We believe these will be incredibly valuable for students as they prepare for their postsecondary education journey. If you have junior students who may be interested in registering for either opportunity, we would love to have them participate!

Once students register, a member of our SLI team will follow up with them directly to provide further details.

Thank you for sharing this opportunity with your students! Should you or your students have any questions or need further information, feel free to reach out to our program directly at unoslicollegeprograms@unomaha.edu.

Apply for Educational Benefits Today!

This summer, our district notified families that students at Bryan High will continue to receive lunch at no cost, regardless of income, through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

We encourage our families to complete an Educational Benefits to see if they qualify for additional benefits including:

Discounted home internet services
Discounted or waived fees for SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP and other academic tests
Waived or reduced college and post-secondary application and course fees
Scholarship options
Access to career, internship and other community programs

Log in to SchoolCafe and click “Apply for Benefits” to complete the form. It only takes a few minutes to complete if you have your household income details.

One form covers all students in your household. If you have already completed an Educational Benefits Form or Free and Reduced Meal Application through SchoolCafe, you can check your eligibility status on your account dashboard.

Please reach out to our office if you need help completing your application. 531-299-2540.

Seniors - Complete your FAFSA or Opt-Out form!

Nebraska law requires all public high school seniors to complete and submit a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or complete an Opt-Out form as a graduation requirement. After completing one of these two options, Bryan High seniors will receive this cool stuffed bear key chain! Stop in the School Counseling office if you have questions. EducationQuest representative Victor Garcia will be at Bryan High on April 10 to help students and families with their FAFSA.

EducationQuest

https://educationquest.org/events/

📣 New! Do The FAFSA Nebraska Scholarship

Big news for Nebraska seniors! The Do The FAFSA Nebraska program will award 60 scholarships worth $1,000 each this academic year—20 per Congressional district!

Applicants must:

Be a Nebraska high school senior.
Plan to attend a Nebraska college/university full-time in Fall 2026.
Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and a Nebraska resident.
Must complete the 2026–27 FAFSA.

Key Dates

Oct. 1, 2025 – Application opens
Dec. 5, 2025 - First Drawing – First drawing (8 winners per district)
Apr. 15, 2026 – Second drawing (12 winners per district)
Students not selected in December will automatically be entered into the April drawing.

Get Ready Now

The scholarship will be listed in ScholarshipQuest starting Oct. 1, 2025.
Encourage your students to create a ScholarshipQuest profile NOW so they’re ready to apply when the time comes!
Watch for more details in the next Counselor Bulletin and on our social media channels.

Graduation is an exciting milestone for students and a once-in-a-lifetime moment to be celebrated. Jostens makes it easy for schools, parents and seniors, with one-stop shopping for apparel, announcements, keepsakes and class jewelry. So, seniors can celebrate with pride and commemorate their big moment for years to come.

Online ordering at JOSTENS.com to order graduation products, caps & gowns, class rings and school letter jackets will go live on September 2nd.

Omaha Bryan High School OMAHA, NE | Jostens

All students who participate in the graduation ceremony are required to wear these items specifically selected for your school: a cap and gown unit with stole (includes free tassel). Your graduation apparel must be ordered from OPS’ selected vendor, School Traditions (Jostens).

Cap, Gown, Tassel,

Late Cost (order window 10/21/25 to graduation day): Cap, gown, tassel, and stole $51.95 + $2.99 handling fee + tax + $10 late fee = $68.79 TOTAL

If you are not able to order online, you can pay with debit/credit card, cash, or check at the School Traditions storefront on Tuesdays or Thursdays 10AM-5:30PM. They are located at 12100 W. Center Rd. Suite 202.

Cap and Gown Online Ordering Instructions

1) To go to your school ordering site, go to www.jostens.com and click on Find My School/Group Store. Type your school's name and select Nebraska. Or click on a direct link for each OPS school: Bryan

2) Click Graduation click cap and gown

3) Scroll down and click ORDER NOW IF YOU ONLY WANT CAP AND GOWN SCROLL TO CAP AND GOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAGE.

4) Scroll down below all of the packages, below Announcements & Cards, below Accessories, below Apparel, and click Cap and Gown Unit w/Stole

5) Enter in sizing information and click NEXT: ADD KEEPSAKE TASSEL

6) Adding a Keepsake Tassel is optional. If you would like to purchase for an additional fee, click on the one you want to purchase. Otherwise, click NO THANKS. Click NEXT: ADD APPAREL.

7) Adding Apparel is optional. If you would like to purchase apparel for an additional fee, click on the item you want to purchase. Otherwise, click NO THANKS. Click NEXT: ADD ANNOUNCEMENTS.

8) Adding Announcements is optional. If you would like to purchase announcements for an additional fee, click on the item you want to purchase. Otherwise, click NO THANKS. Click NEXT: REVIEW.

9) Click ADD TO CART

10) Enter first and last name, Click CHECKOUT

11) Click CONTINUE AS A GUEST

12) Enter BILLING INFORMATION, click CONTINUE

13) Enter information to FINALIZE YOUR ORDER

If you need help with Announcements & Graduation Products:

High School/Home School

1-877-475-7027

Step By Step Ordering