Saturday, December 31, 2016

#OneWord2017 BE


We as human beings are busy. We are always running around because we are so busy. We have schedules and things that we always have to do. 

What if we didn't have schedules? What if we took time to just BE or to just sit and reflect? How would our kids react? What if we stopped worrying about what the next thing was we had to do and just worried about the present?



In my job, there are times where I am going from place to place. There are days when I get pulled in many different directions and talking to many different people. I go home and still struggle with staying away, keeping up and making sure that everything is done for the next day.

I as a father, Christian, husband, educator, among other things, I have to take time To Be. Just BE. Stop what I am doing and Be. Be the leader, the father, the husband I need to be. Take time to just sit and BE. Relax and refocus, refresh. Be the role model, Be the one person that listens, that when a student needs help or someone to listen to I can Be that person. 

I plan to use my one word to BE in 2017.  

I hope each of you have a fruitful and blessed 2017.  

Jarred

@BLHS_Principal










Sunday, August 21, 2016

It will all work out...


Last week we welcomed BLHS students into the hallways at the high school for the year 2016-2017.  The year is finally underway and there is much learning to do.  As we approached the first days I thought about what could be a good way for kids to voice their goals for the year.  After talking with one of my teachers we came up with this idea!  What is your HOPE?  

So I ask this question- What is your HOPE for the school year?

My three HOPES for the year:
1. That everyone Encourages each other.
2. We all come with a positive attitude every day.
3. We are all committed to doing our job



The HOPE runs wild at the beginning of the year of many school districts.  Kids are excited to be back, teachers have lesson plans ready and shiny new toys.  Everyone is hopeful for a new year. Sometimes that hope goes away. It loses its shine. Hope fades in and out. What can we do to help our students and ourselves from losing the HOPE.  





One of my favorite lines is, "It will all work out."  If we can keep the HOPE, encourage each other and commit to helping each other.  It will. So I Encourage you today to KEEP YOUR HOPE.  Keep it for the year, Because it will all work out!

Jarred
- @BLHS_Principal

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Encourage, Attitude, Commitment

As I start my new journey as the lead servant of Basehor Linwood High School in August I have started to think about what I can do to help teachers, students and community members come together to help each and every one of our kids be successful.  Success can be measured in many different ways and each student can take many different paths in order to get there.

To help myself focus I always try to think of words or phrases that help simplify things.  After speaking to a few of my building leaders three words kept coming up: Encourage, Attitude and Commitment.  

Encourage
Doesn't the below statement say it all.  As staff members we can encourage daily.  Build kids up don't tear them down.  No matter what is happening we can encourage them to do better.  As students we can help each other become better by being a positive encouragement for that kid that is having a bad day.  We can be that one person that made them smile for the day.  As parents we can make the most impact. Tell your child to keep up the good work, tell them to keep working hard. Tell them good job!  Encourage them.  As teachers and adults we must look at the good things and don't always focus on the negative!



Attitude
There is a saying out there that says, Misery loves company.  It is so true!  We have to come to work, school and home each day with a positive attitude.  Is everything going to always go your way?  NO!  Will things change if you sit around and pout or complain or think the world is against you? No, many times they will get worse and you will accomplish nothing.  Let's face it, not everything is going to go your way. Trials are daily in your life.  There are always hardships that do not seem fair, sicknesses that don't heal, or people that are just plain mean to you. You have the choice to think positive or not.  How you decide will effect others around you look on life also!



Commitment

In or out.  You're either with us or against us.  Commit to doing the right thing.  What is the right thing for your child?  What is the right thing for the student?  Can you commit to doing what is right even when it is the harder thing to do?  There are rules and regulations that we all need to follow, but we can together if we commit to doing the right thing.





Encourage, Attitude, Commitment.  Together we can do what is necessary to help all of our students. And each other!


Jarred 

@jfuhrman3932

Have a blessed day!

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Our Next Journey...

Last week I was named the principal for Basehor Linwood High School for the 2016-2017 school year.  I am so humbled and blessed to be a part of such a great group of people.  Students, staff, the community have been so kind and supportive over the last 9 years.  There has been ups and some downs, but it is a great place to be.  

We talk in life about journey's.  What is our next Journey?  Last blog I wrote about the storm and facing storms in our life.  How we get through them determines what kind of person we are and the character we develop.  I have had many journey's in my life-high school, college, my first teaching job, marriage, kids, my first admin job, moving numerous times, deaths, friends, faith, among many others.  We all have many of them we go through in our lives.

The neat thing about my journey is that I have and will never look at it like it is my journey.  Nothing that I do is for me. I have done nothing by myself.  It is funny how people take credit for things they have done, when we look at the world we see so much of, "Look at me", or "Be yourself", "Look at my accomplishments"!  

Here's a small piece of information that you might not know:



It's not about ME.  It's about us.  It's about the school that I work at.  It's OUR journey.  Together we will make it a better school. Together We will take on challenges.  Together WE can make it to the top of the mountain.  


Our journey includes my support system below- My wife, my daughter and my son.  We do life together.  Our journey includes my boys that sit around the fire with me on Monday's and talk about life.  Our journey includes the teachers and administrators that I work work every day.  Our journey includes all my PLN who have continued to support and encourage me each and every day.  Our journey includes coaches and friends in the past that have helped me along the way.  Our journey includes my parents who taught me valuable lessons about life.  There are so many others to count!




So as I move forward I look in anticipation to the challenge of leading the best high school in Kansas to continued success.  But along the way I will always remember that it's not about me and it's not my journey, but our journey and this is just our next one that He is calling us to follow.


Go Bobcats!

-Jarred
@jfuhrman3932








Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Through the storm



The Storm.  My pastor at church has said numerous times that in our lives we are either...Getting ready to go into a storm, going through a storm or getting out of one.  That is how life goes.  As educators, parents and students we go through those times each and every day.  Some days are great, some days are rough.  It's just the storm.  Somedays it may just be the wind, blowing us away.  Other days it's a little thunder that startles us and keeps us awake.  There are times in our lives however when a catastrophic storm comes that destroys everything.  Through all these times however we must fight through-

Must continue to climb that mountain...



Fight through the clutter....



To reach the other side of the storm.  Rely on others. Take time to breath. Don't give up. There is sunlight on the other side of the storm.
As educators and parents- We must for the sake of our kids, for the sake of our future.

So think about today where you are in life:

Are you being prepared for a storm, going through one or getting out of one?


Always look for the light-  It's funny-sometimes you don't have to look as hard as you think you do.






-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932










Monday, February 8, 2016

Opportunities await you...


What is in our future?  What is yesterday, today or tomorrow?  Do we have a purpose here on earth?  Does my life mean anything? Is my path already written or can I change?

Many times we ponder these questions in life.  Whether you are an adult or a child we all wonder what our future holds.



We just don't know. We can try many things. We can hope, and try our best, but we still may never know what our purpose is. I think what we need to look at is in one word- Opportunity.  There are opportunities all around us each day that we choose or choose not to take. We could open the door for someone else to walk through it.  Sitting in the drive-thru line at Scooters the other day, there was an opportunity to pay for the person behind me. I could have easily just paid for my own, but the opportunity was there. Will I ever know what happen? No.  What about the opportunity to read to your child?  Do we take advantage of the opportunity to sit and have breakfast with them when we can?  Are there times where you could shut off the TV and just sit and play a board or card game with your kid?

What about opportunities to tell your co-workers that they are doing a good job? Do you tell your spouse how much you love them every opportunity you get?  Do you take the opportunity to tell your child's teacher thank you?





We also miss opportunities when we are dealing with hard times.  We see obstacles when we could see opportunities.  We see times to blame instead of times to change.



We sometimes are so focused on the shut door we don't realize the opportunity to go through the open one. Open your eyes.  Shut your mouth.  Look. See. Listen.

The opportunity is there.....Will you see it?  Will you act?



-Jarred

@jfuhrman3932

Saturday, January 2, 2016

My 3 Words

As I look back on 2015 I see trials, surprises, happiness and friendships.  I see courage, fear, and decisions.  My One Word last year was Faithfulness.  I have been challenged to seek out 3 Words that I vow to live by in 2016-(Thanks @jennifer_hogan)   So here goes....


SHINE


This past fall has been rough for me personally.  There has been many days where it's been hard to get out of bed.  My physical workouts have dimished, my diet has gotten worse, at times my attitude has not been as positive as I have been.  We are called to be the light.  Be the light that others want to follow.  Be an example.  Be positive.   My goal here is to SHINE each and every day no matter what is going on personally so others my be influenced by my actions.



SHARE
As a light-our goal is to SHARE.  Share what we know.  Support others with their goals and what they want to accomplish.  Be real and transparent. People many times will attach to people who are real. I want to share what I know and what I feel.  My goal is to be the best leader that I can be for others.

SHAPE

One struggle of mine as a leader and as a person is to share responsibilities and build leaders. I have been working on this in my personal life and with friendships, however at work I have fallen short.  As a light and leader my responsibility is to help shape others.  Whether it be a student who is struggling in Math or a teacher who has some struggles with classroom management- I have to help shape others.  My goal is to  SHAPE others so they can have the tools to go forward in their daily life.





These are my 3 Words for 2016.  I challenge you to think of your 3-How are you planning on changing lives in 2016??

Happy New Year and Blessings,

- Jarred
@jfuhrman3932