Maps, Marauding and Mayhem

If the path is going to be clearer, then we've got to point out all the markers

13 December 2025

Fliss Falconer

This week, we have been busy presenting at the Attendance Network Meetings. It was a great chance to catch up with the local primary, secondary and special schools’ Attendance Champions and Officers. Some of them I have closely worked with for nearly three years, and it feels more like catching up with colleagues than acquaintances or clients.

For the first time since I started, I was able to deliver some data about my role. It wasn’t all positive or uplifting, but I hope the way it was presented, as a baseline, was well received. It is crucial that if I am going to adopt the analogy of paving an obstacle course in the dark and transforming it into a brightly lit stadium, then when the lights flicker on and illuminate the entire arena, we are going to see the dusty corners, the flashing scoreboard, and always be thinking about the next game, the next PB, the next hurdle to take on.

Anyone who knows me is very much aware that I am not a sportsperson, so these metaphors probably aren’t quite right. However, I am all about dance, fitness and overall health, so hopefully I have some understanding of the arena and can pull on the team spirit so we can score… I’ll work on it.

The Run Down

The markers on this week’s path were many and varied.

• Attendance Network Meetings – not once, not twice, but four times: two back-to-back on Tuesday, a virtual session from home on Wednesday, and then Thursday morning once more in Cheltenham.

• Cheltenham trips – the journeys themselves adding to the sense of being everywhere at once. Leaving the house at 7am to arrive on time makes me a little wary about having to go to the office more regularly. I love being with my colleagues but I have fallen head over heels for the WFH style!

• Christmas Party 🎄 – festive sparkle, laughter, and community spirit. Lots of beautiful singing and playing. Despite some people suggesting that I insisted they play... as though they didn’t have a choice (they didn’t), we had a beautiful variety. I managed to capture some performances but not all, because I wanted to enjoy being there and fully immerse myself.

• Singing in Public 🎤 – no one has thrown tomatoes (yet!).

• Hamish’s 5th Birthday Party 🎂 – wheels already turning for a Spiderman-themed extravaganza.

• Movement and Mindfulness Session 🧘 – planning a fundraiser for the school, blending health, community, and purpose.

• Old Market Mini-Event 🎭 – raising awareness and ticket sales for the society’s March show.

• Technology to the Rescue 👩‍💻 - emails, images, videos and PowerPoints, all supported by AI, saving time and energy

From Chaos to Choreography

It’s all go, isn’t it? But that’s the joy of this season: the maps we draw, the marauding adventures we take, and the mayhem we embrace all become part of the bigger picture. Dusty corners, flashing scoreboards, and the next hurdle waiting in the wings: it’s not chaos, it’s choreography.

And while I may not be a sportsperson, I know what it means to keep rhythm in the mayhem: (clumsily) pirouetting through deadlines, stretching into new challenges, and finding balance even when the music speeds up. This isn’t just about surviving the pace but about dancing with it.

🌸📚🐾🖥️✒️☕🌸