Angels Camp, CA…Red Ribbon Week was observed nationwide Oct. 23–31. The Calaveras County Office of Education’s Student Support Services team worked alongside local high school and middle school student leaders to organize activities that encouraged healthy choices and positive connections.

Calaveras County Sheriff Deputies Byrd and McNurlin sign the Red Ribbon Week Pledge Board at Avery Middle School.

Students at Bret Harte High School sign red ribbons as a pledge to remain drug-free

Students at Calaveras High School pose for a group photo after their Red Ribbon Week Relay Event with Principal Heather James, Deputy Scott McNurlin, and Youth Development Coordinator Jessica Marciel.

According to the 2025–2026 California Healthy Kids Survey, 41% of participating Calaveras County 11th graders reported having used alcohol or other drugs in their lifetime, and 21% reported use within the past 30 days. Friday Night Live and Club Live engage students in leading prevention efforts, promoting healthy choices, and creating opportunities for substance-free fun and connection.

Student members of Friday Night Live and Club Live organized lunchtime tabling events with support from CCOE Youth Development Coordinators Jessica Marciel and Hayley Regan and Calaveras County Sheriff’s Deputies Tyler Byrd and Scott McNurlin. Students designed pledge boards and invited their peers to make a commitment to remain drug-free. School administrators and staff joined in, reinforcing a shared commitment to student health and well-being.

Events across the county were positive and playful, with students who signed pledges receiving prizes such as stickers, bracelets, and sports equipment, including hacky sacks, footballs, and frisbees, to encourage healthy alternatives to drug use. Calaveras High School’s Friday Night Live students hosted their first-ever student relay competition on Friday, Oct. 30, to finish the week strong. More than 60 students participated in fun team-building challenges, many in their Halloween costumes.

Participating schools included Calaveras High School, Bret Harte High School, Toyon Middle School, Mark Twain Elementary School, and Avery Middle School.

CCOE operates Friday Night Live and Club Live through its Student Support Services department, with funding support from Calaveras County Behavioral Health and the California Friday Night Live Partnership. For more information visit www.ccoe.k12.ca.us/studentsupportservices.

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