The Sacramento County Office of Education recognized hundreds of area youth at the annual Friday Night Live/Club Live awards program held May 8, 2003. Students, parents, and faculty advisors gathered at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center to celebrate the accomplishments of Friday Night Live and Club Live chapters located on high school and middle school campuses throughout the county.
Cheryl Raney, Director of Prevention and Student Services for the Sacramento County Office of Education, welcomed the crowd and related how Friday Night Live and Club Live chapters are positively influencing the lives of young people. Guests also heard from Toni Moore, Administrator of the Sacramento County Drug and Alcohol Division, and Jim Kooler, Administrator for the California Friday Night Live Partnership. County Board of Education Trustee Elinor L. Hickey, retired teacher and a long-time supporter of youth development programs, was introduced.
Sacramento County Office of Education Project Specialist Joelle Orrock, manager of the Friday Night Live programs, talked about the benefits of participation in FNL/CL. SCOE Project Assistants Karen Allen and Autumn Dello Russo introduced Friday Night Live and Club Live chapter leaders. Participants in the FNL/CL Mentor Program were recognized by SCOE Project Assistants Tiffany Olito and Sal De Leon.
Students took the microphone and described their experiences with Friday Night Live, Club Live, and the FNL Mentor Program during the 2002-2003 school year. Youth from James Rutter Middle School and Martin Luther King, Jr., Junior High School — finalists in the 2003 Club Live Lip Sync Competition—repeated their award-winning performances.
Participants
The following Friday Night Live/Club Live chapters and Mentor Program participants were honored on May 8:
Center Unified School District
- Center Junior High School - Valerie Rose, advisor
Elk Grove Unified School District
- Calvine High School - Ron Eggert, advisor
- Harriet Eddy Middle School - Linda Henderson, advisor
- Elk Grove High School - Dan Newton, advisor
- Franklin High School - Jamie Davi, advisor
- Samuel Jackman Middle School - Lisa Chairez, advisor
- Toby Johnson Middle School - Becky Rosso, advisor
- Joseph Kerr Middle School - Deb Gessler, advisor
- James Rutter Middle School - Maggie Ward, advisor
- Sheldon High School - Yuri Penermon, advisor
- T.R. Smedberg Middle School - Jason Robarge, advisor
- Valley High School - John Harrigan, advisor
Folsom Cordova Unified School District
- Cordova High School - Kitty White, advisor
- Folsom High School - Kay McAleer, advisor
- Folsom Middle School - Tamara Saylar, advisor
- Mills Middle School - Kendra Johnson & Nancy McDonald, advisors
Galt Joint Union and Galt Joint Union High School Districts
- Galt High School - Laurie Bambas, advisor
- Vernon E. Greer Middle School - Stephanie Firenza, advisor
Grant Joint Union High School District
- Don Julio Junior High School - Melissa Gibson, advisor
- Foothill Farms Junior High School - Sharon Gentry, advisor
- Foothill High School - Kris Mongerson, advisor
- Grant High School - Malcom Wong, advisor
- Highlands High School - Richard O'Toole, advisor
- Martin Luther King, Jr., Junior High School - Lou Frasier, Enid Hudgins & Rodrigo Jara, advisors
- Rio Linda Junior High School - Sally Coglan, advisor
- Rio Tierra Junior High School - Bill Colby, advisor
Natomas Unified School District
- Leroy Greene Middle School - Joseph Cepeda & Jennifer Orosco, advisors
- Natomas Middle School - Goya Gutierrez, advisor
Sacramento City Unified School District
- American Legion High School - Mary Horton, advisor
- Kit Carson Middle School - Andrea Ruedes, advisor
- Leonardo da Vinci K-8 School - Robert Logan, advisor
- Hiram Johnson High School - Katie Durham & Lou Vanvelzen, advisors
- Will C. Wood Middle School - Kevin Eldridge & Henry Romero, advisors
San Juan Unified School District
- Del Campo High School - Keith Dello Russo & Chris Hauger, advisors
- Will Rogers Middle School - June Baril & Maureen Julin, advisors
About Friday Night Live
Friday Night Live (for high school students) and Club Live (for middle school students) are programs operated by the Sacramento County Office of Education to provide community service, leadership-building, and recreational opportunities. Friday Night Live and Club Live campus chapters are supported by teacher-advisors who give guidance to students in planning chapter activities. FNL and CL chapters enrich the lives of students through participation in leadership trainings, outings to Sacramento Kings and River Cats games, substance abuse prevention rallies, guest speakers, dances, and much more. Some chapters are involved in the FNL Mentoring Program, which pairs middle school students with high school students for one-on-one mentoring sessions. A County Youth Council, 20 students representing 12 area high schools, assists in the development of FNL/CL activities.
The Friday Night Live programs originated at the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) and now operate in hundreds of schools across the state. For information about starting a Friday Night Live or Club Live program on a school campus, please contact Joelle Orrock at (916) 228-2418.