The SWWC Weekly

WHAT TO KNOW FOR THIS WEEK

Monday, August 31st

• First day for all SWWC programs EXCEPT Hospitality & Tourism and Graphics Art Academy at Dexter High School.
• Cosmetology and Building Trades students should report directly to their off-site programs via bus or self-transportation. *As a reminder, if a bus is provided, you MUST ride it.

Friday, September 4th

• All SWWC districts and administrative offices are closed.

LOOKING AHEAD

Monday, September 7th

• All SWWC districts and administrative offices are closed.

Tuesday, September 9th (updated 8/30 @ 5:22 p.m.)

• First day for SWWC programs at Dexter High School.

The South & West Washtenaw Consortium (SWWC) provides Career and Technical Education (CTE) opportunities to 11th and 12th grade students enrolled in the Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, and Saline school districts. Approximately 975 students participate in our state-approved CTE programs as they continue to plan and prepare for college and career. Our classes are listed below.

On behalf of the thirty-eight SWWC staff members, we welcome you to the new school year! Thank you for enrolling in one of our twenty-three Career and Technical Education classes offered at Chelsea, Dexter, and Saline High School, Cosmetology @ Saline Middle School, and Building Trades located in downtown Saline. We are excited to have you in the consortium!

If you have any questions, please contact Kara Stemmer, the Director of the SWWC at 734.401.4371 or via email at stemmkar@salineschools.org.

FIRST DAY

The first day for SWWC classes is Monday, August 31, 2026.

• Dexter High School does not officially begin its school year until Tuesday, September 8th. The two SWWC classes at DHS (Graphics Art Academy and Hospitality & Tourism) will not begin until this date.
• There is no school on Friday, September 4, 2026, or Monday, September 7, 2026.

Dexter Students Only - Please Read Below

• DHS will provide a bus from 8/31/26 through 9/3/26 to transport Dexter High School students to their SWWC class at Saline High School even though school has not officially started; see below for specific logistical information. If you haven’t already, you will receive your school schedule soon, and that will communicate if you’ll be in the morning or afternoon SWWC class.

• The bus will depart DHS's bus loop at 8:25 a.m. for students going to Saline High School and Building Trades. You will return around 10:55 a.m.
• The bus will depart DHS's bus loop at 8:45 a.m. for students going to Chelsea's CTE Center. You will return around 10:55 a.m.
• All SWWC Cosmetology students will self-transport to the new location at Saline Middle School; the address is 7190 N Maple Rd, Saline, MI 48176.

• The bus will depart DHS's bus loop at 12:45 p.m. for students going to Saline High School and Building Trades. You will return around 3:10 p.m.
• All students attending a SWWC class at Chelsea’s CTE Center will self-transport. There will be no district-provided transportation. The address is 500 Washington Street, Chelsea, MI 48118.

For all other students enrolled in a SWWC class at Saline High School (SHS), you will ride your district-provided bus to SHS, and the driver will drop you off at Door 34 (by the auditorium, formerly known as Door 5).

• SWWC staff members will be there to greet you and direct you to the auditorium for a brief introduction.
• Once the presentation is over, SWWC staff will take you to your class.

• The SWWC bus will pick students up and drop them off at their home high school’s bus loop

If you are a student enrolled in our Cosmetology program at Huron Valley Beauty School (HVBA), you are self-transporting directly to that location on Monday, August 31, 2026. As a reminder, the new address is: 7190 N Maple Rd, Saline, MI 48176. The included map will share the most efficient way to access HVBA and where to park.

If you are a student enrolled in our Building Trades program, you are required to ride your district-provided bus and if your district is not providing a bus, you will self-transport. You will report directly to this location on Monday, August 31, 2026: 202 W. Bennett Street, Saline, MI 48176.

If you MUST drive to your SWWC class at Saline High School due to enrolling in a hour that a bus is not provided, park only in the indicated area on the map and enter Door 34.

f you MUST drive to your SWWC class at Chelsea's CTE Center due to enrolling in a hour that a bus is not provided, park only in the indicated area on the map and enter at a specified door on the map.

Refer to this document to confirm when your bus leaves and returns for your SWWC class.

This document outlines the anticipated dates when there may be a schedule change for SWWC programs. Please note that these dates are subject to change as we move through the school year. As always, you will be notified immediatley whenever there is a school closure.

When an SWWC program is not running, students are expected to report to their home high school for the day.

COMMUNICATION

We encourage all students and families to visit our website at www.TheSWWC.org. In addition to finding program and staff information, our office will post announcements there as well.

• If you missed the “New Student Informational Webinar" held in May, the recorded webinar is posted on the home page of our website.
• Students and parents/guardians will receive notifications via ParentSquare.
1. The SWWC will use ParentSquare for general announcements, school closings, etc.
2. You will use your ParentSquare account to access/submit Field Trip Permission Slips.
3. You should have already received one notification via ParentSquare. If not, you're invited to create an account; here is a link to learn how.
4. If you update your home high school PowerSchool contact information, please let our office know. We will then make that change on our end as well.

• Every Sunday afternoon, you will receive, via email, the SWWC Weekly Newsletter. This digital newsletter shares important information, points of pride, etc.

• If you have questions or need support, please reach out via phone at (734) 401-4476; our administrative offices are located at Saline High School.

• Follow us on social media! Instagram: the_swwc Facebook: TheSWWC

ATTENDANCE

The purpose of Career and Technical Education Programs is to educate and prepare high school students for employment. Regular attendance and being on time are essential. Skills developed by working with equipment in the proper setting under the supervision of an instructor cannot be duplicated at home when students are tardy or absent. Employers require workers (students) to have regular attendance as a condition of continued employment, and it is an indicator of commitment to job training and reliability as an employee. Good attendance is necessary to acquire skills, competency, knowledge, and proper work attitudes and habits.

• Chelsea and Saline students should not miss more than 7 days per trimester, and Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, and Milan students should not miss more than 10 days per semester.
• Your SWWC teacher or the SWWC office will communicate with students and parents/guardians if absences become a concern.
• If there is evidence of chronic absenteeism, a recommendation to remove the student from the year-long class may be made.

Notification of Absences

The following procedure must be followed when a student is absent from their SWWC program for any reason, including, but not limited to: illness/injury, appointments, bereavement, homeschool-related activities/field sports/sporting events, etc.

• The parent/guardian must notify the SWWC and the student’s home district of each absence.
• The parent/guardian may notify the SWWC using one of the following methods:
1. Email: SWWCAttendance@salineschools.org
2. Call the SWWC Attendance Line: 734-401-4283
• When reporting an absence, please relay the following information: Student Name, Symptoms/Illness/Reason for absence, Home District, and Parent/Guardian Name.

POWERSCHOOL

Students from all districts can only access their SWWC class grade through Saline’s PowerSchool.

• All SWWC students will be assigned a Saline email address with a username and password; this will be given to them by their SWWC teacher within the first week of school. They will need this information to access PowerSchool.
• Parents/Guardians can create an account within Saline’s PowerSchool. The instructions are included below. If your student does not know their Access Number, please contact our office to obtain that information.

TRANSPORTATION

It is the expectation that all SWWC students ride their district-provided school bus.

SWWC HANDBOOK

Please take time to review the 26/27 SWWC Handbook prior to the start of the school year.

• The first couple of pages provide addresses, program start/end times, and other information that you may find helpful before the start of school.