The SWWC Weekly

Hello SWWC Students (and Parents/Guardians):

I want to officially welcome you to the South & West Washtenaw Consortium (SWWC). As the Director of the SWWC, thank you for choosing to spend a part of your high school experience enrolled in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) class. I assure you that the skills and relationships you will build throughout this school year, along with the unique experiences, will undoubtedly become a memorable part of your life. I am excited for you to begin your CTE journey!

So now what? You applied, you were accepted, and now you may have many questions about what the SWWC is all about. Please take some time to review the information provided in this newsletter so you feel comfortable and prepared to start this school year in just a couple of weeks. If you have any questions, I encourage you to contact me or our office, and we will be more than happy to assist you.

Thank you again for committing to the SWWC and our team can't wait to meet you!

See you soon,

Mrs. Stemmer

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.

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 are 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.

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

• 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.

See the image below for the current CTE classes offered through the SWWC.