Wildcuts Salon welcomes public clients for its 10th year

Warwick Valley High School’s Wildcuts Salon is back for the 2026-2027 school year and preparing to welcome public clients for its 10th year!

Scissors are snipping, shampoo is lathering, color is being applied, and foils folded, as students in Kathleen Bettello’s cosmetology program have hit the ground running this year, getting ready for another year of making their public clients happy.

Before we go on, if you’d like to be one of those happy clients, you can make your Wildcuts Salon appointment for one of the days listed below by calling (845) 987-3050, ext. 22920. You can also visit the Wildcuts Salon page for details.

The cosmetology program is a staple of the Warwick Valley Career & Technical Education opportunities, and Wildcuts has been an ongoing project for the past 10 years.

Wildcuts Salon has six public appointment days scheduled through Spring 2027. Each day has multiple openings, filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Thursday, November 12, 2026
• Thursday, December 10, 2026
• Thursday, January 14, 2027
• Thursday, February 11, 2027
• Thursday, March 4, 2027
• Thursday, April 8, 2027

For the ambitious students who get involved with Ms. Bettello’s program, the sky is the limit. Students spend a thousand hours of class time spread over two years of classes. By the time they’re seniors, they have earned enough hours and experience to take their New York State licensing exam, a huge benefit particularly for those who aspire to become professional stylists. And while some go straight into the workforce, Ms. Bettello said a large percentage of her students also go on to pursue higher education.

Ms. Bettello points out that skills taught in the Wildcuts program such as accountability and professionalism overlap with countless paths students may take.

“A lot of the students don't go into cosmetology, but they are taking away those fundamental skills,” Ms. Bettello explained. “They're not just learning about hair. All the skills they learn in here can be applied in other professions.”

As they learn to provide a wide variety of popular salon services, the students are learning how to work together, accountability, professionalism, and communication.

“These are all skills that can be applied in any profession,” she added. “[At Wildcuts] they’re colleagues and their students, and they’re learning to connect with members of the outside community.”

When a public client enters the Wildcuts Salon, they are greeted, seated, and treated to their services by a team of stylists that typically includes a senior who focuses on the main services being performed, a junior who is primarily doing the assistant work, and Ms. Bettello overseeing.

Juniors Emily Gulick and Abby Gawronski are both aspiring hairstylists, and they have been learning roller sets, updos, and recently learned how to complete finger waves. Abby first learned about the Wildcuts program from her own hairstylist, a former student of Ms. Bettello.

“I heard good things about the program,” Abby said. “So, I thought, why not just go in and give it a try” she said, and added that she’s become even more excited to cut and color hair since enrolling in the program.

What Emily loves most about the Wildcuts program is how it keeps her active, and also realizing just how much knowledge she is applying from other subjects – like math and English – to her cosmetology work.

While many schools offer cosmetology through external programs, Warwick Valley’s in-house Career & Technical Education program offers it in-house, which makes the program even more popular. When students don’t have to leave the building during their school day, they’re more likely to join.

“The kids get to stay in their main high school,” Ms. Bettello said. “A lot of kids may not want to leave their school, so it's an added incentive for them to take the career and technical education classes we offer right here. And it can also allow some to take more classes if they don’t need to leave the building.”

As Wildcuts Salon celebrates a decade of creativity, skill, and connection, there is a lot of excitement for the year ahead. Students and faculty invite you to be part of this unique experience—where every appointment is a chance to support future professionals and be part of their educational journey.

Go, Wildcuts!

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Wildcuts Salon Location
Wildcuts is located inside Warwick Valley High School. For your appointment, use the main front entrance and let the greeter know you are headed to the salon.

Wildcuts Salon Pricing
Wildcuts does not accept payment or tips for salon services. However, patrons who would like to express their gratitude through support of the cosmetology program may do so by donating directly to the WVHS Careers & Technology scholarship program.

Wildcuts Salon Hours
3:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Wildcuts Salon Services

• Haircuts
• Blowout Styling
• Single Process Retouch
• Double Process Color
• Highlights & Half Highlights
• Full Special Occasion Up-do
• Corrective Color
• Wash & Set
• Perm