The Louis Riel School Division is planning to remove late start!

Every Wednesday, something small but meaningful happens across schools in the Louis Riel School Division — students get an extra hour of sleep. It sounds simple, but that one morning a week has a real impact, and every school division in the province should commit to keeping it.

The Canadian Paediatric Society recommends 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night for teenagers — a target that's nearly impossible to hit consistently on school nights with an early start time five days a week. Wednesday late start doesn't fix everything, but it gives students one guaranteed morning of recovery mid-week, right when fatigue tends to peak.

And that timing matters. By Wednesday, the sleep debt from Monday and Tuesday has already built up. With the current schedule, teachers notice the difference — students are more present, more engaged, and more capable of doing actual work. One morning a week is a small ask with an incredibly large return.

Wednesday morning is not only an hour of extra sleep for students, it's also an irreplaceable time for teachers and EAs to plan and discuss the following week. Taking this out will not only disrupt the schedules of students but also throw a wrench into the plans of teachers all over the city.

There's a mental health dimension here too. Student burnout and anxiety are ongoing concerns in Winnipeg schools, and chronic sleep deprivation is directly tied to increased rates of depression.  Removing it removes something students have come to genuinely rely on.

Some might argue it's just one morning and therefore the impact is overstated. But consistency is exactly what makes it valuable. Students can plan around it, sleep in without guilt, and know it's coming every week. That predictability is part of what makes it work. 

Every division in Winnipeg serves students with the same physiological needs. Whether a student goes to school in River Heights, the North End, or anywhere in between, Wednesday morning hits the same way. A commitment to late start across all divisions sends a clear message: student wellbeing isn't just something we talk about, it's something we build into the schedule.

One morning. Every Wednesday. It's not a big ask — and for thousands of Winnipeg students, it makes a genuine difference.

Sign this petition to tell the Louis Riel School Division: Wednesday late start works, students need it, and it should stay.