Sign the petitions below to show that Late Start Wednesdays matter!
Sign the LRSD Petition Sign the CJS Petition Sign the JH Brun's Petition Join the Community ChatLate Start Wednesdays were introduced to support teacher collaboration, student well-being, and improved learning outcomes.
Now the LRSD school division wants to take them away without consulting students or parents. Our goal is to make them see that our voices matter!
The LRSD school division has decided to remove late start Wednesdays, citing the provincial teacher collective agreement as the reason. They claim that "Continuing a late start is no longer possible".
Our group has managed to obtain an advanced copy of the informational email, the official announcement has not been released yet, which gives us time to mobilize support.
Our current plan is to gather support and information, and present it to the LRSD school board during the May 19th comunity board meeting, or after the official LRSD announcement is released.
Late Start Wednesdays give teachers extra collaboration time, allow students to rest and engage more in their studies, and improve overall school climate.
Studies show that well-rested students are more focused and retain information better, leading to higher learning outcomes.
Share petitions online, talk to your teachers and parents, and join community discussions to make your voice heard.
Every small action counts! Together, we can ensure that Late Start Wednesdays continue for the benefit of all students!
"How am I supposed to focus on extracurricular courses I love that I have a passion for when I have demands shoved down my throat controlling the way I live my life! Who is an adult to tell me who I am? Are they in my head? In my voice? Forcing themselves into my curated opinions of what right and wrong are. Late start days are the only days in which I feel like me, where I have a moment to breath, the silence in the eye of a storm before everything comes crushing down on me once again."
By ****** ******, Thomas Gan, and ***** ****
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.
Join the discussion below!