The Peace River School Division believes that success at school begins with wellness at home. That's why we're introducing Weekdays 'til 6, a division-wide wellness practice that encourages healthy boundaries around digital communication.

Weekdays 'til 6 is a guideline, not a rule. Under this practice, non-emergency digital communication from our schools, including email and messages within communication apps such as Remind and Class Dojo, will generally be sent and responded to between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on weekdays. 

This simple boundary helps our teachers and staff step away from the digital workspace in the evenings and on weekends, so they can rest, recharge and return to their students, your children, each day feeling their best.

What this means for families

We deeply value our partnership with families, and this practice is not meant to discourage you from contacting your child's school. Please continue to send messages whenever it works for you. Weekdays 'til 6 is about protecting staff time in the evenings, not about limiting when parents and guardians can reach out through digital communication methods.

It’s important to note that the Division does not set a specific guideline for how quickly teachers are expected to reply to messages. Parents and Guardians can trust that our teachers will respond as soon as their schedule allows them to, and within working hours. Weekdays 'til 6 does not mean staff are available to respond right at 6 a.m. or that a reply is guaranteed before 6 p.m. This practice simply means you can expect communication to happen during weekday working hours rather than late at night or on the weekends.

Another important note is that this practice applies only to routine, non-urgent communication. Emergency situations are typically handled by phone or an emergency email notification, and schools will always communicate urgent information to families promptly, regardless of the time of day.

Finally, we recognize that some extracurricular activities operate outside of the 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. guideline. Coaches, club supervisors and staff involved in evening events or special projects are not prohibited from communicating outside of these hours when needed.

Why we're doing this

Constant connectivity can make it feel like the workday never ends. When messages arrive late at night, it can create pressure, for staff and families alike, to be available at all hours. By setting a shared, division-wide guideline, we protect personal and family time for everyone in our school community.

We hope this practice supports our staff in spending their evenings on the things that bring rest and reinvigoration and reassures families that a prompt reply during the day is always on its way.

Questions?

If you have questions about Weekdays 'til 6, please contact the school office. We appreciate your support as we work together to build a healthy, sustainable school community.