It’s either a nod to Thanksgiving or an early Christmas present to students: Northshore Schools will start and end later in the day beginning in the 2017-18 school year.

The Northshore School District board approved the change, a ‘25-minute roll,’ during a regular meeting on Nov. 22. District Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid said the shift was “designed to improve student sleep patterns” in a letter to parents, with the hope of boosting health and performance in class.

High schools, including North Creek, will start at 7:45 a.m. and end at 2:20 p.m., while middle schools will begin at 8:25 a.m. and end at 3 p.m.

Elementary schools fall into two categories, with some running 9 a.m. – 3:25 p.m., and other running 9:35 a.m. – 4:05 p.m. Parents can find a detailed start-time schedule on the district website.

The board also approved school calendars for 2017-18 and 2018-19, which both include Wednesdays as an early-release day.

In 2017-18, the first day of school will be Sept. 6, with winter break running from Dec. 18 to Jan. 1. Spring break is set for April 9-13, with the last day of school on June 21.

In 2018-19, the first day of school will be Sept. 5. Winter break starts on Dec. 19 and runs to Jan. 1, and spring break is April 8-12. The last day of school is set for June 19.

Full calendars for both school years are available at www.nsd.org.