WINNIPEG -- With most students in Winnipeg and Brandon now in remote learning, a group of mystery students from Chief Peguis Middle School left a surprise message of support for the staff at their school.

The staff at the middle school were met Wednesday morning by some encouraging messages left for them on the school's steps.

A group of unknown students had created a chalk message for their teachers and school staff.

"Dear principals & teachers, you are amazing! COVID can't stop us!!" the message reads. "You're simply the best! You got this!"

Staff from the school said while they don't know who left the message, it was a nice celebration as staff prepare for the shift to remote learning.

As of May 12, all K-12 students in Winnipeg and Brandon were moved to remote learning with an exception for children of critical service workers in Kindergarten to Grade 6 if other child-care arrangements were not possible.

In the River East Transcona School Division, about 1,100 students across 42 schools in the division were remote learning in the school. The division told CTV News it expects the number of students coming to the school for remote learning will fluctuate depending on the family and child-care situation.

The St. James-Assiniboia School Division said 7,206 K-12 students are learning from home – about 87 per cent of all the students in the division.

In the Pembina Trails School Division, there were 7,830 students in Kindergarten to Grade 6 – about 18.6 per cent of the division's students – attending school.

"These students would be children of critical service workers, students with additional needs or anyone considered high risk," a spokesperson for the division told CTV News.

The Seven Oaks School Division said the number of students learning in each school varies – running between 15 and 25 per cent. The division said most of the students in school are being taught in person.

The Winnipeg School Division said about 19 per cent of its 33,000 students are remote learning in school.

In the Louis Riel School Division, there were 1,711 students learning in school.

The province said the mandated remote learning will last until May 30.