Dear Weyburn School Boards,
This letter/petition has been written to express our concern of the continued masking of children within our local schools. We who have signed below feel that masks inside the classroom and on the playground are measures that are not necessary and in fact potentially harmful to our children. Our goal is to unmask our children in all South East Cornerstone and Holy Family schools, inside and outside.
According to the Gov't of Canada guidance for schools (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/health-professionals/guidance-schools-childcare-programs.html) the guidance of wearing masks "is not prescriptive in nature, rather, it supports administrators and PHA's to consider potential risks and mitigation strategies". It also states that "Public health measures implemented in schools across Canada have been adjusted over time in response to COVID-19 activity. An important consideration is the extent of local community COVID-19 transmission, as this influences the likelihood of COVID-19 introduction into the school setting. The proportion of individuals who visit the school from outside of the community also influences the risk of COVID-19 introduction and spread… Children, especially those below 10 years of age, form a small proportion of reported cases to date….those under 10 years may also transmit the virus, but are less likely to do so than adults."
Within the South East 3 zone we're currently at an infection rate of .25% of our overall population of 21,743. We have consistently been around this rate as well for much of the pandemic. We don't believe this justifies the masking of our children for over six hours a day. There have been none to minimal transmissions within our schools. Also, there is no one from outside the school community allowed to enter our schools as we have created a 'bubble'. In fact, parents and caregivers cannot enter the schools so our schools don't meet the definition of an indoor place.
Even WHO suggests that children aged 5 and under should not wear masks and that it's not recommended unless a child is 12 and older.
Masks are hindering our children from reaching their full academic success. Kang Lee, a professor of applied psychology and human development at the University of Toronto has stated "masks may create issues for children in recognizing emotions and social interaction. Speech communication does not only happen through sound and that young children actually collect speech information that is communicated visually. When Children try to understand someone, they actually pay attention to their eyes, their nose, and their mouth and how their lips move. They then use that information to comprehend what that person is talking about. Without seeing one's face, it can be difficult for them to understand what that person is saying."
When you factor in the large amount of those who have received vaccinations and that teachers are now eligible to receive vaccinations, the risk continues to fall every day. We urge you to truly assess the risk and unmask our children immediately.
