“It is our hope that all students will be in class for the first day of instruction on September 4,” stated John McAllister, chairman for the Upper Canada District School Board (UCDSB), in a media release issued Thursday, July 23. “However, if we are told otherwise by the (education) ministry or local health officials that it is not safe to do so, I think the plan we have drafted has put us in a position to still address the learning and mental health needs of our students.”