LITTLE RIVER — HOWE BAY SCHOOLS The first school in this area was built in the late 1870's. The first teacher recorded in the School Visitor Reports was Mary MacDonald . Her first term was from July to December, 1879. Out of a possible 40 pupils in the district, 38 were enrolled. The school was located in the corner of McKie's field at the junction of the main road and the . A former pupil recalled the school as having double benches, lots of maps, and a very poor softwood floor. Laura (Sandy) MacDonald was one of the teachers in this school. The children used to play in the woods at dinnertime and one day only half of the group returned. The others had gotten lost. There was a terrible panic as the woods were searched. The lost children found their way out of the woods late that afternoon, way up near Jack MacKie 's Creek. A new school was built in 1949 in the same location. The last teacher in this school was Mrs. Lucetta MacDonald . Howe Bay School District consolidated with Fortune in 1968. Walter Lawless bought the school and moved it up to his property where it is used as a house. One notable to attend this school was Robert Stead , Director of Admissions and Student Assistance, Acadia University, N.S. POPLAR POINT SCHOOL In 1947 the Cumberland Hill School District and the Riverview School District were amalgamated. Student population did not warrant the opening of two schools. The Cumberland Hill School was moved to Poplar Point so as to be centrally located for both districts on property donated by Dan Banks . A piece was added for a cloakroom and bathrooms and the name was changed to Poplar Point School. It opened for the second half of the 1952—53 school term. The first teacher was Mrs. Grace Robertson . The school bell rang here for twelve years and Mrs. Robertson taught for ten of these twelve years from 1953 to 1963. A number of her former pupils recall her as being their first and last teacher before going to High School. We found this to be a rare occasion to rehire the same teacher for ten consecutive years, in talking with Mrs. Robertson , she recalled her teaching days at Poplar Point as being most enjoyable. She remarked about the good students she had there and how everyone had worked so well. Very little discipline was required. Mrs. Robertson usually went home to dinner and one former pupil recalls dinnerhour as a time when the odd prank or two was played. One of the older boys filled a wash basin with water, stood on one of the desks and held it flush to the ceiling. He convinced one of the girls to see if she could hold it there with the end of the broom. When he felt she had it held securely, he jumped off the desk and ushered everyone to the back of the room. Suddenly the girl realized what a plight she was in. She didn't dare move the broom handle or the basin of 54