Formal education was first offered in School Section #1 Moore by Mr. Brightwell in his home. Subsequently, Mr. Wiggins taught in a log house on the southwest corner of Lot 11, Front Concession. This property was owned by Mr. Jarvard, later owned by Capt. Thomas Neal.
Around 1854, Alex Jenkyns had given land for the construction of a schoolhouse on the northwest corner of his farm, located at Lot 13, Front Concession. At that time, the school year was only 6 months. Major George Stewart and Capt. Thomas Neal are credited with extending the school year to all but a 6 week summer vacation.
In 1912, a new schoolhouse was built on the southwest corner of the same lot. Hydro was installed for the fall term in 1945. In January 1947, S. S. #1 was joined with school sections 8, 10, 12 and 15, Moore, to form Moore Township School Area No. 1. Flush toilets were installed in 1947.
At first known as the Jenkyn School, the name was later changed to Willow Grove School. The area covered by S. S. #1 Moore was Lots 1 to 21 of the Front Concession, as well as the first couple of lots on the Second Line of Moore (now Oil Springs Line).
In 1963, all schools in Moore Township were centralized and students of S. S. #1 Moore were bussed to the new Mooretown Central School. The final class at S. S. #1 Moore consisted of 3 in grade 1, 4 in grade 2, 1 in grade 3, 2 in grade 4, 1 in each of grades 5, 6 and 7, and no grade 8 students.
Teachers thoughout the history of S. S. #1 Moore:
- Miss Susan Cathcart (later Mrs. John Millikin)
- Miss Alwilda Courtney
- Miss Turner
- Miss Coots (Mrs. W. Scott)
- Miss Eliza Campbell
- Miss Jennie Campbell
- Miss Kidd
- Miss Clark
- Miss Farquharson
- Miss Trusler
- Miss Maggie Stewart
- Miss Mary Stewart
- Miss Carruthers
- Miss Hanks
- Mr. Forrester
- Miss McCall
- Mr. Wells
- Miss Bartlett
- Miss Millikin
- Miss Laurie
- Miss Sinclair
- Miss Leitch
- Miss Smith
- Miss Hilda Smith
- Miss Carnaghan
- Miss J. Millikin
- Miss Tena McRae
- Miss G. McLean
- Miss Young
- Miss Cruickshanks
- Miss McDonald
- Miss Giff
- Miss Proctor
- Miss Wanless
- Miss Guilford
- Miss Tremblay
- Miss Murphy
- Miss Wilson
- Miss Bowen
- Miss Annie Alexander (first teacher in the new school built in 1912)
- Miss Gates
- Miss McGill
- Miss Flossie McRae
- Miss Tompkin
- Miss Anderson
- Miss Ellis
- Miss Lacuta Mundy
- Isobel Holmes (Sept. 1934 – June 1935)
- Frances McMahen (Sept. 1935 – June 1938)
- Norma Hayward (Sept. 1938 to June 1941)
- Isabel McRae (Sept. 1941 – June 1942)
- Evelyn Brown (Sept. 1942 to Nov. 1944)
- Velma Boyle (December 1944)
- Floyd MacIntyre (Jan. to March 1945)
- Mrs. G. Williamson (Apr. to June 1945)
- John A. Needham (Sept. to Dec. 1945)
- Mrs. Penelope S. Dunbar (Jan. to June 1946)
- Martha A. Gray (Sept. 1946 to June 1947)
- Gertrude Shephard (Sept. 1947 to June 1948)
- Doreen Elliott (Sept. 1948 to June 1949)
- Marion G. Coleman (Sept. 1949 to June 1952)
- J. M. Capes (Sept. 1952 to June 1953)
- F. Devin (Sept. 1953 to June 1955)
- Doreen Stephenson (Sept. 1955 to June 1956)
- Elsie C. Barnes (Sept. 1956 to June 1957)
- Teresa DeGurse (Sept. 1957 to June 1959)
- Miss Karen Gray (Sept. 1959 to June 1960)
- Miss Sheila Smith (Sept. 1960 to June 1961)
- Miss M. Hyatt (Sept. 1961 to June 1963)
Sources:
“1st School” – handwritten document in Moore Museum collection, D990-31-21a,b. R1677
S. S. #1 – typed notes in Moore Museum Research Collection R746