her formal education began in a one-room schoolhouse at north nation mills, a mill town of about 300 residents on the petite-nation river north of plaisance. the family moved to montreal when her father took a higher-paying job. there, newton completed middle school and two years of high school, after which the family returned to plaisance. here, newton completed high school, attended country school for two more years, then taught at the north nation mills schoolhouse for one year. she then moved to vankleek hill in ontario, continuing her education at vankleek hill collegiate institute before completing her teacher training at the toronto normal school.