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Nau Mai Haere Mai Ki Te Kura o Hillside

Welcome to Hillside School

Nestled on the hill in the rural township of Browns, just 9 kilometres from Winton in Southland, Hillside Primary School enjoys a stunning outlook across farmland towards Otapiri Gorge and the Hokonui Hills. Our unique setting provides a peaceful and spacious environment where children can learn, grow and thrive, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Southland landscape.

Hillside is a full primary school catering for students from Years 1 to 8. Our two classrooms provide focused learning environments for Years 1–4 and Years 5–8, supported by a well-resourced library in our third learning space. As a small rural school, we are proud of our strong family atmosphere, where every child is known and valued. Our small class sizes allow us to personalise learning, respond to individual needs, and nurture each student’s pathway.

We are committed to preparing our learners for life in a global and ever-changing world. We hold high expectations for our students and work closely with whānau and our wider community to ensure learning reflects shared values, priorities and aspirations. Our students are also fortunate to have access to 1:1 devices, supporting digital fluency and enhancing learning opportunities.

At Hillside Primary School, community connection, personalised learning and high expectations combine to create a place where children truly thrive.

We warmly welcome visitors to come and experience the Hillside difference for themselves. We welcome your questions and look forward to having you become part of our Hillside whānau.

Sarah Wilson

Principal

What's happening at Hillside Primary School?

Upcoming Events in May

Mon 25

ERO Review

25 May 2026 - 29 May 2026

Thu 28

Central Cross Country

28 May 2026

Fri 29

Pre-School Afternoon

29 May 2026

Latest Notices

Term 2 - Week 6

24 May 2026

Kia ora,

What a great weekend weather-wise, whether you were busy working, tramping around sports fields, or simply relaxing and enjoying the sunshine.

This week is a big one for our school, as we are excited to have a special guest on site for the first half of the week. It is always wonderful to welcome visitors into our kura and share what makes our school such a special place.

On Thursday afternoon, we also had a visit from a former principal who commented that there is just something different about small rural schools, they truly are special. I have to say, I completely agree. There is a real sense of community, connection, and care in rural schools that makes them unique, and it is exactly what makes Hillside such a great place to be.

Week 6 Happenings:

Monday 25th May:

Mrs Horrell in Room 1.
ERO on site today from 11am. ERO stands for Education Review Officiers. They come in to check compliance, check that we are teaching the NZ Curriculum, and love to check the school out and it's students. They are on site for three days where they will pop into classes and catch up the the Board of Trustees, staff and myself. The will produce a report which will be shared with you all once we recieve it.
Notices come out today for students who made it to the next round of Cross Country.

Tuesday 26th May:

Mrs Horrell in Room 1.
ERO on site.
Notices out for Central Cup.

Wednesday 27th May:

ERO on site.

Thursday 28th May:

Mrs Horrell in Room 1.
Central Cross Country at Dipton and I will be going too.

Friday 29th May:

Pre School afternoon 1:20-2pm in room 3. If you have people you know with little ones, please plug our great wee school to them.

Looking forward to Week 7:

Monday - King's birthday - long weekend.
Thursday - Central Cup.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Ngā mihi,
Ms Wilson

Pink Shirt Day - Tomorrow

21 May 2026

Evening all,

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow is a non-uniform day as we are having our own Pink Shirt Day.

Thanks,

Sarah

Term 2 - Week 5

17 May 2026

Kia ora,

It has been great to have a much milder weekend weather wise. Fingers crossed this weather sticks around for our Cross Country on Thursday! Students are welcome to come to school on Thursday wearing their Hillside sports top and appropriate gear, ready for the Cross Country in the afternoon.

A reminder also that I still have a couple of outstanding cross country permission slips. If these could please be returned as soon as possible, it would be greatly appreciated.

Week 5 Happenings:

Monday 18th May:

Whole School with Ms Wilson while Miss Burr and Mrs Horrell are away attending a Structured Literacy course.

Tuesday 19th May:

Whole School with Ms Wilson while Miss Burr and Mrs Horrell are away attending a Structured Literacy course.

Wednesday 20th May:

Whole School with Ms Wilson while Miss Burr and Mrs Horrell are away attending a Structured Literacy course.

Thursday 21st May:

Normal school morning from 9:00am–11:30am, followed by an early lunch.
At approximately 12:10pm, we will head over to the pavilion for any students wishing to walk the track prior to the event, beginning at 12:30pm. Parents are welcome to collect their child/children from school and take them directly to the pavilion then. Otherwise, we will walk over or take cars if the weather is wet.
Our Cross Country event will begin at 1:00pm.
A friendly reminder that if you have some spare time between your child/children’s races, please consider relieving those helping in the canteen so they also have the opportunity to watch their own child/children race. Thank you for your support.

Friday 22nd May:

Our Pink Shirt Day 💗- non uniform day.
Students are encouraged to wear something pink if they have it.
This week, we will be exploring what it means to wear a pink shirt as a Hillside student, and the actions, kindness, and inclusion we want to show towards others in our school every day.
We will also be having a Pink Morning Tea in the library, a chance for students to come together and enjoy some morning kai together. Morning Tea will be supplied.

I have attached the Cross Country notice of the race times so that you can have it in digital form too.

Looking forward to Week 6:

ERO - which means room 1 will have Mrs Horrell on the Monday and Tuesday while ERO are on site.

Ngā mihi,
Ms Wilson

School-Cross-Country-2026.docx

Term 2 - Week 4

10 May 2026

Good afternoon,

It certainly feels like winter has arrived. I hope you have all been keeping as dry and warm as possible in this rather wintry weather over the weekend. Despite the change in season, the children have continued to enjoy their learning and play both indoors and outdoors whenever possible. As the weather becomes colder and wetter, please ensure children are coming to school with weather-appropriate outer layers such as a raincoat where needed.

Week 4 Happenings:

Monday 11th May:

Mrs Horrell in Room 1.

Tuesday 12th May:

Mrs Horrell in Room 1.

Wednesay 13th May

Mrs Horrwell in Room 1.

Looking forward to Week 5:

Monday 18th - Wednesday 20th May - Miss Burr and Mrs Horrell away for Structured Literacy Training. Whole School with Ms Wilson.
Thursday 21st May - Cross Country in the afternoon at the Pavilion- whole school.

Ngā mihi,
Ms Wilson

Term 2 - Week 3

3 May 2026

Good afternoon,

It’s been so nice to see some calm, settled weather this weekend, and even better that it looks set to stick around for a few more days! Perfect conditions for getting out there and making the most of our cross country training.

Week 3 Happenings:

Tuesday 5th May: