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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

4 Nov 2026
6 Nov 2026
9 Nov 2026 - 11 Nov 2026
13 Nov 2026
18 Nov 2026
23 Nov 2026
24 Nov 2026
A reminder that our Home & School AGM is tomorrow night!
We have some members stepping down, so we're really needing some new faces to come on board and help keep Home & School going. It's a great way to support our school and children, and you don't need to have lots of time to spare.
Please come along, enjoy a coffee and dessert, and find out how you can get involved. Every bit of help makes a difference! We would love to see you there!

Little Learners – Change of Times
A reminder to parents that our Little Learners sessions are coming up!
Please note that the sessions on Wednesday 18th and Wednesday 25th November have changed times and will now run from 1.30pm–2.30pm.
The session on Wednesday 4th November will remain at its original time of 9.30am–11.00am.
If you have a little one turning four, we would love to have them come along and experience some fun activities and get to know our school.
Please contact or pop into the school office to book your child's place. We look forward to seeing you there!

Good evening,
It feels very weird writing week 4 already, which means a busy five and a half weeks left. This week we are getting stuck into production, which means your child will be bringing home some lines to practice over the coming weeks.
Thank you to all whom came, helped out and supported our Pet Day. While it wasn't the best without pets, all students seemed to keep rather busy for the day.
Week 4:
Wednesday 4th November
Thursday 5th November
Friday 6th November
Looking forward to Week 5:
Enjoy your Sunday evening,
Sarah :)
Good afternoon everyone,
Unfortunately, I have made the decision that pets will not be attending Pet Day tomorrow due to the weather forecast. As gutting as this is for the students, we want everyone to enjoy the day, stay warm, and make sure our pets are comfortable rather than being out in the cold and exposed to the elements.
Pet Day will still go ahead as planned, following the same timetable, just without the pets onsite. Students will still have the opportunity to be judged on their pets, with questions asked as part of the judging.
We would still love for you to come along, enjoy a BBQ lunch with us, and check out the students’ craft displays. We will then finish with prizegiving, after which you are welcome to take your children home.
Preschoolers who have entered a pet are also very welcome to join us for the day and enjoy the activities.
Thank you for your understanding. While it is disappointing not to have our furry friends joining us, we are looking forward to a great day celebrating our students and all their hard work.
Thanks,
Sarah
Evening all,
Pet Day is just two days away! Students have been asked to bring their pet diaries to school tomorrow so teachers can mark them ahead of the day. This will also help us get some of the admin sorted in advance and make things a little less rushed on Friday.
I have attached the timetable for the day.
The weather isn’t looking the best at this stage, so we will make a call tomorrow about whether pets will be able to come along. I always find it tricky to make that decision based on the forecast alone, as the weather can be quite different from what is predicted. The last couple of days in Browns have certainly shown us that!
Sorry in advance if things get a little messy with the plans changing. We are keen to go ahead with Pet Day regardless of the weather, with or without the pets. If we decide it is too wet or unsuitable for the animals, we will adjust the timetable and activities to make it a fun Pet Day without the pets!
Thanks for your understanding and flexibility. Fingers crossed the weather plays ball!
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