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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
28 Jul 2026
Kia ora whānau,
There will be no assembly tomorrow.
As we're settling into our new routines and continuing to fine-tune our classroom structure for the term, we've decided to skip assembly this week. This will give us a little more time to establish our new way of working and ensure everything is running smoothly.
We'll be back to our regular assemblies next week and look forward to welcoming you along then.
Thank you for your understanding.
Good evening all,
A reminder that the Launchpad notice is due back tomorrow please. Please fill it out regardless of if you give permission or not.
Thanks heaps.
Welcome Back to Term 3!
We hope everyone has enjoyed a restful break and is feeling refreshed for another exciting term of learning.
Term 3 is shaping up to be a busy one, with plenty of engaging learning, special events, and opportunities for our students to grow and shine. Our whole-school inquiry this term is "Discovering Aotearoa New Zealand," where we'll be exploring our country's geography, unique landscapes, natural wonders, and what makes New Zealand such a special place to call home. It lends itself to the area of Science, many experiments, and exploring a lot of learning around the physical world.
We're also excited to welcome some new faces to our team this term and look forward to introducing them to our school community.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support. Please keep an eye on Skool Loop throughout the term for important notices, event reminders, and celebrations of the wonderful learning happening around our school.
An email regarding the class structure moving forward has been sent out, so please check that if you haven’t already done so.
Week 1:
Monday 20th July
· We welcome Miss Poole to the teaching team
· Miss Burr is in teaching
Tuesday 21st July
· Miss Burr is in teaching
· 9:30am Central Southland College are coming to visit the Year 8s on site.
Wednesday 22nd July
· Miss Burr is in teaching
Friday 23rd July
· Bible in schools, Junior School and then Senior School. A permission slip is coming home on Monday. This will run each Friday afternoon for the term.
· Assembly at 2:20pm in the Library.
Here's to a fantastic Term 3, we can't wait to see what our students achieve and look forward to seeing their faces on Monday.
Sarah
Kia ora whānau,
Just a friendly reminder that our 'Shared Kai and Shared Learning' is happening tomorrow.
We'll begin with our shared kai at 12:30 pm, followed by an opportunity to wander through the classrooms and see the wonderful learning our students have been engaged in over the past two terms.
I've attached an approximate timetable for the afternoon. Please note that the timings after the lunchtime are approximate and will depend on the turn out.
If you're bringing a dish to share, we will have some fridge space available for items dropped off in the morning, although that space is limited. If you're able to bring your dish with you at lunchtime instead, that is much appreciated.
We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow for what promises to be a wonderful afternoon of food, learning, and community.
Lastly, I have some sad news to share. Friday will be Natasha's last day at Hillside School as she heads off to begin a new teacher aide adventure. Natasha has been a valued member of the Hillside whānau for some time now and has made a positive difference in the lives of so many of our students.
Please join us in thanking Natasha for everything she has contributed to our school and wishing her all the very best for this exciting new chapter. We know she will be greatly missed, and we wish her every success in her new role. We will have a formal farewell on Friday at Assembly.
Ngā mihi,
Sarah
Good evening all,
Just a reminder that tomorrow we are away on our 'Skate and Swim Trip' to Gore. Students are to come to school dressed in warm clothes please. Ensure they have snacks, a drink bottle, and lunch if they don't like pizza. The pizza lunch is being provided at no cost.
We will be leaving by 9:15am, skating at 10:30am, swimming at 12:15pm and back at school in time for the bus/end of the day.
Again, a huge thanks to the volunteers that are helping out on the day, without you we cannot run these days. Remember your warm clothes and swimming togs too if you're joining in adults.
Any questions or concerns, please contact me on 027 339 0332.
Thanks,
Sarah
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