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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?

Latest Notices

Term 2 Week 10
21 Jun 2026

Kia ora whānau,

I hope you've all had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed the milder weather. We are racing towards the end of the term, and there is certainly plenty happening over the next couple of weeks!

Week 10 Happenings

Monday 22 June

  • Mrs Amber Mitchell in Room 1
  • I am away to Mt Cook in the classroom for the day to see how they structure and manage the broad curriculum changes in mixed year level class. 

Tuesday 23rd June

  • Mrs Amber Mitchell in Room 1 - I am still away

Wednesday 24 June

  • Mrs Horrell in Room 1

Thursday 25 June

  • Mrs Horrell in Room 1

Friday 26 June

Assembly 2:20pm in the Library

 

Looking Ahead to Week 11

Swim and Skate Trip

·       Wednesday the 1st of July, leaving school at 9:15am.

·       Ice skating at 10:30am, swimming at 12:15pm.

·       I am still waiting on a couple of room 1 permission slips to come back.

Shared School Kai and Early Matariki Celebration

·       Thursday 2nd of July – everyone bring a shared dish - favourite food or cultural dish. 

·       Lunch starts at 12:20pm

·       Classrooms open to look at learning.

Book and Special Assembly 

·       2:10pm in the library

A huge thank you to everyone who supported our Book Fair. I hope you have a great week ahead.

Ngā mihi,

Sarah Wilson
Principal
Hillside School

Term 2 - Week 9
14 Jun 2026

Kia ora whānau,

Well, our weather seems to have taken a turn! We've been lucky with some beautiful days lately, but don't worry, our Book Fair will be nice and cosy in the warmth of the library this week, and we'd love to see you there.

Please share the Book Fair information with your friends and family. I've attached the poster with the public opening times. Hillside whānau also have an additional opportunity to visit on Friday from 2:00–3:15pm. Feel free to come along to assembly and browse the Book Fair afterwards.

Week 9 Happenings:

Monday 15 June
• Book Fair opens

Tuesday 16 June
• Board Meeting in Room 1 at 6:00pm – all welcome

Wednesday 17 June
• Mrs Horrell in Room 1

Thursday 18 June
• Mrs Horrell in Room 3

Friday 19 June
Book Week Dress-Up Day – come dressed as your favourite nursery rhyme, folktale, or fairytale character!
• Preschool Afternoon: 1:20pm–2:00pm - come dressed up too and join in the fun. 
• Book Fair open for Hillside whānau: 2:00pm–3:15pm

Throughout the week, we will have some awesome activities for your child/children to take part in. One of these will require your help! We are running a "Reading in Unusual Places" Challenge and would love students to take a photo of themselves reading somewhere unique and interesting.

Photos can be sent to me via:
📱 027 339 0332
📧 principal@hillside.school.nz

We can't wait to see the creative places our students choose!

Looking Ahead to Week 10:

  • I will be away at the start of the week for a couple of days visiting Mt Cook School to learn more about their unique approach to teaching and learning. As a Year 0–8 school, they have developed some great ways of teaching a wide range topics with limited staffing, while delivering the curriculum across a wide range of year levels. We are always looking for opportunities to strengthen what we offer at Hillside.
  • While I am away, we are pleased to welcome back Mrs Mitchell, some of you may remember her from her time at Hillside previously. She will be covering Room 1 during my absence for the Monday and Tuesday.

Swim and Skate Trip

The Swim and Skate Trip notice has been attached. Please return permission slips as soon as possible so we can confirm numbers and organise transportation.


Shared School Kai and Early Matariki Celebration 

On the last Thursday of term, we will be holding a shared school potluck kai. Throughout the term, students have been exploring the cultures represented within our school, our local community, and wider Aotearoa New Zealand.

We invite each family to contribute a dish to share that reflects their culture, heritage, or a favourite family recipe. On the day, student work will be on display and students will have opportunities to share their learning with others.

This will also serve as our early Matariki celebration, bringing our school community together to reflect, celebrate, and connect.

 

Apologies for the long notice, but as you can see, our term is certainly becoming a busy one!

Thank you, as always, for your support. I hope you enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a wonderful week ahead.

Ngā mihi,

Sarah Wilson

Book-Fair-Flyer.png

Skate-and-Swim-Notice-2026.docx

Home and School meeting postponed
8 Jun 2026

Please note the Home and School meeting scheduled for tomorrow (9th June) has been postponed.

Sorry for any inconvenience, and thank you for your understanding.

We’ll let everyone know as soon as a new date has been confirmed.

Thank you

The Home and School Committee.

Term 2 - Week 8
7 Jun 2026

Kia ora, 

The weekends seem to be flying by and it was nice to have some mild weather. 

You will have noted in our newsletter a 'Ski and Skate Trip', Wednesday of the last week of term. There will be a notice about this coming out towards the end of the week, when our Year 7 and 8s are back in class with us. 

Week 8 Happenings:

Monday 8th June:

  • Year 7 and 8s at Technology


Tuesday 9th June:

  • Year 7 and 8s at Technology
  • Rest of the school with Miss Burr for the day
  • Ms Wilson in Dunedin at Principal Course

Wednesday 10th June:

  • Year 7 and 8s at Technology
  • Mrs Horrell has the rest of the school in Room 1

Friday 12th June:

  • Southland Cross Country - Waimumu

If you have a Year 7 and/or 8 student, just a reminder that they need their vests, lunch, and drink bottles for Tech. They will also need to be on site by 8:55am for those mornings, as the bus will leave at 9am to take them to Tech. 

Looking forward to Week 9:

Book Week - Dress up as your favourite Nursery Rhyme - Friday

Pre School afternoon 1:20 - 2pm

Enjoy you evening, 

Ngā mihi,
Ms Wilson

Term 2 Week 7
31 May 2026

Kia ora, 

I hope you're all enjoying the long weekend. 

Week 7 Happenings:

Monday 1st June:

  • King's Birthday 

Thursday 4th June:

  • Central Cup - Year 5-8 students in Invercargill at ILT Stadium. 

Friday 5th June:

  • 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 8:

  • Year 7 and 8 Technology Block
  • Southland Cross Country - Waimumu - 10 Year old up age groups go. I have attached the parent information sent through and will print it off for the two students off to Southland. 

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. 

Ngā mihi,
Ms Wilson

Notice-to-Parents-and-Spectators.pdf

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