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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 November

Mon 9

Technology

9 Nov 2026 - 11 Nov 2026

Fri 13

Year 8 CSC Orientation Day

13 Nov 2026

Wed 18

Tough Kids

18 Nov 2026

Mon 23

Teacher Only Day

23 Nov 2026

Tue 24

Board Meeting 6pm

24 Nov 2026

Latest Notices

Term 4 Week 5

8 Nov 2026

Good afternoon everyone,

The weeks seem to be flying by, and I feel like I'm typing these updates every second day at the moment! There is certainly plenty happening as we head towards the end of the year.

Week 5

Monday 9 November

Year 7 and 8 students are off to their final round of Technology. They will need their vests and appropriate footwear.
Ms Wilson will be out in the afternoon. Our staffing plan will be in place (attached), and a text message has been sent to parents of Years 1–6. Miss Poole and Nadia will still be onsite.
Tough Kids notice due back today! If you have lost the permission slip, check the notice on here and write the permission on a piece of paper to send in.

Tuesday 10 November

Year 7 and 8 students continue with Technology.

Wednesday 11 November

Year 7 and 8 students at Technology.
Years 1–6 students will be enjoying a Bushcraft Day while the seniors are away.

Thursday 12 November

Whole-school First Aid sessions, running in rotations throughout the day.
Ms Wilson will be out for the day, with Mrs Horrell onsite.

Friday 13 November

CSC Orientation Day, with our Year 8 students away for the day.

Looking Ahead to Week 6

Tuesday: School Talent Show at 2:15pm. We are looking forward to seeing what our talented students have to share!
Wednesday: Tough Kids in Invercargill for Years 5–8 students.
Wednesday: Preschool afternoon, 1:30–2:30pm. Please note the change in time.
Thursday: Tough Kids postponement date, if required.

Future Important Dates

24 November – School Board Meeting: We are looking for a few more people to come on board, as we have some members stepping down. If you have ever wondered what being on the Board involves, come along and see what it's all about. We promise you won't be handed a mountain of jobs! It's a great way to have a say and be involved in our little school community.
8 December – Production and Prizegiving: This will be held in the evening, with the time still to be confirmed.

Have a lovely Sunday evening, everyone. Another busy week ahead!

Sarah :)

School-Emergency-Relief-Plan-4.png

Emergency-Plan-Hillside-2026.docx

Reminder AGM for Home and School Starting shortly at 6:30pm

4 Nov 2026

AGM.jpeg

Tough Kids - November 18th

4 Nov 2026

Evening all,

Notices came home on Monday regarding this event for our Years 5 to 8 students. Please keep those permission slips coming in, as having numbers confirmed early makes it much easier for us to organise transport and student details with event providers.

Tough Kids permission slips are due back next Monday, please.

If you need another notice, please let myself or Nadia know.

Thanks everyone for your help in getting these back to us!

Tough-Kids.docx

Home and School AGM - Wednesday 4th November at 6.30pm.

3 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

3 Nov 2026

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!

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