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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 Apr 2026
Good morning,
It seems that autumn has arrived after all the lovely mild days and evenings we’ve been enjoying lately.
How strange it feels to be typing “Week 10” already! This term has certainly flown by. At the same time, it does feel like a full 10 weeks for some of our students, and many are ready for a well-deserved break and reset.
Week 10 Happenings:
Wednesday 1st April:
Thursday 2nd April:
Looking forward to Term 2:
Again, thank you all for a great first term. Hopefully you enjoy the rest of your weekend.
Kind regards,
Ms Wilson
Good afternoon,
I hope you’re all enjoying your weekend.
Our annual plan will be shared with you later next week, outlining our key focus areas for the year ahead. It was presented to the board this past week and, with a few minor tweaks, will be sent to you via email. We will also include a printed copy with next week’s newsletter for your reference.
Week 9 Happenings:
Tuesday 24th March
Home and School - 6pm at school - Nibbles and first meeting of the year. We need you please! The more people we have in support, the more evenly spread our work can be. Even if you can only help out once or twice a year, that is surprisingly handy to us.
Wednesday 25th March
Jo in room 1 for Ms Wilson's release
Thursday 26th March
Jo in Room 3 for Miss Burr's release
Friday 27th March
Last pre school visit of the term - 1:20-2:20pm in room 1.
Relief teacher in room 1 or room 1 combined with room 3 for the day.
Assembly in the library at 2:20pm.
Looking forward to Week 10:
Thursday 2nd April – Final assembly of the term 2:20pm.
Lastly, just a reminder that students need sunhats on these warm sunny days when playing outside. A navy blue bucket hat is a great choice.
I cannot believe how fast this term is going! Enjoy the rest of you weekend,
Ms Wilson.
Good afternoon,
At the end of the school holidays, we will be holding a working bee, Saturday the 18th of April, to get our school nice and tidy for Term 2.
I am currently putting together a list of jobs and am looking for someone who may be able to bring along a trailer and assist with removing and disposing of green waste, rather than the school covering dumping fees.
If you are able to help, please let me know.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Ms Wilson
Good morning,
Week 8 Happenings:
Monday 16th March
Tuesday 17th March
Thursday 19th March
Friday 20th March
Looking forward to Week 9:
Tuesday 24th March – Home and School Meeting at 6pm. We welcome new people to come along. Many hands make light work.
Friday 27th March – Last Pre School Visit of the term in room 3.
Attendance – Just a reminder that attendance is still one of the huge pushes of the government’s. I have attached the government’s colour coded system that is for all schools to use, as well as our own school plan. This can also be found on our school website too. Any questions, please ask.
Enjoy the rest of you weekend and I look forward to seeing all the smiling faces tomorrow.
Ms Wilson.
Good afternoon everyone ????
Just a little change moving forward, I will now be sharing weekly updates for the week ahead. This will help keep communication clear and transparent for everyone. As we all know, things can change from week to week (and even day to day), so I’m keen to keep you updated with anything coming up or anything that may be different during the week.
Week Ahead:
Monday 9th March – Bailey is out, so the whole school will be with me. Parent/Teacher Interview Bookings close at 3pm.
Wednesday 11th March – Mrs Horrell will be in for me. Parent/Teacher Interviews 3-7pm
Thursday 12th March – Mrs Horrell will be in for Bailey’s release.
Friday 13th March – Preschool visits in Bailey’s room and assembly at 2:20pm.
Coming up the following week:
Tuesday 17th March – School Board meeting. All are welcome to attend.
As I am now over halfway through my first term at Hillside, I would really value your feedback about the school and what makes Hillside such a great place. Your input will help ensure you have a voice in decisions I’ll be making throughout the year, particularly as I begin planning ahead for 2027. So keep an eye on your emails for the form that is coming out.
It would be greatly appreciated if as many of you as possible could complete the feedback and return it to me. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts, it really helps support the direction of our school moving forward
Thanks everyone and have a great afternoon! ????
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