Parent Info

Some items (for example school hats, additional exercise books, book boxes, book bags and swimming caps) can be purchased at the school office.

School stationery can be ordered through OfficeMax MySchool using their online ordering system and pre-populated stationery list for your child. Alternatively, you can use the school stationery lists below to purchase stationery at a store of your choice.

Online payments are our preferred method of payment. Please use the invoice number or your child’s name as reference.

Our bank account number is:
12-3249-0102946-00

The Board requests a donation of $196 per pupil for 2023. This may be paid at the beginning of the school year or in term payments of $49. The charge is capped at $450 for families with three or more children. This is a voluntary payment which helps us provide services that all our children benefit from.

For any donations paid before 31 March 2023, one third can be claimed/refunded via the IRD immediately after this date. Any donations paid after 31 March 2023 cannot be claimed for refund until after 31 March 2024. To claim the tax credit, you need to fill out a tax credit claim form (IR526), attach your donation receipt/s and send it to Inland Revenue. It is really easy! To find out more, or to download a tax credit claim form, visit www.ird.govt.nz.

All school clothing is available for purchase from the school office. The school strongly encourages all children to wear sun hats when outside in summer.  We have two styles of hats – wide brim and bucket.

Note: The school also has a stock of HNS T-Shirts for students to borrow when participating in particular events.

HNS Sun Hats
Terms 1 and 4
Wide brim and bucket styles
$25 per hat

HNS T-Shirts
Used for interschool events and team uniforms.
Sizes 7-14
$55 per shirt

Research has shown that children need to broaden the types of activities they do for home learning, to give them both the academic and life skills to cope with life beyond school and home. The best thing you can do to enable your children is to assist them with reading and basic numeracy, and encourage them to be lifelong learners. The purpose of our home learning programme is to allow positive family interactions, allow children to creatively pursue their own learning and give them an opportunity to learn effective time management skills.

• Instructional readers usually go home four nights a week with a poem on Friday. This could be a new book, a fluency book or part of a longer book.
• Learning letters, sounds and basic words, graduating to blends and chunks. There is a set of established resources to support this home learning.
• Extra voluntary learning activities may be set by the class teacher for practicing basic literacy and numeracy skills.

• Library books, readers from school, researching or reading their own books.
• Math tasks set by the class teacher, or live or skills work within the Mathletics app.
• Home learning activities and challenges that the children do outside of school. This is a chance for children to take ownership of their home learning, use their imagination and be creative when setting their tasks. Activities could include music, writing, researching tasks, physical education, gardening, artworks and science. A suggestion list is sent home with the children.
• The children’s activities will be shared with the whole class during sharing sessions each week. These class sharing sessions around home learning are seen as a positive opportunity to build greater self-confidence for children.

Click here for more information regarding Mathletics

Click here to login to Mathletics

• Reading.
• Basic facts.
• The Hillcrest Tautoru Challenge, our home learning programme with challenges that include learning through the arts, physical education, numeracy and literacy, service in the community and giving. While the challenges are optional, our aim is that students will be motivated to take part and will take the opportunity to learn new skills, develop an interest in their local community and have fun with their family and whānau. These challenges are from their classroom teacher and in your children’s home learning folders.

Click here for more information regarding Literacy Pro

Click here to login to Literacy Pro

We have an effective learning support programme at Hillcrest Normal School. Learning Support Coordinator Michelle Macintyre is responsible for looking after children with special needs.

There are some children in our school who are mainstreamed with high needs, these children have an Individual Education Plan (IEP). Other children have support in the classroom from learning assistants so they can be included in the classroom programme as much as possible. This is our aim.

We have information available for parents to read on a wide range of topics, ranging from medical information on particular disabilities to parent support networks. We can also help if you would like an assessment completed with your child.

The school can access specialist services from the Ministry of Education and other agencies. Most of these therapists and professionals have a referral system and particular criteria need to be met before a child’s referral is accepted. Sometimes this means a therapist will work with your child at school, and they may also provide home and school with a programme of ideas to work on to improve your child’s abilities in particular areas.

We can also discuss possible assessments for mental health issues, specific learning disabilities like dyslexia and dyspraxia, autistic spectrum disorder, children with poor social skills and ADHD. We can also put you in touch with other helping agencies.

If you would like to make an appointment to discuss your child’s needs at school, or if you would like any information, please contact Michelle Macintyre.

Email: mmacintyre@hillcrestnormal.school.nz

Our school values the diversity of cultures within the school. There are children representing over 30 nationalities at Hillcrest. Many of these children have English as their second language and they are well supported. The contributions they make greatly enhance the learning that happens within our school community.

Mrs Sandra Neil is the administrator of the ESOL programmes at HNS.

Mrs Diane Leach teaches the beginning English Language Learners in The Cottage on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The groups she works with usually have three 30-minute lessons each week.

There are also learning assistants in the school who are qualified to support our English Language Learners. The learning assistants work in classrooms supporting these students with their class work, especially reading and writing.

We enjoy helping our English Language Learners and their families settle into their new environment. If you need someone to talk to, please email Sandra Neil to make an appointment.

Phone: 07 856 6122
Email: sneil@hillcrestnormal.school.nz (Mrs Sandra Neil)
Email: dleach@hillcrestnormal.school.nz (Mrs Diane Leach)

Hillcrest Normal school provides a high quality after school care service for the families of this school, based in the school hall. The programme is OSCAR certified.

Online payments are our preferred method of payment. Please use the invoice number or your child’s name as reference.

Our bank account number is:
12-3249-0102946-00

Effective from 31 January 2023

Permanent Bookings

• Permanent bookings will be charged regardless of whether or not the child attends  
• Changes to permanent bookings need to be made at least one week in advance
• For Health & Safety reasons, notification of absence of a permanent booking must still be made [via the school office]
• Discount of 15% for families with 3 children or more who do not qualify for WINZ subsidies
• Late pickups will incur $40.00 additional charge

Casual Bookings

• Casual bookings will be dependent on availability and must be booked by 12 noon on any given day
• If you make a casual booking and the student does not attend, the minimum charge will apply
• Discount of 15% for families with 3 children or more who do not qualify for winz subsidy
• Late pickups will incur $40.00 additional charge

The Campus Creche School Holiday Programme is based at Hillcrest Normal School during school holiday breaks. Visit the Campus Creche Trust website for more details and booking information.

The school runs a comprehensive swimming programme in Terms 1 and 4. The pool is also open for community use over the summer. For swimmers who would like to compete or further their swimming ability there is a very strong swimming club based out of our school pool that runs in Terms 1 and 4. For more information contact the Hamilton Aquatics.

Email: hamiltonaquaticsnz@gmail.com