St. Patrick's College, Silverstream

St. Patrick's College (Silverstream)
Sectare Fidem ("Hold Fast to your Faith")
Address
207 Fergusson Drive Silverstream New Zealand
Coordinates	41°8′41.84″S 175°0′46.80″E / 41.1449556°S 175.0130000°ECoordinates: 41°8′41.84″S 175°0′46.80″E / 41.1449556°S 175.0130000°E
Information
Type	Integrated Boys Secondary (Years 9-13) (Catholic)
Established	1931; 85 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no.	252
Rector	Gerard Tully
School roll	709[1] (July 2016)
Socio-economic decile	8 [2]
Founded by	The Society of Mary, NZ.
Website	www.stream.school.nz

St Patrick's College is a state-integrated Catholic boys' day and boarding Secondary School located in Silverstream, Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It was established by the Society of Mary (Marists) in 1931 when the original St Patrick's College, Wellington (established 1885) was intended to be moved to a larger site more suited to a boarding school. In fact both Colleges survived and today share not only a common history, motto and spirit but also a good natured rivalry and competition in many endeavours. Silverstreamers refer to the mother school simply as 'Town'.

The Silverstream College, quite often referred to simply by the suburb title or 'stream', is situated in 7 hectares of grounds between the Hutt River and the Silverstream Railway Station close to the suburbs of Silverstream and Heretaunga. As an integrated school, St Patrick's College is funded by the Society of Mary, Catholic Schools Board Limited and the New Zealand Government.^[3]

In the 1980s, St Patrick's record was marred by a member of staff being involved in incidents of sexual abuse involving students. Reports of this sexual abuse were allegedly suppressed by the school Marist priests.^[4]

At its foundation much of the original College was transferred from the Wellington site including many of the Marist teachers, much of the memorabilia and the College colours. The brother Colleges today share an Old Boys' Association in recognition of their common heritage.

School sports teams have enjoyed success in Rugby union, cricket and athletics. Football, hockey and basketball are popular winter sports at the college.

Over the years of the College it has evolved from being primarily a boarding school into a largely day school with a small boarding facility. This demographic shift has resulted from several pressures including the huge increase in number of residents in the local area. In more recent years it has been necessary to cap the roll and introduce an enrolment scheme to ensure an equitable educational outcome for all local pupils.

The College celebrated its 75th Jubilee in 2006.

St Patrick’s College as a Catholic School bases its educational philosophy on Christian teachings and on the Marist tradition under which the school was founded.

In 2012 the St Patrick's College, Silverstream Foundation was established with an inaugural dinner. The Foundation will build a stronger college community where there are many opportunities for Old Boys, staff, parents and friends to become involved in college life.

The Marist Tradition

The Marist heritage incorporates three characteristic features in education. It stresses the uniqueness and value of the individual person, the importance of the Christian community and the involvement of parents and family in the education of students. This concept stems from the Christian principle that each child is unique, invaluable and created by God. All students have positive and special value and the school endeavours to meet their individual needs and develop their special talents. Teachers aim at formation of the total person so that each becomes free and responsible, an integrated human being. By experiencing the respect and genuine concern of the school community students learn to love and respect others.

The school in 2008 officially changed their house group system. There are now four houses in the school instead of the original 6. they consist of Patrick house, Chanel house, Marist house and the Trinity house. Each of these houses represent one corner of the school's crest.

Demographics

At the October 2011 Education Review Office (ERO) review, St Patrick's Silverstream had 712 students enrolled. Sixty-six percent of students identified as New Zealand European (Pākehā), 14 percent identified as Māori, ten percent as Pacific Islanders, five percent as Asian, and five percent as another ethnicity.^[5]

St Patrick's Silverstream has a socio-economic decile of 8 (step P), meaning it draws its school community from areas of moderately-high socioeconomic status when compared to other New Zealand schools. The school was recategorised from decile 9 (step Q) in January 2015, as part of the nationwide review of deciles following the 2013 census.^[2]

Notable alumni (old Patricians or Silverstreamers)

The college encourages former students to join the St. Patrick's College Old Boys Association (SPCOBA). The Association is based in Wellington and caters for Old Boys of both the Silverstream and Town colleges. Notable Old Silverstreamers include (with years attending the college in parentheses where available^[6]):

Academia

• Michael King (historian)

The Arts

• Patrick Power - opera singer
• Vincent Ward - cinematographer

Broadcasting

• Martin Devlin - sports journalist and broadcaster
• Mark Sainsbury, (1970–1974) - broadcaster
• Spiro Zavos, (1951–1955) - journalist and author

Business

• Michael Fay - financier
• Patrick Goodman - co-founder Goodman Fielder Wattie

Public service

• Tufuga Efi, Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi - former Prime Minister of Samoa and current head of state of Samoa.
• Bill English - Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, Minister of Finance and Minister for Infrastructure
• Matthew Tukaki, (1988-1992) - Ex Officio Director of the Board, United Nations Global Compact Board (UNGC), Australian Representative (UNGC), Director of the Boards of Suicide Prevention Australia and the Australian Indigenous Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of the Pacific Energy Corporation
• Wayne Guppy, (1968–1972) - Mayor of Upper Hutt
• Rex S Kirton, (1955–1959) - Mayor of Upper Hutt
• Mike Minogue, (1940–1942) - Mayor of Hamilton
• Tufuga Efi, Tupua Tamasese Tupuola Tufuga Efi, former Prime Minister of Samoa
• Honourable Ve'ehala, Toluhama Vi, (1979-1982), Tongan hereditary noble

Religion

• Wiremu Te Awhitu, (1932–35) - first Māori Catholic priest
• Owen Dolan, (1942–1944)- Coadjutor Bishop emeritus of Palmerston North
• Robin Leamy, (1947–1951) - Bishop of Rarotonga (1984–1996); Auxiliary Bishop of Auckland (1996 - )
• Stuart France O'Connell (1949–1953) (born 1935) - Fifth Catholic Bishop of Rarotonga (1996–2011)
• John Rodgers

Science

• John Daniel Bergin, (1933–1937) - neurologist and Second World War veteran (b 1921 d 1995)

Sport

• Blair Cowan, (1999-2003) - Scottish rugby international (2014-)
• Sir Patrick Hogan, KNZM, CBE - Race horse trainer and breeder
• Joe Karam (1964–1968) - All Black (1972–75) 10 tests
• Harry Dale Kent, (1960-1963) - world champion cyclist, Gold Medalist 1970 Commonwealth Games, 1970 NZ Sportsman of the Year
• John Leslie, (1984–1988) - Otago and Scottish rugby union player
• Martin Leslie, (1985–1989) - rugby union player, Scottish national team
• Simon Mannix, (1985–1989) - All Black (1994) 1 test
• Aaron Persico (1992-1996) - rugby union player, Italian national team
• Scott Waldrom, (1994–1998) - All Black (2008)
• Thomas Waldrom, (1996-2000) - England Rugby Test Player (2012)

List of Former Rectors

The school Principal of the college is called the Rector. In order to be Rector of St. Patricks College, Silverstream it is a requirement that the person is a Baptised Catholic or a consecrated Marist. Very few New Zealand Catholic schools at this time have a Priest, or Religious Brother or Sister as the leader of their school.

• Very Rev. Father John W Dowling, SM, MA, AFRES (1931–1937)
• Very Rev. Father John J Kennedy, SM, MA (1938–1943)
• Very Rev. Father Leo R Evatt, SM, BA, QSM (1944–1949)
• Very Rev. Father Francis A Durning, SM, MA (1950–1955)
• Very Rev. Father Maurice Bourke, SM, BA (1956–1961)
• Very Rev. Father John R Parker SM, MA (1962–1966)
• Very Rev. Father Kevin A O'Conner SM, BSc ANZIC (1967)
• Very Rev. Father Gerard P Gill, SM BA (1968–1970)
• Very Rev. Father Patrick F Minto SM, BA (1971–1974)
• Very Rev. Father Frederick M Bliss SM, MA (CUA), BA (Vic), LTCL (1974–1980)
• Very Rev. Father Michael V Curtain, SM, BA (1981–1987)
• Very Rev. Father James T Dooley, SM, BA, BSc (1987–1993)
• Mr. David P Leavy, BA, BEd (Liverpool), DipEd (1994–2006)
• Mr. Philip Mahoney, BSc, PGDip Theol&Spir, MEdL (2006–2010) - Resigned from Ordained Ministry prior to appointment.
• Mr. Gerard Tully, BPhED, BSc, Dip Tchg (2011- )

Notes

1. "Directory of Schools - as at 2 August 2016". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 2016-08-16.
2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
3. St. Patrick's College (Silverstream) Parents' Handbook 2014
4. Gardner, Alan (26 June 2004). "Police may go after the clergymen who hid abuse". The New Zealand Herald.
5. "St Patrick's College (Silverstream) Education Review". Education Review Office. 5 December 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
6. St Patrick's College Old Boys Association Records (2014)