St Patrick's School, Kaponga
A friendly little school in the heart of Taranaki
The Shield of St Patrick's School and Parish was originally designed by Father Carruthers, developed by Patrick Cameron and painted by Eric Terrill, and can be found hanging in the church foyer.
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The top section, called the chief in heraldry, is the Maori painted hous rather designed called Te Pitau a Manaia (fern frond of Manaia), and relates to the early Maori people of the area, and the name of the town - Kaponga - which means tree fern.
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The borders (Bordure) carry the white cross of Switzerland, and the white eagle of Poland, recognising the many Swiss and Polish families that settled in the district.
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The centre (Field) contains shamrocks, recalling St Patrick and early Irish settlers. Above is Mount Taranaki. The stripes of red/white/blue refer to the Dutch community, who came more recently to the area.
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The motto is a Maori saying:
Ka mate he tete, ka tupu he tete
As one frond dies, another frond grows.