Meet Our New Teachers

During the course of the year, we will introduce our new teaching staff who have joined us in 2022.  This week we’d like to introduce you to Mrs Inge Smith and Mr Robert Taylor.

They are both in the High School department and the first of nine new teachers who have joined the department at the beginning of 2022.

Mrs Inge Smith

Mrs Smith grew up in beautiful South Africa in the towns of Lydenburg, Barberton and Nelspruit, where she completed a Bachelor of Education in 2014, majoring in Languages, Mathematics and Phycology - a scientific study of algae, a branch of life science, and their importance to the ecosystem.

Mrs Smith is teaching Year 7 and 8 HPE and Maths, Year 9 Young Entrepreneurs and Year 10 Business. However, her interest in life sciences delights her every day when she comes to Pimpama and she sees the wonderful “outdoor classroom” we have on campus with the natural waterways and ecosystem.  

Mrs Smith has a passion for sport, having played hockey, netball and korfball (ringball) at a national level.  She captained the South African Korfball team for five consecutive years. 

During the Covid pandemic of 2020, Mrs Smith and her husband immigrated to Australia.  She was introduced to the King’s family by a fellow South African family whose children attended the school and when she saw the values that were instilled in the students she said “I want to be a teacher in that school!” 

“The values of King’s are close to my heart and the fact that my Christian life could be integrated into my teaching life was just simply a dream come true,” stated Mrs Inge Smith who has been teaching for nine years.

When asked what is the most adventurous thing she has ever done she stated that free diving with sharks in Durban Kwazulu Natal in South Africa was not for the faint-hearted.  

Since arriving on Aussie shores, Mrs Smith has continued her love for learning journey by completing a Masters Degree in Business Administration with Cum Laude in July 2021.

With her bubbly personality, love for people and her students as well as her creativity Mrs Inge Smith brings a positive outlook to teaching.  She taught numerous cultures and students who came from diverse backgrounds, with one goal to treat each student as a child of God.

On the weekends Mrs Smith loves spending time with her husband and fur-baby as they explore the beautiful Gold Coast and her new Australian friends and family as well as going to church, the gym and kayaking on our waterways.

Introducing Mr Taylor

With a heart for ministry, teaching and music, High School Maths Teacher and family man, Mr Robert Taylor has joined King’s Pimpama since returning from living in Thailand as a missionary and teacher.  

Born in Townsville to an English Father and a second-generation Australian Mum and music teacher, who influenced his love for music as a child, Mr Taylor is an alumnus from Grace Lutheran College in Redcliffe.  

At school, he was an outstanding and highly disciplined academic student and athlete.  He trained with QAS Kayaking Qld Academy of Sport.  His involvement in the sport in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics in 2000, gained Mr Taylor an invitation to be a part of the kayaking series against the best in the world, which also led to one of his proudest accomplishments in his life. 

Mr Taylor commented that his other accomplishments included him becoming a Christian, getting married and his selection in a QAFL team of the year.

Married with three children in Years 4,7 and 8, Mr Taylor brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience both in the classroom and on the sports fields. His educational journey includes a Bachelor of Applied Science/Bachelor of Education, Certificate IV in TAE/Personal Training, Diploma of Fitness and he is currently studying for his Master of Education.

His professional background started as a Foundation Teacher at Riverside Christian College in Maryborough.  With his love for all things sport, he was the Sports Master at a new school for five years.  Mr Taylor also taught Senior PE (OP system), Maths, Science and was a pastoral care teacher.  In addition to his teaching component, he has organised school sport from Prep to Year 12 and initiated a sports awards evening.

In his spare time, Mr Taylor enjoys reading, studying, playing board games including Chess, Esports and the ASX, and you guessed it, exercising!

“I love seeing people I coach fulfil their dream,” said Mr Robert Taylor who brings his high-level sports coaching successes to King’s along with his knowledge of the Bible to our community. 

His sporting hero is Knut Holmann, World Champion Kayaker who is renowned for his technical abilities and numerous world and Olympic medals.

Mr Taylor is an avid reader who enjoys a good “cliffhanger book” such as Tom Clancy’s Clear and Present Danger with its background diplomacy, political thriller and Sherlock Holmes type twist.

From being a disciplined athlete Mr Taylor does have a pet peeve (just giving his students, and colleagues the head’s up) and that is being disorganised and messy!  And… by the way, Mr Taylor is in Rayleigh House!