Each year we have staff coming and going as personal circumstances change or new opportunities arise.

Thank you to those moving on in 2023 for all your efforts and achievements at King’s. We have two departing staff members to whom I’d like to draw your particular attention: Tony Graham and Grant Koedyk. Tony retires after 22 years service to King’s, while Grant retires after 35 years in our midst. Both have given loyal service to King’s. Each will be honoured fully at our staff farewell lunch on the last day of term.

Tony Graham’s been a bastion of the English Department. He taught learning support in Mathematics and Literacy in his earliest years, calling, in part, on the strengths of his Primary Teaching background, right through to taking leadership of aspects of English across Year Levels, latterly. In class, Tony has helped many boys to prepare for great futures. Tony’s also taken them to new endeavour and excellence in Badminton, from our co-curricular world, as well as in Waterpolo, Swimming and Basketball longer term. Tony’s been a good friend to many staff and has always had the best interests of the boys at heart. His positive imprint on them will be lasting.

Grant Koedyk’s been in the very fabric of King’s since he started in 1987. Grant’s built strong and respected connections with his boys and colleagues, over the years; with a willingness to take an active interest in the boys’ lives as well as in their development in academic, sporting or Outdoor Education activity. Thousands of young men have had the good fortune to be one of Grant’s Maths students, or to be led by him on a track, course, playing field, camp, or through an important personal situation – while benefiting from his direct pastoral support. The status and significance of being in ‘KO’ has become legendary among men who fondly and proudly recall being one of Grant’s former students. Many of them now have sons in the school. Grant’s been a superb teacher, motivator, and mentor to many Kingsmen past and present. And he still runs with the boys before school on Tuesday and Friday mornings every week – not slowed too much by the passage of time!

To Tony and Grant I wish you an enjoyable, and well-deserved retirement. There must be an abundant stock of bright memories, tender thoughts, and pleasing experiences when contemplating the young people you’ve taught, and influenced over the years, while wearing multiple hats in our profession. Influencing those who may have wavered but were steadied; those who could not see or reach their potential or were lacking belief but began to gain these under your auspices; those who now stop to have a chat in the street, proud to tell you what became of them; this, the greatest compliment of all for your teaching being that they want you know how it all panned out for them after school. That it’s important to them that you do know. We look forward to hearing about your new adventures in retirement. Don’t forget the rest of us as we keep the good work going back at the school!