Bag packed, bag packed, shoes on, shoes on – it might read like instructions stuck on repeat, but this is no doubt what mornings sound like in the homes of the four sets of twins who started kindergarten at Lambton Public School this week.
Within their classroom of 45 students, the twins make up almost 20%.
Although welcoming eight new faces into a Kindy room isn’t unusual, it is when they are all mirror-images of one another.
And, it is when this is the first time it’s happened in the school’s history.
What makes this even more remarkable is that Lambton Public is Newcastle’s second oldest learning facility.
Established in 1865, the school is now 158 years old.
For those whose mathematics is a bit rusty, this is no mean feat.
“I’ve been a principal for 11 years now, four at this school, and I’ve certainly never had more than two sets start in the one classroom,” says Lambton Public School principal David Holland.
“So, to have four is pretty unique, particularly for a school our size.
“It might happen in a larger school in Sydney for example, but for Newcastle and for our little school – this is a remarkable coincidence.”
Phoenix and Lorin, Eleanor and Isobel, Mariam and Yassein, and Hudson and Samuel won’t always be seated next to one another, and they may even opt to be in separate classrooms in time.
For now, they are happy sharing a learning space with one another and can’t understand what all the fuss is about.
“We only started yesterday,” Phoenix said.
“We learned not to push or kick each other but be nice to each other,” Eleanor added.
“I like the new playground,” Isobel chimed in.
Like most five-year-olds starting big school this week, there was a lot to take in for this octet.
Where to hang your bag, when to eat your lunch, and when to stop playing were just some of the lessons keeping their minds busy.
Thankfully most of those worries were abated with the help of their Year 5 buddy pod.
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