School for twins
Teachers at a Manurewa school are more likely to be forgiven for mixing up a child’s name now and again — 16 students are twins.
Out of the 180 youngsters enrolled at South Auckland Middle School there are eight sets of twins.
The youngest are Senerita and Josiah Hendrikse, 11, followed by Jordie and Sarai Shannon, 12, and Micaiah and Ayla Maihi, 12. Then there’s Ileli and Eyete Yobu, 13 and Lucas and Lexas So’olefai, 13, and Mangisi and Peni Asaeli, who are 14.
Two sets of twins come from the Momoemausu family — Farani and Genesis, 13, and Tiya and Christian, 14.
They all come from big families — with Micaiah and Ayla being younger siblings to five sisters — and from a range of ethnic backgrounds: Maori, Tongan, Samoan, Cook Islands Maori and Congolese.
Teacher Rebecca Dow said at least one set of twins was enrolled over the last few years. But eight in one year was new.
“We’ve split the twins and it fires them up over the competitiveness [in school houses] not just between each other, but the other twins.”
Dow, who teaches 14-year-old Peni and Mangisi, said she still could not tell who was who.
“It’s a little easier when we’re in the classroom, but when the kids are all outside it’s difficult.”
As the was speaking with the boys, another teacher called out: “I didn’t know there were two of you!”
The students said being a twin was nothing special — save for tricks they played on teachers who confused them.
Senerita and Josiah said it was nice to always have a friend. But others pointed out the not-so-nice things — people mixing names up and mum making them wear the same clothes.