Teachers set to see double as Brisbane school welcomes eight sets of twins

Alexis and Ariana are one of eight sets of twins hitting the books for the first time at St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, as thousands of students return to classes after a two-week delay

The first day of school is double the fun when you have your best friend by your side, as four-year-olds Alexis and Ariana Odionye are set to discover today.

The Brisbane identical twins are among the thousands of Queensland children who will today embark on their first steps into the classroom – two weeks later than originally scheduled, due to the delayed term 1 beginning.

At St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School, teachers will be seeing double, with eight sets of twins including Alexis and Ariana in their classrooms.

Mum Fortuna Odionye said she had organised a way to help the teachers navigate telling her identical daughters apart.

“I’ve talked to the teachers about doing their hair in a different style, so then that way they can tell them apart,” she said.

Ariana and Alexis Odionye start at St Margaret's Anglican Girls School today. Picture: Steve Pohlner

“They’ll keep the same hairstyle so they don’t get confused.”

Principal Ros Curtis said she was sure there would be “a few laughs over cases of mistaken identity”.

“There is also a lot to consider when placing twins in classes,” she said.

“Some parents like them to be together, others prefer the siblings to be in different classes.

“We work closely with the parents to determine this throughout their schooling,” said Ms Curtis.

While the beginning of term 1 was delayed two weeks so as not to coincide with the predicted peak of the Omicron wave, many schools were planning additional hygiene measures so as to minimise the possibility of transmission.

At St Margaret’s, cross-ventilation and air purifiers were being installed to optimise airflow, with regular sanitising of desks and chairs after use.