Oh brother! Miracle triplets ready for prep and as new school opens
GALLERY: The first day of prep will be a watershed moment for 43,000 prep students across the state. Triplets from Cleveland brought excitement to the first day as did the opening of the state’s newest school.
Redlands Coast
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Prep classrooms across the state are gearing up for one of the biggest prep student intake the state has seen with more than 43,000 four- and five- year olds starting their first day at school today.
More than 880,000 students will be packing lunches, donning uniforms and heading into classrooms across both state and non-state schools this year.
We were there today as preps across South East Queensland began their schooling journey see our live-updated galleries below as photos flow in from across SEQ!
REDLAND PREP SCHOOLS
BRISBANE PREP SCHOOLS
LOGAN PREP SCHOOLS
MORETON BAY PREP SCHOOLS
DARLING DOWNS PREP SCHOOLS
IPSWICH PREP SCHOOLS
SUNSHINE COAST PREP SCHOOLS
Photo gallery: Sunshine Coast 2024 prep students start school life
Queensland Education figures show more than 575,000 students are enrolled in Queensland’s 1264 state schools with 325,000 primary students, including 43,000 prep students, and 250,000 secondary students.
Initial estimates also showed about 305,000 students were expected to enrol in Queensland’s 545 non-state schools.
Catholic also had large student intakes with around 160,000 students, including almost 11,000 year 12 students and more than 11,500 prep students across 312 schools.
Independent schools also had strong expected intakes with around 145,000 students across 233 schools.
In August, there were 10,048 students participating in home schooling.
This year, new state primary schools will open at Redland Bay and in Ipswich, representing a $160 million state government investment.
Redland Bay’s Scenic Shores State School will have 95 students when it opens its doors today but students in Ipswich will have to wait a few more weeks before Bellbird Park State
School opens.
Today will be very special for parents Clare and Adrian Collins whose Cleveland home will be “much quieter” when their identical triplets Liam, Jack and Daniel Collins head to school for the first time.
Mrs Collins, 47, said she was unsure if she was emotionally ready for the brothers’ “big day” at Ormiston State School.
“There will be tears, more likely from me – I think the boys will be fine,” Mrs Collins said.
“It’s hard to comprehend their schooling days are now here.
“Like all parents, I feel like their preschool years have gone too quickly but I am excited for the next chapter and what that means for the boys and us as a family.”
The miracle triplets were born six weeks’ prematurely and within one minute of each other at Mater Mothers’ Hospital in South Brisbane on June 20, 2018.
The trio were born via a caesarean section, with Liam arriving first at 11.31am and weighing 1.7kgg.
Jack arrived next weighing 1.8kg, followed by the smallest of the trio, Daniel, who weighed just 1.6kg.
Across the state, an estimated 12,000 Mater babies are expected to start school today.
“All the boys are autistic so we have a fairly full calendar of therapies and support which can feel overwhelming to manage sometimes,” Mrs Collins said.
“Trying to balance school and other support will be trial and error at first, but we are confident that once they are settled in school, they will flourish together.”
Mrs Collins said she was grateful for the care provided by the multidisciplinary team at Mater Mothers’ Hospital, where her sons spent three weeks in the Neonatal Critical Care Unit.
“Thankfully the boys didn’t have any major complications when they were born, only Daniel needed some initial help with breathing,” she said.
Mrs Collins described life raising triplet boys as “hectic”.
“The boys are full on, full of energy and they are the biggest jokers,” she said.
Mr and Mrs Collins decided to put the triplets in separate classes to allow them to develop their own identities and peer relationships.
“It also assists with their current individual needs – and I am sure they will spend time together in the playground,” she said.
“I know they are looking forward to learning new things and I am looking forward to having more time for walks and exercise.”
Each year nearly 2000 very sick and premature babies receive round-the-clock specialist care from the multidisciplinary team in Mater Mothers’ NCCU.