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Allison and Holly Lennartz play together at recess.
COLDWATER - As the Coldwater class of 2036 walked back inside after recess on Friday, a bunch of kids stayed outside a for a quick photo-op.
"If you are a twin, stay outside for a picture," directed elementary principal Mike Etzler.
The kindergarten class, made up of about 125 kids, includes eight sets of twins, which accounts for about 13% of the class.
The large crowd of twins can be a little hard to keep track of at times, for both the teachers and their peers.
"Do you have a twin?" Etzler asked a student at one point that was caught up in the energetic crowd of twins posing for a photo.
"No," the boy responded, as he attempted to get through the stampede of doubles and head back to class.
The group of eight twins play together at the end of the school day.
Twins cross the playground bridge during recess on Friday.
Due to this influx of twins, the school hired an additional kindergarten teacher.
"(It wasn't) only due with the twins, but I mean it is a class, 20 extra kids," Etzler said. "In the past, we usually have six, sometimes we have seven (kindergarten teachers). This year we had to have seven."
At the parents' recommendation, Etzler said some of the siblings were split up amongst different teachers, while some were put together.
"We allowed parents to let us know whether or not they wanted their kids in the same homeroom," he said. "We always want the parents input on that, because some can be together, and some need to be split up."
Wyatt Miller, Max Bruns and Beckett Gross play together during recess.
Brothers Wyatt and Wesley Miller were one of the pairs split up between teachers Molly Wendel and Karen Bergman.
Though not in the same class, Wyatt said they love to play gaga ball together at recess.
Wendel, who has four of the 16 siblings in her class, said she can't tell a difference.
"When they are in the classroom, they are nice, individual students, but when they're together, it's nice to see them when they are together," Bergman added.
Wendel is the lone teacher with a pair of siblings in her class, and said while they are normal students, they do look out for one another.
"They check on each other to make sure they are ok," Wendel said. "They are very close, but it isn't hampering on anything in my classroom. You wouldn't know that they are twins in my classroom, but sometimes they go up to one another (put their arm around each other and ask) 'How are you doing today?'"
Bergman echoed her point.
"There is one pair that, they come in each morning holding hands together," she said. "They get to a point in the hallway, and say bye, hug and they go their own ways, so they definitely check on one another."
The eight sets of twins pose for a photo with Coldwater service dog and unofficial mascot Rusty.
Etzler said he's looking forward to watching the students move up the ranks in Coldwater.
"I think it's really neat," he said. "I don't know much about twins. I think it is going to be so cool for them growing up, to not only be a twin, but to be in a class with seven others."
Siblings Max and Axel Bruns are particularly close with classmates and fellow twins Caroline and Bryce Klenke. Axel said the four love to play at recess together.
Sisters Holly and Allison Lennartz, who made it clear they were born on the same day, said they love to ride the bus to school together.
"We have the same seat on the school bus," Holly said.
Which, her sister agreed that she loved, and said she also likes playing with Holly at recess like the Miller brothers do.
Is the fame getting to their heads? Wyatt and Holly agreed they feel just a little bit famous at the K-12 building, while Beckett and Marshal Gross shrugged and agreed that they didn't.
Wendel said it's a little early on for the kids to quite understand that they're somewhat of an anomaly.
"When they get older, I think they will realize it," she said. "But right now, I think they're just kids. They want to be in kindergarten, and have fun."
A set of twin girls hang on playground equipment.
Twins climb, jump and spin during recess on Friday.
