By Jean Schlegel
Valley City Times-Record

As far as anyone at Jefferson Elementary can remember, this is the first school year in which six sets of twins have attended classes there.
Five sets are in kindergarten and one set is in second grade.
The ironic thing about all the twins at Jefferson School  is that one of the kindergarten teachers, Wendi Wilmes, who taught one of the Rogelstad twins (Bennett), had twins herself in February. Shannon Ellefson has replaced her while she now tends to her own twins at home.
Another interesting fact connected with all these twins at Jefferson School was revealed by Jefferson School Principal Troy Miller. “There are four, possibly five, new sets of twins who will start kindergarten here next year,” Miller said.
Margie Jansen, who has been secretary at Jefferson for 30 years said, “We've never had this many sets of twins before and not so many in one grade [kindergarten].”
She said it can be confusing when she sees them together because “they even sound the same.”
According to KeriAnn Eggert, one of the kindergarten teachers who has one each of three sets of twins, all twins are separated in the classrooms.
She said the reason for this is so each child makes their own friends, and so they can develop their own personalities.
“They become more independent this way,” said Eggert, who has taught at Jefferson School for five years. Plus, it makes it easier on the teachers (and other students), to tell them apart.
The twins can still be together at recess and for special events at the school, such as lyceums. “They wave at each other in the hallways,” Eggert said with a smile.

For full story, see Monday's edition of the Valley City Times-Record.