FEATURES - | 2013-08-13St George’s Diocesan School in Windhoek has no less than ten sets of twins in the school! They are: From the back row down: Riku and Miku Sarma, Grade 8, Nguvi and Vitjitua Rukoro, Grade 10, Fabian and Fabius Paulus, Grade 6, Vija and Vijanda Pack, Grade 5, Tisha and Kebana Semedo, Grade 4, Dineo and Tumi Phatela, Grade 4, Michael and Manuel Miranda, Grade 3, Anina and Stefan Becker, Grade 0, Daisy and Daniel Murakwani, Grade 0, Luke and Kiara Estrela, Grade 00.
Going for the World Record for Most Sets of Twins
Like a lot of kids, the two brothers from northern Illinois spent hours marvelling at the weird and the wonderful in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ and wondering what they could do to get in it. Their friends tried endless pogo stick jumps. One practices in the shower for an attempt at the loudest burp.
Then, Luke and Ryan Novosel, 11-year-old twins from the Chicago suburb of Wilmette, began counting up all the other twins in their school directory and came to a startling discovery. High crest Middle School, it would seem, has the most sets of twins, two dozen of them in a single grade.
“We were absolutely shocked,” said their mother, Nancy Fendley. And it wouldn’t just brush past the current record of 16. “It’s blowing it away,” she said.
With some help from their parents, the brothers submitted an application with Guinness earlier this year and after following up with birth certificates, photos and proof that they are all enrolled at the school, they expect official recognition in several weeks.
Most of the twins are fraternal. The breakdown: three sets of boy-boy twins, 11 sets of girl-girl twins and 10 sets of boy-girl twins. The two sets of identical twins are girls. Another fun fact – in two of the pairings are twins who bridged the midnight hour and were born on different days.
In every other way, the 48 students are typical fifth graders who are into their sports, their friends, their iPads and fighting with their siblings. But the fact that they all happen to be in the same grade at the same school is unusual. “I think it’s just statistically kind of bizarre,” Fendley said.
An AP photographer visited the school to take portraits of the pairs, who came prepared with matching outfits, striking poses (think rabbit ears) and wrapping their arms around each other in front of a bank of bright blue lockers.
Sisters Mady and Mery Drilling-Coren celebrated their twin status Dr. Seuss style with red T-shirts identifying them as ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’. Three schools share the current record of 16 pairs of twins in one grade. They are Valley Southwoods Freshman High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, Staples High School in Westport, Conn and Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill. Federal statistics show about 33 twins per 1,000 births in 2010.
The record, if it’s officially declared could get even harder to beat when the Highcrest students go on to their high school, which has many other schools, and perhaps more twins, feeding into it. “The whole school thinks it’s the greatest thing. It’s been such a fun, creative experience,” Fendley said.
– www.huffingtonpost.com
Interesting Facts on Twins
In 1980, one in every 53 babies born in the United States was a twin. By 2009, that number had risen to one in 30, according to new research released by the National Centre for Health Statistics. Over those three decades, the twin birth rate (number of twins per 1 000 births) rose 76%.
• Chances of having a twin pregnancy is increased by maternal age (30+).
• Identical twins share the same DNA but do not have the same fingerprints.
• 22% percent of twins are left handed, compared to 10% in singletons.
• Nigeria has the highest rate of multiple births and more identical twins.
• China has the lowest rate for multiple births averaging one in 300.
• Examining 3D ultrasound images, a study in Padova, Italy found fetuses start deliberately interacting at 14 weeks.
• 40% of twins invent their own language.
• Twins occur in about one in 85 human births.
“We were absolutely shocked,” said their mother, Nancy Fendley. And it wouldn’t just brush past the current record of 16. “It’s blowing it away,” she said.
With some help from their parents, the brothers submitted an application with Guinness earlier this year and after following up with birth certificates, photos and proof that they are all enrolled at the school, they expect official recognition in several weeks.
Most of the twins are fraternal. The breakdown: three sets of boy-boy twins, 11 sets of girl-girl twins and 10 sets of boy-girl twins. The two sets of identical twins are girls. Another fun fact – in two of the pairings are twins who bridged the midnight hour and were born on different days.
In every other way, the 48 students are typical fifth graders who are into their sports, their friends, their iPads and fighting with their siblings. But the fact that they all happen to be in the same grade at the same school is unusual. “I think it’s just statistically kind of bizarre,” Fendley said.
An AP photographer visited the school to take portraits of the pairs, who came prepared with matching outfits, striking poses (think rabbit ears) and wrapping their arms around each other in front of a bank of bright blue lockers.
Sisters Mady and Mery Drilling-Coren celebrated their twin status Dr. Seuss style with red T-shirts identifying them as ‘Thing 1’ and ‘Thing 2’. Three schools share the current record of 16 pairs of twins in one grade. They are Valley Southwoods Freshman High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, Staples High School in Westport, Conn and Maine South High School in Park Ridge, Ill. Federal statistics show about 33 twins per 1,000 births in 2010.
The record, if it’s officially declared could get even harder to beat when the Highcrest students go on to their high school, which has many other schools, and perhaps more twins, feeding into it. “The whole school thinks it’s the greatest thing. It’s been such a fun, creative experience,” Fendley said.
– www.huffingtonpost.com
Interesting Facts on Twins
In 1980, one in every 53 babies born in the United States was a twin. By 2009, that number had risen to one in 30, according to new research released by the National Centre for Health Statistics. Over those three decades, the twin birth rate (number of twins per 1 000 births) rose 76%.
• Chances of having a twin pregnancy is increased by maternal age (30+).
• Identical twins share the same DNA but do not have the same fingerprints.
• 22% percent of twins are left handed, compared to 10% in singletons.
• Nigeria has the highest rate of multiple births and more identical twins.
• China has the lowest rate for multiple births averaging one in 300.
• Examining 3D ultrasound images, a study in Padova, Italy found fetuses start deliberately interacting at 14 weeks.
• 40% of twins invent their own language.
• Twins occur in about one in 85 human births.
