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TRIPLETS & QUADRUPLETS: Jana Elementary School has kindergarten triplets and quadruplets enrolled this year. In front are Kameron, Khalil and Kyle McLeod and in the back are Bryson, Nyla, Josiah and Madison McDaniel. Jana also has four sets of twins enrolled this year.

Seven is enough at Jana Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District. Quadruplets Bryson, Josiah, Madison and Nyla McDaniel and triplets Kameron, Khalil and Kyle McLeod are all enrolled in kindergarten this year.

Jana has three kindergarten classrooms. The quads are split between Mary Freebersyser’s class and Deana Davis’ room while Freebersyser, Davis and Ruby Howard each have one of the triplets.

“It is fun with both of them in class together,” said Freebersyser. “It is interesting to watch how they interact with each other. They are both really sweet. It seems that Nyla keeps Bryson in line. I had to laugh recently when I corrected Bryson for something he had done. Nyla turned around to him and told him, “Now you STOP doing that!” and shook her finger at him. He just gave her a look and went about his business.

“I have them sitting at different tables so each one learns how to be a little more independent,” she continued. “The first few days of school, they hung out together on the carpet and at play. Now, each of them stays with the group of friends he or she has made and they don’t interact as much as before. The only time all four of them are together in a class setting is when Davis’ class comes over for a project or to watch a movie. The quads, as well as the triplets, are mainly together at play or lining up to go home on the bus.”

One of the students’ special area teachers talked about having them in class.    “As far as the quadruplets, it is interesting because I have never had a brother and sister in the same class before,” said Erin Darling, Jana’s art teacher. “Since there are four of them and only three kindergarten teachers, it has to be that way. The triplets are always dressed the same and of course look a lot alike (but are not identical) so I just assumed their personalities would be very similar. But they each have their own personality, so much so that I could recognize it right away the first week, after seeing them each only once in class.”

The triplets’ mother shared some of her insights about their children.

“They stick together,” said Edna Kingcade. “They protect each other. If I say at home, ‘Who did this?’ they say they don’t know who did it when they really do know. They are very intelligent and they enjoy pretending they are one of the other triplets when someone asks who one is.”

Earleen McDaniel contrasted her quadruplets’ lives with her own as a child.

“I grew up with a brother who is seven years older than me so I felt kind of like an only child,” she said. “My quads always have each other. They are never alone and there’s always someone to play with.” The McDaniels also have an older son at Jana, R.J., who is in fifth grade.

According to long-time Jana physical education teacher, Kevin Ebers, Jana has had a history of enrolling multiple students.

“When I started teaching at Jana in 1980, the teacher I succeeded told me then that Jana always had been known for having many sets of twins. Ever since then, I remembered what he told me and I found it to be true.

We have always had multiple sets of twins here. One year we had 12 different sets of twins and four were in the same grade level.” 

This year, at least nine other HSD schools have two or more sets of twins enrolled. Jana has four sets while Walker Elementary School has 11 sets of twins.

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