It might be their new workplace, but Creswick Primary School is definitely not an unfamiliar environment for twin teachers Katelyn and Jessica Sutton.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The pair are former students of the school, continued volunteering there through high school and after completing their teaching degrees at Federation University they have returned to the school as teachers.
And some of their childhood teachers are now colleagues.
Katelyn is a grade 5/6 teacher and Jessica is the PE specialist for the 193 pupils at Creswick Primary School, where there's a definite "twin thing" happening with four sets of twins among the students in addition to the teaching twins.
Vicki Hughes taught Katelyn in grade five and Jessica in grade six, and is now Katelyn's teaching partner in the grade 5/6 space.
"Although both were here as students, they've been back over the years and always volunteering for things, particularly coaching netball ... it's almost like we couldn't get rid of them," Mrs Hughes laughed.
"I've had past students go on to become teachers, but never to teach at the same place."
While Katelyn has worked at the school over the past two years, Jessica has joined her permanently this term and the students find it funny there's now two Miss Suttons on staff.
"I was a little bit nervous coming back here but it's fine. I've done some casual relief teaching here so I know most of the kids and their names," Jessica said.
During one of her CRT stints, Jessica filled in for Katelyn in the classroom when she went on school camp.
"She took my grade for three days and the kids said it was creepy how much we sound the same - they said there were times when they thought I was there," Katelyn said.
Walking in to the school staffroom as a teacher rather than pupil also took a little time to get used to.
"I was a bit shy and it took most of my first year not to call (Vicki) Mrs Hughes," Katelyn said. "She was probably a bit shocked too with the things we discuss in the staff room. We are real humans," Mrs Hughes added.
Have you signed up to The Courier's daily newsletter and breaking news emails? You can register below and make sure you are up to date with everything that's happening in Ballarat.