Five KidSpirit contributors around the world offer a glimpse into their daily dose of learning, studying, and friendship.

Last year, when I was an eighth grader attending MS 447 in New York City, my school day began with meeting friends to walk to school. Upon arrival, my friends and I headed to the gym to play basketball. At 8:30 am, the bell rang, and the school day began.

Before the academics started, we had a pack. Pack was like a homeroom for us, a time at the beginning of the day where we could connect with a teacher and about 10 peers. I really appreciated how our school tried to make our pack leader (a teacher) feel like a friend. I really enjoyed the opportunity to socialize with friends and adults in a pack, and it put me in a good state of mind for the rest of the day. After this we would join the rest of our class, which stayed the same throughout most of the day.

My school placed a large emphasis on two subjects: math and science. New York City high schools have some tests students must take to graduate, called the regents. MS 447 offered an opportunity to take two of the regents in eighth grade instead of high school. One of our regents classes was math. Before last year, I hadn’t liked math because I hadn’t gotten good teachers and it had been too easy. However, in eighth grade my teachers were kind and engaging, and taught challenging material that kept me interested. The other regents class at my school was science. It was an amazing experience to learn about the origins of things in the world we live in, and even in our bodies. It was also really fun to perform the interactive labs and experiments our smart and capable teachers prepared.

After school, we had office hours. From 2:50 to 3:30 pm, we were allowed to go into the teachers’ rooms and ask about things we struggled with, redo assignments, or just do some work. It wasn’t something I used too often, but whenever there was a topic I didn’t understand the teachers were super helpful, and the one-on-one setting was amazing. After office hours, I went to debate team practice, where I and some friends on the team worked on and practiced our arguments. I loved being on my school debate team, getting to spend time with friends and debate the other schools. For one thing, we got to miss a day of school, and even though I loved my middle school, what kid wouldn’t want to miss a little school. Even more than that though, meeting all different types of people from other schools and picking up new debate strategies and tips from them and the judges was an incredibly enlightening experience. The debate team was also very successful, which made it even better. In fact, even though the team started just two years ago, we won a NYC championship.

After debate, there was just one more stop I had to make before heading home: basketball practice. Basketball practice was one of the best parts of the school day. I got to practice my favorite sport under the guidance of supportive, effective coaches, who took us to the citywide finals. I also met some really close friends I could spend entire periods each day talking to (not always to the pleasure of our teachers), and whom I don’t think I would have met otherwise. The games were super fun, too, from meeting other schools at tournaments, to the deafening cheers of our home crowd and cheerleaders at home games. I believe that the relationships between a player and a coach and the relationship between teammates can’t be replicated anywhere.

What we called a typical school day at MS 447 was anything but “typical.” The unique construction of the academics and curriculum, along with the caring and capable teachers and amazingly successful extracurriculars, made a day at school very educational and enjoyable.

I believe that school is the perfect place for students to make friends. In this educational institution, you may meet a companion who makes learning a more interesting and easy process. This person can also become an important part of your life, and even a soulmate.

In Ukraine, secondary school pupils usually have seven lessons each day. For example, on Thursdays we have geometry, English, physics, Ukrainian history, biology, world history, and Ukrainian. The first class starts at 08:30, but everybody has to come at 08:15 and get ready for studying. We usually have short breaks (10 minutes each), but there is one long break for lunch after the third lesson. It lasts for 20 minutes, so everybody looks forward to having a short rest and refilling his/her energy with the help of food. While eating, we enjoy chatting and sharing some interesting stories with each other. Unfortunately, regular breaks are too short to do that because it is common for teachers to keep students after the end of the class. As soon as pupils are free, they have to put their belongings into their bags and rush to their next classroom, which is usually on the other floor. Our schools are quite big; they are three- or four-story buildings, so the children often walk over 4,000 steps during the school day (not including PE lessons). Luckily, it is much easier to be at school because of our friends.

I have known my best friend for almost eight years. We have been studying together since primary school. However, during the first five years, Nika and I were only acquaintances. We sometimes communicated a little, borrowed some school objects (like an eraser, a pen, a pencil, or a ruler) and played games during breaks. But something changed between us when we went to sixth grade. Once, she invited me to go for a walk to the nearest park after the lessons. We enjoyed speaking about our school, studying, and interests. It turned out that Nika and I both like the same music, have similar food preferences, and love watching identical TV series. The more we spent time together, the more we felt the invisible connection. In four months we formed a great, cooperative team that can overcome challenges together.

I am fond of learning languages, and sometimes Nika and I stay at school after classes and I help her with English. On the other hand, Nika is good at math, so she gives me a hand and explains the difficult topics. As a result, we both progress very quickly and the learning process becomes more interesting. Luckily, all Ukrainian students at state schools sit at our desks in pairs. We are happy that our teachers are quite understanding, so Nika and I enjoy sharing the same table during the day at school. Our friendship makes us cheerful and more confident when we can help each other during lessons.

Now, the new school year is here, so my best friend and I are looking forward to seeing our friends again. September first is Knowledge Day in Ukraine. Traditionally, I bring a bouquet of flowers to my class teacher. Most schoolchildren do this at the beginning and at the end of the school year. Our teacher greets us and instructs us about the new rules and the use of the shelter during the air alarm because of the full-scale war in Ukraine. At the beginning all the children feel anxious, scared, and awkward. However, we all support each other, chatting a lot and playing games, so three or four hours underground do not seem to be that long. Of course, the presence of my best friend next to me helps me to feel safer and happier.

I believe that there is no other place like school where you can make friends and meet your soulmate. School is not just a building with people, it is a huge part of your life!

While many view school as a place that is formal, tedious, and primarily academic, my school in Ahmedabad, India defies these stereotypes with its creative approach that balances content and character. Unlike a traditional school in India that follows the conventional routine of a morning assembly and classes throughout the day, my school transforms monotony into beauty through its student-co-created timetable.

We start each day with an invigorating exercise called a “conglom.” Derived from the word “conglomerate,” a conglom aims to cement relationships between teachers and students. This is achieved through student-led sessions, celebrating noteworthy achievements, or brainstorming strategies to overcome any ordeals we face as a class. Moreover, we have timetabled fitness congloms that support an agile body and mind. Congloms are a spur of inspiration for me that rejuvenate my mind everyday.

With my mind ready for the day, I can actively participate and add value in my academic sessions. As a ninth grader, I enjoy physics classes, not just because it is one of my favorite subjects, but also due to Andrew sir’s creative teaching methodologies. I particularly admire a five-minute energizer he commonly incorporates known as T.P.E. (Think, Puzzle, Explore), where he poses mind-boggling yet amusing questions. For instance, he recently asked us to identify the connection between power plants and the global economy. What astounds me about his questions is that, along with physics, they somehow touch on subjects such as economics and business studies, too. This approach, known as “Considering All Factors” (CAF), has broadened my perspective, enabling me to make connections and think more creatively while doing my work.

At the end of the day, my school uses a process known as “Closing the Loop,” where the entire class comes together to share key takeaways from the academic sessions and shoutouts from the day. These practices have been a cornerstone in shaping my values of discipline and empathy. In addition, they have instilled in me the willingness to tackle the adversities I face in a mature way. This is just a glimpse of my daily experience at school, where learning meets joy.

As someone who is nearing her main final exams, all I can say is that one day at school is enough to drain all my energy. Just six periods and I end up tired and fatigued. But that doesn’t mean that I hate my school days. Every day, I go through a myriad of emotions and, in the end, I’ve always made a bunch of memories to look back on.

I don’t travel by school bus, so I take the LRT, a mini automated rail transit. The walk to school is quiet early in the morning and I don’t have to worry about a crammed lift, since there is always no one around.

School mornings are the best. I get to finish all my incomplete work and fool around with my friends. Our class teacher, Ms. Yogita, is a sweetheart and an absolute gem. She teaches biology and her classes are always our favorite.

This is why I love Wednesdays. We always have biology first period. In biology, even if the chapter is something as mundane as plant nutrition, Ms. Yogita always makes it fun and engaging.

Second period is chemistry, another class that I absolutely adore. Besides my love for the subject, the teacher is really sweet and always finds ways to make the class more engaging. Almost every day, though, our class ends up annoying her, mainly through paper ball fights.

Now the thing about my homeroom class is that we have been together for almost three years. Our class is really friendly and I have several memorable moments with them. We have had parties and outings, and have seen each other's most embarrassing and best moments. They’re also really helpful when it comes to studies.

After chemistry is PE: the best period of all time. I either go to the library or play badminton with my friends. Our school also provides loads of extracurricular activities. We have afterschool programs for different activities and various clubs, formed by the senior students, where we volunteer, participate in competitions, and build valuable friendships.

After PE, I have computer science while others have design or business. It’s not a bad class, just something not worth mentioning. The chapters in our textbook are quite mundane and learning about input and output devices is certainly not at all enticing.

After four tiring periods, it’s finally time for lunch. I usually buy school food once a week and, while the food isn’t that bad, I hate the long queues and the limited choices.

Lunch is short but a great time to unwind. Luckily, after lunch we only have two, albeit long, periods. I have French next, the most amusing class ever. I love the language and my teacher’s no-nonsense attitude and quips make it a fun class. The last period is physics, the hardest subject ever. I always end up feeling drained after that class. However, I enjoy being in school and that’s what makes my school experience the best I’ve ever had.

My experience within a day at school is amazing. It helps me enable my thinking and develop my skills in various subjects. A day at school for me is the equivalent of feeding my brain a nice knowledge sandwich — it’s tasty!

Personally, my experience with teachers feels lifelike, and not like they are just being paid to teach me subjects like robots. They make sure we learn well and make it very apparent that we can ask them for help. My teachers also give us vital resources to study. For example, my science teacher has always recommended we buy a CGP book, an incredible book that contains all the information we may need for future tests! We also received a new website for various science topics! I thank God that I go to a school this lively.

I have a plethora of favorite subjects but the top two, I must say, are science and drama because they are so fun and rewarding. Drama is one of my favorites because it allows you to let loose and go crazy by being given the freedom to reenact scenes or full-out make your own. Science brings so many questions into your mind and makes you wonder. Science is fun because of its many subjects as well, my favorites being space and biology. Space contains many mysteries and the subject can sneak up on you and pounce into your brain with a whole bunch of information you never even knew — even if you are like me and absurdly crazy about this field. Biology is exciting because of the projects you get to embark on, even when you are just studying and revising at home. Biology comes with its flaws because of the long names. Here's a fun fact: the real name for DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid and the largest protein is over 189,819 letters long. Too long!

My conversations with friends are unique, even if we just play a game of Uno competitively. We have interesting conversations and ask various questions about our lives. I attend clubs with my friends, like Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) and Robotics. Robotics is an excellent club which builds your thinking skills as it teaches you about coding and gives you (incomprehensibly) many problems to solve. DnD is quite the experience, as hilarious moments tend to happen. For example, you can go from trying to pet a ferret, to landing in a tiny prison cage because you didn’t roll enough dexterity (oops). Having friends in these clubs becomes helpful as you can unite your brains and help each other out.

I encourage everyone to discover their friend groups and go out there and unify each other’s minds in any school club — whether that’s DnD, robotics, or any club for that matter!

In conclusion, my day of school is really like a sandwich. It has a nice bread of knowledge, alongside some fun chicken and scrumptious subjects, with some exquisite extracurriculars as seasoning!