Back-to-School!

It's back to school time and ZOOMers near and far have school, books and friends on your minds! So, we posed some of your schoolish Q's to the cast. Here's the A of what they had to say:

Laura, age 12 of Brackettville, TX asks:
Hey ZOOMers! Do you go to a regular school? What do you like about your school?

Mike:
Right now I'm going to a public school and I'm pretty happy there. I like being able to see all my friends everyday.

Cara:
I go to a public school in my town. What I like about my school...There's not enough room on this page! My principal ROCKS! He's so funny. He takes a group of us to the cafeteria for free cookies and milk! Also, in gym we get to climb rope courses. I am very fortunate to be at my school.

Kortney:
I got to a private school. I like the school spirit, everyone supports each other and we are all pretty close in my grade.

Francesco:
I go to a public school, but you have to take a test to get in.

Shing Ying:
I go to a regular school. I like it because we all range in personalities, but we all have similar likes and dislikes.

Kyle:
I like that my school is a mix of gender and race.

Kate of Staten Island, NY asks:
What subject do you like the most? Why is it your favorite?

Shing Ying:
I like social studies the most because I'm interested in politics.

Cara:
My favorite subject is probably science because there are a lot of hands-on things that you can do. There are also a lot of never-ending subjects in science that make you wonder...

Mike:
My favorite subject is art.

Francesco:
I like math the most because math is what I'm best at.

Kyle:
Definitely math, because it comes easiest to me.

Maya:
I like math because it is challenging.

Kortney:
I like to read a lot and in English we get to discuss the books we read in class, which is a lot of fun.

Rajvir, age 13 of Vancouver, BC asks:
What are your favourite book series? What kind of books do you like?

Maya:
My favorite book series is the Shel Silverstein series of poetry books, but I also love comedies and mysteries.

Kyle:
I like mysteries too. My favorite book series are Harry Potter and Fingerprints.

Shing Ying:
I like romantic comedy books.

Cara:
My favorite book series is probably A Series of Unfortunate Events. I also loved Ramona Quimby and Junie B. Jones. I like books that are descriptive. Since I like to write stories that are funny, I like to read them too!

Kortney:
A Series of Unfortunate Events is one of my favorites too along with Harry Potter and Artemis Fowl. I definitely have to say I have read more fantasy books but I like all kinds of books.

Mike:
I love Dr. Seuss books. My mom read them to me when I was little and I still love them.

Avian, age 14 of Boston, MA asks:
What subject did you ever have a problem with in school? How did you get over it?

Shing Ying:
Sometimes I struggle in science, so I ask someone for help. Asking is always a good thing to do: it'll never hurt.

Cara:
I had trouble in science too. It was my first time having a male teacher and he was a little intimidating. I felt a little overwhelmed with homework. However, once I got to know him, he became one of my favorite teachers.

Kyle:
I've had trouble with English, but I always stayed after school to get help.

Francesco:
I have had a problem with Latin. I just studied harder and tried more and this year I'm doing better.

Kortney:
My problem was in Math class because I'm not really that good at math. So I got a really great tutor and she helped me succeed in math.

Laura asks:
How are you guys treated at your schools? Like celebrities or just normally?

Francesco:
Just normally, so far...

Shing Ying:
I don't think being on ZOOM has made a difference, to tell you the truth. We're treated normally, like any kid. We're just normal people who happened to have an opportunity to be on TV.

Kortney:
I am treated normally at school, not as a celebrity because I'm just a normal kid like everyone else at my school. Occasionally someone from my school will run up to me and say, "I watched you on TV." but it's not a big deal.

Maya:
Sometimes the teachers treat my differently, and that's kind of weird.

Mike:
No one really treats me differently.

Cara:
Some kids (I will admit) seemed to treat me differently and I was polite and friendly, but I knew who my real friends were.

Rebecca of Maple Valley, WA asks:
Do you ever have problems with life? Like, friends not really being friends anymore? What do you do when that happens?

Mike:
We all lose friends and gain friends. And when this happens, you just have to keep going.

Kortney:
When I have problems with life, I try to think it through and see what I can do to fix it.

Francesco:
We all have problems. What I do is just try to get over it and forget it.

Maya:
When friends that I had weren't friends anymore, or not acting like friends that I'd wanna have, I would speak to them about how I felt, and that would lift a burden off my shoulders! But, if they didn't change their ways, I would spend less time with them, and more with my real friends.

Cara:
I think a friendship takes work. If you really want to be friends with somebody, you just have to work at it. If someone didn't want to be my friend anymore, I would be upset and would probably get mad at them, truthfully.

Chandler of Pineville, LA asks:
If somebody made fun of, or talked about one of your friends what would you do?

Kyle:
I would tell the boy or girl to stop bothering my friend.

Francesco:
Yeah, I would tell them to stop. I would just leave or get away.

Maya:
I would stand up for my friend, and mention their good qualities. If someone was teasing or making fun of my friend behind or "in front of" their back, I'd tell an adult.

Cara:
That situation has come up before. What I did was be assertive, but not aggressive. I basically told them that everyone is different and that they were my friend and I liked them.

Kortney:
If someone made fun of or talked about my friends I would give my friends support and I wouldn't be too happy with the person who was talking about them in the first place.

Shing Ying:
I would tell my friend that whoever teased them isn't worth it, and that they only teased them because they're not comfortable with themselves.

Alex of Tucson, AZ asks:
What is your strongest quality of being a good friend?

Maya:
My strongest quality as a good friend is probably that I am honest. I think that honesty covers a lot of very important qualities for friendship.

Cara:
I think that I'm someone who you can talk to just to get stuff out that's bothering you. I also think that I try to be honest, loyal, thoughtful, and sincere.

Kyle:
I make people laugh.

Shing Ying:
I think my best quality is helping people with problems. I like to be there when someone's down.

Kortney:
My strongest quality is being there for my friends when they need me.

Francesco:
Me too, I always back up my friends.

Vinnie of Ontario, Canada asks:
Why is your best friend your best friend?

Francesco:
My best friend is my best friend because he is always there when I'm bored or sad.

Kyle:
For me, it's because he and I have the same interests.

Shing Ying:
I guess it's because we think so alike. We always finish each other's sentences and we're interested in the same things. We always laugh our heads off and have a great time.

Kortney:
My best friend is my best friend because we are like the same person. We make each other laugh so hard and she helps me through hard times and vice versa.

Maya:
My best friend and I have known each other for a long time. We also like a lot of the same things. We are still very different, but we learn many things from each other.

Mike:
My best friends are my best friends because they are people I trust, like to have fun with, and feel I could tell anything to.