Learn Finnish: Tervetuloa! Tämä on uusi koulu. - Welcome! This is a new school.

It is a combination of terve, which means healthy or hello, and tuloa, which comes from the word for arrival or coming. So literally, it means something like healthy arrival or greetings on your arrival!

Why is there no word for 'a' before uusi koulu?

Finnish does not have articles like a, an, or the. The phrase uusi koulu can mean a new school or the new school depending on the context. Here, a new school makes the most sense in English.

Can I use tämä (this) for people as well as things?

Yes, you can! In Finnish, tämä is used to introduce both things and people. You can say Tämä on uusi koulu (This is a new school) just as easily as Tämä on Matti (This is Matti).

How would I change this sentence to ask 'Is this a new school?'

To turn this into a yes/no question, you take the verb on (is), move it to the front of the sentence, and add the question ending -ko. The sentence becomes Onko tämä uusi koulu?.