Learn Russian: Тут наша школа, а там магазин. - Our school is here, and the shop is there.

In Russian, the present tense of the verb "to be" (like "is", "am", or "are") is normally left out. You just state the subject and its location, like наша школа (our school) right next to тут (here).

Why use а instead of и for "and" in this sentence?

The word а is used to show a slight contrast, often translating to "whereas" or a contrasting "and" or "but". Because you are contrasting two different locations (the school is here, but the shop is there), а is the correct word to use. The word и is usually used when you are grouping similar things together without a contrast.

Is there a difference between тут and здесь?

Both words mean "here" and are completely interchangeable in this sentence. Тут is very common in everyday spoken Russian, while здесь is just slightly more standard or formal.

Why does the word for "our" end in -а (наша)?

Possessive words like "our" must match the gender of the noun they describe. Because школа (school) is a feminine noun (it ends in -а), you must use the feminine form наша instead of the masculine наш or neuter наше.