A Walk around Hillview

     I had the opportunity recently to take a walk  around Hillview Elementary in Ammon to think about the community surrounding the school and the impact the neighborhood has on the school.  Hillview is an older elementary school consisting of many unattached buildings surrounded by a brick wall.  It looks a little like a jail for midgets.  Ammon was once a small town on the outskirts of Idaho Falls, but now has been gobbled up by the city itself.  The homes surrounding the school are small ranch style homes built in the 1940's.  Its a lower middle class neighborhood surrounded by the urban sprawl of Idaho Falls.  The movie theater and several shopping centers are within walking distance of the school.  There is a very nice park that borders the northern boundary of the school that has a swimming pool, playground equipment and soccer fields.  The surrounding neighborhoods are well cared for.  There are newer apartment buildings several blocks away from the school that are also well kept.  It is a typical Idaho middle class, mostly white neighborhood.  The kids can walk to stores and restaurants from their homes.  Most of the students walk to school but there is one school bus that takes a few of the students.  The majority of the students that go to Hillview are white, lower to middle class.  The neighborhood is relatively safe.  It is a close knit community that has several community functions throughout the year.  The swimming pool offers lessons and free swim times in the summer.  The park has periodic barbecues and events that are community centered.  Overall, it is a very nice place to live.  The public library is very small but the larger library for Idaho Falls is several miles away.  The city of Ammon has few city resources but Idaho Falls is close enough and offers museums and other cultural activities that the residents can take advantage of.
     It was interesting to walk around an area that I drive by often but had never explored.  The school is situated inside a maze of neighborhood streets and is not easily accessed by people just driving by. I believe this is a good thing for the students.  They can avoid busy streets when walking to and from school and the city still has a small town feel.  It was a good experience to see a different area and imagine how the people lived their lives in that neighborhood.  I was able to step out of my rural school experience to see life in a bigger town where things were different than what I was used to.  It would be interesting to attend a school event to see if what I have imagined the students to be like is actually true.  Its always nice to see the other lives being lived, even if its only superficial; it broadens ones own.