By Jessica Peralta / Los Angeles Times’ Daily Pilot

Originally posted on the Los Angeles Times’ Daily Pilot.

Every morning third-grade teacher Jennifer Swan-Altieri starts her students off with a motivational mantra:

“What if it’s too hard?” she asks.

“We will push through,” the students respond.

“What if it’s too tough?”

“We will push through.”

“What if it’s too rough?”

“We will push through.”

It ends with the children affirming: “We push through anything we put our minds to.”

The motivation behind the morning mantra is for the Paul Revere Elementary School children to learn to constructively handle adversity.

“Life is going to be hard at times,” Swan-Altieri said. “But we don’t give up. We have to work together and help each other through the tough times.”

The sentiment is one that carries through programs offered throughout the school on Guinida Lane in Anaheim, an area known for crime and gang activity, as well as tagging, beer bottles, broken glass and other blights.

“Our little neighborhood is definitely high-need,” Swan-Altieri said.

Orange County United Way identified the school as one that could benefit from its programs and resources – a partnership that began five years ago.

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