SOCIETY 377

Resilience during
a Pandemic
Students at Danube International School
Vienna show they are resilient, independent
and innovative as the world goes into lockdown
and schools are closed.
March 15, 2020 is a day the community
in Austria will remember because it
was the day the world as we knew it
ended. Sunday evening’s announcement
that the country was issuing
stay at home orders came swiftly and
without notice, as the government
reacted to a growing pandemic. Children
and families were getting ready for
the week ahead, packing their school
bags, but Monday came and no one
left their household. Instead, students
logged on to teacher webpages to
watch instructional videos, took part
in zoom and google meet lessons, and
maneuvered various online platforms
to ensure they continued to learn and
develop from home.
The next couple of months, students
would show their resilience by
conducting investigations online,
problem solving – how to create masks
when none were available for purchase,
innovating ways to conduct group
projects, and using materials from
home to create art and stay active.
Pupils at every age needed to organize
their days in order to have time for
physical activity, inventive exercises,
creative experiences, academic
endeavors, and wellness activities. The
resilience displayed by DISV students
was remarkable, as fear, anxiety, and
helplessness filled many homes as few
answers were available and an end did
not seem in sight. Instead, hope, encouragement,
and originality prevailed
in the DISV community.
As educators, we often wonder if the
skills, knowledge and attitudes we
hope to impart on our students are
successful, and we look for authentic
ways to measure their impact. Through
these trying times, we have observed
all of these. I have never been so proud
of a community of learners, inquirers,
and ‘carers’ as witnessing Danube
International School Vienna navigate
the education of our next generation
among a pandemic. I have been humbled,
touched, and honored to witness
students and teachers traverse an
uncertain time in history with such
grace, empathy and distinction. DISV
has shown itself, once again, to be a
community that strives for excellence,
by engaging learners, acting ethically
and showing empathy in all instances.
Written by Dr. Michelle Purghart
Director
BILDUNG