Wednesday, 20 January, 2021
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Teacher’s a hero By Mitchell Clarke A much-loved Berwick teacher has been hailed a hero after her inspiring act, which ultimately saved the life of a father and daughter, claimed her own life. Lisa Mandeltort, who taught at Nossal High School, tragically drowned after she ran into waters at Venus Bay to save a 14-year-old girl caught in a rip. Ms Mandeltort was alerted to the struggling teenager at about 7.30pm on Wednesday 13 January, as she walked her dogs with her partner, Bill. She ran to assist the girl, but found herself in trouble shortly after. Police say she was pulled from the water by an off-duty lifeguard who commenced CPR, but she sadly couldn’t be revived. Her heartbroken partner, Bill Murphy, told the Gazette that from the moment he first saw Lisa, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. The pair were close friends for seven years but began dating after a drunken fling. “For slightly less than three years, we lived happily ever after,” he said. “It was a relationship, not of the sickly sweet gross PDA kind, but the kind where you just look at them from the outside and go ‘they’re definitely in love and just make each other happy’. “I first laid eyes on her in the basement at uni, where we’d both come down for a free salsa lesson and I couldn’t take my eyes off her. I thought she was absolutely stunning. (She) danced like one of those baby zebras learning to walk for the first time. “Two days later, I saw her in my chemistry lab - one of her favourite jokes she’d always say was that we had chemistry together - we were just amazing friends who were just immensely comfortable around each other.” Mr Murphy said a lot of people had reached out to offer support in the days following her death.“Lisa and I always let each other know how much we were loved like it was the last time we saw each other,” he recalled. “We both knew that the world is a horrifying, random sequence of events and the only solace we can find is caring for people and the connections we make. I love her so much and I miss her immensely.” It was Lisa’s care, particularly for her students at Nossal, for which she is being remembered as a “big softie who put so much thought into everything”.
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“For someone who never set out to be a teacher, she was so god damn proud of every single one of her kids. She wanted the best for every one of them. One of her Year 12s got the 99.95 this year and she couldn’t wipe the smile off her face for three days,” Mr Murphy said. “I hope that the kids know she treasured them as much as they treasured her.” Nossal High School principal Roger Page said the school community were “deeply shocked and saddened” by the tragic death of a friend and colleague. “We were not surprised to hear that she did 12479401-CG04-21
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Lisa and Bill were close friends for seven years before they began dating.
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not hesitate to put her own life at risk to assist someone in peril,” he said. “We are devastated by her untimely passing and extend our sincere condolences to her partner, family, and friends.” Ms Mandeltort joined Nossal in 2017 as a graduate Science teacher. She quickly established herself as a “caring and committed” educator with an interest in supporting her students and helping them to achieve their best. “Lisa was a dynamic and dedicated teacher and school leader who was much loved and respected by staff and students,” Mr Page said.
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“She was heavily involved in the school’s co-curricular programs, deeply interested in issues that impacted the environment, and actively involved in community voluntary and leadership work outside the school.” Ms Mandeltort led the Nossal Environmental Sustainability Team, and worked closely with Casey Tech to implement innovative STEM (Science, Technology, Environment and Maths) programs within the school and beyond. “She was a very capable and inspirational teacher with a diverse range of interests and skills, and a great enthusiasm for teaching,” Mr Page added. Continued page 4
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