Elizabeth "Beth" Polletto '03

Beth Polletto was born on May 22, 1985. She was our third child and she had two older brothers, Matthew ’94, and Travis ’97.

She attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Silver Spring, Md. Beth always liked music, but became very interested when her two older brothers also had interest. When she was in Kindergarten, her brother Matthew ‘94 started in the Music Program and then her brother Travis ’97 also joined the band. We would attend the band concerts at GC and she became very interested in playing the flute. When she was in third grade, she decided she wanted to start learning the flute. We found a teacher who was willing to take a third grader on and as long as Beth’s fingers were long enough to reach the keys. That started her flute-playing career. She joined the band in elementary school and in fourth grade she played the flute part from the music selected from Lion King at the Choral Concert that year.

During her elementary school years, Beth was a very good and well-liked student. She also had a big interest in art. She started doing origami and had a display at school. She also loved other mediums especially watercolors and clay. She was picked as the captain of the safety patrol group in 5th grade. She was also a girl scout and loved to camp. Beth also played soccer and softball. Beth loved the dogs we had over the years and was a real animal lover. Beth also adored her two older brothers and although they were different in personality she had a little of both in her.
She also had a big interest in art. She started doing origami and had a display at school in 5th grade. She also loved other mediums especially watercolors, beading and clay. Beth also would make miniature dollhouse food out of sculpting clay. They were so professional looking she was able to sell them at a craft show.

When it was time for her to go high school, she looked at the several all-girls schools, but felt she really wanted to go to Good Counsel High School where her brothers’ attended. It seem only natural for her to be around boys, since she grew up with two older brothers.
Beth applied to Good Counsel and also applied for 2 scholarships in art and music. She received the art scholarship and also received the music scholarship and was placed into the top band, which was the Wind Ensemble. She made her way up to second and then first chair and learned how to play the piccolo. In art she excelled in the art program and had independent painting in her senior year. At one of the Home Coming Dances Beth and her date made their eveningwear out of duct tape. She made a duct tape dress, a matching bag, and shoes. Beth and her date were photographed in the yearbook that year.

Beth also was very active in the Drama Club working in the drama and musical productions as a technician and working and making some of the props. Beth also volunteered at Camp Good Counsel, starting in the 9th grade as a counselor and continued until the summer after she graduated. She then came back after her freshman year in college and applied to be on the staff team. Beth worked as a staffer until she graduated college. She was very instrumental with the activities for the campers and the counselors. She became co-director in her last year. She was also in charge of the art program and the music program at camp, as well as a lifeguard. She was known to wrap herself in saran wrap, duct tape and wear the craziest clothes for the different counselor dress up days helping the campers. After she passed away, Randy Markowitz, a Spanish teacher at GC and also a staffer with CGC, suggested to name the Camp Good Counsel award after Beth, because of the love, enthusiasm, and dedication she had for the camp. We were so honored that GC wanted to do this for her and to preserve her memory.

After she graduated from Good Counsel, Beth went into the music education program at the University of Southern Maine, which had a great reputation for Music Education. Her older brother graduated in Music Education from the University 4 years earlier. Beth’s instrument was flute. She had her struggles at times with her instructor, but came out a shining star and her senior recital was a great success.

Beth loved Maine. We use to vacation up there every summer since she was a year old. Her aunt and uncle had a summer home up there and we would come up for 2 weeks every summer. So this is why she also chose USM.
After a few years studying flute, Beth starting giving flute lessons. She also, while student teaching, starting to work for Starbucks as a barista. After she graduated college, since she didn’t find a job right away, she continued teaching her flute students, starting long term subbing as a music teacher, and still worked at Starbucks. Beth enjoyed getting her free one-pound bag of coffee every week, which was a perk for being a Starbucks employee.

In 2009, she first landed a 2 day a week job with Georgetown Central Elementary as their music teacher for grades K-6 and then shortly after she was hired to be the Gray New Gloucester Middle School band teacher. She had a full time job! She was at both schools until she had her fatal accident one morning in March of 2012. She was on her way to the Middle School. The roads were very icy and unfortunately, an oncoming truck struck her.

She taught at both schools for almost 3 years. She was such a loved teacher, especially with the sixth, seventh and eighth graders she taught. She was young and vibrant and her students loved her. Even today, we still hear from her students, parents, grandparents, and her colleagues, telling us what a great teacher she was. She had inspired so many of her students to love playing their instruments and to even practice. Most of her students went on to high school band and now many are in college and still playing in band and majoring in music education. One of her very first flute students actually majored in Music Education in Beth’s honor. She will be graduating this year and we are so happy to have her following in Beth’s footsteps. Beth also had many students come to her for personal or academic guidance. She was always willing to give a helping hand to anyone. I believe the education she received not only at St. John the Evangelist, but especially at Good Counsel High School, instilled great values, which she gave to her own students.