SACO — It’s usually not a good thing when students sneak around behind a teacher’s back, but students and alumni of Saco Middle School recently plotted a surprise for teacher Gwyneth Nicholson that truly touched the teacher’s heart.

Nicholson, or “Ms. Nic” to students, teaches English and is the drama coach at Saco Middle School. She has an interest in project-based learning, and wanted to attend the Project Based Learning Conference in Napa Valley, California, in June to learn how to incorporate it in her teaching. The interdisciplinary, hands-on approach engages students who might otherwise not do well in a traditional setting, she said.

However, the school district didn’t have the funding to cover the $2,000 needed for the conference, accommodations and air travel, so Nicholson decided to start an online funding page.

When eighth graders Jade Kruczek and Breiana Melcher found out about the teacher’s quest for funding, they came up with an idea to help raise money – hold a student performance at the school.

Kruczek, along with Saco Middle School alumnus and Thornton Academy student Megan Orlandella, spearheaded the effort with help from Melcher; high school students and SMS alumni Natalie Ben-Ami, Theresa Orlandella and Megan Walsh; and others.

The students chose to host a One Act Showcase at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday at Saco Middle School. Admission is $5. There will be five unrelated, humorous one-act plays, said Kruczek.

It was a big undertaking, but Kruczek said, “I just kept thinking of Ms. Nic,” and she and the students pulled together.

“She’s a fantastic teacher,” she said.

Over the past two months, students have held rehearsals at the Saco Grange Hall and Fairfield Elementary School to keep the show a secret from Nicholson.

And they did manage to keep it a secret – although Kruczek said there were a few times when students were talking about the surprise but quickly had to change the subject when Nicholson walked by.

The students broke the surprise to Nicholson last week by staging a scavenger hunt with songs and dance numbers that led her to complimentary tickets to the performance.

“It was a total surprise. I had no idea,” said Nicholson.

Nicholson said that since finding out about the play, she’s let the students continue leading the effort, and hasn’t been involved with any of the rehearsals. She is excited to attend the performance this week with her family, and is impressed by the students’ initiative.

“I’ve never had a group of students do anything this thoughtful,” she said. “It was such a joy to find out they had done this. It really speaks volumes.”

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.