This is officially the feel-good high school prank of the year

The old cliché of student-principal rivalry got turned on its head last month, and it’s all thanks to some awesome students. Wichita High School North senior Emily Jones wanted to say farewell to her high school years with a prank, but came up with something a little less traditional to mark her and her classmate’s time at the school.

At the suggestion of her mom, Emily enlisted her fellow seniors in writing thank you notes to the principal, Sherman Padgett. She then convinced him to stand in the middle of a hallway with a bucket, and each student dropped his or her note into it! The final result was around 60 cards expressing the students’ appreciation for all that Padgett does for them and their school, and Padgett says he’s received another 40 in the last month.

“I wanted to do it for him, because he oversees everything,” Emily told Today.com. “Through complimenting him, we compliment the school, in general.”

Principals can get a bad rap from students, and it’s so great to see one senior class take a little time to show their head of school some love.

The cards were written on stationery that Emily’s aunt printed, and included a (totally perfect) Dr. Seuss quote: “How did it get so late so soon? It’s night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?”

Although Padgett was touched by the kind gesture, he did note that it’s the students who are responsible for making the school as great as it is. He also pointed to one stand-out letter that summed up why there’s so much love in the school. It read: “I love how anybody is welcome in this school by staff and students, no matter their race, sex, weight, height or sexuality.” Clearly, this school is doing something right.

Now the move has sparked a “ripple effect” Padgett says, that has swept the school, with more and more acts of kindness being undertaken by students. Emily has been asked by younger classes if they can copy her year-end prank, and she’s excited for it to become just as much a tradition as any other senior year moment.

Hopefully Emily’s thoughtful prank will inspire other senior classes to say good-bye to their schools with more “pranks” that make everyone feel amazing.

(Images via TODAY)