Senior pranks are a time-honored tradition, but this one had some emotion to it.

Students at Kansas' Wichita North High recently honored principal Sherman Padgett for all that he does -- but not before duping him into thinking he was about to be pranked.

A student approached Padgett, who's served as principal since 2006, and convinced him to hold a bucket. Bracing himself for the worst, he was surprised when students walked up to him, putting notes of appreciation into the bucket.

The notes ranged from the silly to the serious, but one thing they all had in common? They all show the students truly appreciated Padgett's dedication to them.

The non-prank prank sure resonated with him. He said, "I kind of read them and thought, ‘Man, this is better than a paycheck. This is why I do the things that I do.'"

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