Josephine Hyde pranked her New Prague High School classmates, but with a smile. In the early morning hours Thursday, Hyde sneaked into school to post notes all around before her classmates could arrive. Hyde had been planning her stunt for weeks with the help of the school principal, Lonnie Seifert. But she waited until the week before spring break to pull it off.

On Thursday, her classmates finally got to see her surprise. All throughout the school, Hyde had written words of encouragement and love for her classmates.

Students peeled off the notes that said "Choose hope" and "#givealittlelove" and stuck them in their lockers.

Hyde said she wanted to leave a legacy of positivity before heading off to St. Cloud State University next year.

"I wanted everyone to smile," the 18-year-old senior said. "Sometimes it's hard to smile when you wake up in the morning."

As she was putting up the notes, Hyde said she got some help from her classmates.

CJ Sinner, Star Tribune
The "senior prank" at New Prague High School was positive messages written on Post-Its and stuck to lockers.

In previous years, Seifert said, the senior pranks haven't been so kind.

"Why would we not let a student do something positive?" he said.

This year, Hyde wanted to change it up from the typical water balloon fight or flour dump.

"I decided to do something that wasn't going to be messy," she said.

The overall reaction from her peers, she said, was of love.

"It was really exciting that they were happy," she said.

Hyde even made notes for the school staff.

"I have one in my mailbox," Seifert said.

Beatrice Dupuy • 612-673-1707