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UNION TWP. &mdash; It seemed like Gavin Davis couldn&rsquo;t stop smiling. Sure, he&rsquo;d been expected a delivery of his cap and gown for the graduation ceremony &mdash; whatever form it takes &mdash; at Northwest Area School District&rsquo;s commencement.
				But he wasn&rsquo;t expecting all the other boons.
				There were cookies from the cafeteria, a gift card for ice cream at a local business, a congratulatory lawn sign with his class picture on it, and maybe most surprising, a gift tailored to his interests.
				Oh, and the cap and gown.
				&ldquo;This is great!&rdquo; he said after a caravan of administrators and staff had pulled into his driveway honking horns, then handed him gift after gift. And yes, he happily added when asked, it does make up for the loss of many traditional senior year rituals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
				High School Principal Ryan Miner said every staff member in the school contributed in making the surprise possible. The students had been told only they would get their caps and gowns delivered Thursday. All the other stuff was hush hush until the caravans began pulling up to houses.
				Many teachers and staff contributed their own money to the cause, and some contributed their knowledge of individual students to make at least one gift personal.
				About 20 district employees gathered in the high school parking lot around 1 p.m. for assignments. Miner gave them a short pep talk, thanking them for their efforts in making graduation memorable in such extraordinary times, with schools closed since mid-March.
				&ldquo;It really, really means a lot to them right now, to know something special is being done for them,&rdquo; he said. It was clear, he added, students had connected with their teachers, and vice-versa. &ldquo;Something triggered you to help that kid at this time.&rdquo;
				Visits to each family were short but loaded with smiles &mdash; by seniors and parents alike.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s fantastic,&rdquo; Gavin&rsquo;s mom Tricia said.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s very cool that they bring these around,&rdquo; Jerry Jenkins said after his son Jeffrey got his gifts.
				&ldquo;It&rsquo;s awesome,&rdquo; Carrie Yapel said after snapping picture of son Walker getting his surprise. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s so great t hat they are taking the time to do this for the kids!&rdquo;

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Northwest Area staff surprise seniors with gowns and gifts