The final character play of the school year for East Aiken Elementary School pupils, The Recess Queen, was about boldness and how pupils could stand up to schoolyard bullies.

"Boldness is all about confidence and courage to have the strength to do what you know is right," Kathy Linton, a physical education teacher, said about Wednesday's play.

Third-graders Ali Curry and Emely Castillo-Paz played the main characters Mean Jean and Katie Sue. Members of the Third-Grade Club played the playground brigade.

The play showed that Katie Sue could win Mean Jean over with kindness and everyone on the playground could play again without Mean Jean calling the shots.

"This is the last assembly of the whole year and this has been the best audience," Ms. Linton said. "(Katie Sue) did what she knew was right and then everybody could have fun."

The character plays began as a way to tie in Aiken's character trait of the month with school curriculum. Each month, a different grade would act out a play that went along with the character trait.

Boldness tied in nicely with getting pupils excited about the Palmetto Achievement Challenge Test that begins Monday, Ms. Linton said.

Before the play, pupils sang a song about how to be prepared for the test. The play ended with pupils chanting, "We are PACT Masters!"

Reach Julia Sellers at (803) 648-1395, ext. 106, or julia.sellers@augustachronicle.com.