The entire Smith STEM School community participated in Project A.C.E.S. in honor of National Physical Education Week.

By Ronni Newton

In honor of National Physical Fitness Week, the entire Smith STEM School community – about 400 students, teachers, and staff, and even Principal Teresa Giolito – filled the gymnasium and danced to a wide variety of energetic music led by hip-hop artist Austin Dailey of Red Supreme Productions.

This is National Physical Education Week, and Smith STEM, as it has for the past 13 years, was participating in Project A.C.E.S (All Children Exercising Simultaneously) day on Wednesday. This is the 13th year that the school has held an A.C.E.S. day, said Physical Education teacher Kathy Miller, who led the effort.

“The whole school is dancing,” she said. The students learned a few of the dances earlier in the week during their physical education classes, and Dailey, assisted by his sidekick “J Swag,” put them through the paces, “testing” their ability to remember the steps in a fast-paced program that indeed had everyone moving simultaneously.

Some of the music was hip-hop, but Dailey also played an assortment that ranged from rock ‘n roll oldies like “The Twist,” to “The Chicken Dance,” to “Whip My Hair” and other tunes that even the youngest students seemed to recognize. For 30 minutes, they danced, jumped and acted like zombies and robots.

In the evening, the students were invited to bring their families back for another dance event hosted by Dailey and Red Supreme Productions.

Dailey’s visit this year was part of a grant-funded artist in residence program.

Smith STEM brings a unique focus to Project A.C.E.S. day each year. Past programs have focused on Tai Chi and Jazzercise, and last year the entire community danced to “Uptown Funk,” Miller said.

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