Twenty bovine beauties are scheduled for delivery this week, along with buckets of paint and brushes to help primary school kids learn about where their food comes from, the health benefits of dairy foods and the importance of our local dairy industry.
Students participating have just 12 weeks to decorate their cow in one of three dairy-related themes – ‘Unbeatable Bones’, ‘Fuel for Life’ or ‘Farm to Plate’ – and complete individual learning journals from start to finish.
Once the brushes are washed and put away in June, the schools will be invited to a presentation and the chance to meet and learn from other students all while competing for prizes.
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READ NOWGrade One Teacher Nicole Tasovac said the sponsors were Catholic Agricultural College, Bindoon, the Edgewater Veterinary Hospital, Big W Ellenbrook, Woolworths Ellenbrook and Coles Midland.
“They have helped the school with the program through their support,” she said.
“It’s a mammoth task, but one well worth the effort from both an educational and nutritional perspective,” manager of the nation-wide program, Emily Barnes said.
“Two in three Australian children over the age of two are not meeting the Australian Dietary Guidelines recommendations for the dairy good group, which is a worrying trend.
“The Picasso Cows use creativity to bring dairy into the classroom and learn about the benefits of milk, cheese and yogurt to growing bodies.”
Midvale Primary School will join a total of 80 primary schools nationwide in the Picasso Cows program, bringing the total number of participating schools to over 800 since it started in 2008.