By Esther Lauaki
A life-sized cow became a canvas for young artists in Werribee as they learned about the delights of dairy.
A hundred year 3 and 4 pupils from Our Lady of the Southern Cross Catholic Primary School in Manor Lakes took turns painting the sculpture as part of the Picasso Cows program.
The program, run by Dairy Australia, aims to help children discover the health benefits of dairy produce.
Visual arts teacher Kylie Kennedy-Cupples said that before the children set to work painting the cow, they completed a raft of activities learning about healthy eating and strong bones.
“We did a lot of work around cows,” she said. “The children don’t get to paint just anything on the cow – they first have to go online and do activities and collect ideas through other resources.
“We made butter in an old butter churn, had a milkshake tasting day and we had lunch with some healthy food – a variety of different cheeses. They then submitted a design for the cow and voted for their favourite designs.”
Ms Kennedy-Cupples said she hoped the children gained an understanding of what healthy eating was about and learned that experimenting with new foods was important.
The completed cow, dubbed Jennifer in honour of principal Jennifer Poon, will be on display at Werribee Bunnings.
