Cow shows how

Kathleen, Josephine and Norrie with Olivia Mooton John. 124084 Pictures: ROB CAREW

By CASEY NEILL

OLIVIA Mooton John is a cow on a mission.
She’s inspiring students at Noble Park North’s Silverton Primary School to eat well, drink water and exercise.
They spent weeks decorating the life-sized fibreglass bovine for the Dairy Australia Picasso Cows program, guided by the Fuel for Life theme.
Teacher Di Rickard said a school competition produced the name and an exercise-themed design, complete with roller skates, leg warmers and headphones.
“We did a movie to go with her,” she said.
“Some of the kids dressed up in leotards and re-wrote the words to (Olivia Newton John hit) Let’s Get Physical.”
Ms Rickard said she was proud of what the kids had come up with.
“It was a really good experience,” she said.
“We get to keep her, so the kids are very excited about that.”
Picasso Cows is in its sixth year and teaches schools around Australia that milk doesn’t just come from the supermarket.
Silverton was among 10 suburban Melbourne primary schools chosen to decorate cows under the theme Unbeatable Bones, Fuel for Life or Farm to Plate, and document their experience.
Heritage College in Narre Warren won the $250 regional prize for its cow Miss Moo at a presentation at Cranbourne Golf Club on 18 July.

Watch the school’s video here: