Picasso Cow, ‘Mechanicow’ shortlisted!

Below is a copy of the newsletter page about the journey of our cow.

Picasso Cow Makeover 2015

The Story of ‘Mechanicow’

Over terms 2 and 3, Miss Karo, along with a group of dedicated and creative students in years 2-7 have been working hard to give the McLaren Vale Primary School ‘Picasso Cow’ a makeover. This year, the Picasso Cow project has been part of a series of Power Plays; activities held across the school during first break.

Each Wednesday, interested students have been involved in the makeover process from beginning to end. With Miss Karo as facilitator, students investigated, collaborated, designed and painted the cow. The chosen theme for the cow was ‘Farm to Plate’. The cow was named ‘Mechanicow’.

The focus for the cow makeover was around the technology used in the dairy industry. There were some fantastic ideas, students voted to include at least one from each design.

Towards the end of the project, the cow group connected with another group, the Nunga group, facilitated by our resident Aboriginal Education Officer. With some fresh ideas and some discussion and investigation into the dairy industry, use of technology and sustainability, the Nunga group used Indigenous Australian words and symbols to represent the land, culture, impact of the dairy industry and the importance of sustainability in farming.

The large group of students worked hard to complete the cow in time for judging and deserve to be commended for their ability to collaborate and for their commitment and effort across the two terms for the Picasso Cow Makeover 2015. We have wonderful news, we are shortlisted in the top 6 in Australia! We have entered the next stage of the competition with a letter written by the students involved. Well done to all involved and good luck, fingers are crossed! Results will be released on the 9th of November.

We started by looking at photos and clips about the dairy industry and how technology is used. We also talked about sustainability and discovered that the dairy industry is using technology to support a sustainable future in dairy farming.