Whanganui schoolchildren try to lure Richie McCaw

Richie McCaw is a rugby hero for Fordell School children - and they are pretty convinced he will be coming in a helicopter to deliver their school milk one day.

In its fifth year, Fonterra Milk for Schools has a competition going. The four schools chosen will have the rugby hero pop in on a chopper to deliver them their milk, and some morning tea.

Fordell School is going all out to win the contest, principal Yvette Moorhouse said.

The senior classes have written a song and younger children have done art projects and made signs. All 87 pupils have been practising the song and some actions.

"Richie's on top of the world. He's been a star for a while now, tackling them down to the dirt," the children sing.

Their performance was videoed on Friday, and the video will be uploaded to the competition site.

The school has been part of the Fonterra scheme for two years, Mrs Moorhouse said, and getting the milk has been good for the children. The tetrapacks are kept in a fridge and given cold, and they can drink the milk whenever they want.

"It tops them up. They're not hungry."

Many of the children come from dairy farms, and wear gumboots to school. Milk is familiar to them.

Apart from water, it's the only drink they are allowed to have at school.

When the tetrapacks of milk are empty they are flattened, folded and sent away for recycling. The end products are used to make things like roof tiles and exercise books for people in other countries.