Why Biretta?
‘Biretta’ is an Italian term referring to a square cap with three ridges traditionally worn by Catholic clergy. The ‘biretta’ is an ancestor of the modern mortarboard hat used today in universities. St John Bosco, the founder of the Salesian Order, regularly wore a biretta. We have chosen ‘Biretta’ as the name for the Program to give contemporary expression to Don Bosco’s educational vision.
How the Biretta Program Works
Similar to students in mixed ability Homerooms, students in the Biretta Class study their core subjects together as a Homeroom (i.e. Religious Education, English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Italian). The Biretta Program environment fosters the opportunity for academically talented students to:
- Learn new material at a rapid rate
- Simultaneously focus on a number of tasks; and
- Handle abstract and complex ideas
The speed and depth at which material is undertaken by the Biretta Class is tailored to the capabilities of particularly able students. The curriculum is compacted to allow for a range of enrichment and extension activities. Students in the Biretta Program have the opportunity to learn in a stimulating, fast-moving environment.
