Totino-Grace is located in a quiet neighborhood of Minneapolis! Nearby is the city of St. Paul and these two cities are known collectively as the Twin Cities. The campus is conveniently located just 16 KM from downtown Minneapolis and 25 KM from downtown St. Paul. 

This gives students two cities for the price of one. Bus routes that run to both downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul are within a few blocks of the campus.

Every year the Twin Cities is highly ranked as one of the best place to live in the U.S.  Click HERE to read about the ranking. The Twin Cities gets high marks for many reasons:

• Considered the U.S. Midwest cultural capital with 30 theater venues, 10 dance companies, and 60 museums
• Home to the Mall of America, the largest shopping mall in the U.S. with unbeatable savings due to no tax on clothing and shoes
• Home to more Fortune 500 companies per capita than any other state in the U.S.
• Short distance to the Mayo Clinic, considered the best hospital in the world and a destination for health care for many world leaders
• Offers more shoreline than California, Florida and Hawaii combined with almost 15,000 lakes
• Offers a four season climate
• Lots of green space, parks, and clean air

• Boarding schools provide a unique chance to develop skills needed for college
• Participate in one (or more!) of TG's awesome clubs, athletic teams, performing arts groups, etc. 
• Really get to know your fellow students by eating and studying together, doing weekend excursions, and being surrounded by other students who take school seriously
• Smaller class sizes and more support than public schools
• Fewer distractions, allowing students to keep up with the school's academic standards 
• Experience cultural diversity by living with students from all over the world 

All the opportunities of 7-day boarding but students and their families reunite for weekends.

• More family time dedicated to enjoying each other, not for school related stress like homework or getting to and from extracurricular activities
• No wasted time on commuting to and from school; students will have more time to focus on homework and study time, allowing them to excel in their classes and participate in one of TG's many after school activities  
• Study hours during the week are supervised by faculty
• Students will have the opportunity to get a taste of "independence" to prepare them for seven day boarding in college, allowing them to begin to assume more personal responsibility 
• Despite the feeling of independence, students' days are still structured from the moment they wake up until lights out; our dorm director lives on site in the secure building connected to the school
• Totino-Grace's dormitory is a home away from home; students eat meals together, socialize, study, and are supported in whatever they need
• There are many options to get to the Twin Cities: car, train, bus, etc. We recommend looking at https://www.metrotransit.org/ for different routes if you didn't want to drive your child all the way into the city! 

• Entertainment/recreation area includes ping pong table, pool table, foosball table, big screen tv, piano, video games, etc.
• Enclosed courtyard
• Study space
• Comfortable accommodations
• Home-cooked meals provided
• Family-style dining for dinner
• Laundry facilities (free use)
• Secure entry
• Indoor access to high school classes
• Wireless connections for Internet
• Access to fitness center
• Weekend activities and excursions

Student rooms have some basic items that every student needs for safety and comfort and the ability to function within a residential community.

• Single occupancy until rooms are filled
  • After, double occupancy (two girls or two boys per room) starting first with freshman, then sophomores, juniors and seniors
  • Boys and girls are always kept separate 
• Furnishings include: standard, twin size lofted bed and mattress, desk, chair, closet, dresser, window blinds/shades, waste basket

Totino-Grace boarding residence hall floor plan. Please note the door that separates the boys wing from the girls wing is secured and alarmed:

Living in a boarding community with other teenagers will help students develop important life skills as well as independence. We encourage students to make their rooms a comfortable and personal home away from home. Students are welcome to bring favorite posters or photos of friends and family. The boarding residence staff takes students shopping twice a week, so many of the suggested items may be purchased upon arrival. Please click here for a suggested packing list. 
 

A Day in the Life
A typical Totino-Grace student ranges from a local individual living their life in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis or St. Paul, to a student from elsewhere in the U.S., to an international student who is here for a world-class education.

School day:
6:00 AM Breakfast
7:30 AM Before school activities (clubs, organizations, study groups, etc.)
8:15 AM Bell for homeroom
7:20 AM Homeroom begins with announcements followed by classes. Lunch takes place on campus during the school day.
2:45 PM Classes are dismissed and after school activities begin. Totino-Grace offers many co-curricular activities to students: athletics, instrumental or vocal groups, clubs, drama, service.
6:00 PM Evening meal in the boarding residence 
6:45 - 10:30 PM Study time and free time
10:00 PM Lights out

Weekends: 
On the weekend, students are provided with transportation to shop and explore the Twin Cities. Resident managers also organize excursions and activities for residents.

Every year, the boarding staff will take students on a trip for Spring Break. This is optional and will come with a small fee. The trip for the 2019-2020 school year is to Chicago, IL. Click HERE to see their itinerary and check back in early 2021 to see what the next trip will be!

Tuition and Fees

• Please click HERE to see what the tuition, fees, and boarding costs will be for 2020-2021
• Did you know that the average cost of boarding school for students is over $50,000? Even places close to Totino-Grace are charging twice as much as we are, but we are committed to being affordable to you and your families. Such is the Lasallian way.

August 2020 Move-In and School Start

• Any student living in the boarding residence and has confirmed participation in a fall sport is allowed to move in on August 15, 2020
• Fall sports begin on August 17, 2020
  • Only students who are in a fall sport are allowed to move into the boarding residence at this time
  • The fall sports are: Cross country, Football, Boys soccer, Girls soccer, Girls swim/dive, Girls tennis, Volleyball
• New international students should arrive in Minneapolis on Monday, August 24, 2020
  • Only NEW students are allowed to move into the boarding residence on this date
• New student orientation day is August 28, 2020
• Any returning students to the boarding residence can move in starting Wednesday, August 26, 2020 and should arrive no later than Saturday, August 29, 2020

Christmas Break 

• Christmas Break is December 21, 2020 through January 1, 2021
• The boarding residence will be closed during this time and students need to arrange other housing (please work this out with Boarding Residence Director, Elizabeth Mueller)
• The boarding residence will be closing at noon on Saturday, December 19, 2020 and will reopen on Saturday, January 2, 2021

Graduation for Seniors and Last Day of School

• Seniors last day of school is May 28, 2021
  • All seniors must be present in class through this date; early departure is not permitted
  • The earliest seniors may leave is May 29, 2021 but they are strongly encouraged to stay through the graduation ceremony on Friday, June 4th and depart June 5 - 12, 2021
• Last day of school for grades 9-11 is June 10, 2020
  • The boarding residence will close for the school year on Saturday, June 12, 2021

Shanna Peterson
Assistant Director of Enrollment and International Students
shanna.peterson@totinograce.org 
763-586-6318

• Elizabeth Mueller and her husband, Michael Mueller moved into the boarding residence in July of 2019. Elizabeth serves as Boarding Residence Director and Michael, a full-time teacher, will be helping out as time allows. Parents can reach out to Elizabeth at elizabeth.mueller@totinograce.org. 

• Joleen Johnson, Residence Assistant: Joleen is a TG alum (2014) and graduated from The University of Northwestern - St. Paul, MN. She completed her studies in Intercultural Studies and English Teaching. This is her second year as a Residence Assistant and she really enjoys spending time with our fabulous residents! 

• Sandy Hall, Chef: Sandy is a professional chef with a wealth of experience cooking in area schools and camps. Sandy loves to share her passion for cooking and baking with the residents.

• Kelly Zentic, Chef: Kelly will work two days a week, preparing healthy and delicious meals for the students.