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Welcome

Visitation is a vibrant, Salesian, Independent, Catholic school. We value the gifts of each child that comes to us and welcome partnership with our families.

Welcome from our Head of School

I welcome you with enthusiasm to Visitation School. We are a vibrant, Salesian, Independent, Catholic school. We value the gifts of each child that comes to us and welcome partnership with our families.

Over 150 years ago, the Sisters of Visitation answered God’s call to serve the Twin Cities community through education. We are blessed with an Early Learning Center lead by caring and credentialed staff and we educate boys and girls from Montessori Pre-K through grade five, and is all girls in grades six through twelve, providing the only all-girls Middle and High School experience in the state of Minnesota. We continue the strong legacy of learning and love today with our dedicated and talented faculty and staff. Each one of us at Visitation is committed to providing a strong academic experience that is infused with Salesian Spirituality.

Our philosophy of educating students is based on Salesian Spirituality and follows the teachings of our co-founders Saint Francis de Sales and Saint Jane de Chantal and their focus on the little virtues: kindness, patience, joyful optimism, humility, gentleness and strength. These virtues guide us in our interactions and relationships each day and define the educational experience at Visitation School. A Visitation education provides opportunities for students to develop their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, self-reliance, resiliency and other essential life skills through a rigorous academic experience, versatile opportunities, co-curriculars and athletics. Our students are encouraged to express themselves fully, to lead fearlessly, and to develop the heart-to-heart relationships that make Visitation a nurturing, safe and joyful place in which to learn and grow. 

At Visitation we say education is Non Scholae, Sed Vitae – not for school, but for life. We guide our students in their formation, an intentional process of individual growth that shapes intellectual, moral, physical and spiritual development. Visitation students go forth into the world prepared to change it for the better. They are competent, courageous, and caring. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of our students’ lives and formation and rejoice in watching their extraordinary futures unfold.

I encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our rich tradition of education permeated with Salesian spirituality and how we are forming people for life.

Live Jesus!

Jennifer Bigelow, Ed.D.

Mission Statement

Visitation School provides an excellent education within a Catholic environment permeated by Salesian Spirituality and the living tradition of the Visitation Sisters.

Guiding Principles

Under God’s guiding hand, Visitation Sisters, trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, parents and students are committed to the following:

  • Gentle, nurturing formation of faith and morality of students in the Salesian community toward reverent worship; responsible, global engagement; the cultivation of loving relationships; and respect for God’s creation and for the diversity and dignity of all people.
  • Guidance of the holistic growth of each student from infancy toward adulthood through innovative teaching and learning that honors the educational philosophy of the Sisters and includes intentional fostering of leadership within a coed lower school and all-girls middle and upper schools; a challenging college preparatory program; vibrant and varied co-curricular opportunities; broad exposure to the arts; engaged citizenship; and inspiration to pursue lifelong learning.
  • Robust governance - derived from a long, stable, independent history - characterized by expert and wide consultation, judicious discernment, Church and community collaboration, and sound fiscal policies.

Non Scholae, Sed Vitae; Not for School, but for Life.

Diversity Statement

Visitation School is committed to building a beloved community and culture of inclusiveness through our Catholic and Salesian tradition, which calls us to recognize the dignity and sacredness of God in each other. We foster a community that embodies to its fullest a sense of belonging for each person that is an intentional and integral practice at the core of who we are.  

Our campus is a welcoming place rooted in love where many voices, experiences and identities come together to live out the Gospel Teachings of the Catholic Church, the Little Virtues of Salesian Spirituality, and the legacy of our founders, the Visitation Sisters of Holy Mary.

At Visitation School, diversity and the practice of honoring and including people of all backgrounds and life experiences strengthens our human family. Race, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, ability, gender, sexual identity and religious beliefs are examples of the differences that enrich who we are as a diverse family under God’s care and love.

What we need is a cup of understanding, a barrel of love and an ocean of patience.

St. Francis de Sales