The AGC Way
AGC has developed its own unique approach to schooling—one that has been thoughtfully shaped over time through collaboration among educators, reflection, and a shared commitment to doing what is truly best for students. It is grounded in educational research, informed by practice, and continuously refined. We call it “the AGC Way.”
Every aspect of our program is designed to nurture the overall wellness of our students while preparing them academically to thrive in today’s world.
Through a balance of strong and rigorous academic foundations and a deep commitment to social-emotional development and well-being, AGC creates a learning environment where students are supported as whole individuals and empowered to grow into confident, capable, lifelong learners.
All About The AGC Way
Sustainability as a Daily Practice
Sustainability is a lived experience at AGC. From composting and eliminating single-use plastics to rethinking consumption and waste, our campus reflects our responsibility to the planet. Students learn to practice environmental stewardship on a daily basis to understand that every choice matters.
Wellness as a Foundation
Wellness is foundational to how we learn and live together at AGC. We believe children thrive when their minds, bodies, and spirits are nurtured. Anchored in our Wellness Wheel, our model integrates organic food, daily movement, mindfulness, and yoga into the rhythm of each day.
Learning Rooted in Place
We are place-based by design. Inquiry extends beyond our walls and into our community. Through fieldwork, outdoor exploration, and authentic engagement with local environments and partners, students see themselves as part of interconnected systems: ecological, cultural, and civic.
Justice-Centered Community
We are grounded in humanity and belonging. We center historically oppressed and underrepresented communities in service of equity. We listen to our students, families, and staff, and we strive to ensure that our policies, partnerships, and daily interactions reflect our commitment to justice and community.
When faced with a decision, we ask: What aligns with our mission? What serves children? What advances sustainability, wellness, and justice?
This is the AGC Way.
The AGC Way in Action: Our Village Model
The AGC Way comes to life in our Village Model: a learning structure intentionally designed to reflect our values of community, collaboration, wellness, and whole-child development.
Our Village Model is grounded in one essential idea: children thrive when they are known, supported, and connected.
When you enter AGC, you won’t find rows of desks or isolated spaces. You’ll experience vibrant learning villages: dynamic, flexible environments where students learn in community, move with purpose, and engage deeply with their surroundings.
While the campus is organized into Preschool, K–1, 2–3, 4–5, and Middle School villages, all students also utilize shared indoor and outdoor spaces across campus, reinforcing our belief that learning happens everywhere.
Learn More
Our School Culture Philosophy
A strong school culture does not happen by accident. It is intentionally cultivated and maintained.
We believe that a student-centered, developmentally responsive, safe, and respectful environment is essential for children to thrive. That’s why our approach is proactive, relational, and focused on intrinsic motivation.
AGC educators create environments that help students develop self-awareness, self-regulation, and social responsibility using Responsive Classroom practices and IB Approaches to Learning (ATLs). This does more than manage behavior; it teaches the skills that allow children to reflect, repair harm, and grow.
Our culture is built through:
Deep relationship-building ∙ Mindfulness and emotional regulation practices ∙ Executive functioning skill development ∙ Co-creation of community agreements ∙ Developmentally responsive instruction with intentional movement and brain breaks ∙ Informed, caring, and consistent adults
The AGC Way is about character, not compliance. Setting clear expectations and using restorative approaches to discipline help us address root causes, repair harm, and strengthen community. AGC follows CPS’s Student Rights & Responsibilities, while centering healing, accountability, and growth in every response.
School-Wide Expectations
Our shared expectations are simple, bilingual, and community-centered to guide how we learn, lead, and care for one another each day at AGC.
Be safe. / Sé segur@
Treat each other with respect. / Tratense con respeto
Be kind. / Sé amable
Be fair. / Sé just@
Take responsibility — reflect and correct mistakes. / Toma responsabilidad, reflexiona y corrige tus errores
Speak up against bullying. / Di algo contra el acoso
Shared Responsibility
A positive school culture is built together. When school and families work in partnership, students experience consistency, accountability, and care—the foundation for both academic and personal growth.
At AGC, Staff:
Model safety, kindness, fairness, and responsibility ∙ Supervise students intentionally across all campus spaces ∙ Respond promptly and thoughtfully to concerns, including bullying ∙ Use the Four “A” Response Process: Affirm feelings, Ask questions, Assess safety, Act to repair and restore ∙ Maintain confidentiality and professionalism ∙ Collaborate with colleagues to support students, because everybody’s students are everybody’s students ∙ Understand developmental stages and distinguish between age-appropriate behavior and bullying
At AGC, Families:
Reinforce school-wide expectations of safety, kindness, fairness, and responsibility ∙ Partner first with educators to problem-solve concerns ∙ Communicate openly and respectfully ∙ Honor confidentiality within the community
Our Commitment to Equity & Justice
AGC is committed to being an actively antiracist organization—one that continuously learns, reflects, and redesigns in service of justice for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.
We understand that antiracism is ongoing, multi-layered work and requires urgent patience: the ability to move with intention, humility, and sustained commitment. This approach invites us to examine our systems, policies, curriculum, hiring practices, and daily interactions through a different lens.
Our students are partners in this work. The Class of 2020 engaged directly with AGC’s leadership team in a deep study of Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds. Their advocacy and insight led to the creation of AGC’s Anti-Racist Policy, a living document that continues to guide our accountability.
The Class of 2027, during the construction of our new campus, developed AGC’s Land Acknowledgement Statement as part of their inquiry into ancient civilizations, grounding our new space in historical awareness and responsibility.
We are anchored in and aligned with CPS’s Healing-Centered Framework. We recognize that trauma and healing are collective experiences, and that each of us has a role to play in fostering restoration within ourselves and our community.
All Gender Bathrooms
AGC bathrooms are designed as single-stall, fully private spaces that can be used by any individual, regardless of gender, as a way to prioritize privacy, safety, and comfort for everyone.
Research consistently shows that single-stall, all-gender restroom models contribute to a safer and more inclusive school environment for all students. Schools that implement this approach report positive impacts on student well-being, reduced stigma, and a stronger sense of belonging across the community.
This approach reflects our broader philosophy that learning environments should be welcoming, respectful, and grounded in dignity. Structures that reduce barriers and promote belonging align with the IB Learner Profile traits of being open-minded, caring, and principled.
We believe students thrive when they feel seen, safe, and affirmed for who they are. Our facilities help ensure that every member of our community can focus on learning in an environment built on respect and shared responsibility.
