CSUS Tuesday Take Home: May 5, 2026

Message from Christen Sohn

Good afternoon CSUS parents and caregivers,

We hope you are having a good week! A reminder that Math MCAS testing began today and continues tomorrow May 6 for scholars in all grades; please ensure your child brings their charged chromebook to school tomorrow and remember that tomorrow, like every day, phones and tech will be collected at the start of each day. If scholars are not comfortable turning in devices they may be left at home.

Please support your child at home with the same message that we are giving at school: this test will measure skills that are important in your continuing academic development and will celebrate the growth you made this year. Your classwork has prepared you for success, and we believe in you! 

Please see below for information about this week’s theater performance, our weekly homework calendar, Scholar Artist of the Week, the District and School Culture Survey, our upcoming Caregiver Academy and important dates at CSUS.

Also - the end of the year is BUSY. Consider subscribing to our school calendar! - to subscribe to Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Google Calendars, visit the district calendar page on the CPS website and select Cambridge Street’s school calendar, which allows you to add them directly to your personal Google Calendar or via iCal. Using the official CPS app is also recommended to get alerts and add events directly to your phone.

Congratulations to our CSUS Theater Program - come see their GOLD MEDAL performance this Thursday or Friday! 
I am proud to share that this past weekend our incredible Cambridge Street scholars and staff earned a Gold Medal at this year's Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) Theater Festival! CSUS received many accolades under the supervision and direction of Jesse Waks, Rania Costantino, and Liza Gosselin.

 

We hope you will join us for an award winning performance of Scenes From Romeo and Juliet this Thursday or Friday evening at Cambridge Street!

CSUS Presents Scenes from Romeo and Juliet (Sort of...Almost) by John Shanahan on May 7 and 8 at 7PM 
Scholars must attend with a caregiver. We hope to see you there! 

Cambridge Street’s theater program will also perform excerpts from this year’s play at the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild Middle School Theater Festival on May 3 - good luck and break a leg to our performers and stage crew!

CSUS Homework Expectations and Weekly Homework Calendars 
In an effort to keep scholars, caregivers, and out of school time providers informed regarding weekly assignments, our teaching teams are sharing weekly homework calendars. These will be posted on our website for reference and easy access. 

Grade 8 Weekly Homework
Grade 7 Weekly Homework
Grade 6 Weekly Homework 

Interested in knowing more about what’s happening in classrooms? Check ParentSquare for monthly curriculum updates from your child’s teaching team! 

Math MCAS for all grades next week

CSUS MCAS Testing Schedule: April - May 2026

	ELA	Math	Science (8th Gr)	Civics (8th Gr)
All Grades	Tues. 4/7  Weds. 4/8	Tues. 5/5  Weds. 5/6	Tues. 5/12  Weds. 5/13	Tues. 5/19

Tech reminder: Chromebooks 
As we prepare for the upcoming MCAS testing next week, we will be inventorying Chromebooks and contacting home for any missing devices. Please ensure your scholar charges their chromebook the night before and brings their device to school on testing days. 

Tech reminder: Phones/smart watches 
Phone and tech use is not permitted during testing, and may result in invalidation of a scholars’ test results. Our school phone policy states that use of scholar cell phones and other communication devices, including smart watches, is not permitted during the school day. Staff collect phones at the start of each day; phones are kept in a locked, secure location and redistributed at the end of the day. If scholars are not comfortable turning in devices they may be left at home.

 

 

Artist of the Week

Family feedback - Cambridge Street would like to hear from YOU!
 We are planning the year’s final Caregiver Academies and also planning for next year - Upper School leaders would like to hear from families about your experience and/or hopes for our Caregiver Academy series. Please share your feedback here. 

Last week’s School Council also discussed school/home communication; we are eager to know what works for you and what Cambridge Street can improve to ensure families and caregivers feel like connected partners in their scholars’ education. If you have feedback you would like to share, please email me at csohn@cpsd.us. 

Next week, I will share the annual school culture survey, which is another opportunity to provide input and feedback about your families’ experience at CSUS.

Important Upcoming Dates 

• May is Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month 
• May is Jewish American Heritage Month 
• May is Mental Health Awareness Month 
• May 5-6: Math MCAS testing for all grades 
• May 7-8: School play, Scenes from Romeo and Juliet (Sort of...Almost) | 7PM
• May 12-13: Science/STE MCAS testing for Grade 8
• May 19: Civics MCAS testing for Grade 8 
• May 25: No School, Memorial Day 
• May 28: Spring Chorus Concert and Art Show | 5:30-7:30PM

SAVE THE DATE: CSUS 8th Grade Graduation
CSUS 8th Grade Graduation will take place June 22, 2025 at 1PM in the Cambridge Street Upper School Auditorium. We look forward to celebrating with 8th grade families!

Thank you for entrusting us with your scholars’ education. Have a wonderful week, and Go Cobras!

Christen

Head of School
Cambridge Street Upper School

---

Cambridge Street PCO Update

Hello families, 

Everything seems to be blooming right now — the trees, the tulips, and apparently the number of baked goods circulating through Cambridge.

It’s that magical May moment when our calendars sprout new events overnight and our kitchens quietly transform into the Great Cambridge Bake‑Off. No tent, no judges, just a community showing up with enthusiasm, butter, and the occasional runaway cupcake. Or we're just as happy with a cookie or two from Trader Joes!

With that spirit of spring growth and sweet generosity… Here's what’s coming up this week:

Drama Bake Sale - Thursday May 7th and Friday May 8th
We would love your help — baked goods, volunteer time, or both — for our two‑day Drama Bake Sale. Please sign up here.

Teacher Appreciation Lunch - Wednesday May 13th from 2:45PM 
We’ll be hosting a special lunch to celebrate our wonderful teachers. If you’d like to help with set‑up, please get in touch — your support makes these moments possible.

Chorus Concert and Art Show - Thursday May 28th from 5:30PM
We will host a bake sale during this event as well. A sign‑up sheet will be shared closer to the date.

Cobra Dash and Community Night - May 29th
Our biggest fundraiser of the year! Encourage your kids to sign up for the Cobra Dash — there will be prizes! After the run, stay for Community Night with food, games, and lots of fun.

 

CSUS PCO Monthly Meeting
Monday, May 11 | 7:30 – 9PM
GoogleMeet (Video call link >>)
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 218-451-4253‬ 
PIN: ‪295 240 209‬#

Questions about the PCO?
You can find the answers here or send an email to info@cambridgestreetpco.org. 

Warm regards, 

Shalini Ayre 
President, CSUS-PCO 

The Cambridge Street PCO is a 501c(3) public charity (Federal Identification # 46-1980223) registered in Cambridge, MA. USA.