Article by Phoenix writer Margaret Nitkewitcz ’26:
Latest News
The PhoenixOnline is the school newspaper, published by the students of Kellenberg Memorial High School. Articles are posted throughout the school week to PhoenixOnline at kellenberg.org/phoenix. PhoenixOnline covers various Faith, Academic, Extra-Curricular, and Athletic stories and features at Kellenberg Memorial. PhoenixOnline staff contribute to the school journalism publication by conceiving stories, attending school events, conducting interviews, and writing and editing articles. Membership on the PhoenixOnline staff is open to all students in grades 6 through 12. Editorship positions are available by application.
PhoenixOnline Surveys
Throughout the year, we run open surveys polling our student body on some general interest topics.
PhoenixOnline Video Segments
Drama Club presents
You Can't Take It With You
The College Placement Office
Kellenberg's Crew Team
Athletics News
FCAA Celebration Honors Benefactors
Article by Phoenix writer Caitlin Hanratty ’25: On November 16, the Firebird Center Completion Celebration was hosted in the FCAA for its major benefactors to celebrate the official opening of the new building on the 1400 Glenn Curtiss property. More than 500 benefactors, faculty, staff, and additional guests attended the
Girls Varsity Wins State Volleyball Championship
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: For the second consecutive year in a row, Kellenberg’s Girls Varsity Volleyball team took home the title of CHSAA State Champions. The Lady Firebirds have been sweeping wins all across Long Island this season, tallying up an undefeated score of 14-0. After beating
“Flight of the Firebirds” Rises from the Ashes
Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25: Kellenberg is very happy to announce that Flight of the Firebirds, the official Kellenberg Podcast, has returned. After some time and much planning, the podcast was brought back to life by Mr. Beyrouty and senior Amelia Caban. Flight of the Firebirds explores all
Spirit Week Excites Student Body
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’26: September 24 to the 27 were especially lively days at Kellenberg, where the Firebird community displayed their school spirit by supporting the fall student athletes. Throughout the week, videos shown on the morning announcements fired up the student body for the annual pep
Activities News
Kellenberg Celebrates Day of Giving
Article by Phoenix writer Amely Nunez ’23: On Tuesday, March 21, 2023, Kellenberg Memorial held its 7th annual Day of Giving. The Day of Giving is Kellenberg’s largest fundraising event of the year which contributes towards the school’s Shepherd’s Fund—the school’s annual fund that supports all aspects of the education
Speech and Debate Qualifies for National Catholic Forensic League Tournament
Article by Phoenix writer Isabel Connolly ’23: The Kellenberg Speech and Debate team qualified seven students to the National Catholic Forensic League Tournament in Louisville, Kentucky. Throughout two competitions on March 18 and 25, these students faced tough Long Island competition to secure their spots. The National Catholic Forensic League
Student Musicians Perform Their Ways to All-County, All-State, and All-Eastern Honors
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: Music is an instrumental part of Kellenberg, whether it be through student electives, after school clubs, or in-school lessons. Recently, seventeen student musicians have been recognized for their talents through the All-County, All-State, and All-Eastern music festivals. For those unaware, these three act
Drama Club Holds Performance of “Macbeth”
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: On Friday, March 3rd, and Saturday, March 4th, the Kellenberg Drama Club performed their spring production of “Macbeth”. “Macbeth”, which was written by the brilliant playwright William Shakespeare, follows the story of the titular character Macbeth, who works in immoral ways to fulfill
Apostolic News
Portugal Hosts Kellenberg Students for WYD
Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24: Over the summer, 40 students from the Kellenberg and Chaminade Classes of 2024 took a 10 day pilgrimage to Lisbon, Portugal for World Youth Day. World Youth Day is an opportunity for young people to see the Pope and participate in activities with
St. Greg’s Sings at 9/11 Memorial
Article by Phoenix writer Keira Quigley ’26: Kellenberg’s Gregorian Consortium honored the lives lost on September 11th by performing at Point Lookout’s memorial service. For the past 15 years, Kellenberg has been invited by the Town of Hempstead to perform. Among the Gregorian Consortium, performances from people such as a fireman and
Kellenberg Commemorates Triumph of the Cross
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: On September 14, the Kellenberg Memorial family gathered for the Triumph of the Cross Prayer Service, which marks the spiritual beginning of the school year. In addition to 2,700 Kellenberg students, members of the Little Sisters of the Poor, students of St. Martin
Former Pro Soccer Player Addresses Kellenberg Men
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: Former Major League Soccer player, now priest, Fr. Hilgenbrink spoke to the young men at KMHS and the men in their lives at the St. Joseph’s Evening of Recollection on May 7. Fr. Hilgenbrink talked to them about how greatness is a choice,
Last Week at Mass
LWAM: Make the Time
Article by Phoenix writer Kevin Kirley ’25: Walking into St. Agnes Cathedral in Rockville Centre on Sunday, September 24 was a cathartic experience. I didn’t expect the church to be as full as it was: there were dozens of families, Moms bringing their kids from a soccer game, filling up
Last Week At Mass: Goat or Sheep?
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: Something I have always struggled with is judgment. Especially in this society of scrutiny, I find myself passing judgment on others far too often. I would deem somebody bad for spreading rumors or for breaking rules. I would deem someone good for helping
LAST WEEK AT MASS: “Ja te volim.”
Article by Phoenix writer Paulina Barnjak ’24: “Ja te volim.” With those three words, I am assured that I am loved, in this world and the next. I think it’s universal that society does not know how to handle the loss of a loved one. Even as Catholics, as we
Last Week at Mass: With Eucharist in Hand, I Knew God’s Plan
Article by Phoenix writer Caitlin Hanratty ’25: While many of my peers struggle to know what they are meant to do with their lives, my problem was that I naively assumed I had it all figured out. That was until my junior year of high school. In the past few
But What Do I Know?
But What Do I Know: Is the Movie Theater Dead?
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: The smell of butter flavoring and freshly popped kernels overwhelms my nostrils as I step in line for concessions. There is no line, and I walk right to the counter. I walk down the carpeted hallway dressed with lighted movie posters, popcorn and soda in hand, passing auditorium after auditorium in search of theater number six; the corridor is empty, crumpled napkins drifting between walls like tumbleweeds in a deserted western landscape. Finally, I step into the dark theater, and the silver screen displays previews for blockbuster hits and indie gems. I am the only one in the empty theater, and the sound of the kernels between my teeth echoes through the vacant room. This is the reality of modern-day cinema. I will never forget that mid-December night when I was nine years old. I stepped into a packed theater with my
But What Do I Know: Words that Last
Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vasker ’26: There is something beautiful about a blank sheet of paper— something that awakes the mystery and excitement inside a person born to be a writer until the depths of his soul are stirred and he picks up the pen. The potential, the emptiness waiting to be filled, the lines begging for a pencil to make contact, all cry out with the promise of what could be— and who has never been intrigued by the unknown? My pencil flies across the page, scribbling, scratching, creating worlds and dreams and stories. I am lost to another realm, oblivious to everything but the words forming on the paper before me. The room is silent. The only sounds are the sharp sssht, sssht, of my hand moving along the paper and the furious scratching of my pencil as I lean over my desk. Soon my paper becomes
But What Do I Know: The Musings of a Margin Scribbler
Article by Phoenix writer Paulina Barnjak ’24: Many students dread summer reading, especially when they have to annotate and highlight in the books. But let me tell you a secret – I LOVE writing in the margins of books. Some people may view this as a destruction of property or a waste of time. If they see an annotated book on the shelf or a hand me down book from a relative, they might choose a neater, nicer book to read. The annotations might get in the way of your perception of the book. But in my eyes, that’s good – a new perspective is great, sometimes even life changing. Billy Collins writes about these annotations in his poem, “Marginalia.” I can picture myself as the people within the lines of this poem, especially in the following excerpt: “One scrawls ‘Metaphor’ next to a stanza of Eliot’s. Another notes the
But What Do I Know: Vinyl is Final
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: Photo by Ryan Arnst on Unsplash Listening to music has always been a favorite pastime of mine where I can express myself. Many people share this hobby with me. In recent years, cultivating playlists or mixtapes has become very popular. Personally, my Spotify account has close to one hundred playlists with songs spanning countless genres and time periods. As much as I love being able to access my favorite songs at the click of a button, something about listening to an album on a vinyl record cannot be topped by digital listening. One reason I prefer records over a playlist is the storytelling aspect of an album. While this may not be true for all albums, some of them, such as David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars,” are meant to be listened to as a
Academics News
Junior History Trip Sparks Appreciation for the U.S.
Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27: From Washington’s Headquarters to West Point Academy: On October 18th, the class of 2026 made their own trip down the Hudson on an academic journey to broaden their knowledge of American History. Leaving Kellenberg at 6:15, the 42 sleepy juniors made their first
Students Send Shivers Down Your Spine at Fright Club
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: On October 22, Bro. Peter Sennett, S.M., held a meeting for the creative writing contest Fright Club in room 122. Middle and high school students alike joined to share their ideas for horror short stories and get assistance from Bro. Peter to make
Kellenberg Seniors Attend Molloy Common Read
Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25: On Wednesday, October 9, ten Kellenberg seniors had the opportunity to visit Molloy University for Molloy’s annual freshman Common Read. Each year, Molloy assigns a book to their incoming freshmen class, after which the author of that book is invited to give a
Students Dominate the Courtroom at Yale Invitational
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Kelly ’26: On September 13, the Kellenberg Mock Trial team set out on their first invitational of the year, the Yale Bulldog Invitational. The team skillfully delivered examinations of the witnesses, presented their case, and introduced evidence in their greatest attempt to prevail in the
Firebird Crosswords
The Renaissance
An important extra facet of the academic life at Kellenberg Memorial is the literary magazine, Renaissance. Published twice a year in Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer issues, it contains the creative writings and artistic talents of students from grades six through twelve.
The creative voice heard in the poems, short stories, essays, and art is often unheard in the day-to-day work within the classroom.
Poem “The freedom we chase” by Kylie Mummendey ’25, The Renaissance Challenge Winner
The freedom we chase Kids’re so quick to grow up, they dream of being “free” They race through long grass barefoot, past playgrounds and climbing
Poem “The Gossamer Curtain” by Victoria Vakser, ’26
Sometimes Time seems but a sad joke Millions of tiny pictures Bright, flashy, Cheap. All crowded Into a frame which reads, Your Life. But if
The Renaissance Challenge Winner: “Energy Doll” by Brandi Licato ’24
“Energy Doll” Illustration by Brandi Licato ’24
The Renaissance Challenge Winner: The Energy of The Mind by Veronica Belanger ’24
The Energy of The Mind By Veronica Belanger ’24 Today and tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, tired I find myself running on the hamster
Poem “Distance” by Elena Brutus ’24
Distance By Elena Brutus ‘24 As I crossed the border I knew This was the last time I would see you She told
“Love’s No Streaming Service” by Katelin Lopez ’25
Love’s No Streaming Service Feeling blue lately without you but looking at this screen reminds me of you. It’s 3 A.M. The distance between