Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vasker ’26:
Latest News
Article by Phoenix writer Brooke Oldenborg ’26:
Article by Phoenix writer Eva McLaughlin ’26:
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
“Flight of the Firebirds” Rises from the Ashes
November 4, 2024
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
October 8, 2024
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
Kellenberg Prevails at Annual Homecoming Game
October 7, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25: On Saturday, September 28, The Varsity Football Team defeated St. Peter’s High School by a score of 14 to 7 in the exciting annual Homecoming game. Despite the rain, the Firebird family gathered on Mitchell Field eager to show support for the team.
Girls Golf Finishes Season With Eight Wins
June 4, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: Kellenberg’s Girls’ Golf team concluded their season in second place with a record of 8 wins and 2 losses. In the semi final playoffs, the girls beat Sacred Heart by 4 ½-½ in a thrilling match. Senior Cat Slade and junior Bridget LaRosa
Activities News
Harvard Invitational Hosts Speech & Debate Team
February 28, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: The Kellenberg Speech and Debate Team competed at the annual Harvard Invitational Tournament against top schools from all over the country from Friday, February 16 through Monday, February 19. Junior Caroline Malewski engaged in the Junior Varsity Lincoln-Douglas debate. Here, Caroline scored a
Forensics Club Cracks the Case!
February 15, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Brooke Oldenborg ’26: On Thursday, February 8th, Kellenberg’s Forensics Club met in the Chemistry Lab to discuss arson. For the past couple weeks, the club has been learning about the forensic approach to this topic, and their studies all came together during this meeting. Thirty club
Students Attend Molloy Business Course at Kellenberg
January 31, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Allison Cortese ’26: This past fall, Kellenberg partnered with Molloy University to make two college business courses available to students in the 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. These courses are entitled Principles of Management and Principles of Marketing. Classes were held at Kellenberg on Monday and
Students Celebrate Haitian Independence Day
January 17, 2024
Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24: On Friday, January 5th, the One Heart, One Mind Many Cultures Club hosted the Haitian Independence Day Celebration in honor of Haitian Independence Day which is recognized on January 1st. Kellenberg students from all backgrounds showed up to join in on this celebration
Apostolic News
Kellenberg Celebrates School Wide Opening Mass
October 13, 2023
Article by Phoenix writer Valentina Papavero ’24: On September 21, 2023, Kellenberg Memorial hosted its Opening Mass, celebrating Marianist Martyrs. Father Daniel Griffin S.M. celebrated Mass in the auditorium for upperclassmen, and was accompanied by Father Matthew Brown. Father Brown is a Kellenberg alumnus, priest under the bishop’s representative for
2023 Rosary Prayer Service
October 13, 2023
Article by Phoenix writer Cassandra Odudukudu ’24: On Friday, October 7th,The Kellenberg community came together to pray the rosary at the Rosary Prayer Service. The month of October is dedicated to the celebration of Our Lady of the Rosary and the Right to Life. In honor of this, students and
Marianist LIFE Inspires Senior Faith Leaders
October 5, 2023
Article by Phoenix writer Delaney Clark ’25: This past July, twelve seniors along with Brother Peter Sennert, S.M. and Miss Lauren Doodian attended the week-long Marianist LIFE program, which stands for Living In Faith Experience. The group stayed in the Bergamo Center, a retreat center of the USA Province of
Firebirds Invite Grandparents At Annual Grandparents’ Day Mass
October 5, 2023
Article by Phoenix writer Bella O’Donnell ’24: On Sunday, September 17th, 2023, Kellenberg Memorial hosted their annual Grandparents’ Day Mass. Kellenberg students in grades 10, 11, and 12 came together to spend time with their grandparents as well as God in an inspiring Mass celebrated by school chaplain Fr. Thomas
Last Week at Mass
Last Week At Mass: A Therapeutic Lord
February 9, 2022
Article by Phoenix writer Nick Cortese ’23: As of late, I have been reflecting on myself quite a bit. People tend to downplay the idea of junior year being stressful until they get to junior year. Now, I’ve been having bad days here and there, one of such being this
Last Week At Mass: It’s Been A While
January 12, 2022
Article by Phoenix writer Angelo Tsassis ’22: Honestly, I was a bit nervous to come back after such a long time. Each Sunday, I thought to myself, I should really get back to Church this week. But no, there was always some obligation I had that was more important at
Last Week at Mass: A Mass and a Meet for Season’s End
November 8, 2021
Article by Phoenix writer Amir Jeudy ’22: At 9am in the middle of Sunken Meadow Park, hundreds of runners, middle school and high school alike, come together with their parents and coaches to pray before the races. The Mass, celebrated by Kellenberg’s Fr. Albert Bertoni, S.M., might be an odd
Last Week At Mass: Birthday Sunday
October 5, 2021
Article by Phoenix writer Isabel Connolly ’23: It was a 73º sunny day, perfect weather for a birthday. The sixteenth birthday has been heralded as some important stepping stone in an adolescent’s life. It’s this wonderful year where everything is supposed to happen. With it comes the idea of sweet
But What Do I Know?
But What Do I Know
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
October 15, 2024
But What Do I Know
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
December 7, 2023
But What Do I Know
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
November 2, 2023
But What Do I Know
But What Do I Know: CheatGPT Is Cheating Humanity
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: In our rapidly changing world, technology often outpaces our ability to adapt or even transform. This is profoundly evident in the case of ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that has recently taken over the world of writing. It enables people to cheat the system and create new works of writing with minimal input. The dangers of this are great, and yet we continue to misuse it. ChatGPT presents a plethora of issues for writers, foremost is the question of authenticity. Writers of all walks of life from academics to employees can use the software of ChatGPT to formulate reports and essays easier than ever. They simply tell ChatGPT what they want to accomplish and it executes it in minutes. When utilizing ChatGPT, the user is tapping into a database teeming with information that the user has never known. If the use of ChatGPT becomes
September 28, 2023
Academics News
Junior History Trip Sparks Appreciation for the U.S.
October 30, 2024
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
October 22, 2024
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
October 15, 2024
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
September 25, 2024
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 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
October 18, 2024
The Renaissance Challenge Winner: “Energy Doll” by Brandi Licato ’24
“Energy Doll” Illustration by Brandi Licato ’24
February 5, 2024
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
February 2, 2024
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
November 3, 2023
“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
October 27, 2023
“Real Things” by Riley Fallon ’26
“Real Things” by Riley Fallon ’26 Real things take time Like the flower that grows From a seed In the ground It won’t sprout overnight
October 20, 2023