Article by Phoenix writer Kailyn Kelly ’26:

Latest News
Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vakser ’26:
Article by Phoenix writer Mary O’Brien ’27:
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
Athletics News

Varsity Wrestlers Make History
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: The Kellenberg Wrestling team made Firebird history from February 28 to March 1, having two wrestlers place top six in the New York State Federation Championship for the first time in program history. Seniors “Juggernaut” Jonathan Hoffman and Elijah “Conquering” Carrington traveled to

Dancers Finish Winter Strong at Nationals
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: Over the February Break, Kellenberg’s Varsity Dance Team traveled down to Orlando, Florida on Wednesday, February 12 to compete in the NDA (National Dance Alliance) High School National Competition from February 13 to February 17. The team made it to finals in all

Von Receives Coach of the Year Honor
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Kelly ’26: This winter, our very own Mrs. Catherine vonSchoenermarck was named Coach of the Year for Region 1 by the AVCA. The American Volleyball Coaches Association awards the top High School Girls Volleyball Coaches for their unwavering commitment to their respective teams. This award

Bowling Team Dominates State Tournament
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: In a string of athletic victories, three Firebird bowlers travelled up to Buffalo for the state tournament. Outstanding athletes Juniors Chloe Horstmann and Kerri Callahan and Senior Emma Dolan all qualified for the tournament based on their regular season average. The girls not
Activities News

Smashing Success for Gaming Club Tournament
Article by Phoenix writer Molly Driscoll ’26: On Friday, January 17, senior Christopher Gallegra took the initiative to organize a Super Smash Bros. Tournament for the Gaming Club. This event marked the club’s first esports tournament of the year. Students from all grades were welcome to compete in this inaugural

Health Science Brings Joy to the Elderly
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’26: Before Christmas, the Health Science club sent cards to senior citizens living in nursing homes via the “My Dear Friend Card Creating” program begun by Glamour Gals. This is an organization that seeks to raise awareness about elderly solitude, while also working to

Kellenberg Musicians Perform the Annual Christmas Concert
Article by Phoenix writer Brooke Oldenborg ’26: On the evenings of December 11, 12, and 13, musicians from the Latin School, Firebird, and Phoenix groups held their annual Christmas concerts. The concerts opened with a performance of the “National Anthem” in tribute to the many Kellenberg family members that serve

Andrade and Feliciano Form New Piano Club
Article by Phoenix writer Ryleigh O’Neill ’28: The Piano Coterie is a new club for pianists in grades 6-12 which gives the opportunity to share their talents as well as receive critiques from the other club members. The club is a great opportunity for pianists because there are no classes
Apostolic News

Firebird Families Share Christmas Cheer
Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vakser ’26: With prayer, festivities, and the school’s first tree lighting, Christmas at Kellenberg brought the whole Firebird family together to celebrate the coming holiday. The event, held on the Saturday before the second week of Advent, began with a mass and continued with caroling,

Students Deck the Halls for Advent
Article by Phoenix writer Molly Driscoll ’26: On Tuesday, December 3rd, Kellenberg students and faculty participated in the annual Christmas decorating event. Everyone wore Christmas sweaters to embrace the holiday cheer. Christmas music filled the halls as students and faculty enthusiastically decorated classrooms. Before Thanksgiving break, each homeroom came up

Students Renew Faith at XLT
Article by Phoenix writer Kailyn Kelly ’26: On December 4, 2024, Kellenberg celebrated XLT and had the pleasure of hearing Mrs. Robinson speak. XLT is held once a month on Wednesdays to spend time with God in adoration among the Kellenberg family. It is a wonderful opportunity to surrender to

GIC Teaches Students the Joy of Giving
Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vakser ’26: For high school students across the country, the “season of giving” was taken to a new level. This year, twenty-four Catholic high schools participated in the annual Great Ignatian Challenge, including our very own Kellenberg Memorial. For eight years, Great Ignatian Challenge (GIC)
Last Week at Mass

Last Week at Mass: My Name, My Calling, My Purpose From God
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: Towards the end of my sophomore year, feelings of unproductivity and concern lingered in my mind. Distracted by the upcoming junior year, I questioned if I followed God’s plan for my life efficiently. Throughout my five years at Kellenberg, I’ve had the unique

Last Week at Mass: A Lady’s Lesson on Grief and Love
Article by Phoenix writer Amely Nuñez ’23: Serving as an altar server has granted me the opportunity to view the Mass in a very intimate and personal light. I have a perfect view of both the altar and the parishioners in the pews. Having seen thousands of congregants, one person

Last Week at Mass: Feeling Alone, I Went to Mass
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Garcia ’23: Recently, the future and what it holds has been on my mind. I thought once I turned in some of my college applications, my stress would be gone. I realized very quickly that it does not work that way. If anything, I felt

Last Week At Mass: A New Normal
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: Everybody tends to have the same idea of what Mass is: going to a Church building on Sunday, sitting in a pew, and listening to a priest say prayers and preach his homily before receiving the Eucharist and going home. This past Sunday,
But What Do I Know?

But What Do I Know: The “Importance” of Sleep
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: Photo by Bruce Mars on Unsplash Sleep – the one thing that everyone agrees they can never get enough of. Recently, all I’ve been hearing about is sleep. With the last trimester of the school year coming to a close and final exams creeping just around the corner, the one recurring topic of conversation that I hear is how nobody is getting enough sleep to be considered healthy. Science always tells us teenagers that we need 7-9 hours of interrupted sleep a night, with some studies going even further to suggest that this number isn’t enough. Anything less than the recommended amount is said to lead to definitive negative side effects, which can include difficulty concentrating on everyday events, reduced academic performance, and trouble remembering things. And yet, I, a sixteen year old teenager, feel fine with a very much less-than-recommended average of

But What Do I Know: An Animal Sanctuary Made Me A Vegetarian
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Garcia ’23: Plant-based. It’s the new popular phrase in the media utilized to avoid a negative connotation of the V-word. Yes, I mean vegetarian or vegan. The two words are not synonymous and have important differences; however, both involve moral, religious, or health reasons. A vegetarian is a person who does not consume meat. In contrast, a vegan is an individual who does not eat any food derived from animals and does not purchase nor utilize products made from animals, like leather. For my eighteenth birthday this past February, I chose to celebrate my birthday at a 360-acre animal sanctuary located immediately outside of New York called Tamerlaine Farm. Tamerlaine is owned by close family friends Peter and Gabrielle. They were motivated to become vegan as they became educated about the horrors of the food industry, such as veal crates, forced molting, and debeaking. These

But What Do I Know: The Case for Senioritis
Article by Phoenix writer Isabel Connolly ’23: As the first snow falls, so do seniors’ test scores. It’s inevitable. As we drudge our way through the late winter slump, high school seniors lose interest. It is a phenomenon colloquially termed ‘senioritis.’ The word is the bogeyman, waiting in the shadows of a senior’s first semester, ready to antagonize teacher and student alike. Senioritis is an all too real reality for myself and my classmates. There comes a moment where every senior has the epiphany that what they are doing now is simply a prelude to their future. It shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out why we seniors become disengaged. Especially for the class of 2023, high school has been turbulent. We have had to deal with the mundane in never-before-seen circumstances. We worked through it all with an end goal in mind, which, for my peers and myself, was
Academics News

Academic Achievement Recognized At Annual Awards Assembly
Article by Phoenix writer Keira Quigley ’26: On Tuesday, October 24th, sophomores, juniors, and seniors with outstanding academic achievements were honored at the annual Academic Awards Assembly. This assembly included students receiving pins for being on the Honor Roll, badges for having perfect attendance, and inducting new students into the

Students Shine In Advanced Labs Program
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: The Advanced Labs Program is an after-school STEM group at Kellenberg where any high schooler in grades 9-12 can join in on college level labs that prepare them for what they will experience in college. “It made me appreciate science and all that
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.
The Renaissance, Poetry: “Death isn’t Soft, Oscar” by Erin O’Connor ‘25
I’ve heard that Death is soft so that when we hold it, it does not callous our hands. But when I play the guitar you

The Renaissance, Photography: “Soft Glowing Lamp” by Sophia Santag ’27
“Soft Glowing Lamp” by Sophia Santag ’27

The Renaissance, Art: “Memory of a Boat Trip” by Lauren Reyes ’26
“Memory of a Boat Trip” by Lauren Reyes, ’26
The Renaissance (Poem) “In response to ‘Woman! when I behold thee flippant, vain'” by Victoria Vakser ’26
Good sir! When I behold thee proud and tall, Full of thyself, commanding, seeking praise, Withholding all advance, all kindly phrase, Thy sullen mouth

The Renaissance: Artwork: “Overgrown” by Rosann Passalacqua
“Overgrown” by Rosann Passalacqua An impressionist painting of the memory of my grandparents’ backyard garden.
The Renaissance: Poetry: “A Glimpse of 2013” by Danielle Kercy
“A Glimpse of 2013” by Danielle Kercy Winner of The Renaissance Challenge: “Memory” The specific scent of sanitizer stings my nose, and I am only