Article by Phoenix writer Ryleigh O’Neill ’28:

Latest News
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’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
Spotlight on the Chess Club
College Fairs at Kellenberg Memorial
Drama Club presents
You Can't Take It With You
Athletics News

Girls XC Outruns Top Ranked Teams
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’26: On September 17, the Kellenberg Girls Cross Country team ran to an impressive victory at the Regis Invitational Varsity A Race. In winning the title, the team upended New Jersey powerhouse Morris Hills, Notre Dame Academy of Manhattan, and fourteen other teams. Runners

Girls Varsity Soccer Triumphs with Win over South Side HS
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: On Tuesday, September 26th, 2023, the Girls Varsity Soccer team defeated soccer powerhouse South Side High School by a score of 2:1. Senior Eva Garcia scored the first goal 15 minutes into the match, receiving the ball by a cross kick from sophomore

Kellenberg Homecoming Is a Big Win
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Noumair ’24: On Saturday, September 16th, the Varsity Football Team defeated St. Francis Prep by a score of 38 to 18 in the annual Homecoming game. This game is always one of the most anticipated of the year, and the team did not disappoint. Quarterback

Students Express Their School Spirit At The Fall Spirit Pep Rally
Article by Phoenix writer Allison Cortese ’26: Fall athletes represented their teams on September 15 at the Fall Pep Rally, showcasing their school spirit by wearing their jerseys over their uniforms and competing against each other in various games. The upperclassmen as well gathered in the gymnasium for their Pep
Activities News

Speech and Debate Orates Their Way to Victory
Article by Phoenix writer Delaney Clark ’25: On Saturday, November 9, the Speech and Debate Team took part in a competition against other rookie competitors of the Long Island Speech and Debate League. Five Kellenberg members participated in these debates: Jillian McLaughlin, Thomas Englese, Anna Prince, Emanuel Chamarro, and Callum

Kellenberg Sets Sail with New Sailing Club
Article by Phoenix writer Mika Accardi ’25: On Saturday, November 2, Kellenberg’s newly formed Sailing Club competed in their first invitational regatta at the Waterfront Center in Oyster Bay. The Sailing Club had practiced three days a week in preparation for the regatta. Seniors John Renz and Marco Arena, Sophomore

Model UN Team Dominates at Annual UCMUN Conference
Article by Phoenix writer Olivia Iorio ’26: From November 8 to 10, fourteen delegates from Kellenberg’s Model UN team traveled to their first conference of the year, the University of Connecticut Model UN Conference. The Delegates from Kellenberg participated on five different committees, and were joined by 400 other students

Freshmen Count the Candy in Halloween Raffle
Article by Phoenix writer Olivia Iorio ’26: The Halloween Raffle, held from October 28-30, was spurred on by the goal of Freshman GSO (General Student Organization) to continue the excitement of Freshman Faith Day. Mrs. Egan explained, “After a very spirited competition on Faith Day, GSO thought to capitalize on
Apostolic News

Seniors Learn About Life and Death
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: On January 29, senior students and faculty heard an annual presentation regarding Catholic Moral Tradition and modern medicine from alumna Meagan Ledetsch. Meaghan Ledetsch graduated from Kellenberg in 2005. Since then, she attended the University of Scranton where she received a Bachelor of

Kellenberg Gathers to Celebrate Founders Day Mass
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’26: On January 30th, Kellenberg Memorial finished off the shortened week with a mass celebrating Founders Day. The school community will not be in school Friday for this reason, as Kellenberg celebrates the individuals who founded both the school and the Marianists themselves. This

Kellenberg Marches for Life
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Kelly ’26: On January 23, members of our junior and senior classes headed down to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life held on January 24. The March for Life began in Washington, DC in 1974. This peaceful, national protest is in response to

Kellenberg Welcomes the Jubilee Year
Article by Phoenix writer Michaela Dennean ’25: On Thursday, January 16, Kellenberg celebrated its first Mass of the New Year. This year is particularly special in the Church, as it is a Jubilee Year. The jubilee takes place every twenty-five years, with this year’s focus being Hope. When Pope Francis
Last Week at Mass

LWAM: The Opportunity of a Lifetime
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: “Are you interested in becoming a Eucharistic Minister?” The bolded letters on the front of St. Thomas the Apostle’s Church bulletin made my heart jump. Though an 8-year-old me who received her Sacraments of Initiation and altar served for St. Thomas would have

LWAM: Trusting What I Can’t Change
Article by Phoenix writer Brooke Oldenborg ’26: On Sunday, November 17, I decided to end my weekend with my home parish’s evening mass. This is the first mass I’ve attended fully in a while. As the priest started talking, it seemed like a normal mass, but as he continued it

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
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

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.
Prose: “Childhood Christmas” by Ciara Bice ’25
“Childhood Christmas” by Ciara Bice ’25 Waking up on December 1 to find the Elf on the Shelf and open the Advent Calendar there is

Renaissance Views Powerful Documentary
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: Photo credit: Mary O’Brien The Renaissance gathered together to view the 2015 documentary “I Come From,” a film
Poem: “A dusk was come” by Viktoria Vakser ’26
A dusk was come; the earth a sullen quiet Had raised to protest Night’s impending gloom, And pulled the tired land to noiseless riot, Forestalling
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