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Latest News
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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

Girls Var. Lax Dominates Doms
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: The Girls Varsity Lacrosse team showed off their talents against St. Dominic High School in a 10-5 victory on April 22. The defense held the Bayhawks to zero goals in the first half, thanks to the incredible playing and turnovers by Senior Ava

Boys Varsity Volleyball Shuts Out Terriers
Article by Phoenix writer Michelle Paszek ’24: On Tuesday, April 16th, the Boys Varsity Volleyball team continued their winning streak with a dominating 3-0 victory over St. Francis Prep, scoring 25-9, 25-8, and 25-19 in each respective set. This win improved the team’s record to 6 wins and 1 loss

Boys JV Lacrosse Improves Their Record Against Seaford
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Noumair ’24: The Boys JV Lacrosse team improved their record to 4 and 1 with a 6 to 3 win at home over the Seaford Vikings on April 8th. In net, freshman Vinny Ciro recorded 18 saves keeping the Seaford attack at bay, while Jamison

Varsity Dance Whirls Through Nationals
Article by Phoenix writer Mika-Ella Accardi ’25: Kellenberg’s Varsity Dance Team brought the heat to Orlando, Florida as they competed in the NDA High School National Dance Competition from March 7th to the 11th. The team made it to finals in all four small varsity categories. Overall, they placed 7th
Activities News

Spring Concert Showcases Student Talent
Article by Phoenix writer Allison Cortese ’26: Friends and family gathered on April 25 and 26 to see Kellenberg’s fine arts programs performing in the spring student concerts. Members of the bands, orchestras, and choruses displayed their talents through the pieces they had been working on all spring. On April

Speech and Debate Takes on the State
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: Kellenberg’s esteemed Speech and Debate Team qualified three members for the New York State Forensic League State Tournament, held at the Bronx High School of Science. The tournament was held over the course of two days, Friday, April 12 and Saturday, April 13.

Ryan Greenberg Talks EMS with Students
Article by Phoenix writer Cassandra Odudukudu ’24: After months of anticipation, New York State EMS Director Ryan Greenberg spoke to students interested in the field of emergency medicine on Wednesday, April 17 in the chorus room. His presentation focused on his own experiences in the field, the future of EMS,

Captain Mike Riley Speaks to Aviation Club
Article by Phoenix writer Griffin Strauss ’25: On April 17, the Aviation Club had the privilege of listening to speaker Captain Mike Riley, a former pilot in the U.S. Marines and a current pilot for United Airlines. Around 20 eager aviation club members learned about the business of flying in
Apostolic News

Family XLT Serves As A Reminder of Hope
Article by Phoenix writer Grace Andino ’25: To begin the Lenten Season, Kellenberg’s ARK hosted Family XLT on Ash Wednesday, March 25. Unlike the other XLTs offered throughout the school year, the annual Family XLT (exalt, praise, and worship) gives students and their families a spiritual opportunity that transcends the

St. Joseph’s Mission Inspires A Spirit of Service
Article by Phoenix writer Olivia Iorio ’25: During the week of February break, fourteen Kellenberg students demonstrated their Marianist commitment to service when they helped improve the Stella Maris retreat house and the motherhouse of the Sisters of Life in Montebello, New York. St. Joseph’s Mission has been going strong

Kellenberg Prepares for the Lenten Season
Article by Phoenix writer Ryleigh O’Neill ’28: Last Wednesday, Kellenberg celebrated the start of the Lenten season with an Ash Wednesday prayer service held in the auditorium. Ashes taken from last year’s palms were placed in the shape of a cross on the foreheads of all the students and faculty

Fathers and Sons Bond at St. Joseph’s Night
Article by Phoenix writer Sophia Venturino ’26: Every year, Kellenberg Memorial hosts St. Joseph’s Night, an evening of fun and prayer for Kellenberg gentlemen and their fathers or father figures. The night consists of quality time such as sharing a meal and time spent in prayer. The purpose of this
Last Week at Mass

Last Week at Mass: A Russian Orthodox Girl at Liturgy
Article by Phoenix writer Victoria Vakser ’26: “Blessed is the Kingdom of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages!” With these words the lights came on, the choir sang a majestic “Amen,” and the Orthodox Divine Liturgy began. March

Last Week At Mass: Faith from a Child’s Eyes – St. Patrick’s Glen Cove
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: On the first Sunday of March, I found myself everywhere but with God. I was organizing arrangements for the Senior Trip, stressing over college admission decisions I hadn’t even received yet, and any other thing that was on my mind. I piled clothes

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
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

Senior Writers Focus on Journaling
Article by Phoenix writer Michaela Dennean ’25: “Staring at the blank page before you…” Above is easily one of the most instantly recognizable lyrics of the 2000s. “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield acted as a powerful ballad for young and old, and it continues to be a hit today, over twenty

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
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, 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
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

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
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