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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 JV Volleyball Celebrates Championship Win
Article by Phoenix writer Justin McKenzie ’24: On October 29th, 2023, the Junior Varsity Lady Firebirds Volleyball team ended a stellar season with an amazing championship win against Sacred Heart Academy. The team was undefeated in league play and continued their dominant season with playoff success, winning both sets by

Soph Girls XC Wins Championship
Article by Phoenix writer Cassandra Odudukudu ’24: In a stunning display of athleticism and determination, the sophomores of the Girls Cross Country team won the Nassau and Suffolk Catholic High School Girls Sophomore Championship. On Wednesday, October 18, the girls traveled to Sunken Meadow State Park to participate in the

Varsity Football Victorious at Annual Whiteout Game
Article by Phoenix writer Caitlin Hanratty ’25: On Saturday the Varsity Football team defeated the Vikings of St. Joseph’s by the Sea by a score of 28 to 7. After surrendering a first quarter touchdown, Senior Kevin McGrory led the Firebird defensive effort with 11 tackles and 2 pass breakups

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
Activities News

Students Attend Molloy Business Course at Kellenberg
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
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

Kellenberg Honors Veterans With Annual Tribute Dinner
Article by Phoenix writer Keira Quigley ’26: On Thursday, November 9th, 2023, Kellenberg hosted its annual Veterans Tribute Dinner, welcoming 350 people with over 100 of them being veterans. This event was an opportunity for Kellenberg students to bring a family member or friend who served in the military and

Italian Heritage Celebrated by the One Heart, One Mind, Many Cultures Club
Article by Phoenix writer Delaney Clark ’25: On November 2nd, 2023, the One Heart, One Mind, Many Cultures Club hosted a presentation about Italian Heritage given by Junior Costanza Faldetta, who is originally from Italy. In her presentation, Costanza shared the similarities and the differences between being a teenager in
Apostolic News

Junior/Senior Evening of Recollection Renewed for 2024-25 School Year
Article by Phoenix writer Margaret Nitkewitcz ’26: Numerous upperclassmen gathered together in faith for the Junior/Senior Evening of Recollection on Friday, November 15. Kicking off the night, the students in attendance were served dinner, after saying grace. “I chose to come to this event to spend time with my Kellenberg

Latin School Students Participate in Annual Witness Day
Article by Phoenix writer Molly Driscoll ’26: The Latin School’s annual Witness Day took place on All Saints Day, November 1st. This event was an excellent way for students to bond with their peers through engaging activities centered around faith, food, and fun. Each grade received different colored shirts that

Continuing a LIFE of Service
Article by Phoenix writer Marianist LIFE Team ’25: While many students began winding down after their comprehensive exams, Kellenberg’s Marianist L.I.F.E team were excited to see what their week would have in store. In June, twelve seniors had the unique opportunity to travel to California to deepen their faith. L.I.F.E.

Kellenberg Students Put Faith First
Article by Phoenix writer Cristina Palmieri ’25: The 11:18 bell rings, signaling the end of fourth period. Students shove materials in their bags to hurry to their next class. My friends and I rush to our lockers that are conveniently located next to the Maria Regina Chapel downstairs, where most
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: 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